Mahabharata (English)

by Kisari Mohan Ganguli | 2,566,952 words | ISBN-10: 8121505933

The English translation of the Mahabharata is a large text describing ancient India. It is authored by Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa and contains the records of ancient humans. Also, it documents the fate of the Kauravas and the Pandavas family. Another part of the large contents, deal with many philosophical dialogues such as the goals of life. Book...

Section CIV

"Yudhishthira said,

'O great saint! I am desirous of hearing in detail why it was that Vindhya, made senseless with wrath, suddenly began to increase his bulk.'"

"Lomasa said,

'The sun between his rising and setting used to revolve round that monarch of mountains—the great Meru of golden lustre.

And seeing this the mountain Vindhya spake to Surya saying,

'As you every day goest round Meru and honourest him by your circumambulations, do you even the same by me, O maker of light!'

Thus addressed, the sun replied to the great mountain, saying,

'I do not of my own will honour this mountain by my circumambulations. By those who have built this universe has that path been assigned to me.'

Thus addressed the mountain suddenly began to increase from wrath, desirous, O chastiser of foes, of obstructing the path of the Sun and the Moon. And all the assembled gods came to Vindhya, the mighty king of mountains, and tried to dissuade him from his course. But he heeded not what they said. And then all the assembled gods went to the saint, living in the hermitage, engaged in the practice of austerities, and the very best of persons devoted to virtue; and stated all that happened to Agastya, possessed of exceeding marvellous power.

"The gods said,

'This king of hills, Vindhya, giving way to wrath, is stopping the path of the Sun and the Moon, and also the course of the stars. O foremost of Brahmanas! O you great in gifts! excepting thyself, there is none who can prevent him; therefore do you make him desist.'

Hearing these words of the gods the Brahmana came to the mountain. And he with his wife, having arrived there, came near Vindhya and spake to him, saying,

'O you best of mountains! I wish to have a path given to me by you, as, for some purpose, I shall have to go to the southern region. Until my return, do you wait for me. And when I have returned, O king of mountains, you mayst increase in bulk as much as you pleasest.'

And, O slayer of foes! having made this compact with Vindhya up to the present day Varuna’s son does not return from the southern region. Thus have I, asked by you, narrated to you why Vindhya does not increase in bulk, by reason of the power of Agastya. Now, O king! hear how the Kalakeyas were killed by the gods, after they had obtained their prayer from Agastya.

"Having heard the words of the gods, Agastya, the son of Mitra, and Varuna, said,

'Wherefore are you come? What boon do you solicit from me?'

Thus addressed by him, the deities then spake to the saint, saying,

'This deed we ask you to achieve, viz., to drink up the great ocean. O magnanimous (saint)! Then we shall be able to slay those enemies of the gods, known by the name of Kalakeyas, together with all their adherents.'

Having heard the words of the gods, the saint said,

'Let it be so—I shall do even what you desire, and that which will conduce to the great happiness of men.'

Having said this, he then proceeded to the ocean—the lord of rivers,—accompanied by sages, ripe in the practice of penances, and also by the deities, O you who leadest an excellent life! And men and snakes, celestial choristers, Yakshas and Kinnaras followed the magnanimous saints,—desirous of witnessing that wonderful event.

Then they came up all together near to the sea, of awful roar, dancing, as it were, with its billows, bounding with the breeze, and laughing with masses of froth, and stumbling at the caves, and thronged with diverse kinds of sharks, and frequented by flocks of various birds. And the deities accompanied by Agastya and celestial choristers and huge snakes and highly-gifted saints, approached the immense watery waste."

Conclusion:

This concludes Section CIV of Book 3 (Vana Parva) of the Mahabharata, of which an English translation is presented on this page. This book is famous as one of the Itihasa, similair in content to the eighteen Puranas. Book 3 is one of the eighteen books comprising roughly 100,000 Sanskrit metrical verses.

FAQ (frequently asked questions):

Which keywords occur in Section CIV of Book 3 of the Mahabharata?

The most relevant definitions are: Vindhya, Agastya, Meru, Brahmana, Varuna, Kalakeyas; since these occur the most in Book 3, Section CIV. There are a total of 13 unique keywords found in this section mentioned 27 times.

What is the name of the Parva containing Section CIV of Book 3?

Section CIV is part of the Tirtha-yatra Parva which itself is a sub-section of Book 3 (Vana Parva). The Tirtha-yatra Parva contains a total of 101 sections while Book 3 contains a total of 13 such Parvas.

Can I buy a print edition of Section CIV as contained in Book 3?

Yes! The print edition of the Mahabharata contains the English translation of Section CIV of Book 3 and can be bought on the main page. The author is Kisari Mohan Ganguli and the latest edition (including Section CIV) is from 2012.

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