Section LXXXI

"Arjuna said, 'What business brought you here, O daughter (-in-law) of Kuru’s race, and what also is the cause of the arrival on the field of battle of her who is the mother of the ruler of Manipura? Dost you entertain friendly motives towards this king, O daughter of a snake? O you of restless glances, dost you wish good to me too? I hope, O you of ample hips, that neither I, nor this Vabhruvahana here, have, O beautiful lady, done any injury to you unconsciously? Has Citrangada of faultless limbs, descended from the race of Citravahana, done you any wrong?' Unto him, the daughter of the prince of snakes answered smilingly, 'You have not offended me, nor has Vabhruvahana done me any wrong; nor this prince’s mother who is always obedient to me as a hand-maid. Listen, how all this has been brought about by me. You should not be angry with me. Indeed, I seek to gratify you by bending my head in reverence. O you of Kuru’s race, all this has been done by me for your good, O puissant one. O mighty-armed Dhananjaya, hear all that I have done. In the great battle of the Bharata princes, you had slain the royal son of Santanu by unrighteous ways. What I have done has expiated your sin. You didst not overthrow Bhishma while battling with you. He was engaged with Sikhandin. Relying on him as your help, you didst compass the overthrow of Santanu’s son. If you had died without having expiated your sin, you wouldst then have fallen without doubt into Hell in consequence of that sinful act of thine. Even this which you have got from your son is the expiation of that sin. Formerly, O ruler of Earth, I heard this said by the Vasus while they were in the company of Ganga, O you of great intelligence. After the fall of Santanu’s son, those deities, viz., the Vasus, coming to the banks of Ganga, bathed in her waters, and calling the goddess of that stream, they uttered these terrible words having the sanction of Bhagirathi herself, viz.,—Santanu’s son Bhishma has been slain by Dhananjaya. Verily, O goddess, Bhishma then was engaged with another, and had ceased to fight. For this fault we shall today denounce a curse on Dhananjaya.—To this, the goddess Ganga readily assented, saying,—Be it so!—Hearing these words I became very much afflicted and penetrating into the nether regions represented everything to my sire. Informed of what had happened, my sire became plunged in grief. Repairing to the Vasus, he solicited them for your sake, repeatedly gratifying them by every means in his power. They then said unto him, 'Dhananjaya has a highly blessed son who, endued with youth, is the ruler of Manipura. He will, standing on the field of battle, cast Dhananjaya down on the Earth. When this will happen, O prince of snakes, Arjuna will be freed from our curse. Do you go back.—Thus addressed by the Vasus, he came back and informed me of what had happened. Having learnt all this, O hero, I have freed you from the curse of the Vasus even in this way. The chief of the deities himself is incapable of vanquishing you in battle. The son is one’s own self. It is for this that you have been vanquished by him. I cannot be held, O puissant one, to have committed any fault. How, indeed, wouldst you hold me censurable?'—Thus addressed (by Ulupi), Vijaya became cheerful of heart and said unto her, 'All this that you have done, O goddess, is highly agreeable to me.' After this, Jaya addressed his son, the ruler of Manipura, and said unto him in the hearing of Citrangada, the daughter (-in-law) of Kuru’s house, the Horse-sacrifice of Yudhishthira will take place on the day of full moon in the coming month of Caitra. Come there, O king, with your mother and your counsellors and officers.' Thus addressed by Partha, king Vabhruvahana of great intelligence, with tearful eyes, said these words to his sire, 'O you that art conversant with every duty, I shall certainly repair, at your command, to the great Horse-sacrifice, and take upon myself the task of distributing food among the regenerate ones. For, however, showing your grace towards me, you enter your own city with your two wives. Let no scruple, be thine as regards this, O you that art fully acquainted with every duty. O lord, having lived for one night in your own mansion in happiness, you mayst then follow the steed, O foremost of victorious warriors. The ape-bannered son of Kunti, thus addressed by his son, answered the child of Citrangada, saying 'You knowest, O mighty-armed one, what vow I am observing. O you of large eyes, till the termination of this my vow, I cannot enter your city. O foremost of men, this sacrificial horse wanders at will. (I have to follow it always.) Blessings on you! I must go away. Place I have none wherein to rest for even a short while.' The son of the chastiser of Paka then, duly worshipped by his son and obtaining the permission of his two wives, left the spot and proceeded on his way.'"