Mahabharata (English)

by Kisari Mohan Ganguli | 2,566,952 words | ISBN-10: 8121505933

The English translation of the Mahabharata is a large text describing ancient India. It is authored by Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa and contains the records of ancient humans. Also, it documents the fate of the Kauravas and the Pandavas family. Another part of the large contents, deal with many philosophical dialogues such as the goals of life. Book...

Section LXXXVIII

"Vaisampayana said, 'Alter this Indra again asked Yayati,

'You didst retire into the woods, O king, after accomplishing all your duties. O Yayati, son of Nahusha, I would ask you to whom you are equal in ascetic austerities.'

Yayati answered,

'O Vasava, I do not, in the matter of ascetic austerities, behold my equal among men, the celestials, the Gandharvas, and the great Rishis.'

Indra then said,

'O monarch, because you disregards those that are your superiors, your equals, and even your inferiors, without, in fact, knowing their real merits, your virtues have suffered diminution and you must fall from heaven.'

Yayati then said,

'O Sakra, if, indeed, my virtues have really sustained diminution and I must on that account fall down from heaven, I desire, O chief of the celestials, that I may at least fall among the virtuous and the honest.'

Indra replied,

'O king, you shall fall among those that are virtuous and wise, and you shall acquire also much renown. And after this experience of thine, O Yayati, never again disregard those that are your superiors or even your equals.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Upon this, Yayati fell from the region of the celestials. And as he was falling, he was beheld by that foremost of royal sages, viz., Ashtaka, the protector of his own religion.

Ashtaka beholding him, enquired,

'Who art you, O youth of a beauty equal to that of Indra, in splendour blazing as the fire, thus falling from on high? Art you that foremost of sky-ranging bodies—the sun—emerging from, dark masses of clouds?

Beholding you falling from the solar course, possessed of immeasurable energy and the splendour of fire or the sun, every one is curious as to what it is that is so falling, and is, besides, deprived of consciousness!

Beholding you in the path of the celestials, possessed of energy like that of Sakra, or Surya, or Vishnu, we have approached you to ascertain the truth.

If you have first asked us who we were, we would never have been guilty of the incivility of asking you first. We now ask you who you are and why you approachest hither. Let your fears be dispelled; let your woes and afflictions cease.

You are now in the presence of the virtuous and the wise. Even Sakra himself—the slayer of Vala—cannot here do you any injury.

O you of the prowess of the chief of the celestials, the wise and the virtuous are the support of their brethren in grief. Here there are none but the wise and virtuous like you assembled together. Therefore, stay you here in peace.

Fire alone has power to give heat.
The Earth alone has power to infuse life into the seed.
The sun alone has power to illuminate everything.

So the guest alone has power to command the virtuous and the wise.'"

Conclusion:

This concludes Section LXXXVIII of Book 1 (Adi Parva) of the Mahabharata, of which an English translation is presented on this page. This book is famous as one of the Itihasa, similair in content to the eighteen Puranas. Book 1 is one of the eighteen books comprising roughly 100,000 Sanskrit metrical verses.

FAQ (frequently asked questions):

Which keywords occur in Section LXXXVIII of Book 1 of the Mahabharata?

The most relevant definitions are: Yayati, Indra, Sakra, Vaisampayana, Ashtaka, Nahusha; since these occur the most in Book 1, Section LXXXVIII. There are a total of 12 unique keywords found in this section mentioned 24 times.

What is the name of the Parva containing Section LXXXVIII of Book 1?

Section LXXXVIII is part of the Sambhava Parva which itself is a sub-section of Book 1 (Adi Parva). The Sambhava Parva contains a total of 78 sections while Book 1 contains a total of 19 such Parvas.

Can I buy a print edition of Section LXXXVIII as contained in Book 1?

Yes! The print edition of the Mahabharata contains the English translation of Section LXXXVIII of Book 1 and can be bought on the main page. The author is Kisari Mohan Ganguli and the latest edition (including Section LXXXVIII) is from 2012.

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