by Bibek Debroy
‘“However, Uttanapada’s son saw that Death had arrived. He placed his feet on Death’s head and mounted that extraordinary residence. 1363 Drums, kettledrums and smaller drums were sounded. The foremost among gandharvas sang his praise and showered down flowers. As he was about to ascend to the world of heaven, Dhruva suddenly remembered his mother, Suniti. ‘How can I abandon the miserable one and go to heaven?’ Those two excellent gods 1364 discerned his thoughts and showed him that the goddess was already proceeding ahead of him, in another vehicle. As he proceeded, the gods, on their own vimanas, praised him and showered down flowers. One after another, he saw that he passed by all the planets. In that celestial vehicle, he went past the three worlds and that of the sages. 1365 Beyond all of them, Dhruva reached Vishnu’s abode. In every direction, the place was resplendent because of its own illumination, indeed also providing illumination to the three worlds. This place cannot be reached by those who are not compassionate towards other creatures. Those who always perform beneficial acts reach there. Those who are tranquil, look upon everyone as equals, are pure and please all creatures; and those who look upon Achyuta as a beloved relative, can easily go to Achyuta’s abode. In this way, Dhruva, Uttanapada’s son, was devoted to Krishna and became a sparkling jewel on the crest of the three worlds. O Kouravya! The stellar bodies ceaselessly circle around this spot with great speed, like a herd of tethered bulls circle around a threshing post. The illustrious rishi, Narada, witnessed his greatness. He played on his stringed instrument and chanted this shloka at the sacrifice organized by Prachetas. Narada said, ‘Suniti was certainly devoted to her husband. Through the power of his austerities, her son obtained this destination. Those who speak about the Vedas know about the means to reach it, and can see it, but do not possess the powers to reach it, not to speak of kings. When he was five years old, his heart was shattered by the words, which were like arrows, of his father’s wife. Following my instructions, he went to the forest and obtained the lord’s abode, a status that can be obtained only by those who possess the qualities of devotion. There is no kshatra-bandhu 1366 on earth who can aspire to ascend to this status, even after many years. As a child who was five or six years old, he obtained this state within a few days, after pleasing Vaikuntha.’ I have told you everything that you had asked me. This is the excellent account of Dhruva’s conduct and fame, revered by the virtuous. This account brings fortune and fame and increases lifespans. It is auspicious and brings great benedictions. It helps attain heaven and the eternal worlds and is extremely pleasing to the mind. It is praiseworthy and destroys all sin. His deeds are loved by Achyuta. If one repeatedly listens to them with faith, one develops devotion towards the illustrious one. Thereby, there is a destruction of all kinds of hardships. If one desires greatness, this account is a tirtha. The hearer develops good conduct and other qualities and the account is for those who wish for energy. Thereby, spirited ones obtain honour. Controlling oneself and in the company of brahmanas, one should recite the great conduct of Dhruva, who is chanted about in excellent shlokas, in the morning and the evening. One should make the faithful listen to it on the day of the full moon, on sinivali, 1367 on the twelfth lunar day, 1368 when the nakshatra Shravana is in the ascendant, at the end of the day, at the time of vyatipata, 1369 at the time of sankramana 1370 and on Sunday. Such a person should desire nothing other than seeking refuge with the one whose feet are tirthas. There, one will find the atman in one’s own atman and will be successful and contented. If a person bestows the truth about this knowledge on the ignorant, he is on the virtuous path towards immortality. The god who is the lord of the distressed will take compassion on him and show him his favours. O extender of the Kuru lineage! I have thus described to you Dhruva’s famous account. His deeds were pure. As a child, he abandoned playthings and his mother’s house and went and sought refuge with Vishnu.”’
Chapter 4(13)
Suta said, ‘Vidura heard what Kousharava had described about Dhruva’s ascent to his status in Vaikuntha. His devotion towards the illustrious Adhokshaja became firmer and he started to ask yet again.
‘Vidura asked, “O one excellent in vows! Who were known as Prachetas and who were their offspring? Which famous family did they belong to and where did they undertake the sacrifice? I think that Narada, who met the god, is extremely fortunate. He is the one who spoke about kriya yoga and the rites one should observe for worshipping Hari. Those men 1371 followed good conduct and their own dharma. They performed a sacrifice to the illustrious one who is the lord of sacrifices. It was to them that the devoted Narada described everything. There, the devarshi described the illustrious one’s account. O brahmana! I wish to hear about it. You should describe everything to me.”
‘Maitreya replied, “When his father left for the forest, Dhruva’s son, Utkala, did not desire the prosperity of being an emperor and did not wish for his father’s throne. Right from his birth, his soul was tranquil. He was unattached and was impartial in his outlook. He saw the atman pervading the world and saw the world in his own atman. Through the fire of continuous practice of yoga, he burnt down all karma and impurities in his mind. He saw that his own atman was no different from the brahman, the nirvana in whom all differences cease to exist. He is the single one, true knowledge and complete bliss, existing everywhere. He thus realized his own true nature. To foolish people along the road, he appeared to be stupid, blind, deaf, mad and dumb. However, his intelligence was not like that. He was like a fire without flames. But the aged in the family and the ministers were of the view that he was stupid and mad. Therefore, they made his younger brother, Vatsara, Bhrami’s son, the king. Svavirthi was Vatsara’s beloved wife and she had six sons—Pushparna, Tigmaketu, Isha, Urja, Vasu and Jaya. Pushparna had two wives—Prabha and Dosha. Prabha’s sons were Pratar, Madhyadina and Sayam. Dosha’s three sons were Pradosha, Nishitha and Vyushta. 1372 Vyushta’s wife was Pushkarini and she had a son named Sarvateja. Through his wife Akuti, he 1373 had a son named Chakshu, who would become Manu later. 1374 Manu’s queen, Nadvala, gave birth to twelve faultless sons—Puru, Kutsa, Trita, Dyumna, Satyavat, Rita, Vrata, Agnishtoma, Atiratra, Pradyumna, Shibi and Ulmuka. Through his wife, Pushkarini, 1375 Ulmuka had six excellent sons—Anga, Sumanasa, Khyati, Kratu, Angiras and Gaya. Sunitha, Anga’s wife, gave birth to the wicked Vena. Because of his wicked conduct, the royal sage 1376 was disgusted and left the city. O dear one! The words of the sages were like the vajra. They were enraged and cursed him. After this, they churned the right hand of the dead body. 1377 At that time, there was no king in the world and the subjects were oppressed by bandits. As part of Narayana’s portion, Prithu, the first lord of the earth, was born.”
‘Vidura asked, “The king 1378 was virtuous, great-souled and a store of good conduct. He was devoted to brahmanas. How did he get such a wicked son, who made him so distressed that he had to leave? The sages were knowledgeable about dharma. King Vena was supposed to wield the rod of chastisement. What was his offence, as a consequence of which the brahmanas cursed him? The king is a protector of the subjects and even if he commits a crime, the subjects should not disrespect him. In addition to his own energy, he is nurtured through the energy of the guardians of the world. O brahmana! You are supreme among those who know about the past and the future. I am devoted and faithful towards you. Tell me about the activities of Sunitha’s son.”
‘Maitreya continued, “The royal sage, Anga, performed a great horse sacrifice. Though they were summoned by learned brahmanas, the gods did not go there. The officiating priests were surprised and told the one who was performing the sacrifice, 1379 ‘Though the oblations have been offered, the gods are not accepting them. O king! The oblations are pure and have been collected with devotion. The hymns have also been properly chanted by those who are firm in their vows. We do not know of the slightest bit of disrespect that we have shown to the gods. As a result of this, the gods have witnessed the sacrifice, but are not accepting their shares.’ Hearing the words of th
e brahmanas, Anga, the performer of the sacrifice, was greatly distressed. With the permission of those who were present in the assembly, he broke his vow of silence and asked them. ‘Though asked, the gods have not come to the sacrifice. They have not accepted their shares. O leaders of the assembly! Tell me. What offence have I committed?’ The leaders of the assembly replied, ‘O lord among men! You have not committed even a trifling crime. However, you did commit a sin in your former life. That is the reason you still don’t have a son. O fortunate one! O king! Therefore, strive to obtain an excellent son. Desiring a son, worship the lord of sacrifices and he will grant you a son. When Hari, the lord of sacrifices, is directly invoked for the sake of an offspring, all the residents of heaven will accept their respective shares. Hari confers all the objects of desire that men wish for. However, the fruits that a man obtains depends on the way the worship is carried out.’
‘“So that the king might obtain offspring, the brahmanas determined this. They offered cakes to Vishnu in the form of Shipivishta. 1380 A being arose. He was adorned in golden garlands and sparkling garments. He held a golden vessel with cooked payasam. 1381 With the permission of the brahmanas, the king accepted the rice in his cupped palms. The generous one smelt it and happily gave it to his wife. It had the power to deliver a male child. The queen accepted it from her husband and ate it. She didn’t have any children. But she conceived, and at the right time, gave birth to a son. Since his childhood, this son was devoted to his maternal grandfather, Mrityu. 1382 Because he was born from this portion of adharma, he was devoted to adharma. Wielding a bow and arrow, the wicked one would go on a hunt to the forest and kill the distressed deer. Therefore, people would exclaim, ‘This is Vena.’ 1383 He was extremely terrible and merciless. While playing in the playground with boys who were his age, he would kill them, as if he was slaughtering animals. On seeing this, the king tried to restrain him with many kinds of punishment. However, unable to control him, he became extremely miserable. ‘Householders who do not have offspring have probably worshipped the gods. 1384 That is the reason they do not have to bear the hardship caused by wicked children, which is so difficult to bear. The great fame of men is destroyed because of this wicked adharma. There are quarrels with everyone and there is never ending hardship. Such a person is a son only in name, bound by the bonds of delusion. What learned man will show respect towards a person who causes hardships in the home? However, I think that a bad son who is the source of grief is superior to a good son. Because of the terrible hardship he causes at home, a mortal person loses all attachment towards his home.’ Thus, the king was miserable in his mind. He could not sleep. He arose in the night. While Vena’s mother was asleep, unnoticed by men, he abandoned his house and his great prosperity, and left. The subjects got to know that their detached lord had left. They were filled with great grief. The priests, advisers and large number of well-wishers searched everywhere on earth for him. However, he was as hidden as Purusha inside the heart of an imperfect yogi. They could not find the footprints of the lord of the earth. Therefore, they gave up the attempt and returned to the city. O Pourava! With tears in their eyes, they honoured the assembled rishis and told them that their master had disappeared.”’
Chapter 4(14)
‘Maitreya said, “Bhrigu and the other sages looked towards the well-being of the people. They saw that in the absence of someone to protect them, men would be the same as animals. The ones who knew about the brahman summoned Sunitha, the mother of a brave one. Though the ordinary people did not approve of this, they instated Vena as the lord of the earth. On hearing that Vena, who was extremely fierce and uncontrolled, had ascended on to the throne, all the bandits immediately hid themselves, like rats scared of a snake. Having ascended the throne, the king became insolent and thought he possessed the eight kinds of prosperity. 1385 He took himself to be great and insulted those immensely fortunate ones. He became blind with insolence. He was as proud as an elephant uncontrolled by a goad. He travelled astride his chariot and made the earth and the sky tremble. Everywhere, he used drums to make an announcement. ‘O brahmanas! You will not perform sacrifices and offer oblations. No donations will be given.’ In this way, dharma was restrained.
‘“The sages witnessed the evil conduct that Vena was engaged in. Thinking of the hardships faced by the people, they were full of compassion and assembled at a sacrificial arena. ‘Alas! Like a piece of wood that has been ignited at both ends, people are facing a great hardship from both sides, from bandits and from the protector. Even though he did not deserve to be a king, there was the fear of not having a king. There was a danger then. But now, how can people be made safe? He is like a snake who has been nourished with milk, even though he causes harm to the one who nourishes him. Born from Sunitha’s womb, Vena is naturally vile. Though he was appointed to protect the subjects, he is causing violence to subjects. Therefore, we must seek to pacify him. Otherwise, the sin will touch us too. Though we knew that Vena was wicked in nature, we made him the king. If he does not accept our words and continues to follow adharma, we will have to pacify him. He has already been scorched by the censure of the people. We will burn him down with our own energy.’ Having decided this, the sages concealed their rage. They approached Vena and addressed him in conciliatory tones. The sages said, ‘O noble king! Understand what we are telling you. O son! This will enhance your lifespan, prosperity, strength and deeds. Men who follow dharma in words, thought, body and intelligence and confer freedom from grief on people are bestowed with infinite worlds where there is freedom from attachment. O brave one! Therefore, do not destroy the signs of peace among the subjects. If this is destroyed, the king falls down from his state of prosperity. O king! If a king protects his subjects from wicked advisers and thieves, and protects them, accepting the taxes, he obtains delight in this world and in the world after death. The illustrious lord of sacrifices must be worshipped in the kingdom and in the city and people must follow their own dharma, according to their varna and their ashrama. O immensely fortunate one! The illustrious creator of beings, the one who is the atman of the universe, is pleased with a king who thus follows his instructions. When the lord of the lords is satisfied, what can not be obtained in this universe? Indeed, the worlds and the guardians of the worlds devotedly render him offerings. When the brahmanas perform sacrifices in your kingdom, the gods, who are Hari’s portions, are also properly worshipped through these observances and are extremely satisified. They give what is desired. O brave one! You should not try to show them disrespect.’ Vena retorted, ‘All of you are foolish. You respect adharma as dharma. You are abandoning the husband who provides you sustenance and worshipping a paramour. Foolish people show disrespect towards a king, who is the embodied form of the lord. Such people do not obtain any benefit in this world or in the next. Vishnu, Virinchi, Girisha, Indra, Vayu, Yama, Ravi, 1386 Parjanya, Dhanada, Soma, Kshiti, 1387 Agni, the lord of the waters, these and other gods who possess the power to grant boons and curse, exist in the king’s body. The king is full of all the gods. O brahmanas! Therefore, forget all envy and use your rites to worship me. Bring me the offerings. Other than me, which other man can have the first share in sacrifices?’ In this way, his intelligence was crooked and he was following a wicked path. Since he had deviated from everything auspicious, though he was entreated, he did not pay attention to what they sought.
‘“O Vidura! Priding himself on his learning, he thus insulted the brahmanas. Since their wishes had been shattered, they became angry with him. ‘Let him be killed. This wicked one should be slain. His nature is extremely terrible. If he remains alive, it is certain that he will soon reduce the world to ashes. He is wicked in conduct and does not deserve to be seated on an excellent throne meant for a king among men. He is without shame and criticizes Vishnu, the lord of sacrifices. Having obtained this kind of prosperity because of his favours, who but Vena will be so inauspicious as to vilify him?’ The sages decided to kill him and manifested their rage. Since he
had criticized Achyuta, he was already dead. But they slew him through their humkara. 1388 After this, the rishis left for their own hermitages. Sunitha grieved. However, she preserved her son’s dead body with her knowledge and yoga. 1389
‘“On one occasion, the sages bathed in the waters of the Sarasvati. Having offered oblations into the fire, they sat down on the banks of the river and began to converse about auspicious accounts. They saw many kinds of omens manifest themselves, signifying terror to the worlds. ‘Because there is no protector, may the earth not suffer from any misfortune on account of bandits.’ While the rishis were reflecting on this, a dust arose in all the directions. This was caused by a large number of thieves running around, engaged in plundering. There was no protector. Knowing this, they tried to kill each other and plundered the riches of people, thus causing this disturbance. Without a king, a country loses its spirits and is generally full of thieves. Though the people saw this sin being committed, they were unable to do anything. ‘A brahmana should be impartial in outlook and peaceful. However, if he ignores the afflicted, his powers ebb away, like water from a pot with a hole in it. The lineage of the royal sage, Anga, does not deserve to perish. This king’s lineage was invisible in its valour and sought refuge with Keshava.’ Having determined this, the rishis churned the dead king’s thigh with force and a man named Bahuka arose. 1390 He was as dark as a crow and his limbs were extremely short. His arms were small and his chin jutted out. His arms were short and his nose was flat. His eyes and hair were coppery red. He bowed down to them and humbly asked, ‘What will I do?’ O son! They asked him to sit and he became Nishada. 1391 The descendants of Nishada roamed around in mountains and forests. He took upon himself all of Vena’s sins.”’