INDIA. PART II. Death of the chief wife of Karna. HISTORY OF tion to the rest of Karna's children, and entertained his widows with all the kindness of a near kinsman. But when the principal wife of Karna, and mother of most of his children, heard of the death of her husband, she heaved a deep sigh and expired; and the rest of Karna's widows were better provided for by Yudhishthira than even his own women, and they had regular appointments for their maintenance. Review of the foregoing narra ing of the slain. Refers to an ante-Brahmanic period. The picture furnished by the foregoing narrative tive of the burn of the burning of the slain apparently refers to a very ancient period of Hindú history. The prominent features are indicated with a realism which seems to have appertained to the original tradition; -the poor widows, with their long black hair dishevelled over their faces, sitting in an agony of grief by the corpses of those they loved; the charioteers searching over the plain for the remains of their masters; the dead bodies wrapped in cloths and burning with oils and perfumes upon the funeral No reference to piles. But there is no reference to the hateful Satí, Sati nor satisfac tory allusion to the Brahmans. 2 2 A more detailed account of the funeral ceremonies of the ancient Hindús will be found in the Rámáyana, and will consequently appear in the second volume of the present work. The whole ceremony bears a remarkable resemblance to the burning of Hector, which has thus been felicitously translated by the Earl of Derby (Iliad, Book xxiv.) :— "At length the aged Priam gave command: 'Haste now, ye Trojans, to the city bring He said :-and they the oxen and the mules Nine days they laboured, and brought back to Troy INDIA. PART II. Account of the liberality and played by Yudhishthira to of Karna no burning of the widows with their deceased hus- HISTORY OF bands; and it is somewhat remarkable that the Bráhmans do not appear to have officiated upon the occasion. The only point however which requires explanation, is the extraordinary liberality and kind- kindness disness displayed by Yudhishthira towards the family wards the family of Karna. It should however be remembered that ascribed to a mythical origin. according to the myth already indicated, Karna was the son of Kuntí before her marriage to Pandú; and consequently these details may have been inserted to prove that Yudhishthira was not wanting in duty to the family of his deceased elder brother. Collected from the pile the whitened bones; With stone in ponderous masses covered o'er; And raised a mound." In the historic period a considerable refinement was introduced by the Greeks, inasmuch as the bodies of the slain were not burned but buried. Thus the Athenians who fell at Marathon were interred on the field of battle; whilst the bodies of those who fell in the first year of the Peloponnesian war were preserved, and ultimately arranged in coffins of cypress wood, according to tribes, and publicly buried with every honour in the fairest suburb of the city.— Thucydides, Book ii. c. 34, et seq. CHAPTER XV. HISTORY OF installation of Raja under the THE INSTALLATION OF RAJA YUDHISHTHIRA. AFTER the burning of the slain, Yudhishthira and PART II. his brethren proceeded in triumph from the plain of Narrative of the Kurukshetra to the city of Hastinápur, and there Yudhishthira as Yudhishthira was inaugurated as Raja in the room nominal sove of Duryodhana, under the nominal sovereignty of the Maháraja. The details of this procession, and the subsequent ceremonies of installation demand no preliminary explanation, and may be simply narrated as follows: reignty of Maháraja Dhritaráshtra. Disinclination of Triumphant procession from the plain of Kurukshetra. Now when Raja Yudhishthira beheld the dead bodies of his kinsmen, who had been slain on the plain of Kurukshetra, his heart failed him, and he said that he would not accept the Raj, but would retire into the jungle, and spend the remainder of his days in religious devotion; but those around him offered many topics of consolation to him, and after a while his grief left him, and he prepared himself to undertake the duties of Raja under his uncle, Maháraja Dhritaráshtra. So when all things had been made ready for his progress from the field of Kurukshetra to the city of Hastinápur, he ascended a chariot which was drawn by sixteen white mules. And Bhíma took the reins and seated himself as his charioteer, and bards and eulogists surrounded his chariot on all sides and recited his praises; and Arjuna held the royal umbrella over his head, and his two younger brothers, Nakula and Sahadeva, walked one on each side of his INDIA. PART II. chariot, and fanned him with chámaras of fine hair. And HISTORY OF Yuyutsu, the only surviving son of Dhritarashtra, followed in another white chariot; and Krishna and Sátyaki accompanied the procession in like manner in a chariot of gold. And the blind Maharaja and the Rání Gándhárí went before Yudhishthira in a vehicle carried by men; and Kuntí, Draupadí, and all the other ladies betook themselves to different vehicles, and followed the procession under the protection of Vidura. into the city of arrives at the family gods. In this grand array Raja Yudhishthira entered the city Grand entry of Hastinapur; and he was accompanied by all his friends Hastinapur. and kinsmen, whilst the bards and eulogists marched before him and sounded his praises. Meantime the people of the city decorated the road with flags and garlands, and came out in their best attire to receive the new Raja; and thousands of people thronged the entrance of the palace to wel- Yudhishthira come the approach of Yudhishthira, whilst all the ladies of palace. the palace in like manner welcomed Draupadí. And Yudhishthira acknowledged the acclamations of the multitude, and received the blessings of the Bráhmans; and he then descended from his chariot, and went into the inner apartments, and worshipped the family gods with offerings of Worships the sandal, garlands, and jewels. Having thus performed his thanksgivings to the household deities he returned to the palace gate, and with the assistance of Dhaumya and the Maharaja, he distributed suitable presents of jewels, cows, Distributes and cloths amongst the Bráhmans. Now a Rákshasa, named Brahmans. Chárváka, had disguised himself as a mendicant Bráhman, and mingled with the crowd; and having been a warm friend of Duryodhana he was desirous of reviling the Pándavas. And when the acclamations of the multitude had Reviled by Chárváka, a ceased, Chárváka arose and said :-"O Yudhishthira, listen Rakshasa disto me! These Bráhmans have made me their spokesman to Brahman. reproach you for your ignominious deeds in killing your nearest and dearest kinsmen: I cannot discover what advantage you have derived from committing such crimes; your life must be now a burden to you, and the sooner you Brahmans, who die the better will it be for all." At this speech all the as- allegiance to gifts amongst guised as a Rage of the real declare their Yudhishthira. PART II. HISTORY OF Sembled Brahmans were enraged, but they hung down their INDIA. heads with shame and said nothing. And Raja Yudhishthira was very much dejected at what Chárváka had said, and in very mild terms he asked the Bráhmans for forgiveness, and requested them not to put him to shame, and even offered to put an end to his own life if they desired it. The Brahmans replied:-" O Raja, we have said nothing against you, but wish you all joy and happiness: This person is not a Brahman; he is a wicked friend of Duryodhana in disguise: His name is Chárváka, and he is a Rákshasa by birth: Listen not to him, for he has spoken falsehoods!" Chárváka with angry Chárváka burnt So saying, the Bráhmans looked to death by the angry eyes of the Brahmans. Gratification of inauguration. Enthroned facing the East. Presence of his relations and friends at his inauguration. upon eyes, and he fell upon the ground like a tree struck by lightning, and was burnt to ashes upon the spot. Now when Yudhishthira saw that the Bráhmans were truly desirous that he should rule the Raj, he was much Brahmans in his pleased; and he cast aside all melancholy, and seated himself upon the golden throne with a cheerful heart, and with his face turned towards the east. And in front of him sat Krishna and Sátyaki upon seats of gold; whilst upon either side of him sat Bhíma and Arjuna upon golden carpets. At a little distance off sat his mother Kuntí upon a throne of ivory, with Nakula and Sahadeva on each side of her. And Maharaja Dhritarashtra and his younger brother Vidura, and the priest Dhaumya, took their seats upon carpets as bright as flame; and near the Maharaja sat his Rání Gándhárí, and his only surviving son Yuyutsu. And when they were all seated, Yudhishthira was solemnly inaugurated Raja by Dhaumya the Bráhman, who was the family priest of the Pandavas. And rice, which had been burnt by the sun, and white flowers, and pieces of earth, and gold, silver, and precious stones, were all brought before the new Raja, and he touched them according to the custom. And fire, and milk,,and honey, and ghee, and the sacred shell, and leaves and twigs of sacred trees, were all brought in like manner, and duly placed before Raja Yudhishthira. And golden pots, and silver pots, and copper pots, and earthen pots, and pots made of precious stones, were all filled with Ceremony of Dhaumya the Symbolical rites. Pots of water from the sacred rivers. |