by Bibek Debroy
Chapter 13
‘Markandeya said, “The resplendent and illustrious god of the gods spoke to me in this way. I again asked Sanatkumara, the god without decay, the illustrious one who is the foremost among the immortals, about my doubts. O scorcher of enemies! O Gangeya!194 Listen to everything, right from the beginning. ‘What are the categories of ancestors and what are the types of worlds they are established in?195 Where are those gods, the extenders of Soma, the foremost among the gods?’
‘“Sanatkumara replied, ‘In heaven, there are said to be seven categories of ancestors and they are supreme among those who meditate. Of these, four are embodied and three are without form.196 O one rich in austerities! I will tell you about their worlds, their creation, their powers and their greatness. Listen. There are three supreme categories that are the embodied forms of dharma. I will recount their names and their worlds. Listen. There are resplendent worlds known as Sanatana.197 These disembodied sons of Prajapati dwell there. O best among brahmanas! As sons of Viraja, they are known as Vairaja. The diverse gods follow the indicated rites and worship them. They are knowledgeable about the brahman and obtain the eternal worlds. However, because they deviate from yoga, they are reborn after one thousand yugas. But when they regain their memory, they obtain supreme sankhya and yoga.198 They are successful and obtain the destination of yoga, from which, return199 is extremely rare. O son!200 These ancestors are yogis and the extenders of yoga. Earlier, through the strength of their yoga, they invoked Soma. O supreme among brahmanas! Therefore, at funeral ceremonies, offerings must be rendered to these yogis. They represent the supreme and first creation and are named Somapas. Their daughter, born through mental powers, is the great mountain named Mena. She is the supreme wife of the Himalayas and her son is said to be Mainaka. Mainaka’s son is the handsome and giant mountain named Krouncha. It is sparkling and the best among mountains, encrusted with many gems. The king of the mountains201 had three daughters through Mena: Aparna, Ekaparna and Ekapatala as the third. These three performed austerities that were extremely difficult even for the gods and the danavas. They thus tormented the worlds, with their mobile and immobile objects. Ekaparna had only a single leaf for food. Ekapatala only ate a single patala flower.202 One of them ate nothing at all. Miserable and driven by maternal affection, her mother said, “Uma” and tried to restrain her.203 The goddess, the performer of extremely difficult austerities, was thus addressed by her mother. In the three worlds, the beautiful one came to be known as Uma. All three possessed the powers of yoga and their bodies were full of austerities. All of them knew about the brahman and all of them held up their seed.204 The beautiful Uma was the eldest and best among them. She possessed great powers of yoga and was devoted to Mahadeva.205 The great-souled and intelligent Asita-Devala was a great brahmana and a preceptor of yoga.206 Ekaparna was given to him as a wife. Know that, in a similar way, Ekapatala was bestowed on Jaigishavya. These two immensely fortunate ones were presented to two preceptors of yoga. The sons of Marichi are in the world known as Somapada. These are the ancestors in heaven and the gods worship them. They are renowned as the Agnishvats and all of them are infinitely energetic. Their daughter, born through mental powers, was Achchhoda, who proceeded downwards and became a river. The celestial lake, known as Achchhoda, arose from her. She saw Ayu’s illustrious son, famous as Vasu, in the firmament and addressed Vasu as her father.207 Acting wilfully, she committed this transgression in her mind. Since she desired someone else as her father, she deviated from yoga and fell down. As she was dislodged from heaven and fell down, she saw three vimanas. In these, she saw minute ancestors.208 They were extremely subtle and indistinct and were like fires inside a fire. Distressed as she was falling down, she shrieked at them, “Save me.” Addressed by her, they replied, “Do not be frightened” and stationed her in the sky. Through their favours, the ancestors comforted her in tones of assurance. The ancestors saw that the maiden had been dislodged from her prosperity because of a transgression. They said, “O one with the beautiful smiles! Through your own fault, you have been dislodged from prosperity and are falling down. Whatever be the deeds performed by the gods in heaven, the gods receive the fruits of those deeds in exactly the same bodies. For gods, the fruits of deeds are instantaneous. For humans, they occur after death. O daughter! Therefore, you will obtain the fruits of your austerities after death.” Having been addressed by the ancestors in this way, she gratified the ancestors. Driven by compassion, all of them thought of ways to show her favours. Having ascertained the truth about what was certain to occur, they told her, “O maiden! When Vasu is born as a king, you will be born as his child. Having been born as a daughter in this way, you will again obtain the worlds that are extremely difficult to get. Through the brahmana Parashara, you will give birth to a son.209 That brahmana rishi will classify the single Vedas into four parts. Mahabhisha’s sons will extend Shantanu’s lineage. They will be Vichitravirya, who will know about dharma, and the lord Chitrangada. Having given birth to sons in this way, you will regain this world. Because you have committed a transgression towards your ancestors, you will have to go through this inferior birth. In the twenty-eight dvapara yuga, you will be born as the son of the king and Adrika, as the daughter of a fish.”210 Thus addressed, Satyavati was born as the daughter of a fisherman. The beautiful one was born from a fish, as the daughter of King Vasu. There is a beautiful world named Vaibhraja in heaven. The famous ancestors known as the Barhishads reside in heaven there. Those infinitely energetic ones are worshipped by all the diverse categories of danavas, yakshas, gandharvas, rakshasas, nagas, sarpas and suparnas. They are the sons of the great-souled Pulastya Prajapati. Those great-souled and immensely fortunate ones are ascetics and are full of energy. Through their mental powers, they had a famous daughter named Pivari. She herself practised yoga. She was the wife of a yogi. She was the mother of a yogi. That supreme among the upholders of dharma will be born when dvapara yuga nears. There will be a great ascetic named Shuka, born in Parashara’s lineage. That great yogi, a bull among brahmanas, will be born in that yuga. Like a blazing fire without smoke, he will be generated through the two kindling sticks that are Vyasa.211 Through Pivari, daughter of the ancestors, he212 will have a daughter. He will also have four extremely strong sons who will be the preceptors of yoga: Krishna, Goura, Prabhu and Shambhu. The daughter will be Kritvi. She will be Anuha’s queen and Brahmadatta’s mother. Having had these offspring, the one with dharma in his soul,213 the preceptor of yoga, will resort to great vows. The great yogi will go to the destination from which there is no return.214 O sage! The ancestors without bodies have the forms of dharma. The account about the lineages of the Vrishnis, the Andhakas and the others begins from here.
‘“‘I have spoken about the three.215 O foremost among brahmanas! Listen. I will now tell you about the other four, the ones who are said to be embodied. Kavi’s daughter was Svadha and through her, Kavi’s daughter, Agni had sons. The ancestors named Sukala are Vasishtha Prajapati’s sons. O Bhargava! They are always radiant in the world of the gods. Brahmanas worship them to obtain all the objects of desire. Through their mental powers, they have a daughter. She is famous in heaven by the name of Gou. O brahmana! In your lineage, she was bestowed on Shuka216 as his queen. She is also known as Ekashringa and has extended the deeds of the Sadhyas. She pervades the worlds that owe their origin to the sun god. O son! In ancient times, the Sadhyas reared the sons of Angiras. To accomplish the desired fruits, the categories of kshatriyas revere them.217 Through their mental powers, they had a famous daughter named Yashoda. She was Vishvamahat’s wife and the daughter-in-law of Vriddhasharma. O son! She was the mother of the great-souled rajarshi, Dilipa. O son! In that yuga of the gods, in ancient times, the maharshis were delighted at his great horse sacrifice and sung a chant. “In performing this sacrifice, the great-souled Dilipa has been extremely controlled. Not only will he go to heaven. But he will also be a truthful and great-souled man who has witnessed it and has hear
d about the birth of Agni, Shandilya’s descendant.”218 The ancestors known as the Susvadhas are the forefathers of Kardama Prajapati. Those bulls among brahmanas are the sons of the great-souled Pulaha. They are in the celestial world and can roam around as they will, like birds. O son! For the sake of obtaining the intended fruits, the categories of vaishyas revere them. Through their mental powers, they had a daughter, famous as Viraja. O brahmana! She was Yayati’s mother and Nahusha’s queen. I have spoken about three categories so far.219 Hear from me about the fourth. Through Svadha, the Somapas were born as Kavi’s sons. They are revered by the shudras, who are the sons of Hiranyagarbha. They exist in the celestial world known by the name of Manasa. Through their mental powers, they had a daughter named Narmada, supreme among rivers. She nourishes the subjects, flowing in a southward direction. She is Purukutsa’s wife and Trasadasyu’s mother. O son! From one yuga to another yuga, when the dharma of performing funeral ceremonies goes into a decline, Prajapati Manu revives it again. O supreme among brahmanas! This was the original creation of all the ancestors, who follow their own respective dharmas. They are also collectively known as Shraddhadeva. Having first uttered “svadha”,220 when offerings are rendered to all the ancestors at funeral ceremonies, using vessels made of silver or embellished with silver, they are pleased. Soma, Agni and Vaivasvata221 must be worshipped through oblations into a fire. If there is no fire, the water can be used.222 If a man is devoted in pleasing the ancestors, the ancestors are delighted with him. The ancestors grant him nourishment, large numbers of offspring, heaven, freedom from disease and everything else that is desired. O sage! Rites performed to ancestors are superior to rites performed to gods. It has been said that the ancestors must be worshipped before the gods. They are swiftly pleased and are devoid of rage. They confer supreme prosperity on the worlds. Their favours are never fickle. O Bhargava! Therefore, bow down before them. O brahmana rishi! You are devoted to your father and there is no doubt that your devotion is true. I have instructed you about what is best. However, experience it directly yourself. O unblemished one! I am granting you divine eyesight and the knowledge. O Markandeya! Without any anxiety and without any distraction, see their movements. You have been successful in observing the rites. But with eyes that are made of flesh, even a person like you is incapable of seeing the yoga-based movements of the gods or the supreme movements of the ancestors.’”
‘Markandeya continued, “The lord of the gods was stationed before me and spoke to me in this way. He gave me the eyesight and knowledge, extremely difficult for even the gods to obtain. Blazing like a second fire, he then went away to wherever he desired. O best among the Kurus! Without any anxiety, listen to what occurred and what I saw through the favours of that god. For men on earth, this is extremely difficult to comprehend.”’
Chapter 14
‘Markandeya said, “O son! In an earlier yuga, there were some brahmanas who were the sons of Bharadvaja.223 They followed the dharma of yoga, but deviated because of the wickedness of their conduct. Having acted against the dharma of yoga, they were dislodged. Bereft of consciousness and submerged in great darkness, they fell down on the shores of Manasa.224 They were confounded. Meditating on the meaning of yoga, they never attained it and all of them were destroyed, following the dharma of time. O bull among men! Having been with the gods for a long period of time, they deviated from yoga. They were born in Kurukshetra as the sons of Koushika. In the name of performing the dharma of funeral rites for the ancestors, they will commit violence. Thus deviating again, they will be reborn in an inferior lineage. However, because of their father’s favours and because of the good deeds they had committed in their earlier lives, they will remember what had occurred in their earlier lives. Controlled, they will eventually always follow dharma. Because of their own deeds, they obtained the status of being brahmanas again. Because of what they had done in their earlier lives, they regained yoga. They obtained success again and the eternal abodes. In this way, if your intelligence repeatedly turns towards dharma and you are devoted to the dharma of yoga, you will obtain supreme success. O one who knows about dharma! There is no dharma that is superior to the dharma of yoga. O Bhargava! It is the best among all kinds of dharma. Therefore, follow it. Eat in limited quantities and control your senses. If you are controlled and devoted, in the course of time, you will attain the dharma of yoga. The illustrious god said this and vanished instantly. It seemed to me that eighteen years was like a single day.225 I worshipped that lord of the gods for eighteen years. Through the favours of that god, I did not suffer from any exhaustion. O unblemished one! I did not suffer from hunger or thirst. I did not realize the passage of time. It is only later that my disciples told me how much time had passed.”’
Chapter 15
‘Markandeya said, “After speaking these words, the lord disappeared. O unblemished one! Because of his favours, divine sight and knowledge manifested themselves before me. Thus, I saw the brahmanas who were the sons of Koushika. As the lord had told me, these were the ones who had been born in Kurukshetra. The seventh of those brahmanas was famous by the name of Pitrivarti. He possessed goodness of conduct and was reborn as King Brahmadatta. This king was the son of Kritvi, Shuka’s daughter. He was born in Kampilya, supreme among cities, and his father was Anuha, best among kings.”
‘Yudhishthira asked,226 “Whose son was Anuha and what was the period during which he existed? His son227 was the immensely illustrious king who was foremost among the upholders of dharma. What was the nature of King Brahmadatta’s valour? How did the seventh one become a lord of men?228 The illustrious Shuka is revered in the worlds. He is the soul of yoga. The lord cannot have bestowed his daughter Kritvi, the performer of famous deeds, on someone with little valour. O immensely radiant one! I wish to hear about this in detail. You should speak to me about Brahmadatta’s character. How did those brahmanas conduct themselves in this world? You should tell me everything that Markandeya said.”
‘Bhishma replied, “O king! I have heard that this lord of men was a contemporary of the royal sage, Pratipa, my grandfather. Brahmadatta was a great king and yogi, a supreme among royal sages. He was devoted to all beings and engaged in the welfare of all beings. His friend was the immensely illustrious Galava, the preceptor of yoga, who used the power of his austerities to progressively elaborate the principles of shiksha.229 Kandarika, with yoga in his soul, was his230 adviser. Those infinitely energetic seven continued to be born in seven kinds of species for seven times in each, but remained each other’s aides.231 That is what the immensely energetic and great ascetic Markandeya recounted. O king! I will recount the lineage of the great-souled and ancient Pourava Brahmadatta to you. Listen. O king! Purumitra’s son was King Brihadishu. Brihadishu’s son was the immensely illustrious Brihatdhanu and his son was the famous king Brihaddharma, who was extremely devoted to dharma. His son was Satyajit, whose son was Vishvajit. Vishvajit’s son was Senajit, lord of the earth. Senajit had four sons who were revered in the worlds—Ruchira, Shvetakashya, Mahimnara and Vatsa. This Vatsa or Vatsaka was the king of Avanti. Ruchira’s son was the immensely illustrious Prithushena. Prithushena’s son was Para and Para’s son was Nipa. O son! Nipa had one hundred infinitely energetic sons. O Indra among kings! They were brave maharathas with possessed strength in their arms. All these kings were known as the descendants of Nipa. In that lineage descended from Nipa, there was a king who extended his fame through his deeds. He ruled in Kampilya. His name was Samara and he endeavoured to fight.232 Samara had three sons who were extremely knowledgeable about dharma—Para, Paara233 and Sadashva. Para’s son was Prithu. Prithu had a son named Sukrita, who was the performer of good deeds.234 He had a son named Vibhraja,235 who possessed all the qualities. Vibhraja’s son was the king named Anuha. He was immensely illustrious. He was Shuka’s son-in-law and Kritvi’s husband. Anuha’s son was the lord and royal sage Brahmadatta, with yoga in his soul. His son was Vishvaksena, the scorcher of enemies. It has been heard that because
of his good deeds, Vibhraja was born again as Vishvaksena, Brahmadatta’s son. Vishvaksena’s son was King Dandasena and his son was Bhallata, whom Radheya236 slew in earlier times. Dandasena’s son237 was brave and great in soul, the extender of his lineage. O Janamejaya!238 However, Bhallata’s son was extremely evil in his intelligence. He became king and was the king who brought an end to the Nipas. It was because of him that Ugrayudha destroyed all the Nipas. Ugrayudha was insolent and was addicted to pride. He was always devoted to what was unlawful. When he engaged against me in battle, I slew him.”
‘Yudhishthira asked, “Whose son was Ugrayudha and which lineage was he born in? Why was he killed by you? Tell me that.”
‘Bhishma replied, “Ajamidha’s son was the learned King Yavinara. His son was Dhritiman and Dhritiman’s son was Satyadhriti. The powerful Dridhanemi was Satyadhriti’s son. Dridhanemi’s son was King Sudharma. Sudharma’s son was Sarvabhouma, the lord of men. He was known as Sarvabhouma because he brought the entire earth under a single king.239 In this lineage of Pourava, there was a great king named Mahati. He gave birth to the valiant King Sannati, who obtained his name because of his righteousness.240 Sannati’s son was the extremely powerful Karta. The great king Nipa was the lord of Panchala and was Prishata’s grandfather.241 He was slain by his valour.242 O son! Ugrayudha was evil in his intelligence and was always engaged in enmity.243 He obtained a blazing chakra and became powerful, thus causing the end of the Nipas. Having killed the Nipas and other kings, he became intoxicated with pride. At that time, my father had died and was lying down on the ground, surrounded by me and my advisers.244 O Indra among kings! Ugrayudha sent a messenger to me and through him, made me hear impure words. ‘O Bhishma! O bull among the Kuru lineage! Your illustrious mother, Gandhakali,245 is a jewel among women. As a wife, bestow her on me now. There is no doubt that this kingdom is prosperous with armies and all the jewels that the earth possesses. I will give you whatever you wish for. If you desire the kingdom, your life or your lineage, obey my instructions. Otherwise, you will not find any peace.’ At that time, I was lying down, on a bed of grass.246 While I was thus lying down, he struck me with the messenger’s words and they were like the flames of a fire. O unblemished one! I thus discerned the evil-minded one’s intentions. I instructed all the commanders of my soldiers to get ready for battle. ‘O descendant of the Bharata lineage! My blazing chakra cannot be pacified and is invincible. As soon as my enemies see it, they run away.’247 Vichitravirya was a child and was dependent on me. On seeing that his248 soul was full of rage, I made up my mind to fight. O bull among men! However, my advisers, those who were skilled in counsels, officiating priests, those who knew about the rites of the gods, and well-wishers restrained me. Knowing about the sacred texts, with gentle words, they asked me to refrain from battle. O unblemished one! At that time, they made me listen to words that were full of reason.