'
221. Probably, the sense is this: If a Brahmana produced extraordinary
results by his penances, a portion of his penances was supposed to be
destroyed. The Rishis did not like that any portion of Agastya's penances
should be spent for completing his sacrifice.
222. It is difficult to resist the conviction that as much of this
section as relates to the mongoose is an interpolation. The Brahmanas
could not bear the idea of a sacrifice with such profusion of gifts, as
that of Yudhishthira, being censurable. Hence the invention about the
transformation of the mongoose. Truly speaking, the doctrine is noble of
the gift of a small quantity of barley made under the circumstances being
superior in point of merit to even a Horse-sacrifice performed by a king
with gifts in profusion made to the Brahmanas
The Mahabharata
of
Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa
BOOK 15
ASRAMAVASIKA PARVA
Translated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text
by
Kisari Mohan Ganguli
[1883-1896]
Scanned at sacred-texts.com, 2003. Proofed by John Bruno Hare.
SECTION I
(Asramavasa Parva)
OM! AFTER HAVING bowed down to Narayana, and Nara, the foremost of men,
and unto the goddess Saraswati also, must the word Jaya be uttered.
"Janamejaya said 'After having acquired their kingdom, how did my
grandsires, the high-souled Pandavas, conduct themselves towards the
high-souled king Dhritarashtra? How, indeed, did that king who had all
his counsellors and sons slain, who was without a refuge, and whose
affluence had disappeared, behave? How also did Gandhari of great fame
conduct herself? For how many years did my high-souled grandsires rule
the kingdom? It behoveth thee to tell me all this.
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