Chapter 20: The Dynasty of Pūru

 

9.20.1

śrī-bādarāyaṇir uvāca

pūror vaḿśaḿ pravakṣyāmi

yatra jāto 'si bhārata

yatra rājarṣayo vaḿśyā

brahma-vaḿśyāś ca jajñire

 

śrī-bādarāyaṇiḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; pūroḥ vaḿśam — the dynasty of Mahārāja Pūru; pravakṣyāmi — now I shall narrate; yatra — in which dynasty; jātaḥ asi — you were born; bhārata — O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, descendant of Mahārāja Bharata; yatra — in which dynasty; rāja-ṛṣayaḥ — all the kings were saintly; vaḿśyāḥ — one after another; brahma-vaḿśyāḥ — many brāhmaṇa dynasties; ca — also; jajñire — grew up.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, descendant of Mahārāja Bharata, I shall now describe the dynasty of Pūru, in which you were born, in which many saintly kings appeared, and from which many dynasties of brāhmaṇas began.

 

9.20.2

janamejayo hy abhūt pūroḥ

pracinvāḿs tat-sutas tataḥ

pravīro 'tha manusyur vai

tasmāc cārupado 'bhavat

 

janamejayaḥ — King Janamejaya; hi — indeed; abhūt — appeared; pūroḥ — from Pūru; pracinvān — Pracinvān; tat — his (Janamejaya's); sutaḥ — son; tataḥ — from him (Pracinvān); pravīraḥ — Pravīra; atha — thereafter; manusyuḥ — Pravīra's son Manusyu; vai — indeed; tasmāt — from him (Manusyu); cārupadaḥ — King Cārupada; abhavat — appeared.

 

TRANSLATION

 

King Janamejaya was born of this dynasty of Pūru. Janamejaya's son was Pracinvān, and his son was Pravīra. Thereafter, Pravīra's son was Manusyu, and from Manusyu came the son named Cārupada.

 

9.20.3

tasya sudyur abhūt putras

tasmād bahugavas tataḥ

saḿyātis tasyāhaḿyātī

raudrāśvas tat-sutaḥ smṛtaḥ

 

tasya — of him (Cārupada); sudyuḥ — by the name Sudyu; abhūt — appeared; putraḥ — a son; tasmāt — from him (Sudyu); bahugavaḥ — a son named Bahugava; tataḥ — from him; saḿyātiḥ — a son named Saḿyāti; tasya — and from him; ahaḿyātiḥ — a son named Ahaḿyāti; raudrāśvaḥ — Raudrāśva; tat-sutaḥ — his son; smṛtaḥ — well known.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The son of Cārupada was Sudyu, and the son of Sudyu was Bahugava. Bahugava's son was Saḿyāti. From Saḿyāti came a son named Ahaḿyāti, from whom Raudrāśva was born.

 

9.20.4-5

ṛteyus tasya kakṣeyuḥ

sthaṇḍileyuḥ kṛteyukaḥ

jaleyuḥ sannateyuś ca

dharma-satya-vrateyavaḥ

 

daśaite 'psarasaḥ putrā

vaneyuś cāvamaḥ smṛtaḥ

ghṛtācyām indriyāṇīva

mukhyasya jagad-ātmanaḥ

 

ṛteyuḥ — Ṛteyu; tasya — of him (Raudrāśva); kakṣeyuḥ — Kakṣeyu; sthaṇḍileyuḥ — Sthaṇḍileyu; kṛteyukaḥ — Kṛteyuka; jaleyuḥ — Jaleyu; sannateyuḥ — Sannateyu; ca — also; dharma — Dharmeyu; satya — Satyeyu; vrateyavaḥ — and Vrateyu;

 

daśa — ten; ete — all of them; apsarasaḥ — born of an Apsarā; putrāḥ — sons; vaneyuḥ — the son named Vaneyu; ca — and; avamaḥ — the youngest; smṛtaḥ — known; ghṛtācyām — Ghṛtācī; indriyāṇi iva — exactly like the ten senses; mukhyasya — of the living force; jagat-ātmanaḥ — the living force of the entire universe.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Raudrāśva had ten sons, named Ṛteyu, Kakṣeyu, Sthaṇḍileyu, Kṛteyuka, Jaleyu, Sannateyu, Dharmeyu, Satyeyu, Vrateyu and Vaneyu. Of these ten sons, Vaneyu was the youngest. As the ten senses, which are products of the universal life, act under the control of life, these ten sons of Raudrāśva acted under Raudrāśva's full control. All of them were born of the Apsarā named Ghṛtācī.

 

9.20.6

ṛteyo rantināvo 'bhūt

trayas tasyātmajā nṛpa

sumatir dhruvo 'pratirathaḥ

kaṇvo 'pratirathātmajaḥ

 

ṛteyoḥ — from the son named Ṛteyu; rantināvaḥ — the son named Rantināva; abhūt — appeared; trayaḥ — three; tasya — his (Rantināva's); ātmajāḥ — sons; nṛpa — O King; sumatiḥ — Sumati; dhruvaḥ — Dhruva; apratirathaḥ — Apratiratha; kaṇvaḥ — Kaṇva; apratiratha-ātmajaḥ — the son of Apratiratha.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Ṛteyu had a son named Rantināva, who had three sons, named Sumati, Dhruva and Apratiratha. Apratiratha had only one son, whose name was Kaṇva.

 

9.20.7

tasya medhātithis tasmāt

praskannādyā dvijātayaḥ

putro 'bhūt sumate rebhir

duṣmantas tat-suto mataḥ

 

tasya — of him (Kaṇva); medhātithiḥ — a son named Medhātithi; tasmāt — from him (Medhātithi); praskanna-ādyāḥ — sons headed by Praskanna; dvijātayaḥ — all brāhmaṇas; putraḥ — a son; abhūt — there was; sumateḥ — from Sumati; rebhiḥ — Rebhi; duṣmantaḥ — Mahārāja Duṣmanta; tat-sutaḥ — the son of Rebhi; mataḥ — is well-known.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The son of Kaṇva was Medhātithi, whose sons, all brāhmaṇas, were headed by Praskanna. The son of Rantināva named Sumati had a son named Rebhi. Mahārāja Duṣmanta is well known as the son of Rebhi.

 

9.20.8-9

duṣmanto mṛgayāḿ yātaḥ

kaṇvāśrama-padaḿ gataḥ

tatrāsīnāḿ sva-prabhayā

maṇḍayantīḿ ramām iva

 

vilokya sadyo mumuhe

deva-māyām iva striyam

babhāṣe tāḿ varārohāḿ

bhaṭaiḥ katipayair vṛtaḥ

 

duṣmantaḥ — Mahārāja Duṣmanta; mṛgayām yātaḥ — when he went hunting; kaṇva-āśrama-padam — to the residence of Kaṇva; gataḥ — he came; tatra — there; āsīnām — a woman sitting; sva-prabhayā — by her own beauty; maṇḍayantīm — illuminating; ramām iva — exactly like the goddess of fortune;

 

vilokya — by observing; sadyaḥ — immediately; mumuhe — he became enchanted; deva-māyām iva — exactly like the illusory energy of the Lord; striyam — a beautiful woman; babhāṣe — he addressed; tām — her (the woman); vara-ārohām — who was the best of beautiful women; bhaṭaiḥ — by soldiers; katipayaiḥ — a few; vṛtaḥ — surrounded.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Once when King Duṣmanta went to the forest to hunt and was very much fatigued, he approached the residence of Kaṇva Muni. There he saw a most beautiful woman who looked exactly like the goddess of fortune and who sat there illuminating the entire āśrama by her effulgence. The King was naturally attracted by her beauty, and therefore he approached her, accompanied by some of his soldiers, and spoke to her.

 

9.20.10

tad-darśana-pramuditaḥ

sannivṛtta-pariśramaḥ

papraccha kāma-santaptaḥ

prahasañ ślakṣṇayā girā

 

tat-darśana-pramuditaḥ — being very much enlivened by seeing the beautiful woman; sannivṛtta-pariśramaḥ — being relieved of the fatigue of the hunting excursion; papraccha — he inquired from her; kāma-santaptaḥ — being agitated by lusty desires; prahasan — in a joking mood; ślakṣṇayā — very beautiful and pleasing; girā — with words.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Seeing the beautiful woman, the King was very much enlivened, and the fatigue of his hunting excursion was relieved. He was of course very much attracted because of lusty desires, and thus he inquired from her as follows, in a joking mood.

 

9.20.11

kā tvaḿ kamala-patrākṣi

kasyāsi hṛdayań-game

kiḿ svic cikīrṣitaḿ tatra

bhavatyā nirjane vane

 

kā — who; tvam — are you; kamala-patra-akṣi — O beautiful woman with eyes like the petals of a lotus; kasya asi — with whom are you related; hṛdayam-game — O most beautiful one, pleasing to the heart; kim svit — what kind of business; cikīrṣitam — is being thought of; tatra — there; bhavatyāḥ — by you; nirjane — solitary; vane — in the forest.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O beautiful lotus-eyed woman, who are you? Whose daughter are you? What purpose do you have in this solitary forest? Why are you staying here?

 

9.20.12

vyaktaḿ rājanya-tanayāḿ

vedmy ahaḿ tvāḿ sumadhyame

na hi cetaḥ pauravāṇām

adharme ramate kvacit

 

vyaktam — it appears; rājanya-tanayām — the daughter of a kṣatriya; vedmi — can realize; aham — I; tvām — your good self; su-madhyame — O most beautiful; na — not; hi — indeed; cetaḥ — the mind; pauravāṇām — of persons who have taken birth in the Pūru dynasty; adharme — in irreligion; ramate — enjoys; kvacit — at any time.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O most beautiful one, it appears to my mind that you must be the daughter of a kṣatriya. Because I belong to the Pūru dynasty, my mind never endeavors to enjoy anything irreligiously.

 

9.20.13

śrī-śakuntalovāca

viśvāmitrātmajaivāhaḿ

tyaktā menakayā vane

vedaitad bhagavān kaṇvo

vīra kiḿ karavāma te

 

śrī-śakuntalā uvāca — Śrī Śakuntalā replied; viśvāmitra-ātmajā — the daughter of Viśvāmitra; eva — indeed; aham — I (am); tyaktā — left; menakayā — by Menakā; vane — in the forest; veda — knows; etat — all these incidents; bhagavān — the most powerful saintly person; kaṇvaḥ — Kaṇva Muni; vīra — O hero; kim — what; karavāma — can I do; te — for you.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Śakuntalā said: I am the daughter of Viśvāmitra. My mother, Menakā, left me in the forest. O hero, the most powerful saint Kaṇva Muni knows all about this. Now let me know, how may I serve you?

 

9.20.14

āsyatāḿ hy aravindākṣa

gṛhyatām arhaṇaḿ ca naḥ

bhujyatāḿ santi nīvārā

uṣyatāḿ yadi rocate

 

āsyatām — please come sit here; hi — indeed; aravinda-akṣa — O great hero with eyes like the petals of a lotus; gṛhyatām — please accept; arhaṇam — humble reception; ca — and; naḥ — our; bhujyatām — please eat; santi — what there is in stock; nīvārāḥ — nīvārā rice; uṣyatām — stay here; yadi — if; rocate — you so desire.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O King with eyes like the petals of a lotus, kindly come sit down and accept whatever reception we can offer. We have a supply of nīvārā rice that you may kindly take. And if you so desire, stay here without hesitation.

 

9.20.15

śrī-duṣmanta uvāca

upapannam idaḿ subhru

jātāyāḥ kuśikānvaye

svayaḿ hi vṛṇute rājñāḿ

kanyakāḥ sadṛśaḿ varam

 

śrī-duṣmantaḥ uvāca — King Duṣmanta replied; upapannam — just befitting your position; idam — this; su-bhru — O Śakuntalā, with beautiful eyebrows; jātāyāḥ — because of your birth; kuśika-anvaye — in the family of Viśvāmitra; svayam — personally; hi — indeed; vṛṇute — select; rājñām — of a royal family; kanyakāḥ — daughters; sadṛśam — on an equal level; varam — husbands.

 

TRANSLATION

 

King Duṣmanta replied: O Śakuntalā, with beautiful eyebrows, you have taken your birth in the family of the great saint Viśvāmitra, and your reception is quite worthy of your family. Aside from this, the daughters of a king generally select their own husbands.

 

9.20.16

om ity ukte yathā-dharmam

upayeme śakuntalām

gāndharva-vidhinā rājā

deśa-kāla-vidhānavit

 

om iti ukte — by reciting the Vedic praṇava, invoking the Supreme Personality of Godhead to witness the marriage; yathā-dharmam — exactly according to the principles of religion (because Nārāyaṇa becomes the witness in an ordinary religious marriage also); upayeme — he married; śakuntalām — the girl Śakuntalā; gāndharva-vidhinā — by the regulative principle of the Gandharvas, without deviation from religious principles; rājā — Mahārāja Duṣmanta; deśa-kāla-vidhāna-vit — completely aware of duties according to time, position and objective.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When Śakuntalā responded to Mahārāja Duṣmanta's proposal with silence, the agreement was complete. Then the King, who knew the laws of marriage, immediately married her by chanting the Vedic praṇava [oḿkāra], in accordance with the marriage ceremony as performed among the Gandharvas.

 

9.20.17

amogha-vīryo rājarṣir

mahiṣyāḿ vīryam ādadhe

śvo-bhūte sva-puraḿ yātaḥ

kālenāsūta sā sutam

 

amogha-vīryaḥ — a person who discharges semen without being baffled, or, in other words, who must beget a child; rāja-ṛṣiḥ — the saintly King Duṣmanta; mahiṣyām — into the Queen, Śakuntalā (after her marriage, Śakuntalā became the Queen); vīryam — semen; ādadhe — placed; śvaḥ-bhūte — in the morning; sva-puram — to his own place; yātaḥ — returned; kālena — in due course of time; asūta — gave birth; sā — she (Śakuntalā); sutam — to a son.

 

TRANSLATION

 

King Duṣmanta, who never discharged semen without a result, placed his semen at night in the womb of his Queen, Śakuntalā, and in the morning he returned to his palace. Thereafter, in due course of time, Śakuntalā gave birth to a son.

 

9.20.18

kaṇvaḥ kumārasya vane

cakre samucitāḥ kriyāḥ

baddhvā mṛgendraḿ tarasā

krīḍati sma sa bālakaḥ

 

kaṇvaḥ — Kaṇva Muni; kumārasya — of the son born of Śakuntalā; vane — in the forest; cakre — executed; samucitāḥ — prescribed; kriyāḥ — ritualistic ceremonies; baddhvā — capturing; mṛga-indram — a lion; tarasā — by force; krīḍati — playing; sma — in the past; saḥ — he; bālakaḥ — the child.

 

TRANSLATION

 

In the forest, Kaṇva Muni performed all the ritualistic ceremonies concerning the newborn child. Later, the boy became so powerful that he would capture a lion and play with it.

 

9.20.19

taḿ duratyaya-vikrāntam

ādāya pramadottamā

harer aḿśāḿśa-sambhūtaḿ

bhartur antikam āgamat

 

tam — him; duratyaya-vikrāntam — whose strength was insurmountable; ādāya — taking with her; pramadā-uttamā — the best of women, Śakuntalā; hareḥ — of God; aḿśa-aḿśa-sambhūtam — a partial plenary incarnation; bhartuḥ antikam — unto her husband; āgamat — approached.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Śakuntalā, the best of beautiful women, along with her son, whose strength was insurmountable and who was a partial expansion of the Supreme Godhead, approached her husband, Duṣmanta.

 

9.20.20

yadā na jagṛhe rājā

bhāryā-putrāv aninditau

śṛṇvatāḿ sarva-bhūtānāḿ

khe vāg āhāśarīriṇī

 

yadā — when; na — not; jagṛhe — accepted; rājā — the King (Duṣmanta); bhāryā-putrau — his real son and real wife; aninditau — not abominable, not accused by anyone; śṛṇvatām — while hearing; sarva-bhūtānām — all the people; khe — in the sky; vāk — a sound vibration; āha — declared; aśarīriṇī — without a body.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When the King refused to accept his wife and son, who were both irreproachable, an unembodied voice spoke from the sky as an omen and was heard by everyone present.

 

9.20.21

mātā bhastrā pituḥ putro

yena jātaḥ sa eva saḥ

bharasva putraḿ duṣmanta

māvamaḿsthāḥ śakuntalām

 

mātā — the mother; bhastrā — just like the skin of a bellows containing air; pituḥ — of the father; putraḥ — the son; yena — by whom; jātaḥ — one is born; saḥ — the father; eva — indeed; saḥ — the son; bharasva — just maintain; putram — your son; duṣmanta — O Mahārāja Duṣmanta; mā — do not; avamaḿsthāḥ — insult; śakuntalām — Śakuntalā.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The voice said: O Mahārāja Duṣmanta, a son actually belongs to his father, whereas the mother is only a container, like the skin of a bellows. According to Vedic injunctions, the father is born as the son. Therefore, maintain your own son and do not insult Śakuntalā.

 

9.20.22

reto-dhāḥ putro nayati

naradeva yama-kṣayāt

tvaḿ cāsya dhātā garbhasya

satyam āha śakuntalā

 

retaḥ-dhāḥ — a person who discharges semen; putraḥ — the son; nayati — saves; nara-deva — O King (Mahārāja Duṣmanta); yama-kṣayāt — from punishment by Yamarāja, or from the custody of Yamarāja; tvam — your good self; ca — and; asya — of this child; dhātā — the creator; garbhasya — of the embryo; satyam — truthfully; āha — said; śakuntalā — your wife, Śakuntalā.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O King Duṣmanta, he who discharges semen is the actual father, and his son saves him from the custody of Yamarāja. You are the actual procreator of this child. Indeed, Śakuntalā is speaking the truth.

 

9.20.23

pitary uparate so 'pi

cakravartī mahā-yaśāḥ

mahimā gīyate tasya

harer aḿśa-bhuvo bhuvi

 

pitari — after his father; uparate — passed away; saḥ — the King's son; api — also; cakravartī — the emperor; mahā-yaśāḥ — very famous; mahimā — glories; gīyate — are glorified; tasya — his; hareḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; aḿśa-bhuvaḥ — a partial representation; bhuvi — upon this earth.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: When Mahārāja Duṣmanta passed away from this earth, his son became the emperor of the world, the proprietor of the seven islands. He is referred to as a partial representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in this world.

 

9.20.24-26

cakraḿ dakṣiṇa-haste 'sya

padma-kośo 'sya pādayoḥ

īje mahābhiṣekeṇa

so 'bhiṣikto 'dhirāḍ vibhuḥ

pañca-pañcāśatā medhyair

 

gańgāyām anu vājibhiḥ

māmateyaḿ purodhāya

yamunām anu ca prabhuḥ

aṣṭa-saptati-medhyāśvān

babandha pradadad vasu

 

bharatasya hi dauṣmanter

agniḥ sācī-guṇe citaḥ

sahasraḿ badvaśo yasmin

brāhmaṇā gā vibhejire

 

cakram — the mark of Kṛṣṇa's disc; dakṣiṇa-haste — on the palm of the right hand; asya — of him (Bharata); padma-kośaḥ — the mark of the whorl of a lotus; asya — of him; pādayoḥ — on the soles of the feet; īje — worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mahā-abhiṣekeṇa — by a grand Vedic ritualistic ceremony; saḥ — he (Mahārāja Bharata); abhiṣiktaḥ — being promoted; adhirāṭ — to the topmost position of a ruler; vibhuḥ — the master of everything; pañca-pañcāśatā — fifty-five; medhyaiḥ — fit for sacrifices;

 

gańgāyām anu — from the mouth of the Ganges to the source; vājibhiḥ — with horses; māmateyam — the great sage Bhṛgu; purodhāya — making him the great priest; yamunām — on the bank of the Yamunā; anu — in regular order; ca — also; prabhuḥ — the supreme master, Mahārāja Bharata; aṣṭa-saptati — seventy-eight; medhya-aśvān — horses fit for sacrifice; babandha — he bound; pradadat — gave in charity; vasu — riches;

 

bharatasya — of Mahārāja Bharata; hi — indeed; dauṣmanteḥ — the son of Mahārāja Duṣmanta; agniḥ — the sacrificial fire; sācī-guṇe — on an excellent site; citaḥ — established; sahasram — thousands; badvaśaḥ — by the number of one badva (one badva equals 13,084); yasmin — in which sacrifices; brāhmaṇāḥ — all the brāhmaṇas present; gāḥ — the cows; vibhejire — received their respective share.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Mahārāja Bharata, the son of Duṣmanta, had the mark of Lord Kṛṣṇa's disc on the palm of his right hand, and he had the mark of a lotus whorl on the soles of his feet. By worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead with a grand ritualistic ceremony, he became the emperor and master of the entire world. Then, under the priesthood of Māmateya, Bhṛgu Muni, he performed fifty-five horse sacrifices on the bank of the Ganges, beginning from its mouth and ending at its source, and seventy-eight horse sacrifices on the bank of the Yamunā, beginning from the confluence at Prayāga and ending at the source. He established the sacrificial fire on an excellent site, and he distributed great wealth to the brāhmaṇas. Indeed, he distributed so many cows that each of thousands of brāhmaṇas had one badva [13,084] as his share.

 

9.20.27

trayas-triḿśac-chataḿ hy aśvān

baddhvā vismāpayan nṛpān

dauṣmantir atyagān māyāḿ

devānāḿ gurum āyayau

 

trayaḥ — three; triḿśat — thirty; śatam — hundred; hi — indeed; aśvān — horses; baddhvā — arresting in the yajña; vismāpayan — astonishing; nṛpān — all other kings; dauṣmantiḥ — the son of Mahārāja Duṣmanta; atyagāt — surpassed; māyām — material opulences; devānām — of the demigods; gurum — the supreme spiritual master; āyayau — achieved.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Bharata, the son of Mahārāja Duṣmanta, bound thirty-three hundred horses for those sacrifices, and thus he astonished all other kings. He surpassed even the opulence of the demigods, for he achieved the supreme spiritual master, Hari.

 

9.20.28

mṛgāñ chukla-dataḥ kṛṣṇān

hiraṇyena parīvṛtān

adāt karmaṇi maṣṇāre

niyutāni caturdaśa

 

mṛgān — first-class elephants; śukla-dataḥ — with very white tusks; kṛṣṇān — with black bodies; hiraṇyena — with gold ornaments; parīvṛtān — completely covered; adāt — give in charity; karmaṇi — in the sacrifice; maṣṇāre — by the name Maṣṇāra, or in the place known as Maṣṇāra; niyutāni — lakhs (one lakh equals one hundred thousand); caturdaśa — fourteen.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When Mahārāja Bharata performed the sacrifice known as Maṣṇāra [or a sacrifice in the place known as Maṣṇāra], he gave in charity fourteen lakhs of excellent elephants with white tusks and black bodies, completely covered with golden ornaments.

 

9.20.29

bharatasya mahat karma

na pūrve nāpare nṛpāḥ

naivāpur naiva prāpsyanti

bāhubhyāḿ tridivaḿ yathā

 

bharatasya — of Mahārāja Bharata, the son of Mahārāja Duṣmanta; mahat — very great, exalted; karma — activities; na — neither; pūrve — previously; na — nor; apare — after his time; nṛpāḥ — kings as a class; na — neither; eva — certainly; āpuḥ — attained; na — nor; eva — certainly; prāpsyanti — will get; bāhubhyām — by the strength of his arms; tri-divam — the heavenly planets; yathā — as.

 

TRANSLATION

 

As one cannot approach the heavenly planets simply by the strength of his arms (for who can touch the heavenly planets with his hands?), one cannot imitate the wonderful activities of Mahārāja Bharata. No one could perform such activities in the past, nor will anyone be able to do so in the future.

 

9.20.30

kirāta-hūṇān yavanān

pauṇḍrān kańkān khaśāñ chakān

abrahmaṇya-nṛpāḿś cāhan

mlecchān dig-vijaye 'khilān

 

kirāta — the black people called Kirātas (mostly the Africans); hūṇān — the Huns, the tribes from the far north; yavanān — the meat-eaters; pauṇḍrān — the Pauṇḍras; kańkān — the Kańkas; khaśān — the Mongolians; śakān — the Śakas; abrahmaṇya — against the brahminical culture; nṛpān — kings; ca — and; ahan — he killed; mlecchān — such atheists, who had no respect for Vedic civilization; dik-vijaye — while conquering all directions; akhilān — all of them.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When Mahārāja Bharata was on tour, he defeated or killed all the Kirātas, Hūṇas, Yavanas, Pauṇḍras, Kańkas, Khaśas, Śakas and the kings who were opposed to the Vedic principles of brahminical culture.

 

9.20.31

jitvā purāsurā devān

ye rasaukāḿsi bhejire

deva-striyo rasāḿ nītāḥ

prāṇibhiḥ punar āharat

 

jitvā — conquering; purā — formerly; asurāḥ — the demons; devān — the demigods; ye — all who; rasa-okāḿsi — in the lower planetary system known as Rasātala; bhejire — took shelter; deva-striyaḥ — the wives and daughters of the demigods; rasām — in the lower planetary system; nītāḥ — were brought; prāṇibhiḥ — with their own dear associates; punaḥ — again; āharat — brought back to their original places.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Formerly, after conquering the demigods, all the demons had taken shelter in the lower planetary system known as Rasātala and had brought all the wives and daughters of the demigods there also. Mahārāja Bharata, however, rescued all those women, along with their associates, from the clutches of the demons, and he returned them to the demigods.

 

9.20.32

sarvān kāmān duduhatuḥ

prajānāḿ tasya rodasī

samās tri-ṇava-sāhasrīr

dikṣu cakram avartayat

 

sarvān kāmān — all necessities or desirable things; duduhatuḥ — fulfilled; prajānām — of the subjects; tasya — his; rodasī — this earth and the heavenly planets; samāḥ — years; tri-nava-sāhasrīḥ — three times nine thousand (that is, twenty-seven thousand); dikṣu — in all directions; cakram — soldiers or orders; avartayat — circulated.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Mahārāja Bharata provided all necessities for his subjects, both on this earth and in the heavenly planets, for twenty-seven thousand years. He circulated his orders and distributed his soldiers in all directions.

 

9.20.33

sa saḿrāḍ loka-pālākhyam

aiśvaryam adhirāṭ śriyam

cakraḿ cāskhalitaḿ prāṇān

mṛṣety upararāma ha

 

saḥ — he (Mahārāja Bharata); saḿrāṭ — the emperor; loka-pāla-ākhyam — known as the ruler of all the lokas, or planets; aiśvaryam — such opulences; adhirāṭ — thoroughly in power; śriyam — kingdom; cakram — soldiers or orders; ca — and; askhalitam — without failure; prāṇān — life or sons and family; mṛṣā — all false; iti — thus; upararāma — ceased to enjoy; ha — in the past.

 

TRANSLATION

 

As the ruler of the entire universe, Emperor Bharata had the opulences of a great kingdom and unconquerable soldiers. His sons and family had seemed to him to be his entire life. But finally he thought of all this as an impediment to spiritual advancement, and therefore he ceased from enjoying it.

 

9.20.34

tasyāsan nṛpa vaidarbhyaḥ

patnyas tisraḥ susammatāḥ

jaghnus tyāga-bhayāt putrān

nānurūpā itīrite

 

tasya — of him (Mahārāja Bharata); āsan — there were; nṛpa — O King (Mahārāja Parīkṣit); vaidarbhyaḥ — daughters of Vidarbha; patnyaḥ — wives; tisraḥ — three; su-sammatāḥ — very pleasing and suitable; jaghnuḥ — killed; tyāga-bhayāt — fearing rejection; putrān — their sons; na anurūpāḥ — not exactly like the father; iti — like this; īrite — considering.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O King Parīkṣit, Mahārāja Bharata had three pleasing wives, who were daughters of the King of Vidarbha. When all three of them bore children who did not resemble the King, these wives thought that he would consider them unfaithful queens and reject them, and therefore they killed their own sons.

 

9.20.35

tasyaivaḿ vitathe vaḿśe

tad-arthaḿ yajataḥ sutam

marut-stomena maruto

bharadvājam upādaduḥ

 

tasya — his (Mahārāja Bharata's); evam — thus; vitathe — being baffled; vaḿśe — in generating progeny; tat-artham — to get sons; yajataḥ — performing sacrifices; sutam — a son; marut-stomena — by performing a marut-stoma sacrifice; marutaḥ — the demigods named the Maruts; bharadvājam — Bharadvāja; upādaduḥ — presented.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The King, his attempt for progeny frustrated in this way, performed a sacrifice named marut-stoma to get a son. The demigods known as the Maruts, being fully satisfied with him, then presented him a son named Bharadvāja.

 

9.20.36

antarvatnyāḿ bhrātṛ-patnyāḿ

maithunāya bṛhaspatiḥ

pravṛtto vārito garbhaḿ

śaptvā vīryam upāsṛjat

 

antaḥ-vatnyām — pregnant; bhrātṛ-patnyām — with the brother's wife; maithunāya — desiring sexual enjoyment; bṛhaspatiḥ — the demigod named Bṛhaspati; pravṛttaḥ — so inclined; vāritaḥ — when forbidden to do so; garbham — the son within the abdomen; śaptvā — by cursing; vīryam — semen; upāsṛjat — discharged.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When the demigod named Bṛhaspati was attracted by his brother's wife, Mamatā, who at that time was pregnant, he desired to have sexual relations with her. The son within her womb forbid this, but Bṛhaspati cursed him and forcibly discharged semen into the womb of Mamatā.

 

9.20.37

taḿ tyaktu-kāmāḿ mamatāḿ

bhartus tyāga-viśańkitām

nāma-nirvācanaḿ tasya

ślokam enaḿ surā jaguḥ

 

tam — that newly born baby; tyaktu-kāmām — who was trying to avoid; mamatām — unto Mamatā; bhartuḥ tyāga-viśańkitām — very much afraid of being forsaken by her husband because of giving birth to an illegitimate son; nāma-nirvācanam — a name-giving ceremony, or nāma-karaṇa; tasya — to the child; ślokam — verse; enam — this; surāḥ — the demigods; jaguḥ — enunciated.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Mamatā very much feared being forsaken by her husband for giving birth to an illegitimate son, and therefore she considered giving up the child. But then the demigods solved the problem by enunciating a name for the child.

 

9.20.38

mūḍhe bhara dvājam imaḿ

bhara dvājaḿ bṛhaspate

yātau yad uktvā pitarau

bharadvājas tatas tv ayam

 

mūḍhe — O foolish woman; bhara — just maintain; dvājam — although born by an illicit connection between two; imam — this child; bhara — maintain; dvājam — although born by an illicit connection between two; bṛhaspate — O Bṛhaspati; yātau — left; yat — because; uktvā — having said; pitarau — both the father and mother; bharadvājaḥ — by the name Bharadvāja; tataḥ — thereafter; tu — indeed; ayam — this child.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Bṛhaspati said to Mamatā, "You foolish woman, although this child was born from the wife of one man through the semen discharged by another, you should maintain him." Upon hearing this, Mamatā replied, "O Bṛhaspati, you maintain him!" After speaking in this way, Bṛhaspati and Mamatā both left. Thus the child was known as Bharadvāja.

 

9.20.39

codyamānā surair evaḿ

matvā vitatham ātmajam

vyasṛjan maruto 'bibhran

datto 'yaḿ vitathe 'nvaye

 

codyamānā — although Mamatā was encouraged (to maintain the child); suraiḥ — by the demigods; evam — in this way; matvā — considering; vitatham — purposeless; ātmajam — her own child; vyasṛjat — rejected; marutaḥ — the demigods known as the Maruts; abibhran — maintained (the child); dattaḥ — the same child was given; ayam — this; vitathe — was disappointed; anvaye — when the dynasty of Mahārāja Bharata.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Although encouraged by the demigods to maintain the child, Mamatā considered him useless because of his illicit birth, and therefore she left him. Consequently, the demigods known as the Maruts maintained the child, and when Mahārāja Bharata was disappointed for want of a child, this child was given to him as his son.