Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/82

48 was still fat, said, 'Upamanyu, my child, thou eatest no longer of alms, nor dost thou go abegging a second time, nor even drinkest of the milk; yet art thou fat. By what means dost thou contrive to live now?' And Upamanyu replied, 'Sir, I now sip the froth that these calves throw out while sucking their mothers' teats.' And the preceptor said, 'these generous calves, I suppose, out of compassion for thee throw out large quantities of froth. Wouldst thou stand in the way of their full meals by acting as thou hast done? Know then that it is unlawful for thee to drink the froth.' And Upamanyu, having signified his assent to this, went as before to tend the cows. And restrained by his preceptor, he feedeth not on alms, nor hath he anything else to eat; he drinketh not of the milk, nor tasteth he of the froth!

"And Upamanyu, one day, oppressed by hunger, when in a forest ate of the leaves of the Arka (Asclepias gigantea). And his eyes being affected by the pungent, acrimonious, crude, and saline qualities of the leaves which he had eaten, he became blind. And as he was crawling about, he fell into a pit. And upon his not returning that day when the sun was sinking down behind the summit of the western mountain, the preceptor observed to his disciples that Upamanyu was not yet come. And they told him that he had gone out with the cattle.

"The preceptor then said, 'Upamanyu being restrained by me from the use of everything, is, of course, displeased, and, therefore, doth not come home until it be late. Let us then go in search of him.' And having said this, he went with his disciples into the forest and began to shout saying, 'Ho, Upamanyu, where art thou?' And Upamanyu hearing his preceptor's voice answered in a loud tone, 'here I am at the bottom of a well.' And his preceptor asked him how he happened to be there. And Upamanyu replied, 'having eaten of the leaves of the Arka plant I became blind, and so have I fallen into this well.' And his preceptor thereupon told him, 'glorify the twin Aswinas, the joint physicians of the gods, and they will restore thee thy sight.' And Upamanyu thus directed by his preceptor began to glorify the twin Aswinas, in the following words of the Rig Veda:—