Canto
4
Chapter 19: King Prithu's One Hundred Horse Sacrifices
(1) The sage Maitreya said: 'Thereafter initiated he, the king, in the land of Manu known as Brahmâvarta, where the Sarasvatî flows to the east, then the performance of a hundred horse sacrifices. (2) Faced with this most powerful excel in fruitive action could King Indra, who himself had performed a hundred sacrifices, not tolerate the great ceremonies of sacrifice of King Prithu. (3) It was where directly the enjoyer of all sacrifice the Supreme Lord Vishnu, the transcendental controller, would show himself, as He was the proprietor, the teacher of all the world and everyone's soul. (4) Being in the company of Brahmâ and S'iva and all the local rulers with their followers, He is praised by the indwellers and singers of heaven and the wise. (5) The perfected and the ones rooted in learning, the descendants of Diti, the fruitive workers and the guardians of wealth attended there headed by Nanda and Sunanda, the most respectful associates of the Lord. (6) The masters of yoga lead by Sanaka: Kapila, Nârada and Dattâtreya and all the great devotees always eager to serve the Lord followed Him there. (7) Dear son of Bharata, it was therefrom that the land fulfilled all wishes, as the cow producing all the milk, yielding as desired every object wanted by the sacrificer. (8) The rivers gave all the water needed, there was milk, curd and the food of other dairy products and the trees with their big bodies bore fruits and dripped of honey. (9) The people of all places along with their governors brought forward presentations of the four kinds of foodstuff [what is chewed, licked, sucked and drunk] and heaps of jewels from the hills and oceans. (10) Thus was King Prithu abiding by the Lord beyond the Senses then the topmost in opulence, but the great Lord Indra, being envious, formed a hindrance. (11) Being so envious he, unseen, stole the sacrificial animal when the son of Vena was performing the last horse sacrifice meant to please the Lord of all sacrifice. (12) Indra impersonating as a liberated one and thus confusing religion with irreligion, was, as he hurried away in the sky, seen by sage Atri. (13) The son of King Prithu, a great hero, encouraged by sage Atri to kill him, became very angry and shouted: 'Wait, wait!'. (14) But when he saw that he was wearing the dress that is considered religious, had knotted hair and a body smeared with ashes all over, he could not release an arrow at him. (15) The son of Prithu having refrained from killing was by sage Atri again admonished to do so since, my best one, the great Indra had become the lowest of them all, impeding the performance of a yajña. (16) Thus being ordered began the son of Prithu, being as angry as the king of the vultures was with Râvana, to chase Indra who hastily moved away at a distance. (17) Abandoning the horse as well as his false dress with him in pursuit, vanished Indra. Taking the animal of his father back to the sacrificial arena he, the great hero, returned.
(18) Dear Vidura, seeing the reality of his wonderful action, offered the great sages him accordingly the name Vijitâs'va [he who won the horse]. (19) Not seen, under the cover of dense darkness, took the mighty King Indra though again the horse away from the offer block where it was chained in golden shackles. (20) When Atri pointed out that he hurried away in the open, could the hero this time seeing him holding a staff with a skull at the top, not come to kill him either.(21) Being driven after him by Atri, had he, angered, fixed an arrow, but the independent Indra who again gave up the horse and the apparel, kept himself out of reach. (22) The hero taking the horse then went back to the sacrificial arena of his father; ever since do those with a poor fund of knowledge adopt that false show of the Lord of Heaven. (23) Those forms that Indra assumed with the desire to steal the horse are all symbol and sign of sinful activities; for this is the word deficient used [with khanda or deficient one speaks of pâkhanda or pâshanda, the false preacher or heretic]. (24-25) With Indra thus stealing the horse away from the son of Vena with the desire to stop the sacrifice, became the common man this way attracted to the falsely dressing up that was adopted and abandoned by him to the system of religion. To this falsehood of faith in red robes, going naked etc., one is foolishly enough attracted as it is done generally with great cunning and a good command of speech. (26) The incarnation of the Lord, King Prithu celebrated as the one all-powerful, about this being very angry with Indra, took up an arrow and lifted his bow.
(27) The priests who saw that Prithu thus prepared to kill the king of heaven, couldn't tolerate the display of his terrible drive and objected: 'O great soul, as it is said in the scriptures, it is not proper to kill others in matters like this.' (28) We shall call for Indra, who in fact already lost his power as the destroyer of your interest, with mantras never used before and will forthwith by force sacrifice your enemy in the fire, o King.'
(29) After thus informing the one in power, o Vidura, were the priests, very sour, ready with the sacrificial ladle at hand to perform the sacrifice, but having begun asked Lord Brahmâ them to stop: (30) 'All of you, you shouldn't put Indra to an end, because he whom you wish to kill, also being the offering himself, is an integral part of the Supreme Lord - and also are the ones of God you wish to please by the sacrificing, all part of Indra himself! (31) And then, beware of this great violation of dharma committed by Indra, o twice-born, in his desire to impede these proceedings of the king. (32) King Prithu is known the world all over, let it therefore be so that for him who has performed ninety-nine sacrifices there is nothing more to be gained; and you yourself o King, as the knower of the path of liberation - weren't the sacrifices well performed? (33) For sure you shouldn't act in anger against Lord Indra, it suffers no doubt that it will be to the good fortune of the both of you together standing for the manifold of the Lord celebrated in the scriptures. (34) O great King please consider this what I tell you with the greatest respect: do not as you did, get into the mind of anger because of a twist of fate, as of him who contemplates such one will enter the darkest regions. (35) Let this sacrificing end, it was by the impersonating to the example of Indra that so many principles of religion were violated and bad habits rooted amongst the ones of God. (36) Just see how all these falsifications, introduced by Indra who breaking your sacrifice stole the horse, are so alluring to the common men that they get carried away by them. (37) Your Majesty, just to deliver, you incarnated to time and circumstance in this world for the system of religion that by the misdeeds of king Vena almost had vanished - and now you are there as a part and parcel of the body of Vishnu, o son of Vena. (38) Therefore, in consideration of the welfare of the world, o protector of the people, answer to the desire of the progenitors of this earth [that you'd be an expansion of the Supreme One] and foil the illusion as created by Indra in the form of the moralizing without servitude [the pseudoreligion, the hypocrisy] that is the mother of the dangerous path of heresy.'
(39) Maitreya continued: 'Thus being advised by the teacher of all did Prithu, the king and master, following as was told and to the best of his ability, conclude to peace with even Indra. (40) After having done so took he according the custom a bath and received he the blessings of the God-conscious for the fame of his virtue, as they were all very pleased by the performance of that offer. (41) All the ones of true learning were, when they had offered the original king their blessings, very happy with the great respect and rewards they received from him, o royal one. (42) 'O mighty-armed one, of your inviting us we all assembled: the forefathers, the gods the sages and the common people, and you've honored all of us with gifts and expressions of respect.'
Source texts:
King Prithu's One Hundred Horse Sacrifices
The sage Maitreya said: 'Thereafter initiated he, the king, in the land of Manu known as Brahmâvarta where the Sarasvatî flows to the east, then the performance of a hundred horse sacrifices.The great sage Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, King Prithu initiated the performance of one hundred horse sacrifices at the spot where the River Sarasvatî flows towards the east. This piece of land is known as Brahmâvarta, and it was controlled by Svâyambhuva Manu. (Vedabase)
Faced with this most powerful excel in fruitive action could King Indra, who himself had performed a hundred sacrifices, not tolerate the great ceremonies of sacrifice of King Prithu.
When the most powerful Indra, the King of heaven, saw this, he considered the fact that King Prithu was going to exceed him in fruitive activities. Thus Indra could not tolerate the great sacrificial ceremonies performed by King Prithu. (Vedabase)
It was where directly the enjoyer of all sacrifice the Supreme Lord Vishnu, the transcendental controller, would show himself, as He was the proprietor, the teacher of all the world and everyone's soul.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu, is present in everyone's heart as the Supersoul, and He is the proprietor of all planets and the enjoyer of the results of all sacrifices. He was personally present at the sacrifices made by King Prithu. (Vedabase)
Being in the company of Brahmâ and S'iva and all the local rulers with their followers, He is praised by the indwellers and singers of heaven and the wise.
When Lord Vishnu appeared in the sacrificial arena, Lord Brahmâ, Lord S'iva and all the chief predominating personalities of every planet, as well as their followers, came with Him. When He appeared on the scene, the residents of Gandharvaloka, the great sages, and the residents of Apsaroloka all praised Him. (Vedabase)
The perfected and the ones rooted in learning, the descendants of Diti, the fruitive workers and the guardians of wealth attended there headed by Nanda and Sunanda, the most respectful associates of the Lord.
The Lord was accompanied by the residents of Siddhaloka and Vidyâdhara-loka, all the descendants of Diti, and the demons and the Yakshas. He was also accompanied by His chief associates, headed by Sunanda and Nanda. (Vedabase)
The masters of yoga lead by Sanaka: Kapila, Nârada and Dattâtreya and all the great devotees always eager to serve the Lord followed Him there.
Great devotees, who were always engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as well as the great sages named Kapila, Nârada and Dattâtreya, and masters of mystic powers, headed by Sanaka Kumâra, all attended the great sacrifice with Lord Vishnu. (Vedabase)
Dear son of Bharata, it was therefrom that the land fulfilled all wishes, as the cow producing all the milk, yielding as desired every object wanted by the sacrificer.
My dear Vidura, in that great sacrifice the entire land came to be like the milk-producing kâma-dhenu, and thus, by the performance of yajña, all daily necessities for life were supplied. (Vedabase)
The rivers gave all the water needed, there was milk, curd and the food of other dairy products and the trees with their big bodies bore fruits and dripped of honey.
The flowing rivers supplied all kinds of tastes--sweet, pungent, sour, etc.--and very big trees supplied fruit and honey in abundance. The cows, having eaten sufficient green grass, supplied profuse quantities of milk, curd, clarified butter and similar other necessities. (Vedabase)
The people of all places along with their governors brought forward presentations of the four kinds of foodstuff [what is chewed, licked, sucked and drunk] and heaps of jewels from the hills and oceans.
King Prithu was presented with various gifts from the general populace and predominating deities of all planets. The oceans and seas were full of valuable jewels and pearls, and the hills were full of chemicals and fertilizers. Four kinds of edibles were produced profusely. (Vedabase)
Thus was King Prithu abiding by the Lord beyond the Senses then the topmost in opulence, but the great Lord Indra, being envious, formed a hindrance.
King Prithu was dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as Adhokshaja. Because King Prithu Performed so many sacrifices, he was superhumanly enhanced by the mercy of the Supreme Lord. King Prithu's opulence, however, could not be tolerated by the King of heaven, Indra, who tried to impede the progress of his opulence. (Vedabase)
Being so envious he, unseen, stole the sacrificial animal when the son of Vena was performing the last horse sacrifice meant to please the Lord of all sacrifice.
When Prithu Mahârâja was performing the last horse sacrifice [as'vamedha-yajña], King Indra, invisible to everyone, stole the horse intended for sacrifice. He did this because of his great envy of King Prithu. (Vedabase)
Indra impersonating as a liberated one and thus confusing religion with irreligion, was, as he hurried away in the sky, seen by sage Atri.
When King Indra was taking away the horse, he dressed himself to appear as a liberated person. Actually this dress was a form of cheating, for it falsely created an impression of religion. When Indra went into outer space in this way, the great sage Atri saw him and understood the whole situation. (Vedabase)
The son of King Prithu, a great hero, encouraged by sage Atri to kill him, became very angry and shouted: 'Wait, wait!'.
When the son of King Prithu was informed by Atri of King Indra's trick, he immediately became very angry and followed Indra to kill him, calling, "Wait! Wait!". (Vedabase)
But when he saw that he was wearing the dress that is considered religious, had knotted hair and a body smeared with ashes all over, he could not release an arrow at him.
King Indra was fraudulently dressed as a sannyâsî, having knotted his hair on his head and smeared ashes all over his body. Upon seeing such dress, the son of King Prithu considered Indra a religious man and pious sannyâsî. Therefore he did not release his arrows. (Vedabase)
The son of Prithu having refrained from killing was by sage Atri again admonished to do so since, my best one, the great Indra had become the lowest of them all, impeding the performance of a yajña.
When Atri Muni saw that the son of King Prithu did not kill Indra but returned deceived by him, Atri Muni again instructed him to kill the heavenly King because he thought that Indra had become the lowliest of all demigods due to his impeding the execution of King Prithu's sacrifice. (Vedabase)
Thus being ordered began the son of Prithu, being as angry as the king of the vultures was with Râvana, to chase Indra who hastily moved away at a distance.
Being thus informed, the grandson of King Vena immediately began to follow Indra, who was fleeing through the sky in great haste. He was very angry with him, and he chased him just as the king of the vultures chased Râvana. (Vedabase)
Abandoning the horse as well as his false dress with him in pursuit, vanished Indra. Taking the animal of his father back to the sacrificial arena he, the great hero, returned.
When Indra saw that the son of Prithu was chasing him, he immediately abandoned his false dress and left the horse. Indeed, he disappeared from that very spot, and the great hero, the son of Mahârâja Prithu, returned the horse to his father's sacrificial arena. (Vedabase)
Dear Vidura, seeing the reality of his wonderful action, offered the great sages him accordingly the name Vijitâs'va [he who won the horse].
My dear Lord Vidura, when the great sages observed the wonderful prowess of the son of King Prithu, they all agreed to give him the name Vijitâs'va. (Vedabase)Text 19:
Not seen, under the cover of dense darkness, took the mighty King Indra though again the horse away from the offer block where it was chained in golden shackles.
My dear Vidura, Indra, being the King of heaven and very powerful, immediately brought a dense darkness upon the sacrificial arena. Covering the whole scene in this way, he again took away the horse, which was chained with golden shackles near the wooden instrument where animals were sacrificed. (Vedabase)
When Atri pointed out that he hurried away in the open, could the hero this time seeing him holding a staff with a skull at the top, not come to kill him either.
The great sage Atri again pointed out to the son of King Prithu that Indra was fleeing through the sky. The great hero, the son of Prithu, chased him again. But when he saw that Indra was carrying in his hand a staff with a skull at the top and was again wearing the dress of a sannyâsî, he still chose not to kill him. (Vedabase)
Being driven after him by Atri, had he, angered, fixed an arrow, but the independent Indra who again gave up the horse and the apparel, kept himself out of reach.
When the great sage Atri again gave directions, the son of King Prithu became very angry and placed an arrow on his bow. Upon seeing this, King Indra immediately abandoned the false dress of a sannyâsî and, giving up the horse, made himself invisible. (Vedabase)
The hero taking the horse then went back to the sacrificial arena of his father; ever since do those with a poor fund of knowledge adopt that false show of the Lord of Heaven.
Then the great hero, Vijitâs'va, the son of King Prithu, again took the horse and returned to his father's sacrificial arena. Since that time, certain men with a poor fund of knowledge have adopted the dress of a false sannyâsî. It was King Indra who introduced this. (Vedabase)
Those forms that Indra assumed with the desire to steal the horse are all symbol and sign of sinful activities; for this is the word deficient used [with khanda or deficient one speaks of pâkhanda or pâshanda, the false preacher or heretic].
Whatever different forms Indra assumed as a mendicant because of his desire to seize the horse were symbols of atheistic philosophy. (Vedabase)
With Indra thus stealing the horse away from the son of Vena with the desire to stop the sacrifice, became the common man this way attracted to the falsely dressing up that was adopted and abandoned by him to the system of religion. To this falsehood of faith in red robes, going naked etc., one is foolishly enough attracted as it is done generally with great cunning and a good command of speech.
In this way, King Indra, in order to steal the horse from King Prithu's sacrifice, adopted several orders of sannyâsa. Some sannyâsîs go naked, and sometimes they wear red garments and pass under the name of kâpâlika. These are simply symbolic representations of their sinful activities. These so-called sannyâsîs are very much appreciated by sinful men because they are all godless atheists and very expert in putting forward arguments and reasons to support their case. We must know, however, that they are only passing as adherents of religion and are not so in fact. Unfortunately, bewildered persons accept them as religious, and being attracted to them, they spoil their life. (Vedabase)
The incarnation of the Lord, King Prithu celebrated as the one all-powerful, about this being very angry with Indra, took up an arrow and lifted his bow.
Mahârâja Prithu, who was celebrated as very powerful, immediately took up his bow and arrows and prepared to kill Indra himself, because Indra had introduced such irregular sannyâsa orders. (Vedabase)
The priests who saw that Prithu thus prepared to kill the king of heaven, couldn't tolerate the display of his terrible drive and objected: 'O great soul, as it is said in the scriptures, it is not proper to kill others in matters like this.'
When the priests and all the others saw Mahârâja Prithu very angry and prepared to kill Indra, they requested him: O great soul, do not kill him, for only sacrificial animals can be killed in a sacrifice. Such are the directions given by s'âstra. (Vedabase)
We shall call for Indra, who in fact already lost his power as the destroyer of your interest, with mantras never used before and will forthwith by force sacrifice your enemy in the fire, o King.'
Dear King, Indra's powers are already reduced due to his attempt to impede the execution of your sacrifice. We shall call him by Vedic mantras which were never before used, and certainly he will come. Thus by the power of our mantra, we shall cast him into the fire because he is your enemy. (Vedabase)
After thus informing the one in power, o Vidura, were the priests, very sour, ready with the sacrificial ladle at hand to perform the sacrifice, but having begun asked Lord Brahmâ them to stop:
My dear Vidura, after giving the King this advice, the priests who had been engaged in performing the sacrifice called for Indra, the King of heaven, in a mood of great anger. When they were just ready to put the oblation in the fire, Lord Brahmâ appeared on the scene and forbade them to start the sacrifice. (Vedabase)
'All of you, you shouldn't put Indra to an end, because he whom you wish to kill, also being the offering himself, is an integral part of the Supreme Lord, and also are the ones of God you wish to please by the sacrificing, all part of Indra himself !
Lord Brahmâ addressed them thus: My dear sacrificial performers, you cannot kill Indra, the King of heaven. It is not your duty. You should know that Indra is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Indeed, he is one of the most powerful assistants of the Personality of Godhead. You are trying to satisfy all the demigods by the performance of this yajña, but you should know that all these demigods are but parts and parcels of Indra, the King of heaven. How, then, can you kill him in this great sacrifice? (Vedabase)
And then, beware of this great violation of dharma committed by Indra, o twice-born, in his desire to impede these proceedings of the king.
In order to make trouble and impede the performance of King Prithu's great sacrifice, King Indra has adopted some means that in the future will destroy the clear path of religious life. I draw your attention to this fact. If you oppose him any further, he will further misuse his power and introduce many other irreligious systems. (Vedabase)
King Prithu is known the world all over, let it therefore be so that for him who has performed ninety-nine sacrifices there is nothing more to be gained; and you yourself o King, as the knower of the path of liberation - weren't the sacrifices well performed?
"Let there be only ninety-nine sacrificial performances for Mahârâja Prithu," Lord Brahmâ concluded. Lord Brahmâ then turned towards Mahârâja Prithu and informed him that since he was thoroughly aware of the path of liberation, what was the use in performing more sacrifices? (Vedabase)
For sure you shouldn't act in anger against Lord Indra, it suffers no doubt that it will be to the good fortune of the both of you together standing for the manifold of the Lord celebrated in the scriptures.
Lord Brahmâ continued: Let there be good fortune to both of you, for you and King Indra are both part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore you should not be angry with King Indra, who is nondifferent from you. (Vedabase)
O great King please consider this what I tell you with the greatest respect: do not as you did, get into the mind of anger because of a twist of fate, as of him who contemplates such one will enter the darkest regions.
My dear King, do not be agitated and anxious because your sacrifices have not been properly executed due to providential impediments. Kindly take my words with great respect. We should always remember that if something happens by providential arrangement, we should not be very sorry. The more we try to rectify such reversals, the more we enter into the darkest region of materialistic thought. (Vedabase)
Let this sacrificing end, it was by the impersonating to the example of Indra that so many principles of religion were violated and bad habits rooted amongst the ones of God.
Lord Brahmâ continued: Stop the performance of these sacrifices, for they have induced Indra to introduce so many irreligious aspects. You should know very well that even amongst the demigods there are many unwanted desires. (Vedabase)
Just see how all these falsifications, introduced by Indra who breaking your sacrifice stole the horse, are so alluring to the common men that they get carried away by them.
Just see how Indra, the King of heaven, was creating a disturbance in the midst of the sacrifice by stealing the sacrificial horse. These attractive sinful activities he has introduced will be carried out by the people in general. (Vedabase)
Your Majesty, just to deliver, you incarnated to time and circumstance in this world for the system of religion that by the misdeeds of king Vena almost had vanished - and now you are there as a part and parcel of the body of Vishnu, o son of Vena.
O King Prithu, son of Vena, you are the part-and-parcel expansion of Lord Vishnu. Due to the mischievous activities of King Vena, religious principles were almost lost. At that opportune moment you descended as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Indeed, for the protection of religious principles you have appeared from the body of King Vena. (Vedabase)
Therefore, in consideration of the welfare of the world, o protector of the people, answer to the desire of the progenitors of this earth [that you'd be an expansion of the Supreme One] and foil the illusion as created by Indra in the form of the moralizing without servitude [the pseudoreligion, the hypocrisy] that is the mother of the dangerous path of heresy.'
O protector of the people in general, please consider the purpose of your being incarnated by Lord Vishnu. The irreligious principles created by Indra are but mothers of so many unwanted religions. Please therefore stop these imitations immediately. (Vedabase)
Maitreya continued: 'Thus being advised by the teacher of all did Prithu, the king and master, following as was told and to the best of his ability, conclude to peace with even Indra.
The great sage Maitreya continued: When King Prithu was thus advised by the supreme teacher, Lord Brahmâ, he abandoned his eagerness to perform yajñas and with great affection concluded a peace with King Indra. (Vedabase)
After having done so took he according the custom a bath and received he the blessings of the God-conscious for the fame of his virtue, as they were all very pleased by the performance of that offer.
After this, Prithu Mahârâja took his bath, which is customarily taken after the performance of a yajña, and received the benedictions and due blessings of the demigods, who were very pleased by his glorious activities. (Vedabase)
All the ones of true learning were, when they had offered the original king their blessings, very happy with the great respect and rewards they received from him, o royal one.
With great respect, the original king, Prithu, offered all kinds of rewards to the brâhmanas present at the sacrifice. Since all these brâhmanas were very much satisfied, they gave their heartfelt blessings to the King. (Vedabase)
'O mighty-armed one, of your inviting us we all assembled: the forefathers, the gods the sages and the common people, and you've honored all of us with gifts and expressions of respect.
All the great sages and brâhmanas said: O mighty King, by your invitation all classes of living entities have attended this assembly. They have come from Pitriloka and the heavenly planets, and great sages as well as common men have attended this meeting. Now all of them are very much satisfied by your dealings and your charity towards them. (Vedabase)
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