h
great prowess, they were possessed of great energy and great might. Alas,
they who used daily to come to battle with this hope firmly implanted in
their hearts, viz., that they would conquer, alas even they, possessed of
great wisdom, are lying on a field, struck (with weapons) and deprived of
life. The significance of the word Death hath today been made
intelligible, for these lords of earth, of terrible prowess, have almost
all been dead. Those heroes are lying motionless; reft of vanity, having
succumbed to foes. Many princes, filled with wrath, have been victimised
before the fire (of their enemies' wrath). A great doubt possesses me,
viz., whence is Death? Whose (offspring) is Death? What is Death? Why
does Death take away creatures? O grandsire, O thou that resemblest a
god, tell me this."'

"Sanjaya continued, 'Unto Kunti's son, Yudhishthira, asking him thus, the
illustrious Rishi, comforting him, said these words.'

"'Vyasa said, "As regards the matter in hand, O king, this ancient story of
what Narada had in days of old said unto Akampana is cited. King
Akampana, O monarch, I know, while in this world was afflicted with very
great and unbearable grief on account of the death of his son, I will now
tell thee the excellent story about the origin of Death. Having listened
to it, thou wilt be emancipated from sorrow and the touch of affection's
tie. Listen to me, O sire, as I recite this ancient history. This history
is, indeed, excellent. It enhanceth the period of life, killeth grief and
conduceth to health. It is sacred, destructive of large bodies of foes,
and auspicious of all auspicious things. Indeed, this history is even as
the study of the Vedas. O monarch, it should every morning be listened to
by the foremost of kings who are desirous of longlived children and their
own good.

"'"In days of old, O sire, there was a king named Akampana. Once, on the
field of battle, he was surrounded by his foes and nearly overpowered by
them. He had a son who was called Hari. Equal to Narayana himself in
might, that latter was exceedingly handsome, accomplished in weapons,
gifted with great intelligence, possessed of might, resembled Sakra
himself in battle. Encompassed by countless foes on the field of battle,
he sped thousands of shafts at those warriors and the elephants that
surrounded him. Having achieved the most difficult feats in battle, O
Yudhishthira, that scorcher of foes was, at last, slain in the midst o