Mahabharata – 107

by 

Sankar Mukherjee

&

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                                   Aadivamsavatarana Parva

There was a temporary truce between gods & demons. But now the gods advised Indra to renew the war against the demons with fresh vigour.Indra then set out, saying, 'So be it.’ On his way he saw a number of young women sporting in a lake in a garden.The garden was exceedingly beautiful. It out did the gardens of heaven itself.It likened the garden of Kuvera the god of wealth. Bathing women the most beautiful in the world are only found  perhaps in the realm of gold. There gold & lust mingle to create a paradise brimming with sensuousness. Their clothes, varied & variegated lay on the shore of the lake. A wicked idea flashed upon Indra’s mind. 

 Changing himself into wind, he blew.The clothes on the shore fluttered & tumbled.Soon the upper garment of one was bundled up with the petticoat of another,The inner garment of one mingled with the outer garment of another. In short the clothes were in perfect disarray. The maidens, getting up from the water, approached their clothes that had, indeed, got mixed up with one another.

And it so happened that from the intermingled bundle, the clothes of Devayani were worn  by mistake Sarmishtha, the daughter of Vrishaparva, the king of demons.

 Thereupon, between them, Devayani and Sarmishtha, there was a dispute. Devayani said, 'Oh! daughter of the Asura how dare you take my clothes, being my disciple?’ As you are devoid of manners, nothing good can happen to you!' Sarmishtha in  reply said  --- ‘your father occupying a lower seat, always adores my father in the court.

 You are the daughter of one who chants the praises of others, & who accepts alms. I am the daughter of one who is adored, of one who bestows alms instead of ever taking alms himself. A beggar-woman as you are, you are free to give vent to your anger by using unmannerly speech.Oh beggar!you weep in  tears of anger in vain!Be as it may,me the princess can harm you,but you can not do any harm to me. Do you desire to quarrel? But you must know that I do not think of you as my equal!'

Hearing these words, Devayani became extremely angry and began to pull at Sarmishta’s clothes. Sarmishtha there upon threw her into a well and went home. Indeed, the wicked Sarmishtha believing that Devayani was dead went   home in a furiously glad mood.