Sambhava Parva — Curse of the deer on Pandu

Janamejaya said : O utterer of Brahma, you have recited the excellent account of the extraordinary births of the sons of Dhritarashtra on earth, the result of the Rishi grace.

O Brahmana, you have also told me their names according to their order of birth. I have heard all this from you. (Now) tell me all about the Pandavas.

While reciting the incarnations of the celestials, the Asuras and beings of other classes on earth, you said that the illustrious men, the Pandavas, as powerful as the king of the celestials, were all incarnate portions of the celestials themselves.

I desire to hear all about those beings of extraordinary achievements, beginning from the moments of their births. O Vaishampayana, narrate to me all their achievements.

Vaishampayana said : O king, one day Pandu, while roaming in that great forest abounding in deer and other fierce animals, saw a large deer, the leader of its herd, coupling with its mate.

Seeing them, Pandu pierced both with five of his sharp and swift arrows, winged with golden feathers.

O king, it was a greatly effulgent ascetic, the son of a Rishi (in the form of that deer) this effulgent man was with his wife who was a deer.

Wounded by Pandu while with the mate, he fell down on the ground in a moment and uttered cries that were human. He began to weep bitterly.

The deer said: Even men, who are slaves of lust and anger, who are devoid of reason and who are ever sinful, never commit such a cruel act. Man's individual judgment does not prevail against the ordinance; the ordinance (always) prevails against individual judgment. The wise men never sanction anything discountenanced by the ordinance.

O descendant of the Bharata race you are born in a dynasty that has ever been virtuous. How is it that you have lost your reason, over powered by passion.

Pandu said : O deer, kings behave in the matter of killing the animals of your species (deer) as they do in the matter of killing their foes. Therefore, you should not, reprove me out of ignorance.

Animals of your species are killed by open or covert means. This is the practice of kings. Then why do you reprove me?

The Rishi Agastya, while engaged in a (great) sacrifice, hunted, he deer in the great forest and offered every one of them to the celestial. Agastya performed the Homa with the fat of the deer. You have been killed according to such precedents. Why then do you reprove me?

The deer said : Man do not throw their arrows even at their enemies when they are unprepared. There is a time for doing it; to kill at such a time is not censurable.

Pandu said: It is well known that men kill deer by various means, without (the least) regard whether they are prepared or unprepared; O deer, you should not, therefore, reprove me.

The deer said: O king, I do not blame you, because you have killed a deer, or because you have done me an injury. Instead of doing such a cruel act, you should have waited till the completion of my intercourse.

The intercourse is agreeable to all creatures; it is productive of good to all. What man of learning is there who kills a deer engage in intercourse in the forest?

O king, I was joyfully engaged in intercourse with this mate to beget offspring. You have made my that effort futile.

O great king, being born in the Puru dynasty, ever famous for its pure acts and being a descendant of the Kuru race, you should not have committed such an act.

O descendant of the Bharata race, this act is yours is extremely cruel, it deserves universal excretion, it is infamous and sinful and will certainly lead (you) to hell.

You are well acquainted with the pleasure of intercourse; you are also learned in the Shastras and the precepts of religion. You are like a celestial, you should not have committed such an act, unworthy of heaven.

O best of kings, your duty is to chastise those who act cruelly, who are engaged in sinful practices and who are devoid of the precepts of religion (Dharma, Artha and Kama.)

O best of men, O king, what have I done that you have killed me? I am a Rishi who lives on fruits and roots though in the form of a deer! I live in the forest always being disposed to peace. As you have killed me, I shall certainly curse you.

Cruel as you have been to a couple, death shall certainly overtake you as soon as you will feel the influence of desire.

I am an ascetic Rishi, named Kindama. I was engaged in intercourse with this deer out of shame of men. Assuming the form of a deer I roam in the deep forest in company with other female deer. The sin of killing a Brahmana, (however), will not be yours, for you have done it not knowing me (to be Brahmana).

As you have killed me in the form of a deer when I was full of desire, so you, O foolish man, will certainly meet with the fate that has befallen me.

When you will go to your dear one, full of desire as was the case with me, you will, at that time, certainly go to the land of the dead.

Your wife with whom you will join at your last moments will also go with you with reverence and affection to the ever unavoidable land of the dead.

As I have been plunged into grief when I was happy, so you will also be afflicted with grief when in happiness.

Vaishampayana said : Having said this, the deer, affected with grief, gave up his life; and Pandu also was plunged in grief in a moment.