Sri Krishna, in his quiet mastery, revealed that Jarasandha could never be overcome by weapons. Only in the trial of wrestling could his strength be broken, and for that task, none was equal to the son of the wind, mighty Bhīma Sena. “Let us waste no time,” said Krishna, “for with courage, moral force, and…
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, eager to rouse Dharmarāja to high endeavour, spoke with calm authority. “It is meet that you undertake the destruction of Jarāsandha and thereafter perform the Rājasūya, that most arduous rite beyond mortal reach. In ages past, Bhagiratha, by the strong shield of his people’s will; Yavanasva, through alert and disciplined methods; Bharata, by…
When the celestial sage Narada had unfolded before Dharmaja the splendour of other royal halls, he spoke with gentle urgency: “Your father Pandu charged me to remind you that the Rājasūya, rightly performed, shall lift your glory in both worlds and release your forefathers from the wheel of birth and death. The treasure you have…
Sage Nārada, perceiving the unspoken desire of Dharmaja to behold the radiant abodes of the gods, began to unfold the mystery of those celestial regions and of the noble beings who, by their penance and virtue, have secured an eternal station there. Though his account seemed at first but a recital of the dwellings of…
Sage Nārada, the celestial wanderer and master of wisdom, thus addressed the righteous king Dharmaja on the art of governance and the hidden science of wealth and order. “O son of Dharma,” said he, “a ruler must guard the treasury as he would the very pulse of his realm. Of the kingdom’s income, let but…
In the royal city of Indraprastha, King Dharmaja, eldest of the Pandavas, ruled with a hand at once firm and gentle. To the scholars of every Vedic branch, he offered worship and generous gifts, so that the sacred schools flourished and the teachers, priests, and sages found in him a sovereign of rare balance. Vassal…
The sage Ugraśravā, in the quiet groves of Naimiṣāraṇya, told the hermits of the burning of the Khāṇḍava forest and of the marvel that followed. When the fiery tumult had ceased, the master-sculptor Maya, rescued from the blaze by Arjuna, came into the presence of Dharmaja Yudhishthira. Bowing low, his heart alight with gratitude, he…
Arjuna, ever gracious in speech and bearing, displayed a courtesy so rare that even the wandering celestials marvelled at his conduct and joined mortals in their praise. When the tale reached King Janamejaya, he turned to the sage Vyāsampāyana and said, “O treasure-house of wisdom, tell me how the sons of the sage Mandapāla were…
Agni, having enriched Arjuna and Krishna with his boundless favour, now unfurled himself into a blazing inferno and swept upon the Khandava forest. The roar of his flames rose like the crash of Mount Meru shattered into dust. At the forest’s edge Arjuna stood with the Gandeeva, his celestial bow strung and ready; at the…
The sun blazed with pitiless fury, scattering sparks like molten fire upon the earth. Rivers shrank into threadlike streams, their beds cracked and dry; beasts, tormented by the relentless heat, ran wild in search of shade or water; and birds, faint with thirst, fell from the sky like withered leaves. All lesser lives seemed doomed…
