Vaishampayana continued -
The horse then the kingdom of Kaundnya which was ruled by the king Chandrahamsa. Hearing that the horse had entered his kingdom, the king had the horse captured. He felt that Krishna and Arjuna would come to free the horse and thereby he would get to see Krishna.
Arjuna heard about this and also heard that no one could enter the kingdom without the king's permission. Arjuna was worried when Narada appeared there. Arjuna bowed to the sage and asked him where the horse was.
Narada said - This kingdom is ruled by a devotee of Vishnu called Chandrahamsa. He has two valiant sons Makaraksha and Padmaksha. Chandrahamsa is a great king. Earlier the kingdom was ruled by a king called Dadhimukha. The king was childless and decided to hold a sacrifice to have a child. After many years, a son was born to him. The king, happy gave away a lot of wealth and gifts to all. The next day, the kingdom was attacked and the king was killed. At the funeral pyre of the king, the queen also jumped and burned herself to death. The child was only three days old. He was brought up by a wet nurse. After some time, the nurse too died of dysentery. The child was then taken away by his maternal grandparents and brought up.
The child began growing up there and was named Chandrahamsa. He was a very handsome and good looking boy.
Dhristabuddhi was an evil minister in the kingdom. He gave poison to the king and killed him, and then over the kingdom. He was not aware of Chandrahamsa. He used to recite the Puranas. Chandrahamsa with other people started going and listening to the Puranas and developed the love for God. People wondered who he was. A priest looked at him and said he looks and noble and will be the future king of Kaundnya. Dhristabuddhi said I have no idea who this is, how can you say such things about him. The priest said that is what he felt.
Dhristabuddhi, hearing this was afraid. He decided to kill the boy. He sent for an executioner and asked him to take the boy away and kill him.
The executioner took the boy away into a forest. The boy was scared. Seeing the boy, the executioner felt sorry for him. He cut off the small toe from the boy's left foot. He then killed a dog. He then covered the toe with blood and took it to the evil minister.
There was a minister there called Kalinga. One day he went hunting in the forest. He heard a child crying and wondered who that was. He went and saw Chandrahamsa. Kalinga was childless and took CHandrahamsa along with him.
In Kalinga's house, Chandrahamsa began growing up. He became an expert in all weapons.
One day, it was the day of Ekadashi. Chandrahamsa and Kalinga and people of the house were fasting. That was also the day when gifts and tax was to be given to Dhristabuddhi. Gifts were taken and when Dhristabuddhi asked the people who had brought gifts, to take their food, they said they were fasting for Ekadhashi. The king wanted to know the reason. They said Kalinga had a son at an auspicious hour and he had started this practice.
Dhristabuddhi decided to meet Kalinga.
Seeing their king, the minister served the king and introduced him to his young son, Chandrahamsa. Seeing the young man, Dhrishtabuddhi said he does not seem to be your son. I do not think your wife gave birth to this boy. Tell me the truth.
Kalinga said he had found the boy when he went hunting and had adopted him.
Dhristrabuddhi was convinced that this was the same boy he had tried to kill and felt that the executioner had deceived him. He decided to give poison to the boy and kill him.
He wrote a letter to a friend and said to Kalinga that he needed the letter to be delivered to his son quickly and wanted Chandrahmasa to take it. Chandrahamsa agreed.
The letter said that the bearer of the letter was to be poisoned and killed.
Chandrahamsa went with the letter. He reached the palace. He was tired and decided to rest under a tree. As destiny would have it, Dhristrabuddi's daughter happened to pass by.A devout devotee of Shiva, she had come to pluck flowers for her worship when she saw Chandrahamsa resting. Seeing him, she was in love with the sleeping Chandrahamsa. She saw the letter and picked it and read the content. She recognized her father's handwriting. She did not want this handsome person to die.
She tore the letter. Using her finger nail and the kohl lining her eyes she wrote that the bearer of the letter was to be given the princess.
Keeping the letter in its place she left.
Chandrahamsa got up and went to the palace and gave the note.
Reading the note, it was followed. Gifts were given away to all.
When Dhristabuddhi heard this, he was enraged, He went and cursed his son. The son said he had followed the instructions of the letter. Dhristabuddhi wanted to see the letter. He saw the letter and kept quiet.
He called some guards and asked for their help. They were to kill the man who would be in the temple of Kali in the night. The guards agreed and waited.
When Chandrahamsa went to Dhristabuddhi and bowed down to him, he refused to accept him. Dhristabuddhi wanted Chandrahamsa to first bow down before Kali in the night and then come and greet others.
On the way to the temple, Chandrahamsa came across the son of Dhristabuddhi. The young man asked Chandrahamsa where he was going. Chandrahamsa said he was going to worship the consort of Shiva. Madan said a newly wed needed to rest. Saying this he asked Chandrahamsa to rest while he would go and seek blessings for the newly wed. Saying this he sent Chandrahamsa away and he himself went into the temple. The guards were waiting there and seeing the prince, they killed him.
Dhristrabuddhi saw Chandrahamsa and asked him he had not gone to the temple. Chandrahamsa said he had asked to stay back by the prince, who had gone in his place.
Hearing this Dhristabuddhi rushed to the temple. He saw his son lying dead there. In shock and grief, he picked up the sacrificial sword in the temple, and killed himself with it.
The news spread. Chnadrahamsa saw his and was pained. He prayed to Durga to help him. The goddess was quiet. Chandrahamsa then decided to cut off his own head. The Goddess then appeared before him. Chandrahamsa asked for the father and the son to be revived. The Goddess agreed.
When Dristrabuddhi sat up, he realized what had happened. He hugged Chandrahamsa and declared him the king of the land.
Soon Chandrahamsa had two twin sons Makaraksha and Padmaksha.
Arjuna entered this kingdom. Chandrahamsa greeted the Pandava and Krishna with honors. The horse was returned. After staying there for two days, Arjuna resumed his journey.
The horse then the kingdom of Kaundnya which was ruled by the king Chandrahamsa. Hearing that the horse had entered his kingdom, the king had the horse captured. He felt that Krishna and Arjuna would come to free the horse and thereby he would get to see Krishna.
Arjuna heard about this and also heard that no one could enter the kingdom without the king's permission. Arjuna was worried when Narada appeared there. Arjuna bowed to the sage and asked him where the horse was.
Narada said - This kingdom is ruled by a devotee of Vishnu called Chandrahamsa. He has two valiant sons Makaraksha and Padmaksha. Chandrahamsa is a great king. Earlier the kingdom was ruled by a king called Dadhimukha. The king was childless and decided to hold a sacrifice to have a child. After many years, a son was born to him. The king, happy gave away a lot of wealth and gifts to all. The next day, the kingdom was attacked and the king was killed. At the funeral pyre of the king, the queen also jumped and burned herself to death. The child was only three days old. He was brought up by a wet nurse. After some time, the nurse too died of dysentery. The child was then taken away by his maternal grandparents and brought up.
The child began growing up there and was named Chandrahamsa. He was a very handsome and good looking boy.
Dhristabuddhi was an evil minister in the kingdom. He gave poison to the king and killed him, and then over the kingdom. He was not aware of Chandrahamsa. He used to recite the Puranas. Chandrahamsa with other people started going and listening to the Puranas and developed the love for God. People wondered who he was. A priest looked at him and said he looks and noble and will be the future king of Kaundnya. Dhristabuddhi said I have no idea who this is, how can you say such things about him. The priest said that is what he felt.
Dhristabuddhi, hearing this was afraid. He decided to kill the boy. He sent for an executioner and asked him to take the boy away and kill him.
The executioner took the boy away into a forest. The boy was scared. Seeing the boy, the executioner felt sorry for him. He cut off the small toe from the boy's left foot. He then killed a dog. He then covered the toe with blood and took it to the evil minister.
There was a minister there called Kalinga. One day he went hunting in the forest. He heard a child crying and wondered who that was. He went and saw Chandrahamsa. Kalinga was childless and took CHandrahamsa along with him.
In Kalinga's house, Chandrahamsa began growing up. He became an expert in all weapons.
One day, it was the day of Ekadashi. Chandrahamsa and Kalinga and people of the house were fasting. That was also the day when gifts and tax was to be given to Dhristabuddhi. Gifts were taken and when Dhristabuddhi asked the people who had brought gifts, to take their food, they said they were fasting for Ekadhashi. The king wanted to know the reason. They said Kalinga had a son at an auspicious hour and he had started this practice.
Dhristabuddhi decided to meet Kalinga.
Seeing their king, the minister served the king and introduced him to his young son, Chandrahamsa. Seeing the young man, Dhrishtabuddhi said he does not seem to be your son. I do not think your wife gave birth to this boy. Tell me the truth.
Kalinga said he had found the boy when he went hunting and had adopted him.
Dhristrabuddhi was convinced that this was the same boy he had tried to kill and felt that the executioner had deceived him. He decided to give poison to the boy and kill him.
He wrote a letter to a friend and said to Kalinga that he needed the letter to be delivered to his son quickly and wanted Chandrahmasa to take it. Chandrahamsa agreed.
The letter said that the bearer of the letter was to be poisoned and killed.
Chandrahamsa went with the letter. He reached the palace. He was tired and decided to rest under a tree. As destiny would have it, Dhristrabuddi's daughter happened to pass by.A devout devotee of Shiva, she had come to pluck flowers for her worship when she saw Chandrahamsa resting. Seeing him, she was in love with the sleeping Chandrahamsa. She saw the letter and picked it and read the content. She recognized her father's handwriting. She did not want this handsome person to die.
She tore the letter. Using her finger nail and the kohl lining her eyes she wrote that the bearer of the letter was to be given the princess.
Keeping the letter in its place she left.
Chandrahamsa got up and went to the palace and gave the note.
Reading the note, it was followed. Gifts were given away to all.
When Dhristabuddhi heard this, he was enraged, He went and cursed his son. The son said he had followed the instructions of the letter. Dhristabuddhi wanted to see the letter. He saw the letter and kept quiet.
He called some guards and asked for their help. They were to kill the man who would be in the temple of Kali in the night. The guards agreed and waited.
When Chandrahamsa went to Dhristabuddhi and bowed down to him, he refused to accept him. Dhristabuddhi wanted Chandrahamsa to first bow down before Kali in the night and then come and greet others.
On the way to the temple, Chandrahamsa came across the son of Dhristabuddhi. The young man asked Chandrahamsa where he was going. Chandrahamsa said he was going to worship the consort of Shiva. Madan said a newly wed needed to rest. Saying this he asked Chandrahamsa to rest while he would go and seek blessings for the newly wed. Saying this he sent Chandrahamsa away and he himself went into the temple. The guards were waiting there and seeing the prince, they killed him.
Dhristrabuddhi saw Chandrahamsa and asked him he had not gone to the temple. Chandrahamsa said he had asked to stay back by the prince, who had gone in his place.
Hearing this Dhristabuddhi rushed to the temple. He saw his son lying dead there. In shock and grief, he picked up the sacrificial sword in the temple, and killed himself with it.
The news spread. Chnadrahamsa saw his and was pained. He prayed to Durga to help him. The goddess was quiet. Chandrahamsa then decided to cut off his own head. The Goddess then appeared before him. Chandrahamsa asked for the father and the son to be revived. The Goddess agreed.
When Dristrabuddhi sat up, he realized what had happened. He hugged Chandrahamsa and declared him the king of the land.
Soon Chandrahamsa had two twin sons Makaraksha and Padmaksha.
Arjuna entered this kingdom. Chandrahamsa greeted the Pandava and Krishna with honors. The horse was returned. After staying there for two days, Arjuna resumed his journey.
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