The Bhagavata Purana 2

by Bibek Debroy

  The king asked, ‘The illustrious Kavya was a brahmana rishi and Nahusha was a kshatra-bandhu. How did this pratiloma marriage 1279 between a royal descendant and a brahmana occur?’

  Shri-Shuka replied, ‘The Indra among the danavas had a garden that was full of flowering trees, the beautiful humming of bees, charming pools and sandy banks. Once, the lady and maiden named Sharmishtha, was roaming there, along with one thousand friends. This included Devayani, the beautiful daughter of the preceptor. Those lotus-eyed maidens approached a pool of water. They left their garments on the bank and sported there, splashing water on each other. They saw Girisha roaming around, astride his bull and accompanined by the goddess. 1280 Ashamed, the ladies quickly arose from the water and put on their garments. Unknowingly, Sharmishtha put on the garment that belonged to the preceptor’s daughter, taking it to be her own. Angry, Devayani said, “Alas! Behold the unbecoming act of this servant maid. It was mine, but she has donned it, like a female dog that steals oblations from a sacrifice. We are the mouth of the supreme being and everything has been created through our austerities. We sustain his resplendence in this world and we are the ones who indicate the auspicious path. The guardians of the worlds and the lords of the gods abide by what we say. So does the illustrious and pure one, the atman of the universe and Shri’s abode. Among them, we are descended from Bhrigu’s lineage. Her father, the asura, is our disciple. Nevertheless, this unchaste one has donned my garment, like a shudra claiming the Vedas.” Thus addressed, Sharmishtha was enraged. She sighed, like a female serpent that has been injured. Biting her lips, she addressed the preceptor’s daughter. “O beggar! Not knowing your own status, why are you boasting a lot? Do you not wait in our house, like one who is searching for scraps?” 1281 Using such harsh words, Sharmishtha angrily took away the garment of the preceptor’s virtuous daughter and flung her into a well. After she had returned to her own house, Yayati was roaming around on a hunt. Wandering around as he willed, he came to the well in search of water and saw her. She was naked and the king gave her his own upper garment. Overcome by compassion, he held her hand in his hand and pulled her out. Ushanas’s daughter was filled with trust and love and addressed him in these words. “O brave one! O king! O conqueror of enemy cities! You have held me by the hand. Since my hand has been grasped by you, no one else will accept my hand. O brave one! This relationship has been brought about by the lord and not by a human agency. Having fallen into the well, I caught sight of you. O mighty-armed one! Earlier, Kacha, Brihaspati’s son, had cursed me that no brahmana would accept my hand.” 1282 Yayati had not intended this, but thought that this had been brought about by destiny. Moreover, his heart was attracted to her. Therefore, he accepted her words. When the king had left, the patient one returned and, weeping, told her father everything that Sharmishtha had said and done. Distressed, the illustrious Kavya condemned life as a priest. Praising the subsistence followed by a pigeon, 1283 he left the city with his daughter. Vrishaparva got to know. Because of the prospect of his preceptor helping his adversaries, he stopped him along the way. He prostrated his head at his feet and placated him. The illustrious Bhargava’s anger never lasted for a long time and he told his disciple, “O king! I cannot abandon her. 1284 Therefore, do what she wants.” He said that he would act accordingly and Devayani told him what was in her mind. “When my father bestows me on someone, let her and her companions follow me.” He perceived the danger to his relatives and therefore gave these words, that Sharmishtha and her companions should follow Devayani when she was bestowed by her father, with due importance. Like servant-maids, those one thousand women surrounded Devayani. Ushanas bestowed his daughter on Nahusha’s son and also gave Sharmishtha. However, he said, “O king! Never allow Sharmishtha on your bed.” O king! On one occasion, Sharmishtha saw that Ushanas’s daughter delivered an excellent son. In private, the virtuous lady spoke to her friend’s husband. The princess desired offspring and the one who knew about dharma reflected on dharma. 1285 Though he remembered Shukra’s words, at the time, because of destiny, he accepted. Devayani gave birth to Yadu and Turvasu. Sharmishtha, Vrishaparva’s daughter, gave birth to Druhyu, Anu and Puru. The proud Devayani got to know that the asura’s daughter had conceived through her husband. Senseless with rage, she left for her father’s house. Desiring her, he followed his beloved and sought to appease her through words. Unable to please her in this way, he tried things like massaging her feet.

  ‘Shukra angrily said, “O false man! You lust after women. O evil-minded one! You will be overtaken by old age, which disfigures the bodies of men.” Yayati replied, “O brahmana! My desire for your daughter has still not been satiated.” The answer was, “As long as you still have desire left, in exchange, get youth from someone who is willing.” Having obtained this arrangement, Yayati spoke to his eldest son, “O son! O Yadu! Accept this old age in your body and give me your youth. O child! Your maternal grandfather is the reason for this and I am not yet satisfied with material objects. Give me your youth, so that I can enjoy for a few more years.” Yadu replied, “I am not interested in this old age, which you have obtained though you are middle-aged. Without knowing about carnal pleasures, there cannot be detachment in a man.” 1286 O descendant of the Bharata lineage! The father urged Turvasu, Druhyu and Anu. However, they did not know about dharma. Their minds were such that they regarded temporary things as permanent. Therefore, they refused. At this, he asked his son Puru, who was younger in age, but superior in qualities. “O child! Like your elder brothers, you should not refuse me.” Puru replied, “O Indra among men! In this world, a man obtains his own self because of his father and who is capable of repaying this? It is through his 1287 favours that one obtains what is best. A superior son acts after anticipating what his father wants. A middling son does what he is asked to do. An inferior son obeys reluctantly. A son who does not obey is like a father’s excrement.” Thus, Puru happily accepted his father’s old age. O king! With this youth, he 1288 enjoyed himself, as he willed. He became the lord of the seven dvipas and protected the subjects properly, like a father. Without his senses being constrained in any way, he enjoyed material objects, as he wished. Devayani always brought him delight, with her mind, words, body and objects. She brought great pleasure to her beloved and in private, he enjoyed himself with his beloved. He performed many yajnas and kratus to the lord of sacrifices, with copious quantities of dakshina. He worshipped the divinity Hari. He is in all the gods and all the gods are in him. He is the one who has created everything and is like the sky, with a large number of clouds. 1289 He is manifest in many different forms, but is also not manifest. He appears as if in a dream, in maya, or in wishes. He 1290 immersed his heart in Vasudeva, who is in the core of all hearts. With no particular object in mind, he worshipped the lord Narayana, who cannot be seen. In this way, the senses, and the mind as the sixth, enjoyed happiness for one thousand years. But despite doing this, the emperor was not satisfied.’

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  Shri-Shuka said, ‘Yayati acted in this way, with desire for women clouding what was good for him. When he understood, he was disenchanted and recited this chant to his beloved. “O Bhargava’s daughter! Listen to this chant about someone like me on earth. Patient people who reside in the forest and in the village lament his lot. In a forest, there was a goat that was searching for something it would like. It saw a she-goat that had fallen into a well as a result of her own karma. The goat was driven by lust and thought of a means to lift her up. He used the tips of his horns to dig up the edges, so that there would be a passage for her to emerge. After emerging from the well, the beautiful-hipped she-goat desired him. He was stout, bearded and excellent. His penis possessed strength and he was accomplished in sexual intercourse. On seeing this, many other beautiful she-goats also desired him as their beloved partner. That single ram increased sexual desire in many. Overwhelmed by desire, he found pleasure with them and did not understand himself. The she-goat that had suffered from falling into
the well saw that her beloved was engaged in sexual intercourse and was enjoying himself with other she-goats. She could not tolerate this. She thought that the one who had appeared as a well-wisher was actually an ill-wisher. He was lascivious and his friendship had lasted for a short while. Miserable, she gave up pleasure that comes from the senses and returned to her master. However, he was devoted to his wife and followed her, seeking to placate the unhappy one. Along the path, he bleated and did the other things that goats do. But he was unable to pacify her. Angry, the brahmana who was the she-goat’s master severed the goat’s testicles. Since he was skilled in yoga, he thereafter fixed the dangling testicles back again. O fortunate one! When his testicles had been fixed back, for a long period of time, the goat enjoyed himself with the she-goat who had been rescued from the well. Nevertheless, even today, after many days, his desire has not been satisfied. O one with the excellent eyebrows! Controlled by my love for you, I am as unhappy as that. Confounded by your maya, I have not realized my atman. If a man is destroyed by desire, all the grain, barley, gold, animals and women on earth are not capable of bringing pleasure to his mind. If desire has been generated, that desire is not pacified through enjoying objects. Like ghee offered to the one with the black trails, 1291 it is again kindled. If a man’s sentiments are not like that, he does not cause injury to any living being. He is impartial towards everyone and all the directions are full of happiness for him. For evil-minded people, this is very difficult to give up. Even when the body is withered, it does not wither away. That thirst brings misery with it. If a person desires peace, he must swiftly give it up. In private, such a person must not sit on the same seat with a mother, a sister or a daughter. The aggregate of the senses is powerful and can make even a learned person deviate. I have continuously served material objects for one thousand years. Nevertheless, after enjoying them, the thirst for them continues to increase. Therefore, I will give all this up and turn my mind to meditating on the brahman. I will be without opposite pairs of sentiments. Without any ahamkara, I will roam around with animals. Everything that is seen or heard is temporary. Comprehending this, one should not think about them, or enjoy them. The cycle of samsara destroys the atman. A person who is learned in this way realizes the atman.” Nahusha’s son told his wife this. He returned the youth to Puru and got back his own old age. He was devoid of any desires.

  ‘The lord gave the south-eastern direction to Druhyu, the southern direction to Yadu, the western direction to Turvasu and the northern direction to Anu. He consecrated Puru, the best among them all, over the entire surface of the earth and the subjects, asking his elders to remain obedient to him. He then went to the forest. For a very large number of years, he had served the six 1292 and material objects. Like a bird leaving the nest when its feathers have grown, in an instant, he freed himself from all this. There, he was completely freed from all kinds of association. Cleansed of the three attributes, 1293 he realized the atman. He was absorbed in the unblemished brahman and realized the destination obtained by a devotee of the illustrious Vasudeva. Hearing the song, 1294 Devayani thought that it was meant to persuade her to realize the atman and was not merely a story recounted affectionately in casual conversation and jest between a man and a woman. She realized that this residence with relatives was controlled by the lord and was fashioned by the lord’s maya. It was like those who go to a watering hole. 1295 This was like a dream. Therefore, Bhargava’s daughter gave up all attachment. Immersing her mind in Krishna, she gave up the manifestations of the atman. 1296 I bow down to the illustrious Vasudeva, the creator of everything. He resides in all creatures. I bow down to the great and tranquil one.’

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  Shri-Shuka said, ‘O descendant of the Bharata lineage! I will now tell you about Puru’s lineage, the one you are descended from. Royal sages were born in this line and so were brahmanas who started their own lineages. Puru’s son was Janamejaya and his son was Prachinvan. Prachinvan’s son was Pravira, Pravira’s son was Namasyu and Namasyu’s son was Charupada. Charupada’s son was Sudyu, Sudyu’s son was Bahugava and Bahugava’s son was Samyati. Samyati’s son was Ahamyati and it is said that Ahamyati’s son was Roudrashva. Through the apsara Ghritachi, Roudrashva had ten sons—Riteyu, Kuksheyu, Sthandileyu, Kriteyu, Jaleyu, Sannateyu, Dharmeyu, Satyetu, Vrateyu and Vaneyu as the youngest. This is just like the ten senses 1297 being evolved from the mouth of the one who is the atman of the universe. O king! Riteyu had a son named Rantibhara and he had three sons—Sumati, Dhruva and Apratiratha. Kanva was Apratiratha’s son. Kanva’s son was Medhatithi, whose sons were Praskanna and other brahmanas. Sumati had a son named Raibhya and it is held that Dushyanta was his son.

  ‘Having gone on a hunt, Dushyanta went to Kanva’s hermitage. He saw a lady seated there. She was like Rama 1298 and illuminated everything with her own radiance. On seeing her, he was instantly smitten, as if by divine maya. Though he was surrounded by some of his soldiers, he spoke to that beautiful lady. He was delighted to see her and all his exhaustion was gone. Tormented by desire, he smiled and asked her in gentle words. “O lotus-eyed one! Who are you? O one who pleases the heart! Whom do you belong to? Why are you in this desolate forest? What do you desire? O one with the excellent waist! I can see that you are evidently the daughter of a king. The minds of those from Puru’s lineage are never attracted towards something that constitutes adharma.” Shakuntala replied, “I am Vishvamitra’s daughter and have been abandoned by Menaka in the forest. 1299 The illustrious Kanva knows all this. O brave one! What can we do for you? O lotus-eyed one! Be seated here and accept whatever we offer you. Enjoy this wild rice. If it pleases you, reside here.” Dushyanta said, “O one with the excellent eyebrows! Since you have been born in Kushika’s lineage, this is worthy of you. Maidens born in royal lineages themselves choose a groom who is their equal.” The king knew about the rules for the time and the place. When she said “Oum”, 1300 following the dharma of gandharva rituals, he married Shakuntala. 1301 The royal sage’s semen was potent and he deposited his semen in his queen. Next morning, he left for his own city. In course of time, she delivered a son. In the forest, Kanva performed all the rites for the boy. The boy was so strong that he could seize a lion, bind it and play with it. His valour was impossible to resist and he was born as Hari’s portion. Taking him with her, the excellent woman went to her husband. However, the king did not accept his wife and son, both of whom were unblemished. All the creatures then heard an invisible voice speak from the sky. “O Dushyanta! A mother is a mere receptacle. 1302 A son belongs to the father from whom he has been born. Nurture your son. Do not insult Shakuntala. O divinity among men! A son belongs to the person whose semen it was and he delivers from Yama’s abode. You are the origin of the foetus and Shakuntala has spoken the truth.” When his father left for the other world, he became an extremely illustrious chakravarti. He was born from Hari’s portion and his greatness is sung about on earth. He possessed the sign of a chakra on his right palm and the mark of a lotus on the soles of his feet. The lord was consecrated as an emperor at a mahabhisheka and performed sacrifices. With Mamata’s son 1303 as the priest, he performed fifty-five horse sacrifices along the course of the Ganga. Along the course of the Yamuna, he performed seventy-eight horse sacrifices. Tying the horses there, he donated riches. The altars for the sacrificial fires of Bharata, Dushyanta’s son, were erected at excellent spots. Each brahmana received his share of one thousand badvas of cows. 1304 Binding one hundred and thirty three horses for sacrifices, he astounded the kings. The prosperity of Dushyanta’s son surpassed even that of the gods. No former king could achieve the greatness of Bharata’s deeds, nor will any king do so in the future, just as it is impossible to achieve heaven through the strength of one’s arms. In conquests, he killed all the Kiratas, Hunas, Yavanas, Andhras, Kankas, Khashas, Shakas and mlechchha kings who were against brahmanas. Earlier, the asuras had vanquished the gods and had dispatched the celestial women to rasatala. He defeated them and too
k them 1305 and their loved ones away from rasatala, restoring their original states. At that time, the subjects could milk heaven and earth for all the objects of desire. He ruled for twenty-seven thousand years and his wheel was unrestrained in every direction.

  ‘He was an emperor who was known as the guardian of the worlds. The emperor possessed opulence and prosperity. His wheel was unrestrained. But since everything to do with life was unreal, he no longer enjoyed it. O king! He had three revered wives, all from Vidarbha. However, they considered that the sons who were born from him did not resemble him. Therefore, they killed them. 1306 When he 1307 saw that his lineage was being destroyed, for the sake of a son, he performed a sacrifice to the Maruts and the Maruts presented Bharadvaja to him. When his brother’s wife 1308 was pregnant, Brihaspati tried to have intercourse with her. The foetus that was inside prevented him. He released his semen, cursing the foetus which was trying to prevent the act. Mamata wished to abandon the child, 1309 scared that her husband would cast her away because of this. However, the gods made them utter a shloka, giving a name to the child. Brihaspati said, “O foolish lady! Nurture this child, he has been born from both of us.” 1310 Mamata replied, “O Brihaspati! Nurture this child, he has been born from both of us.” Saying this, both mother and father abandoned him and he came to be known as Bharadvaja. Though the gods urged them, they were both of the view that this son was of no use. When his 1311 lineage was going to be destroyed, the Maruts bestowed this child, whom they had nurtured, on him.’

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