INDIAN MYTHOLOGY
Brahmadutta
was a seeker after true knowledge. Though a king, he was an asceticin mind. In
due course Narada showed him the path to enlightenment. He abdicated his throne
in favour of his son and left for the holy Badarikashram.
After
his grandson’s departure, Sukadev thought it high time for him to depart, too.
He retired to Kailash and left his body through continuous meditation.
Vyasa
hurried to Kailash when he heard of his dear son’s death. There he yearned to
get a glimpse of his great son, but in vain. Lord Siva appeared before him and
tried to console him. But when the Lord found the sage to be inconsolable, he
said, “The emanation of your son will always remain with you like your shadow.”
As
sage Suta narrated the story, the gathering of hermits in the forest, asked:
“What happened to Vyasa thereafter?”
Suta
said: “Vyasa had already sent away disciples. Now, his son too was gone.
Wandering, Vyasa at last reached his mother Satyavati, after he got to know her
where abouts from a hunter.
“As
you know, Satyavati had been married to King Shantanu. She had given birth to
two sons, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. Shantanu’s eldest son Bhishma was
under the oath not to become king himself. After Shantanu’s death Bhishma had
coronated his brother Chitrangada. Unfortunately, once on a hunting spree, the
young Chintrangada had a fight with a Gundharva that ended in his death.
“Bhishma
arranged for his other brother Vichitravirya to ascend the throne. It was then
that Vyasa arrived on the scene.
“Bhishma
decided to get his brother married. He heard that the King of Kashi had three
beautiful daughters. He therefore, proceeded to Kashi. The King had convened a
Swayamvara – an assembly of a nymber of eligible princes for his daughters to
choose from them their bridegrooms. Bhishma claimed all the three princesses for
his brother. The assembly of princes was up in arms against him. But all of
them together were n o match for Bhishma.
“Bhishma
returned to his palace. Mother Satyavati was happy to see the three princesses.
An auspicious moment for their marriage with Vichitravirya was fixed. But the
eldest of the three princesses, Amba, told Bhishma privately, ‘I had chosen the
King of Malva for my husband. He, too loves me. I should not marry anybody
else. It is your duty to take me to him.’
“Bhishma
was in a dilemma. He discussed the issue with Satyavati and his ministers. He
sent Amba to Malva.
Delighted
with the fulfilment of her wich, the prinvess told the King of Malva, “The
noble Bhishma, granting my request, has sent me to you. Please arrnage for our
marriage.”
“Malva’s
face fell. ‘How can that be possible?’ he asked with his head hung. ‘Bhishma
took you away forcibly from the assembly of princes. Now to marry you would
mean to become the object of Bhishma’s pity. That is humiliating for me. Better
go back to Bhishma.”
“Princess
Amba stood as if thunder-struck. She bewailed her fate and returned to Bhishma
and said, ‘It is because of you that Malva refused to marry me. Now you should
marry me yourself.”
‘But
that is impossible! I’m under an oath never to marry. I advise you to go back
to your parents,’ said Bhishma.
“But
Amba did not go back to her parents. Instead, she went to live in a forest. Her
two sisters, Ambika and Ambalika, married Vichitravirya.
“Vichitravirya
reigned happily for a while. He had an untimely death. There was, of course, no
problem in the smooth running of the kingdom. Bhishma, with the help of
Satyavati and Vyasa, ruled the kingdom.
“A
son was born to Ambika, but he was found to be blink. He was named Dhritarastra.
Ambalika gave birth to another son. In due course it was this second son,
called Pandu who ascended the throne.
The
hermits listening to Suta, interrupted him. “You said Vyasa was a son of
Satyavati. How was that prossible? Was Satyavati not married to Shantanu?” they
asked. Suta answered them: Once the kingdom of chedi was ruled by a young king.
He had received a wonder chariot from Indra, the king of gods. The Chedi king
loved to fly the chariot. He came to be popularly called Uparichara or the sky-wanderer.
One
day Uparichara and his wife Girika were in the chariot, enjoying the scenes of
the streams and mountains below, when Uparichara’s aged father, who lived a
retired life, rang the palace- bell alling them down.
For
a certain rite, I want a deer. But the deer has to be secured personally b y
you,” said the old father.
Uparichara
had to go into the forest immediately. He bagged a deer and entered a river for
a bath. He recalled how he had come away from Girika rather abruptly and felt
sad on that account. A she-fish saw his sad face. She was moved by sympathy.
The
king’s figure was reflected in both her eyes for a long time. As a result, grew
a boy and a girl in her womb. In fact, the she-fish was a nymph.
“How
did the nymph become a fish?” asked the hemits.
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