Apaddharmanushasana Parva

When this discourse was finished, Nakula who was an expert swordsman thus questioned the Kuru grandfather lying on his bed of arrows.

Nakula said-The bow, O grand-father, known as the foremost of weapons in this world. I, however, prefer the sword, since when the bow, O king, is cut off or broken, when horses are dead or weakened, a good warrior, well-trained in the sword, can protect himself by means of his sword.

A hero armed with the sword can, alone, withstand inany bowmen and many antagonists armed with maces and arrows.

I have this doubt, and I am anxious to know the truth. Which, O king, is really the foremost of weapons in all battles.

How was the sword first created and why? Who also was the first teacher in that weapon? Tell me all this, O grandfather.

Hearing these words of the intelligent son of Madri, the virtuous Bhishma, that perfect master of the science of the bow, lying upon his bed of arrows, answered in many refined words of great significance, of sweet cadence, and showing considerable skill, to the great Nakula, that discipline of Drona of skilful training.

Bhishma said Hear the truth, O son of Madri, about what you have asked me! I am worked up by this question of yours, like a hill of red chalk.

In days of yore the universe was one vast sheet of water, fixed and skyless, and without this Earth existing in it.

Covered with darkness, and unseen, it presented a dreadful aspect. Perfect silence prevailed everywhere and it was immeasurable in extent. In his own proper time the Grandfather (of the universe) was born.

He then created wind, and fire, and the highly powerful sun. He also created the sky, the heavens, the nether regions, Earth, the quarters, the firmament with the moon and the stars, the constellations, the planets, the year, the seasons, the months, the two fortnights and the smaller divisions of time.

Assuming a visible form the divine Grandfather then begot (by the power of his will) some highly energetic sons.

They are the sages Marichi, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Vashishtha, Angiras, and the mighty and powerful lord Rudra, and Prachetas. The last beget Daksha, who in his turn beget sixty daughters. All those daughters were accepted by the twice-born sages for the purpose of begetting children upon them.

From them originated all the creatures of the universe, including the gods, Pitris, Gandharvas, Apsaras all sorts of Rakshasas, birds, animals, fishes, monkeys, great snakes, and various species of fowl ranging in the air or the water and vegetables, and all oviparous or viviparous being or those or born of filth. In this wise the whole universe consisting of mobile and immobile creatures came into being.

Having thus created all mobile and immobile creatures, then the universal Grandfather preached the eternal religion of the Vedas.

That religion was accepted by the gods, with their preceptors and priests, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Saddhyas, the Maruts, the Ashvins, Bhrigu, Atri, Angiras, the Siddhas, Kashyapa of Penances, Vashishtha, Gautama, Agastya, Narada, Parvata, the Valkhilya Rishis, those other Rishis known as Prabhasas, the Sikatas, the Ghritapas, the Somavayavyas, the Vaishvanaras, the Marichipas, the Akrishtas, the Hansas, those born of Fire, the Vanaprasthas, and the Prashins. All of them followed the commands of Brahman.

Disregarding the cominands of the Grandfather, and giving way to anger and covetousness, the foremost of the Danavas, however, began to bring about the destruction of virtue.

They were Hiranyakashipu, Hiranyaksha, Virochana, Shamvara, Viprachitti, Prahlada, Namuchi and Vali.

Disregarding all restraints of duty and religion, these and many other Daityas and Danavas sported and found pleasure in all sorts of wicked acts.

Considering themselves equal in point of birth with the gods, they began to challenge them and the pure sages.

They never did any good to the other creatures of the universe or showed mercy for any of them. Neglecting the three well-known means, they began to persecute and assail all creatures by holding only the rod of chastisement.

Indeed, those foremost of Asuras, filled with pride did not treat other creatures as friends. Accompanied by the twice-born ones the divine Brahman, proceeded to a delightful summit of Himavat, extending for a hundred Yojanas in area, adorned with various sorts of jewels and gems, and upon whose surface the stars existed like so many lotuses on a lake.

On that king of mountains, O sire, filled with forests of blossoming trees, that foremost of the gods, viz., Brahmana, lived for sometime for accomplishing the business of the world.

After the expiration of a thousand years, the powerful lord made arrangements for a grand sacrifice according to the ordinances prescribed in the scriptures.

The sacrificial altar was adorned with Rishis skilled in sacrifice and capable of performing all acts, with sacrificial fuel, and with burning fires.

And it looked highly beautiful for the sacrificial plates and vessels having been all made of gold. All the leading gods sat there.

The platform was further adorned with Sadasyas who were all high regenerate Rishis. I have heard from the Rishis that something very awful soon took place in that sacrifice.

It is heard that a creature came out (from the sacrificial fire) scattering the flames around him, and whose effulgence equalled that of the Moon himself when he rises in the sky be spangled with stars.

His complexion was dark like that of the petals of the blue lotus. His teeth were keen. His stomach was lean. His stature was tall. He appeared highly irresistible and energetic.

When that being appeared, the Earth shook. The Ocean became agitated with mountain billows and dreadful eddies.

Meteors, foreboding great calamities, passed through the sky. The branches of trees began to fall down. All the points of the horizon became unquite. Inauspicious winds blew. All creatures began to tremble with fear every moment.

Seeing that dreadful agitation of the universe and that Being originated from the sacrificial fire, the Grandfather said to the great Rishis, the gods, and the Gandharvas.

This Being was thought of by me. Highly energetic his name is Asi (sword or scimitar). I have created him for the protection of the world and the destruction of the enemies of the celestials.

Leaving off the form he had first assumed, that being then took the shape of a sword of great effulgence, highly polished, sharp-edged, and sprang like the all-destructive Being at the end of the cycle.

Then Brahman handed over that sharp weapon to the blue-throated Rudra who has for his emblem the foremost of bulls, for empowering him to suppress irreligion and sin.

At this, the divine and great Rudra, praised by the great Rishis, took up that sword and assumed a different forin.

Displaying four arms, he became so tall that though he stood on the Earth he touched the very sun with his head. With eyes turned upwards, and with every limb extended wide, he began to eject flames of fire from his mouth.

Assuming various hues such as blue, white and red, and wearing a black deer-skin set with stars of gold, he bore on his forehead a third eye resembling the effulgent sun. His two other eyes, one of which was black and the other twany, shone very brilliantly.

Taking up the sword which was effulgent like the all-destructive Yuga fire, and wielding a large shield with three high bosses which shone like a mass of dark clouds stricken with flashes of lightning, the divine Mahadeva, the bearer of the Shula, the tearer of Bhaga's eye, began to perform various kinds of evolutions. Endued with great with great prowess, he began to whirl the sword in the sky, seeking an encounter. an

He uttered loud roars and awful was the sound of his laughter. Indeed, O Bharata, then Rudra assumed exceedingly terrible appearance.

Hearing that Rudra had assumed that form for performing dreadful deeds, the Danavas, filled with joy, began to come towards him quickly, showering huge rocks upon him as they came, and burning brands of wood, and various kinds of terrible weapons made of iron cach sharp as of a razor.

However, seeing that foremost of all beings, the indestructible powerful Rudra, swelling with might, the Danavas army became stupefied and began to tremble.

Although Rudra was alone and singlehanded, yet so quickly did he move about on the field of battle with the sword in his hand that the Asuras thought there were a thousand Rudras fighting with them.

Tearing and piercing and assailing and cutting and lopping off and grinding down, the great god moved about quickly among the large number of his enemies like a forest-fire amid heaps of dry grass spread around.

Assailed by the god with his sword, with arms and thighs and chests cut off and pierced, and with heads cut off, the powerful Asuras began to drop down on the Earth.

Stricken with strokes of the sword, other Danavas broke and fled in all directions, cheering up one another as they fled.

Some entered into the bowels of the Earth; others got into the caves of mountains. Some went upwards; others entered into the sea.

During that dreadful and fierce battle, the Earth was covered with flesh and blood, and dreadful spectacles appeared on all sides.

Covered with the fallen bodies of Danavas bathed in blood, the Earth looked as if overspread with mountain summits filled with Kinshukas.

Having killed the Danavas and reestablished virtue on Earth, the auspicious Rudra cast off his dreadful form and put on his beneficient shape.

Then all the Rishis and all the gods adored that god of gods with loud cries of his victory.

After this the divine Rudra gave the sword, that protector of religion, covered with the blood of Danavas, to Vishnu with proper adorations.

Vishnu gave it to Marichi. The divine Marichi gave it to all the great Rishis. the latter gave it to Vasava.

Vasava gave it to the Regents of the quarters. The Regents, O son, gave that large sword to Manu the son of the Sun-god.

At the time of giving it to Manu, they said-You are the lord of all men. Protect all creatures with this sword having religion within its womb.

Properly punishing those who have disregarded the restraints of virtue for the sake of the body or the mind, they should be protected according to the ordinances but never according to caprice.

Some should be punished with rebukes, fines and forfeitures. Loss of limb or death should never be inflicted for slight offences.

These punishments, having rebukes as their first, are considered as so many forms of the sword. They are the forms that the sword assumes for the sins of persons under the protection (of the king).

In time Manu installed his own son Kshupa as the king of all creatures, and gave him the sword for their protection.

Kshupa gave it to Ikshaku, and Ikshaku to Pururavas. Pururavas gave it to Ayus, and Ayus to Nahusha.

Nahusha gave it to Yayati, and Yayati to Puru. Puru gave it to Amurttaraya. From Amurttaraya it went to the royal Bhumishaya.

Bhumishaya gave it to Dhushmanta's son Bharata. Bharata, O king, gave it to the righteous Ailavila.

Ailavila gave it to king Dhundumara. Dhundumara gave it to Kamvoja, and Kamvoja to Muchukunda.

Muchukunda gave it to Marutta, and Marutta to Raivata. Raivata gave it to Yuvanashva, and Yuvanashva to Raghu.

Raghu gave it to the valiant Harinashva. Harinashva gave the sword to Sunaka, and Sunaka to the righteous-souled Ushinara. From the last it was taken by the Bhojas and the Yadavas.

The Yadus gave it to Shivi. Shivi gave it to Pratarddana. Pratarddana gave it to Ashtaka, and Ashtaka to Prishadashva.

Prishadashva gave it to Bharadwaja, and Bharadwaja to Drona. Drona gave it to Kripa. Kripa gave that best of swords to you and your brothers.

The constellation under which the sword was born in Kritika. Agni is its god, and Rohini is its Gotra. Rudra is its great preceptor.

The sword has eight names which are not generally known. Hear as I name them to you. If one mentions these names, O son of Pandu, one may always acquire victory.

Those names then are Asi, Vaishasana, Khadga, Sharp-edged, hard of acquisition, Shrigarbha, victory and protector of virtue.

Of all weapons, O son of Madravati, the sword is the greatest. The Puranas truly say that it was first held by Mahadeva.

Regarding the bow, again, O chastiser of enemies, it was Prithu who first created it. It was with the help of this weapon that that son of Vena, while he ruled the Earth virtuously for many years, milked her profusely of crops and grain.

You should, O son of Madri, consider what the Rishis have said as sufficient proof. All persons skilled in battle should adore the sword.

I have now told you truly the first portion of your question fully, about the origin and creation of the sword, O foremost of Bharata's family.

By hearing of this excellent story of the origin of the sword, a man acquires fame in this world and eternal happiness in the next.'