CHAPTER IX.

( YUDHISHTHIRA'S ACQUISITION OF KINGDOM. )

Ifn this way, said Su.ta, being afraid of the oppression

~ca.used to humanity, (Yudhishthira) then repaired, with
a view to learn all (kinds of) duties (a), to the Place of
Destruction ( b) where the (grand-uncle), Devoted to
Religion ( c ), was lying. 1.

( a ) 8arua-clhamia-vivit1a94 [ with ••• dutiea ]-See CTlclhara, 2.

( b) Yina~amnl' [ the Place of Destruction ].-It ref~ to the ba,ttle-field al
Kurukshetra, and also means a count1·y iu the north-west of Delhi and adjacent
to the modern Panipat. Vma9ana. is mentioned in Ma.nu c. II. v. 21. The
plain of the Kurus was a. tract of land to the east of the J amuna, in the upper
part of the Doab, noar the city of Delhi, and the river Sarasva.tl. Hastinlipura
was its capital. Here was laid the site of the war between the Kurus and the
P~davas, and in later da.ys was fought the battle of Panipat. •
( c) lkva:vratah [tbe ... De,•ot.ed to Religion].-It is another name of Bhlshma,
th4tgrand-uncle ofYudh1shthir.i.. He was the son of9\ntanu and Gangi!.. It will
appear from the Nah4bh4rata that f-:1.ntanu, the kmg of Hast111apura wanted
to marry, m bis old age, a young and beautiful damsel. Tho parents of the girl
would not, however, agree to the proposal, as there would have been no chance
of the issue of such a marriage, succeeding 9:1.ntanu who had an eldest son
existiq.g in Sii.tanava, who was subsequently named as Bh1shma, on account
ofhis vow that he would not accept the kingdom or marry a wife or be-
come the father of children by any womau, and any son bom to 9antanu by
the proposed marriage would succeed him. This vow was considered the most
'dreadful', hence be was so named. Ho is an important persons.ge in the Mahl!.-
bbarata., bemg the half-brother of both Vichitra-virya and Vynsa, it is needless
t'> ad.I th-t.t his father S <ntanu was a descendant of Bharat•, r..nd had his son
V1cl11tra-vlrya by his lawfully-wedded wife Satyavatl, and Bhlshma by Gang&
before his marriage. Owing to Vichitra-vlrya died childless, Bblsbma undertook
the Government of HastinApura, and brought up h's three nepbews,-Dhrit.a-
rliBtra, Pavdu, and Vidura, the sons of his half-brother VyABa, begotten on the
consort of Vichitra-111rya. It is for this TeMOn, he is sometimes called their
father. In the gree.t war of· Kurukrlhetra he apoused tho cawie of bill grand-