॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
॥ त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः - १३ ॥
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Discourse XIII
Dhruva's posterity and the narrative of king Aṅga (Preamble)
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सूत उवाच ।
निशम्य कौषारविणोपवर्णितं
ध्रुवस्य वैकुण्ठपदाधिरोहणम् ।
प्ररूढभावो भगवत्यधोक्षजे
प्रष्टुं पुनस्तं विदुरः प्रचक्रमे ॥ १॥
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Sūta continued : Vidura's devotion to the Lord (who is beyond sense-perception) was intensified when he heard (the story) of Dhruva's ascent to the Abode of Lord Viṣṇu as told by the sage Maitreya (son of Kuṣāru); and he proceeded to ask the sage further questions (as below). (1) (1)
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विदुर उवाच ।
के ते प्रचेतसो नाम कस्यापत्यानि सुव्रत ।
कस्यान्ववाये प्रख्याताः कुत्र वा सत्रमासत ॥ २॥
मन्ये महाभागवतं नारदं देवदर्शनम् ।
येन प्रोक्तः क्रियायोगः परिचर्याविधिर्हरेः ॥ ३॥
स्वधर्मशीलैः पुरुषैर्भगवान् यज्ञपूरुषः ।
इज्यमानो भक्तिमता नारदेनेरितः किल ॥ ४॥
यास्ता देवर्षिणा तत्र वर्णिता भगवत्कथाः ।
मह्यं शुश्रूषवे ब्रह्मन् कार्त्स्न्येनाचष्टुमर्हसि ॥ ५॥
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Vidura said : Who were these Pracetās and whose offspring were they, O Maitreya of sacred vow? In whose line were they known (to have been born) and where did they have their sacrificial session? (2)
I account Nārada as a great devotee of the Lord and as one who has directly perceived the Lord. It is he who taught (in his magnum opus, the Pāñcarātra Āgama) the Yoga of active devotion in the form of a (detailed) procedure of worshipping Śrī Hari. (3)
It is said that, full of devotion, Nārada extolled the Lord, who is the Deity presiding over sacrifices, while He was being worshipped (through a sacrificial performance) by the Pracetās (who were devotees of the Lord and) addicted to their own religious duty. (4)
Be pleased, O holy sage, to reproduce in full the stories of the Lord, which were narrated on that occasion by the celestial sage (Nārada), keen as I am to hear them. (5) (2-5)
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मैत्रेय उवाच ।
ध्रुवस्य चोत्कलः पुत्रः पितरि प्रस्थिते वनम् ।
सार्वभौमश्रियं नैच्छदधिराजासनं पितुः ॥ ६॥
स जन्मनोपशान्तात्मा निःसङ्गः समदर्शनः ।
ददर्श लोके विततमात्मानं लोकमात्मनि ॥ ७॥
आत्मानं ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं प्रत्यस्तमितविग्रहम् ।
अवबोधरसैकात्म्यमानन्दमनुसन्ततम् ॥ ८॥
अव्यवच्छिन्नयोगाग्निदग्धकर्ममलाशयः ।
स्वरूपमवरुन्धानो नात्मनोऽन्यं तदैक्षत ॥ ९॥
जडान्धबधिरोन्मत्तमूकाकृतिरतन्मतिः ।
लक्षितः पथि बालानां प्रशान्तार्चिरिवानलः ॥ १०॥
मत्वा तं जडमुन्मत्तं कुलवृद्धाः समन्त्रिणः ।
वत्सरं भूपतिं चक्रुर्यवीयांसं भ्रमेः सुतम् ॥ ११॥
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Maitreya said : When his father retired to the woods, Utkala, Dhruva's (eldest) son, felt no inclination to accept the imperial fortune and the imperial throne of his father. (6)
Cogenitally possessed of a tranquil mind, free from attachment and viewing everything with an equal eye, he saw his own self projected throughout the universe and the universe as existing in his own self. (7)
The impurities (still) lurking in his mind in the form (of impressions) of (evil) actions (done in the past) having been burnt by the fire of uninterrupted (practice) of Yoga (meditation), he looked upon his (individual) soul as no other than the tranquil Brahma (Infinite)—wherein all differences are set at rest forever, and which is one's real Self—and hence identical with the joy of consciousness, all-blissful and extending everywhere, and no longer perceived anything apart from his own self. (8-9)
Possessing the exterior of a stupid, blind, deaf, dumb or mad man, but unlike any of these in mind, he was seen on the road by the ignorant like a fire that has ceased to emit flames. (10)
Thinking him to be dull and insane, the elders of the (royal) house as well as the ministers made Vatsara, his younger brother and son of Bhrami (Utkala's stepmother), the ruler of the globe. (11) (6-11)
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स्वर्वीथिर्वत्सरस्येष्टा भार्यासूत षडात्मजान् ।
पुष्पार्णं तिग्मकेतुं च इषमूर्जं वसुं जयम् ॥ १२॥
पुष्पार्णस्य प्रभा भार्या दोषा च द्वे बभूवतुः ।
प्रातर्मध्यन्दिनं सायमिति ह्यासन् प्रभासुताः ॥ १३॥
प्रदोषो निशिथो व्युष्ट इति दोषा सुतास्त्रयः ।
व्युष्टः सुतं पुष्करिण्यां सर्वतेजसमादधे ॥ १४॥
स चक्षुः सुतमाकूत्यां पत्न्यां मनुमवाप ह ।
मनोरसूत महिषी विरजान् नड्वला सुतान् ॥ १५॥
पुरुं कुत्सं त्रितं द्युम्नं सत्यवन्तमृतं व्रतम् ।
अग्निष्टोममतीरात्रं प्रद्युम्नं शिबिमुल्मुकम् ॥ १६॥
उल्मुकोऽजनयत्पुत्रान् पुष्करिण्यां षडुत्तमान् ।
अङ्गं सुमनसं ख्यातिं क्रतुमङ्गिरसं गयम् ॥ १७॥
सुनीथाङ्गस्य या पत्नी सुषुवे वेनमुल्बणम् ।
यद्दौःशील्यात्स राजर्षिर्निर्विण्णो निरगात्पुरात् ॥ १८॥
यमङ्ग शेपुः कुपिता वाग्वज्रा मुनयः किल ।
गतासोस्तस्य भूयस्ते ममन्थुर्दक्षिणं करम् ॥ १९॥
अराजके तदा लोके दस्युभिः पीडिताः प्रजाः ।
जातो नारायणांशेन पृथुराद्यः क्षितीश्वरः ॥ २०॥
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Swarvīthī (who presided over the milky way), the beloved spouse of Vatsara (a year), brought forth six sons, Puṣpārṇa, Tigmaketu, Iṣa, Ūrja, Vasu and Jaya (by name). (12)
Puṣpārṇa had two wives—Prabhā (daylight) and Doṣā (night). Prātaḥ (morning), Madhyandina (midday) and Sāyam (evening) were the sons born of Prabhā. (13)
(Similarly) Pradoṣa (nightfall or the first part of night) Niśitha (midnight) and Vyuṣṭa (the close of night or dawn) were the three sons of Doṣā. (Of these,) Vyuṣṭa begot through Puṣkariṇī (his wife) a son (named) Sarvatejā. (14)
The latter got through his wife, Ākūti, a son, Cakṣu (by name), who was appointed as Manu (in the sixth Manvantara, called the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara after him). The Manu's consort, Naḍwalā, bore (twelve) faultless sons named Puru, Kutsa, Trita, Dyumna, Satyavān, Rta, Vrata, Agniṣṭoma, Atirātra, Pradyumna, Śibi and Ulmuka. (15-16)
Ulmuka begot through his wife, Puṣkariṇī, six excellent sons, Aṅga, Sumanā, Khyāti, Kratu, Aṅgirā and Gaya (by name). (17)
Sunithā, who was Aṅga's wife, gave birth to the evil-minded Vena, fed up with whose wickedness that royal sage (Aṅga) left his capital (for the woods). (18)
Angered by him, the sages, whose words were (unfailing) like a thunderbolt, pronounced a curse against him, O dear Vidura; and when (as a result of the curse) they died, they then churned his right hand (arm). (19)
For, the world having been left without a ruler then, the people were harassed by robbers. (Now, as a result of the churning), there appeared the very first* ruler of the earth, Pṛthu, who embodied a ray of Lord Nārāyaṇa. (20) (12-20)
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विदुर उवाच ।
तस्य शीलनिधेः साधोर्ब्रह्मण्यस्य महात्मनः ।
राज्ञः कथमभूद्दुष्टा प्रजा यद्विमना ययौ ॥ २१॥
किं वांहो वेन उद्दिश्य ब्रह्मदण्डमयूयुजन् ।
दण्डव्रतधरे राज्ञि मुनयो धर्मकोविदाः ॥ २२॥
नावध्येयः प्रजापालः प्रजाभिरघवानपि ।
यदसौ लोकपालानां बिभर्त्योजः स्वतेजसा ॥ २३॥
एतदाख्याहि मे ब्रह्मन् सुनीथात्मजचेष्टितम् ।
श्रद्दधानाय भक्ताय त्वं परावरवित्तमः ॥ २४॥
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Vidura said : How did that pious and high-souled monarch, who was a very storehouse of virtue and devoted to the Brāhmaṇas, get a wicked son, on account of which he had to depart (for the woods), full of grief? (21)
And for what offence did the sages, who knew what was right, employ a curse against a sovereign who had taken a vow of punishing (the evil-doer)? (22)
A ruler of the people, even though guilty, should not be treated with disrespect by the people inasmuch as he wields by his own glory the might of Indra and others (the protectors of the world). (23)
Narrate to me, your trustful devotee, all the doings of Vena (the son of Sunithā), O holy Brāhmaṇa—you who are the foremost of those possessing the knowledge of the past as well as of the future. (24) (21-24)
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मैत्रेय उवाच ।
अङ्गोऽश्वमेधं राजर्षिराजहार महाक्रतुम् ।
नाजग्मुर्देवतास्तस्मिन्नाहूता ब्रह्मवादिभिः ॥ २५॥
तमूचुर्विस्मितास्तत्र यजमानमथर्त्विजः ।
हवींषि हूयमानानि न ते गृह्णन्ति देवताः ॥ २६॥
राजन् हवींष्यदुष्टानि श्रद्धयाऽऽसादितानि ते ।
छन्दांस्ययातयामानि योजितानि धृतव्रतैः ॥ २७॥
न विदामेह देवानां हेलनं वयमण्वपि ।
यन्न गृह्णन्ति भागान् स्वान् ये देवाः कर्मसाक्षिणः ॥ २८॥
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Maitreya said : The royal sage Aṅga (once) performed a great horse-sacrifice, in which the gods did not appear (to take their share of offerings) even when invoked by the sages (who were great exponents of the Vedas). (25)
Amazed at this, the priests officiating at the sacrifice now said to the sacrificer (Emperor Aṅga), "The gods accept not your oblations, poured (into the fire by us). (26)
(The materials of) your offerings, O king, are pure and have been procured with reverence. The Vedic texts (recited in the course of the sacrifice) too are in no way lacking in force, since they are uttered by men who are steadfast of vow. (27)
Nor do we know of the least disrespect shown to the gods in this sacrificial performance, due to which the gods, who perceive the doings of all, should not accept their shares. (28)
- It was Pṛthu who for the first time organized the population of the entire globe and founded cities, towns and villages. Hence he has been referred to in the above verse as the first ruler of the earth.
(25-28)
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मैत्रेय उवाच ।
अङ्गो द्विजवचः श्रुत्वा यजमानः सुदुर्मनाः ।
तत्प्रष्टुं व्यसृजद्वाचं सदस्यांस्तदनुज्ञया ॥ २९॥
नागच्छन्त्याहुता देवा न गृह्णन्ति ग्रहानिह ।
सदसस्पतयो ब्रूत किमवद्यं मया कृतम् ॥ ३०॥
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Maitreya continued : Having the words of the Brāhmaṇas (priests), the sacrificer, (Emperor) Aṅga, felt very sad at heart. With their permission he broke his (vow of) silence in order to ask the superintending priests the reason of it. (29)
"The gods refuse to come, even though invoked nor do they accept the cups of Soma juice (offered to them) in this sacrifice. Tell me, O leaders of the (sacrificial) assembly, what offence I have committed." (30) (29-30)
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सदसस्पतय ऊचुः ।
नरदेवेह भवतो नाघं तावन्मनाक्स्थितम् ।
अस्त्येकं प्राक्तनमघं यदिहेदृक्त्वमप्रजः ॥ ३१॥
तथा साधय भद्रं ते आत्मानं सुप्रजं नृप ।
इष्टस्ते पुत्रकामस्य पुत्रं दास्यति यज्ञभुक् ॥ ३२॥
तथा स्वभागधेयानि ग्रहीष्यन्ति दिवौकसः ।
यद्यज्ञपुरुषः साक्षादपत्याय हरिर्वृतः ॥ ३३॥
तांस्तान् कामान् हरिर्दद्याद्यान् यान् कामयते जनः ।
आराधितो यथैवैष तथा पुंसां फलोदयः ॥ ३४॥
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The leaders of the assembly said : Not the least sin stands committed by you in this life, O lord of men ! Yet, there is one sin perpetrated in a previous existence, on account of which you are issueless here, though possessed of such (rare) virtues. (31)
(Therefore) with that end in view (in order to ensure that the gods may accept your offerings) endeavour to get a worthy son, O king, and God will bless you. Worshipped (by you) with the desire of obtaining a son, the Lord (who is the Enjoyer of sacrifices) will vouchsafe a son to you. (32)
In that case the denizens of heaven will (surely) accept their shares when (they find that) Śrī Hari, the Deity presiding over sacrifices, Himself is invoked for the sake of a son. (33)
Śrī Hari (as a rule) bestows (on His devotee) whatever boons the devotee seeks (from Him). People are rewarded precisely according as the Lord is worshipped (by them). (34) (31-34)
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इति व्यवसिता विप्रास्तस्य राज्ञः प्रजातये ।
पुरोडाशं निरवपन् शिपिविष्टाय विष्णवे ॥ ३५॥
तस्मात्पुरुष उत्तस्थौ हेममाल्यमलाम्बरः ।
हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सिद्धमादाय पायसम् ॥ ३६॥
स विप्रानुमतो राजा गृहीत्वाञ्जलिनौदनम् ।
अवघ्राय मुदा युक्तः प्रादात्पत्न्या उदारधीः ॥ ३७॥
सा तत्पुंसवनं राज्ञी प्राश्य वै पत्युरादधे ।
गर्भं काल उपावृत्ते कुमारं सुषुवेऽप्रजा ॥ ३८॥
स बाल एव पुरुषो मातामहमनुव्रतः ।
अधर्मांशोद्भवं मृत्युं तेनाभवदधार्मिकः ॥ ३९॥
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Thus resolved, the Brāhmaṇas (priests) offered Purodāśa ( a mass of ground rice rounded into a kind of cake) to Lord Viṣṇu, who resides even in the sacrificial animal as the spirit of sacrifice, in order to secure an offspring to the emperor. (35)
From the sacrificial fire there rose a (superhuman) being, adorned with a gold necklace and clad in spotless white and bearing in a cup of gold rice ready boiled in milk with sugar. (36)
With the permission of the Brāhmaṇas (priests) the noble-minded king received the boiled rice in the hollow of his palms and, smelling it, joyfully handed it over to his wife.(37)
The issueless queen ate that food, which possessed the efficacy of producing a male child, conceived through union with her husband and, when the time came, brought forth a son. (38)
While yet a (mere) child, the boy was ardently attached to his mother's father, Mṛtyu (the god of death), who had sprung from a portion of Adharma (the spirit presiding over unrighteousness); so he turned out to be impious. (39) (35-39)
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स शरासनमुद्यम्य मृगयुर्वनगोचरः ।
हन्त्यसाधुर्मृगान् दीनान् वेनोऽसावित्यरौज्जनः ॥ ४०॥
आक्रीडे क्रीडतो बालान् वयस्यानतिदारुणः ।
प्रसह्य निरनुक्रोशः पशुमारममारयत् ॥ ४१॥
तं विचक्ष्य खलं पुत्रं शासनैर्विविधैर्नृपः ।
यदा न शासितुं कल्पो भृशमासीत्सुदुर्मनाः ॥ ४२॥
प्रायेणाभ्यर्चितो देवो येऽप्रजा गृहमेधिनः ।
कदपत्यभृतं दुःखं ये न विन्दन्ति दुर्भरम् ॥ ४३॥
यतः पापीयसी कीर्तिरधर्मश्च महान् नृणाम् ।
यतो विरोधः सर्वेषां यत आधिरनन्तकः ॥ ४४॥
कस्तं प्रजापदेशं वै मोहबन्धनमात्मनः ।
पण्डितो बहु मन्येत यदर्थाः क्लेशदा गृहाः ॥ ४५॥
कदपत्यं वरं मन्ये सदपत्याच्छुचां पदात् ।
निर्विद्येत गृहान्मर्त्यो यत्क्लेशनिवहा गृहाः ॥ ४६॥
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Taking up his bow and playing the role of a hunter dwelling in the woods, the wicked fellow would kill poor (innocent) deer; and people would cry out (whenever they saw him): "Here is Vena (a tyrant)!" (40)
Nay, that most cruel and hard-hearted boy would violently strangle, as so many beasts, children of his own age sporting in the playground. (41)
Finding his son (so) wicked, the emperor (Aṅga) tried to correct him by various (forms of) punishment; but when he was unable to tame him, he felt sore depressed in spirits. (42)
(He said to himself:) "Householders who are issueless have surely propitiated the Deity (in their previous birth) inasmuch as they are saved the agony caused by (the presence of) an undesirable son, which is indeed hard to bear. (43)
What wise man would make much of that which, though bearing the name of a son, binds one's soul with the fetter of infatuation, is a source of infamy to the parents and involves them in great sin, nay; which arouses a feeling of antagonism in all, causes infinite worry and makes the home a hotbed of affliction?(44-45)
I account a bad son as preferable to a worthy son, who is a source of (many) sorrows (inasmuch as he strengthens one's attachment to the home). For the former turns a home into a hell so that a man gets (easily) disgusted with it." (46) (40-46)
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एवं स निर्विण्णमना नृपो गृहान्
निशीथ उत्थाय महोदयोदयात् ।
अलब्धनिद्रोऽनुपलक्षितो नृभि-
र्हित्वा गतो वेनसुवं प्रसुप्ताम् ॥ ४७॥
विज्ञाय निर्विद्य गतं पतिं प्रजाः
पुरोहितामात्यसुहृद्गणादयः ।
विचिक्युरुर्व्यामतिशोककातरा
यथा निगूढं पुरुषं कुयोगिनः ॥ ४८॥
अलक्षयन्तः पदवीं प्रजापतेः
हतोद्यमाः प्रत्युपसृत्य ते पुरीम् ।
ऋषीन् समेतानभिवन्द्य साश्रवो
न्यवेदयन् पौरव भर्तृविप्लवम् ॥ ४९॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां
संहितायां चतुर्थस्कन्धे त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः ॥ १३॥
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Pondering thus and disgusted at heart with his home, which was full of great prosperity, the emperor, who could not get a wink of sleep, got up (from his bed) at dead of night and, unobserved by (other) men, departed (for the woods), leaving the queen (the mother of Vena) fast asleep. (47)
The people as well as the high priest (of the royal house), ministers and relations of the king and others were overwhelmed with excessive grief when they came to know that their lord had departed in disgust, and searched for him all over the globe, even as Yogīs not knowing the secret of Yoga look (outside for the Supreme Person concealed within the heart. (48)
Finding no trace of the emperor (however) and balked in their attempt, they returned to the city and bowing to the sages assembled (there), told them with tears in their eyes, O Vidura (scion of Puru), about the disappearance of their master. (49)
Thus ends the thirteenth discourse in Book Four of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahamsa-Sarhhitā. (47-49)
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