Sambhava Parva — History of Vichitravirya,

Vaishampayana said : O descendant of the Kuru race, Chitrangada, having been killed and his brother being minor, Bhishma, ever obedient to Satyavati, ruled over the kingdom.

When that best of all intelligent men, Bhishma, saw that his brother Vichitravirya, had attained majority (youth), he thought of marrying him.

O king, he heard that three daughters of the king of Kashi, all equal to the Apsaras in beauty, would be married at a Sayamvara.

Thereupon, that best of car-warriors, that chastiser of foes, that Lord (Bhishma), riding on a single car, went at the command of his mother to the city of Varanasi (Kashi).

There the son of Shantanu, Bhishma, saw that many kings and potentates had come from all directions. He also saw those three maidens.

When the kings were being mentioned by name, meanwhile there arrived Bhishma alone who had already became an old man. On seeing him, all the extremely beautiful young girls became agitated thinking him to be an old man. Those kings of mean character gathered together over there started talking among themselves and deriding him thus : He has already became an old person. Wrinkles have spread all over his body. The hair on his head has become white. Despite of these signs how came he has arrived here? He is really shameless and by proving his vow untrue, what will he tell the people here. Truly the fact that Bhishma is a calibrate has been spread in vain all the world over.

Vaishampayana said : O Bharata, hearing the words of those kings, Bhishma became angry. Bhishma, the lord, chose himself those maidens (for his brother). O king, taking those maidens on his chariot, the best of warriors, Bhishma, spoke to the (assembled) kings in a voice like the thunder of the clouds.

The wise have said that after inviting accomplished man, a maiden may be bestowed on him decked with ornaments and accompanied with valuable presents as much as lie in the power of the bestower to give. Others may bestow their daughters by accepting a couple of kine. Some again may bestow their daughters by taking a fixed sum and some again take away maidens by force. Some marry with the consent of the maidens and some by dragging them into consent. Some by obtaining their parents' consent, some again obtain wives as presents.

The learned men praise the eighth form of marriage, but the Svaymavara is highly spoken by the kings. But the sages have said that the wife taken by force amidst an assemblage of kings after defeating them is to be highly prized. Therefore, O kings, I carry away these maidens by force. Try with all your strength to defeat me or be defeated.

O kings, I stand here, resolved to fight. Having said this to the kings and the king of Kashi, the greatly powerful. Kuru prince took up those maidens on his car. Having thus taken them on his car and having challenged them (the chiefs) to fight, he sped his chariot away.

Thereupon all the kings stood up in anger; they slapped their arms and bit their mother lips.

Their great hurry in casting off their ornaments and putting on their armours produced a loud uproar.

O Janamejaya, the ornaments and armours resembled like the meteoric flashes in the sky. With their brows contracted and eyes red in anger, they moved in impatience, their ornaments and armours dangling with their agitated steps. The charioteers soon brought handsome cars, yoked with fine horses. Those heroes, armed with all kinds of weapons then got on those cars. They pursued the retreating chief of the Kurus. O descendant of the Bharata race, then occurred that wonderful fight. That hair-stirring battle in which innumerable kings were on one side and only one was on the other.

The kings hurled at their foe ten thousands arrows at the same time. Bhishma, however, stopped their memberless arrows before they could fall upon him by a counter shower of his own arrows as numerous as the down of the body. Thereupon, the kings surrounded him on all sides and rained upon him a shower of arrows like masses of clouds showering on the mountains. He (Bhishma), stopping that shower of arrows by his own, wounded each of the kings with three arrows. O king, the kings wounded Bhishma each with five arrows.

But he stopped the attacking kings each with two arrows. The battle became so fierce with the dense shower of arrows that it looked like the battle between the Devas and the Danavas. And even brave men were struck with fear to look at it. (Bhishma) cut off by his arrows flag staffs, armours and human heads by hundreds and thousands on the field of battle. Such was his prowess and extraordinary lightness of hand, such was the skill with which he protected himself, that the fighting car-warriors, though his enemies, loudly applauded him. That foremost of all experts in arms (Bhishma), having defeated all the kings in battle and having taken the maidens with him, went towards the capital of the Bharatas. O king, then the great car-warrior king, Shalva, challenged from behind the son of Shantanu, Bhishma, to a combat. Desirous of securing the maidens, he came upon Bhishma like a powerful leader of elephants, rushing upon another of its kinds and tearing with its tusk its opponent's thigh at the sight of a female. That mighty armed king Shalva cried in wrath to Bhishma, “Stay, Stay.” Then the best of men, Bhishma that destroyer of hostile army, provoked by his words, flamed up in anger like a blazing fire. Bow in hand, his brow borrowed into wrinkles, he stopped his car in obedience to the Kshatriya usage and stayed there in expectation of the enemy.

The great car-warrior stopped his car for Shalva and all the kings, also stood there to see him stop. They wished to see the corning combat between Bhishma and Shalva.

The two (heroes) then began to show their prowess on each other like two roaring bulls of great strength fighting at the sight of a cow.

The best of men, king Shalva, covered the son of Shantanu, Bhishma, with hundreds and thousands of swift-winged arrows.

The kings, seeing that Shalva was covering Bhishma at the very outset of the combat with innumerable arrows, were much astonished and they all cried "Blessed, Blessed."

Seeing him very light-handed in battle, all the kings applauded in delight the king of men, Shalva.

Hearing these shouts of the Kshatriyas, the subjugator of hostile towns, the son of Shantanu, Bhishma, exclaimed, “Stay, Stay."

He (Bhishma) commanded his charioteer in anger, saying, “ Lead the car where the king (Shalva) is. I shall instantly kill him as Garuda kills a serpent."

O king, the Kuru prince then attached the Varuna weapon to his bow-string and he wounded with it the four steeds of king Shalva.

O best of Kings, the Kuru prince, warding off with his weapons those of his foe, killed king Shalva's charioteer.

The best of men, the son of Shantanu, Bhishma, for the sake of the maidens, killed the excellent steed (of his adversary) by the Aindra weapon. He then defeated that best of kings, (Shalva), but allowed him to escape with his life. O best of the Bharata race, thereupon, Shalva went away to his own kingdom. Having returned to his capital, he virtuously ruled over his people; and O subjugator of hostile towns, the kings also who came to the Svaymvara returned to their own capitals. After defeating the kings, the best of all wielders of arms, Bhishma, went with the maidens to Hastinapur, where that king of the Kurus, Vichitravirya, who ruled the world.

Vichitravirya, who ruled the world virtuously like his father the Kuru prince and the best of all monarchs Shantanu. O king, within a very short time, he (Bhishma) passed many forests, rivers, hills and woods with various trees. The son of the ocean-going river (Ganga) of immeasurable prowess in battle, killing numberless men, but having no scar on his own body.

was man Bhisma brought the daughters of the king of Kashi. As tenderly, as if they were his own daughter-in-law, sisters or daughters. Bringing them as his daughters, he presented them to the Kurus.

That mighty armed hero wishing his brother's welfare brought those greatly accomplished maidens and then offered them to his brother.

Bhishma gave to Vichitravirya the maidens who were brought by his prowess. The virtuous (Bhishma), having achieved this extraordinary deed according to kingly custom, began to make preparations for his brother's marriage. Having consulted with Satyavati everything about the wedding was settled by Bhishma; but the eldest daughter of the king of Kashi, softly smiling, spoke thus-

"I have chosen in my heart the king of Saubha as my husband. He too has in his heart accepted me as his wife. This is also agreeable father.

I would have also chosen Shalya in the Svayamvara as my husband. You are learned in the precepts of virtue. Knowing all this do, what you think proper."

Thus addressed by that maiden before the Brahmanas, the heroic Bhishma began to reflect what should be done. to my

The greatly virtuous man, after consulting with the Brahmanas, learned in the Vedas, allowed the eldest daughter of the king of Kashi, Amba, to do what she liked.

Bhishma then bestowed (the two princess) Ambika and Ambalika on his younger brother Vichitravirya according to the ordained rites.

After having married them, Vichitravirya, though he was virtuous-minded, became lustful from his prime of youth.

They were both of tall stature; their heads, were covered with black curly hair, their finger nails were red and high; they had beautiful rising breasts and hips.

The beautiful and amiable damsels, endued with every auspicious mark, considered their husband Vichitravirya in every war worthy of them; and they loved and respected him.

He (Vichitravirya) too, endued as he was with the beauty of the Ashvinis and the prowess of the celestials, could steal the hearts of all women.

That king of the world, Vichitravirya, enjoyed with his wives uninterruptedly for seven years and he was then attacked by consumption, though he was still in the prime of youth.

His friends and relatives tried to effect a cure in consultation with the physicians, but (in spite of all their efforts), the Kuru prince went to the abode of Yama like a setting son.

The virtuous-minded son of Ganga (Bhishma) became plunged in anxiety and grief. Bhishma with all the other chief Kurus, in consultation with Satyavati, then caused the obsequies of (the deceased) Vichitravirya to be performed by learned priests,