Sambhava Parva — Story of Dushyanta

Vaishampayana said : The king with his soldiers, having killed thousands of animals, entered another forest following an animal.

Alone, fatigued with hunger and thirst he came to a large desert at the end of the forest.

Having passed over this her bless desert, the king came to a forest full of holy hermitages. It was beautiful to the eyes and delightful to the heart.

It was cool and it breathed delightful breeze. It was full of trees covered with flowers. It extended far and wide in green soft grass. It echoed with the sweet songs of the birds. It resounded with the sweet notes of the male Kokila and the shrill cries of cicadas.

It contained magnificent trees withstretched out branches, which had formed pleasant shady canopies. The bees hovered over the flowery creepers and beautiful groves were every where.

There was no tree without flowers and fruits; there was no shrub with prickles on them; there was no plant that had no bees swarming around it.

The whole forest resounded with the sweet songs of the birds; and it was decked with all the beautiful flowers of all the seasons. It was full of pleasant shades of blossoming trees.

Such was the charming and excellent forest that the great bow-man (Dushyanta) entered. The trees, decked with flowers and waved with the soft breeze. Showered sweet flowers, again and again, on the head of the king.

Clad with the flowery attire of many colours, the sweet singing birds sitting on their branches hanging with the weight of flowers, the busy bees tempted by honey buzzing in sweet chorus around their blossoms, stood many trees (in that forest). There were innumerable bowers of creepers covered with thick clusters of flowers. The greatly energetic king was much pleased and charmed with the scenery.

The trees, with its flowery branches, entwining with one another, looked exceedingly beautiful and appeared like so many Indra's poles.

It was the abode of the Siddhas, the Charanas, the various sorts of Gandharvas, the Apsaras, the monkeys and the Kinnaras, all drunk with joy.

Pleasant, cool and fragrant breezes, mixed with the effluvia of sweet flowers, blew every where and appeared as if they had come there to play with the trees.

The king saw that forest endued with such beauties. It was situated in the delta of a river and looked like a pole erected in Indra's honour.

The king saw in that forest, the abode of ever cheerful birds, a charming and delightful hermitage of ascetics.

It was surrounded by many trees and the holy fire was burning within it. He (the king) worshipped that matchless hermitage.

He saw innumerable Yatis, Valakhilyas and other Munis sitting there in that hermitage). It was adorned with rooms containing the sacrificial fire. The flowers, dropping from the trees, had made a beautiful carpet on the ground.

The place looked very beautiful with the tall trees with their large trunks. O king, the transparent and sacred river Malini flowed by it. The river was charming to the ascetics and abounded with every species of water-fowls. He (the king) was much delighted to see the innocent deer-cubs playing (playfully) on her banks.

Thereupon, the king, whose chariot no foe could obstruct, entered that charming hermitage, exceedingly beautiful all over and which was like the region of heaven.

He saw that the hermitage was situated on the banks of the river, a most sacred one and she flowed as the mother of all the creatures living there.

Milk-white waves played on her breast. Chakravakas sported on her banks. It was the abode of the Kinnaras and it was frequented by the monkeys and the bears.

The holy ascetics, engaged in study and meditation, lived there on the beautiful banks of that river. It was frequented by the intoxicated elephants, tigers and great snakes.

On the banks of that river, stood the excellent and charming hermitage of the illustrious Rishi, (the descendant of) Kashyapa, frequented by many great ascetic Rishis.

Having seen the river and the hermitage he desired to enter into that sacred place.

The river was studded with many islands with beautiful and charming shores. It looked like the abode of Nara and Narayana, beautified with the river Ganges.

The best of men then entered that hermitage, which was resounding with the notes of the intoxicated pea-cocks and which appeared like the gardens of Chitraratha of Kubera.

He desired to see the great ascetic Rishi, the illustrious Kanva, of the lineage of Kashyapa, the possessor of all virtues and who was too effulgent to be looked at.

Halting his army of flag-holders, cavalry, infantry and elephants at the out-skirt of the

“I shall go to see the mighty ascetic, the son of Kashyapa, who is free from Rajoguna. Stay here till I return."

The king forgot his hunger and thirst and derived infinite pleasure as soon as he entered that forest, like Nandana, (the garden of Indra.)

The king, having laid aside all signs of royalty, entered that excellent hermitage with his Minister and Priest only.

He desired to see that Rishi who was an indestructible mass of ascetic merit. He saw that the hermitage was like the region of Brahma. Bees were sweetly buzzing and birds were pouring forth their melodies.

That best of men heard in one place the chanting of the Rigveda with the proper intention by the best of Brahmanas.

That hermitage was beautified with Brahmanas, learned in the Angas of Yajnavidya, reciting the hymns of Yajur-veda, The Rishis of rigid vows were reciting Saman hymns in harmonious strains. That time the hermitage aorned with Brahmanas who controlled their senses were reciting the Saman songs of Atharvashiras known as Bharunda.

Brahmanas, learned in the Atharva Veda, reciting the Sanhitas according to the proper rules of voice. At other places, Brahmanas learned in the science of ortheopy, were reciting Mantras of other kinds. That holy hermitage, resounding with these holy sounds, did really look like the region of Brahma.

There were many Brahmanas who were experts in the art of making sacrificial platforms and in the rules of Krama in sacrifice. There were many other learned in Nyaya, (Logic) and mental sciences; and many having complete knowledge of the Veda. There were those that were learned in the meanings of every kind of expressions, those that were experts in performing special rites, those that knew the Moksha-dharma. Those that were well-versed in establishing propositions, rejecting superfluous causes and were learned in the science of words, of prosody and of Nirukta, those that were learned in the science of Time (Astrology). In the properties of matter, in the fruits of sacrificial rites, those that possessed a knowledge of causes and effects, those that understood the languages of monkeys and birds and those that were wellread in all large treatises. And various Shastras. The king, as he proceeded, heard their incantations and chanting, which were capable of charming all human arts.

The destroyer of the enemy's army, (Dushyanta), saw around him innumerable learned Brahmanas of rigid vows who were all engaged in japa and homa.

The king was much astonished to see the beautiful carpets which these Brahmanas offered him (for his seat).

That best of kings, seeing the rites with which the Brahmanas worshipped the deities, thought himself in the land of Brahma.

The more the king saw that auspicious and sacred hermitage of the son of Kashyapa (Kanva), protected by that Rishi's ascetic virtues and endued with all the requisites of a holy retreat, more he desired to see it. He was not satisfied with this cursory view of the beautiful hermitage). The destroyer of foes, accompanied by his Minister and his Priest, then entered that charming and sacred hermitage of the son of Kashyapa, inhabited by the great ascetic Rishis of rigid vows.