Anushasanika Parva — The creation of woman and the object thereof. The story of Vipula and Devasharman

Bhishma said Having satisfied his preceptor's command, Vipula practised the most severe penances. Gifted with great energy, he at last regarded himself as endued with sufficient ascetic merit.

Priding himself upon the feat he had performed, he he wandered fearlessly and contentedly over the Earth, O monarch, honoured by all as one possessed of great fame for what he had done.

The powerful Bhargava thought that he had conquered both the worlds by that feat of his as also by his severe penances.

After sometime, O delighter of the Kurus, the time came for a ceremony of gifts to take place with respect to the sister of Ruchi. Profuse wealth and corn were to be given away in it.

Meanwhile a certain celestial damsel, gifted with great beauty, was passing through the skies.

From her body as she passed through the sky, some flowers dropped down on the Earth. Those flowers of celestial fragrance fell on spot not far from the hermitage of Ruchi's husband.

As the flowers lay scattered on the ground, they were picked up by Ruchi of beautiful eyes. Soon after an invitation came to Ruchi from the country of the Angas.

The sister, referred to above, of Ruchi, named Prabhavati was the wife of Chitraratha the king of the Angas.

Ruchi, of great beauty, having attached those flowers to her hair, went to the palace of the king of the Angas to answer the invitation she had received,

Seeing those flowers on her hair, the queen of the Angas having beautiful eyes, urged her sister to obtain some for her.

Ruchi of beautiful face, speedily informed her husband of that request of her sister. The Rishi accepted the prayer of his sisterinlaw.

Summoning Vipula into his presence, Devasharman of severe penances commanded his disciple to bring him some flowers of the same sort, saying Go, go.

Accepting unhesitatingly the order of his preceptor, the great ascetic Vipula. O king, answered So be it! and then proceeded to that spot whence the lady Ruchi had picked up the flowers that were wanted by her sister.

Arrived at that place where the flowers had fallen from the sky, Vipula saw some others still lying scattered. They were all as fresh as if they had been newly plucked from the plants. None of them had faded away.

He took up those exquisitely beautiful celestial flowers. Possessed of celestial fragrance, O Bharata, Vipula got them there as the result of his severe penances.

The accomplisher of his his preceptor's command, having obtained them, he felt great delight and started quickly for the city of Champa adorned with festoons of Champaka flowers.

As he went on, he saw on his way a human couple moving in a circle hand in hand.

One of them made a rapid step and thereby destroyed the cadence of the movement. Therefore, O king, a dispute arose between them.

Indeed, one of them charged the other, saying You have taken a quicker step! The other answered No, Indeed, as each held his own opinion obstinately, each. O king asserted what the other denied, and denied what the other asserted.

While thus quarrelling with each other with great assurance, an oath was then heard among them. Indeed, each of them suddenly named Vipula in what they uttered.

Their oath was this That one among us two who speaks falsely, shall, in the next world, meet with the end which will be the twiceborn Vipula's.

Hearing these words of theirs, Vipula's face became very sad. He began to commune with himself, I have practised severe penances. The dispute between this couple is hot. To me, again, it is painful. What sin have I committed that both these persons should refer to my end in the next world as the most painful one among those reserved for all creatures?

Thinking thus, Vipula, O best of kings, hung down his head, and with a dispirited mind began to recollect what sin he had done.

Proceeding a little way he saw six other men playing with dice made of gold and silver. Engaged in play, those individuals seerned to him to be so excited that the hairs on their bodies stood erect. They also were heard by Vipula to take the same oath that he had already heard the first couple to take. Indeed, their words had reference in the same way to Vipula.

He, amongst us who, led by cupidity, will act in an unfair way, shall meet with that end which is reserved for Vipula in the next world.

Hearing these words, however, Vipula, although he tried earnestly to recollect, could not remember any sin of his from even his earliest years, O you of Kuru's race.

Indeed, he began to burn like a fire placed in the midst of another fire. Hearing that curse, his mind burnt with grief.

In this state of anxiety a long time was passed. At last he recollected the manner in which he had acted in protecting his preceptor's wife from the machinations of Indra.

I had entered the body of that lady, placing limb within limb, face within face. Although I had acted in this way, I did not yet tell my preceptor the truth.

This was the sin, O you of Kuru's race, which Vipula recollected in himself. Indeed, O blessed king, forsooth, that was the sin which he had actually committed.

Coming to the city of Champa, he gave the flowers to his preceptor. Devoted to superiors and seniors, he adored his preceptor in due form.