A Century Passes

नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम्

 देवीं सरस्वतीं चैव ततो जयम् उदीरयेत्

महाभरत

Mahābharata

As retold by

Michael Dolan, B.V. Mahāyogi

A Century Passes

(The story of Bhishma's passing from this world was related years after the fact by Suta, who heard it from Vaishampayana at the snake sacrifice.)






As the sun declines in the West and darkness falls upon the ancient battlefield, cinders from the funeral pyre of a great hero fly skyward, tracing the twilight with red. Yudhishthira the king bows his head and prays. The birds who have sung funeral songs with the dying breaths of Bhishma, now fall silent. The night fires along the sacred river send fragrant smoke of to heaven.



And now we move through time into a future era, and leave the battle behind. A century of years have passed since the bloodshed of Kurukshetra. King Yudhisthira and the Pandavas are but memories.

The Pandavas retire to the Himalayas

 After a long and peaceful rule King Yudhisthira had retired, leaving the throne to Pariksit. 


Arjuna begat Abhimanyu. The son of Abhimanyu ruled in peace. His name, Pariksit, reminds us of the very principles of dharma. But he too has passed into memory, along with his heroic deeds. Maharaja Parikit died untimely, murdered by the ferocious king of Naga snakes, Taksaka. 

Nagas

Now Maharaja Parikit begat the King Janamejaya. We arrive at a time some two generations after the great battle.


When Janamejaya became king, he wanted revenge on Taksaka and the lords of the snakes for murdering his parent, the great king Pariksit. And so, he held a great sacrifice. Its object was to rid the world of serpents by casting them into the holy fire. One by one the great cobras and lords of the Nagas fell victim to the fire. But when the sacrifice was stopped by an innocent brahman boy, Janamejaya relented. 



Having ended his sacrifice, the king wanted  to hear the story of his ancestors, and caused the recital of the Mahabharata by Vaishampayana Rishi, a student of Vyasa.

Present at that sacrifice was Ugashrava Sauti, or  Suta, who heard everything. Some time later, Suta went on pilgrimage to see the holy places. Suta's wandering brought him deep into the sacred forest called Naimisharanya near the Gomati river. 


In those dark green woods many seekers of the truth were holding a twelve-year sacrifice.  The principle among these was Shaunaka, surnamed Kulapati, an important teacher of the Vedas who presided over the sacrifice. 

And so, our scene shifts. We leave the battlefield for a quiet forest. A century of years have passed since Bhishma left this mortal plane.  His instructions live on, his heroic life is a legend oft told.

Shaunaka bows before Suta and the two great souls embrace. He is led to the place of honor, where he might speak and enlighten those present. The sun is at the horizon as they meet and exchange greetings. The sacrificial fire is lit and gradually darkness falls. Here too, the birds have fallen silent as the full moon shimmers through the leafy banyan trees. A crowd of holy men have gathered round. They sit in yogic postures intent on hearing. A rustic place of honor has been set and Suta is led there. He sits beneath that great banyan tree and adjusts his garments, looking at the gathered sages before him.

Suta Goswami speaks

Shaunaka rises to his feet. "O Suta Goswami," he says. "You have traveled far and wide in your search for truth. You have studied with the great Vyasa. And now we have heard that you are on pilgrimage, having just come from the great snake sacrifice of that son of Pariksit, King Janamejaya.  We know that Vaishampayana Rishi was there and that he told the story of the Mahabharata that he had learned from his teacher, the great Vyasadeva, author of the Vedas."



Shaunaka said, "Tell us," O Suta. "What were the events leading to the great battle of Kurukshetra? How and why did such a war take place? Why were the Pandavas persecuted by the Kurus? Please tell us the story as you heard it from Vaishampayana at the holy snake sacrifice of Janamejaya, leaving nothing out."

Suta Goswami at Naimisharanya