The Mahabharata
Book 1: Adi Parva
Kisari Mohan Ganguli, tr.
[1883-1896]
SECTION XI
(Pauloma Parva continued)
"Sauti continued 'The Dundubha then said, 'In former times, I had a friend
Khagama by name. He was impetuous in his speech and possessed of spiritual power
by virtue of his austerities. And one day when he was engaged in the Agni-hotra
(Fire-sacrifice), I made a mock snake of blades of grass, and in a frolic attempted
to frighten him with it. And anon he fell into a swoon. On recovering his senses,
that truth-telling and vow-observing ascetic, burning with wrath, exclaimed, 'Since
thou hast made a powerless mock snake to frighten me, thou shalt be turned even
into a venomless serpent thyself by my curse.' O ascetic, I well knew the power
of his penances; therefore with an agitated heart, I addressed him thus, bending
low with joined hands, 'Friend, I did this by way of a joke, to excite thy laughter.
It behoveth thee to forgive me and revoke thy curse.' And seeing me sorely troubled,
the ascetic was moved, and he replied, breathing hot and hard. 'What I have said
must come to pass. Listen to what I say and lay it to thy heart. O pious one!
when Ruru the pure son of Pramati, will appear, thou shall be delivered from the
curse the moment thou seest him. Thou art the very Ruru and the son of Pramati.
On regaining my native form, I will tell thee something for thy good.
"And that illustrious man and the best of Brahmanas then left his snake-body,
and attained his own form and original brightness. He then addressed the following
words to Ruru of incomparable power, 'O thou first of created beings, verily the
highest virtue of man is sparing the life of others. Therefore a Brahmana should
never take the life of any creature. A Brahmana should ever be mild. This is the
most sacred injunction of the Vedas. A Brahmana should be versed in the Vedas
and Vedangas, and should inspire all creatures with belief in God. He should be
benevolent to all creatures, truthful, and forgiving, even as it is his paramount
duty to retain the Vedas in his memory. The duties of the Kshatriya are not thine.
To be stern, to wield the sceptre and to rule the subjects properly are the duties
of the Kshatriya. Listen, O Ruru, to the account of the destruction of snakes
at the sacrifice of Janamejaya in days of yore, and the deliverance of the terrified
reptiles by that best of Dwijas, Astika, profound in Vedic lore and might in spiritual
energy.'"
And so ends the eleventh section of the Pauloma Parva of the Adi Parva.
