Adi Parva
Chapter One
Maharaja Shantanu Marries the Celestial Ganga
According to the historical records of this earth, there once lived a King
named Maharaja Shantanu, the son of Pratipa, who took his birth in the
solar dynasty and was considered naradeva, the manifest representative of
the Supreme Lord on earth. His fame and rule extended to all parts of the
world. The qualities of self-control, liberality, forgiveness, intelligence,
modesty, patience and power always resided this exalted emperor. His neck
was marked with three lines like a conchshell, and his shoulders were broad.
In prowess He resembled a maddened elephant. Above all these qualities, he
was a devoted servant of Lord Vishnu, and therefore he was given the title,
"King of kings."
Once when Maharaja Shantanu, that bull among men, was wandering in the
forest, he came upon a place frequented by the Siddhas and Charanas (a class
of heavenly demigods). There he saw an angelic woman who appeared like the
goddess of fortune herself. In truth, she was the personification of the
river Ganges. She was glancing at the monarch with her youthful longing
eyes, and Maharaja Shantanu became attracted to her. He then approached her
inquiring, "O beautiful woman, are you from the race of the Gandharvas,
Apsaras, Yakshas, Nagas or the human race? As yet I have no queen, and your
birth appears divine. Whatever your origin, O celestial beauty, I request
you to become my wife."
The beautiful apsara (celestial maiden) then smilingly replied, "O King, I
shall become your wife and obey your commands, but there are certain
conditions. You should not interfere with my actions, whether agreeable or
disagreeable. Also you should never chastise me with harsh words. If you
assent to my request, I shall live with you." The King, infatuated with
love, agreed to her proposals.
Having taken the lovely Ganga for his wife, Maharaja Shantanu passed many
years in her association. She satisfied the King by her charm and
affection, as well as by her music and dance; and thus the King passed many
seasons unconscious of time. While enjoying himself in her company, he
conceived eight children by her that were equal in quality to the heavenly
gods. However, on the birth of each child, Ganga threw them into the river,
exclaiming, "This is for your good!" The King was not pleased with his
wife's conduct, but he dared not speak a chastising word, lest she leave his
company. However, when the eighth child was born, the King could not
tolerate the killing of another child and he spoke harshly, "Do not kill
this child! Why do you kill your own children? O murderess of your sons, the
reaction to such sin is very great!"
When reproached in these words, the celestial beauty replied, "I shall not
cast this child into the river, but according to our marriage agreement,
our relationship has ended. I am Ganga, the personification of the River
Ganges, and I am ever-worshipped by the great sages and common people. My
origin is the divine feet of Lord Vishnu. I have lived with you only to
accomplish the purpose of the demigods. The eight Vasus were cursed by
Vashistha Muni, and thus they have appeared on earth as a reaction to that
curse. They have pleaded wth me to free them from this bondage immediately
after their birth. I have lived with you long enough to fulfill my promise
to the Vasus. This last child is destined to live on earth for some time.
His name will be Devavrata, and he shall be famous as a lion among men."
Maharaja Shantanu then inquired from his wife, "What offense did the Vasu's
commit for which they were born on earth as human beings? Why, also, is
this last child destined to live on earth longer than the others? O Ganga,
my wife, please clarify this."
Being thus questioned by the King of the earth, Ganga replied to the
Monarch, "O best of the Bharata race, on Mount Meru there are many
picturesque forests. In one such wooded region lives a renowned sage named
Vashistha Muni. He is adept in the practice of austerity and meditation.
With the help of his Kamadhenu cow, he performs sacrifices to please the
Supreme Being. One day, the eight Vasus headed by Prithu came to that
forest. Roaming about with their wives, the Vasus entered the hermitage of
Vashistha Muni. At that time they spotted the celestial cow named Nandini.
One of the Vasus, whose name was Dyu,then informed his wife, §This cow
belongs to the eminent sage Vashistha, and it is said that the mortal who
drinks the milk of this cow remains unchanged for ten thousand years.'
Turning to her husband she replied, §I have a very dear friend named
Jitavati who is the daughter of the sage Usinara. I wish to take this cow
and calf as a present for her.' When repeatedly petitioned by his beautiful
wife, Dyu, along with his brothers, abducted the Kamadhenu cow, forgetting
who was the actual owner.
That evening, when Vashistha returned to his hermitage, he could not find
his Kamadhenu cow or its calf. He began to search the forest, but nowhere
could they be found. By his mystic power, obtained by long years of
austerity, he then understood that the cow and its calf had been taken away
by the Vasus. When the sage's wrath was kindled, he cursed the Vasus,
§Because the Vasus have stolen my Kamadhenu cow, I curse them to be born on
earth as ordinary mortals.' The sage then returned to his practice of
ascetic meditation.
"When the Vasus heard of Vashistha's curse, they came to his hermitage to
pacify him. They praised him with amiable words and offered to return the
cow. However, they failed to obtain clemency from the great sage. The great
brahmana Vashistha, who is naturally kind to everyone, then compassionately
said, §This curse is the suitable punishment to rectify your enjoying
mentality. You will be freed from it shortly after your earthly birth.
However, your brother Dyu, who actually stole my cow, shall have to domicile
on earth for a long period of time. Dyu, though living on earth, shall not
marry and have children. He will, however, be a man of kingly virtue and
will know the essence of the holy scriptures. He will be an obedient
servitor to his father, but will have to live without female companionship.'
"The Vasus" Ganga continued, "then came to me and begged a benediction.
They asked that I cast them into the waters of the Ganges immediately upon
taking their birth. O best among kings, I have fulfilled their desire, but
this last child, Dyu, will have to reside on earth for some time to fulfill
the curse of Vashistha Muni." Having related the Vasus' history, Ganga
disappeared with the child, and the King returned to his palace with a
sorrowful heart.
Thus Ends the Mahabharata Summation to the First Chapter of the Adi Parva,
Entitled, Maharaja Shantanu Obtains the Celestial Ganga for His Wife.
Chapter Commentary
Maharaja Shantanu lived in the age of the Dvapara yuga, more than five
thousand years ago. He was a saintly King who cared about his citizens and
sought their welfare.Time passes through four ages; the first being the
Satya yuga which is compared to spring time. In this age persons have long
lives and are very much inclined toward meditation and austerity. The Treta
yuga is compared to the summer time. In this age people are very pious and
there are hardly any stringent miseries. The Dvapara age is like autumn
time. Material miseries become apparent and the principles of religion
decline. The age we are living in now is the age of kali, which is compared
to the winter season. Most people are not inclined toward spiritual life,
and because of this they suffer stringent material miseries. They commit
grossly sinful acts for which they suffer life after life. The history of
the earth, before the Kali age, is recorded in such Vedic literatures as the
Puranas, Mahabharata, and Ramayana. These divinely inspired literatures are
filled with histories of saintly emperors who protected their citizens,
endeavoring to elevate them to the platform of God realization. This
Mahabharata is a factual historical account of what happened on earth
thousands of years ago.
In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna told Arjuna, "In the beginning of
creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and
demigods, along with sacrifices for Vishnu, and blessed them by saying, §Be
thou happy by this yajna [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow
upon you all desirable things.'"(Bg.3.10) Advanced human society centered on
God realization has been existing since the beginning of creation. In fact,
the Puranas are historical records of civilizations more advanced than the
one today. The people and civilizations of this present age, Kali yuga, have
actually diminished in good qualities as confirmed in the Srimad Bhagavatam,
"O learned one, in this iron age of Kali men have but short lives. They are
quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed."
(S.B. 1.1.10) This is a quotation by Saunaka rishi to the sages of
Naimisharanya. We learn from Vedic history that thousands of years ago men
were more advanced in moral qualities and that civilizations were more
prosperous, materially and spiritually. This point will be discussed in
greater detail as this narration proceeds.
Since the historical past cannot be perceived by the gross senses, we have
to accept authorities who have knowledge of the past, present and future. In
the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna states, "From Me comes knowledge, remembrance
and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known. I am the compiler of
Vedanta and, indeed, I am the knower of the Vedas." (B.g. 15.15) Lord
Krishna is the Supreme Godhead and the Supreme Authority. Because He is God,
He knows everything about the past, present and future. What is written in
the Puranas is His account of the past. Therefore, if we accept His
statements as they are handed down in disciplic succession and understood by
the spiritual master, then we can have perfect knowledge of the past without
having to waste billions of dollars on mental speculation. This Mahabharata
is an emanation from that Supreme Being, and was compiled by Srila Vyasadeva
who was empowered for this exact purpose.
The disciplic succession is maintained by Lord Krishna so that perfect
knowledge is available at all times. The skeptics will say that it is
impossible not to make a mistake in handing down disciplic knowledge,
because of man's imperfection. However, a bona fide spiritual master does
not have the imperfection of mortal senses. How is this? Because a pure
devotee of God is being directed by the Lord in the heart, his senses become
as good as the Lord's. Pure devotees of God may differ in implementing God's
will according to time, place and circumstance, but the conclusion of the
teachings is the same. In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna states, "The
Supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession,
and the saintly kings received it in that way. But in the course of time the
succession was broken, and, therefore, the science as it is appears to be
lost." (B.g. 4.2) The disciplic succession was broken when Duryodhana became
king, and therefore Lord Krishna had to reestablish it by removing
Duryodhana and establishing Maharaja Yudhisthira as a saintly king, able to
carry on the disciplic succession. The Supreme Lord fulfills all desires. If
one wants perfect knowledge of God, the Lord will send his authorized
representative to teach him.
Sometimes we fantasize that we are more materially advanced than previous
civilizations, considering our archeological findings. We will learn from
the Mahabharata that human beings had superior intelligence and stronger
bodies in bygone ages. A man could capture knowledge just by hearing it once
and could recall it anytime during his life, verbatim. He didn't need
computers, printing presses or books, for just by hearing from teachers and
authorities once, he would remember it for the rest of his life. However,
today, we are not so fortunate. The brain cannot retain knowledge just by
hearing once. The knowledge needs to be repeated again and again. We need
computers and books to help us for we lack that power of remembrance. Oral
tradition is actually superior if the brain is superior.
In this first chapter of the Adi Parva, Ganga, the goddess of the river
Ganges, was married to Maharaja Shantanu to fulfill the curse of Vashistha
Muni. The children born of their marriage were destined to die after birth,
due to a sin that was performed in a previous life. Today, children are
killed in the womb for the same reason. If we kill, we will be killed. That
is the law of nature or karma. For sins committed in a previous life, we
suffer in this life. If a child is aborted in this life, that child killed
in a previous life. How do we stop abortion? We have to stop killing in this
life for which we will suffer in the next. For good works done in a previous
life, we prosper in this life. God is not so cruel as to allow some to enjoy
and others to suffer. The living being is the cause of his or her own
happiness and distress. This is confirmed by Lord Krishna in the thirteenth
chapter of Bhagavad-gita, "Nature is said to be the cause of all material
activities and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the
various sufferings and enjoyments in this world." (B.g. 13.21) When
suffering comes to us, we should understand that it is for our sins. We
should not blame others, but we should blame ourselves.
Chapter Two
Maharaja Shantanu and Devavrata
Many, many years passed, and Maharaja Shantanu had to learn to live in
separation from his wife and son. One day while chasing a deer along the
bank of the Ganges, the King noticed that the river had become shallow. He
had never seen this before, and he sought the cause. While searching along
the river bank, he spotted a handsome, powerful, and heroic youth. The boy
was releasing celestial weapons impeding the flow of the Ganges. This young
boy was Maharaja Shantanu's son, whom he had not seen since the boy was
born. However, the King could not recognize him as such because he had only
seen his son for a few moments after his birth. The youth, upon seeing his
father, knew him to be so and out of shyness disappeared from sight.
King Shantanu was struck with wonder and imagined that the youth might be
his own son. He then continued down the river bank, and there he saw Ganga
whom he had not seen in years. As he approached her, he saw the same boy
standing at her side. She then informed the king, "O best among kings, our
eighth child is standing next to me. His name is Devavrata. He has been
trained in the heavenly planets and has knowledge of all the celestial
weapons of warfare. Devavrata has been the student of Vashistha Muni, who
has taught our son the Vedas and their branches. O descendent of Bharata,
both the demigods and the demons look upon him with favor. Whatever
knowledge the sage Brihaspati has learned, this child has also learned, and
whatever weapons the powerful and great Parashurama possess, this boy also
possesses. Now that his training is complete, you may take Devavrata and
raise him as your own." Thus commanded by Ganga, Devavrata accompanied
Maharaja Shantanu to his capital city.
Maharaja Shantanu became attached to the boy who was endowed with all good
qualities. Devavrata also became attached to his father, and it was seen
that the two were always together. They talked together, walked together,
ate together, slept together, and hunted together. Indeed, they were almost
inseparable. Four years passed in this way.
One day, the King entered the forest along the bank of the Yamuna. While
roaming in that region, he perceived a sweet aroma coming from an unknown
direction. He followed the scent, and while wandering here and there, he
came across a woman of heavenly beauty. Her name was Satyavati, and she was
the daughter of a fisherman. He was pierced by the arrows of Cupid, and
desiring her for his wife, he inquired, "Who are you, and who is your
father? Also, please tell me what you are doing here." Replying to the King
she said, "My name is Satyavati, and I am the daughter of the fishermen
King. My father has engaged me in the pious activity of rowing passengers
across the river Yamuna."
Bewildered by the beauty and charm of this girl, the King approached the
fisherman and spoke to him of a proposed marriage. The fisherman replied,
"My daughter certainly could not find a more suitable husband than yourself.
However, you must fulfill my one desire. I wish that the son born of my
daughter be the next king of the world, and no one else can become your
successor."
When that great descendant of Bharata heard the terms for gaining
Satyavati, he felt no desire to grant such a benediction, and thus he
returned to his capital. While riding on his chariot, he constantly thought
of the beautiful fisherman's daughter. With a sorrowful heart, he entered
his palace and did not say a word to anyone, not even Devavrata. Upon seeing
his father's unhappiness, Devavrata approached him inquiring, "Please tell
me father why you are so unhappy? You have not spoken a word to me, nor have
you performed your daily duties. Please reveal the cause of your distress,
and I will find a cure for it."
When requested in these words, Maharaja Shantanu replied, "My dear son, I
am thinking of the instability of human life. If sudden death were to
overcome you, I would be without a son. You are like a hundred sons to me,
and I do not desire to ma...
JagadanandaPanditaDas