by Bibek Debroy
‘He saw her in Kurukshetra, on the banks of the Sarasvati. Her face was happy and she was with five friends. Pururava addressed her in a sukta. 1229 “O wife! Stay! O cruel one! Stay! You should not abandon me. Even now, your obtaining happiness from me has not ended. 1230 Let us converse. O divine lady! Now that you have cast me aside, far away, my excellent body will fall down. Since it no longer finds favour with you, wolves and vultures will devour it.” Urvashi replied, “Do not give up your life. You are a man. You must not allow wolves to devour you now. The hearts of women are like those of wolves and one should not have friendship with them. Women are merciless and cruel. They are extremely intolerant. For the sake of love, they can be rash. It is said that even for a trifling reason, they can kill a trusting husband or a brother. They can be deceitful and generate trust in ignorant men. They can abandon well-wishers. Desiring a new and newer lover, their conduct can be like that of pumshchalis and svairinis. At the end of every year, you will be my lord for one night. There will be offspring through our pleasure. However, you will also have other offspring.” 1231 On seeing that the divine lady was pregnant, he left for his own city. At the end of the year, he went there again. Urvashi was then the mother of a brave son. Filled with delight, he spent the night with her. However, he was miserable at the prospect of separation and Urvashi spoke to him. “Seek refuge with the gandharvas and they will bestow me on you.” O king! Satisfied by his praises, they gave him an agnisthali. 1232 He took this to be Urvashi and roamed around in the forest. When he understood, he left the vessel in the forest. He returned home and meditated through the night. Treta yuga was about to start and knowledge of the three 1233 was manifested in his mind. Going to the place where the vessel had been left, he saw an ashvattha tree growing from a shami tree. Desiring to go to Urvashi’s world, he used these as two churning rods. 1234 Chanting the urvashi mantra, 1235 the lord mediated on the upper and lower arani and the intervening space as the son who would be born from him. When they were rubbed against each other, the fire god, Jataveda, was generated. 1236 The king thought of the three kinds of knowledge as three of his sons. He desired to go to Urvashi’s world. Therefore, with that fire, he worshipped the lord of sacrifices, the illustrious Adhokshaja Hari, who is in all the gods. In earlier times, there was only one Veda—the syllable Oum, the store of all speech. There was only one divinity, Narayana. There was one Agni and one varna. O king! When treta yuga was about to start, Pururava made them three. Making Agni his son, the king went to the world of the gandharvas.’
Chapter 9(15)
Shri-Shuka said, ‘O king! Through Urvashi’s womb, Aila had six sons—Ayu, Shrutayu, Satyayu, Raya, Vijaya and Jaya. Shrutayu’s son was Vasuman and Satyayu’s son was Shrutanjaya. Raya’s son was Eka and Jaya’s son was Amita. Vijaya’s son was Bhima, Bhima’s son was Kanchana and Kanchana’s son was Hotraka. Hotraka’s son was Jahnu, who held the Ganga in the cup of his hand and drank her up. 1237 Jahnu’s son was Puru, Puru’s son was Balaka and Balaka’s son was Ajaka. Ajaka’s son was Kusha. Kusha had four sons—Kushambu, Tanaya, Vasu and Kushanabha. Kushambu’s son was Gadhi. A brahmana named Richika sought Gadhi’s daughter, Satyavati, in marriage. Considering that the groom was not an equal, Gadhi told Bhargava, 1238 “We belong to Kusha’s lineage. Give one thousand horses as a price for the girl. They should be as radiant as the moon. But each should have one ear that is black.” Having been thus addressed, he understood the intention and went to Varuna. He brought and gave those horses and married the one with the beautiful face. Both his wife and his mother-in-law desired offspring and beseeched the rishi. He cooked charu for both and pronounced mantras on them. 1239 The sage then went to have a bath. Satyavati’s mother asked her for the charu that had been cooked for her, taking it to be superior. Having given her that, she herself ate what was meant for her mother. Learning this, the sage told his wife, “You have given rise to a great hardship. Your son will be as terrible as the wielder of the rod. 1240 Your brother will be excellent in his knowledge of the brahman.” Pacified by Satyavati, Bhargava again said, “If your son is not like that, your grandson will be like that.” Jamadagni was born in this way. She became the extremely sacred Koushiki, 1241 the purifier of the world. It is said that Jamadagni married Renuka, Renu’s daughter. Through her, Bhargava rishi had Vasuman and other sons. The youngest to be born was famous as Rama. 1242 He is said to have been born from Vasudeva’s portion and brought an end to the lineage of the Haihayas. He exterminated kshatriyas from the earth twenty-one times. The insolent kshatriyas had become a burden on earth and caused harm to brahmanas. They were filled with great rajas and tamas. They caused offence, even because of a trifling reason.’
The king asked, ‘What did those royal ones, who were not in control of their atmans, do to the illustrious one? Why was the lineage of the kshatriyas repeatedly destroyed?’
Shri-Shuka replied, ‘The bull among kshatriyas, Arjuna 1243 was the lord of the Haihayas. He followed the rituals and worshipped Datta, 1244 a portion of the illustrious one. He thus obtained one thousand arms and was invincible in the midst of the enemy. His senses and power could not be restrained and he possessed prosperity, energy, valour, fame and strength. He obtained the powers and qualities of a lord of yoga, such as anima and the others. Without any restrictions, he roamed around the world, like the wind. Intoxicated with arrogance, he was once sporting in the waters of the Reva, 1245 surrounded by jewels among women. Radiant with a vaijayanti garland, 1246 he obstructed the waters of the river with his arms. The waters of the river started to flow in the opposite direction and flooded Dashanana’s 1247 own camp. Proud of his own valour, he could not tolerate the other’s prowess. When he caused him offence in the presence of the women, he 1248 playfully seized him and imprisoned him in Mahishmati, 1249 thereafter releasing him like a monkey. Once, as he pleased, he was wandering around in the desolate forest on a hunt and entered Jamadagni’s hermitage. The sage offered the divinity among men objects of worship. With his Havishmati, 1250 the store of austerities took care of the soldiers, the advisers and the mounts. He saw that jewel and also saw that his 1251 prosperity was far greater than his own. With the Haihayas, he didn’t welcome the hospitality, but desired the one who provided for agnihotra sacrifices. Insolent, he urged his men to seize the rishi’s Havishmati. With her calf, she was forcibly taken to Mahishmati, weeping as she was conveyed. When the king had left, Rama returned to the hermitage. Hearing about the wicked act, he was angry, like a snake that has been struck. He grasped his terrible battleaxe, quivers, armour and a bow. The extremely intolerant one followed, like a lion pursuing the leader of a herd. 1252 The noble and energetic one of the Bhrigu lineage descended. He wielded a bow. His weapons were arrows and a battleaxe. His garment was made out of black deer skin and his matted hair was as dazzling as the sun. As he 1253 was entering his city, he saw him. He urged seventeen extremely terrible akshouhinis, 1254 consisting of elephants, chariots, horses and foot soldiers, to fight against him. They wielded clubs, swords, arrows, javelins, shataghnis 1255 and spears. However, the illustrious one slaughtered them single-handedly. With the speed of the mind and of the wind, the slayer of enemies struck here and there with his battleaxe. In every such spot, arms, thighs and necks fell down on the ground. The charioteers and the mounts were killed. Haihaya saw that his own soldiers were brought down in the battle by Rama’s battleaxe and arrows. They lay down in a mire formed out of blood. Their armour, standards and bows were scattered, the bodies were brought down. Filled with rage, he attacked. With five hundred hands, Arjuna simultaneously fixed arrows to five hundred bows in Rama’s direction. However, Rama was foremost among the wielders of weapons. With arrows shot from a single bow, he simultaneously severed these. In the field of battle, he 1256 forcefully attacked, using his hands to uproot mountains and trees and fling them. But Rama used his axe, firm at the edges, to powerfully sever his arms, which were like the hoods of a serpent. With the arms severed, the head was like the summit of a mou
ntain and he severed this too. When their father was killed, his ten thousand sons fled in fear. The destroyer of enemy heroes retrieved the suffering one who provided for agnihotra sacrifices and her calf and returning to the hermitage, gave them to his father.
‘Rama told his father and his brothers what he had done. Hearing this, Jamadagni spoke to him. “O Rama! O mighty-armed one! O Rama! You have performed a wicked deed. This was unnecessary. The divinity among men was full of all the gods and you have killed him. O son! We are brahmanas. We are worshipped because we are forgiving. That is the way the preceptor of the worlds and of the gods 1257 has attained his status of Parameshthi. Forgiveness in a brahmana is agreeable. Like the radiance of the sun, it is their prosperity. The illustrious lord, Hari, is quickly pleased through forgiveness. The king’s head is sprinkled in a consecration and killing him is more serious than the killing of a brahmana. O dear one! With Achyuta in your mind, go to the tirthas and wash away this sin.”’
Chapter 9(16)
Shri-Shuka said, ‘O descendant of the Kuru lineage! Rama was thus instructed by his father. Agreeing, he roamed around for a year, visiting tirthas. He then returned to the hermitage. Once, Renuka went to the Ganga. She saw the king of the gandharvas, 1258 wearing a garland of lotuses, sporting there with apsaras. Having gone to the river for some water, she saw him sporting there. Desiring Chitraratha a bit, she forgot that it was time to offer oblations into the fire. Realizing that the time had passed, she was scared that the sage might curse her. Having returned, she placed the water pot and stood before him, her hands joined in salutation. Discerning that his wife had been guilty of a transgression, the sage was enraged. He said, “O sons! Kill this wicked one.” But they did not do what they had been asked to. His father then urged Rama to kill his mother and his brothers. Through his meditation and his austerities, he knew about the sage’s powers and acted accordingly. Satyavati’s son 1259 was pleased at this and requested him to ask for a boon. Rama said, “Let those who have been killed come back to life and let them not remember who killed them. They instantly arose, well, as if after sleeping. Rama had killed his relatives because he had known about his father’s learning, austerities and valour.
‘O king! Arjuna’s sons remembered the slaying of their own father. Having been vanquished by Rama’s valour, they could find no peace. Once, when Rama and his brothers had gone to the forest, they arrived at the hermitage. Because of the enmity, they desired revenge and finding an opportunity, arrived. The sage was seated at the place where the fire was kept, his mind absorbed in the illustrious Uttamashloka. Evil in their determination, they saw him and killed him. Piteously, Rama’s mother beseeched those extremely terrible ones. However, those kshatra-bandhus forcibly severed the head and took it away. Afflicted by grief, Renuka beat herself. The chaste lady screamed in sorrow, “O Rama! O son! O Rama!” From a distance, Rama heard these sounds of lamentation. He swiftly returned to the hermitage and saw that his father had been killed. He was bewildered by the force of grief, anger, intolerance, affliction and misery and said, “Alas! O father! You were virtuous. You followed dharma. You have abandoned us and have gone to heaven.” Lamenting in this way, he entrusted his father’s body to his brothers. Rama seized the battleaxe, making up his mind to destroy kshatriyas. Rama went to Mahishmati, which had lost its prosperity because a brahmana had been killed. O king! In the midst of the city, he created a giant mountain out of their heads. 1260 Their blood created a terrible river which caused fear to those who were against brahmanas. With his father’s killing being a reason, he became extremely inauspicious for the kshatriyas. On twenty-one occasions, the lord exterminated all kshatriyas from earth. In the place known as Samantapanchaka, he created nine lakes of blood. 1261 He fixed his father’s head to the body and laid it down on barhi grass. Through sacrifices, he worshipped the one who is in the atmans of all the gods. All the gods are in him. He gave the eastern direction to the hotri, the southern direction to the brahmana, the western direction to the adhvaryu and the northern direction to the udgatri. He gave others the corners, the centre to Kashyapa, Aryavarta to the officiating priests and all that remained to the assistant priests. Thereafter, he had the bath to complete the sacrifice in the great river Sarasvati, cleansing himself of all the sin that remained. He was as radiant as the sun in a sky without clouds. Jamadagni got his own body back, with all the signs of jnana. 1262 Worshipped by Rama, he became the seventh in the circle of rishis. 1263
‘O king! In the next manvantara, Rama, Jamadagni’s lotus-eyed son will be glorious. Having cast aside his rod and tranquil in his intelligence, even now, he resides on Mount Mahendra. The Siddhas, gandharvas and charanas sing about his conduct. In this way, the illustrious lord, Hari, the atman of the universe, descended in Bhrigu’s lineage to remove the earth’s heavy burden and killed many kings. Gadhi had an immensely energetic son who was like a fire that has been kindled. 1264 Through his austerities, he gave up his status as a kshatriya and obtained the radiance of a brahmana. O king! Vishvamitra had one hundred sons. Though the one in the middle was named Madhuchhanda, all of them are known as Madhuchhandas. He 1265 accepted Shunahshepa, who was born as Ajigarta’s son in the Bhrigu lineage, as his son and told his sons to accept him as their elder brother. He 1266 was also known as Devarata. In Harishchandra’s sacrifice, this man was sold as a sacrificial animal. He prayed to the gods and the lords of subjects and was released from his bondage of ropes. Since he was saved by the gods in a sacrifice, and destiny brought him to Gadhi’s lineage, Shunahshepa, actually born in Bhrigu’s lineage, came to be known as Devarata. 1267 However, the sons older than Madhuchhanda were not ready to accept this. The sage angrily cursed them, “O wicked ones! You will be mlechchhas.” 1268 With fifty others, Madhuchhanda said, “You know best. We will abide by whatever you decide. They told their elder, the one who knew about mantras, 1269 “We will follow you.” Vishvamitra told these sons, “Since you accepted and honoured me, you have made me a father of brave sons and you will be the fathers of brave sons. O Kushikas! O brave ones! Devarata is like you. Follow him.” He 1270 also had other sons—Ashtaka, Harita, Jaya, Kratumat and others. In this way, Vishvamitra divided the Koushika gotra and differentiated them into the superior and not so superior.’
Chapter 9(17)
Shri-Shuka said, ‘Pururava had a son named Ayu and his sons were Nahusha, Kshatravriddha, Raji, the valiant Rambha and Anena. O Indra among kings! Now hear about the ones who followed Kshatravriddha. Kshatravriddha had a son named Suhotra and Suhotra had three sons—Kashya, Kusha and Gritsamada. Gritsamada’s son was Shunaka and Shounaka 1271 was a sage who knew the best of the hymns. Kashya’s son was Kashi, Kashi’s son was Rashtra and Rashtra was the father of Dirghatama. Dirghatama had a son named Dhanvantari and he was the propounder of Ayurveda. He was born as a portion of Vasudeva, the enjoyer of sacrifices and the mere memory of whose name removes all afflictions. Dhanvantari’s son was Ketuman and Ketuman’s son was Bhimaratha. Bhimaratha’s son was Divodasa, Divodasa’s son was Dyuman and Dyuman’s son is said to be Pratardana and he was also known as Shatrujit, Vatsa and Ritadhvaja. He was also named Kuvalayashva, and Alarka and others were his sons. O king! Other than Alarka, there was no one else who ruled the earth for sixty-six thousand years and still remained young. Alarka’s son was Santati and Santati’s son was Sunitha. Sunitha’s son was Niketana, Niketana’s son was Dharmaketu, and Satyaketu was born from Dharmaketu. Satyaketu’s son was Dhrishtaketu and Dhrishtaketu’s son was Sukumara, the lord of the earth. His son was Vitihotra, Vitihotra’s son was Bharga and Bharga’s son, Bhargabhumi, became a king. In Kshatravriddha’s lineage, these are the kings descended from Kashi. Rabhasa was Rambha’s son, Rabhasa’s son was Gambhira and Gambhira’s son was Akriya, and Brahmavit was born from Akriya’s gotra. Now hear about Anena’s lineage. Anena’s son was Shuddha, Shuddha’s son was Shuchi and Shuchi’s son was Trikakud, also known as Dharmasarathi. Dharmasarathi’s son was Shantaraya, who knew about the atman and perform
ed various rites. Raji had five hundred extremely energetic sons. Entreated by the gods, he 1272 killed daityas and handed over heaven to Indra. However, Indra was scared of Prahlada and the others. Therefore, he surrendered himself, clasped Raji’s feet and gave it back to him. When their father died, he asked the sons 1273 to return it. However, they did not return heaven, though they gave the great Indra a share in the sacrifices. The preceptor 1274 offered oblations into the fire and Bala’s slayer 1275 slew Raji’s sons, who had deviated from the path. Not a single one was left. In Kshatravriddha’s lineage, Prati was born as Kusha’s son. Prati’s son was Sanjaya and Sanjaya’s son was Jaya. Jaya’s son was Krita and Krita’s son was King Haryavana. Haryavana’s son was Sahadeva, Sahadeva’s son was Hina and Heena’s son was Jayasena. Jayasena’s son was Samkriti, Samkriti’s son was Jaya, a maharatha who followed the dharma of kshatriyas. The kings in Kshatravriddha’s lineage have been described. Now hear about those descended from Nahusha’s son.’
Chapter 9(18)
Shri-Shuka said, ‘Like the senses in embodied beings, 1276 Nahusha had six sons—Yati, Yayati, Samyati, Ayati, Viyati and Kriti. Knowing about the consequences of accepting a kingdom, when his father offered it to him, Yati did not want it. He knew that once a man enters this state, he can no longer comprehend the atman. His father was dislodged from his status because he caused an offence to Indra. 1277 The brahmanas made him become a python. Therefore, Yayati became the king. He placed his four younger brothers in charge of the four directions and ruled the earth. He married the daughters of Kavya and Vrishaparva.’ 1278