Functions of the Gods. 83 



falsehood, and Drona lets fall his weapons and is 

 killed. If the story stopped there, we might well 

 be puzzled. If Yudhishthira's life was no further 

 told, we might well ask : what is this that we have 

 studied ? But when we remember that one of the 

 great functions of the Teacher, the Gurudeva, is to 

 bring out any weakness inherent in His pupil, 

 because otherwise that weakness will keep the man 

 tied, and he will not be fit to be liberated, we pause 

 and read on. When that lie was spoken, the chariot 

 of Yudhishthira sank downwards to the ground, no 

 longer able to support itself, truth having been vio- 

 lated. And as years went on, the bitterness of that 

 memory of a falsehood remained ; the sorrow of 

 the slaying of the preceptor by a lie ate deep into 

 the heart of the king ; he never recovered from it, 

 he never got rid of its effect ; over and over again, 

 he breaks from his repose in anguish ; "I have 

 slain my Guru." The sorrow worked and the shame, 

 till the anguish purified that noble soul from the 

 last stain of weakness ; and when the Great 

 Journey is over, when wife and brothers lie dead 

 behind him and he utters not a word of protest 

 against the death of his beloved, when he stands 

 ready to ascend to heaven, when only one living 

 creature remains with him, the dog who had 

 followed after him faithfully through all his wander- 



