Chapter Ten The Pastimes of the Supreme Lord, Rāmacandra
TEXTS 35–38 bharataḥ prāptam ākarṇya paurāmātya-purohitaiḥ pāduke śirasi nyasya rāmaṁ pratyudyato ’grajam nandigrāmāt sva-śibirād gīta-vāditra-niḥsvanaiḥ brahma-ghoṣeṇa ca muhuḥ paṭhadbhir brahmavādibhiḥ svarṇa-kakṣa-patākābhir haimaiś citra-dhvajai rathaiḥ sad-aśvai rukma-sannāhair bhaṭaiḥ puraṭa-varmabhiḥ śreṇībhir vāra-mukhyābhir bhṛtyaiś caiva padānugaiḥ pārameṣṭhyāny upādāya paṇyāny uccāvacāni ca pādayor nyapatat premṇā praklinna-hṛdayekṣaṇaḥ SYNONYMS bharataḥ—Lord Bharata; prāptam—coming back home; ākarṇya—hearing; paura—all kinds of citizens; amātya—all the ministers; purohitaiḥ—accompanied by all the priests; pāduke—the two wooden shoes; śirasi—on the head; nyasya—keeping; rāmam—unto Lord Rāmacandra; pratyudyataḥ—going forward to receive; agrajam—His eldest brother; nandigrāmāt—from His residence, known as Nandigrāma; sva-śibirāt—from His own camp; gīta-vāditra—songs and vibrations of drums and other musical instruments; niḥsvanaiḥ—accompanied by such sounds; brahma-ghoṣeṇa—by the sound of chanting of Vedic mantras; ca—and; muhuḥ—always; paṭhadbhiḥ—reciting from the Vedas; brahma-vādibhiḥ—by first-class brāhmaṇas; svarṇa-kakṣa-patākābhiḥ—decorated with flags with golden embroidery; haimaiḥ—golden; citra-dhvajaiḥ—with decorated flags; rathaiḥ—with chariots; sat-aśvaiḥ—having very beautiful horses; rukma—golden; sannāhaiḥ—with harnesses; bhaṭaiḥ—by soldiers; puraṭa-varmabhiḥ—covered with armor made of gold; śreṇībhiḥ—by such a line or procession; vāra-mukhyābhiḥ—accompanied by beautiful, well-dressed prostitutes; bhṛtyaiḥ—by servants; ca—also; eva—indeed; pada-anugaiḥ—by infantry; pārameṣṭhyāni—other paraphernalia befitting a royal reception; upādāya—taking all together; paṇyāni—valuable jewels, etc.; ucca-avacāni—of different values; ca—also; pādayoḥ—at the lotus feet of the Lord; nyapatat—fell down; premṇā—in ecstatic love; praklinna—softened, moistened; hṛdaya—the core of the heart; īkṣaṇaḥ—whose eyes. TRANSLATION When Lord Bharata understood that Lord Rāmacandra was returning to the capital, Ayodhyā, He immediately took upon His own head Lord Rāmacandra’s wooden shoes and came out from His camp at Nandigrāma. Lord Bharata was accompanied by ministers, priests and other respectable citizens, by professional musicians vibrating pleasing musical sounds, and by learned brāhmaṇas loudly chanting Vedic hymns. Following in the procession were chariots drawn by beautiful horses with harnesses of golden rope. These chariots were decorated by flags with golden embroidery and by other flags of various sizes and patterns. There were soldiers bedecked with golden armor, servants bearing betel nut, and many well-known and beautiful prostitutes. Many servants followed on foot, bearing an umbrella, whisks, different grades of precious jewels, and other paraphernalia befitting a royal reception. Accompanied in this way, Lord Bharata, His heart softened in ecstasy and His eyes full of tears, approached Lord Rāmacandra and fell at His lotus feet with great ecstatic love.
TEXT 30 tataḥ prajā vīkṣya patiṁ cirāgataṁ didṛkṣayotsṛṣṭa-gṛhāḥ striyo narāḥ āruhya harmyāṇy aravinda-locanam atṛpta-netrāḥ kusumair avākiran SYNONYMS tataḥ—thereafter; prajāḥ—the citizens; vīkṣya—by seeing; patim—the King; cira-āgatam—returned after a long time; didṛkṣayā—desiring to see; utsṛṣṭa-gṛhāḥ—vacating their respective residences; striyaḥ—the women; narāḥ—the men; āruhya—getting on top of; harmyāṇi—great palaces; aravinda-locanam—Lord Rāmacandra, whose eyes are like the petals of a lotus; atṛpta-netrāḥ—whose eyes were not fully satisfied; kusumaiḥ—by flowers; avākiran—showered the Lord. TRANSLATION Thereafter, not having seen the Lord for a long time, the citizens, both men and women, being very eager to see Him, left their homes and got up on the roofs of the palaces. Being incompletely satiated with seeing the face of the lotus-eyed Lord Rāmacandra, they showered flowers upon Him. TEXTS 31–34 atha praviṣṭaḥ sva-gṛhaṁ juṣṭaṁ svaiḥ pūrva-rājabhiḥ anantākhila-koṣāḍhyam anarghyoruparicchadam vidrumodumbara-dvārair vaidūrya-stambha-paṅktibhiḥ sthalair mārakataiḥ svacchair bhrājat-sphaṭika-bhittibhiḥ citra-sragbhiḥ paṭṭikābhir vāso-maṇi-gaṇāṁśukaiḥ muktā-phalaiś cid-ullāsaiḥ kānta-kāmopapattibhiḥ dhūpa-dīpaiḥ surabhibhir maṇḍitaṁ puṣpa-maṇḍanaiḥ strī-pumbhiḥ sura-saṅkāśair juṣṭaṁ bhūṣaṇa-bhūṣaṇaiḥ SYNONYMS atha—thereafter; praviṣṭaḥ—He entered; sva-gṛham—His own palace; juṣṭam—occupied; svaiḥ—by His own family members; pūrva-rājabhiḥ—by the previous members of the royal family; ananta—unlimited; akhila—everywhere; koṣa—treasury; āḍhyam—prosperous; anarghya—priceless; uru—high; paricchadam—paraphernalia; vidruma—of coral; udumbara-dvāraiḥ—with the two sides of the doors; vaidūrya-stambha—with pillars of vaidūrya-maṇi; paṅktibhiḥ—in a line; sthalaiḥ—with floors; mārakataiḥ—made of marakata stone; svacchaiḥ—very cleanly polished; bhrājat—dazzling; sphaṭika—marble; bhittibhiḥ—foundations; citra-sragbhiḥ—with varieties of flower garlands; paṭṭikābhiḥ—with flags; vāsaḥ—clothing; maṇi-gaṇa-aṁśukaiḥ—by various effulgent and valuable stones; muktā-phalaiḥ—with pearls; cit-ullāsaiḥ—increasing celestial pleasure; kānta-kāma—fulfilling one’s desires; upapattibhiḥ—by such paraphernalia; dhūpa-dīpaiḥ—with incense and lamps; surabhibhiḥ—very fragrant; maṇḍitam—decorated; puṣpa-maṇḍanaiḥ—by bunches of various flowers; strī-pumbhiḥ—by men and women; sura-saṅkāśaiḥ—appearing like the demigods; juṣṭam—full of; bhūṣaṇa-bhūṣaṇaiḥ—whose bodies beautified their ornaments. TRANSLATION Thereafter, Lord Rāmacandra entered the palace of His forefathers. Within the palace were various treasures and valuable wardrobes. The sitting places on the two sides of the entrance door were made of coral, the yards were surrounded by pillars of vaidūrya-maṇi, the floor was made of highly polished marakata-maṇi, and the foundation was made of marble. The entire palace was decorated with flags and garlands and bedecked with valuable stones, shining with a celestial effulgence. The palace was fully decorated with pearls and surrounded by lamps and incense. The men and women within the palace all resembled demigods and were decorated with various ornaments, which seemed beautiful because of being placed on their bodies.
Chapter Fifteen Paraśurāma, the Lord’s Warrior Incarnation
TEXT 30 acodayad dhasti-rathāśva-pattibhir gadāsi-bāṇarṣṭi-śataghni-śaktibhiḥ akṣauhiṇīḥ sapta-daśātibhīṣaṇās tā rāma eko bhagavān asūdayat SYNONYMS acodayat—he sent for fighting; hasti—with elephants; ratha—with chariots; aśva—with horses; pattibhiḥ—and with infantry; gadā—with clubs; asi—with swords; bāṇa—with arrows; ṛṣṭi—with the weapons called ṛṣṭis; śataghni—with weapons called śataghnis; śaktibhiḥ—with weapons called śaktis; akṣauhiṇīḥ—whole groups of akṣauhiṇīs; sapta-daśa—seventeen; ati-bhīṣaṇāḥ—very fierce; tāḥ—all of them; rāmaḥ—Lord Paraśurāma; ekaḥ—alone; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; asūdayat—killed. TRANSLATION Upon seeing Paraśurāma, Kārtavīryārjuna immediately feared him and sent many elephants, chariots, horses and infantry soldiers equipped with clubs, swords, arrows, ṛṣṭis, śataghnis, śaktis, and many similar weapons to fight against him. Kārtavīryārjuna sent seventeen full akṣauhiṇīs of soldiers to check Paraśurāma. But Lord Paraśurāma alone killed all of them. PURPORT The word akṣauhiṇī refers to a military phalanx consisting of 21,870 chariots and elephants, 109,350 infantry soldiers and 65,610 horses. An exact description is given in the Mahābhārata, Ādi parva, Second Chapter, as follows: eko ratho gajaś caikaḥ narāḥ pañca padātayaḥ trayaś ca turagās taj-jñaiḥ pattir ity abhidhīyate pattiṁ tu triguṇām etāṁ viduḥ senāmukhaṁ budhāḥ trīṇi senāmukhāny eko gulma ity adhidhīyate trayo gulmā gaṇo nāma vāhinī tu gaṇās trayaḥ śrutās tisras tu vāhinyaḥ pṛtaneti vicakṣaṇaiḥ camūs tu pṛtanās tisraś caṁvas tisras tv anīkinī anīkinīṁ daśa-guṇām āhur akṣauhiṇīṁ budhāḥ akṣauhiṇyas tu saṅkhyātā rathānāṁ dvija-sattamāḥ saṅkhyā-gaṇita-tattvajñaiḥ sahasrāṇy eka-viṁśati śatāny upari cāṣṭau ca bhūyas tathā ca saptatiḥ gajānāṁ tu parīmāṇaṁ tāvad evātra nirdiśet jñeyaṁ śata-sahasraṁ tu sahasrāṇi tathā nava narāṇām adhi pañcāśac chatāni trīṇi cānaghāḥ pañca-ṣaṣṭi-sahasrāṇi tathāśvānāṁ śatāni ca daśottarāṇi ṣaṭ cāhur yathāvad abhisaṅkhyayā etām akṣauhiṇīṁ prāhuḥ saṅkhyā-tattva-vido janāḥ “One chariot, one elephant, five infantry soldiers and three horses are called a patti by those who are learned in the science. The wise also know that a senāmukha is three times what a patti is. Three senāmukhas are known as one gulma, three gulmas are called a gaṇa, and three gaṇas are called a vāhinī. Three vāhinīs have been referred to by the learned as a pṛtanā, three pṛtanās equal one camū, and three camūs equal one anīkinī. The wise refer to ten anīkinīs as one akṣauhiṇī. The chariots of an akṣauhiṇī have been calculated at 21,870 by those who know the science of such calculations, O best of the twice-born, and the number of elephants is the same. The number of infantry soldiers is 109,350, and the number of horses is 65,610. This is called an akṣauhiṇī.” TEXT 31 yato yato ’sau praharat-paraśvadho mano-’nilaujāḥ para-cakra-sūdanaḥ tatas tataś chinna-bhujoru-kandharā nipetur urvyāṁ hata-sūta-vāhanāḥ SYNONYMS yataḥ—wherever; yataḥ—wherever; asau—Lord Paraśurāma; praharat—slashing; paraśvadhaḥ—being expert in using his weapon, the paraśu, or chopper; manaḥ—like the mind; anila—like the wind; ojāḥ—being forceful; para-cakra—of the enemies’ military strength; sūdanaḥ—killer; tataḥ—there; tataḥ—and there; chinna—scattered and cut off; bhuja—arms; ūru—legs; kandharāḥ—shoulders; nipetuḥ—fell down; urvyām—on the ground; hata—killed; sūta—chariot drivers; vāhanāḥ—carrier horses and elephants. TRANSLATION Lord Paraśurāma, being expert in killing the military strength of the enemy, worked with the speed of the mind and the wind, slicing his enemies with his chopper [paraśu]. Wherever he went, the enemies fell, their legs, arms and shoulders being severed, their chariot drivers killed, and their carriers, the elephants and horses all annihilated. PURPORT In the beginning, when the army of the enemy was full of fighting soldiers, elephants and horses, Lord Paraśurāma proceeded into their midst at the speed of mind to kill them. When somewhat tired, he slowed down to the speed of wind and continued to kill the enemies vigorously. The speed of mind is greater than the speed of the wind. TEXT 32 dṛṣṭvā sva-sainyaṁ rudhiraugha-kardame raṇājire rāma-kuṭhāra-sāyakaiḥ vivṛkṇa-varma-dhvaja-cāpa-vigrahaṁ nipātitaṁ haihaya āpatad ruṣā SYNONYMS dṛṣṭvā—by seeing; sva-sainyam—his own soldiers; rudhira-ogha-kardame—which had become muddy due to the flow of blood; raṇa-ajire—on the battlefield; rāma-kuṭhāra—by the axe of Lord Paraśurāma; sāyakaiḥ—and by the arrows; vivṛkṇa—scattered; varma—the shields; dhvaja—the flags; cāpa—bows; vigraham—the bodies; nipātitam—fallen; haihayaḥ—Kārtavīryārjuna; āpatat—forcefully came there; ruṣā—being very angry. TRANSLATION By manipulating his axe and arrows, Lord Paraśurāma cut to pieces the shields, flags, bows and bodies of Kārtavīryārjuna’s soldiers, who fell on the battlefield, muddying the ground with their blood. Seeing these reverses, Kārtavīryārjuna, infuriated, rushed to the battlefield.
Chapter Seventeen The Dynasties of the Sons of Purūravā Āyu, the eldest son of Purūravā, had five sons. This chapter describes the dynasties of four of them, beginning with Kṣatravṛddha. Āyu, the son of Purūravā, had five sons— Nahuṣa, Kṣatravṛddha, Rajī, Rābha and Anenā. The son of Kṣatravṛddha was Suhotra, who had three sons, named Kāśya, Kuśa and Gṛtsamada. The son of Gṛtsamada was Śunaka, and his son was Śaunaka. The son of Kāśya was Kāśi. From Kāśi came the sons and grandsons known as Rāṣṭra, Dīrghatama and then Dhanvantari, who was the inaugurator of medical science and was a śaktyāveśa incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. The descendants of Dhanvantari were Ketumān, Bhīmaratha, Divodāsa and Dyumān, who was also known as Pratardana, Śatrujit, Vatsa, Ṛtadhvaja and Kuvalayāśva. The son of Dyumān was Alarka, who reigned over the kingdom for many, many years. Following in the dynasty of Alarka were Santati, Sunītha, Niketana, Dharmaketu, Satyaketu, Dhṛṣṭaketu, Sukumāra, Vītihotra, Bharga and Bhārgabhūmi. All of them belonged to the dynasty of Kāśi, the descendant of Kṣatravṛddha. The son of Rābha was Rabhasa, and his son was Gambhīra. Gambhīra’s son was Akriya, and from Akriya came Brahmavit. The son of Anenā was Śuddha, and his son was Śuci. The son of Śuci was Citrakṛt, whose son was Śāntaraja. Rajī had five hundred sons, all of extraordinary strength. Rajī was personally very powerful and was given the kingdom of heaven by Lord Indra. Later, after Rajī’s death, when the sons of Rajī refused to return the kingdom to Indra, by Bṛhaspati’s arrangement they became unintelligent, and Lord Indra conquered them. The grandson of Kṣatravṛddha named Kuśa gave birth to a son named Prati. From Prati came Sañjaya; from Sañjaya, Jaya; from Jaya, Kṛta; and from Kṛta, Haryabala. The son of Haryabala was Sahadeva; the son of Sahadeva, Hīna; the son of Hīna, Jayasena; the son of Jayasena, Saṅkṛti; and the son of Saṅkṛti, Jaya.
Chapter Eighteen King Yayāti Regains His Youth This chapter gives the history of King Yayāti, the son of Nahuṣa. Among Yayāti’s five sons, the youngest son, Pūru, accepted Yayāti’s invalidity. When Nahuṣa, who had six sons, was cursed to become a python, his eldest son, Yati, took sannyāsa, and therefore the next son, Yayāti, was enthroned as king. By providence, Yayāti married the daughter of Śukrācārya. Śukrācārya was a brāhmaṇa and Yayāti a kṣatriya, but Yayāti married her nonetheless. Śukrācārya’s daughter, named Devayānī, had a girl friend named Śarmiṣṭhā, who was the daughter of Vṛṣaparvā. King Yayāti married Śarmiṣṭhā also. The history of this marriage is as follows. Once Śarmiṣṭhā was sporting in the water with thousands of her girl friends, and Devayānī was also there. When the young girls saw Lord Śiva, seated on his bull with Umā, they immediately dressed themselves, but Śarmiṣṭhā mistakenly put on Devayānī’s clothes. Devayānī, being very angry, rebuked Śarmiṣṭhā, who also became very angry and responded by rebuking Devayānī and throwing her into a well. By chance, King Yayāti came to that well to drink water, and he found Devayānī and rescued her. Thus Devayānī accepted Mahārāja Yayāti as her husband. Thereafter, Devayānī, crying loudly, told her father about Śarmiṣṭhā’s behavior. Upon hearing of this incident, Śukrācārya was very angry and wanted to chastise Vṛṣaparvā, Śarmiṣṭhā’s father. Vṛṣaparvā, however, satisfied Śukrācārya by offering Śarmiṣṭhā as Devayānī’s maidservant. Thus Śarmiṣṭhā, as the maidservant of Devayānī, also went to the house of Devayānī’s husband. When Śarmiṣṭhā found her friend Devayānī with a son she also desired to have a son. Therefore, at the proper time for conception, she also requested Mahārāja Yayāti for sex. When Śarmiṣṭhā became pregnant also, Devayānī was very envious. In great anger, she immediately left for her father’s house and told her father everything. Śukrācārya again became angry and cursed Mahārāja Yayāti to become old, but when Yayāti begged Śukrācārya to be merciful to him, Śukrācārya gave him the benediction that he could transfer his old age and invalidity to some young man. Yayāti exchanged his old age for the youth of his youngest son, Pūru, and thus he was able to enjoy with young girls.
Chapter Nineteen King Yayāti Achieves Liberation This Nineteenth Chapter describes how Mahārāja Yayāti achieved liberation after he recounted the figurative story of the he-goat and she-goat. After many, many years of sexual relationships and enjoyment in the material world, King Yayāti finally became disgusted with such materialistic happiness. When satiated with material enjoyment, he devised a story of a he-goat and she-goat, corresponding to his own life, and narrated the story before his beloved Devayānī. The story is as follows. Once upon a time, while a goat was searching in a forest for different types of vegetables to eat, by chance he came to a well, in which he saw a she-goat. He became attracted to this she-goat and somehow or other delivered her from the well, and thus they were united. One day thereafter, when the she-goat saw the he-goat enjoying sex with another she-goat, she became angry, abandoned the he-goat, and returned to her brāhmaṇa owner, to whom she described her husband’s behavior. The brāhmaṇa became very angry and cursed the he-goat to lose his sexual power. Thereupon, the he-goat begged the brāhmaṇa’s pardon and was given back the power for sex. Then the he-goat enjoyed sex with the she-goat for many years, but still he was not satisfied. If one is lusty and greedy, even the total stock of gold in this world cannot satisfy one’s lusty desires. These desires are like a fire. One may pour clarified butter on a blazing fire, but one cannot expect the fire to be extinguished. To extinguish such a fire, one must adopt a different process. The śāstra therefore advises that by intelligence one renounce the life of enjoyment. Without great endeavor, those with a poor fund of knowledge cannot give up sense enjoyment, especially in relation to sex, because a beautiful woman bewilders even the most learned man. King Yayāti, however, renounced worldly life and divided his property among his sons. He personally adopted the life of a mendicant, or sannyāsī, giving up all attraction to material enjoyment, and engaged himself fully in devotional service to the Lord. Thus he attained perfection. Later, when his beloved wife, Devayānī, was freed from her mistaken way of life, she also engaged herself in the devotional service of the Lord.
Chapter Twenty The Dynasty of Pūru This chapter describes the history of Pūru and his descendant Duṣmanta. The son of Pūru was Janamejaya, and his son was Pracinvān. The sons and grandsons in the line of Pracinvān, one after another, were Pravīra, Manusyu, Cārupada, Sudyu, Bahugava, Saṁyāti, Ahaṁyāti and Raudrāśva. Raudrāśva had ten sons—Ṛteyu, Kakṣeyu, Sthaṇḍileyu, Kṛteyuka, Jaleyu, Sannateyu, Dharmeyu, Satyeyu, Vrateyu and Vaneyu. The son of Ṛteyu was Rantināva, who had three sons—Sumati, Dhruva and Apratiratha. The son of Apratiratha was Kaṇva, and Kaṇva’s son was Medhātithi. The sons of Medhātithi, headed by Praskanna, were all brāhmaṇas. The son of Rantināva named Sumati had a son named Rebhi, and his son was Duṣmanta. While hunting in the forest, Duṣmanta once approached the āśrama of Mahāṛṣi Kaṇva, where he saw an extremely beautiful woman and became attracted to her. That woman was the daughter of Viśvāmitra, and her name was Śakuntalā. Her mother was Menakā, who had left her in the forest, where Kaṇva Muni found her. Kaṇva Muni brought her to his āśrama, where he raised and maintained her. When Śakuntalā accepted Mahārāja Duṣmanta as her husband, he married her according to the gāndharva-vidhi. Śakuntalā later became pregnant by her husband, who left her in the āśrama of Kaṇva Muni and returned to his kingdom. In due course of time, Śakuntalā gave birth to a Vaiṣṇava son, but Duṣmanta, having returned to the capital, forgot what had taken place. Therefore, when Śakuntalā approached him with her newly born child, Mahārāja Duṣmanta refused to accept them as his wife and son. Later, however, after a mysterious omen, the King accepted them. After Mahārāja Duṣmanta’s death, Bharata, the son of Śakuntalā, was enthroned. He performed many great sacrifices, in which he gave great riches in charity to the brāhmaṇas. This chapter ends by describing the birth of Bharadvāja and how Mahārāja Bharata accepted Bharadvāja as his son.
Chapter Twenty-one The Dynasty of Bharata This Twenty-first Chapter describes the dynasty born from Mahārāja Bharata, the son of Mahārāja Duṣmanta, and it also describes the glories of Rantideva, Ajamīḍha and others. The son of Bharadvāja was Manyu, and Manyu’s sons were Bṛhatkṣatra, Jaya, Mahāvīrya, Nara and Garga. Of these five, Nara had a son named Saṅkṛti, who had two sons, named Guru and Rantideva. As an exalted devotee, Rantideva saw every living entity in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore he completely engaged his mind, his words and his very self in the service of the Supreme Lord and His devotees. Rantideva was so exalted that he would sometimes give away his own food in charity, and he and his family would fast. Once, after Rantideva spent forty-eight days fasting, not even drinking water, excellent food made with ghee was brought to him, but when he was about to eat it a brāhmaṇa guest appeared. Rantideva, therefore, did not eat the food, but instead immediately offered a portion of it to the brāhmaṇa. When the brāhmaṇa left and Rantideva was just about to eat the remnants of the food, a śūdra appeared. Rantideva therefore divided the remnants between the śūdra and himself. Again, when he was just about to eat the remnants of the food, another guest appeared. Rantideva therefore gave the rest of the food to the new guest and was about to content himself with drinking the water to quench his thirst, but this also was precluded, for a thirsty guest came and Rantideva gave him the water. This was all ordained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead just to glorify His devotee and show how tolerant a devotee is in rendering service to the Lord. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, being extremely pleased with Rantideva, entrusted him with very confidential service. The special power to render the most confidential service is entrusted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to a pure devotee, not to ordinary devotees. Garga, the son of Bharadvāja, had a son named Śini, and Śini’s son was Gārgya. Although Gārgya was a kṣatriya by birth, his sons became brāhmaṇas. The son of Mahāvīrya was Duritakṣaya, whose sons were of a kṣatriya king, they also achieved the position of brāhmaṇas. The son of Bṛhatkṣatra constructed the city of Hastināpura and was known as Hastī. His sons were Ajamīḍha, Dvimīḍha and Purumīḍha. From Ajamīḍha came Priyamedha and other brāhmaṇas and also a son named Bṛhadiṣu. The sons, grandsons and further descendants of Bṛhadiṣu were Bṛhaddhanu, Bṛhatkāya, Jayadratha, Viśada and Syenajit. From Syenajit came four sons—Rucirāśva, Dṛḍhahanu, Kāśya and Vatsa. From Rucirāśva came a son named Pāra, whose sons were Pṛthusena and Nīpa, and from Nīpa came one hundred sons. Another son of Nīpa was Brahmadatta. From Brahmadatta came Viṣvaksena; from Viṣvaksena, Udaksena; and from Udaksena, Bhallāṭa. The son of Dvimīḍha was Yavīnara, and from Yavīnara came many sons and grandsons, such as Kṛtimān, Satyadhṛti, Dṛḍhanemi, Supārśva, Sumati, Sannatimān, Kṛtī, Nīpa, Udgrāyudha, Kṣemya, Suvīra, Ripuñjaya and Bahuratha. Purumīḍha had no sons, but Ajamīḍha, in addition to his other sons, had a son named Nīla, whose son was Śānti. The descendants of Śānti were Suśānti, Puruja, Arka and Bharmyāśva. Bharmyāśva had five sons, one of whom, Mudgala, begot a dynasty of brāhmaṇas. Mudgala had twins—a son, Divodāsa, and a daughter, Ahalyā. From Ahalyā, by her husband, Gautama, Śatānanda was born. The son of Śatānanda was Satyadhṛti, and his son was Śaradvān. Śaradvān’s son was known as Kṛpa, and Śaradvān’s daughter, known as Kṛpī, became the wife of Droṇācārya.
Chapter Twenty-two The Descendants of Ajamīḍha This chapter describes the descendants of Divodāsa. It also describes Jarāsandha, who belonged to the Ṛkṣa dynasty, as well as Duryodhana, Arjuna and others. The son of Divodāsa was Mitrāyu, who had four sons, one after another—Cyavana, Sudāsa, Sahadeva and Somaka. Somaka had one hundred sons, of whom the youngest was Pṛṣata, from whom Drupada was born. Drupada’s daughter was Draupadī, and his sons were headed by Dhṛṣṭadyumna. Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s son was Dhṛṣṭaketu. Another son of Ajamīḍha was named Ṛkṣa. From Ṛkṣa came a son named Saṁvaraṇa, and from Saṁvaraṇa came Kuru, the king of Kurukṣetra. Kuru had four sons—Parīkṣi, Sudhanu, Jahnu and Niṣadha. Among the descendants in the dynasty from Sudhanu were Suhotra, Cyavana, Kṛtī and Uparicara Vasu. The sons of Uparicara Vasu, including Bṛhadratha, Kuśāmba, Matsya, Pratyagra and Cedipa, became kings of the Cedi state. In the dynasty from Bṛhadratha came Kuśāgra, Ṛṣabha, Satyahita, Puṣpavān and Jahu, and from Bṛhadratha through the womb of another wife came Jarāsandha, who was followed by Sahadeva, Somāpi and Śrutaśravā. Parīkṣi, the son of Kuru, had no sons. Among the descendants of Jahnu were Suratha, Vidūratha, Sārvabhauma, Jayasena, Rādhika, Ayutāyu, Akrodhana, Devātithi, Ṛkṣa, Dilīpa and Pratīpa. The sons of Pratīpa were Devāpi, Śāntanu and Bāhlīka. When Devāpi retired to the forest, his younger brother Śāntanu became the king. Although Śāntanu, being younger, was not eligible to occupy the throne, he disregarded his elder brother. Consequently, there was no rainfall for twelve years. Following the advice of the brāhmaṇas, Śāntanu was ready to return the kingdom to Devāpi, but by the intrigue of Śāntanu’s minister, Devāpi became unfit to be king. Therefore Śāntanu resumed charge of the kingdom, and rain fell properly during his regime. By mystic power, Devāpi still lives in the village known as Kalāpa-grāma. In this Kali-yuga, when the descendants of Soma known as the candra-vaṁśa (the lunar dynasty) die out, Devāpi, at the beginning of Satya-yuga, will reestablish the dynasty of the moon. The wife of Śāntanu named Gaṅgā gave birth to Bhīṣma, one of the twelve authorities. Two sons named Citrāṅgada and Vicitravīrya were also born from the womb of Satyavatī by the semen of Śāntanu, and Vyāsadeva was born from Satyavatī by the semen of Parāśara, Vyāsadeva instructed the history of the Bhāgavatam to his son Śukadeva. Through the womb of the two wives and the maidservant of Vicitravīrya, Vyāsadeva begot Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu and Vidura. Dhṛtarāṣṭra had one hundred sons, headed by Duryodhana, and one daughter named Duḥśalā. Pāṇḍu had five sons, headed by Yudhiṣṭhira, and each of these five sons had one son from Draupadī. The names of these sons of Draupadī were Prativindhya, Śrutasena, Śrutakīrti, Śatānīka and Śrutakarmā. Besides these five sons, by other wives the Pāṇḍavas had many other sons, such as Devaka, Ghaṭotkaca, Sarvagata, Suhotra, Naramitra, Irāvān, Babhruvāhana and Abhimanyu. From Abhimanyu, Mahārāja Parīkṣit was born, and Mahārāja Parīkṣit had four sons—Janamejaya, Śrutasena, Bhīmasena and Ugrasena. Next Śukadeva Gosvāmī described the future sons of the Pāṇḍu family. From Janamejaya, he said, would come a son named Śatānīka, and following in the dynasty would be Sahasrānīka, Aśvamedhaja, Asīmakṛṣṇa, Nemicakra, Citraratha, Śuciratha, Vṛṣṭimān, Suṣeṇa, Sunītha, Nṛcakṣu, Sukhīnala, Pariplava, Sunaya, Medhāvī, Nṛpañjaya, Dūrva, Timi, Bṛhadratha, Sudāsa, Śatānīka, Durdamana, Mahīnara, Daṇḍapāṇi, Nimi and Kṣemaka. Śukadeva Gosvāmī then predicted the kings of the māgadha-vaṁśa, or Māgadha dynasty. Sahadeva, the son of Jarāsandha, would beget Mārjāri, and from him would come Śrutaśravā. Subsequently taking birth in the dynasty will be Yutāyu, Niramitra, Sunakṣatra, Bṛhatsena, Karmajit, Sutañjaya, Vipra, Śuci, Kṣema, Suvrata, Dharmasūtra, Sama, Dyumatsena, Sumati, Subala, Sunītha, Satyajit, Viśvajit and Ripuñjaya.
Chapter Twenty-three The Dynasties of the Sons of Yayāti In this Twenty-third Chapter the dynasties of Anu, Druhyu, Turvasu and Yadu, as well as the story of Jyāmagha, are described. The sons of Yayāti’s fourth son, Anu, were Sabhānara, Cakṣu and Pareṣṇu. Of these three, the sons and grandsons of Sabhānara were, in succession, Kālanara, Sṛñjaya, Janamejaya, Mahāśāla and Mahāmanā. The sons of Mahāmanā were Uśīnara and Titikṣu. Uśīnara had four sons, namely Śibi, Vara, Kṛmi and Dakṣa. Śibi also had four sons—Vṛṣādarbha, Sudhīra, Madra and Kekaya. The son of Titikṣu was Ruṣadratha, who begot a son named Homa. From Homa came Sutapā and from Sutapā, Bali. In this way the dynasty continued. Begotten by Dīrghatamā in the womb of the wife of Bali were Aṅga, Vaṅga, Kaliṅga, Suhma, Puṇḍra and Oḍra, all of whom became kings. From Aṅga came Khalapāna, whose dynasty included Diviratha, Dharmaratha and Citraratha, also called Romapāda, one after another. Mahārāja Daśaratha gave in charity one of his daughters, by the name Śāntā, to his friend Romapāda because Romapāda had no sons. Romapāda accepted Śāntā as his daughter, and the great sage Ṛṣyaśṛṅga married her. By the mercy of Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, Romapāda had a son named Caturaṅga. The son of Caturaṅga was Pṛthulākṣa, who had three sons—Bṛhadratha, Bṛhatkarmā and Bṛhadbhānu. From Bṛhadratha came a son named Bṛhadmanā, whose sons and grandsons in succession were Jayadratha, Vijaya, Dhṛti, Dhṛtavrata, Satkarmā and Adhiratha. Adhiratha accepted the son rejected by Kuntī, namely Karṇa, and Karṇa’s son was Vṛṣasena. The son of Yayāti’s third son, Druhyu, was Babhru, whose son and grandsons were Setu, Ārabdha, Gāndhāra, Dharma, Dhṛta, Durmada and Pracetā. The son of Yayāti’s second son, Turvasu, was Vahni, whose seminal dynasty included Bharga, Bhānumān, Tribhānu, Karandhama and Maruta. The childless Maruta accepted Duṣmanta, who belonged to the Pūru dynasty, as his adopted son. Mahārāja Duṣmanta was anxious to have his kingdom returned, and so he went back to the Pūru-vaṁśa. Of the four sons of Yadu, Sahasrajit was the eldest. The son of Sahasrajit was named Śatajit. He had three sons, of whom one was Haihaya. The sons and grandsons in the dynasty of Haihaya were Dharma, Netra, Kunti, Sohañji, Mahiṣmān, Bhadrasenaka, Dhanaka, Kṛtavīrya, Arjuna, Jayadhvaja, Tālajaṅgha and Vītihotra. The son of Vītihotra was Madhu, whose eldest son was Vṛṣṇi. Because of Yadu, Madhu and Vṛṣṇi, their dynasties are known as Yādava, Mādhava and Vṛṣṇi. Another son of Yadu was Kroṣṭā, and from him came Vṛjinavān, Svāhita, Viṣadgu, Citraratha, Śaśabindu, Pṛthuśravā, Dharma, Uśanā and Rucaka. Rucaka had five sons, one of whom was known as Jyāmagha. Jyāmagha was sonless, but by the mercy of the demigods his childless wife gave birth to a son named Vidarbha.
Chapter Twenty-four Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead Vidarbha had three sons, named Kuśa, Kratha and Romapāda. Of these three, Romapāda expanded his dynasty by the sons and grandsons named Babhru, Kṛti, Uśika, Cedi and Caidya, all of whom later became kings. From the son of Vidarbha named Kratha came a son named Kunti, from whose dynasty came the descendants named Vṛṣṇi, Nirvṛti, Daśārha, Vyoma, Jīmūta, Vikṛti, Bhīmaratha, Navaratha, Daśaratha, Śakuni, Karambhi, Devarāta, Devakṣatra, Madhu, Kuruvaśa, Anu, Puruhotra, Ayu and Sātvata. Sātvata had seven sons. One of them was Devāvṛdha, whose son was Babhru. Another son of Sātvata was Mahābhoja, by whom the Bhoja dynasty was inaugurated. Another was Vṛṣṇi, who had a son named Yudhājit. From Yudhājit came Anamitra and Śini, and from Anamitra came Nighna and another Śini. The descendants in succession from Śini were Satyaka, Yuyudhāna, Jaya, Kuṇi and Yugandhara. Another son of Anamitra was Vṛṣṇi. From Vṛṣṇi came Śvaphalka, by whom Akrūra and twelve other sons were generated. From Akrūra came two sons, named Devavān and Upadeva. The son of Andhaka named Kukura was the origin of the descendants known as Vahni, Vilomā, Kapotaromā, Anu, Andhaka, Dundubhi, Avidyota, Punarvasu and Āhuka. Āhuka had two sons, named Devaka and Ugrasena. The four sons of Devaka were known as Devavān, Upadeva, Sudeva and Devavardhana, and his seven daughters were Dhṛtadevā, Śāntidevā, Upadevā, Śrīdevā, Devarakṣitā, Sahadevā and Devakī. Vasudeva married all seven daughters of Devaka. Ugrasena had nine sons named Kaṁsa, Sunāmā, Nyagrodha, Kaṅka, Śaṅku, Suhū, Rāṣṭrapāla, Dhṛṣṭi and Tuṣṭimān, and he had five daughters named Kaṁsā, Kaṁsavatī, Kaṅkā, Śūrabhū and Rāṣṭrapālikā. The younger brothers of Vasudeva married all the daughters of Ugrasena. Vidūratha, the son of Citraratha, had a son named Śūra, who had ten other sons, of whom Vasudeva was the chief. Śūra gave one of his five daughters, Pṛthā, to his friend Kunti, and therefore she was also named Kuntī. In her maiden state she gave birth to a child named Karṇa, and later she married Mahārāja Pāṇḍu. Vṛddhaśarmā married the daughter of Śūra named Śrutadevā, from whose womb Dantavakra was born. Dhṛṣṭaketu married Śūra’s daughter named Śrutakīrti, who had five sons. Jayasena married Śūra’s daughter named Rājādhidevī. The king of Cedi-deśa, Damaghoṣa, married the daughter of Śūra named Śrutaśravā, from whom Śiśupāla was born. Devabhāga, through the womb of Kaṁsā, begot Citraketu and Bṛhadbala; and Devaśravā, through the womb of Kaṁsavatī, begot Suvīra and Iṣumān. From Kaṅka, through the womb of Kaṅkā, came Baka, Satyajit and Purujit, and from Sṛñjaya, through the womb of Rāṣṭrapālikā, came Vṛṣa and Durmarṣaṇa. Śyāmaka, through the womb of Śūrabhūmi, begot Harikeśa and Hiraṇyākṣa. Vatsaka, through the womb of Miśrakeśī, begot Vṛka, who begot the sons named Takṣa, Puṣkara and Śāla. From Samīka came Sumitra and Arjunapāla, and from Ānaka came Ṛtadhāmā and Jaya. Vasudeva had many wives, of whom Devakī and Rohiṇī were the most important. From the womb of Rohiṇī, Baladeva was born, along with Gada, Sāraṇa, Durmada, Vipula, Dhruva, Kṛta and others. Vasudeva had many other sons by his other wives, and the eighth son to appear from the womb of Devakī was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who delivered the entire world from the burden of demons. This chapter ends by glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead Vāsudeva.
TEXTS 6–7 śrī-śuka uvāca ekadā dānavendrasya śarmiṣṭhā nāma kanyakā sakhī-sahasra-saṁyuktā guru-putryā ca bhāminī devayānyā purodyāne puṣpita-druma-saṅkule vyacarat kala-gītāli- nalinī-puline ’balā SYNONYMS śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; ekadā—once upon a time; dānava-indrasya—of Vṛṣaparvā; śarmiṣṭhā—Śarmiṣṭhā; nāma—by name; kanyakā—a daughter; sakhī-sahasra-saṁyuktā—accompanied by thousands of friends; guru-putryā—with the daughter of the guru, Śukrācārya; ca—also; bhāminī—very easily irritated; devayānyā—with Devayānī; pura-udyāne—within the palace garden; puṣpita—full of flowers; druma—with nice trees; saṅkule—congested; vyacarat—was walking; kala-gīta—with very sweet sounds; ali—with bumblebees; nalinī—with lotuses; puline—in such a garden; abalā—innocent. TRANSLATION Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: One day Vṛṣaparvā’s daughter Śarmiṣṭhā, who was innocent but angry by nature, was walking with Devayānī, the daughter of Śukrācārya, and with thousands of friends, in the palace garden. The garden was full of lotuses and trees of flowers and fruits and was inhabited by sweetly singing birds and bumblebees. TEXT 8 tā jalāśayam āsādya kanyāḥ kamala-locanāḥ tīre nyasya dukūlāni vijahruḥ siñcatīr mithaḥ SYNONYMS tāḥ—they; jala-āśayam—to the lakeside; āsādya—coming; kanyāḥ—all the girls; kamala-locanāḥ—with eyes like lotus petals; tīre—on the bank; nyasya—giving up; dukūlāni—their dresses; vijahruḥ—began to sport; siñcatīḥ—throwing water; mithaḥ—on one another. TRANSLATION When the young, lotus-eyed girls came to the bank of a reservoir of water, they wanted to enjoy by bathing. Thus they left their clothing on the bank and began sporting, throwing water on one another. TEXT 9 vīkṣya vrajantaṁ giriśaṁ saha devyā vṛṣa-sthitam sahasottīrya vāsāṁsi paryadhur vrīḍitāḥ striyaḥ SYNONYMS vīkṣya—seeing; vrajantam—passing by; giriśam—Lord Śiva; saha—with; devyā—Pārvatī, the wife of Lord Śiva; vṛṣa-sthitam—seated upon his bull; sahasā—quickly; uttīrya—getting out of the water; vāsāṁsi—garments; paryadhuḥ—put on the body; vrīḍitāḥ—being ashamed; striyaḥ—the young girls. TRANSLATION While sporting in the water, the girls suddenly saw Lord Śiva passing by, seated on the back of his bull with his wife, Pārvatī. Ashamed because they were naked, the girls quickly got out of the water and covered themselves with their garments. TEXT 10 śarmiṣṭhājānatī vāso guru-putryāḥ samavyayat svīyaṁ matvā prakupitā devayānīdam abravīt SYNONYMS śarmiṣṭhā—the daughter of Vṛṣaparvā; ajānatī—without knowledge; vāsaḥ—the dress; guru-putryāḥ—of Devayānī, the daughter of the guru; samavyayat—put on the body; svīyam—her own; matvā—thinking; prakupitā—irritated and angry; devayānī—the daughter of Śukrācārya; idam—this; abravīt—said. TRANSLATION Śarmiṣṭhā unknowingly put Devayānī’s dress on her own body, thus angering Devayānī, who then spoke as follows. TEXT 11 aho nirīkṣyatām asyā dāsyāḥ karma hy asāmpratam asmad-dhāryaṁ dhṛtavatī śunīva havir adhvare SYNONYMS aho—alas; nirīkṣyatām—just see; asyāḥ—of her (Śarmiṣṭhā); dāsyāḥ—just like our servant; karma—activities; hi—indeed; asāmpratam—without any etiquette; asmat-dhāryam—the garment meant for me; dhṛtavatī—she has put on; śunī iva—like a dog; haviḥ—clarified butter; adhvare—meant for offering in the sacrifice. TRANSLATION Oh, just see the activities of this servant-maid Śarmiṣṭhā! Disregarding all etiquette, she has put on my dress, just like a dog snatching clarified butter meant for use in a sacrifice.
TEXT 31 vilokyauśanasīṁ rājañ charmiṣṭhā suprajāṁ kvacit tam eva vavre rahasi sakhyāḥ patim ṛtau satī SYNONYMS vilokya—by seeing; auśanasīm—Devayānī, the daughter of Śukrācārya; rājan—O King Parīkṣit; śarmiṣṭhā—the daughter of Vṛṣaparvā; su-prajām—possessing nice children; kvacit—at some time; tam—him (King Yayāti); eva—indeed; vavre—requested; rahasi—in a secluded place; sakhyāḥ—of her friend; patim—the husband; ṛtau—at the appropriate time; satī—being in that position. TRANSLATION O King Parīkṣit, upon seeing Devayānī with a nice son, Śarmiṣṭhā once approached King Yayāti at the appropriate time for conception. In a secluded place, she requested the King, the husband of her friend Devayānī, to enable her to have a son also. TEXT 32 rāja-putryārthito ’patye dharmaṁ cāvekṣya dharmavit smarañ chukra-vacaḥ kāle diṣṭam evābhyapadyata SYNONYMS rāja-putryā—by Śarmiṣṭhā, who was the daughter of a king; arthitaḥ—being requested; apatye—for a son; dharmam—religious principles; ca—as well as; avekṣya—considering; dharma-vit—aware of all religious principles; smaran—remembering; śukra-vacaḥ—the warning of Śukrācārya; kāle—at the time; diṣṭam—circumstantially; eva—indeed; abhyapadyata—accepted (to fulfill the desire of Śarmiṣṭhā). TRANSLATION When Princess Śarmiṣṭhā begged King Yayāti for a son, the King was certainly aware of the principles of religion, and therefore he agreed to fulfill her desire. Although he remembered the warning of Śukrācārya, he thought of this union as the desire of the Supreme, and thus he had sex with Śarmiṣṭhā. PURPORT King Yayāti was completely aware of the duty of a kṣatriya. When a kṣatriya is approached by a woman, he cannot deny her. This is a religious principle. Consequently, when Dharmarāja, Yudhiṣṭhira, saw Arjuna unhappy after Arjuna returned from Dvārakā, he asked whether Arjuna had refused a woman who had begged for a son. Although Mahārāja Yayāti remembered Śukrācārya’s warning, he could not refuse Śarmiṣṭhā. He thought it wise to give her a son, and thus he had sexual intercourse with her after her menstrual period. This kind of lust is not against religious principles. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.11), dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo ’smi: sex life not contrary to the principles of religion is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. Because Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of a king, had begged Yayāti for a son, their combination was not lust but an act of religion. TEXT 33 yaduṁ ca turvasuṁ caiva devayānī vyajāyata druhyuṁ cānuṁ ca pūruṁ ca śarmiṣṭhā vārṣaparvaṇī SYNONYMS yadum—Yadu; ca—and; turvasum—Turvasu; ca eva—as well as; devayānī—the daughter of Śukrācārya; vyajāyata—gave birth to; druhyum—Druhyu; ca—and; anum—Anu; ca—also; pūrum—Pūru; ca—also; śarmiṣṭhā—Śarmiṣṭhā; vārṣaparvaṇī—the daughter of Vṛṣaparvā. TRANSLATION Devayānī gave birth to Yadu and Turvasu, and Śarmiṣṭhā gave birth to Druhyu, Anu and Pūru. TEXT 34 garbha-sambhavam āsuryā bhartur vijñāya māninī devayānī pitur gehaṁ yayau krodha-vimūrchitā SYNONYMS garbha-sambhavam—pregnancy; āsuryāḥ—of Śarmiṣṭhā; bhartuḥ—made possible by her husband; vijñāya—knowing (from the brāhmaṇa astrologers); māninī—being very proud; devayānī—the daughter of Śukrācārya; pituḥ—of her father; geham—to the house; yayau—departed; krodha-vimūrchitā—frenzied because of anger. TRANSLATION When the proud Devayānī understood from outside sources that Śarmiṣṭhā was pregnant by her husband, she was frenzied with anger. Thus she departed for her father’s house. TEXT 35 priyām anugataḥ kāmī vacobhir upamantrayan na prasādayituṁ śeke pāda-saṁvāhanādibhiḥ SYNONYMS priyām—his beloved wife; anugataḥ—following; kāmī—very, very lusty; vacobhiḥ—by great words; upamantrayan—appeasing; na—not; prasādayitum—to appease; śeke—was able; pāda-saṁvāhana-ādibhiḥ—even by massaging her feet. TRANSLATION King Yayāti, who was very lusty, followed his wife, caught her and tried to appease her by speaking pleasing words and massaging her feet, but he could not satisfy her by any means. TEXT 36 śukras tam āha kupitaḥ strī-kāmānṛta-pūruṣa tvāṁ jarā viśatāṁ manda virūpa-karaṇī nṛṇām SYNONYMS śukraḥ—Śukrācārya; tam—unto him (King Yayāti); āha—said; kupitaḥ—being very angry at him; strī-kāma—O you who have lusty desires for women; anṛta-pūruṣa—O untruthful person; tvām—unto you; jarā—old age, invalidity; viśatām—may enter; manda—you fool; virūpa-karaṇī—which disfigures; nṛṇām—the bodies of human beings. TRANSLATION Śukrācārya was extremely angry. “You untruthful fool, lusting after women! You have done a great wrong,” he said. “I therefore curse you to be attacked and disfigured by old age and invalidity.”
TEXT 6 tasmai saṁvyabhajat so ’nnam ādṛtya śraddhayānvitaḥ hariṁ sarvatra sampaśyan sa bhuktvā prayayau dvijaḥ SYNONYMS tasmai—unto him (the brāhmaṇa); saṁvyabhajat—after dividing, gave his share; saḥ—he (Rantideva); annam—the food; ādṛtya—with great respect; śraddhayā anvitaḥ—and with faith; harim—the Supreme Lord; sarvatra—everywhere, or in the heart of every living being; sampaśyan—conceiving; saḥ—he; bhuktvā—after eating the food; prayayau—left that place; dvijaḥ—the brāhmaṇa. TRANSLATION Because Rantideva perceived the presence of the Supreme Godhead everywhere, and in every living entity, he received the guest with faith and respect and gave him a share of the food. The brāhmaṇa guest ate his share and then went away. PURPORT Rantideva perceived the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in every living being, but he never thought that because the Supreme Lord is present in every living being, every living being must be God. Nor did he distinguish between one living being and another. He perceived the presence of the Lord both in the brāhmaṇa and in the caṇḍāla. This is the true vision of equality, as confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (5.18): vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ “The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].” A paṇḍita, or learned person, perceives the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in every living being. Therefore, although it has now become fashionable to give preference to the so-called daridra-nārāyaṇa, or “poor Nārāyaṇa,” Rantideva had no reason to give preference to any one person. The idea that because Nārāyaṇa is present in the heart of one who is daridra, or poor, the poor man should be called daridra-nārāyaṇa is a wrong conception. By such logic, because the Lord is present within the hearts of the dogs and hogs, the dogs and hogs would also be Nārāyaṇa. One should not mistakenly think that Rantideva subscribed to this view. Rather, he saw everyone as part of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ). It is not that everyone is the Supreme Godhead. Such a theory, which is propounded by the Māyāvāda philosophy, is always misleading, and Rantideva would never have accepted it. TEXT 7 athānyo bhokṣyamāṇasya vibhaktasya mahīpateḥ vibhaktaṁ vyabhajat tasmai vṛṣalāya hariṁ smaran SYNONYMS atha—thereafter; anyaḥ—another guest; bhokṣyamāṇasya—who was just about to eat; vibhaktasya—after setting aside the share for the family; mahīpateḥ—of the King; vibhaktam—the food allotted for the family; vyabhajat—he divided and distributed; tasmai—unto him; vṛṣalāya—unto a śūdra; harim—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; smaran—remembering. TRANSLATION Thereafter, having divided the remaining food with his relatives, Rantideva was just about to eat his own share when a śūdra guest arrived. Seeing the śūdra in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, King Rantideva gave him also a share of the food. PURPORT Because King Rantideva saw everyone as part of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he never distinguished between the brāhmaṇa and the śūdra, the poor and the rich. Such equal vision is called sama-darśinaḥ (paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]). One who has actually realized that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated in everyone’s heart and that every living being is part of the Lord does not make any distinction between the brāhmaṇa and the śūdra, the poor (daridra) and the rich (dhanī). Such a person sees all living beings equally and treats them equally, without discrimination. TEXT 8 yāte śūdre tam anyo ’gād atithiḥ śvabhir āvṛtaḥ rājan me dīyatām annaṁ sagaṇāya bubhukṣate SYNONYMS yāte—when he went away; śūdre—the śūdra guest; tam—unto the King; anyaḥ—another; agāt—arrived there; atithiḥ—guest; śvabhiḥ āvṛtaḥ—accompanied by dogs; rājan—O King; me—unto me; dīyatām—deliver; annam—eatables; sa-gaṇāya—with my company of dogs; bubhukṣate—hankering for food. TRANSLATION When the śūdra went away, another guest arrived, surrounded by dogs, and said, “O King, I and my company of dogs are very hungry. Please give us something to eat.” TEXT 9 sa ādṛtyāvaśiṣṭaṁ yad bahu-māna-puraskṛtam tac ca dattvā namaścakre śvabhyaḥ śva-pataye vibhuḥ SYNONYMS saḥ—he (King Rantideva); ādṛtya—after honoring them; avaśiṣṭam—the food that remained after the brāhmaṇa and śūdra were fed; yat—whatever there was; bahu-māna-puraskṛtam—offering him much respect; tat—that; ca—also; dattvā—giving away; namaḥ-cakre—offered obeisances; śvabhyaḥ—unto the dogs; śva-pataye—unto the master of the dogs; vibhuḥ—the all-powerful King. TRANSLATION With great respect, King Rantideva offered the balance of the food to the dogs and the master of the dogs, who had come as guests. The King offered them all respects and obeisances. TEXT 10 pānīya-mātram uccheṣaṁ tac caika-paritarpaṇam pāsyataḥ pulkaso ’bhyāgād apo dehy aśubhāya me SYNONYMS pānīya-mātram—only the drinking water; uccheṣam—what remained of the food; tat ca—that also; eka—for one; paritarpaṇam—satisfying; pāsyataḥ—when the King was about to drink; pulkasaḥ—a caṇḍāla; abhyāgāt—came there; apaḥ—water; dehi—please give; aśubhāya—although I am a lowborn caṇḍāla; me—to me. TRANSLATION Thereafter, only the drinking water remained, and there was only enough to satisfy one person, but when the King was just about to drink it, a caṇḍāla appeared and said, “O King, although I am lowborn, kindly give me some drinking water.” TEXT 11 tasya tāṁ karuṇāṁ vācaṁ niśamya vipula-śramām kṛpayā bhṛśa-santapta idam āhāmṛtaṁ vacaḥ SYNONYMS tasya—of him (the caṇḍāla); tām—those; karuṇām—pitiable; vācam—words; niśamya—hearing; vipula—very much; śramām—fatigued; kṛpayā—out of compassion; bhṛśa-santaptaḥ—very much aggrieved; idam—these; āha—spoke; amṛtam—very sweet; vacaḥ—words. TRANSLATION Aggrieved at hearing the pitiable words of the poor fatigued caṇḍāla, Mahārāja Rantideva spoke the following nectarean words. PURPORT Mahārāja Rantideva’s words were like amṛta, or nectar, and therefore, aside from rendering bodily service to an aggrieved person, by his words alone the King could save the life of anyone who might hear him. TEXT 12 na kāmaye ’haṁ gatim īśvarāt parām aṣṭarddhi-yuktām apunar-bhavaṁ vā ārtiṁ prapadye ’khila-deha-bhājām antaḥ-sthito yena bhavanty aduḥkhāḥ SYNONYMS na—not; kāmaye—desire; aham—I; gatim—destination; īśvarāt—from the Supreme Personality of Godhead; parām—great; aṣṭa-ṛddhi-yuktām—composed of the eight kinds of mystic perfection; apunaḥ-bhavam—cessation of repeated birth (liberation, salvation); vā—either; ārtim—sufferings; prapadye—I accept; akhila-deha-bhājām—of all living entities; antaḥ-sthitaḥ—staying among them; yena—by which; bhavanti—they become; aduḥkhāḥ—without distress. TRANSLATION I do not pray to the Supreme Personality of Godhead for the eight perfections of mystic yoga, nor for salvation from repeated birth and death. I want only to stay among all the living entities and suffer all distresses on their behalf, so that they may be freed from suffering. PURPORT Vāsudeva Datta made a similar statement to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, requesting the Lord to liberate all living entities in His presence. Vāsudeva Datta submitted that if they were unfit to be liberated, he himself would take all their sinful reactions and suffer personally so that the Lord might deliver them. A Vaiṣṇava is therefore described as being para-duḥkha-duḥkhī, very much aggrieved by the sufferings of others. As such, a Vaiṣṇava engages in activities for the real welfare of human society. TEXT 13 kṣut-tṛṭ-śramo gātra-paribhramaś ca dainyaṁ klamaḥ śoka-viṣāda-mohāḥ sarve nivṛttāḥ kṛpaṇasya jantor jijīviṣor jīva-jalārpaṇān me SYNONYMS kṣut—from hunger; tṛṭ—and thirst; śramaḥ—fatigue; gātra-paribhramaḥ—trembling of the body; ca—also; dainyam—poverty; klamaḥ—distress; śoka—lamentation; viṣāda—moroseness; mohāḥ—and bewilderment; sarve—all of them; nivṛttāḥ—finished; kṛpaṇasya—of the poor; jantoḥ—living entity (the caṇḍāla); jijīviṣoḥ—desiring to live; jīva—maintaining life; jala—water; arpaṇāt—by delivering; me—mine. TRANSLATION By offering my water to maintain the life of this poor caṇḍāla, who is struggling to live, I have been freed from all hunger, thirst, fatigue, trembling of the body, moroseness, distress, lamentation and illusion. TEXT 14 iti prabhāṣya pānīyaṁ mriyamāṇaḥ pipāsayā pulkasāyādadād dhīro nisarga-karuṇo nṛpaḥ SYNONYMS iti—thus; prabhāṣya—giving his statement; pānīyam—drinking water; mriyamāṇaḥ—although on the verge of death; pipāsayā—because of thirst; pulkasāya—unto the low-class caṇḍāla; adadāt—delivered; dhīraḥ—sober; nisarga-karuṇaḥ—by nature very kind; nṛpaḥ—the King. TRANSLATION Having spoken thus, King Rantideva, although on the verge of death because of thirst, gave his own portion of water to the caṇḍāla without hesitation, for the King was naturally very kind and sober.
TEXT 25 sa kṛtvyāṁ śuka-kanyāyāṁ brahmadattam ajījanat yogī sa gavi bhāryāyāṁ viṣvaksenam adhāt sutam SYNONYMS saḥ—he (King Nīpa); kṛtvyām—in his wife, Kṛtvī; śuka-kanyāyām—who was the daughter of Śuka; brahmadattam—a son named Brahmadatta; ajījanat—begot; yogī—a mystic yogī; saḥ—that Brahmadatta; gavi—by the name Gau or Sarasvatī; bhāryāyām—in the womb of his wife; viṣvaksenam—Viṣvaksena; adhāt—begot; sutam—a son. TRANSLATION King Nīpa begot a son named Brahmadatta through the womb of his wife, Kṛtvī, who was the daughter of Śuka. And Brahmadatta, who was a great yogi, begot a son named Viṣvaksena through the womb of his wife, Sarasvatī. PURPORT The Śuka mentioned here is different from the Śukadeva Gosvāmī who spoke Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyāsadeva, is described in great detail in the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa. There it is said that Vyāsadeva maintained the daughter of Jābāli as his wife and that after they performed penances together for many years, he placed his seed in her womb. The child remained in the womb of his mother for twelve years, and when the father asked the son to come out, the son replied that he would not come out unless he were completely liberated from the influence of māyā. Vyāsadeva then assured the child that he would not be influenced by māyā, but the child did not believe his father, for the father was still attached to his wife and children. Vyāsadeva then went to Dvārakā and informed the Personality of Godhead about his problem, and the Personality of Godhead, at Vyāsadeva’s request, went to Vyāsadeva’s cottage, where He assured the child in the womb that he would not be influenced by māyā. Thus assured, the child came out, but he immediately went away as a parivrājakācārya. When the father, very much aggrieved, began to follow his saintly boy, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the boy created a duplicate Śukadeva, who later entered family life. Therefore, the śuka-kanyā, or daughter of Śukadeva, mentioned in this verse is the daughter of the duplicate or imitation Śukadeva. The original Śukadeva was a lifelong brahmacārī.
Chapter Twenty-four Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead
TEXT 32 sāpa durvāsaso vidyāṁ deva-hūtīṁ pratoṣitāt tasyā vīrya-parīkṣārtham ājuhāva raviṁ śuciḥ SYNONYMS sā—she (Kuntī, or Pṛthā); āpa—achieved; durvāsasaḥ—from the great sage Durvāsā; vidyām—mystic power; deva-hūtīm—calling any demigod; pratoṣitāt—who was satisfied; tasyāḥ—with that (particular mystic power); vīrya—potency; parīkṣa-artham—just to examine; ājuhāva—called for; ravim—the sun-god; śuciḥ—the pious (Pṛthā). TRANSLATION Once when Durvāsā was a guest at the house of Pṛthā’s father, Kunti, Pṛthā satisfied Durvāsā by rendering service. Therefore she received a mystic power by which she could call any demigod. To examine the potency of this mystic power, the pious Kuntī immediately called for the sun-god. TEXT 33 tadaivopāgataṁ devaṁ vīkṣya vismita-mānasā pratyayārthaṁ prayuktā me yāhi deva kṣamasva me SYNONYMS tadā—at that time; eva—indeed; upāgatam—appeared (before her); devam—the sun-god; vīkṣya—seeing; vismita-mānasā—very much surprised; pratyaya-artham—just to see the potency of the mystic power; prayuktā—I have used it; me—me; yāhi—please return; deva—O demigod; kṣamasva—forgive; me—me. TRANSLATION As soon as Kuntī called for the demigod of the sun, he immediately appeared before her, and she was very much surprised. She told the sun-god, “I was simply examining the effectiveness of this mystic power. I am sorry I have called you unnecessarily. Please return and excuse me.” TEXT 34 amoghaṁ deva-sandarśam ādadhe tvayi cātmajam yonir yathā na duṣyeta kartāhaṁ te sumadhyame SYNONYMS amogham—without failure; deva-sandarśam—meeting with the demigods; ādadhe—I shall give (my semen); tvayi—unto you; ca—also; ātmajam—a son; yoniḥ—the source of birth; yathā—as; na—not; duṣyeta—becomes polluted; kartā—shall arrange; aham—I; te—unto you; sumadhyame—O beautiful girl. TRANSLATION The sun-god said: O beautiful Pṛthā, your meeting with the demigods cannot be fruitless. Therefore, let me place my seed in your womb so that you may bear a son. I shall arrange to keep your virginity intact, since you are still an unmarried girl. PURPORT According to Vedic civilization, if a girl gives birth to a child before she is married, no one will marry her. Therefore although the sun-god, after appearing before Pṛthā, wanted to give her a child, Pṛthā hesitated because she was still unmarried. To keep her virginity undisturbed, the sun-god arranged to give her a child that came from her ear, and therefore the child was known as Karṇa. The custom is that a girl should be married akṣata-yoni, that is, with her virginity undisturbed. A girl should never bear a child before her marriage. TEXT 35 iti tasyāṁ sa ādhāya garbhaṁ sūryo divaṁ gataḥ sadyaḥ kumāraḥ sañjajñe dvitīya iva bhāskaraḥ SYNONYMS iti—in this way; tasyām—unto her (Pṛthā); saḥ—he (the sun-god); ādhāya—discharging semen; garbham—pregnancy; sūryaḥ—the sun-god; divam—in the celestial planets; gataḥ—returned; sadyaḥ—immediately; kumāraḥ—a child; sañjajñe—was born; dvitīyaḥ—second; iva—like; bhāskaraḥ—the sun-god. TRANSLATION After saying this, the sun-god discharged his semen into the womb of Pṛthā and then returned to the celestial kingdom. Immediately thereafter, from Kuntī a child was born, who was like a second sun-god.
Chapter Twenty-four Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead
TEXTS 63–64 bhoja-vṛṣṇy-andhaka-madhu- śūrasena-daśārhakaiḥ ślāghanīyehitaḥ śaśvat kuru-sṛñjaya-pāṇḍubhiḥ snigdha-smitekṣitodārair vākyair vikrama-līlayā nṛlokaṁ ramayām āsa mūrtyā sarvāṅga-ramyayā SYNONYMS bhoja—assisted by the Bhoja dynasty; vṛṣṇi—and by the Vṛṣṇis; andhaka—and by the Andhakas; madhu—and by the Madhus; śūrasena—and by the Śūrasenas; daśārhakaiḥ—and by the Daśārhakas; ślāghanīya—by the praiseworthy; īhitaḥ—endeavoring; śaśvat—always; kuru-sṛñjaya-pāṇḍubhiḥ—assisted by the Pāṇḍavas, Kurus and Sṛñjayas; snigdha—affectionate; smita—smiling; īkṣita—being regarded as; udāraiḥ—magnanimous; vākyaiḥ—the instructions; vikrama-līlayā—the pastimes of heroism; nṛ-lokam—human society; ramayām āsa—pleased; mūrtyā—by His personal form; sarva-aṅga-ramyayā—the form that pleases everyone by all parts of the body. TRANSLATION Assisted by the descendants of Bhoja, Vṛṣṇi, Andhaka, Madhu, Śūrasena, Daśārha, Kuru, Sṛñjaya and Pāṇḍu, Lord Kṛṣṇa performed various activities. By His pleasing smiles, His affectionate behavior, His instructions and His uncommon pastimes like raising Govardhana Hill, the Lord, appearing in His transcendental body, pleased all of human society. PURPORT The words nṛlokaṁ ramayām āsa mūrtyā sarvāṅga-ramyayā are significant. Kṛṣṇa is the original form. Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is therefore described here by the word mūrtyā. The word mūrti means “form.” Kṛṣṇa, or God, is never impersonal; the impersonal feature is but a manifestation of His transcendental body (yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi [Bs. 5.40]). The Lord is narākṛti, exactly resembling the form of a human being, but His form is different from ours. Therefore the word sarvāṅga-ramyayā informs us that every part of His body is pleasing for everyone to see. Apart from His smiling face, every part of His body—His hands, His legs, His chest—is pleasing to the devotees, who cannot at any time stop seeing the beautiful form of the Lord.
Chapter Twenty-four Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead
TEXT 65 yasyānanaṁ makara-kuṇḍala-cāru-karṇa- bhrājat-kapola-subhagaṁ savilāsa-hāsam nityotsavaṁ na tatṛpur dṛśibhiḥ pibantyo nāryo narāś ca muditāḥ kupitā nimeś ca SYNONYMS yasya—whose; ānanam—face; makara-kuṇḍala-cāru-karṇa—decorated by earrings resembling sharks and by beautiful ears; bhrājat—brilliantly decorated; kapola—forehead; subhagam—declaring all opulences; sa-vilāsa-hāsam—with smiles of enjoyment; nitya-utsavam—whenever one sees Him, one feels festive; na tatṛpuḥ—they could not be satisfied; dṛśibhiḥ—by seeing the form of the Lord; pibantyaḥ—as if drinking through the eyes; nāryaḥ—all the women of Vṛndāvana; narāḥ—all the male devotees; ca—also; muditāḥ—fully satisfied; kupitāḥ—angry; nimeḥ—the moment they are disturbed by the blinking of the eyes; ca—also. TRANSLATION Kṛṣṇa’s face is decorated with ornaments, such as earrings resembling sharks. His ears are beautiful, His cheeks brilliant, and His smiling attractive to everyone. Whoever sees Lord Kṛṣṇa sees a festival. His face and body are fully satisfying for everyone to see, but the devotees are angry at the creator for the disturbance caused by the momentary blinking of their eyes. PURPORT As stated by the Lord Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.3): manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ “Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.” Unless one is qualified to understand Kṛṣṇa, one cannot appreciate the presence of Kṛṣṇa on earth. Among the Bhojas, Vṛṣṇis, Andhakas, Pāṇḍavas and many other kings intimately related with Kṛṣṇa, the intimate relationship between Kṛṣṇa and the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana is especially to be noted. That relationship is described in this verse by the words nityotsavaṁ na tatṛpur dṛśibhiḥ pibantyaḥ. The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana especially, such as the cowherd boys, the cows, the calves, the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa’s father and mother, were never fully satisfied, although they saw Kṛṣṇa’s beautiful features constantly. Seeing Kṛṣṇa is described here as nitya-utsava, a daily festival. The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana saw Kṛṣṇa almost every moment, but when Kṛṣṇa left the village for the pasturing grounds, where He tended the cows and calves, the gopīs were very much afflicted because they saw Kṛṣṇa walking on the sand and thought that Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, which they dared not place on their breasts because they thought their breasts not soft enough, were being pierced by broken chips of stone. By even thinking of this, the gopīs were affected, and they cried at home. These gopīs, who were therefore the exalted friends of Kṛṣṇa, saw Kṛṣṇa constantly, but because their eyelids disturbed their vision of Kṛṣṇa, the gopīs condemned the creator, Lord Brahmā. Therefore the beauty of Kṛṣṇa, especially the beauty of His face, is described here. At the end of the Ninth Canto, in the Twenty-fourth Chapter, we find a hint of Kṛṣṇa’s beauty. Now we are proceeding to the Tenth Canto, which is considered Kṛṣṇa’s head. The entire Śrīmad-Bhāgavata Purāṇa is the embodiment of Kṛṣṇa’s form, and the Tenth Canto is His face. This verse gives a hint of how beautiful His face is. Kṛṣṇa’s smiling face, with His cheeks, His lips, the ornaments in His ears, His chewing of betel nuts—all this was minutely observed by the gopīs, who thus enjoyed transcendental bliss, so much so that they were never fully satisfied to see Kṛṣṇa’s face, but instead condemned the creator of the body for making eyelids that obstructed their vision. The beauty of Kṛṣṇa’s face was therefore much more appreciated by the gopīs than by His friends the cowherd boys or even by Yaśodā Mātā, who was also interested in decorating the face of Kṛṣṇa.
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