Part 1: Negotiations with Bāhubali

Then the lord of Bharata went to the council-hall, where General Suṣeṇa paid homage to him and informed him,

“This cakra of yours, after making universal conquest, will not approach this city today, like a vicious elephant the tying-post.”

Bharata said, “Pray, what hero is there now in the six divisions of Bharata who does not obey my command?”

The minister made this reply:

“I know your Majesty conquered this very Bharatakṣetra up to Mt. Kṣudrahimavat. Is there any victory left when you have made conquest in all directions? Do chick-peas stay (in one place) when they have fallen on a moving grindstone? That this cakra does not enter the city, Lord, indicates that something, insolent from transgressing your command, must still be conquered. Even among the gods I do not see anyone to be conquered, invincible to you. Oh, I know! There is one to be conquered, invincible to all. The son of Ṛṣabha Svāmin, your younger brother, Bāhubali, O Master, is very strong, destroying the strength of the strong. On one hand are all the weapons, on the other hand the thunderbolt; just so, on one hand are all the kings, on the other Bāhubali. As you are the highest of the people, son of Ṛṣabha Svāmin, so is he. With him unconquered, what have you conquered? No one is seen in six-part Bharata who is the equal of the Master (Bharata). Pray, what distinction is there to the lord of Bharata in its conquest? He does not honor your command which is honored by the world. The cakra does not come here as if from shame because he has not been conquered. Since no enemy, like a disease, even though insignificant, is to be disregarded, prepare now for his conquest. Enough of delay.”

The Lord of Bharata, at once embraced by anger and its extinction, like a mountain by a forest-fire and rain-clouds, said:

“On the one hand, a younger brother does not obey my command; that is a cause of shame. On the other hand, a fight with a younger brother; that is painful. If a man’s command is not obeyed at home, his command is ridiculous outside. If I endure a younger brother’s disrespect, I am disgraced. On the one hand, it is the king’s duty to destroy the pride of the insolent; on the other, there is the question of good brotherly relations with a brother. Alas! I have fallen into a dilemma.”

The minister replied:

“Your younger brother himself will solve the dilemma which exists for Your Majesty because of your own dignity. For the command must be given by the elder, and must be carried out by the younger. This custom has been observed even by ordinary householders. By sending a messenger let Your Majesty also give a command to your younger brother according to the custom observed by the people. If your younger brother, thinking himself a hero, will not endure the command honored by all the world, as a lion will not endure a saddle, then Your Majesty, whose command is as powerful as Pākaśāsana’s, should punish him. The people will not blame you, because you are not transgressing the customs of the people.”

The King replied “Very well,” to this speech. For speech in accordance with the śāstras. and the customs of the people must be accepted.

Then the King, after giving instructions, despatched a messenger, named Suvega, skilled in polity, eloquent, courageous, to Bāhubali. After taking his Master’s instructions like an initiation into messengership, possessing cleverness, Suvega mounted his chariot and went to Takṣaśilā. Attended by good soldiers, with a chariot of unequaled speed, he left Vinītā, like an embodied command of the King. As he went along the road, his left eye twitched constantly as if seeing a fate unfavorable to the transaction of the undertaking. His right nostril blew constantly in the vahnimaṇḍala, like a goldsmith’s blow-pipe in a fire, even in the absence of sickness.^[1] Even on level roads his chariot stumbled frequently like the tongue of a stammerer on unaccustomed words. Even though warded off by the horsemen, a black antelope crossed repeatedly before him from right to left, as if impelled. In front of him a crow perched on a dry thorn-bush and cried out harshly, as if rubbing its sword of a bill on a grindstone. A hanging black-snake descended in front of him like a bar that had been thrown by fate wishing to prevent his going. An unfavorable wind blew, throwing dust in his eyes, as if turning him back—him alone skil l ed in deliberation. On his right a donkey brayed with the disagreeable sound of a drum that has not been rubbed with paste and has burst.^[2]

Suvega proceeded, even though knowing these signs unfavorable. Good servants of a master do not falter anywhere, like an arrow. He crossed many villages, towns, mines, poor towns, like a whirlwind, seen only for a moment by their inhabitants. Urged on by the goad of his Master’s business, he did not rest even in groves of trees, at pools, on the bank of the Sindhu, etc. He arrived at the great forest that was like a secret pleasure-ground of Death, crowded with Kirātas with strung bows whose targets were elephants, wearing garments of deer-skin; like sorcerers; filled with deer, panthers, tigers, lions, and śarabhas, cruel by nature, like relatives of Yama, terrifying with ant-hills where ichneumons and snakes were fighting; having Kirāta boys intent on procuring the hair of bears; where old trees were destroyed by buffaloes fighting together; inaccessible because of the honey-bees started up by the Nāhalas; where the sun was hidden by the mass of very tall trees.

As his chariot was swift, Suvega quickly crossed -the terrible forest with ease, like a virtuous man death. He arrived at the Bahalī-country where a good government was indicated by prosperous women-travelers, wearing ornaments, resting under trees at the road-side; where the life of Ṛṣabha Svāmin was sung by happy herd-boys seated under the trees at each cow-pen; where all the villages were adorned with many dense trees with garlands of fruit, as if they had been taken from Bhadraśāla and planted there; where at every town, every village, and every house, beggars were searched for by rich men initiated into liberality alone; where villages were inhabited for the most part by Mlecchas of undiminished wealth, who had come from the north half of Bharata as if afraid of (King) Bharata; where the commands of Bharata were not acknowledged, as if it were another division apart from the six divisions of Bharata.

Frequently conversing with the country-people on the roads, who were untroubled and did not know any other king except Śrī Bāhubali; seeing even the fierce beasts of prey in the forests and mountains quickly limping at the command of Sunandā’s son (Bāhubali); inferring from the affectionate speech of his subjects and the great wealth that the policy of Śrī Bāhubali was peerless; recalling his message frequently forgotten from hearing of the excellence of Bharata’s younger brother, he arrived at the city Takṣaśilā. Glanced at for a moment by the people living near the city as casually as if he were a traveler; his chariot-horses terrified by the sounds of slaps on their arms by soldiers engaged together in military exercise for sport in the pleasure-gardens; his chariot bumping from going on the wrong road unhindered by the charioteer absorbed in looking here and there at the citizens’ wealth; seeing the best elephants tied to trees in the gardens outside, like elephant-jewels of the cakrins of all the continents in one place; looking at the fine stables with the best horses, as if they had left the cars of the Jyotiṣkas and had come; shaking his head as if from a headache caused by the sight of the wonderful power of Bharata’s younger brother, he entered the city.

Seeing merchants in the shops, who had independent means of livelihood, very rich, like Ahamindras, he went to the palace-door. Looking at the man-lion’s lion-gate, occupied at places by infantry-troops carrying lances that appeared to have been made by cutting off rays of the sun; in places adorned by foot-soldiers carrying iron arrows with tips of cane, like trees of courage with shoots; guarded in other places by mercenaries carrying iron hammers that would not break even in breaking rocks, like elephants with one tusk; adorned in places by the best of heroes possessing cruel strength, carrying shields and swords like the Moon and Ketu;^[2] in places occupied by men who could shoot from afar and hit an unseen but heard object as far as the groups of constellations, with quivers on their backs and bows in their hands; terrifying at a distance with two elephants placed on each side (of the door) like door-keepers with large staves in the form of trunks; astonished in his mind, he stood until he was seen by the door-keeper. Such is the custom in palaces.

The door-keeper went and announced to Bāhubali:

“Suvega, a messenger from your elder brother, is at the door.”

At the King’s command, the door-keeper permitted Suvega, the best of the wise, to enter the house, like Mercury entering the orbit of the sun. With amazement he saw Bāhubali attended by kings with dazzling jeweled crowns, like suns brought from the sky to earth; surrounded by ministers purified by tests, wise, pavilions made from a growth of creepers of the master’s wealth of confidence; served by the chief princes of the world, with shining crest-jewels, unassailable, like Nāgakumāras; terrifying by his thousands of body-guards who held scabbardless weapons, like Mt. Malaya with serpents whose tongues were hanging out; constantly fanned by courtesans with very beautiful chauris, like Mt. Himālaya with yaks’ tails; resplendent with a staff-bearer carrying a golden-staff and dressed in white, like an autumn-cloud with lightning, standing before him; seated on a jeweled lion-throne like the divinity of splendor.

He bowed to the King, touching the ground with his forehead, wearing a long tinkling gold chain like an elephant. Then he sat down on a seat indicated by the door-keeper, which had been brought at the time at a sign with his eyebrow by the King.

Looking at him with a glance purified by the nectar of favor, the King said:

“Suvega, I hope everything is well with the noble Lord of Bharata? I hope the subjects prosper in the city Vinītā cherished and guarded by my father, sir? I trust the King has achieved a victory without obstacles over the six parts of Bharata like the enemies love, etc.^[4] I hope the retinue, the general, etc., which formed the great camps for sixty thousand years, is well. I hope the multitudes of the King’s elephants are healthy, making the sky appear to have clouds of sunset and sunrise by their protuberances reddened with vermilion. I trust the King’s excellent horses, who have returned after crossing the earth up to Mt. Hima, are free from fatigue. I hope the days pass in complete pleasure for the noble Lord whose command is unbroken everywhere, and who is served by kings.”

When the son of Ṛṣabha became silent after making these enquiries, Suvega replied humbly with folded hands:

“The Lord of Bharata, who himself makes the prosperity of the whole world, enjoys self-produced prosperity. Can even a god cause failure of prosperity to the city, Suṣeṇa, and others, to elephants and horses, whose leader is your brother? Is there anyone anywhere, the equal or superior of the Lord of Bharata, who would make obstacles to the conquest of the six divisions of Bharata? His command always unbroken, served by kings, nevertheless the Lord of Bharata certainly does not rejoice in his heart. Even a poor man, who is served by his family, is powerful; but whence is there pleasure in power to one who is not served by his family? Your elder brother, who came at the end of sixty thousand years, watched with eagerness the road by which his younger brothers would arrive. All have come there, relatives, connections, friends, etc., and made the coronation of the Lord of Bharata as overlord. The King does not rejoice at even the gods with their Indras who have come to his throne, because he does not see at his side his own younger brothers. When he knew his younger brothers had not come even in twelve years, he sent men to summon them. For eagerness is very powerful. After some consideration they did not come to Bharata, but went and took initiation at their father’s feet. To them, now free from passion, there is no friend and no enemy. How can they fulfill the King’s desire for brotherly affection?

Go, go, give delight to the King’s heart, if you have any brotherly affection for him. I conjecture that you are more hard-hearted than the thunderbolt, since you remained (here) in this way, when your elder brother came from the ends of the earth after a long time. From your disrespect to your elder, I suspect that you are more fearless than the fearless; for the brave, as well as the timid, must attend the elder. On the one hand is one who is victorious over all; on the other hand is one who is respectful to his elder. The second is praised by wise men after due consideration. The King, enduring all, will endure even this disrespect of yours. However, in this way the opportunity for backbiters is unchecked. In that case, the speeches of informers emphasizing your lack of devotion will corrupt his mind, just as lumps of fresh butter spoil milk. A weak point in one’s lord, even though small, must be guarded against. By means of a hole even small, water destroys a dam. Do not fear in your heart at the thought, ‘I did not go for so long a time.’ Come now. A good master does not observe stumbling. If you go there now, at once the wishes of the informers will dissolve like a mass of snow when the sun is in the sky. Be brilliant for a long time with splendor from an immediate meeting with the master like the moon from meeting the sun at amāvasyā.^[5]

Many others, powerful, treating him as master, serve him daily without being ashamed of service. Certainly the Cakravartin, enduring dislike and affection, must be served by kings, like Indra by the gods. Service done by you to him in his relation as Cakravartin will light up the relation of peerless brotherly affection. If you, fearless at the thought, ‘He is my brother,’ do not come, that is not fitting. Kings, whose essence is command, are not restrained by relationship. Attracted by his exceeding splendor, like iron by the loadstone, gods, men, and demons come to the Lord of Bharata. Why do you not favor merely by coming the one whom even Vāsava treats as a friend by sharing his seat? If you scorn the King, thinking yourself a hero—verily, compared with him, yon with your soldiers are a handful of meal in the ocean. Who can endure his eighty-four lacs of elephants, resembling Śakra’s elephants, approaching like living mountains? Who will make stumble so many horses and chariots inundating the earth from every direction like ocean-waves at the destruction of the world? Who is not terrified by the ninety-six crores of soldiers like lions belonging to him who is lord of ninety-six crores of villages? Can General Suṣeṇa alone, attacking with a staff in his hand, like Kṛtānta, be endured even by gods or demons? Even the three worlds are a very small thing to the Cakrin Bharata possessing the unerring cakra, like a mass of darkness to the sun. The King, superior in splendor and elder by birth, is always the chief. He must be served by you, Bāhubali, if you desire your kingdom and life.”

Then Bāhubali, scorning the power of the world because of the power of bis arm, spoke as follows in a deep voice like another ocean:

“Well done! You alone, messenger, are the first of the eloquent since you are able to utter such a speech before me. Verily, my elder brother is like my father. That he desires relatives to meet, that is certainly very fitting. We did not go, thinking, ‘He, resplendent with the magnificence of gods, demons, and kings, will be ashamed of us of little power, if we go.’ His intentness on seizing his younger brothers’ kingdoms, after seizing enemies’ kingdoms for sixty thousand years was the cause (of the desire for a meeting). If brotherly feeling was its cause, why did he send messengers to his brothers one by one with the intention of fighting or taking their realms? With the thought, ‘Who will fight with his elder brother, even though rapacious?’ the noble younger brothers followed their father. The hypocritical conduct^[6] of your master seeking a pretext was quickly shown by his annexation of their kingdoms.

Showing that kind of affection for us, he sent yon, distinguished, experienced in fluent, deceitful talk. Will he, greedy for my kingdom, have the same joy at my coming which he experienced from the gift of. their kingdoms by his brothers who became mendicants? I am harder than a thunderbolt since, though having little power, I do not accept his wealth, fearful of my brother’s contempt! He is more delicate than a flower, who, deceitful, himself takes the kingdoms of his younger brothers who fear censure! Pray, messenger, how are we more fearless than the fearless, since we disregard his seizure of our brothers’ kingdoms? Respect for an elder person is ordained, if the elder person is deserving of respect. Respect for an elder person lacking in all venerable qualities is the abode of shame. One abandons an elder who is arrogant, does not know right and wrong, and has adopted the wrong course. Has any horse, etc., been taken from him, or any city, etc., been destroyed, because of which ‘the King, enduring all, will endure our disrespect’? We shall not make an effort there to refute wicked people. Are the virtuous, acting after due consideration, ruined by mischievous talk? Has the reason because of which we did not go for so long disappeared, so that we, indifferent, would go to the Cakrin now? Hunting for a pretext like a bhūt, what mistake of ours can he find, since we have always and everywhere been careful and not grasping? How, pray, can the Lord of Bharata be our master, since we did not receive anything, this kingdom, etc., from him? Ṛṣabha alone is my master and his. How is the relationship of master and servant possible between us? If I went there for the sake of splendor, what sort of splendor would he have? When the sun rises, fire is not brilliant.

Let those feeble kings serve him, regarding him as master, toward whom—cowards that they are—he is capable of favor and disfavor. If I performed service to him from the standpoint of brotherly affection, the people would talk scurrilously about it in reference to his being -Cakravartin. ‘I am fearless, because he is my brother.’ Bet the giver of commands command, if he is able. Enough of brotherly affection. Diamond is not cut with diamond. Bet him be content with the attendance of gods, demons, and men. What have I to do with him? A chariot suitable for the road only, even though armored, is broken on a post. If Mahendra, devoted to our father, made the father’s eldest sou share his throne, why is he arrogant about that? There may be others who with their armies are like a handful of meal in the ocean, compared with him; but I, mark you, would be a submarine fire hard to endure from its heat. Infantry, cavalry, chariots, elephants, general, and Bharata, too—all of them—shall be absorbed in me, like lights in the light of the sun. The man, whom I tossed up in the air as easily as a clod when I was a child, taking him by the feet, as an elephant would take him with its trunk, and whom I caught like a flower, when he had gone very far in the air and was falling to the ground, with the idea, ‘He must not be killed,’ has forgotten that because of the flatteries of flattering defeated kings, and now has attained another birth, as it were. The flatterers will disappear—all of them; but he alone will endure pain from the strong arm of Bāhubali. Go, messenger. Let him come with desire for my kingdom and life. The earth belongs to him because I, content with the part given by our father, permit it.”

Suvega, clinging to his courage though disturbed in mind, got up and left the council-hall, watched by the kings whose eyes were red with-anger, like tigers restrained by snares of the master’s firm command; leered at terribly again and again by the princes whose lips were trembling from anger, saying inwardly, “Kill! Kill!” looked at by the body-guards, their belts girded firmly, their swords advanced a little, their brows raised, as if wishing to devour him; considered by the ministers with the thought, “This villain will be killed by some impetuous footman of our master”; made to rise by the door-keeper who had stood with one hand ready and had raised his foot, as if eager to seize him by the neck.

He left the lion-man’s lion-gate with stumbling feet, looking at every step at death, as it were, on all sides of himself, from the army at the gate very angry at their inference from the loud words of the angered Lord of Takṣaśilā; from the shields being shaken, from the large swords being made to dance, from the cakras being lifted, from the hammers being seized, from the arrows being brandished, from the quivers being pressed out, from the staves being taken up, from the axes being sharpened.

Mounted in the chariot, he left the city, hearing the loud speech of the townspeople talking to each other.

“Who is this stranger who has gone from the King’s door?” “He is certainly King Bharata’s messenger who has come.” “Is there some other king here on earth?” “The elder brother of Bāhubali, Lord of Bharata, in Ayodhyā.” “Why did he send a messenger here?” “To summon his brother, King Śrī Bāhubali.” “Where was our master’s brother gone for so long?” “He was gone to conquer the six parts of Bharatakṣetra.” “Why does he now eagerly summon his younger brother?” “To have him do the service common to other kings.” “After conquering powerless kings, why this climbing a stake here?”^[7] “Unbroken pride from his being cakravartin is the cause of that.” “How will the King show himself, when he has been defeated by his younger brother?” “Having the semblance of a conqueror, he does not know his future defeat.” “Has King Bharata a mole for a minister?” “There are many wise hereditary ministers.” “Why did they not restrain him when he wished to scratch the serpent’s mouth?” “He was not restrained, but urged on. Such is destiny.”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

There are 4 mandalas, or ākāras, for the breath: vāyu, pṛthvī, jala, agni. The favorableness, or unfavorableness, of each maṇḍala depends on various circumstances. Agni (vahni) is bad for beginning work. It is good, e.g., for taking food. It is also of importance from which nostril the breath comes. In sickness, it is normal for the breath to come from the right nostril in the case of the agnimaṇḍala. In the absence of sickness it is abnormal and therefore a bad omen. This subject is treated in the Svarodayaśāstras.

[2]:

A mṛdaṅga is the kind of Indian drum in most general use. It is barrel shaped with parchment covering on both ends. One end is moistened with a kind of black rice-paste which is left on permanently. The other end is covered with a white paste which is renewed each time.

[3]:

Ketu is the descending node or dragon’s tail, formed by the headless body of Rāhu. In representations it somewhat resembles a sword.

[4]:

This refers to the six internal enemies. See n. 5.

[5]:

Amāvasyā is the time when the longitudes of the sun and moon are equal; i.e., when they are closest together.

[6]:

Bakaceṣṭita. The heron is considered an example of hypocrisy and deceit. There are various proverbs illustrating this. See H.P. p. 24.

[7]:

I found no trace of this as a popular expression. Whether it means ‘suicidal,’ with perhaps a reference to impalement; or ‘difficult’ is not clear.