Canto IX - The Battle of the Mainā and the Heron

Vaśiṣṭha, enraged with Viśvāmitra for his cruelty to Hariścandra, cursed him to become a heron, and Viśvāmitra cursed Vaśiṣṭha to become a mainā—Both Munis as gigantic birds have a terrible fight, and are at length pacified by Brahmā.

The birds spoke:

When Hariścandra had left his kingdom and had gone to the abode of the thirty gods, there came out from his residence in the water the glorious family priest, Vaśiṣṭha, the Muni, who dwelt at the Ganges, at the end of twelve years; and he heard the whole of the deeds of Viśvāmitra, and also the downfall of the noble-dealing king Hariścandra, and his association with the caṇḍāla, and his sale of his wife and son. That most illustrious Muni having heard the story, being full of affection for the king, grew wrathful in his dignity against the Ṛṣi Viśvāmitra.

Vaśiṣṭha spoke:

“It was Viśvāmitra who destroyed my hundred sons; yet on that occasion I was not so wroth as I am this day, on hearing that this king, who was high-souled, eminent, worshipful towards the gods and brāhmans, had been ousted from his kingdom. Since that king, truthful, tranquil, devoid of envy even towards an enemy, faultless also, upright in soul, vigilant, a relier on me, has been reduced to the last extremity together with his wife dependants and son, has been expelled from his kingdom by Viśvāmitra, and has been greatly worsted, therefore that impious brāhman-hater, uprooted from among the wise, blasted by my curse, the fool, shall be turned into a heron.”^[1]

The birds spoke:

Hearing the curse, the glorious Viśvāmitra likewise, Kuśika’s descendant, inflicted the counter-curse, “Do thou also become a mainā.”^[2] Both those most illustrious sages were transformed into birds through their mutual curses, the glorious Vaśiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra, Kuśika’s descendant.

Both of them, boundless in might, allying themselves with other classes of beings, fought together, exceedingly exasperated, great in strength and prowess. The Mainā increased in size to two thousand yojanas; as the Heron, O brāhman, increased to three thousand and ninety. And then those two, of wide heroism, assailing each other with blows of their wings, created sore fear among the creatures. The Heron, his eyes swollen with blood, lifting his wings beat the Mainā; and he also, stretching out his neck, struck the Heron with his feet. Overthrown by the wind from their wings, mountains fell down on the earth; and struck by the downfall of the mountains the earth quaked; and the earth, as it quaked, caused the waters of the seas to swell up, and reeled over on one side, turning towards the descent to Pātāla. Living beings perished, some by the fall of the mountains, others by the waters of the seas, others through the quaking of the earth. Thus everything being terrified was turned into lamentation, bereft of consciousness; the world was greatly agitated, and its countries were thrown into confusion, people exclaiming “Ah, my child! ah my beloved child! come, here I am fixed”—“ah my darling wife!”—“my beloved husband!”—“this rock is falling, escape quickly.”

Then, when the world was thus distressed and averted in terror, surrounded by all the gods, advanced the fore-father, the lord of the universe, and replied to both those combatants who were violently enraged—“Let this your strife cease, and let the worlds recover their stability!” Although they heard the words of Brahmā, whose birth is inscrutable, yet both of them, filled with anger and fury still fought, and did not desist.

Thereupon the fore-father, the god, seeing the destruction of the worlds, and desiring the welfare of both of them, dissipated their brute-nature; and the god, the lord of creation, addressed them both, clothed in their former bodies, Vaśiṣṭha and the noble descendant of Kuśika, the state of darkness having been dispelled:—

“Stay thou, my beloved Vaśiṣṭha, and thou, most virtuous Kauśika, this contest that, while involved in the state of darkness, ye desire to carry on. This outcome of the Rājasūya sacrifice of king Hariścandra, and this war between you two, are causing the earth to waste away. Nor moreover does that best of the Kauśikas offend against that king, for since he has caused him to attain to Svarga, O brāhman! he occupies the position of a benefactor. Do ye both, the creators of obstacles to your austerities, who have fallen into subjection to lust and anger, cease; for worthy are your prayers, and ample is your power.”

Thus admonished by him, both then grew ashamed, and embracing lovingly forgave each other. Thereupon, hymned by the gods, Brahmā departed to his own world, and Vaśiṣṭha to his own place, and Kauśika also to his own hermitage.

Those mortals, who shall fittingly relate and who shall fittingly hear this battle of the Mainā and the Heron, and the story of Hariścandra, what they hear shall verily dispel their sins; nor shall they ever encounter antagonistic duties.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See note †, p. 58.

[2]:

See note *, p. 58.