Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c12.48

v2.c12.48

Like him in holiness, penitential might, and irritability was the great Muni Jamadagni, and at the same time a master of bowmanship. “Once the holy man, the Bhrigus’ son, was amusing himself by fixing and then shooting one arrow after another. These shining, flaming arrows, shot off by him were brought back again in quick succession by Reṇukā (his wife), and given to him. At the sound of the bow-string and the arrows he was joyfully stirred, and went on shooting, and she brought them back again to him. Then, when the sun, now in the summer month of Jyeshṭha, had climbed the heights of midday, the Brahman who had sent forth the arrows said these words to Reṇukā: ‘Go, big-eyed one, and bring hither those arrows that have sped from the bow, that I may shoot them off again at once, O thou with the lovely brows.’ On her way thither the glorious one went into the shade under a tree, for her head and her feet were burning hot. But when she had been standing a moment, the pure, the black-eyed one went on her way, fearing her husband’s curse, to fetch back the arrows; and the shining one came back with the arrows in her hand. Wearied, indeed, and keeping down her pain, she with the lovely limbs walked up to her husband, trembling with fear of him. Then the angry Rishi kept on saying these words to her with the shining face: ‘Reṇukā, wherefore art thou so late in coming?’ Reṇukā spoke: ‘My head and feet are truly burning, O thou rich in asceticism; being weighed down by the glow of the sun, I took shelter in the shadow of a tree. This is why, O Brahman, I took so long. Now that thou hast heard this, O lord, be not angered, O thou rich in penitence.’ Jamadagni spoke: ‘Now will I shoot down him with the flaming beams who has brought pain on thee, O Reṇukā; the sun god with my arrows by the fiery strength of the bolt¹ will I shoot down.’” The sun god, whether he likes it or no, now has to submit: he makes his appearance in the shape of a Brahman, and first tries to show the angry man that the sun must shine thus for the good of the world; and when the stubborn fellow will not listen, he soothes him with humble words and gestures, and gives him a pair of sandals, and a sunshade against the heat of the day-star. Thus did these two useful things originate. But whether the poor woman also had any service from them is not clear from the account, which, indeed, has for its object only to fire men on to give the Brahmans sunshade and sandals (xiii, 95, 96). But here, too, we are reminded of Dushyanta’s words: “By patience with their husbands women reach the virtue of faithfulness” (K., i, 100.28).