Secondary Tales of the Two Great Epics

Author(s): Rajendra I Nanavati
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 32

Introductory
the Bhārgava element also leads one to infer the relative antiquity of the SabP among the various parts of the MBh.
One more evidence for our supposition seems to come from an entirely unexpected corner. We all know the functions and usefulness of the two indexes prefixed to the MBh. Even in the RM, we have two indexes in the beginning of the BK, having their own importanc:. But, in the MBh, we have a third index, not in the beginning of the Adip, but way behind, in chapter 55. After the frame-story of Janamejaya's snakesacrifice has been fully set with its phalaśruti in chapter 53, the Sūta Paurāņika, at the instance of Sage Saunaka, sets out to narrate the epic-story. Io Adhyāya 54, Vyāsa is said to visit Janamejaya's Snake-sacrifice with his disciples. Janamejaya asks Vyāsa :
katham sarnabhavat bhedas teşām a-klişta-karmaņām/
tac ca yuddham katham vịttam bhūtānta-karaṇam mahat ||19|| Vyāsa orders his disciple Vaišampāyana to narrate
kurūņām pāņdavānām ca yathā bhedo 'bhavat purā ||22|| So Vaišampāyana sets out to narrate
bhedam rājya-vināśam ca...... //2411,
begins in Adhyāya 55 with the words -
śruņu rājan yathā bhedaḥ kuru-pāņdavayor abhut / rajyārthe dyuta-sambhūto vana-vāsas tathaiva ca //4/1
yathā ca yuddham abhavat. ... etc., then summarises the events in ślokas 6-42 and finally says ;
evam etat purā vịttam teşām a-klisța-karmaņām / bhedo rājya-vināśaś ca jayaś ca jayatām vara 1/43||.
The summary of the events almost seems to be like an index prefixed to the actual epic which appears to begin in Adhyāya 56 devoted solely to its greatness, almost a sort of phalaśruti of the epic. The events summarised in Adhyāya 55 are referred to variously by various characters - e.g.
by Janamejaya a s bheda and yuddha, by Vyāsa
bheda only, by Sūta
bheda and rājya-vināśa, by Vaišampāyana first
as bheda, dyūta-sambhüto vana-vāsa and yuddha ! and finally as bheda, rājya-vināśa and jaya.
It will be noted that 'yuddha' is mentioned twice, and is also termed once as jaya', 'Rājya-vināśa' is mentioned twice, and once also referred to as 'vana-vāsa'.