ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> <html><head><title>The Sampradaya Sun - Independent Vaisnava News - Editorials - The Mahabharata - Book 13, Anusasana Parva - Part Two </title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=EmulateIE7"> </head> <body bgcolor="white" width=800 link="#990000" alink="#990000" vlink="#000088"> <table width=750 border=1 bordercolor="#CC9933" bordercolordark="990000" bordercolorlight="CC9933" cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 bgcolor="white"> <tr> <td valign=top><font face="verdana"><font size=2> <center><P> <img src="../../head1.gif" width=605 height=99 border=0 usemap="#nav1"></center> <center><table width=700 border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 bgcolor="white"> <tr> <td valign=top colspan=2><font face="verdana"><font size=2> <MAP NAME="nav1"> <AREA COORDS="23,17,110,82" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../../index.htm"> <AREA COORDS="1,87,46,98" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../../../media/mantra.wav" target="_blank"> <AREA COORDS="76,86,111,97" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../../news/news.htm"> <AREA COORDS="121,86,189,97" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../../editorials/editorials.htm"> <AREA COORDS="199,86,256,97" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../../features/features.htm"> <AREA COORDS="266,86,329,97" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../../sunblogs/sunblogs.htm"> <AREA COORDS="339,86,412,97" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../../classifieds/classifieds.htm"> <AREA COORDS="421,86,466,97" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../../events/events.htm"> <AREA COORDS="476,86,539,97" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../../recipes/recipes.htm"> <AREA COORDS="549,86,796,604" SHAPE="rect" HREF="../../../podcasts/podcasts.htm"> </MAP> <P><BR> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=700> <font face="verdana"><font size=2> <P> <blockquote> <FONT SIZE=+2>The Mahabharata</font> <P> BY: SUN STAFF <P> <center><img src="pix04.jpg" width=680 height=498 border=1> <P><font size=-2><b> Battlefield of Kurukshetra </b></font></center> <P><BR> <center><font size=+1>The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa</font><BR><B>Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli (published between 1883 and 1896)</b></center> <P><BR> <center><font size=+2>ANUSASANA PARVA</font></center> <p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2><B>Dec 14, 2011, CANADA (SUN) &#151; Book 13 - Anusasana Parva, Part Two - Section 141, Part One </b> </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>The blessed and holy one said, 'In days of yore, a blessed woman was created by Brahman, called Tilottama, by culling grains of beauty from every beautiful object in the universe. One day, that lady of beautiful face, unrivalled in the universe for beauty of form, came to me, O goddess, for circumambulating me but really impelled by the desire of tempting me. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>In whatever direction that lady of beautiful teeth turned, a new face of mine instantly appeared (so eager did I become to see her). All those faces of mine became agreeable to look at. Thus, in consequence of the desire of beholding her, I became four-faced, through Yoga-puissance, Thus, I showed my high Yoga-power in becoming four-faced. With that face of mine which is turned towards the east, I exercise the sovereignty of the universe, With that face of mine which is turned towards the north, I sport with thee, O thou of faultless features! That face of mine which is turned towards the west is agreeable and auspicious. With it I ordain the happiness of all creatures. That face of mine which is turned towards the south is terrible. With it I destroy all creatures. </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>I live as a Brahmacharin with matted locks on my head, impelled by the desire of doing good to all creatures. The bow Pinaka is always in my hand for accomplishing the purposes of the deities. In days of yore, Indra, desirous of acquiring my prosperity, had hurled his thunderbolt at me. With that weapon my throat was scorched. For this reason I have become blue-throated.' </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Uma said, 'When, O foremost of all creatures, there are so many excellent vehicles endued with great beauty, why is it that thou hast selected a bovine bull for thy vehicle?' </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Maheswara said, 'In the days of yore, the Grandsire Brahma created the celestial cow Surabhi yielding abundant milk. After her creation there sprang from her a large number of kine all of which yielded copious quantities of milk sweet as nectar. Once on a time a quantity of froth fell from the mouth of one of her calves on my body. I was enraged at this and my wrath scorched all the kine which thereupon became diversified in hue. I was then pacified by the Master of all the worlds, viz., Brahma, conversant with all topics. It was he who gave me this bull both as a vehicle for bearing me and as a device on my banner.' </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Uma said, 'Thou hast many abodes in heaven, of diverse forms and possessed of every comfort and luxury. Why, O holy one, dost thou reside in the crematorium, abandoning all those delightful mansions? The crematorium is full of the hair and bones (of the dead), abounds with vulture and jackals, and is strewn with hundreds of funeral pyres. Full of carrion and muddy with fat and blood, with entrails and bones strewn all over it, and always echoing with the howls of jackals, it is certainly an unclean place.' </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Maheswara said, 'I always wander over the whole earth in search of a sacred spot. I do not, however, see any spot that is more sacred than the crematorium. Hence, of all abodes, the crematorium pleases my heart most, shaded that it generally is by branches of the banian and adorned with torn garlands of flowers. O thou of sweet smiles, the multitudes of ghostly beings that are my companions love to reside in such spots. I do not like, O goddess, to reside anywhere without those ghostly creatures being by my side. Hence, the crematorium is a sacred abode to me. Indeed, O auspicious lady, it seems to me to be the very heaven. Highly sacred and possessed of great merit, the crematorium is much applauded by persons desirous of having holy abodes.' </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Uma said, 'O holy one, O lord of all creatures, O foremost of all observers of duties and religious rites, I have a great doubt, O wielder of Pinaka, O giver of boons. These ascetics, O puissant lord, have undergone diverse kinds of austerities. In the world are seen ascetics wandering everywhere under diverse forms and clad in diverse kinds of attire. For benefiting this large assemblage of Rishis, as also myself, do thou kindly resolve, O chastiser of all foes, this doubt of mine. What indications has Religion or Duty been said to possess? How, indeed, do men become unacquainted with the details of Religion or Duty to succeed in observing them? O puissant lord, O thou that art conversant with Religion, do thou tell me this.' </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Narada continued, 'When the daughter of Himavat put this question, conclave of Rishis there present worshipped the goddess and adored her with words adorned with Riks and with hymns fraught with deep import.' </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Maheswara said, 'Abstention from injury, truthfulness of speech, compassion towards all beings, tranquillity of soul, and the making of gifts to the best of one's power, are the foremost duties of the householder. Abstention from sexual congress with the spouses of other men, protection of the wealth and the woman committed to one's charge, unwillingness to appropriate what is not given to one, and avoidance of honey and meat,--these are the five chief duties. Indeed, Religion or Duty has many branches all of which are fraught with happiness. Even these are the duties which these embodied creatures who regard duty as superior should observe and practise. Even these are the sources of merit.' </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Uma said, O holy one, I wish to ask thee another question about which I have great doubts. It behoveth thee to answer it and dispel my doubts. What are the meritorious duties of the four several orders? What duties appertain to the Brahmana? What to the Kshatriya? What are the indications of those duties that appertain to the Vaisya? And what kind of duties appertain to the Sudra?' </font></font><p><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>The holy one said, 'O highly blessed lady, the question thou hast asked is a very proper one. Those persons that belong to the regenerate order are regarded as highly blessed, and are, indeed, gods on earth. </font></font><p style='text-align:justify'><font face="verdana"><font size=2>Thus ends Section 141, Part One, of the Anusasana Parva, Part Two, Sri Mahabharata. </blockquote> <P><BR><P> <center><a href="../../../index.htm"><img src="../../../leftarrow.gif" width=20 height=15 border=0 alt="Homepage"></a></center> <P><BR> <!-- ========================STORY===================== --> <blockquote> <font face="verdana"><font size=-2><center> | <a href="../../../index.htm">The Sun</a> | <a href="../../../news/news.htm">News</a> | <a href="../../../editorials/editorials.htm">Editorials</a> | <a href="../../../features/features.htm">Features</a> | <a href="../../../sunblogs/sunblogs.htm">Sun Blogs</a> | <a href="../../../classifieds/classifieds.htm">Classifieds</a> | <a href="../../../events/events.htm">Events</a> | <a href="../../../recipes/recipes.htm">Recipes</a> | <a href="../../../podcasts/podcasts.htm">PodCasts</a> | <P> | <a href="../../../about.htm">About</a> | <a href="../../../submit.htm">Submit an Article</a> | <a href="mailto:sun@harekrsna.com">Contact Us</a> | <a href="../../../ads/advertise.htm">Advertise</a> | <a href="../../../../index.htm">HareKrsna.com</a> | </center> </blockquote> <P> <center><b>Copyright 2005,2010, HareKrsna.com. 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