7 - The Birth of the Sons of Draupadi.

The Birds explain the fourth question- King Harish-ch’andra incurred Vishvámitra’s anger, and to appease him gives up to him his kingdom and all his wealth- Vishvámitra ill-treats the queen. and five Vishva Devas censure him for his brutality- He curses them to be born as men, but exempts them from marriage- They were born as the five sons of Draupadi, and died young, 

The righteous birds spoke.

1 There lived formerly in the Tretá Age a most exalted Rájarshi named Harish-ch’andra, virtuous in soul, a ruler of the earth,

2 brilliant in fame. No famine, nor sickness, nor untimely death occurred among men, nor did the citizens delight in evil, while

3 he ruled as king; nor, further, did the people become uproarious through wealth, valour, austerities or spirituous liquors; nor were any females born who failed to reach womanhood. *

* An allusion to infanticide? 

4 And he, of mighty arm, when once chasing a deer in the

 5 forest, heard women repeatedly crying, “save us”! The king, giving over the deer, called out “fear not! who is this perverse

6 being that, under my rule, behaves with injustice?” At this interval also the Raudra Vighna-ráj, the opponent of every

 7 undertaking, who was following that cry, deliberated: - “This Viśhvámitra, full of heroism, undertaking incomparable austerities, keeping a vow, is mastering the sciences of Shiva and others, which have not been perfected before. Those sciences

8 being mastered by this man, who governs his mind in patience and silence, are verily lamenting, afflicted with dread. How

 9 can I manage this? Glorious is this noblest of the Kaushika family; I am much weaker than he: these terrified sciences are thus bewailing: it appears to me difficult to be accomplished.

10 Now this king has come in my way, calling out repeatedly ‘fear not!’; into him indeed entering, I will speedily accomplish my desire.”

 11 Then the king possessed by that Raudra Vighna-rája, who had thus taken counsel with himself, uttered this speech in anger: - 

12 “Who is this wicked man that binds fire in the corner of his garment, when I the lord am present, gleaming with the

13 glowing splendour of my power? He to-day, pierced in every limb by my arrows, which in their fight from my bow illumine the other regions of the sky, shall enter upon a long sleep.”

14 Thereupon Vishvámitra having heard the king’s speech was enraged: and, when that great Rishi was enraged, those

 15 sciences perished in the moment. The king Moreover, seeing Vishvámitra, rich in austerities, being terrified, suddenly trembled

16 exceedingly like the leaf of the peepul tree. * When the Muni exclaimed, “wretch!” and “stand!”; then the king falling

*Ficus religiosa. The leaf, which varies from 2½ to 51/2 inches in length and almost the same in breadth, is opato-cordate, and has a long slender apex (acumen) 1 to 2 inches long. It has a roand flexible stalk 2 to 3 inches long, which is twisted s0 as to make the inner surface of the leaf face outwards from the branch. The leaf hangs downwards by the long stalk, with its inner surface, which is slightly concave, facing outwards, and thus catches he lightest breeze.

17 prostrate in reverence addressed him: - “adorable lord! this is my duty! I have committed no fault! Deign not O Muni! to be angry with me, who am engaged in my duty.

 18 A king, conversant with his duties, must give gifts, and must afford protection, and lifting his bow must wage war, according to the Dharma-shástras.” 

Viśhvámitra spoke.

19 “To whom, O king, must thou give gifts, whom must then protect, and with whom must thou wage war? Speedily declare this, if thou fearest unrighteousness.” 

Harish-ch’andra spoke.

20 “I must always give gifts to brahmans principally, and to others who are straitened in their means; I must protect those in fear; I must make war with enemies.” 

Viśhvámitra spoke.

21 “If your highness, a king, duly regards the duties of kings—I am a brahman desirous of a reward, let the desired fee be given me.” 

The birds spoke.

22 The Raja, having heard this speech with gladdened soul, deemed himself as it were born anew, and addressed the sage

23 of the Kaushika race: “Be it declared, adorable sir! what, free from doubt, I must give thee; consider it as already given,

24 albeit most difficult to be obtained, whether gold or money, son, wife, body, life, kingdom, city, good fortune-whatever is the desire of my own soul.” 

Vishvámitra spoke.

 25 “O king! this present has been accepted, which thou hast given: first, however, hestow the fee appertaining to the Rája-suya sacrifice.” 

The Raja spoke.

26 “O brahman! I will indeed give your honour that fee, Choose, O chief of the dvijas, whatever present thou desirest.” 

Vishvámitra spoke.

27 “Give me this earth, with its ocean, and with its mountains, villages and towns; and thy entire kingdom, O warrior, with

28 its multitude of chariots, horses, and elephants; also thy treasury and treasure; and whatever else thou possessest, exccpting 29 thy wife, and son and body, O sinless one! and excepting thy virtue, which, O thou that knowest all the virtuos, follows its possessor when he moves. What need for me to say more? Let all this be granted me.” 

The birds spoke.

30 With gladdened mind the king, unperturbed in countenance, having heard the Rishi’s speech, joining his hands respectfully replied, “So be it!” 

Vishvámitra spoke.

31 “If all thy property is given me, thy kingdom, the earth, thy Army, thy wealth, -whose is the lordship, 0 Rájarshi! when I the ascetic am seated in the kingdom?” 

Harish-c’handra spoke.

 32 “At what time I have yielded up the earth to thee, O brahman! at that time thou, Sir, art the owner; how much more now the king.” 

Vishvámitra spoke.

 33 “If O king! the whole earth has been given me by thee, thou must deign to depart from the realm where I hold sway,

34 unfastening all thy ornaments, such as thy waist-band and every thing else, and clothing thyself with the bark of trees, together with thy wife and son.” 

The birds spoke.

35 Having said “So be it!” and having so done, tho king started to go, in company with his wife Saivyá and his young son,

36 Thun he addressed the king, having obstructed the road as he was moving” Where wilt thou go, without giving me the fee appertaining to the Rája-súya sacrifice?” 

Harish-ch’andra spoke.

37 “Adorable Sir! this kingdom has been given thee free from adversaries: these our three bodies, O Brahman! are all that remain to me this day.” 

Viśhvámitra spoke.

38 “Nevertheless, thou must assuredly give me the sacrificial fee; a promise unfulfilled, especially to brahmans, proves injurious. 39 As long as bralımans delight, O king! in the Rája-súya sacrifice, so long indeed must the fee for tho Rája-súya sacrifice be

40 given. After making a promise, ono must bestow the gift; and one must tight agninst assailants; so too the afflicted must be protected; thus hast thou already agreed.” 

Harish-ch’andra spoke.

41 “Adorable Sir, I have nought at present; I will give thee the fee after a while: and show me favour, O Brahmarshi! bearing in mind noble behaviour.” 

Viśhvámitra spoke.

42 “What length of time must I wait for thee, O guardian of men! Tell me speedily, or the fire of my curse shall consume thee.” 

Harish-ch’andra spoke.

43 “In a month will I give thee the fee-money, O Brahmarshi! At present I have no means; deign to grant me this permission.” 

Viśhvámitra spoke.

44 “Go, go, O noble king; observe thy duty; and may thy way be auspicious! May there be no enemies!” 

The birds spoke.

45 Permitted to go, the king departed; his queen, who was

 46 unused to walk afoot, * followed him. Seeing that most noble king departing from the city with his wife and son, the citizens raised a cry and followed the king, exclaiming-

*Read padbhyám for pradbhyám.

 47 “Alas, O master! why leavest thou us, who are afflicted with continual sufferings? Thou, O king, art devoted to righteousness, and thou art the benefactor of the citizens.

48 Lead us also, O Rájarshi! if thou regardest righteousness, Stay a moment, О king of monarchs! Our eyes as bees drink†

†Better piváma for pibamo, let us drink? 

49 thy lotus-like mouth. When again shall we behold thee, who, when thou goest forth, art preceded and followed by kings? 50 Here is thy wife, holding her young son in her hand, following thee, before whom, when thou goest forth, go thy servants seated

51 on elephants! Here goes to-day walking afoot the king of monarchs, Harish-ch’andra! Alas, O king, what will thy

52 very youthful, beautiful-browed, soft-skinned, fine-nosed face become, when injured by the dust on the road? Stay, stay,

53 O best of kings, observe thy own duty. Mildness is a very noble virtue, especially among kshatriyas; what need have we of wife, what need of children, or of wealth, or of grain,

54 O master? Abandoning all this, we have become mere shadows of thee. Alas master! alas Mahárájá! alas, O lord!

55 why dost thou abandon us? Where thou art, there indeed will we be. That is joy, where thou indeed art. That is our city where thou art. That is Svarga where thou, our king, art.”

56 Having thus heard the citizens’ address the king, overwhelmed with grief, stood then in the road through very compassion for

57 them. Still Viśhvámitra, seeing him distressed by the citizens’ exclamations, approaching him, with eyes rolling in anger

58 and impatience, spoke: “Fie on thee, vile in thy conduct, false, crooked in thy speech! who also, after giving me thy

59 kingdom, wishest again to withdraw it.” The king thus roughly accosted by him replied thus trembling, “I am going,”and departed

60 hastily drawing his wife in his hand. Thereupon the sage of the Kaushika family suddenly belaboured with a woodenstaff the very youthful toil-wearied wife, as the king was

61 drawing her along. Seeing her thus beaten, the king Harish-ch’andra, oppressed with pain, exclaimed “I am going;” nor did he utter aught else.

62 But then spoke five Viśhve Devas full of pity, “This Viśhvámitra is very wicked; what worlds will he obtain, who has

63 uprooted this best of sacrificers from his throne? By whose funeral ceremony further shall the soma juice expressed at the great sacrifice be purified, by drinking which we shall reach the exhilaration that is preceded by incantations?” 

The birds spoke.

64 Having heard this their remark, the sage of the Kausika race, exceedingly enraged, cursed them-” Ye shall all assume human form!”.

65 And propitiated by them, the great Muni added, “Although

66 in human form, ye shall have no offspring. There shall be neither marriage of wives for you, nor hostility: freed

 67 from love and anger ye shall become gods again.” Thereupon those gods descended to the mansion of the Kurus with their own portions; they were born of the womb of Draupadi as the

 68 five grandchildren of Pándu. Hence the five heroic Pándaveyas did not take to themselves wives, through the curse of that great Muni.

69 All this has been declared to thee with reference to the tale of the Pándaveyas. Thy four questions have been answered in song. What else dost thou wish to hear?