SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 5

S'rî S'uka said: 'The son of Bharata, carrying the name Sumati, will, by some heretics who follow the path of Rishabha and are lacking in civilization, in this age of Kali, to a self-made sinful idea contrary to the Veda, be thought of as a godhead [see also 5.6: 9].

S'rîla S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued: The son of Mahârâja Bharata known as Sumati followed the path of Rishabhadeva, but some unscrupulous people imagined him to be Lord Buddha himself. These people, who were actually atheistic and of bad character, took up the Vedic principles in an imaginary, infamous way to support their activities. Thus these sinful people accepted Sumati as Lord Buddhadeva and propagated the theory that everyone should follow the principles of Sumati. In this way they were carried away by mental concoction. (Vedabase)

Text 2

From Sumati was from the womb of his wife Vriddhasenâ born a son named Devatâjit.

From Sumati, a son named Devatâjit was born by the womb of his wife named Vriddhasenâ. (Vedabase)

Text 3

Thereafter was from Âsurî a son of Devatâjit born called Devadyumna. From him was there from Dhenumatî the son Parameshthhî of whom from Suvarcalâ the son Pratîha appeared.

Thereafter, in the womb of Âsurî, the wife of Devatâjit, a son named Devadyumna was begotten. Devadyumna begot in the womb of his wife, Dhenumatî, a son named Parameshthhî. Parameshthhî begot a son named Pratîha in the womb of his wife, Suvarcalâ. (Vedabase)

Text 4

He, in his lifetime instructing many on the science of selfrealization, was personally very advanced in a perfect understanding of the great Original Personality.

King Pratîha personally propagated the principles of self-realization. In this way, not only was he purified, but he became a great devotee of the Supreme Person, Lord Vishnu, and directly realized Him. (Vedabase)

Text 5

From Pratîha his wife Suvarcalâ came the three sons, Pratihartâ, Prastotâ and Udgâtâ into being, who were all expert in the vedic ritual, and from Pratihartâ brought Stutî the two sons Aja and Bhûmâ into existence.

In the womb of his wife Suvarcalâ, Pratîha begot three sons, named Pratihartâ, Prastotâ and Udgâtâ. These three sons were very expert in performing Vedic rituals. Pratihartâ begot two sons, named Aja and Bhûmâ, in the womb of his wife, named Stutî. (Vedabase)

Text 6

From Bhûmâ his wife Rishikulyâ there was Udgîtha, from him was from Devakulyâ Prastâva born, and in Prastâva his wife Niyutsâ was begotten the son Vibhu. From Vibhu his wife Ratî was also Prithushena born from whom Nakta was born out of Âkûti. From Nakta there was a son of Druti: Gaya. He was a most exalted wise king famous for his piety since he was born directly from the Supreme Lord Vishnu for the purpose of protecting the whole world. He, conceived in pure goodness was recognized as an integral part [kalâ] of the Supreme Soul and achieved to be the leading personality [the mahâpurusha] in society.

In the womb of his wife, Rishikulyâ, King Bhûmâ begot a son named Udgîtha. From Udgîtha's wife, Devakulyâ, a son named Prastâva was born, and Prastâva begot a son named Vibhu through his wife, Niyutsâ. In the womb of his wife, Ratî, Vibhu begot a son named Prithushena. Prithushena begot a son named Nakta in the womb of his wife, named Âkûti. Nakta's wife was Druti, and from her womb the great King Gaya was born. Gaya was very famous and pious; he was the best of saintly kings. Lord Vishnu and His expansions, who are meant to protect the universe, are always situated in the transcendental mode of goodness, known as vis'uddha-sattva. Being the direct expansion of Lord Vishnu, King Gaya was also situated in the vis'uddha-sattva. Because of this, Mahârâja Gaya was fully equipped with transcendental knowledge. Therefore he was called Mahâpurusha. (Vedabase)

Text 7

He, truthful in his duties, protected his subjects maintaining them [poshana]; he made them happy in all respects [prînana] treating them as his children [upalâlana], sometimes chastising them as a king [anus'âsana]. He performed all the prescribed religious ceremonies for the Supreme Lord, the great Personality and source of all beings, the Supreme Brahman, in every respect. By his surrender, the many of his spiritual qualities, and by his service to the lotus feet of the self-realized, achieved he it to be of devotional service unto the Supreme Lord because he, also in the purest consciousness being continuously saturated within himself, personally had realized the cessation of all identification with his material self. Despite of his awareness of his exalted spiritual position he remained without any false prestige in ruling this way the whole world strictly to the vedic principles.'

King Gaya gave full protection and security to the citizens so that their personal property would not be disturbed by undesirable elements. He also saw that there was sufficient food to feed all the citizens. [This is called poshana.] He would sometimes distribute gifts to the citizens to satisfy them. [This is called prînana.] He would sometimes call meetings and satisfy the citizens with sweet words. [This is called upalâlana.] He would also give them good instructions on how to become first-class citizens. [This is called anus'âsana.] Such were the characteristics of King Gaya's royal order. Besides all this, King Gaya was a householder who strictly observed the rules and regulations of household life. He performed sacrifices and was an unalloyed pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was called Mahâpurusha because as a king he gave the citizens all facilities, and as a householder he executed all his duties so that at the end he became a strict devotee of the Supreme Lord. As a devotee, he was always ready to give respect to other devotees and to engage in the devotional service of the Lord. This is the bhakti-yoga process. Due to all these transcendental activites, King Gaya was always free from the bodily conception. He was full in Brahman realization, and consequently he was always jubilant. He did not experience material lamentation. Although he was perfect in all respects, he was not proud, nor was he anxious to rule the kingdom. (Vedabase)

Text 8

O son of Pându, for the eulogy of Gaya are it these poetic verses that are sung by the ones versed in the puranic truth:

My dear King Parîkshit, those who are learned scholars in the histories of the Purânas eulogize and glorify King Gaya with the following verses. (Vedabase)

Text 9

'It was king Gaya who by his performance of the rituals lead the way back to all the sacrifices; respected the world all over for the full of his vedic awareness is he, as the protector of the righteousness with all kinds of opulence, the dean of the assembly of the truthful, and is he, apart from being an integral part of the Supreme Lord, the servant of the devotees and all alike.

The great King Gaya used to perform all kinds of Vedic rituals. He was highly intelligent and expert in studying all the Vedic literatures. He maintained the religious principles and possessed all kinds of opulence. He was a leader among gentlemen and a servant of the devotees. He was a totally qualified plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore who could equal him in the performance of gigantic ritualistic ceremonies?. (Vedabase)

Text 10

All women chaste and devoted bathed him, with sanctified water, with great satisfaction as the true one deserving the blessings of the daughters of Daksha; like the cow of mother earth spontaneously dripping milk, fulfilled he selflessly all desires of the people on this planet.

All the chaste and honest daughters of Mahârâja Daksha, such as S'raddhâ, Maitrî and Dayâ, whose blessings were always effective, bathed Mahârâja Gaya with sanctified water. Indeed, they were very satisfied with Mahârâja Gaya. The planet earth personified came as a cow, and, as though she saw her calf, she delivered milk profusely when she saw all the good qualities of Mahârâja Gaya. In other words, Mahârâja Gaya was able to derive all benefits from the earth and thus satisfy the desires of his citizens. However, he personally had no desire. (Vedabase)

Text 11

Without desire being in respect of every part of the Vedas yielded him all that was desired and all the royalty pleased by his stand in defense of the principles thus paid tribute to him, just as did all the brahmins in their dedicating one sixth of their blessings to his afterlife.

Although King Gaya had no personal desire for sense gratification, all his desires were fulfilled by virtue of his performance of Vedic rituals. All the kings with whom Mahârâja Gaya had to fight were forced to fight on religious principles. They were very satisfied with his fighting, and they would present all kinds of gifts to him. Similarly, all the brâhmanas in his kingdom were very satisfied with King Gaya's munificent charities. Consequently the brâhmanas contributed a sixth of their pious activities for King Gaya's benefit in the next life. (Vedabase)

Text 12

Of him got, by his exploits in favor of the Supreme Lord, the soul of the sacrifice, king Indra greatly intoxicated in drinking all the soma; the result of his offering in worship was [by Vishnu] personally accepted for his purity in devotion and steadiness in devotional service.

In Mahârâja Gaya's sacrifices, there was a great supply of the intoxicant known as soma. King Indra used to come and become intoxicated by drinking large quantities of soma-rasa. Also, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu [the yajña-purusha] also came and personally accepted all the sacrifices offered unto Him with pure and firm devotion in the sacrificial arena. (Vedabase)

Text 13

The way he, as the maintainer of all, in his delighting in the sacrificial arena, beginning with Lord Brahmâ instantly satisfied all the gods and lower creatures, the whole of human society and the plants and the grasses, derived He indeed, even though He in person is satisfied by nature, great satisfaction from Gaya.

When the Supreme Lord is pleased by a person's actions, automatically all the demigods, human beings, animals, birds, bees, creepers, trees, grass and all other living entities, beginning with Lord Brahmâ, are pleased. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supersoul of everyone, and He is by nature fully pleased. Nonetheless, He came to the arena of Mahârâja Gaya and said, "I am fully pleased." (Vedabase)

Text 14-15:

From his wife Gayantî were three sons Citraratha, Sugati and Avarodhana born, from Citraratha his wife Ûrnâ was born Samrâth and from him there was from Utkalâ Marîci. From Marîci's wife Bindumatî there was a child named Bindu and from Bindu's wife Saraghâ there was a child with the name of Madhu, whereupon from Madhu his wife Sumanâ there came a son called Vîravrata. From Vîravrata's wife Bhojâ were born two sons named Manthu and Pramanthu and from Manthu his wife Satyâ there was Bhauvana. From him was from Dûshanâ one son named Tvashthâ born, and from Tvashthâ his wife Virocanâ there was a son named Viraja. Of Viraja his wife Vishûcî took birth a hundred sons headed by S'atajit as well as one daughter.

In the womb of Gayantî, Mahârâja Gaya begot three sons, named Citraratha, Sugati and Avarodhana. In the womb of his wife Ûrnâ, Citraratha begot a son named Samrâth. The wife of Samrâth was Utkalâ, and in her womb Samrâth begot a son named Marîci. In the womb of his wife Bindumatî, Marîci begot a son named Bindu. In the womb of his wife Saraghâ, Bindu begot a son named Madhu. In the womb of his wife named Sumanâ, Madhu begot a son named Vîravrata. In the womb of his wife Bhojâ, Vîravrata begot two sons named Manthu and Pramanthu. In the womb of his wife Satyâ, Manthu begot a son named Bhauvana, and in the womb of his wife Dûshanâ, Bhauvana begot a son named Tvashthâ. In the womb of his wife Virocanâ, Tvashthâ begot a son named Viraja. The wife of Viraja was Vishûcî, and in her womb Viraja begot one hundred sons and one daughter. Of all these sons, the son named S'atajit was predominant. (Vedabase)

Text 16

From this dynasty stemming from Priyavrata [see 5.1] there is the following verse: 'In his repute is Viraja, who had a hundred sons, as great an emblem as Lord Vishnu is to the demigods.'

There is a famous verse about King Viraja. "Because of his high qualities and wide fame, King Viraja became the jewel of the dynasty of King Priyavrata, just as Lord Vishnu, by His transcendental potency, decorates and blesses the demigods." (Vedabase)