12.126
Bhīṣma said.
Then, among all those sages, the foremost sage, Ṛṣabha by name, the Brāhmaṇa sage, as if smiling, then spoke.
O tiger among kings, once, while I was wandering through holy places, O lord, I reached the divine hermitage of Nara and Nārāyaṇa.
O king, where the beautiful Badarī and the celestial lake are, and where the sage Aśvaśirā recites the eternal Vedas.
Formerly, in that lake, I performed the water-offering according to the rules for the ancestors and deities; then, at that time, I went to the hermitage.
Where Nara and Nārāyaṇa sages always delighted, not far from there, I went to a certain hermitage for the purpose of staying.
Then I saw a sage, tall and exceedingly emaciated, wearing bark and deer skin, approaching—a body named the treasure of austerity.
O mighty-armed one, no other men have ever seen a form endowed with eight qualities and such leanness as this, O royal sage, anywhere.
O king, even his body was as small as a little finger; his neck, arms, feet, and hairs were all of marvelous appearance.
O best of kings, the head, ears, and eyes should be proportional to the body; likewise, his speech and actions should also be generally appropriate.
Seeing that emaciated brāhmaṇa, I, overcome with fear and deep distress, saluted his feet and then stood before him with joined palms.
O best of men, after I had informed (my) name, lineage, and father, and when he indicated the seat, I slowly sat down.
Then he narrated stories relating to dharma and artha; among the sages, O great king, there was the best among the upholders of dharma.
But as he was speaking, the lotus-eyed king, accompanied by his army and women, set out using swift horses.
Extremely distressed, the wise and illustrious Raghu, father of Bhūridyumna, kept remembering his son who was lost in the forest.
The king, filled with hope, used to wander this forest in former times, thinking, 'Here I shall see that son; I shall see him here.'
That supremely righteous one, my only son, who is difficult to find, is lost in the great forest—I have said this again and again at that time.
He is very difficult for me to see, and my hope is great; because of that, with my body afflicted, I am desiring to die—there is no doubt about it.
Hearing this, the venerable sage of excellent form stood for a moment with his head bowed, deeply absorbed in meditation.
Seeing him lost in thought, the king, deeply troubled and dejected, spoke words slowly and repeatedly, as if with great difficulty.
O best of Brāhmaṇas, what is truly difficult to obtain? And what may be the nature of hope? Let the venerable one tell me this, if it is not a secret.
Previously, the venerable great sage was insulted by him, who, due to his own misfortune, had adopted a childish intellect.
Requesting a pot, gold, and bark garments, O king, the Brāhmaṇa sage became disheartened and hopeless.
Having thus spoken and saluted the sage honored by the world, the righteous-souled, tired, sat down just as you do, O best of men.
Thereafter, the great sage, having brought together the offering of water and water for washing the feet, offered everything to the king according to the procedure prescribed for forest-dwellers.
Then all the sages gathered around the best of men, seated him at the forefront, just as the seven sages assemble around Dhruva.
They asked the unconquered king there, saying, "The entire purpose is to enter the hermitage."
The king said.
I am the king well-known as Vīradyumna, renowned in all directions. I have come to the forest to search for my lost son Bhūridyumna.
He has only one son, who is the foremost among Brāhmaṇas, still a child and sinless. He is not seen in this forest; I am wandering here to search for him.
Ṛṣabha said.
When the king spoke thus, the sage lowered his face and remained silent there, not replying to the king.
He, O king, that brāhmaṇa, not being excessively honoured by the king in former times, emaciated by hope, undertook long austerities.
I resolved, "I will never accept gifts from kings; and having made up my mind thus regarding the other castes as well, then."
Hope, like a mother fondling her child, entices a man who stands still. Having resolved, 'I will remove her,' I stood firm.
The king said.
What is the thinness of hope, and what is difficult to obtain here on earth? Let the venerable one, who truly understands dharma and artha, declare this truth.
Ṛṣabha said.
Then, the venerable sage, whose body was emaciated, recollecting all that, as if wishing to remind, spoke to the king.
O king, in the state of being thin, there is nothing equal to hope, O ruler; because of its rarity, I have sought after kings.
The king said.
O Brahman, I have accepted both the thin and not-thin (forms) by your word; their difficulty of attainment is just like a Vedic statement, O twice-born.
O greatly wise one, a doubt has arisen in my heart; therefore, O best one, please explain the truth to me as I am asking.
What could the revered one say that is more insignificant than what you know? O brāhmaṇa, if there is no secret for you in this world, then what indeed is unattainable?
The thin-bodied one said.
It is rare, or perhaps impossible, to find a supplicant who attains steadfastness; dearest, rarer still is the one who does not look down upon a supplicant.
Having heard, one does not assist another with power as is proper; the one who is attached to all beings, her desire has become thinner by me.
A father who has only one son, when his son is lost or has gone away, and he does not receive any news of him, his hope, as I have seen, becomes ever more frail.
At childbirth, women and the aged have a desire for sons; likewise, O king, among the wealthy, desire is very slight, as I have observed.
Ṛṣabha said:
O king, upon hearing this, that king, accompanied by his women, bowed down and touched the feet of the foremost brāhmaṇa with his head.
The king said.
I respectfully approach you, O revered one, with my son, seeking union. And, O Brāhmaṇa, choose whatever boon you wish, as is proper.
Ṛṣabha said.
The lotus-eyed king spoke these words: "O Brāhmaṇa, what you have said is true; there is nothing false in it."
Then, having smiled, the venerable form, the best among the upholders of dharma, quickly brought his son by means of austerity and Vedic knowledge.
Having brought his son and then reproaching the king, the best among the upholders of dharma revealed himself as the embodiment of righteousness.
After revealing himself in a divine and wondrous form, free from sin and anger, he departed from the edge of the forest.
O king, I have seen this and then heard the words. Quickly abandon this frail hope of yours.
Bhīṣma said.
There, O great king, Ṛṣabha, the great-souled one, addressed him. Then Sumitra quickly dispelled the faint hope.
Therefore, O son of Kunti, after hearing these words of mine, remain steadfast like the Himalaya, O king, the foremost of mountains.
You are truly both the observer and the listener in these difficult situations and for the sake of purpose here; having heard my words, O great king, you should not be distressed here.
