Chapter 76

a remedy. Thus addressed by his son, Santanu answered, Thou sayest truly. O son, that I have become melancholy. I will also

tell thee why I am so. O thou of Bharata's line, thou art the only scion of this our large race. Thou art always engaged in sports of arms and achievements of prowess. But, O son, I am always thinking of the instability of human life. If any danger overtake thee, O child of Ganga, the result is that we become sonless. Truly thou alone art to me as a century of sons. I do not, therefore, desire to wed again. I only desire and pray that prosperity may ever attend thee so that our dynasty may be perpetuated. The wise say that he that hath one son hath no son. Sacrifices before fire and the knowledge of the three Vedas yield, it is true, everlasting religious merit, but all these, in point of religious merit, do not, come up to a sixteenth part of the religious merit attainable on the birth of a son. Indeed, in this respect, there is hardly any difference between men and the lower animals. O wise one, I do not entertain a shadow of doubt that one attains to heaven in consequence of his having begotten a son. The Vedas which constitute the root of the Puranas and are regarded as authoritative even by the gods, contain numerous proof of this. O thou of Bharata's race, thou art a hero of excitable temper, who is always engaged in the exercise of arms. It is very probable that thou wilt he slain on the field of battle. If it so happen, what then will be the state of the Bharata dynasty. It is this thought that hath made me so melancholy. I have now told thee fully the causes of my sorrow."

"Vaisumpayana continued, Devavrata who was endued with great intelligence, having ascertained all this from the king. reflected within himself for a while. He then went to the old minister devoted to his father's welfare and asked him about the cause of the king's grief. O bull of Bharata's race, when the prince questioned the minister, the latter told him about the hoon that was demanded by the chief of the fishermen in respect of his daughter Gandhavati. Then Devavrata, accompanied by many Kshatriya chiefs of venerable age, personally repaired to the chief of the fishermen and begged of him his daughter on behalf of the king. The chief of the fishermen received him with due adorations, and, O thou of Bharata's race, when the prince took his seat in the court of the chief, the latter addressed him and said, O ball among the Bharatas, thou art the first of all wielders of weapons and the only son of Santanu. Thy power is great. But I have something to tell thee. If the bride's father was Indra himself, even then he would have to repent of rejecting such an exceedingly honourable and desirable proposal of marriage. The great man of whose seed this celebrated maiden named Satyavati was born, is, indeed, equal to you in virtue. He hath spoken to me on many occasions of the virtues of thy father and told me that, the king alone is worthy of (marrying) Satyavati.

Let me tell you that I have even rejected the solicitations of that best of Brahmarshis-the celestial sage Asita--who, too, had often asked for Satyavati's hand in marriage. I have only one word to say on the part of this maiden. In the mutter of the proposed marriage there is one great objection founded on the fact of a rival in the person of a co-wife's son. O oppressor of all foes, he hath no security, even if he be an Asura or a Gandharva, who hath a rival in thee. There is this only objection to the proposed marriage, and nothing else. Blest be thou! But this is all I have to say in the mutter of the bestowal or otherwise, of Satyavati.

"Vaisampayana continued, 'O thou of Bharata's race. Devavrata, having heard these words, and moved by the desire of

benefiting his father thus answered in the hearing of the assembled chiefs, O foremost of truthful men, listen to the vow I utter!

The man has not been or will not be born, who will have the courage to take such a vow! I shall accomplish all that thou

demandest! The son that may be born of this maiden shall be our king. Thus addressed, the chief of the fishermen, impelled by

desire of sovereignty (for his daughter's son), to achieve the almost impossible, then said, 'O thou of virtuous soul, thou art

come hither as full agent on behalf of thy father Santanu of immeasurable glory; be thou also the sole manager on my behalf in

the matter of the bestowal of this my daughter. But, O amiable one, there is something else to be said, something else to be

reflected upon by thee. O suppressor of foes, those that have daughters, from the very nature of their obligations, must say what

I say. O thou that art devoted to truth, the promise thou hast given in the presence of these chiefs for the benefit of Satyavati, hath, indeed, been worthy of thee. O thou of mighty arms. I have not the least doubt of its ever being violated by thee. But I have my doubts in respect of the children thou mayst beget, "Vaisampayana continued, O king, the son of Ganga, devoted to truth, having ascertained the scruples of the chief of the fishermen, then said, moved thereto by the desire of benefiting his father, Chief of fishermen, thou best of men, listen to what I say in the presence of these assembled kings. Ye kings, I have already relinquished my right to the throne. I shall now settle the

matter of my children. O fisherman, from this day I adopt the vow of Brahmacharya (study and meditation in celibacy). If I die

sonless, I shall yet attain to regions of perennial bliss in heaven!"

"Vaisampayana continued, Upon these words of the son of Ganga, the hair on the fisherman's body stood on end from glee,

and he replied, 1 bestow my daughter! Immediately after, the Apsaras and the gods with diverse tribes of Rishis began to rain down flowers from the firmansent upon the head of Devavrata and exclaimed. This one is Bhishma (the terrible). Bhishma then, to serve his father, addressed the illustrious damsel and said, 'O mother, ascend this chariot, and let us go unto our house." "Vaisampayana continued, Having said this, Bhishma helped the beautiful maiden into his chariot. On arriving with her at Hastinapura, he told Santanu everything as it had happened. And the assembled kings, jointly and individually, applauded his

extraordinary act and said. 'He is really Bhishma (the terrible)! And Santanu also, hearing of the extraordinary achievements of

his son, became highly gratified and bestowed upon the high-souled prince the boon of death at will, saying, Death shall never

come to thee as long as thou desirest to live. Truly death shall approach thee, O sinless one, having first obtained thy

command."

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, O monarch, after the muptials were over, king Santanu established his beautiful bride in his household. Soon after was born of Satyavati an intelligent and heroic son of Santanu named Chitrangada. He was endued with great energy and became an eminent man. The lord Santanu of great prowess also begat upon Satyavati another son named Vichitravirya, who became a mighty bowman and who became king after his father, And before that bull among men, viz.. Vichitravirya, attained to majority, the wise king Santanu realised the inevitable influence of Time. And after Santanu had ascended to heaven. Bhishma, placing himself under the command of Satyavati, installed that suppressor of foes, viz. Chitrangada, on the throne, who, having soon vanquished by his prowess all monarchs, considered not any man as his equal And beholding that he could vanquish men, Asuras, and the very gods, his namesake, the powerful king of the Gandharvas, approached him for an encounter. Between that Gandharva and that foremost one of the Kurus, who were both very powerful, there occurred on the field of Kurukshetra a fierce combat which lasted full three years on the banks of the Saraswati. In that terrible encounter characterised by thick showers of weapons and in which the combatants ground each other fiercely, the Gandharva, who had greater prowess or strategic deception, slew the Kuru prince. Having slain Chitrangada-that first of men and oppressor of foes--the Gandharva ascended to heaven. When that tiger among men endued with great prowess was slain, Bhishma, the son of Santanu, performed, O king, all his obsequies. He then installed the boy Vichitravirya of mighty arms, still in his minority, on the throne of the Kunus. And Vichitravirya, placing himself under the command of Bhishma, ruled the ancestral kingdom. And he adored Santana's son Bhishma who was conversant with all the rules of religion and law; 0, indeed, Bhishma also protected him that was so obedient to the dictates of duty."

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'O thou of Kuru's race, after Chitrangada was slain, his successor Vichitravirya being a minor, Bhishma

ruled the kingdom, placing himself under the command of Satyavati. When he saw that his brother, who was the foremost of