अनुशासनिक पर्व — जमदग्नि की कथा

Chyavana said Do you accept a boon from me. Do you also, O king, tell me what the doubt is that is in your mind. I shall certainly accomplish all your purposes.

Kushika said If you have been pleased with me, O holy one, do you then, O son of Bhrigu, teil me your object in living in my palace for sometime, for I wish to hear it. What was your object in sleeping on the bed I assigned you for, one and twenty days continuously, without changing sides.

O foremost of ascetics, what also was your object, again in going out of the room without speaking a single word.

Why did you, again, without any reason, disappear and once more become visible? Why, O learned Brahmana, did you again lay yourself down on the bed, and sleep, as before, for one and twenty days.

Why did you go out after you were rubbed by us with oil for your bath? Why, also, after having made various kinds of food in my palace to be collected, did you consume them with fire?

What was the cause of your sudden journey through my city on the car? What was your object in giving away so much riches? What was your motive in showing us the wonders of the forest created by your Yogapower.

What, indeed, was your motive in showing, O great ascetic, so many palaces made of gold and so many bedsteads supported on posts of jewels and gems?

Why also did all these wonders disappear from our sight? I wish to hear the cause of all this. Thii.king of all these acts of yours, O perpetuator of Bhrigu's race, I became stupefied.

I cannot comprehend your motive. ( you having penances for wealth, I wish to hear the truth about all those acts of yours in full.

Chyavana said Listen to me as I tell you fully the reasons which had moved me in all these acts of mine. Asked by you, O king, I cannot refuse to enlighten you.

In days of yore, on one occasion, when the deities had assembled together, the Grandfather Brahman said some words. I heard them, O king, and shall now repeat them to you.

On account of a quarrel between Brahmana and Kshatriya energy, there will occur an intermixture in my race. Your grandson, O king, will become endued with great energy and power.

Hearing this, I came here resolved to exterminate your race. Indeed, I came, O Kushika, seeking the utter extermination of your family, in fact, for reducing to ashes all your descendants.

Moved by this motive I came to your palace, O monarch, and said to you I shall observe some vow. Do you attend upon me and serve me dutifully.

While living, however, in your house, I could not see any shortcomings in you. It is for that reason, O royal sage, that you are still alive, for otherwise you would have by this been dead.

It was with this resolution that I slept for twentyone days in the hope that somebody would awake me before I arose out of my own accord.

You, however, with your wife, did not awake me. Even then, O best of kings, I became delighted with you.

Rising from my bed I went out of the chamber without speaking to any of you. I did this, O king, in the hope that you would ask me and thus I would have an opportunity of cursing you.

I then disappeared, and again showed myself in the room of your palace, and once more following Yoga slept for one and twenty days.

My motive was this. Exhausted with toil and hunger you two would be angry with me and do what would be unpleasant to me. It was from this motive that I caused yourself and your wife to be afflicted with hunger.

In your heart, however, O king, the slightest feeling of anger or vexation did not rise. For this, O king, I became highly pleased with you.

When I caused various kinds of food to be brought and then set fire to them, I hoped that yourself with your wife would yield to anger at the sight. Even that act, however, of mine was tolerated by you.

I then ascended the car, o king, and addressed you, saying Do you with your wife bear me! You did what I ordered, without the least scruple, O king! I became delighted at this. The gifts of riches I made could not excite your anger.

Pleased with you, O king, I created with the help of my Yogapower that forest which yourself with your wife did see here. Listen, O king, to the object I had.

For pleasing you and your qucen I made you to have a glimpse of Heaven, All those things which you have seen in these woods, O king, are a foretaste of Heaven.

O best of kings, for a little while I made you and your wife behold, in even your, earthly bodies, some sights of Heaven.

All this was done for showing the power of penances and the reward that is in store for virtue. The desire that arose in your heart, O monarch, at sight of those delightful objects, is known to me.

You became desirous of obtaining the dignity of a Brahmana and the merit of penances, O king, disregarding the sovereignty of the Earth, nay, the sovereignty of very Heaven.

You thought this, O king. The status of a Brahmana is highly difficult to get; having become a Brahmana, it is highly difficult to obtain the status of a Rishi; having become a Rishi it is difficult to become an ascetic.

I tell you that your desire will be fulfilled. From you, O Kushika, will originate a Brahmana who shall be called after your name. The person that will be the third in descent from you shall obtain the status of a Brahmana.

Through the energy of the Bhrigus, your grandson, O king, will be an ascetic gifted with the splendour of fire.

He shall always strike all men, indeed, the inhabitants of the three worlds, 'vith fear. I tell you the truth.

O royal sage, do you accept the boon that is now in your mind. I shall soon start for a sojourn to all the sacred water, Time is expiring.

Kushika said This, O great ascetic, is a high boon in my case, for you have been pleased with me! Let that take place which you have said! Let my grandson become a Brahmana, O sinless one.

Indeed, Let the dignity of Brahmanahood attach to my family, O holy one! This is the boon I pray for! I wish to once more ask you in full, O holy one.

In what way, O delighter of Bhrigu, will the dignity of Brahmanahood attach to my family? Who will be my friend? Who will have my affection and respect?