Sambhava Parva — Conquest of Pandu

Vaishampayana said : Some time after, the son of Shantanu, the intelligent Bhishma, thought of marrying Pandu to a second wife.

Accompanied by the aged ministers Brahmanas and great Rishis and with a force of the four kinds he went to the capital of the king of Madra.

That best of Valhikas (the king of Madra), having heard of his coming, went out to receive him with all honour; and that king (Bhishma) also entered his capital.

The king of Madra, having given him a white seat, water for washing his feet and Arghya, asked the reason of his coming.

The supporter of the Kurus' honour, Bhishma replied to the king of Madra," chastiser of foes, know that I have come for a maiden.

We have heard that you have an illustrious and chaste sister, named Madri. I chose that illustrious maiden for Pandu.

O king, you are in every way worthy of alliance with us. We also are worthy of you. O king of Madra, considering all this, accept us in from."

Having been thus addressed by Bhishma, the king of Madra replied, "To my mind there is no other better bridegroom than one of your family.

But there is a custom in our family ever observed by all the best of our kings. Be it good or bad, I can not transgress it.

It (this custom) is well known and there is no doubt that it is also known to you. O the proper excellent man, therefore, it is not proper for you to say "Bestow your sister.”

O hero, it is our family custom to receive tribute. Therefore, I cannot give you any . assurance in the matter of your request.'

The king Bhishma thus replied to the king of Madra, "O king, this is a great virtue; the self created (Brahma) has himself said it.

Your ancestors have observed this custom. There is no fault to be found with it. O Salya, it is well known that this custom has the approbation of the wise."

Having said this, that greatly effulgent son of Ganga (Bhishma) gave Salya much gold, both coined and uncoined, precious stones of various colors, elephants, horses and cars, much cloth and many ornaments, many gems, pearls and corals.

Salya receive all these wealth in delightful health and gave away his sister decked with ornaments, to that lion of the Kuru race.

The son of ocean going Ganga, intelligent Bhishma, taking Madri with him, returned to the capital, named after the elephant (Hastinapur).

The king Pandu, on an auspicious day and at the time indicated by the wise accepted the hands of Madri in due form.

After the completion of the marriage, that king, the descendant of the Kuru race, established his beautiful wife in handsome mansions.

O king of kings, that best of kings (Pandu) then give himself up to enjoyments with his two wives, Kunti and Madri, at will and at pleasure.

O king, when thirty days had passed away that Kuru king, the lord Pandu, started from his capital to conquer the world.

After saluting and bowing to Bhishma and other elders and bidding adieu to Dhritarashtra and other best of the Kurus, receiving their permission and performing all auspicious rites, the king (Pandu) set out on his great campaign blessed by all around and accompanied by a great army of elephants, horses and cars. That celestial like king was desirous of conquering the whole earth.

Pandu marched against the enemies with such strong forces (as narrated above). Going to the east, that best of men, that spreader of Kuru fame, Pandu, defeated the Dasharnas.

Pandu then with his army of innumerable elephants, cavalry, infantry and charioteers and various colored banners. Marched against Dirgha, the king of Magadha, who being proud of his strength, had offended many kings. Attacking him in his capital, Rajgriha, he killed him.

Taking possession of his treasury and many beasts of burden Pandu, went to Mithila and conquered the Videha in battle.

O best of men, he then conquered Kashi, Sumha and Pundra; and by the strength of his prowess he spread the fame of the Kurus.

The kings were burnt by the far reaching flames, represented by his arrows and the splendour of his weapons, of the great fire represented by that chastiser of foes, Pandu.

Pandu defeated with his army the kings with their forces; he kept them engaged in the works of the Kurus.

Having been thus defeated by him, all the kings of the world recognised him as the only hero on earth as Indra is among the celestial.

All the kings of the world bowed to him with joined hands and they waited upon him with presents of various kinds of gems and wealth.

Precious stones, pearls, corals, much gold and silver, the jewels of cows and horses, elephants and cars. Asses, camels, buffaloes, goats and sheep, blankets and beautiful birds and carpets made of the skin of Ranku. Having taken them all, the king of Hastinapur.

Pandu, returned to his own capital Hastinapur to the great delight of all his subjects and citizens.

O the lion of kings, the fame of Shantanu and that of Bharata, was about to be extinct, but it was now revived by Pandu.

They, who robbed the Kurus before of both territory and wealth, were now forced by Pandu, the lion of Hastinapur, to pay tributes."

Thus said in joyful heart the kings with their ministers and with the citizens and people.

All the Kurus with Bhishma at their head went out to receive him when he was near Hastinapur. They saw in delight the attendants of the king (Pandu), laden with much wealth; the train of various conveyances, of elephants, horses, cars, kine, camels and other animals laden with all kinds of wealth was so long that they could not find its end.

Then the dweller of Kausalya's joy, (Pandu), worshipped the feet of his father (uncle) Bhishma and then saluted the citizens and others as each deserved.

Bhishma also shed tears of joy and embraced his son who had returned victorious after subjugating many kingdoms of others.

And he (Pandu), instilling joy into the hearts of his people, entered Hastinapur in a flourish of hundreds of trumpets and bugles,