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mahAbhAratam
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mahAbhAratam
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utpannAH pitR^i-kanyAyAM virajAyAM mahaujasaH |
nahuShasya tu dAyAdAH ShaT indra-upama-tejasaH || 1-30-1
yatiH yayAtiH saMyAtiH AyatiH pA~nchiko bhavaH |
suyAtiH ShaShThaH teShAM vai yayAtiH pArthivo.abhavat |
yatiH jyeShThaH tu teShAM vai yayAtiH tu tataH param || 1-30-2
kAkutstha kanyAM gAM nAma lebhe parama-dhArmikaH |
yatiH tu mokSham AsthAya brahma-bhUto.abhavat muniH || 1-30-3
Lady Urvashi and king purUrava of lunar dynasty begot prince Ayu... this Ayu begot five sons through lady prabha, the daughter of the eclipsing planet rAhu, the astromorphic ascending node... their first son is king nahuSha, while the other sons are vR^iddha-sharma, rambhu, raji, and anena... we have already covered, in passing, about the other four sons of Urvashi-purUrava... now let us take up something about nahuSha and his lineage...
King nahuSha begot six sons through a damsel of fatherly gods, known as lady viraja, or lady su-swadha, to wit... these six indra-like sons are: yati, ya-yAti, saM-yAti A-yati, bhava, and su-yAti...
Though yati is the eldest prince, yayAti became the king as he is next one in the line, because prince yati though married a damsel named gau, or go, from kakustha lineage, turned towards mysticism, salvation and became one with the Absolute, true to his name yati – the renouncer...
teShAM yayAtiH pa~nchAnAM vijitya vasudhAm imAm |
devayAnIm ushanasaH sutAM bhAryAm avApa saH |
sharmiShThAm AsurIM chaiva tanayAM vR^iShaparvaNaH || 1-30-4
yaduM cha turvasuM chaiva devayAnI vyajAyata |
druhyuM cha anuM cha pUruM cha sharmiShThA vArShaparvaNI || 1-30-5
Among those five remaining brothers, yayAti has become the ruler after vanquishing whole world... and yayAti married two damsels... one is lady deva-yAni, the daughter of ushana, aka shukra-AchArya, while the other is lady sharmiShTha, the daughter of an asura, rather a demon, called vR^iShaparva... through lady deva-yAni he begot two sons called yadu and turvasu... and through lady sharmiShTha he begot three sons called druhyu, anu, and pUru...
tasmai shakro dadau prIto rathaM parama-bhAsvaram |
asa~NgaM kA~nchanaM divyaM divyaiH parama-vAjibhiH || 1-30-6
yuktaM mano-javaiH shubhraiH yena bhAryAm uvAha saH |
sa tena ratha-mukhyena ShaT rAtrena ajayat mahIm |
yayAtiH yudhi durdharShaH tathA devAn sa vAsavAn || 1-30-7
Pleased with nahuSha’s comportment indra gave him a highly splendorous golden chariot yoked with superb horses whose hieing is on a par with the pace of thought... with this sort of tackle the entry of that divine chariot is unimpeded anywhere and anytime - asa~NgaM... in such a sprucely chariot nahuSha used to have pleasure-trips along with his wives... later, becoming invincible on battlefields that nahuSha conquered whole earth... why earth alone, he even conquered all gods inclusive of their lord indra... all this he achieved in just six days, owing to the efficacy of that divine chariot...
sa rathaH pauravANAM tu sarveShAm abhavat tadA |
yAvat tu vasu nAmno vai kauravAt janamejayaH || 1-30-8
kuroH putrasya rAjendra rAj~naH pArIkShitasya ha |
jagAma sa ratho nAshaM shApAt gArgyasya dhImataH || 1-30-9
That chariot later became the prized possession of all the paurava-s lineally unto the time of king vasu of kaurava dynasty... it was there on earth till the time of the son of parIkshat, namely janamejaya, the offspring of kaurava-s, but evanished owing to the curse of sage garga...
An entry in Wikipedia:
janamejaya-s in unknown races mentioned by different people: A king named Janamejaya
is mentioned in the 12th volume (Santi Parva) of Mahabharata, by Bhishma in his
narration to Yudhisthira. Bhishma describes the conversation between this Janamejaya
and a sage named Indrota the son of Sunaka on the subject of expiation from sins.
Indrota also assisted a horse sacrifice performed by this king. This narration extends
into three chapters (Mbh 12.149, 12.150, 12.151.
C.f. Mbh, KMG, from section CL: ...Bhishma continued, 'Indrota, the son of Sunaka, having said these words unto king Janamejaya, assisted him, by his ministrations, in the performance of the horse-sacrifice. The king, cleansed of his sins and regaining blessedness... etc etc
gargyasya hi sutaM bAlaM sa rAjA janamejayaH |
vAk-shUraM hiMsayAmAsa brahma-hatyAm avApa saH || 1-30-10
sa lohagandhI rAjarShiH paridhAvan itaH tataH |
paura jAnapadaiH tyakto na lebhe sharma karhichit || 1-30-11
When king janamejaya tortured the outspoken young son of sage gargya, then he is smitten with the sin of slaying a brAhmaNa... then that sagely king became a runagate since he has become an outcast – loha-gandhi; wherever he has gone he is on tenterhooks because citizens, or even villagers, have shunned him...
tataH sa duHkha saMtapto na alabhat saMvidaM kvachit |
indrotaH shaunakaM rAjA sharaNaM pratyapadyata || 1-30-12
yAjayAmAsa cha indrotaH shaunako janamejayam |
ashvamedhena rAjAnaM pAvana-arthaM dvijottamaH || 1-30-13
sa lohagandho vyanashat tasya avabhR^itham etya ha |
Not finding quietude anywhere that woebegone king sought the shelter of sage indrota, the son of shaunaka, who enabled the king to perform horse-ritual in order to cleanse that king of his sins... thus he got rid of his loha-gandham and he could perform the final anointment bath of ashva-medha, too...
loha-gandhi = bAhya sadRisha = an outcast; from the word jo~NgakaH= jugi= tyAge= j~nAti bAhya= outcast by his relatives.
sa cha divyo ratho rAjan vasoH chedi pateH tadA |
dattaH shakreNa tuShTena lebhe tasmAt bR^ihadrathaH || 1-30-14
bR^ihadrathAt krameNa eva gato bArhadratham nR^ipam |
tato hatvA jarAsaMdhaM bhImaH taM ratham uttamam || 1-30-15
pradadau vAsudevAya prItyA kauravanandanaH |
At that time indra gave that divine chariot to king vasu of chedi dynasty of magadha kingdom, who passed it on to his successor king bR^ihadratha, who sequentially handed it over to king jarAsandha; later bhImasena obtained it when he eliminated jarAsandha in a duel and presented that divine chariot to shrIkRishna with devotion...
King vasu of chedi dynasty is taken as uparichara-vasu. This episode of divine chariot indicates that indra has taken sides with kaurava-s at one time and later changed to chedi kings, still later switched to pANDava-s. In effect, wherever he is there is victory.
sapta-dvIpAM yayAtiH tu jitvA pR^ithvIM sa-sAgarAm || 1-30-16
vyabhajat pa~nchadhA rAjan putrANAM nAhuShaH tadA |
dishi dakShiNa-pUrvasyAM turvasuM matimAn nR^ipaH ||
1-30-17
pratIchyAm uttarasyAM cha druhyuM cha anuM cha nAhuShaH |
dishi pUrva-uttarasyAM vai yaduM jyeShThaM nyayojayat || 1-30-18
madhye pUruM cha rAjAnam abhyaShi~nchata nAhuShaH |
On conquering the earth spanning on seven continents engirdled with her oceans, king nahuSha bracketed it in five zones for five of his sons... he made prince turvasu to rule over southeast –Agneya - province; prince druhyu to north; prince anu to west; the eldest prince yadu to northeast – IshAnyam; and enthroned prince puru for the central province, i.e. for kuru-pAnchAla province...
taiH iyaM pR^ithivI sarvA sapta-dvIpA sa-pattanA || 1-30-19
yathA pradesham adya api dharmeNa pratipAlyate |
prajAH teShAM purastAt tu vakShyAmi nR^ipasattama ||
1-30-20
As to how the provinces are righteously ruled even today, like that those five provincial ruled whole of the earth spanning on seven continents together with her cities, towns and villages etc... let us talk about their progeny, family ties etc after a while, because certain points in the legend of yayAti are to be made known now...
dhanuH nyasya pR^iShatkAMshcha pa~nchabhiH puruSharShabhaiH
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jarAvAn abhavat rAjA bhAram Aveshya bandhuShu |
niHkShipta shastraH pR^ithivIM nirIkShya pR^ithivIpatiH ||
1-30-21
prItimAn abhavat rAjA yayAtiH aparAjitaH |
Seeing his sons are ruling properly, and seeing that his wielding the bow any further is unneeded, king yayAti offloaded his burdens on his sons and lived luxuriously... even then, he who has not tasted defeat in his lifetime, he who has already renounced weapons, again sat up on seeing whole earth in the mind’s eye, as he blithely wanted to reapply himself to the feats once he did... but, he is past his prime by then...
evaM vibhajya pR^ithivIM yayAtiH yadum abravIt || 1-30-22
Wishing to exert himself to the concerns of earth once again, yayAti mooted this subject with his son yadu, and said...
jarAM me pratigR^ihNIShva putra kR^itya antareNa vai |
taruNaH tava rUpeNa chareyaM pR^ithivIm imAm |
jarAM tvayi samAdhAya taM yaduH pratyuvAcha ha || 1-30-23
“Oh, son, I would like to exchange my elderliness with your manfulness for certain reasons... I would like to mill around the world in your youthful form, and when done with my escapades I promise to take back my old age from you...” then yadu, the son of yayAti replied his father:
anirdiShTA mayA bhikShA brAhmaNasya pratishrutA |
anapAkR^itya tAM rAjan na gR^ihIShyAmi te jarAm || 1-30-24
jarAyAM bahavo doShAH pAna-bhojana-kAritAH |
tasmAt jarAM na te rAjan grahItum aham utsahe || 1-30-25
santi te bahavaH putrAH mattaH priyatarA nR^ipa |
pratigrahItuM dharmaj~na putram anyaM vR^iNIShva vai ||
1-30-26
“Without indicating which sort of help is needed, a brAhmaNa sought help from me and I promised to help him... my helping him perhaps involves my bravery or grit of heydays, who knows... so, I am unready to part with my manfulness, or to take old age upon myself as of now, because agedness itself is problematic even for a stomachful meal, or for a throatful drink... why me... you have other sons who are dearer to you than me... why not ask them... someone will be willing for such an exchange...” So said yadu to his father yayAti...
sa evam ukto yadunA rAjA kopa samanvitaH |
uvAcha vadatAM shreShTho yayAtiH garhayan sutam || 1-30-27
ka AshrayaH tava anyaH asti kaH vA dharmo vidhIyate |
mAm anAdR^itya durbuddhe yat ahaM tava deshikaH || 1-30-28
When his son yadu accosted thus, the king yayAti is filled with anger and chastised him saying, “O you of vicious intellect, who else can provide fastness to you other than me..., who can rescript dharma to me... I am a preceptor of yours – deshika – guru; not you mine... yet, you disregard me...”
evam uktvA yaduM tAta shashApa enaM sa manyumAn |
a-rAjyA te prajA mUDha bhavitri iti
narAdhama || 1-30-29
Saying so king yayAti also cursed yadu in anger, “let none in your progeny, O, foolish wight, become eligible for kingship on any kingdom from this point forward...”
sa turvasuM cha druhyuM cha api anuM cha bharatarShabha |
evam eva abravIt rAjA prati-AkhyAtaH cha taiH api || 1-30-30
shashApa tAn ati-kruddho yayAtiH aparAjitaH |
yathA te kathitaM pUrvaM mayA rAjarShisattama || 1-30-31
King yayAti then asked his other sons, namely turvasu, druhyu, and anu in the same way but they all have turned his request down, and as a sequence he cursed them too in a similar method... i.e., as I had described to you before in the case of yadu...
evaM shaptvA sutAn sarvAn chaturaH pUru-pUrvajAn |
tat eva vachanaM rAjA pUrum api Aha bhArata || 1-30-32
taruNaH tava rUpeNa chareyaM pR^ithivIm imAm |
jarAM tvayi samAdhAya tvaM pUro yadi manyase || 1-30-33
Cursing the four elder brothers of prince puru, then yayAti repeated his request with his fifth son prince puru also saying, “Oh, son puru, if it is agreeable to you, I would like to exchange my elderliness with your manfulness for certain reasons... I would like to mill around the world in your youthful form, and when done with my escapades I promise to take back my old age from you...”
sa jarAM pratijagrAha pituH pUruH pratApavAn |
yayAtiH api rUpeNa pUroH paryacharan mahIm || 1-30-34
sa mArgamANaH kAmAnAm antaM bharatasattama |
vishvAchyA sahito reme vane chaitrarathe prabhuH || 1-30-35
yada a-vi-tR^iShNaH kAmAnAM bhogeShu sa narAdhipaH |
tadA pUroH sakAshAt vai svAM jarAM pratyapadyata || 1-30-36
Then prince puru being self-confident accepted the old-age of his father giving his manfulness to him... with the manfulness of his son, king yayAti started searching for the farther end of mundane pleasures – tRiShNa avasAnam; he even took delight in the gardens of kubera, namely chaitra-ratha, partnering with an apsara called vishvAchi... incidentally, this apsara vishvAchi is the one who transmuted as the damsel in kakutstha lineage, called gau, or go owing to the curse of indra upon her...
As and when disenchantment popped up towards his urges and luxuries, he returned to prince puru and took back his antiquated form...
C.f. for this apsara vishvaachi, mentioned as another wife of yayAti - 1-30-3.
tatra gAthA mahArAja shR^iNu gItA yayAtinA |
Summing up his experiences king yayAti enunciate some moralistic sayings while taking back his old age... oh, king janamejaya, listen to them....
yAbhiH pratyAharet kAmAn sarvataH a~NgAni kUrma-vat || 1-30-37
na jAtu kAmaH kAmAnAm upa-bhogena shAmyati |
haviShA kR^iShNa vartm eva bhUya eva abhi-vardhate || 1-30-38
As with a tortoise that reins in its limbs, one should not give free rein to his passions; it is pipedream to think that ‘enjoying pleasures extinguish desires...’ but, extended desires and enjoyment of pleasures breed extensile pleasures and cyclical desires, as with extensive fire when the fuel is added...
yat pR^ithivyAM vrIhi yavaM hiraNyaM pashavaH striyaH |
na alam ekasya tat sarvam iti pashyan na muhyati || 1-30-39
Even if all the rice, barley, gold, cattle and women available on earth are at hand, an ingenuous fellow will still be discontented...
yadA bhAvaM na kurute sarva-bhUteShu pApakam |
karmaNA manasA vAchA brahma saMpadyate tadA || 1-30-40
yada anyebhyo na bibhyeta yadA cha asmAt na bibhyati |
yadA na icChati na dveShTi brahma saMpadyate tadA || 1-30-41
If one does not bear ill will towards all other beings in his mind-action-speech, then deem him transcended to the level of brahmahood... because of his non-detestation he does not have fear from anyone, nor others have fear from him... unachieved cherish breeds contempt... rising above cherishes and disdains makes one transcended to the level of brahmahood
yA dustyajA durmatibhiH yA na jIryati jIryataH |
yo.asau prANa antiko rogastAM tR^iShNAM tyajataH sukham || 1-30-42
Witherless are these pleasure-thoughts even if one is withered away... he alone gets happiness that can disgorge the life-ending disease called hankerings...
jIryanti jIryataH keshA dantA jIryanti jIryataH |
jIvita AshA dhana AshA cha jIryataH api na jIryati || 1-30-43
Unslakable is the hope for a livelong life and filthy lucre, even if teeth slackened, hair silvered, and body shrivelled...
yat cha kAma-sukhaM loke yat cha divyaM mahat-sukham |
tR^iShNA kShaya sukhasya ete na arhataH ShoDashIM kalAm || 1-30-44
Whether it is enjoyment of mundane pleasures, or extramundane comforts, all of them will not vie with the sixteenth part of the pleasure derived from the divesture of desire...
evam uktvA sa rAjarShiH sa-dAraH prAvishat vanam |
kAlena mahatA vApi chachAra vipulaM tapaH || 1-30-45
bhR^Igu-tu~Nge tapaH taptvA tapaso.ante mahAtapAH |
anashnat deham utsR^ijya sa-dAraH svargam AptavAn || 1-30-46
On philosophising his experiences in this way, that kingly sage repaired to woods along with his wife where he undertook rigorous ascesis... later he undertook ascesis on the peak of Mt. bhR^Igu-tu~Nga forgoing aliment, and then discarding his mortal body he rose to heaven along with his wife...
tasya vaMshe mahArAja pa~ncha rAjarShi sattamAH |
yaiH vyAptA pR^ithivI sarvA sUryasya iva gabhastibhiH || 1-30-47
yadoH tu shR^iNu rAjarSheH vaMshaM rAjarShi satkR^itam |
yatra nArAyaNo jaj~ne hariH vR^iShNi-kula-udvahaH || 1-30-48
In the dynasty of this king yayAti there are five kingly sages who pervaded whole earth as with the sunrays pervading whole of the earth... let us take up the dynasty of kingly sage yadu who is much revered by the other kingly sages, and in whose lineage lord nArAyaNa himself took birth as the perpetuator of vR^iShNi dynasty...
dhanyaH prajAvAn AyuShmAn kIrtimAn cha bhavet naraH |
yayAteH charitaM puNyaM paTha~n shR^iNvan narAdhipa
|| 1-30-49
One who hears, or reads, this merited legend of yayAti, will be blest with offspring, longevity and prosperity...
iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe harivaMshaparvaNi yayAticharite
triMsho.adhyAyaH
Thus, this is the thirtieth chapter of first canto called harivamsha-parva, in harivamsha-purANa, the sequel of mahAbhArata, narrating the legend of king yayAti.
--o)0(o--
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| verse-transliteration:
ks ramachandran < ramachandran_ksr @ yahoo.ca > |
verse-rendition
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| E&OE - content is subject to revision : dated 17-11-07 | |||
