INDIA. PART II.' Opposition of of the Nágas, or might return again to me; but whenever I began to devour HISTORY OF the forest, Indra poured down abundance of rain and quenched the fire, for he is desirous of preserving the great serpents who are dwelling in that jungle: I therefore beseech you, O Krishna and Arjuna, to protect me against serpents. Indra." At these words Arjuna agreed to make war against Indra, if Agni would provide him with celestial weapons; and Agni then gave Arjuna the bow which is called Gándíva, together with two quivers, and a chariot having the monkey god for its standard. Then Arjuna and Krishna fought Arjuna and Indra, and Agni devoured the forest of Khándava; and all against Indra, the serpents were devoured likewise, excepting their Raja vours the forest. Takshaka, who escaped from the burning. Krishna fight and Agni de of the myth; the forest opposed by the Scythic Nagas. The meaning of this myth, as far as it bears Interpretation upon the clearing of the forest, will now be obvious. burning of the A Scythic tribe of Nágas were located in the jungle of Khándava, and naturally objected to the conflagration, which was, however, ultimately carried out. The actual burning of the forest, and war against the Scythic Nágas, seem to have been famous in Kshatriya tradition; and hence the gods and Bráhmans, and especially Krishna, were associated with it. There is also a religious meaning in the myth which will be discussed hereafter. bands of Aryans towards the south-east, one along the valley of of the Ganges, and the other of along the valley of the Jumná. The migration of a branch of Kshatriya settlers Progress of two from the banks of the Ganges to the banks of the Jumná is also interesting from another point view. It seems to indicate that whilst one band Aryan colonists moved towards the south-east along the valley of the Ganges, another band moved in the same direction along the valley of the Jumná. Again, the site of Indra-prastha is far more distinctly Remains of the indicated than the site of Hastinápur. The pilgrim Indraprastha who wends his way from the modern city of Delhi and the Kútub. to pay a visit to the strange relics of the ancient ancient city of between Delhi INDIA. PART II. HISTORY OF World which surround the mysterious Kútub, will find on either side of his road a number of desolate heaps, the débris of thousands of years, the remains of successive capitals which date back to the very dawn of history; and local tradition still points to these sepulchres of departed ages as the sole remains of the Raj of the sons of Pándu, and their once famous city of Indra-prastha.2 Legend of the five houses of the Pandavas. Matrimonial law. Alleged breach of the law by Arjuna. The next point in the tradition which calls for observation, is the strange domestic life which accompanied the institution of polyandry. The tradition needs no introduction, but may be briefly related here: Now as the five Pándavas were husbands of one wife, each of the brethren had a house and garden of his own, and Draupadi dwelt with each of them in turn for two days at a time; and it was a law amongst them, that if a brother entered the house of another brother, whilst Draupadi was dwelling there, he should depart out of the city and go into exile for twelve years. Now it so happened that all the weapons belonging to the brethren were kept in the house of Yudhishthira; and it came to pass that one night whilst Draupadi was dwelling with Yudhishthira, a Bráhman came with a loud outcry to the gate of Arjuna, and prayed for vengeance against a band of robbers who had carried away his cows. And the Bráhman was very clamorous, and Arjuna himself was very desirous to pursue the robbers. So Arjuna entered the house of Yudhishthira, and girded on his own coat of mail, and tied on his sword and buckler, and took his bow and arrows in his hand; and he overtook the robbers and slew some of them, and the remainder fled and left the 2 The whole of this neighbourhood is rich in historic association; and the journey from Delhi to the Kútub, and from the Kútub to Toglukabad, is perhaps one of the most interesting in India. At Toglukabad is the first great outpost of the Mussulman Afghans. The Kútub is a pillar of Islam victory erected amidst the remains of what was once a famous Buddhist city. Modern Delhi, again, was the great metropolis of the Mogul emperors. INDIA. PART II. Arjuna accepts twelve years' ex monstrances of cattle behind them. And Arjuna brought away the cattle HISTORY OF and delivered them up to the Bráhman; and in the morning he went to Yudhishthira and told him all that he had done; and he requested permission to take his leave and go into the penalty of exile for twelve years according to the rule. And Yudhish- ile. thira was much troubled, and said:-"You have done no Jesuitical reharm, Arjuna, for I am your elder brother, and the same to Yudhishthira. You as a father: If indeed I had entered your house when Draupadi was there, then I should have been bound to go out of the city for twelve years; but when you entered my house, it was to you as the dwelling of your father; and I pray you therefore to think no more of the matter." But Arjuna replied:-" When we pledged ourselves by oath to this rule, nothing was said about the house of the elder brother being as the house of a father, and I am bound to depart out of the city." And Arjuna took his leave of his Arjuna goes into mother and brethren, and of his wife Draupadí, and set his face towards the jungle. exile. ticity of the ma The question of how far the matrimonial law Dubious authenabove indicated is historically true, can scarcely be trimonial law. discussed with minuteness by the modern historian. There is, however, sufficient evidence to excite the suspicion that it is purely mythical, and that it has been introduced for the sole purpose of toning down the more offensive features of the marriage. It is said to have originated with a famous Bráhman sage named Nárada, who abruptly introduced himself to the five brethren for the purpose of laying down the rule. The point, however, which is really deserving of notice, is the obligation which each of the brothers imposed upon himself, of going into 3 The story of the intervention of Nárada is amusing enough, but scarcely fitted for European eyes. He is said to have been received with every mark of honour and reverence, by Draupadí as well as by her husbands; but the sage had the delicacy to signal to Draupadi to leave the room, whilst he discussed with her husbands the propriety of their accepting the arrangement which he proposed. PART II. matrimonial law is a myth. HISTORY OF exile for twelve years in the event of any breach of INDIA. the rule. Abundant evidence can be furnished that Proofs that the the exile is a myth. It is improbable that all the weapons should have been kept in the house of Yudhishthira whilst the matrimonial law was in force. It is improbable that Arjuna should have gone out single-handed against a band of robbers. The sophistry which Yudhishthira employs to persuade his brother to ignore the law is foreign to the character of the speaker, and is probably the interpolation of some jesuitical Bráhman. The period of twelve years is an obvious exaggeration. Moreover, it will presently be seen that the whole narrative of Arjuna's exile is crowded with details which are either supernatural, or Brahmanical, or an outrage upon geographical knowledge. The reason for the myth is, however, sufficiently obvious. Since Nárada the sage is said to have laid down the rule, it became necessary to show that the rule was faithfully observed, and this observance could only be indicated by an alleged breach of the rule. Arjuna's exile; its mythical character. sacred Brah accompanied by maus. The narrative of the adventures of Arjuna during his twelve years of exile is evidently the work of Pilgrimages to one of the later Brahmanical "arrangers." It conmanical places, sists of pilgrimages to the most holy Brahmanical a crowd of Bráh- localities, accompanied by a crowd of Brahmanical sages, who are palpably supernumeraries. It also Amours in the includes three different amours in the three most remote quarters of India, namely, Hurdwar, in the extreme north; Munnipúr, in the extreme east beyond the Bengal frontier; and Dwáraká, in the extreme west, at the furthest end of the peninsula of Guzerat. Moreover, whilst the Brahmanical compilers have industriously filled up the time as regards remotest quarters of India. INDIA. PART II. Arjuna, they have neglected to record a single fact HISTORY OF as regards his wife and four brethren; and the state of affairs at the end of the twelve long years is precisely the same as at the commencement of the exile. This mythical character will be rendered still more evident by a brief relation of the adventures which are said to have befallen Arjuna during his absence from Indra-prastha. For the convenience of comment the narrative of the exile may be divided into two portions; the first comprising the adventures prior to Arjuna's visit to Krishna, and the second embracing the legend of Arjuna's marriage to Krishna's sister. The first portion of the legend is as follows: na's adventures Ulúpi, Now many Brahmans went with Arjuna, and he made Legend of Arjupilgrimages to all the holy places, and he went to Hurdwar during his exile. on the river Ganges, and bathed there; and a damsel named Amour with Ulúpí, the daughter of Vásuki, the Raja of the Nágas, was likewise bathing there, and she saw Arjuna and besought him to espouse her, and he abode with her many days. After this Arjuna went into the countries of the south, and proceeded to the Mahendra mountain, and received many praises from Parasu Ráma, who dwelt there; and Parasu Visit to Parasu Ráma gave Arjuna many powerful weapons, and taught him many wondrous things in the use of arms. Ráma. daughter of the pura. And Arjuna passed through many cities and peoples, until he came to the city of Manipura, and there the daugh- Marries the ter of the Raja, whose name was Chitrangada, chanced to Raja of Manisee him, and desired him for her husband. So she contrived that he should see her, for she was exceedingly beautiful; and when Arjuna saw Chitrangada he loved her likewise, and made himself known to the Raja of Manipura, 4 Mahendra is the chain of hills that extends along the eastern or Coromandel coast of India from Orissa and the Northern Circars to Gondwana; part of this chain near Ganjam is still called Mahindra Malei, or the hills of Mahindra. (See Wilson's note to Vishnu Purána, p. 174.) Parasu Ráma was peculiarly a hero of the Brahmans, and the myths respecting him will be found in another place. |
