INDIA.

PART II.

HISTORY OF shed. But in a moment all was hushed. The authority of the Maharaja was paramount, and no one attempted to interpose when the Pándavas left the place at his command. But when they had fairly departed for their own city, Duryodhana remonstrated with his father warmly and effectually; and the arguments which he urged are precisely those which would be urged in the present day by a RájUnpardonable put Chieftain. The Pándavas had received such an affront that it was impossible they should either forgive or forget. They would be dishonoured for ever if they did not wipe out the insult with blood; and their revenge might prove fatal to the whole house of Bharata. There was no other way by which a deadly feud could be prevented than by one party or the other going into exile, whilst the other remained in possession of the entire Raj.

nature of the affront which had been put

upon the Pánda.

vas.

Impressive picture of the de

Pandavas and Draupadi on their exile..

The concluding scene always forms an impressive parture of the picture in the mind of the Hindú. All is lost, and the Pándavas are doomed to years of exile. Duhsásana is dancing with joy at the thought that the final game was won, whilst Bhíma is vowing to drink his blood. Yudhishthira and his four younger brothers are leaving the assembly, covering their faces with shame, whilst Bhíma is throwing out his long arms as expressive of his rage. But the terrible figure of Draupadí, as she dishevels her long black hair, is the very impersonation of revenge; and a Hindú audience never fails to shudder at her fearful vow, that the straggling tresses shall never again be tied up until the day when Bhíma shall have fulfilled his vow, and shall then bind them up whilst his fingers are still dripping with the blood of Duhsásana.

CHAPTER VIII.

SECOND EXILE OF THE PÁNDAVAS-THE TWELVE YEARS

IN THE JUNGLE.

INDIA. PART II.

THE tradition of the second exile of the Pán- HISTORY OF davas is naturally separated into two portions, namely:

Tradition of the twelve years of

1st, The wanderings in the jungle during twelve jungle life, to be

years.

distinguished from the fiction of the thirteenth

2nd, The concealment in a city during the thir- year of city life. teenth year.

These two narratives are widely distinct in their origin and character. The story of the twelve years' wanderings in the jungle comprises some incidents which are based upon authentic tradition; but the legend of the concealment in a city during the thirteenth year, so far as the Pándavas are concerned, is a palpable fiction. These points will be fully proved and elucidated hereafter; but for the present it will be convenient to bear in mind the broad distinction.

twelve years of

ginally twelve

that the thirteenth year was

Besides this distinction, it should also be noticed Theory that the that there are certain indications in the story of the exile were oritwelve years' wanderings which lead directly to the months, and inference that the period of exile was not twelve an intercalary years but twelve months. The incidents of jungle life which can be referred to the authentic tradition year. are but few in number, and might easily have

month introduced to complete the solar

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PART II.

HISTORY OF Occurred within the space of a single year. On the other hand, the story is very largely interpolated with mythical details and legends, which are so wildly supernatural in their character, that they may be safely treated as later interpolations. Accordingly, it follows that either the term of twelve years has been adopted for the purpose of affording sufficient time for the transactions to have taken place which are recorded in the myths; or that the myths have been introduced for the purpose of filling up the more lengthened period of exile. The hypothesis that the narrative of the thirteenth year is a later fiction confirms this view. The exile for twelve lunar months would not be equal to a solar year; and, therefore, it seems likely that this fiction of a thirteenth year originated in the idea that thirteen lunar months were necessary to the completion of a solar year.

Legendary sketch of the

davas in the

jungle.

.

The details of the legend of the twelve years' exile are thus divisible into two classes, viz.—

it

1st, The Mythic.

2nd, The Authentic.

But before attempting to carry out this division, may be as well to glance at the general character of the legend; and this may, perhaps, be best gathered from the following narrative :—

And it came to pass that the Pándavas, with their wife life of the Pan- Draupadí, and their priest Dhaumya, wandered in the jungle for twelve years, and they fed on such game as the Pilgrimages to brethren shot on their way. And they made many pilgrimages to holy places, and fasted, and bathed, and performed religious worship; and they met with many holy Instructions of Brahmans and sages who instructed them in pious acts, and beguiled them with stories of ancient times, and

holy places.

Brahman sages.

INDIA. PART II.

Changes in

Occasional tempests.

promised them that the day should come when they should HISTORY OF be restored to the Raj. Sometimes they came to verdant places covered with flowers, where the trees were loaded with fruits, and many curious animals presented them- jungle scenery. selves; but at other times violent winds arose and blackened the sky with dust, and laid prostrate the largest trees, and then the rain would fall heavily, and the torrents would pour down from the mountains like rivers, and the roads would become so wretched that all the Pándavas, excepting Bhíma, would be unable to move, and the weary Draupadí would faint away; but then the giant Bhíma would carry his fatigued brethren and his afflicted wife upon his back and shoulders, and under his arms, and walk on as before.

portion of the twelve years' ex

ile.

the subject

The general character of the mythical portions 1st, Mythical of the legend of the exile is indicated in the fore- legend of the going paragraph; but in the present instance some more particular description is necessary, as the myths occupy a very large space in the Mahá Bhárata, and are not wholly devoid of historical significance. It has already been seen that in addi- Description of tion to the Brahmanical bearing of the Mahá matter. Bhárata, there is an underlying effort throughout the poem to ascribe a divine origin to the Pándavas, and to associate them with the gods of the Hindús. In the story of their birth it is plainly asserted that Pándu was not their real father, but that they were directly begotten by the gods; that Yudhishthira was the son of Dharma, that Bhíma was the son of Váyu, and that Arjuna was the son of Indra, whilst Nakula and Sahadeva were the sons of the two Aswins. Accordingly, in the legend of their twelve Introduced to years' wanderings, a number of additional myths Pandavas were have been inserted to confirm this relationship and ancient gods of association. These myths furnish a striking illustration of the wide difference between the mental

confirm the

the sons of the

the Hindús.

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PART II.

HISTORY OF culture of the European and that of the Hindús. To the former they must appear childish and unmeaning, but to the latter they are highly attractive, for they serve to amuse the dreamy and indolent intellect of the Hindú, whilst gratifying his religious instinct with the idea that he is storing up in his memory a rich stock of pious legends and divine mysteries.

Samples of the

myths.

Dialogue be

tween Yudhish

and

Dharma, or per

sonified good

ness.

tween Bhima

the

hero, who are

ical sons of Vayu or the wind.

now

A few samples of these extraordinary myths may be exhibited in a bare outline. On one occamythical father sion Yudhishthira was accosted by a divine being, who subsequently turned out to be his mythical father Dharma, or personified goodness. Dharma asked him a number of sphinx-like questions respecting human life and Bráhmanism, all of which were answered by Yudhishthira in a spirit of BrahInterview be manical wisdom. Bhíma in his turn met with and Hanuman, Hanuman, the monkey hero of the Rámáyana, who both the myth. Was mythically his own brother, as both were the sons of Váyu, or the wind. Bhíma, by virtue of his parentage, was proceeding along as swiftly as the wind; so that the earth trembled at his velocity, the largest trees were shaken to the ground, and one touch of his toe killed every lion, tiger, or wild elephant that sought to obstruct his passage. The shrinking and attention of Hanuman was attracted by these marvels, and he obtained an interview with his mythical brother, by shrinking himself to the size of the smallest ape, whilst swelling out his tail to such an enormous bulk that it effectually stopped the progress of Bhíma. Hanuman then related to Bhíma the whole story of the Rámáyana, and swelled out his body until it was as lofty as the Vindhya mountain, and shone with a yellow radiance like that of

Hanuman's

supernatural

swelling.