Mahabharata – 170
by
Sankar Mukherjee
and
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
 

 Aadivamsavatarana Parva
 All hail, the Mothers’ Day!
The great king Santanu of the Paurava race had two sons by his second wife Satyavati. With  Santanu’s demise the elder of the two brothers Chtringada ascended the throne. But it is a pity that he lost his life at a battle. Consequently the younger one Vichitivirya was crowned as
the king of the Kurus. Bhisma got him married to two most beautiful princesses from the kingdom of Kasi.But man propose but god disposes. The younger prince also died of tuberculosis. So the Kaurava race seem to come to a halt. The next generation was not as yet born. Who would continue the line of the Kurus?Besides  Chitrangada and Vichitrivirya the late king Santanu had another son in Bhisma whom we have already alluded to.Bhisma was the eldest of the three brothers.He was born to Santanu by his first wife the river Ganga. But Bhisma promise in his youth that he would not marry ever.Now that both his younger brothers had passed away Bhisma’s step mother Satyavati requested Bhisma to ascend the throne and see to that the royal line was preserved.It logically follows that Bhisma should get married as well but Bhisma was made of a different stuff he would never deviate a micron from his promises. Therefore, come what may Bhisma would not marry. How could the then royal be preserved? The family of the Kurus faced a real problem.
In this context Bhisma told his step mother Satyavati two stories one after another. The first story dwelled on how the warrior clan or the khashtriyas were exterminated from the face of the globe. The second story narrated how the wives of the khashtriya warrior got their
children deemed to continue the race of their husband, by  receiving the seed from the brahmin males. The legitimation of such stories is that marriage earlier was meant to continue the line of the husband.
The bride groom is to marry those days for getting his family line continued. The pleasures of conjugal life was of secondary importance.
That the woman bore a child would be of no help to her family line.
This was a patriarchal legitimation. In short women were looked upon as mere tools to bring forth children for their husband family line.
This still continues in India today.
Be that as it may, after retelling the tales from the past said to Satyavati --
Hearing these tales from the past, Oh mother! do as you like, in regard to the matter in hand.
Bhishma, continued --  Oh mother! I shall now tell you  the means by which the Bharata lineage may be kept going. Let a great Brahmana be invited by promising wealth, and let him raise offspring in the wives of Vichitravirya.
Two things are significant from the above.

I)                    In those days males could be hired to get a woman pregnant.

II)                   Even great brahmins could be hired to that end.

In this context the present day civilization should perhaps get rid of the pejorative sense with which the term prostitution is associated.
The celestial prostitutes like Urvashi and Rambha are looked up as demi goddesses. And why not have due reverence for the prostitutes of today? In cases of in vitro fertilization the seeds of men are collected to make woman pregnant. Call the men storing their seeds in the sperm bank for women to become fruitful prostitutes? As things stand today the womb of a living woman organically connected to the body of the woman is a must for a child to be born. So a son belongs to her mother and her mother’s line and not to her father’s line. The great saint of Upanishada came across a child who did not know who his father was. He knew his mother Jabala. And he was christened by the great saint as Jaabaali or the son of mother Jabala.
We, each one of us, Oh dear reader the children of our mothers.

All hail, the Mothers’ Day!

Mahabharata – 169
by
Sankar Mukherjee
and
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
          Aadivamsavatarana Parva
  Story of Dirghatama continued
Dirghatama was blind. His wife used to maintain him.One day his wife became very angry with him. She asked the children to throw him away into the waters. The children Gautama and others, tied Dirghatama to a raft and floated the raft  away into the waves of the river Ganga,saying -- Why should we support this old man? They returned home without any compunction.
The blind old brahmin Dirghatama floating along the stream of the river Ganga on that raft, passed through numerous countries by god’s grace. One day a righteous king named Vali went to the Ganges to have a bath. And  the virtuous king Vali saw the raft to which Dirghatama was
tied. And as it came near, the king rescued the old man from the raft.Then the king learned who the man was. He was none else than the great sage Dirghatama.The king had no issues.So the king requested Dirghatama to co habit with his wife the queen Sudeshna so that a son was born to him. Dirghatama agreed to the proposal. It appears that Dirghatama seems to have contradicted his legitimation that no wife should co habit with any male other than her husband. Or else it appears that a wife of a person can co habit with another person only
with the consent of  the husband to the end of procreating a male child so that the family line continues.If we stretch this legitimation a little far, then we can say that the husband at whose command the wife who goes for so called prostitution is never in the wrong. Be that as it may, the king Vali asked his wife the queen to go to Dirghatama’s bed. But she did not feel like sharing the bed with a blind and old brahmin. So she sent her sudra maid to share the bed with Dirghatama. Consequently the palace of king Vali became blithe with the noise of eleven babies. Cheerfully the king Vali exclaimed that they were his children. But Dirghatama said no to it. They were Dirghatama’s children. How come? Dirghatama told that the queen did not turn up at the bed. Instead a maid came to him when he was abed. As per the tradition in the days of the Mahabharata if a wife goes to another person for mating, with the consent of the husband, the children thereof will belong to the husband and not to the other person who
mated with the wife. But it seems that if the maid of the wife goes to another person at the command of the wife the children thereof should belong to that other person not to the husband of the wife who sends her maid to lie with a man. King Vali was no doubt shocked at the behaviour of his wife. He sent his wife Sudeshna once again to Dirghatama. Dirghatama simply touched her and told her -- You shall have five children like the Sun himself in glory. They should be named respectively Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Pundra and Suhma. And many countries shall be known on earth after their names.
The king’s wife became pregnant. She brought forth sons who should be acknowledged as the sons of king Vali. Dirghata ma’s prophecy came true.
Bhisma narrated this story of the past to illustrate how people can continue their family line by way of sending their women to other men. Thus in the past the lineage  of king Vali was perpetuated, by a great sage. Apart from this, many mighty righteous archers and great chariot -warriors took birth as Kshatriya from the seed of Brahmanas.
Thus Anga established the country Anga,Banga established the country Banga.From Kalinga the country Kalinga,from Pundra the country Pundra and from Suhma the country Suhma came into being.
In the society today men who have political or economic or physical might, might exploit the weak and the poor. But in the days of the Mahabharata spiritual might has often been employed to physical and material ends.
It should be noted that the children by Dirghatama’s first wife Pradweshi included the great saint and philosopher Gautama who was perhaps the author of the Nyaya system.Dirghatama’s children by the second sudra wife included the sage Kakshivan.

Mahabharata – 168
by
Sankar Mukherjee
and
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
    Aadivamsavatarana Parva

  Story of Dirghatama continued

Dirghatama was the son of Mamata. He was born blind.
 He was married to a woman and ironically enough it was the woman who was the bread earner for Dirghatama. She however one day told her
husband that she would not look after him -- her husband any more.
Dirghatama was blind. So it was difficult for him to earn and maintain his family. When his wife said that she would not look after him any more Dirghatama was broken hearted. Angrily he said to his wife-- I lay down from this day a rule that every woman shall have to follow. A woman can have only one husband. And he will be the all in all for that woman. She must not have any extra marital relation. In case her husband dies she cannot marry again. And she who has extra marital affair shall certainly be regarded as fallen. And even if she inherits wealth from her deceased husband she shall not be able to enjoy that wealth. Hearing these words of Dirghatama, his wife commanded her sons in rage-- Throw him into the river Ganga!
The episode is very significant.  Dirghatama’s curse shows that earlier women could co habit with males other than their husband. And of course widow marriage was there. But Dirghatama made them illegal. Even though widow marriage is legitimate now a days, thanks to Vidyasagara of Bengal in the nineteenth century and thanks to British legislation, widow marriage is not as yet acknowledged among the masses of India.
It is left for a few rich women who belong to the elite class. May be the law makers who came after Dirghatama emphasized that the husband is the only god for woman. With the English poet John Milton the husband was the god for the wife and God the Father was the god of the
husband. Such a decree is not invariably pleasant for the woman kind.
But our Indian women, who are not that enlightened do believe that husbands are the gods with them and Dirghatama’s legislation is still in vogue. Though the judiciary might not stand in the way of extramarital affairs among adults, thanks to the late verdict of the Supreme Court, the common people look upon the participants in extra marital affairs as fallen. They are looked down upon  by the society of ours or the society of the reactionary and the unenlightened. Any average woman would protest against Dirghatama’s ruling and no wonder that Dirghatama’s wife was afire with anger. And she at once commanded her children to throw Dirghatama her husband into the waters. But be that as it may, let women and feminism grumble, the patriarchal system to which Dirghatama put the coping stone still continues in India.

Mahabharata – 167

by

Sankar Mukherjee

and

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                       Aadivamsavatarana Parva

Story of Dirghatama continued

Dirghatama is said to be a very learned and powerful sage. He is famed to have composed quite a few hyms of the Vedas.He was blinded in the mother’s womb itself by the curse of  the great Jupiter or Vrihaspati who was the preceptor of the gods. If we call up the episode we get a glimpse of the status of women in the Mahabharata. Mamata, the mother of Dirghatama was the wife of Utathya. Vrihaspati was the younger brother of Utathya. And he wanted to cohabit with his elder sister in law. This shows that in ancient India younger brothers could have sexual access to their elder sister in law. And the consent of the women are not necessary in that context. Mamata was already carrying. So she was unwilling to mate with Vrihaspati. But Vrihaspati did not pay heed to her. There is no doubt that Bhisma had great prowess. But the way Bhisma forcibly carried away three women from the court of the king of the Kasi does not speak of the liberty of the women in those days. Bhisma at the time of carrying of the women did not take their consent. Swaymvara was an institution where a woman would choose her spouse. But Bhisma’s prowess put the institution out of joints. And Bhisma it is said was widely famous for his wisdom, knowledge and great character. In the light of the Mahabharata Bhisma could do no wrong. Similarly with us men in the world the gods are role models. And Vrihaspati the guru of the gods committed an incest in the light of modern thinking. He defied the wishes of her sister in law. Even the little child in the womb protested. But Vrihaspati, the heartless, cursed the child yet to be born and paid no heed to the child’s entreaties. And ironically enough it has been pointed out in the Mahabharata that Vrihaspati was in control of his desires. So are the sages in the Mahabharata. They were in control of their desires. But ironically enough they did not fail to enjoy any woman who came by them. Thus it seems that free sex was allowed for those who were in power during the Mahabharata days. Whether the woman had consent to that was out of question. The Mahabharata over and over again praises the control of desire for the betterment of the self. In the context of the life style of the sages we wonder whether the control of desire is at all necessary for one’s spiritual uplift. In our perusal of the Mahabharata we have seen women more concerned with the continuation of the lineage of their spouses. So even if one becomes a widow and without a child one had better go to the male of the upper caste for getting a child. And Bhisma tells us how the Kshatriya clan was revived with the seeds of the brahmins. This suggests that sexual union does not necessarily imply love between the participants in the activity of the sexual union. Does it not mean that sexual union could be enacted for a purpose and the question of mutual love does not arise there. If the wife of a person mates with another person the child there of will belong to the husband of the aforesaid wife. In fact begetting a child with the aid of a woman was all that the Mahabharata looked forward to.Even the women were tuned to this outlook. So it mattered little if a woman was abandoned by his mate after she was impregnated.There has been seldom the wife’s  lament for the absence of her husband once she is carrying.Did the poet of the Mahabharata give space to the laments of Manasa when her husband Jaratkaru left her. Curiously enough we have seen children in the womb speak audibly to the common run of men in the Mahabharata days. We have seen Chyavan in the womb coming out untimely to destroy the ogre who sought to carry off his mother. This is not all. The child in the womb as per the Mahabharata could study the Vedas even while in the womb. Well Julia Kristeva posits that a child might develop the potential to learn language even in the womb. Be that as it may, we must read the Mahabharata in the light of the rules set down by the society of the text or by the society forged by the Mahabharata. It matters little whether the society of the Mahabharata saw eye to eye with the then society or not. And hereby it could be pointed out that modern political thought states that earlier one tribe used to fight another and often the victorious among them would own the women that belong to the vanquished tribe. One might find this force theory in some shape in the Mahabharata. When the kshatriyas were killed all over the globe the brahmins mated with the kshatriya women and the latter brought forth children. But the children did not belong to the brahmins.They became kshatriyas as per their mother’s caste. This is a striking point on which we had better deliberate.     

Mahabharata – 166

by

Sankar Mukherjee

and

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                       Aadivamsavatarana Parva

Story of Dirghatama

In this context there is another old story that Bhisma narrated to Satyavati.

In the past there was a wise sage named Utathya. He had a wife  named Mamata whom he dearly loved.

One day Utathya's younger brother Vrihaspati, the priest of the gods, of great spirit  showed up to  Mamata. Mamata however, told Vrihaspati, the great orator, younger brother of her husband  that she had already conceived by  his elder brother. And , therefore, he should control his wishes. She said—‘Oh illustrious Vrihaspati! the child that I have conceived has been studying  in my womb the Vedas with its branches. Your seed also will never ever go in vain. So how can then this womb of mine accommodate two children at a time? Therefore, do not  seek for the  fulfillment of  your desire at such a time. Despite the fact that Mamata said no to Vrihaspati’s wishes  Vrihaspati of great wisdom, was not able to succeed  in suppressing his desire.Out of manhood  he attempted to cohabit with that unwilling lady’.

Then the child in the womb  addressed him-- Oh Paternal uncle! Abstain from your lustrous attempt. There is no space here for two of us. As I have occupied it first & since your seed also never goes in vain, therefore refrain from afflicting me. But Vrihaspati without listening to what that child in the womb said, embraced Mamata of most beautiful pair of eyes for sex. And the child in the womb closed the passage of the seed with his feet during the time of its release. And the seed instead of getting its entry into the womb dropped down into the outside. And the great Vrihaspati, seeing this, became angry and reproached Utathya's child and cursed him, saying –“You uttered hard word  to me at a time of pleasure which is sought after by all creatures.So you will be blind for long time”. And due to this curse of the great Vrishaspati Utathya's child who was equal to Vrihaspati in spirit, was born blind and was known to be  Dirghatama. The learned  Dirghatama, well versed in Vedas, though born blind, succeeded  by his virtue in obtaining  a young wife  and handsome Brahmana maiden by the name of Pradweshi. And having married her, the illustrious Dirghatama, for the expansion of Utathya's race, begot upon her several children --Gautama & others. 

The virtuous Dirghatama master of the Vedas, learnt from Surabhi's son the practices of their order. Being believer of the practise, fearlessly preached those practices, with reverence. Then the other dwellers of the same ashrama, seeing him transgress the bounds of  prudence, became annoyed. And they said,  Oh, this man has crossed the limit of good manners. No longer  he deserve a place amongst us. He is a rogue. So they turned him out from the ashrama. And his wife, too, having obtained children, maligned him.

Then Dirghatama addressing Pradweshi  said --Why are you indifferent to me? Pradweshi  replied --The husband is called the Bhartra because he supports the wife. He is also called Pati because he protects her, It is I who have supported you and your children. Presently I am tired of it. I shall not do so in future.

Hearing these words of Pradweshi, Dirghatama became annoyed and said to Pradweshi and her children -- Take me to any Kshatriya and you shall then be rich. Pradweshi replied-- Oh Brahman! I am not interested in the wealth that may be procured by you. For that can never bring happiness. Do as you like. I shall not be able to maintain you as before.

Mahabharata – 165

by

Sankar Mukherjee

and

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                       Aadivamsavatarana Parva

Story of Parashuram

Bhisma continued—

In the past ,there was a great sage named  Jamadagni.He was killed by the great emperor & warrior  Kartaviryaarjuna. Rama, the son of Jamadagni slew the king Kartaviryaarjuna with his axe. Rama, cut off the thousand arms of Kartaviryaarjuna. Thus he achieved a most difficult feat of virtue in the world. Again he set out on his chariot  taking up his bow in his hand for the conquest of the world. And he threw his mighty weapons to erase the Kshatriyas from the face of the earth. And the great Parashuram by means of his sharp arrows annihilated the Kshatriyas all over the globe twenty one  times. And when the earth was thus deprived of Kshatriyas,the Kshatriya ladies  raised offspring by Brahmanas skilled in the Vedas. It has been said in the Vedas that the sons so raised belonged to one that had married the mother. And the Kshatriya ladies went to the Brahamanas not lustfully but impelled by the requirement of virtue. Indeed, it was thus that the Kshatriya race was revived.

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.

Mahabharata – 163

by

Sankar Mukherjee

and

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                       Aadivamsavatarana Parva

Marriage of Vichitravirya & his death

Conversant with the doctrine of virtue, the son of Santanu, Bhisma having achieved an extraordinary feat by defeating countless kings all alone began to make preparations for his brother's wedding in consultation with his step mother Satyavati.And when everything about the wedding had been settled  the eldest daughter of the king of Kasi, with a soft smile, told him -- In the past at heart I have chosen  the king  Salva as my husband. He also accepted me as his wife. This was also approved by my father At the Swyamvara.

Knowing all this, do as you like as you are conversant with all the doctrines of virtue.

Thus addressed by that maiden in the presence of the Brahmanas, the great Bhisma thought to himself as to what should be done. But he consulted with the  Brahmanas the master of  the Vedas, and allowed Amba, the eldest daughter of the ruler of Kasi to go to the king Salva.

But he bestowed with due rites the two other daughters of Kasi raja, Ambika and Ambalika on his younger brother Vichitravirya. Vichitravirya was pious and self disciplined. But being  proud of youth and beauty, he soon became lustful after his marriage. And both Ambika and Ambalika were of  beautiful  complexion.Their heads were covered with black curly hair, and their finger-nails were high and red.Their hips were fat and round, and their breasts were full and deep.They were bedecked with every auspicious mark. The amiable young ladies considered themselves very lucky having a husband like Vichitravirya. They loved and respected Vichitravirya. And Vichitravirya of great prowess & celestial beauty like  the twin Aswins, stole the heart of the beautiful women.

And the prince passed seven years in the company of his wives. He was then attacked with tuberculosis while in his prime of youth because of his extravagant married life. Friends and relatives tried to cure him. But in spite of all their efforts, the Kuru prince died, like the setting sun. The righteous Bhisma then jumped into deep anxiety and grief.In consultation with the priests & the chief of the Kurus & the mother Satyavati he performed the burial rites of the deceased king Vichitravirya.

Mahabharata – 162
by
Sankar Mukherjee
and
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya

     Aadivamsavatarana Parva

 Fight between Bhisma & contending kings

The king of Kasi had three beautiful daughters in Amba, Ambika & Ambalika. To get them married the King of Kasi invited the prospective bride grooms at a meet. And the kings & princes  from all over the globe assembled. There each of the three princesses would choose her life partner. The venerable Bhisma of the Kuru race also turned up there to get his step brother married to the three princesses of Kasi.
While all other kings & princes were waiting to see whom the  three girls would choose as their life partners Bhisma unceremoniously lifted up the beautiful maids & planted them on his chariot.He boldly said that he would carry off the three maids to Hastinapur the capital of the Kurus to get them married to his step brother. If the kings & the princes present opposed his wishes they were at liberty to fight him & rescue the three women.
The challenged kings then all stood up in great rage & hurry. They cast off their ornaments and put on their armor. Their armor and ornaments dazzled with their agitated steps. The charioteers soon brought handsome chariots with fine horses & sharp weapons for
fighting. Then those splendid warriors,equipped with all kinds of weapons, rode those chariots, and with uplifted weapons pursued on his way to Hastinapur. Then a terrible fight between those innumerable kings on one side and Bhisma alone on the other side took place. And the assembled kings threw ten thousand arrows at a same time at Bhisma. Bhishma, however  checked those innumerable arrows presently with a shower of  arrows before they could reach him. Then those kings surrounded him from all corners and rained arrows on him like masses of clouds showering on a mountain. But Bhisma, arrested with his arrows the course of that arrowy  downpour. Bhisma pierced each of the kings with three arrows. Then the kings, in their turn pierced Bhisma, each with five arrows. But Bhishma checked those by his prowess and pierced each of the kings with two arrows. The combat was so fierce that it looked like the encounter between the celestials and the demons. Eye witnesses and men of courage who took no part in it were struck with fear even to look at the scene. Bhisma cut off, with his
arrows, on the field of battle, bows, and flagstaffs, armor & human heads by hundreds and thousands. His enemies, began to praise him loudly because of his terrible prowess and extraordinary lightness of hand and the skill with which he protected himself. Then that foremost of the warriors having defeated in the battle all those kings, made his way towards  Hastinapura taking those maidens with him.

 Fight between Salva & Bhisma
It was then, the mighty chariot-warrior, king Salva of great prowess, followed Bhisma from behind and called Bhisma, the son of Santanu, for fight. And desirous of obtaining the maidens, he came upon Bhisma like a mighty leader of a herd of elephants rushing upon another of his kind, and tearing with his tusks the latter's hips at the sight of a female elephant. And Salva of mighty arms, moved by anger  said to Bhisma – ‘Stay, Stay’.
Then Bhisma, the great chariot warrior  provoked by those words, flamed up in rage. Like a blazing fire. He took the bow in hand with arrow. He stayed in the chariot itself as per the rules of war in those days. He turned the chariot in the direction of the enemy. All the kings seeing Bhisma stop, stood there to become spectators of the coming encounter between him and Salva. The two then began to exhibit their prowess on each other like roaring bulls of great strength at the sight of a cow. Then the foremost of men, king Salva covered Bhisma, the son of Santanu with hundreds and thousands of arrows. And the kings seeing Salva thus covering Bhisma at the outset with innumerable arrows, were awestruck. They   cheered king Salva. Seeing his lightness of hand in encounter, the crowd of royal spectators became very glad. Bhisma, then, on hearing those shouts of the Kshatriyas, became very angry and said, Stay, Stay. He commanded his charioteer in rage -- Lead my chariot to where Salva is, so
that I may kill him right now just as Garuda slays a serpent.
Instantly he fixed his Varuna arrow on his bow & shot. The four horses of Salva were injured. And then he  killed Salva's charioteer. Then great Bhisma, the son of Santanu, fighting for the sake of those maidens, slew with the Aindra weapon the horses of king Salva. He then defeated that mighty king but left him with his life. Salva, after his defeat, returned to his kingdom and continued to rule it righteously.
And the other kings also, who had come to witness, the Swayamvara returned to their own kingdoms. Bhisma, after defeating those kings, set out with those maidens, for Hastinapura. The foremost of the warriors Bhisma many went past forests, rivers, hills, and woods & brought the daughters of the king of Kasi to Hastinapur. He tenderly treated the maidens on the way. They were like his younger sisters or like  daughters in law as it were. And Bhisma of mighty arms, urged by the desire of getting his brother, married to  the maidens of celestial
beauty with every accomplishment was alight with great expectations.
 At Hastinapura the virtuous prince Vichitravirya ruled the earth like that best of the kings his father Santanu.

Mahabharata – 161
by
Sankar Mukherjee
and Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
  Aadivamsavatarana Parva
        Bhisma reached Kasi
Bhisma the son of Ganga was a great warrior who learned the art of war from Parashuram.He was fierce in his vows. Hence he was called Bhisma. He considered that his step brother Vichitrivirya should get married. With the consent of his step mother Satyavati he rushed to Varanasi.
There at Varanasi a swaymvara was to be held by the king of Varanasi or Kasi. Bhisma would go there as the deputy of his younger step brother.There he should be chosen on behalf of his brother as the bride groom by the three princesses of the king of Varanasi.
There at the court of Varanasi, Bhisma, the son of Santanu, saw that the kings from all the countries far & wide had assembled from all directions. And there he also saw those three maidens that would select their husbands from the assembly of the kings. And when the assembled kings were each being introduced by name, the maidens seeing Bhisma old & alone moved away from him.The assembled kings laughed at Bhisma. Because Bhisma was already very old. His hair were grey. His skin was wrinkled. He had earlier taken the vow of celibacy. Now that he had come for the hands of the daughters of the king of Kasi,he proved himself a liar.  On hearing these Bhisma was greatly annoyed.
He smiled on the other side of the face.
He was then aburning with his prowess. In a deep voice that likened the roar of the thundering clouds, he addressed the assembly of the
kings & said -- Oh kings!
1)Many people invite an accomplished  bride groom & give away their daughter to him properly decked as per their capacity. They also give dowry to the bride groom. This kind of marriage might see eye to eye with what Dushmanta calls Brahma marriage.
2)Other people bestow two cows along with their daughter on the bride groom, who is commonly a sage. This is Arsha marriage.
3)Some others give away their daughters in exchange of certain amount of wealth.This is asura marriage.
4)Some wed with the consent of the maidens.This is gandharva marriage. It takes place in camera without the consent of the parents
or of the society. Dushmanta opines that this kind of marriage is ideal for the kshatriyas.But Bhisma is of a different opinion.
5) Some others again carry off the maidens by force.
This could be of two types with us. Firstly while exerting force the maiden would not mind even if her lover had killed all her kins. This is rakshasa marriage. Dushmanta approves of this marriage as fit for kshatriyas. The kind of marriage is still found among the Uzbeks & Kazakhs according to Wikipedia. But when the bride is looted by the bride groom she might not condescend to what the bride groom does.
This is  paishacha marriage. It seems that Bhisma at Kasi staged a kind of paishacha marriage.
6)Some others again unite with maidens when the latter are not on their guard.This seems to be a kind of paishacha marriage.
7)Other people engaged in fire sacrifice  receive maidens as their wives.This seems to be arsha marriage.
8)And some go to the maiden’s parents and obtain their sanction & get married. In that case it is decreed that they should lead a conjugal life according to dharma. This is Prajapatya marriage.
But according to Bhisma the kshatriyas praise the swaymvara. Because the maiden who is possessed after over powering the rivals in war is the ideal bride for the kshatriyas.
Oh kings! I am prepared for a battle with you.
Saying thus he lifted the three maidens by force & seated them on his chariot.
Earlier we heard Dushmanta dwelling on the different types of marriage. Marriage is a social institution where two or more men & women join in sexual relation with the approval of the society & the relation should be lasting. There the rights & duties of both man &
woman are acknowledged.
Of these, the learned always recommend the eighth form of marriage.
Kings, however, speak highly of the Swyamvara  and themselves wed
according to it.Swyamvara is a custom of ancient India where the princess would garland the bride groom of her choice among a number of suitors.But Bhisma says that the maidens could be looted by force when a Swyamvara is taking place even against the will of the bride or brides. Is it not marriage paisachika style.
But Bhisma continued in his speech that the  righteous say that, the wife  taken away by force, after defeating the  opponents, in the presence of princes and kings invited to a self-choice ceremony for women or Swayamvara is the best type of marriage for kshatriyas.
Therefore, you kings, I take away these maidens by force. Fight to the best  of your might, to defeat me. You  kings, I stand here resolved to fight!
This episode decked with Bhisma’s discourse on marriage reminds one of Dushmanta’s exhortations on marriage & gives us a vivid picture as to the status of a women in the world of the Mahabharata. In Swyamvara the bride might select her husband from an assembly of the suitors. It speaks of the liberty of a woman to choose her husband. But Swyamvara was not universally practiced. It was a custom only with the royal families. Besides Swyamvaras might be over ruled by the prowess of the heroes like Bhisma.Bhisma by force captured the three women Amba,Ambalika & Ambika. Whether they would agree to marry Vichitrivirya was out of question. So it seems that there was little freedom for women in case of marriage.True that love marriage such as gandhrava marriage was practiced.But in most cases women were purchased or bride grooms were purchased. No wonder that even after thousands of years since the days of the Mahabharata the dowry system lingers in India hanging heavy on the shoulders of the parents of a girl child. This is not all. Those who could not get their daughters married to a suitable bride groom might give away their daughters to their brahmin  priest. True that polygamy was not universal in India during the nineteenth century. But the practice of giving away the daughter to the priests might have given legitimacy to the notorious
kulina marriage, if any, of the nineteenth century Bengal.
More to it. We do not know what to say when sages co-habited with the celestial women such as apsaras or beautiful women when the latter came on their way.

Mahabharata – 160
by
Sankar Mukherjee
and
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
      Aadivamsavatarana Parva
    Chitrangada became the king
There was a great king whose name was Santanu. His first wife was the river Ganges.She came down the Himalayas that likened the matted hair of Lord Shiva.Santanu’s second wife Satyavati had a charmed  life. Santanu had two sons by Satyavati. They were Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. Santanu left the world for heaven when   Vichitravirya was still a child.
Bhisma, as per the wishes of Satyavati, installed Chitrangada of great prowess, on the throne. Presently Chitrangada defeated all the kings by his prowess. He considered no human being as his equal. He used to speak ill of  gods, demons & men always. Now there was a great
king of the gandhavas-- the tribe of celestial minstrels. He was the name sake of Chitrangada the king of the earth & the son of Santanu.Chitrangada the gandharva king challenged Chitrangada the king of the Hastinapura. Chitrangada the gandharva king wanted that there should be only one Chitrangada in the universe. Consequently a great war broke out  between the gandharva Chitrangada and Chitrangada the foremost king of the Kurus. There occurred a fierce combat at the battle field of Kurukshetra on the banks of the Saraswati. It lasted for three years. In that terrible encounter they fought fiercely with each other characterised by thick showers of weapons.The gandharva, who had greater skill in forging deception, killed the Kuru prince.
Having killed that first of men and oppressor of foes Chitrangada, the gandharva  Chitrangada ascended  heaven. When that tiger among men of great prowess Chitrangada was killed.
Vichitravirya his brother became the king.
Chitrangada the Kuru was killed in the battle field by Chitrangada the gandharva. Chitrangada the Kuru’s elder step brother Bhisma, the son of Santanu & Ganga conducted, all the funeral rites performed by Vichitravirya,the younger brother of the deceased Chitrangada.Then Bishma, the elder step brother of both Chitrangada & Vichitrivirya installed Vichitravirya, though a minor still, on the throne of the Kurus. And Vichitravirya, guided by the commands of Bhisma, who was conversant with all the rules of religion and law,ruled his ancestral kingdom. It goes without saying that Bhisma never went against the wishes of his step mother Satyavati.
Bhisma contemplates getting Vichitriya married.
When Bhisma saw that his brother, in his prime youth was very intelligent & competent to rule the kingdom,  Bhisma meditated on getting Vichitravirya married.
At this time Bhisma heard that the three daughters of the king of Kasi, would be married in Swayamvara at the same time.All the three princesses were paragons of beauty. Bhishma reached the Swayamvara at Kasi.

Mahabharata – 159

by

Sankar Mukherjee

and

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                       Aadivamsavatarana Parva

               The Mournful king recalled to happiness

Santanu was back home after his sojourn in the forest.And his illustrious son Devavrata noticed that his father Santanu the king passed his time in sorrowful meditation.

Devavrata seeing the condition of his father said -- All the prosperity is with you. All the kings obey you. Then why are you morose? Preoccupied in your own thoughts, you convey not a single word to me in reply. You are not going out on horse-back for a ride now a days. You look pale & skinny, having lost the joy of life. I wish to know what ails you. May I not try for its cure.

In reply Santanu said -- Whatever you said  is true, Oh my  son! True that I am sad. Let me tell you why. You are the only offspring of our race. You are always involved in manly sports of arms. But, human life is always uncertain. If any accident takes place the result is that we become sonless. Truly you are to me equal to a hundred sons. No doubt of it. I do not, therefore, wish to marry again. I only pray that prosperity may ever be with you so that our dynasty continues. The wise say that he who has one son has no son.

Sacrifices & the knowledge of the three Vedas give benefic result. It is true. All these, add to religious merit. But they do not, come up to a sixteenth part of the religious merit achieved through begetting a son. Indeed, in this respect, there is hardly any difference between men & the animals. Oh the son of Ganga! The son is for the welfare of the family. The Vedas are regarded as authoritative even by the gods. The Vedas contain numerous evidences in defence of what I say. You are a hero, always involved in the exercise of arms. Naturally it is possible that you may be killed in the battle field. If  so happens, what  will be the fate of our dynasty?

It is this thought that haunts me.

 Devavrata the great was very intelligent. He went to the old loyal minister of his father.He asked him about the cause of the king’s unhappiness.The grey haired minister took Devavrata in confidence & told him about the king’s affection for the fishermaid & the impediments on the way of the fulfilment of the desire of the king. Then Devavrata, accompanied by many Kshatriya chiefs, personally approached  the chief of the fishermen & asked for the hands of his daughter on behalf of the king his father. The chief of the fishermen received him with due respect & took him to his court. When the prince took his seat in the court, the chief, said to him --------O bull among men!, You are  the son of king Santanu. Foremost of the warriors,your power is great. You are the suitable support of the king. But I have something to tell you --

No one ever dared to refuse such honourable & desirable  marriage proposal. Even Indra would think twice before refusing such marriage proposals. Satyavati was born, from the seed of the great & virtuous king Uparichara.He is indeed, equal to you in royalty. He has spoken to me on many occasions of the virtues of your father and told me that, the king Santanu is alone  worthy of marrying Satyavati. Let me tell you that I have rejected the great sage Asita,who, too, had asked for Satyavati's hand for marriage. I have only one word to tell you, being the father of the bride, in regard to this marriage. I want that the son of Satyavati should inherit the throne.Consequently there might be a conflict between you & Satyavati’s child. And we know that there is no power on heaven & earth to stand in your way.

Devavrata,on hearing these words,of Dasaraj & moved by the desire of welfare of his father replied conviniently -- O foremost of the truthful men, Dasaraj, listen to my vow ! No one in the past or present or in the future,who will have the courage to take such a vow! I shall comply with your demand! The son that would be born of  Satyavati shall be our king.

Hearing this vow of Devavrata the chief of the fishermen the Dasaraja was over whelmed with joy. He said to  Gangeya or the son of the river Ganga -- Oh you the righteous soul! You are the support of king Santanu of immeasurable glory & would be the master of Satyavati, presently you are in a position to give her something in charity. But, Oh amiable one!, There is something else to be said. Oh you  devoted to truth!, Your promise indeed,  for the benefit of Satyavati amongst the other kings, has, been worthy of you. Oh you great prowess! I have no doubt that your promise will never be  violated by you. But I have misgivings in respect of your children that you may beget. The son of Ganga, devoted to truth, saw into the hesitation of the chief of the fishermen. Moved by the desire of welfare of his father, Devavrata replied -- Oh Chief of the fishermen! , listen to what I say in the presence of these assembled kings. I have already given away my right to the throne; I shall now settle the matter of my children. I shall pursue the vow of Brahmacharya  through out my life. If I die sonless, I shall yet attain the regions of perennial bliss in heaven!

On hearing these words of the son of Ganga, the chief of the fishermen was thrilled with emotion, & he replied—‘ I must bestow my daughter upon Santanu your father presently. The Apsaras, the gods & pitris began to pour down flowers from the heaven and exclaimed, --Devavrata will henceforth be known as Bhishma -- or one who has taken a very difficult vow. Bhishma then, to serve his father, said to the illustrious Satyavati-- Oh mother! Ascend the chariot, & let us go to our own house.

On arriving with Satyavati at Hastinapura,  Bhisma told Santanu everything as it had happened.

And the assembled kings, jointly and individually, praised the extraordinary act  of Bhisma & said – He is really Bhishma (the terrible)! And Santanu also, hearing  the extraordinary act of Bhisma, became highly pleased & conferred upon the high-souled Bhisma the boon of death at will. He said-- Death shall never come to you as long as you desire to live. Death shall approach you on your command. Knowing that Satyavati is the daughter of king Uparichara.(The chief of the fishermen only brought her up). Bhisma arranged the legal marriage of Satyavati with his father king Santanu. King Santanu settled his beautiful bride in his household. Soon after, an intelligent and heroic son of Santanu named Chitrangada was born to Satyavati. Santanu also begot Satyavati another son named Vichitravirya, who became a mighty bowman in times to come.

Mahabharata – 158

by

Sankar Mukherjee

and

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                       Aadivamsavatarana Parva

Santanu meets daughter of the fisherman

One day the king went to the woods on the bank of the Yamuna. And while the king was roaming there, he was drawn to a sweet scent coming from an unknown direction. And the king compelled by the desire of looking for the cause, he roamed here & there. And in course of his wandering, he saw a maiden of celestial beauty. The king seeing the deep eyed maiden asked her--Who are you ?  Whose daughter? What do you do here ? What is your name? Oh fair one!

 She replied -- May God bless you. I am the daughter of the chief of the  fishermen here. At his order, I am engaged in rowing passengers across this river in my boat for attaining religious merit. Seeing her beauty Santanu  desired her for his wife. And Santanu approached her father presently. The king solicited his consent for the marriage.

But the chief of the fishermen replied to the king --Oh king! As soon as my daughter was born, it was of course, understood that she should be bestowed upon a husband. But listen to the desire I have cherished all along in my heart. Oh you are truthful! If you desire to obtain this maiden as a legal wife, then you have to give me your word of honour. If you agree with my proposal I will of course bestow my daughter upon you truly, as I can never obtain a husband for her equal to you. On hearing chief of the fisher man’s  reply Santanu said ‘ Let me hear  what your desire is. I shall then say whether I would be able to grant it. If it is capable of being granted, I shall certainly grant it’.

The fisherman said -- ‘Oh king! what I ask  is this. The son born of this maiden shall be the crown prince. He will be the king after you. And none else you shall make your successor’.

On hearing this Santanu  felt no urge to  take such oath though the fire of lust burnt in him. The king with his broken heart returned to Hastinapura. All the way to the palace his head was full  of the fisherman's daughter.

Mahabharata – 157

by

Sankar Mukherjee

and

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                       Aadivamsavatarana Parva

Santanu meets Devavrata

The earthly name of Santanu's son, the Vasu born of Ganga, was Devavrata.He resembled Santanu in character & behaviour & in learning.He had great   knowledge of worldly & spiritual skill. His valour & energy were extraordinary. He became a mighty chariot-warrior.

One day, while pursuing a deer along the banks of the Ganges king Santanu observed that the river had become shallow. On observing the strange phenomenon Santanu wondered why the river was not flowing like as before. The king saw to his utter surprise that a handsome youth of great prowess, well-built, checked the flow of the river Ganga by his sharp celestial weapon. This youth was no other than Santanu's son Devavrata. But as Santanu had seen his son only once for a few moments after his birth,  he failed to recognise him. The youth, however, seeing Santanu, identified him as his father.But he did not disclose his identity to his father. He clouded the king's sight by his celestial powers of creating illusion and disappeared from the very sight of the king.

King Santanu, surprised much at what he saw thought that the youth might be his own son.Then he called Ganga & said ‘show how me my child if he lives with you’.

Ganga thus invoked, assumed a beautiful female form, and held the boy in her right arm & appeared before Santanu. As Ganga was decked with celestial ornaments & fine white clothes Santanu did not recognise her, although he had known her before. And Ganga said—‘Oh king! That eighth son whom you have begot on me some time before, is here.This child of yours is conversant with all the weapons, Oh king! Take him now. I have reared him with care. The boy is of superior intelligence. He has learned the entire Vedas with their branches from Vasishtha. He is skilled in all the weapons.He is a mighty bowman. And all the weapons that are known to the great Parashuram are known to this boy.And both the gods & the asuras adore him.He knows by heart whatever branches of learning are known to Sukracharya. And so he is the master of all those Sastras that are known to Vrihaspati. Oh king! take this your own heroic child given to me by you. He is conversant with the interpretation of all the treatises on the duties of a king’.

 Saying this Ganga disappeared fom the place. And the great fortunate king Santanu returned to his capital with his mighty son. Having reached his splendid city, Santanu called  all his family members. For the welfare of his kingdom he made his son Devavrata the crown prince.

Devavrata was exceedingly happy with the behaviour of his father & the other members of the royal family.All the subjects of the kingdom were also plunged in bliss in the presence of Devavrata the crown prince.The king lived happily with that son of his.

Thus the story reads like a fairy tale apparently ending in bliss.

Four years went by.

Mahabharata – 156

by

Sankar Mukherjee

and

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                       Aadivamsavatarana Parva

      Santanu the ideal king 

The virtues of the great & fortunate king Santanu of the Bharata race were countless. Indeed, it is this beautiful history that is the Mahabharata. His neck was, like a conch-shell, his shoulders were broad, & his prowess likened that of an elephant mad for action. It would seem that all the auspicious signs of royalty were present in him.The king Santanu, the most respected by  the gods & royal sages, was known in all the worlds for his intelligence, virtues, & truthfulness The qualities of self-control, liberality, forgiveness,wisdom , modesty, patience & great energy found their home in the figure of Santanu.He was  conversant with both religion and profit.

The king was the protector of the Bharata race & all human beings. His subjects, seeing him learnt that virtue is ever superior to pleasure and profit.

And truly there was never a king like Santanu. All the kings on the earth, considered Santanu the King of kings because of his attributes. During his reign they were without woe and fear and anxiety of any kind. And they all slept in peace, rising from bed every morning after happy dreams. And when the earth was ruled by Santanu the religious merits of each order increased greatly. And Santanu residing in Hastinapura, the beautiful capital of the Kurus, ruled the whole earth surrounded by the seas by compassion. The kingdom & the subjects were devoid of desire & anger. Santanu extended equal protection to all the creatures. Then sacrifices of animals in the honour of the gods, the rishis, and the pitris took place. But,otherwise no creature was deprived of life sinfully. And Santanu was the king and father of all of those that were poor & had no protectors. He protected every creature like  birds, beasts & so on. His subjects were truthful & the minds of the people were directed towards salvation and virtue. And Santanu, having enjoyed domestic life for long retired from the world.  The last thirty six years of his life were spent in the woods.

The Mahabharata over and over again dwells on what a model king should be like. There are two schools of thought in idealism & realism. Idealism is other worldly. The brahmins keen on attaining other worldly happiness renounce the worldly life & pursue the path of penance in the woods, may be at the ashramas.But the other castes such as the kshatriyas the vaishyas & the sudras however do not renounce the world.They are very much involved in the matrix of worldly life.Thus they are practical & realists. But at heart they cultivate the values that could lift them to a different plane of life & thoughts. Thus there is a clear distinction between the cult of the brahmins & the cult of the other castes. The king rules the brahmins as well as the other castes.The function of the king is to protect each caste.The brahmin seeks to have the conversation with the divinity that lurks behind the show of things.The vaisyas are catalysts in increasing the wealth of the society.The sudras see to that all the castes could pursue their objects with their help.And the function of the king or the kshatriyas is to protect every one in the state so that every one can pursue their economic activities or the quest for other worldly truth in accordance with their a priori inclination.And once one’s a priori inclination is given space for efflorescence one is happy.So Santanus rule made all the people happy.It goes without saying that he could not make others happy unless he would become happy in looking after the people to help the latter in fulfilling their hopes & ambitions.But Santanu went beyond that He saw to the protection of the plants & animal world.This is possible only for a person who loves all things both great & small.This serves as a contradiction to the attitude of the West.The eightenth century poet Alexander Pope posited the proper study of the mankind is man.This focus on man deprived the civilisation of its love for the world.The world is not peopled by man alone.Nature is very much there with its birds & beasts worms & insects seas & ponds hills & valleys & our king Santanu looked after their well being as well.And this is not all Aristotle pointed out that the state came into being to transform the life of men so that it is blithe with happiness.A beautiful lifemust be made possible.The state has four constituent element in land people government & sovreignty. The king is the government & enjoys the sovreign power of the state.He is the leader.His subjects will follow him.They will not only obey the rules imposed by him.They will imitate his ways of life & thought process.Santanus thought process was devoid of greed & anger.A true kshatriya he is happy when his subjects as well as the Nature surveyed by him are happy.And this is how he charged his followers & subjects with  altruism.And Santanu was thus rajdharma animated  ----- the archetype of ideal king or government.