Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/160

126 my son and a minor too, and beholding also thy rashness, I see that I must counsel thee. Live thou, O son, inclined to peace and—eating of the fruits and roots of the forest. Kill this thy anger and destroy not the fruit of thy ascetic acts so. Wrath surely decreaseth the virtue that ascetics acquire with great pains. And then for those deprived of virtue, the blessed state existeth not. Peacefulness ever giveth success to forgiving ascetics. This world and the next are both for the forgiving. Therefore becoming forgiving in thy temper and conquering thy passions, shouldst thou always live. By forgiveness shalt thou obtain worlds that are beyond the reach of Brahma himself. Having adopted peacefulness myself, and with a desire also of doing good as much as lies in my power, I must do something; even must I send to that king, telling him,—O monarch, thou hast been cursed by my son of tender years and undeveloped intellect, in wrath at seeing thy act of disrespect towards myself.—

Sauti continued, "And that great ascetic, observant of vows, moved by kindness, sent with proper instructions a disciple of his to king Parikshita. And he sent his disciple Gaurmukha of good manners and engaged also in ascetic penances, instructing him to first inquire about the welfare of the king and then to communicate the real message. And that disciple soon approached that monarch—the head of the Kuru race. And he entered the king's palace having first sent notice of his arrival through the servant in attendance at the gate.

"And the twice-born Gaurmukha was worshipped by the monarch with proper forms. And after resting for a while, he detailed fully to the king in the presence of his ministers the words of Shamika, of cruel import, exactly as he had been instructed.

"And Gaurmukha said, 'O king of kings, there is a Rishi, Shamika, by name, of virtuous soul, his passions under control, peaceful and given up to hard ascetic devotions, living in thy dominions. By thee, O tiger amongst men, was placed on the shoulders of that Rishi, observing at present the vow of silence, a dead snake, with the end of thy bow. He himself forgave thee that act. But his son could not. And by the latter hast thou to-day been cursed, O king of kings, without the know-