But the Brahmanas said:
“We don’t want to question the fact that any Brahmana who displays evident brahminic qualities always deserves absolute respect, and that the duty of every ruler is to grant him whatever he desires or needs. But, Oh, king, we have a bad feeling. We suspect that this young man has come to hinder the fulfillment of the sacrifice. Do not promise him anything. This is not the right time to give charity. Your father’s killer, Takshaka, is coming and you will soon see him appear in the sky. In a few minutes your long-awaited revenge will have been achieved. Wait, then, because we have good reasons to believe that your generosity could prove fatal to you.”
Janamejaya was dumbfounded. He didn’t know what to do. He felt that those recommendations were right, yet one of his fundamental principles had always been never flinch from the demands of a Brahmana, and he had never failed in what he considered his solemn vow.
Eventually, he decided to take a chance.
“Oh, young anchorite, ask me what you want and I’ll give it to you,” he said then.
At the same time, however, he begged the hotri to hurry, not to waste any more time, so as to speed up the arrival of Takshasa and its destruction in the flames.
This is a section of the book “Maha-Bharata As It Is vol. 1 of 2”.
To buy the complete book, click here
Post view 120 times
Leave a Reply