1 - The Curse on Vapu

Jaimini applies to Márkandeya for instruction regarding certain difficulties in the Mahábhárata-Markandeya refers him to four learned Birds, the sons of Drona, and narrates their history- Their mother Vapu, an Apsaras, was condemned by the Muni Durvásas to become a bird for tempting him. 

Having adored Náráyana, and Nara the best of men, the goddess Sarasvati, and then Vyása, let him utter the verse of Victory!

1 The illustrious Jaimini, the disciple of Vyása, interrogated the great Muni Márkandeya, who was engaged in the performance of austerities and the study of the Veda.

2 “Sir! the high-souled Vyása related the story of the Mahábhárata, which is replete with splendid spotless collections

3 of various Shástras, which is characterized by accuracy regarding the different classes, is embellished with beautiful words, and contains complete knowledge of prima facie assertions, and

4 established conclusions. As Vishņu is chief among the gods, as the brahman chief among men, and as the crest-jewel chief

5 among all decorations, as the axe* is the best among weapons, as the mind best among the organs, so in this world is the

* Or Indra’s thunderbolt. 

6 Mahábhárata the best among all the Shástras. Here are described both Wealth and Virtue, Love, and Final emancipation from transmigration; these have both reciprocal and peculiar

 7 consequences. It is the best Dharma-śhástra, it is the most eminent Artha-shástra; it too is the foremost Káma-shástra, as well as the noblest Moksha-shástra. It has been declared, Sir, by Veda-Vyása the wise, to be the authority for the sacred and maxims of the laws of the four periods of a brahman’s

9 life. For this Mahá-shastra has been so constructed, dear Sir, by Vyása the noble in deeds, that although beset with

10 difficulties it is not overthrown by them. The earth has been freed from the dust of passion by the stream of Vyása’s words, which has descended from the mountain of the Veda,

11 and has swept away the trees of bad reasoning. Therefore, have I come to thee, Sir, being desirous to know truly the story of Vyása, in which melodious sounds are the geese, the

12 noble story is the splendid lotus, the words are the expanse of water, and the Vedas are the great lake--this precious

13 and long story of the Mahábhárata. Why was Janárdana Vásudeva, who is the cause of the creation preservation and destruction of the world, although devoid of qualities, endued

14 with humanity? And why was Drupada’s daughter Krishna the common wife of the five sons of Pándu? for on this point

15 we feel great perplexity. Why did the mighty Baladeva Haláyudha expiate his brahmanicide by engaging in a pilgrimage?

16 And how was it that the unmarried heroic high-souled sons of Draupadi, whose protector was Pándu, were slain, as

17 if they had no protector? Deign to recount all this to me here at length; for sages like thee are ever the instructors of the ignorant.”

18 Having thus heard his speech, the great Muni Márkandeya, devoid of the eighteen* defects, began to speak. 

* The 18 defects are said, in a translation begun by the late Rev. K. M. Banerjea, to be these--palpitation, fear, thickness in speech, indistinctness, speaking through the nose, discordancy, want of emotion, disconnectedness, roughness, hoarseness, high pitch, inaccuracy in pronunciation, perturbation, want of cadence, sing-song, shaking the head, weakness of voice, and unmeaningness. 

Márkandoya spoke.

19 “The time for my engaging in religious rites has now arrived, most virtuous Muni! and this is not esteemed the season

20 for a long discourse. But I will now tell thee, O Jaimini, of those birds who will speak to thee and so resolve thy

21 doubts. They are Pingáksha and Vibodha, Supatra, and Sumukha, the sons of Drona, the noblest of birds, versed in the principles of philosophy, and meditators on the Shástras.

22 Their mind is unclouded in the knowledge of the meaning of the Veda and Shástras. They dwell in a cave of the Vindhya mountains, visit and question them.”

23 Then, thus addressed by the wise Márkandeya, replied the Muni pre-eminent, his eyes wide open with astonishment.

Jaimini spoke.

24 “Very wonderful is this, O brahman! that those birds have gained knowledge most difficult to be acquired, as if birds 

25 possessed human speech. If their birth is of the brute creation, whence have they the knowledge? And how is it that those

26 winged ones are called the children of Drona? And who was this famous Droņa, who had those four sons. Do those virtuous high-souled birds possess the knowledge of righteousness?”  

Márkandeya spoke.

27     “Listen attentively to what happened of yore in Nandana at the meeting of Indra and the Apsarases and Nárada.

28 Nárada saw Indra the king of the gods in Nandana, surrounded by a band of those wanton maidens, with eyes fastened

29 on their faces. Shachi’s lord, immediately he was seen by that best of Rishis, rose up, and respectfully gave him his own

30 seat. Those heavenly maidens, on seeing him, the slayer of Bala and Vritra, rise up, prostrated themselves before the

31 Devarshi and stood reverently bending. He then, worshipped by them, duly greeted Indra, when he had seated himself, and conversed pleasantly with him.

32     “Then in the course of their talk, Indra said to the great Muni— ‘Declare, which of these dancers pleases thee most. Is

33 it Rambhá, or Karkashá, or Urvashi, Tilottamá, Ghřitách’i, or

34 Menaká? or whichever delights thee.’ Nárada, best of dvijas, hearing this speech of Indra, pondered and then addressed

35 the reverently bending Apsarases - She, of you all here present, who thinks herself pre-eminent in beauty, nobility

36 and good qualities, let her dance before me. There is indeed no success in dancing for one who is destitute of good qualities and beauty. Good dancing implies graceful comportment: other dancing is vexation.’ 

Márkandeya spoke

37     “And immediately on that speech, each one of those bowing ones thus exclaimed- ‘I excel in good qualities; not you, nor

38 you!’ The lord Indra seeing their agitation said, ‘Let the Muni be asked, he will say which of you excels in good qualities.’

39 What Nárada, sought by those followers of Indra’s will,

40 then said, hear that from me, O Jaimini! ‘She among you who by her power perturbs the most noble Muni Durvásas, who is performing austerities, dwelling on the mountain, her among you I deem pre-eminent in good qualities.’ 

Márkandeya spoke.

41 Having heard that his sentence, they all exclaimed, with trembling necks, ‘this is impossible for us!’

42 “Among them an Apsaras named Vapu, confident of perturbing the Muni,” replied, ‘I will follow where the Muni dwells;

43 now will I make that tamer of his body, who has yoked the horses of his organs, but a poor charioteer whose reins

44 drop before the weapons of love. Whether it be Brahmá, or Janárdana or the purple Shiva, his heart will I now pierce with the arrow of love.’

45 “Having thus spoken Vapu departed then to the Snowy mountain to the Muni’s hermitage, where the beasts of prey

46 were quelled by the night of his austerities. Stopping at the distance of a call from where the great Muni is seated,

47 the lovely Apsaras sang the cuckoo’s melody. Hearing the strains of her song, the Muni astonished in mind went

48 to where sits that beauteous-faced maiden. On seeing her, beautiful in every limb, the Muni, summoning his resolution, was filled with anger and resentment, knowing

49 that she had come to perturb him. Then the great Rishi, the performer of mighty austerities, pronounced this sentence.

50 ‘Since thou hast come here, O maiden! intoxicated with pride. to cause me pain by obstructing my austerities, which are ac

51 complished with difficulty, O Apsaras, therefore shalt thou, polluted by my wrath, be born in the foolish race of birds

52 for the space of sixteen years, losing thine own form, and taking the form of a bird; and four sons shall be born to

53 thee, O vilest of Apsarases; and without having gained affection among them, absolved from guilt by dying in the field of battle, thou shalt regain thy dwelling in the sky. Never make any reply,’

54 The Bráhman, red-eyed with anger, having pronounced this grievous sentence on that proud maiden, whose tinkling bracelets were trembling, abandoned the earth, whose waves were very tremulous, and departed to the heavenly Ganges whose stream consists of a multitude of renowned qualities.”