Virochana and Sudhanva Debate Over Keshini

Keshini asked a question that could not go unanswered. She stood before Virochana, the son of the asura king Prahlada, and put it plainly: "Are brahmanas or the sons of Diti superior? With whom should Sudhanva not be seated on the couch?" Virochana did not hesitate. "We are the descendants of Prajapati and are the supreme among beings. This entire world belongs to us. Who are the gods and who are the brahmanas?" Keshini said nothing more. She told him to sit where he was. They would wait for Sudhanva's arrival in the morning, and she would see them both together in the pavilion. When morning came, Sudhanva arrived and saw Virochana occupying the golden seat. "I cannot touch that golden seat occupied by you," Sudhanva said. "I will then descend to the same level as you and I cannot be seated with you." Virochana was dismissive. "You deserve a wooden plank, a handful of kusha grass or a cushion made of grass. You do not deserve to sit on the same seat as I." Sudhanva answered with a fact: "Even your father honours me and sits below me when we are seated together. You are a child reared in happiness at home and do not know anything." Virochana proposed a wager. He would stake gold, cows, horses — all the riches the asuras possessed. Let them put the question to those who know. "Forget your gold, cows and horses," Sudhanva said. "Let us stake our lives and put the question to those who know." Virochana hesitated. "Having staked our lives, where will we go? I will not stand before the gods, nor before men." "After having staked our lives, we will go to your father," Sudhanva said. "Prahlada will not utter a falsehood, even for the sake of his son." They went to Prahlada. He saw them coming on the same road, like two angry serpents. "You have never travelled together before," he said. "How is it that you are travelling together now? I am asking you about your friendship with Sudhanva." "There is no friendship between me and Sudhanva," Virochana said. "We have staked our lives. I am asking you a question. Please do not utter a falsehood." Prahlada ordered water and madhuparka (a ceremonial offering of honey and milk) to be brought for Sudhanva. He offered a fat white cow. Sudhanva refused — he had already been offered these on the way. "Answer the question that we are asking you." Prahlada did not answer directly. Instead, he turned to Sudhanva and asked a question of his own. "Where does the false witness, who neither speaks the truth nor lies, spend the night?" Sudhanva answered: "A false witness spends the night like a woman ignored, like one who has been defeated in gambling, or like one whose limbs are exhausted from carrying a load. A false witness spends the night like someone who is debarred from the city and remains hungry outside the gates, where he always sees many enemies. A lie for the sake of an animal implies that five are killed. A lie for the sake of a cow implies that ten are killed. A lie for the sake of a horse implies that one hundred are killed. A lie for the sake of a man implies that one thousand are killed. A lie for the sake of gold implies that those who have been born, and those who are yet to be born, are killed. A lie for the sake of land implies that everything is killed. Therefore, do not lie for the sake of land." Prahlada pronounced his judgment. "Angiras is superior to me and Sudhanva is superior to you. His mother is superior to your mother. Therefore, you have been won by him. This Sudhanva now owns your life." But Prahlada asked for his son back. "I desire that you should give it back to Virochana." Sudhanva agreed. "Since you have adhered to dharma and have not uttered a falsehood out of affection, I will give you this rare present of a son. Virochana, this son of yours, has been given by me to you. He should wash my feet before the maiden."