A hush fell upon the sacred court, heavy with a tension that seemed to quiver in the very air. Suneedha, chief of the Chedi armies, trembled with rage; his teeth gnashed, and his sword flashed as he made a savage sign, urging the vassal lords of Śiśupāla to one side. With the slightest nod from…
The sage Nārada, beholding the splendour of the Rājasūya and the flawless virtues of Dharmarāja, rejoiced in silent wonder. He watched the gathered kings and vassal lords, and among them beheld Kṛṣṇa moving with the ease of a simple man. Yet Nārada’s heart dwelt upon the ancient prayer of Brahmā and the gods, and he…
In the radiant court of Indraprastha, the venerable sage Dhoumya, his heart brimming with delight at the peerless achievements and transcendent virtues of the Pandava princes, turned to Dharmaraja with words of benediction. “O scion of the Kuru race,” he said, “your rule, founded upon spotless conduct and abundant virtues, has bestowed true wealth and…
Sahadeva set forth upon his southern march with the calm confidence of a prince destined to triumph. First, he subdued Sumithra, Surasena, Danthavaktra, and the Yavana chiefs, then the lords of Gosrungagiri and Kunthibhoja, who bowed before him in homage to the Pandava name. Thereafter, he challenged Jambhaka, son of Bhuribala and foe to Sri…
The mighty son of Vayu laid the lifeless form of Jarāsandha at the very gate of the palace, that the long-oppressed might behold with their own eyes the proof of their deliverance and cast off the last remnant of fear. Thus did Bhīma act, even as once before when the ogre Bakāsura fell beneath his…
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…
