Mahabharata – 164

by

Sankar Mukherjee

and

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                       Aadivamsavatarana Parva

The unfortunate Satyavati was overwhelmed with grief due to the demise of her son. And after performing with her daughters-in-laws the funeral rites of the deceased, she consoled her weeping daughters-in-law as best as she could.

Dialogue between Bhisma & Satyavati

And then she addressed  the mournful great Bhisma turning her eyes to religion-- 

‘’ Now the famous,righteous king Sanutanus’s funeral cake, clan & achievements depend on you. One  attains the heaven by good deeds. Long life is secured from truth and faith. There  is no denial that virtue is integrated in you. Oh virtuous one! You are well-acquainted, in details and in the abstract, with the doctrine of virtue, with all the branches of the Vedas. I am aware of that  & I am aware that you are equal to Sukra and Brihaspati as regards  confidence in virtue. You have the knowledge of the particular customs of the family. You have the readiness of  innovation under difficulties. Therefore, Oh foremost of virtuous men! We depend  on you greatly. I shall entrust you to deliberate on a certain matter. On hearing me, you comply with my bidding. My son and your brother, of great prowess was dear to you, attained heaven childless while a boy. Two wives of your brother, are  the  fortunate daughters of the king of Kasi. They have celestial beauty. They are  young. They desire  children. Therefore, Oh you mighty one, at my command, raise offsprings on them for the continuation of our lineage. And thereby earn  virtue.Or else be the king & rule the Bharata clan. And marry as per the custom of religion.Don’t plunge your ancestors into hell”.

Thus addressed by his mother and friends and relatives, the virtuous Bhisma, replied in accordance with the commands of  virtue

‘Oh mother! what you said  is in accordance with religious law. But you know what my vow is, in the matter of begetting children. You also know  all that happened  in connection with your dowry. Therefore Oh mother! I repeat the vow once  again. I may give up the three worlds, the kingdom of the heaven & anything that may be even greater than that.

 But truth I would never abandon. The earth may forsake fragrance, water may give up its wetness, the spirit  may leave  its form, air may give up its characteristics of touch, the sun may doff its glory, fire, its heat, the moon, his cooling rays, the sky may be bereft of  its capacity of generating sound, Indra maybe bereft of  his prowess, the god of justice, his impartiality, but I cannot leave truth’.

Here Bhisma alludes to the five elements in earth, water, air, fire & space that constitute the world.Their qualities are respectively fragrance, energy, touch & sound.If these constituents loose their essential qualities the world will be out of joints. There will be neither Sun, nor Moon nor Indra,& so on.In short entropy or praloya will take place. But Bhisma asserts that he will not give up his pledge in the face of the destruction of world even. So he tells her mother that he is not going to deviate from his pledge in the face of whatever difficult circumstances the royal line of the Kuru’s faces.

Thus addressed by her son of great prowess & fame Bhisma, Satyavati said to him -- Oh righteous Bhishma! I know your adherence to truth. You can, if you so feel, create, with your great energy, three worlds other than those that exist. I know what your vow was on my account. But considering the crucial circumstances of the present,bear  the load  of the duty that one owes to his ancestors. Therefore act in such a way that the racial line may not be broken and our friends and relatives are happy. Thus urged repeatedly by the dejected Satyavati speaking out of grief at the loss of her son, Bhisma addressed her again and said  --

‘Oh Queen!, Never be  away from virtue. Pay heed to virtue. Oh! Destroy us not. Breach of truth by a Kshatriya is never allowed by our scriptures. I shall now tell you, Oh Queen! what  the Kshatriya should do in such circumstances. We must prevent Santanu's race from becoming extinct on earth. Hearing me, do what should be done in consultation with the learned priests and those that are acquainted with practices during the prime time. We should be aware of the ordinary course of social conduct in such difficult times.