SECTION CCLXXXII "Bhishma said, 'Listen, O king, to me as I tell thee the symptoms that appeared on the body o !

ritra "hen he "as o#ertaken by that e#er $born o the energy o %ahade#a&' The heroi( )s*ra's mo*th began to emit lames o ire' +e be(ame e,(eedingly pale' +is body began to tremble all o#er' +is breath be(ame hard and thi(k' +is hairs stood on end' +is memory, O Bharata, iss*ed o*t o his mo*th in the orm o a ier(e, dread *l, and ina*spi(io*s -a(kal' B*rning and bla.ing meteors ell on his right and le t' !*lt*res and kanakas and (ranes, gathering together, *ttered ier(e (ries, as they "heeled o#er !ritra's head' Then, in that en(o*nter, Indra, adored by the gods, and armed "ith the th*nderbolt, looked hard at the /aitya as the latter sat on his (ar' 0ossessed by that #iolent e#er, the mighty )s*ra, O monar(h, ya"ned and *ttered inh*man (ries' 1 2hile the )s*ra "as ya"ning Indra h*rled his th*nderbolt at him' End*ed "ith e,(eedingly great energy and resembling the ire that destroys the (reation at the end o the 3*ga, that th*nderbolt o#erthre" in a tri(e !ritra o giganti( orm' Lo*d sho*ts "ere on(e more *ttered by the gods on all sides "hen they beheld !ritra slain, O b*ll o Bharata's ra(e4 +a#ing slain !ritra, %agha#at, that oe o the /ana#as, possessed o great ame, entered hea#en "ith that th*nderbolt per#aded by !ishn*' 5*st then, O tho* o 6*r*'s ra(e, the sin o Brahmani(ide $in her embodied orm&, ier(e and a" *l and inspiring all the "orlds "ith dread, iss*ed o*t o the body o the slain !ritra' O terrible teeth and a" *l, hideo*s or *gliness, and dark and ta"ny, "ith hair dishe#elled, and dread *l eyes, O Bharata, "ith a garland o sk*lls ro*nd her ne(k, and looking like an $)thar#an& In(antation $in its embodied orm&, O b*ll o Bharata's ra(e, (o#ered all o#er "ith blood, and (lad in rags and barks o trees, O tho* o righteo*s so*l, she (ame o*t o !ritra's body' O s*(h dread *l orm and mien, O monar(h, she so*ght the "ielder o the th*nderbolt $ or possessing him&' ) little "hile a ter, O tho* o 6*r*'s ra(e, the slayer o !ritra, on some p*rpose (onne(ted "ith the good o the three "orlds, "as pro(eeding to"ards hea#en' Beholding Indra o great energy th*s pro(eeding on his mission, she sei.ed the (hie o the deities and rom that moment st*(k to him' 7 2hen the sin o Brahmani(ide th*s st*(k to his person and inspired him "ith terror, Indra entered the ibres o a lot*s8stalk and d"elt there or many long years' B*t the sin o Brahmani(ide p*rs*ed him (losely' Indeed, O son o 6*r*, p' 9:; sei.ed by her, Indra be(ame depri#ed o all his energies' +e made great e orts or dri#ing her rom him, b*t all those e orts pro#ed aborti#e' Sei.ed by her, O b*ll o Bharata's ra(e, the (hie o the deities at last presented himsel be ore the <randsire and "orshipped him by bending his head lo"' =nderstanding that Sakra "as possessed by the sin o Brahmani(ide, 1 Brahman began to re le(t, O best o the Bharatas, $*pon the means o reeing his s*ppliant&' The grandsire at last, O tho* o mighty arms, addressed Brahmani(ide in a s"eet #oi(e as i rom the desire o pa(i ying her, and said, 'O amiable one, let the (hie o the (elestials, "ho is a a#o*rite o mine, be reed rom thee' Tell me, "hat I shall do or thee' 2hat "ish o thine shall I a((omplish>'

"Brahmani(ide said, '2hen the Creator o the three "orlds, "hen the ill*strio*s god adored by the *ni#erse, hath been pleased "ith me, I regard my "ishes as already a((omplished' Let my residen(e be no" appointed' /esiro*s o preser#ing the "orlds, this r*le had been made by thee' It "as tho*, O lord, that didst introd*(ed this important ordinan(e' 7 )s tho* hast been grati ied "ith me, O righteo*s Lord, O p*issant %aster o all the "orlds, I shall (ertainly lea#e Sakra4 B*t grant me an abode to d"ell in'' "Bhishma (ontin*ed, 'The <randsire replied *nto Brahmani(ide, saying, 'So be it4' Indeed, the <randsire dis(o#ered means or dispelling Brahmani(ide rom the person o Indra' The Sel 8(reate re(olle(ted the high8so*led )gni' The latter immediately presented himsel to Brahman and said these "ords, 'O ill*strio*s and di#ine Lord, O tho* that are "itho*t any de e(t, I ha#e appeared be ore thee' It beho#eth thee to say "hat I shall ha#e to a((omplish'' "Brahman said, 'I shall di#ide this sin o Brahmani(ide into se#eral portions' ?or reeing Sakra rom her, do tho* take a o*rth portion o that sin'' ")gni said, '+o" shall I be res(*ed rom her, O Brahman> O p*issant Lord, do tho* appoint the "ay' I desire to kno" the means $o my o"n res(*e& in detail, O adored o all the "orlds4' "Brahman said, '=nto that man "ho, o#er"helmed by the @*ality o Tamas, "ill abstain rom o ering thee as an oblation, "hen he beholds thee in thy bla.ing orm, seeds, herbs, and -*i(es, that portion o Brahmani(ide "hi(h tho* "ilt take *pon thysel shall immediately enter, and lea#ing thee shall d"ell in him' O (arrier o oblations, let the e#er o thy heart be dispelled'' "Bhishma said, 'Th*s addressed by the <randsire the eater o oblations and sa(ri i(ial o erings a((epted his (ommand' ) o*rth o that sin then entered his person, O king4 The <randsire then s*mmoned the trees, the herbs, and all kinds o grass to him, and soli(ited them to take *pon themsel#es a o*rth o that sin' )ddressed by him, the trees and herbs and grasses be(ame p' 9:A as m*(h agitated as )gni had been at the re@*est, and they replied *nto <randsire, saying, '+o" shall "e, O <randsire o all the "orlds, be o*rsel#es res(*ed rom this sin> It beho#eth thee not to a li(t *s that ha#e already been a li(ted by the ates' O god, "e ha#e al"ays to end*re heat and (old and the sho"ers $o the (lo*ds& dri#en by the "inds, in addition to the (*tting and the tearing $that "e ha#e to s* er at the hands o men&' 2e are "illing, O Lord o the three "orlds, to take at thy (ommand $a portion o & this sin o Brahmani(ide' Let the means, ho"e#er, o o*r res(*e be pointed o*t to *s'' "Brahman said, 'This sin that yo* shall take shall possess the man "ho thro*gh st*pe a(tion o -*dgment "ill (*t or tear any o yo* "hen 0ar#a days (ome''

"Bhishma said, 'Th*s addressed by the high8so*led Brahman, the trees and herbs and grasses adored the Creator and then "ent a"ay "itho*t tarrying there' The <randsire o all the "orlds then s*mmoned the )psaras and grati ying them "ith s"eet "ords, O Bharata, said, 'This oremost o ladies, #i.', Brahmani(ide, has (ome o*t o Indra's person' Soli(ited by me, do yo* take a o*rth portion o her into yo*r o"n persons $ or sa#ing the Chie o the deities&'' "The )psaras said, 'O Lord o all the gods, at thy (ommand "e are *lly "illing to take a portion o this sin' B*t, O <randsire, do tho* think o the means by "hi(h "e o*rsel#es may be reed rom $the e e(ts o & this *nderstanding $that "e make "ith thee&'' "Brahman said, 'Let the e#er o yo*r hearts be dispelled' The portion o this sin that yo* "ill take *pon yo*rsel#es shall lea#e yo* or instantly possessing that man "ho "ill seek (ongress "ith "omen in their menstr*al season4' "Bhishma (ontin*ed, 'Th*s addressed by the <randsire, O b*ll o Bharata's ra(e, the di#erse tribes o the )psaras, "ith (heer *l so*ls, repaired to their respe(ti#e pla(es and began to sport in delight' The ill*strio*s Creator o the three "orlds, end*ed "ith great as(eti( merit, then re(olle(ted the 2aters "hi(h immediately (ame to him' )rri#ed at the presen(e o Brahman o immeas*rable energy, the 2aters bo"ed *nto him and said these "ords, '2e ha#e (ome be ore thee, O (hastiser o oes, at thy (ommand' O p*issant %aster o all the "orlds, tell *s "hat "e are to a((omplish'' "Brahman said, 'This dread *l sin hath taken possession o Indra, in (onse@*en(e o his ha#ing slain !ritra' Take ye a o*rth part o Brahmani(ide'' "The 2aters said, 'Let it be as tho* (ommandest, O master o all the "orlds' It beho#eth thee, ho"e#er, O p*issant Lord o o*rs, to think o the means by "hi(h "e may $in o*r t*rn& be res(*ed rom $the (onse@*en(e o & this *nderstanding' Tho*gh art the Lord o all the deities, and the s*preme re *ge o the *ni#erse' 2ho else is there to "hom "e may pay o*r adorations so that he may relie#e *s rom distress'' "Brahman said, '=nto that man "ho st*pe ied by his *nderstanding and regarding yo* lightly "ill (ast into yo* phlegm and *rine and e,(reta, this one shall immediately go and then(e orth reside in him' It is in this "ay, p' 91: #erily I say *nto ye, that yo*r res(*e shall be a((omplished'' "Bhishma (ontin*ed, 'Then the sin o Brahmani(ide, O 3*dhishthira, lea#ing the (hie o the deities, pro(eeded to the abodes that "ere ordained or her at the <randsire's (ommand' It "as th*s, O r*ler o men, that Indra had be(ome a li(ted by that dread *l sin $and it "as th*s that he got rid o her&' 2ith the <randsire's permission Indra then resol#ed to per orm a +orse8sa(ri i(e' It is heard, O monar(h, that Indra ha#ing been th*s

possessed by the sin o Brahmani(ide a ter"ards be(ame (leansed o her thro*gh that Sa(ri i(e' Begaining his prosperity and slaying tho*sands o oes, great "as the -oy that !asa#a obtained, O lord o Earth4 ?rom the blood o !ritra, O son o 0ritha, "ere born high8(rested (o(ks' ?or this reason, those o"ls are *n(lean $as ood& or the regenerate (lasses, and those as(eti(s that ha#e *ndergone the rite o initiation' =nder all (ir(*mstan(es, O king, do tho* a((omplish "hat is agreeable to the t"i(e8born, or these, O monar(h, are kno"n as gods on earth' It "as in this "ay, O tho* o 6*rds ra(e, that the mighty )s*ra !ritra "as slain by Sakra o immeas*rable energy by the aid o s*btle intelligen(e and thro*gh the appli(ation o means' Tho* also, O son o 6*nti, *n#an@*ished on earth, "ilt be(ome another Indra and the slayer o all thy oes' Those men "ho, on e#ery 0ar#a day, "ill re(ite this sa(red narrati#e o !ritra in the midst o Brahmanas shall ne#er be stained by any sin' I ha#e no" re(ited to thee one o the greatest and most "onder *l eats o Indra (onne(ted "ith !ritra' 2hat else dost tho* "ish to hear>'"