Page images
PDF
EPUB

INDIA. PART II.

dicated here. It is said that Pándu never had any HISTORY OF children, and that when he took the vows of celibacy he permitted his two wives to invite the gods to their embraces. Accordingly Kuntí became the mother of Yudhishthira by Dharma, or personified virtue; of Bhíma, by Váyu, the god of wind; and of Arjuna, by Indra, the sovereign of the gods. In like manner, Mádrí became the mother of Nakula and Sahadeva by the two Aswins. This myth furnishes a valuable illustration of the interpolating process which has been carried on by the compilers of the Mahá Bhárata; a process which has hitherto been unimpeached by the Hindús, although replete with senseless contradictions. Thus in the more Palpable contramythical portions of the Mahá Bhárata, the sage mythical porVyása constantly appears as the grandfather and Mahá Bharata. protector of the Pándavas, whilst the Pándavas occasionally assume to be the sons of the gods specified. At the same time, in the more authentic portions the Pandavas are invariably alluded to as the undoubted sons of Pándu.

dictions in the

the marriage of Dhritarashtra and Gandhári.

ans a famous

The marriage of Dhritarashtra and Gándhári is significance of significant from a totally different point of view. Gándhári came from the Gándhára country, and the history of the Gandharians is somewhat remarkable. They were a cognate race with the Kshatriyas, The Gandhariand fought in the army of Xerxes (B.c. 480) people, whose armed with bows of cane and short spears, and served in Kanwere associated with the Indians.24 Originally they appear to have occupied Cabul on the upper Indus, but about the fifth or sixth century of the Christian era they migrated to the westward, where their

24 Herodotus, VII. 64, 66.

name is still pre

dahar.

INDIA.

PART II.

Dhritarashtra

polygamy of his predecessors.

HISTORY OF name is still preserved in the modern province of Kandahar.25 Dhritarashtra, therefore, does not apMonogamy of pear to have intermarried, like his successors, with as opposed to the the women of Hindustan; but he seems to have sent for a wife from the country of his ancestors, in the same way that Isaac and Jacob sought for wives in the family of Nahor. The result was that he did not indulge in polygamy; and it will be seen hereafter that Gándhári held a position of equality with her husband, which corresponded with the Aryan idea of marriage." The sons of Dhritarashtra and Gándhári were called Kauravas after their ancestor Kuru, the son of Hastin; and it is by this term that they are generally distinguished from the Pándavas, or sons of Pándu.27

25 See Professor Rawlinson's learned and valuable Essay on the obscure tribes contained within the empire of Xerxes. Rawlinson's edition of Herodotus, Vol. IV. p. 175.

26 Dhritarashtra is said to have had another son, named Yuyutsu, by a woman of the Vaisya caste; but there is every reason to believe that the existence of Yuyutsu is purely mythical. According to the tradition all the sons of Dhritarashtra were killed in the great war; and the repugnance felt at the idea that he should die without a son seems to have led to the introduction of Yuyutsu. The point will be further noticed hereafter.

27 Another Brahmanical myth of the usual type has been inserted in this part of the Kshatriya tradition, for the sake of glorifying the miraculous powers of that imaginary and unreal personage, the sage Vyása. Gándhári is said to have owed the existence of her family to the interposition of this sage. Having on one occasion hospitably entertained Vyása, he offered her a boon, upon which she requested that she might become the mother of a hundred sons. Accordingly after two years' gestation, she produced a lump of flesh, which Vyása divided into a hundred and one pieces, and placed in as many jars, and the sons were ultimately born from the jars!

CHAPTER II.

EARLY FEUDS AT HASTINÁPur.

INDIA.

of the legends

early referring to the

early rivalry be

Dhri- tween the Kau

ravas and Pán

HAVING thus disposed of the group of legends HISTORY OF which refer to the ancestors of the Kauravas and PART II. Pándavas, it will be necessary to take into consider- Historical value ation those which are connected with the rivalry which broke out between the sons of taráshtra and the sons of Pándu, and which led to davas. the first exile of the Pándavas. This second series of legends, although somewhat interlarded with mythical matter, is of considerable historical value. It throws light upon the so-called education which prevailed in the Vedic age. It illustrates the relations which subsisted between the Aryan settlers and the original inhabitants. It also comprises a curious account of an exhibition of arms, which was evidently the origin of the later tournament. The main incidents of this portion of the narrative may Main incidents. be thus indicated.

1st, Jealousies between the Kauravas and Pándavas, and attempt of Duryodhana to take the life

of Bhíma.

2nd, Education of the Kauravas and Pándavas by Drona.

3rd, Legend of the son of the Bhíl Raja, and his skill in archery.

HISTORY OF
INDIA.
PART II.

1st, Jealousies between the

Pandavas.

4th, Exhibition of arms at Hastinápur.
5th, Legend of the birth of Karna.

6th, War against Drupada, Raja of Panchála. 7th, Rivalry between Yudhishthira and Duryodhana for the post of Yuvaraja.

The narrative of the jealousies between the Kauravas and Kauravas and Pándavas, and the attempt of Duryodhana to take the life of Bhíma, may now be related as follows:

Attempt of Dur

yodhana to take

After this the Kauravas and the Pándavas were brought the life of Bhima. up together in the old palace at Hastinapur, and they sported together, and were taught together, without any favour being shown to any one more than to the others; but from the days of their early youth the sons of Dhritarashtra were ever jealous of the sons of Pándu. Now about this time Duryodhana, who was the eldest of the Kauravas, became very jealous of the strength of Bhíma, and he resolved to work evil against Bhíma. And on a certain day Duryodhana put poison into Bhíma's food, and when Bhíma had eaten he was seized with a deep sleep, so that he seemed like one who is dead. Then Duryodhana lifted him up, and carried him to the river Ganges, and threw him into the stream; and Bhíma sank in the deep waters, but he was not drowned, for he descended into the great city of serpents which is Bhima's escape underneath the earth. And the serpents recovered him from the poison, and gave him a drink which made him as strong as ten thousand serpents. And Bhíma took leave and returned to the city of Hastinápur, and he had henceforth great strength, and was the mightiest of the mighty.

to the city of

Serpents.

Bhima's great strength.

Review of the foregoing legend.

Mythical cha

racter of the

escape from Duryodhana.

The foregoing legend presents a very mythical appearance. In the first place, it may be remarked that the bards of the Mahá Bhárata exhibit from the

story of Binma's first a palpable leaning towards the Pándavas, and were quite capable of inventing a myth for the sake of blackening the character of the opposite party.

INDIA. PART II.

Secondly, the escape of Bhíma from the bottom of HISTORY OF a river to the city of serpents is unquestionably mythical, and belongs to that group of legends which confounded real serpents with a tribe of Scythians named Nágas, and which will be more fully discussed hereafter.

of the Kauravas and Pandavas by Drona.

The next incident, namely, the education of the 2nd, Education Kauravas and Pándavas, is more valuable, and may be related as follows:

at Hastinapur.

the Princes, on

they afterwards

Panchala.

Some time after this a famous Bráhman preceptor, named Arrival of Drona Drona, who had cause of quarrel with the neighbouring Raja of Panchála, arrived at the city of Hastinápur. And Bhishma rejoiced to see Drona, and made him very welcome, and requested him to instruct the Kauravas and Pándavas in arms and sciences. And Drona said :-" This I will do, but Drona educates when the young men are fully practised in the use of arms, condition that they must fight for me against the Raja of Panchála." So fight the Raja of Bhishma agreed, and Drona took up his abode in Hastinapur ; and Bhishma gave Drona his half-sister in marriage. And Marriage of Drona took great pains in teaching all the young men, but he especially delighted in teaching the Pándavas. To Yud- Practice in the hishthira he imparted the use of the spear, but that young Prince became more renowned for wisdom and goodness than for deeds of arms. To Arjuna he taught the use of the bow, and Arjuna became the most famous archer of his time. To Bhíma he taught the use of the club, for Bhíma was a young man of great appetite and enormous strength, and could

Droua.

use of the spear,

club, bow, and

sword.

wield the club right lustily. To Nakula he taught the whole Taming horses. art of taming and managing horses, and to Sahadeva he

taught the use of the sword and a perfect knowledge of astronomy. And Drona instructed the Kauravas in like man- Astronomy. ner, as well as his own son Aswattháma. But of all his pupils the most beloved was Arjuna, for he was the most perfect of all; and thus whilst Duryodhana, the eldest of the Duryodhana's Kauravas, was jealous of all the Pandavas, he was the most jealousy of Arjealous of Arjuna.

juna.

« PreviousContinue »