Part 10: Intervention of the gods

“What is this conflict of the two sons of Ṛṣabha, like that of two hands of the same body?” With this reflection, they said to the soldiers of both armies, “Ṛṣabha Svāmin’s order is that no one is to fight here, while we are enlightening your proud masters.” At the command of the Lord of the Three Worlds, the soldiers of both sides stopped just as they were—all of them, as if painted in a picture. “Are these gods from Bāhubali or Bharata?” the soldiers reflected as they waited.

Saying “Fortunately for the people, the situation has not become hopeless,” the gods went first to the Cakrin. After giving their blessing with the words, “Hail! Hail!” the gods spoke conciliatingly like ministers, with suitable speech, “Certainly you conquered the kings of six-part Bharatakṣetra, O King, like Indra the demons. You have no rival in power and glory among kings, O lord of kings, like a śarabha among deer. Your desire for battle was not satisfied by them, like a desire for new butter by churning pitchers of water. Then you began this fight with your brother, your second half, like beating your own hand with your other hand. O King, certainly the itching of your arm, and nothing else, is the cause of this battle, just as the itching of an elephant’s cheek is the cause of his rubbing against big trees. Verily, this arm-play of you two leads to the destruction of the worlds. For an encounter of rutting forest-elephants leads to the breaking down of the forest. Why was it undertaken to destroy everything merely for amusement, like a family of birds destroyed by a meat-eater for momentary pleasure? Is this fitting for you who have attained birth from Ṛṣabha, the protector of the world and ocean of compassion? It is like a rain of fire from the moon.

Abstain, O King, from this terrible battle, like a person with self-control from worldly affections. Go to your own home. Because of you, your younger brother, Bāhubali, came. When you have gone, he will go. For action is from cause. Let both of you have good fortune from giving up the sin of the destruction of the universe; let both armies have peace by abandoning the battle. Let the Indras of the Bhavanavasins, etc., living within the earth, be comfortable from the cessation of the earth’s bending from the weight produced by your army. Let earth, mountains, oceans, subjects, animals, everywhere abandon agitation because of the cessation of destruction by your army here. Let all the gods, too, remain in peace, free from anxiety about the destruction of the universe arising from your conflict.”

After making this speech in regard to the matter, the gods became silent and the Lord of Bharata spoke in a voice deep as thunder: “Who except you would speak this speech beneficial to all? For people are generally quite indifferent to seeing the happiness of others. However, the cause of the rise of conflict is in reality different (from what you think). You, desiring to do good, have made the wrong deductions by argument. Instruction from an instructor, even from Bṛhaspatī, would be useless, if he made some conjecture without knowing the root of the matter. Certainly I am not eager for battle, saying impetuously, ‘I am powerful.’ Does one anoint a mountain, even though there is plenty of oil? Just as I had no rival among the kings of six-part Bharata, even so there is none now. A rival is an enemy, the cause of victory and defeat. But Bāhubali and I are the same with a distinction made by birth from the power of fate.

Formerly, fearing censure, bashful, discriminating, respectful, pious, Bāhubali looked upon me as a father. When I come after making a tour of conquest for sixty thousand years, I see him like another person. The passing of a long time is responsible for this. Then during the twelve coronation-years, Bāhubali did not come to me at all. I conjectured that it was carelessness in that case. When he does not come even after I sent a messenger to summon him, I conjecture that it is the bad advice of the ministers in this case. I summon him not from greed nor anger, but because the cakra will not enter (the armory), while he is unhumbled. The cakra-jewel does not approach the city, he does not approach me, as if from mutual rivalry. I have fallen into a dilemma between the two. Let my brother come once, even though proud; let him take from me another country, like a guest taking a pūjā. There is no other cause of conflict except the entrance of the cakra. I am not angry with my younger brother, whether he is submissive or not.”

Then the gods said, “O King, there is good cause for conflict. Such a course of action is not taken by people like yon with slight cause. Now we shall approach Bāhubali and will enlighten him. Destruction of the people must be warded off, like the end of the world approaching. If he, too, as well as you, should give quite a different reason for the battle, nevertheless you must not fight with the worst kind of fighting. You must fight with the best kind of fighting, that is, eye, voice, arm, etc., so there will not be injury to innocent elephants, etc.”

The Cakravartin agreed, and the gods approached King Bāhubali in the second army. Inwardly astonished at the thought, “Oh, he is invincible, with a form filled with firm resolution,” they said to him: “O son of Vṛṣabha Svāmin, long be victorious, long rejoice, the only moon for the delight of the cakora of the eyes of the world. Like the ocean, you never cross the boundary. You fear censure like a coward a battle. Not arrogant from your own success, not jealous of others’ successes, punisher of the irreverent, reverent to elders, a son suitable for the god (Ṛṣabha) conferring fearlessness on all, you never aimed at the destruction even of an inferior. Why then, this terrifying undertaking against your elder brother? It is supposed to be impossible from you, like death from nectar. Though it has gone this far, the situation is not entirely hopeless. Abandon the intention of fighting with him, like friendship with a rogue. By your command, O King, restrain the warriors who are starting out from speedy battle, like snakes by a charm. Go and submit to your elder brother, Bharata, and you will be described as having unlimited power and yet respectful. Enjoy this six-part Bharatakṣetra that has been acquired by Bharata, as if it had been acquired by yourself. For what difference is there between you?” After saying this, they stopped, like clouds that had rained.

Bāhubali, astonished, spoke in a deep voice: “You speak in this way, O gods, from your own purity of heart, without knowing the real cause of our quarrel. Because you were always devoted to our father and we are our father’s sons, you spoke in this way with propriety, because of friendship.

Formerly, at the time of his initiation, our father divided his territories and gave them to us and Bharata, like gold to beggars. All of us remain satisfied with our own kingdom. Who, pray, causes injury to others merely for money? Bharata, discontented, devoured the kingdoms of all the kings, like big fishes (small) fishes in the ocean of Bharata. Not satisfied even by their kingdoms, like a glutton not satisfied by food, he steals the kingdoms of his own younger brothers. One who takes from his brothers kingdoms given by his father has himself destroyed his claim to consideration as the eldest. An elder person who acts suitably for an elder is to be respected as being elder, not merely because of his age. His claim to be treated like an elder is demonstrated by his banishment of his brothers. For so long a time I mistakenly considered that he was entitled to respect as an elder, like looking at brass with the idea that it is gold, or glass with the idea that it is a pearl. Even one who has a small kingdom should not take land which has been given by his father or kinsman to another, an innocent man. How much less the Lord of Bharata!

After taking his younger brothers’ kingdoms, even now he is not ashamed, since he summons me also, for the sake of my kingdom, like a conqueror. After a rapid conquest of all of Bharata, he crashes against me, like a boat that has crossed the ocean crashing on a mountain-crag on the shore. When they knew that he was rapacious without limit, cruel like a Rākṣasa, my younger brothers did not honor him from shame. Because of what virtue of his, shall I now submit to him? Speak impartially, O gods, like councilors. Now he makes me submissive by force! Let him do so. For that is the path at the disposal of warriors. These being the facts, if after reflection he turns back and goes away, why, let him go in peace. I am not greedy like him.

‘I should enjoy all of Bharata given by him’! How can that be? Does a lion ever eat anything given by anyone? Sixty thousand years passed while he was taking Bharata. If I had wanted to take it, I would have taken it then. How can I, his brother, take Bharata’s glory produced after so long a time, like money from a miser? If blind from that power like an elephant from nutmeg,^[1] Bharata can not remain in peace, know that that power of the Lord of Bharata over Bharata-kṣetra was really gained by me, for I looked on with indifference. He was sent by ministers like himself as a surety to give me treasure, horses, elephants, etc., and glory. If you, desiring his good, restrain him from this battle, certainly I shall not fight with him if he does not fight.”

When they had heard this proud speech of his like the thunder of a rain-cloud, their ears picked up from astonishment, the gods spoke again. “On the one hand, the Cakrin, saying the non-entrance of the cakra is the cause of fighting, can not be restrained even by Bṛhaspati giving a reply. Saying ‘I will fight with him fighting,’ you certainly can not be prevented from fighting even by Śakra. This unexpected fighting of you two closely connected with Ṛṣabha Svāmin, both very clever, both possessing discernment, both protectors of the world, both compassionate, has arisen from the loss of good fortune of the world. Nevertheless, O hero, wishing-tree for requests, you are requested to fight with the best fight, and not with the worst. For if you two, terribly fierce, fight with the worst fight, the destruction of the world would take place at the wrong time, because of the destruction of very many people. Certainly you must fight with the eye-fight, etc. For with these you accomplish your own purpose but not the destruction of the people.” When he agreed, the gods remained not far away to see their fight, like townsmen that of two elephants.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Orientals consider nutmeg to be intoxicating. The ‘blindness’ would be like that from liquor. Watt, Dict. Vol. II, p. 313. In Irvine’s “A Pepys of Mogul India” there is an interesting item about the effect of nutmeg on a horse. Manucci considered it beneficial. “On giving him each day one nut, he became ever more ready and clever.”