prayed that a funeral pile might be prepared, and that she HISTORY OF might be burned thereon. INDIA. PART II. for a life-restor of Serpents. of the Serpents. Now it so happened that Ulúpí, who was the daughter Ulúpi, daughte of Vásuki, the Serpent Raja, remembered that the serpents of the serpent possessed a jewel which would restore Arjuna to life; and the under world she sent one of her kinsmen, who was residing at Manipura, ing jewel. to request her father Vásuki to deliver up the jewel. So the kinsman set off for the lower world, and arrived at the abode of Vásuki, and there he saw serpents all of gold, who were in the service of Vásuki. And the city of Vásuki was Magnificent'city splendid beyond description, and contained ten thousand crores of serpent inhabitants; and the wives of all those Beautiful wives serpents were of consummate beauty. And the city con- Jewels. tained more jewels than any person in the world has ever seen; and there was a lake there which contained the water Lake. of life, and in which all the serpents used to bathe. And the kinsman of Ulúpí entered the presence of Raja Vásuki, and proffered his request for the jewel. And at that time Sesha-nága the great Serpent Sesha-nága, he who has a thousand heads, the jewel to win was on a visit to Vásuki; and Sesha-nága summoned all Krishna. the serpents, and told them that he was desirous of sending the jewel to restore Arjuna to life, saying :-" If I send this jewel, and it restores Arjuna to life, my name will be exalted throughout the world; and I shall undoubtedly win the favour of Krishna, who is the great friend of Arjuna; and Krishna is now sovereign of nearly all the earth, and every living Raja pays homage to his superiority." The serpents Refusal of the then consulted together, but they were fearful that if the jewel were sent it would never be restored, so they refused to send it; and Sesha-nága desired the kinsman of Ulúpí to return to her, and acquaint her with what the serpents had said. advises sending the favour of serpents. So the kinsman returned to Manipura, and acquainted Raja BabhruUlúpí and Raja Babhru-váhana with all that had occurred; and to the under the Raja determined to lead his army into the nether world 10 A crore is ten millions; consequently ten thousand crores are equal to a hundred thousand millions. váliana descends world, and defeats the Serpents. INDIA. PART II. The Serpents tender their submission and give large presents. HISTORY OF and make war against the serpents, and destroy their city. And Babhru-váhana did so, and descended to the lower regions, and fought many desperate battles against the serpents; and he shot arrows which produced peacocks in vast numbers; and the peacocks devoured the serpents until they were compelled to yield. So Sesha-nága called a council of all the chiefs of the serpents, and it was agreed that they should give up the jewel; and moreover that they should bring all their other jewels and rarities, and present them to Babhru-váhana that they might conciliate him thereby. The life-restor- Then Sesha-nága and all the chiefs of the serpents waited upon Babhru-váhana, and they gave up the jewel which was to restore Arjuna to life, and tendered their submission, and presented Babhru-váhana with all their treasures. And Babhru-váhana returned with the jewel in great honour and glory to the city of Manipura. ing jewel delivered up. Krishna, Bhí ma, and Kunti arrive at Maniupon Garura. pura riding to life by the jewel. Meanwhile Krishna, and Bhíma, and Kuntí had mounted the back of the bird Garura, and ridden from the city of Hastinápur to the city of Manipura; and Sesha-nága came likewise from the nether world to behold Krishna and Arjuna restored Worship him. And Krishna prayed to God, and desired Sesha-nága to apply the jewel to the body of Arjuna; and the head was once again joined to the body, and Arjuna returned to life, and was healed of all his wounds. And Reconciliation. Arjuna became reconciled to his son; and Raja Babhruváhana prepared to accompany him; whilst Chitrángadá and Ulúpí set out for Hastinapur to be present at the Aswamedha. Eighth adven ture of the horse in the city of Ratnapura. After this, the horse entered the Raj. of Ratnapura, and met with his eighth adventure; for the Raja seized him, and carried him away, but he was recovered by Arjuna." Then 11 The eighth adventure of the horse is a long tissue of religious fables, of which one may serve as a specimen. When the horse was carried away, Krishna and Arjuna entered the city of Ratnapura disguised as Bráhmans. When it was night they found all the people asleep except a few young men who were sporting with their wives; and they listened at one of the doors, and heard a young man say to his wife :-" The more I gaze upon you the more I love you, just as people love Krishna the more they behold him." And they listened at other doors, and heard nothing but praises of Krishna. And when it was morn INDIA. PART II. Ninth adven ture of the horse in the Raj of ture of the beyond the mountain. the horse encountered a ninth adventure in the country of HISTORY OF Chandra-hasa, where he was seized by the Raja, but recovered in like manner.12 The horse then went towards the northern mountain, and all the Rajas on the way tendered their submission, and gave up all their treasures, and joined Chandrahasa. Arjuna with all their army. And the horse passed the Tenth advennorthern mountain, and reached the sea, and entered it; and horse in the sea Arjuna and Krishna were preparing to plunge into the sea northern likewise, and follow it, when they saw an island, and an old Rishi sitting there. And the old Rishi had sat in one place Story of the old so many years that a tree had grown up between his legs, lived during and birds had built their nests upon the tree, and serpents had made their holes all round him. And the Rishi said that he had remained there during twenty Bráhmas, and had frequently seen the world come to a close and begin again." And the Rishi saw Arjuna and Krishna, and bade them complete the Aswamedha, and at his words the horse came out of the sea. And the Rishi prayed to Krishna that he The Rishi promight be present at the Aswamedha; and Arjuna and Krishna the Aswamedha. carried him away with them. ing they entered the Council Hall, and the Raja, supposing that they were Bráh- 12 The traditionary life of Chandra-hasa is very curious, and will be found related in Part III., containing episodes from the Mahá Bhárata. It is a story in which the good fortune of Chandra-hasa is contrasted with the evil fortune of a certain Minister who was ever plotting to destroy him. 13 A Brahma is a period of vast duration, and may be described as an abortive effort to calculate eternity. A day of Brahma comprises the period of a universe, during which the world is created by a Brahma, preserved by Vishnu, and destroyed by Siva; after which the same process is continued ad infinitum. A single day of Brahma is equivalent to rather more than four thousand millions of mortal years. Rishi who had many Brahmas the sea. on an island in ceeds to attend HISTORY OF INDIA. PART II. Eleventh adventure of the horse in the ratha. Story of Duhsalá. After this, the horse passed along the mountain Sumaru, and proceeded in a northerly direction until he arrived at the city of Jayadratha, where he encountered his eleventh adventure. Now the Raja of this city was the son of that city of Jayad Jayadratha, who had carried away Draupadí in the jungle, and had afterwards been slain by Arjuna in the great war. And the mother of the Raja was named Duhsalá, and she was the sister of Duryodhana, and the daughter of Maharaja Dhritarashtra. And when the Raja heard that the horse had entered his city, and that it was accompanied by the man who had slain his father, he fell down from his throne with a deep sigh, and gave up the ghost. And when his mother Duhsalá saw that her son was dead, she uncovered her head, and ran out of the palace until she came to Arjuna; and she said to him :-"O Arjuna, you slew my husband, and now my son has expired at the mention of your name: I am your sister, and have no one to look to but you; I therefore pray you to take me under your protection." And Arjuna dismounted from his chariot, and acknowledged her to be his kinswoman; and he wept very much, and said to her:-" You are dearer to me than all my sisters: I had no quarrel with your husband Jayadratha, but he carried away our wife in the jungle; and after that we had forgiven him that offence, he caused the death of my beloved son Abhimanyu in the great war, so that I was compelled to combat him: And now that I have had only the kindest intentions toward your son, I cannot conceive what should have caused his death." Duhsalá replied:"I do not ask you for the blood of my husband, nor for the blood of my son: but now that you are in the course of performing the Aswamedha sacrifice for the security of your Raj, and for the religious merits attached to the sacrifice, I beg that you will not leave me here oppressed with misery." And Arjuna compassionated her, and said :—“0 my sister, whatsoever I can possibly do for you, I will." And The dead son of Krishna and Arjuna, and the daughter of Dhritarashtra then went to the dead body of the son of Jayadratha; and restored to life Krishna laid hold of the dead man's hand, and said:"Arise!" And by the will of the Almighty the dead man Duhsalá and Jayadratha miraculously by Krishua. INDIA. PART II. immediately arose; and when he beheld those around him, HISTORY OF his mother said to him :-"O my son, this new life has been given to you by reason of Krishna; pay respectful obeisance to him." So her son threw himself at the feet of Krishna; and in one moment that city was turned from mourning into great joy, and the drums of rejoicing were beaten aloud, and all the inhabitants were glad and made merry from house to house at all the doors; and the Raja and his mother Duhsalá accompanied Arjuna in great happiness to the city of Hastinapur.14 to Hastinapur. thira sitting by deer's skin, and horn. Seeing now that all danger as regards the horse was en- Krishna returns tirely over, Krishna returned with all speed to the city of Hastinapur to acquaint Raja Yudhishthira with all that had taken place; whilst Arjuna, and all the Rajas and Chieftains in his train, followed Krishna very slowly with all pomp and magnificence, carrying with them all the treasures which had been collected during the loosening of the horse. And Finds Yudhishwhen Krishna arrived at Hastinapur he found Raja Yudhish- the Ganges in a thira sitting on the bank of the Ganges, dressed in the skin holding a deer's of a deer and holding a deer's horn in his hand; and all his Chieftains, and Draupadí and Kuntí and all the ladies, were seated with him. Krishna then made obeisance to Raja Yudhishthira, and to all the others; and he said to Yudhishthira:. -"O Raja, by your favour Arjuna has conquered all the Rajas in his way, and is approaching with a mighty company, and with more treasure than can possibly be expended in this Aswamedha sacrifice." And Krishna related at Relates the length to the whole assembly the adventures of the horse, Arjuna. and the victories which had been achieved by Arjuna. victories of sister Subhadrá. After this, Subhadrá, the sister of Krishna, came out to meet her brother, and he had been absent from her so long Consoles his that when she saw him she burst into tears; and Krishna embraced her and comforted her. Krishna then took leave of the assembly, and taking Bhíma by the hand he proceeded to his own dwelling. And Krishna's wives were greatly rejoiced at his arrival, and Satyabhama said to him :-" Have you taken his wives. 24 The twelfth adventure of the horse is nothing more than the triumphant return of Arjuna to Hastinapur. Questioned by |