vaishampAyana uvAcha – vaishampAyana continued:

babhUvuH tu yadoH putrAH pa~ncha deva-suta upamAH  |
sahasradaH payodaH cha kroShTA nIlo a~njikaH tathA || 1-33-1
sahasradasya dAyAdAH trayaH parama-dhArmikAH  |
haihayaH cha hayaH chaiva rAjan veNu-hayaH tathA || 1-33-2
haihayasya abhavat putro dharma-netra iti smR^itaH  |
dharma-netrasya kArtaH tu sAha~njaH tasya cha AtmajaH || 1-33-3
sAha~njanI nAma purI yena rAj~nA niveshitA  |

yadu had five sons called sahasra-da, payoda, kroShTa, nIla and a~njika, who are coequal to the sons of the celestials, of whom, oh, king janamejaya, sahasra-da had three pious sons called hiahaya, haya and venu-haya. Then, haihaya’s son is dharma-netra, whose son is kArta, who begot a son called sAha~nja, the founder of a city named sAha~njani.

sAha~njasya tu dAyAdo mahiShmAn nAma pArthivaH || 1-33-4
mAhiShmatI nAma purI yena rAj~nA niveshitA  |
AsIt mAhiShmataH putro bhadrashreNyaH pratApavAn || 1-33-5
vArANasi adhipo rAjA katithaH pUrvameva tu  |

King mahiShmAn is the son of sAha~nja, who founded the city of mahiShmati. mahiShmAn’s son is the powerful bhadrashreNya, who is the ruler of vArANasi... this I have recounted before...

bhadrashreNyasya putrastu durdamo nAma vishrutaH || 1-33-6
durdamasya suto dhImAn kanako nAma vIryavAn  |
kanakasya tu dAyAdAH chatvAro loka vishrutAH || 1-33-7
kR^itavIryaH kR^itaujAshcha kR^itavarmA tathaiva cha  |
kR^itAgniH tu chaturtho abUut kR^itavIryAt tathA arjunaH || 1-33-8
yaH tu bAhu sahasreNa sapta dvIpa IshvaraH abhavat  |
jigAya pR^ithivIm eko rathen Aditya varchasA || 1-33-9

bhadrashreNyasya’s son is durdama and durdama’s son is kanaka who is very intelligent. kanaka had four sons well-known in the world, namely kR^ita-vIrya, kR^ita-auja, kR^ita-varma and kR^ita-agni...  kR^ita-vIrya begot a son named arjuna, aka kArtavIrya-arjuna... this kArtavIrya-arjuna endowed with a thousand arms became the emperor of the seven insular continents conquering all of them in a single chariot that is effulgent like the sun... there is a cause célèbre for this...

sa hi varSha AyutaM taptvA tapaH parama dushcharam  |
dattam ArAdhayAmAsa kArtavIryo atri-saMbhavam || 1-33-10
tasmai datto varAn prAdAt chaturo bhUri-tejasaH   |
pUrvaM bAhu-sahasraM tu prArthitaM su-mahad-varam || 1-33-11
a-dharme vartamAnasya sadbhiH tatra nivAraNam  |
ugreNa pR^ithivIM jitvA sva-dharmeNa anu-ra~njanam || 1-33-12
saMgrAmAn subahUn kR^itvA hatvA cha arIn sahasrashaH  |
saMgrAme vartamAnasya vadhaM cha api adhikAt raNe || 1-33-13

kArtavIrya-arjuna undertook an impossible ascesis for ten thousand years to please lord datta-Atreya, the son of atri mahAmuni, whereby he obtained the grace of datta-Atreya in four boons, which are: firstly, there should be palingenesis of his thousand arms in a given battle; secondly, during his tenure righteous people shall be able to snub unrighteousness, if it pops up, in order to avoid decadence to dharma – dharma-chyuti; thirdly, though he conquers the whole world with all his ferocity, his ruling the country should be pleasurable to all of his subjects; fourthly, though he conducts many a battle eliminating thousands of fierce enemies, his end should come at the hand of a warrior more powerful than himself, that too when engaged in a battle...

Thousand-arms to kArtavIrya-arjuna signify his ambidextrousness.

tasya bAhu sahasraM tu yudhyataH kila bhArata  |
yogAt yogeshvarasya eva prAdurbhavati mAyayA || 1-33-14

O, janamejaya, the bhArata, accordingly any of his thousand arms, if lost in a given battle, used to magically crop up recurrently owing to his ascetic power... thus he did not loose any battle...

tena iyaM pR^ithivI sarvA sapta dvIpA sa pattanA  |
sa samudrA sa nagarA ugreNa vidhinA jitA || 1-33-15
tena saptasu dvIpeShu sapta yaj~na-shatAni vai  |
prAptAni vidhinA rAj~nA shrUyante janamejaya || 1-33-16
sarve yaj~nA mahAbAhoH tasya Asan bhUri dakShiNAH  |
sarve kA~nchana yUpAH cha sarve kA~nchana vedayaH || 1-33-17
sarvair devair mahArAjA vimAnasthair ala~NkR^itAH  |
gandharvair apsarobhishcha nityam eva upashobhitAH || 1-33-18

That self-willed warrior has conquered all of this earth together with its continents, towns, cities, and oceans... and oh, janamejaya, we have heard that this king kArtavIrya-arjuna procedurally established seven yaj~na-shatAnA-s, vedic ritual hubs, in seven continents, all of which are endowed with golden sacrificial posts and altars, i.e., flourishing on all occasions, with abundant largesse... while all gods hovered in their hovercrafts to observe those vedic rituals, gandharvA-s used to sing and apsarA-s used to promenade at those vedic ritual places...

yasya yaj~ne jagau gAthAM gandharvo nAradaH tathA  |
varI-dAsa Atmajo vidvAn mahimnA tasya vismitaH || 1-33-19

Observing the Vedic rituals of this king, one gandharva called as nArada, the son of a gandharva called varI-dAsa, aka upabarhaNa, is astonished and sung the glory of this king in this way:

nArada uvAcha :  nArada, the gandharva said:

na nUnaM kArtavIryasya gatiM yAsyAnti pArthivAH  |
yaj~naiH dAnaiH tapobhiH vA vikrameNa shrutena cha || 1-33-20

No king can attain the stature of kArtavIrya-arjuna in conducting Vedic rituals, making presents, or by his prowess and knowledge of scriptures...

sa hi saptasu dvIpeShu khadgI charmI sharAsanI  |
rathI dvIpAn anucharan yogI saMdR^ishyate nR^ibhiH || 1-33-21

He appeared like a yogi to people, even if he wielded numerous weapons in his numerous arms, like armour, sword and bow, when he made inroad into seven continents on his chariot....

a-naShTa-dravyatA chaiva na shoko na cha vibhramaH  |
prabhAveNa mahArAj~naH prajA dharmeNa rakShataH || 1-33-22

On account of his righteously protecting none of his subjects suffered loss of wealth, grief or fluster...

pa~nchAshIti sahasrANi varShANAM vai narAdhipaH  |
sa sarva ratna bhAk saMrAT chakravartI babhUva ha || 1-33-23
sa eva yaj~na pAlo abhUt kShetra-pAlaH sa eva cha  |
sa eva vR^iShTyAM parjanyo yogitvAt arjuno.abhavat || 1-33-24
sa vai bAhu sahasreNA jyA ghAta kaThinatvachA  |
bhAti rashmi sahasreNa sharadi iva divAkaraH || 1-33-25

Endowed with all sorts of jewels and wealth, dhana-ratna-sampatti, he enjoyed the status of an emperor, or lord paramount, and ruled for eighty-five thousand years... he is both the officiator and the protector of vedic rituals, a rarity for a single person... this kArtavIrya-arjuna is approximated with the rain-god because the seasonality of rains is maintained in his regime, which is owing to his satisfying the gods with vedic rituals... with his thousand arms that are marked with the dents of bowstring, he shone forth like the thousand-rayed sun of autumn...

sa hi nAgAn manuShyeShu mAhiShmatyAM mahAdyutiH  |
karkoTaka sutA~n jitvA puryAM tasyAM nyaveshayat || 1-33-26

On conquering karkoTaka-nAgA-s, that highly effulgent king kArtavIrya-arjuna made them to hobnob with the humans in his city mahiShmati...

sa vai vegaM samudrasya prAvR^iT kAle aMbuja-IkShaNaH  |
krIDan  iva bhujod bhinnaM prati-srotaH chakAra ha || 1-33-27
luNThitA krIDitA tena phena-srak-dAma-mAlinI  |
chalat Urmi sahasreNa sha~Nkita abhyeti narmadA || 1-33-28

When that lotus-eyed king sported in seawater he used to balk the turbulence of ocean, and reverse the surge with the might of his shoulders, even in heavy rains; stilly ocean had to garland him with froth floating on its restive waters; seeing her lord, namely the ocean, in such a state of disquieted quietude, River Narmada used to doubt and rush towards him, only to garland kArtavIrya-arjuna sporting in there, with thousands of her ripples... 

tasya bAhu-sahasreNa kShubhyamANe mahodadhau  |
bhayAt ni-lInA nishcheShTAH pAtAla-sthA mahAsurAH || 1-33-29

When he used to storm-toss the mighty deep with his thousand arms in his swimming, the great asurA-s living in the nether region used to become apprehensively standstill...

chUrNI kR^ita mahA-vIchiM chala-mIna mahA-timim  |
mAruta Aviddha phena ogham Avarta kShobha duHsaham || 1-33-30
prAvartayattadA rAjA sahasreNa cha bAhunA  |
deva asura samAkShiptaH kShIra udam iva mandaraH || 1-33-31
mandara kShobha chakitA amR^ita udbhava sha~NkitAH  |
sahasa utpatitA bhItA bhImaM dR^iShTvA nR^ipottamam || 1-33-32
natA nishchala mUrdhAno babhUvuH te mahoragAH  |
sAyAhne kadalI khaNDaiH kaMpitAH tasya vAyunA || 1-33-33

When he plunged into water to swim, which is much the same as the throwing of Mt. mandara into Milk Ocean at the time of churning ambrosia by gods and demons, foamy whirlpools of water are created... for aquatic beings those tidal-wave-paring plunges used to be unendurable, because, they used to smash giant fish, crocodiles and the like... everyone was dumfounded when a series of calamities have occurred in the first instance when Mt. mandara roiled Milk Ocean... likewise, everyone is dumbfounded now at the turbo-swimming, bAhu-mathanam, of this king apprehending some calamitous results... snakes entrench themselves when they open their hoods.... but now, seeing this turbosupercharger, the hoods of great serpents, though unfurled, are downcast and trembling, like the fluttering of banana leaves from an evening gust...

sa vai baddhvA dhanuH jyAbhiH utsiktaM pa~nchabhiH sharaiH  |
la~NkeshaM mohayitvA tu sa-balaM rAvaNaM balAt  |
nirjitya eva sam-AnIya mAhiShmatyAM babandha tam || 1-33-34
shrutvA tu baddhaM paulastyaM rAvaNaM tu arjunena tu  |
tato gatvA pulastyaH tam arjunaM dadR^ishe svayam  |
mumocha rakShaH paulastyaM pulastyena anu-yAchitaH || 1-33-35

At one time kArtavIrya-arjuna vanquished rAavaNa, the haughty king of lanka, along with his army just with his might; made him senseless with five arrows; bound him with bowstring; brought him to the city of mahiShmati and kept him in prison... hearing that his son had been imprisoned, sage pulastya, father of rAvaNa, went to see the king personally... then kArtavIrya-arjuna set rAvaNa free as supplicated by his father, namely sage pulastya...

The reference in the stanza [raghuvamsham of kaalidasa] is to the incident when Kaartaviirya Arjuna while enjoying a bath in the waters of the Narmada with the females of his harem obstructed the flow of the water of the river. Taking advantage of the bed thus left dry down below, Ravana commenced the worship of Shiva Linga there. When Kaartaviirya came out of the river the obstruction was suddenly removed and the flow washed Ravana with the Shiva Linga. Irritated at this Ravana challenged Kaartaviirya to a fight in which he [Ravana] was defeated and taken prisoner. At the intercession of Pulastya Ravana was set at liberty by Kaartaviirya. The Vayu Purana, however, says that Kaartaviirya invaded Lanka and there took Ravana prisoner. – K. M. Joglekar - raghuvamsham of kaalidasa, 6^th chapter.

yasya bAhu-sahasrasya babhUva jyA-tala-svanaH  |
yuga-ante tu ambudasya eva sphuTato hi ashaneH iva || 1-33-36

The twangs of his bow when drawn by his thousand arms are like the clapping of thunderbolts erupting from dark-clouds that emerge at the end of era...

 aho bata mR^idhe vIryaM bhArgavasya yat achChinat  |
rAj~no bAhu-sahasraM tu haimaM tAla vanaM yathA || 1-33-37

But, what an astounding valour of bhR^igu’s son, namely parashu-rAma, in combats... he felled the thousand arms of kArtavIrya-arjuna that looked like golden palmgrove, and ended him in a combat... there is a reason for this...

tR^iShitena kadAchit sa bhikShitaH chitrabhAnunA  |
sa bhikShAm adadAt vIraH sapta-dvIpAn vibhAvasoH || 1-33-38
purANi grAma ghoShAMshcha viShayAMshchaiva sarvashaH  |
jajvAla tasya sarvANi chitrabhAnuH didhakShayA || 1-33-39
sa tasya puruShendrasya prabhAvena mahAtmanaH  |
dadAha kArtavIryasya shailAMshchaiva vanAni cha || 1-33-40

At certain time chitra-bhanu, aka agni, Fire-god, stricken with thirst, begged for something from kArtavIrya-arjuna to quench his thirst. arjuna conferred on vibhavasu, aka agni, Fire-god, the seven insular continents, whereby the fire-god burnt down all the cities, villages, provinces, including mountains and forests.... fire-god could do all this only with the express permission of the noble souled arjuna...  

sa shUnyam AshramaM  ramyaM varuNasya Atmajasya vai  |
dadAha vanavad bhItaH chitrabhAnuH sa haihayaH || 1-33-41
yaM lebhe varuNaH putraM purA bhAsvantam uttamam  |
vasiShThaM nAma sa muniH khyAta Apava iti uta || 1-33-42

But, in certain beautiful forest the son of rain-god, named as Apa, aka vashiShTa is meditating... hence the fire-god could not enter a forest out of fear from sage Apa... fire-god returned to arjuna complaining that such and such forest is inaccessible... fearing the futility of his plighted word arjuna suicidally proceeded to that forest along with fire-god... taking advantage of the presence of arjuna, fire-god started to burn that forest rousing the wrath of Apava...

yatra ApavaH tu taM krodhAt shaptavAn arjunaM vibhuH  |
yasmAt na varjitam idaM vanaM te mama haihaya || 1-33-43
tasmAt te duShkaraM karma kR^itam anyo haniShyati  |
rAmo nAma mahAbAhuH jAmadagnyaH pratApavAn || 1-33-44
ChittvA bAhu sahasraM te pramathya tarasA balI  |
tapasvI brAhmaNaH cha tvAM vadhiShyati sa bhArgavaH || 1-33-45

Then, seeing arjuna behind the back of arson, sage Apa cursed him saying, “wherefore you have not let my hermitage unburnt, you, haihaya, therefore you have committed an infraction... for which you are destined to meet your end at the hand of someone else other than me... one called rAma, aka parashurAma, an ascetic brAhamaNa of bhArgava lineage and the mighty armed son of sage jAmadagni, on agonising you with his might, and on sundering your thousand arms, will exterminate you...”

vaishampAyana uvAcha : vaishampAyana continued:

anaShTa dravyatA yasya babhUva amitra-karshana  |
prabhAvena narendrasya prajA dharmeNa rakShataH || 1-33-46
rAmAt tataH asya mR^ityuH vai tasya shApAt muneH nR^ipa  |
varaH chaiva hi kauravya svayam eva vR^itaH purA || 1-33-47

O king, O subduer of enemies, on account of the imprecation of the ascetic Apava, king kArtavIrya-arjuna, under whose righteous rule even his subjects did not lose anything, met with his death at the hand of parashu-rAma... in fact, oh, descendant of kuru, he himself prayed to lord datatreya for this boon...

tasya putra shatasya Asan pa~ncha sheShA mahAtmanaH  |
kR^ita astrA balinaH shUrA dharmAtmAno yashasvinaH || 1-33-48
shUrasenaH cha shUraH cha dhR^iShTa uktaH kR^iShNa eva cha  |
jaya-dhvajaH cha nAmnA AsIt Avantyo nR^ipatir mahAn || 1-33-49
kArtavIryasya tanayA vIryavanto mahArathAH  |
jayadhvajasya putraH tu tAlaja~Ngho mahAbalaH || 1-33-50
 tasya putrAH shataM khyAtAH tAlaja~NghA iti shrutAH  |

Amongst the hundred sons of that high-souled kArtavIrya-arjuna only five survived him. They were all powerful, heroic, virtuous and intelligent, and were proficient in the use of weapons. They were shUrasena, shUra, dhR^iShTa, kR^iShNa and jaya-dhvaja; all these sons of arjuna are powerful, and mighty chariot-warriors...  jaya-dhvaja became the king of avanti and begot a highly powerful son called tAlaja~Ngha, who begot a hundred sons, who are collectively called as tAlaja~NghA-s... thus we have heard...

 teShAM kule mahArAja haihayAnAM mahAtmanAm || 1-33-51
vItihotrAH sujAtAH cha bhojAH cha avantayaH smR^itAH  |
 tauNDikerA iti khyAtAH tAlaja~NghAH tathaiva cha || 1-33-52
bharatAH ca sutA jAtA bahutvAt na anukIrtitAH  |

There emerged great kshatriya-s dynasts in the line haihaya-s, like vItihotrA-s, sujAtA-s, bhojA-s, avantI-s, tauNDikerA-s, likewise tAlaja~NghA-s and bharatA-s... bharatA-s dynasts are numerous; hence they are not recounted now...

vR^iSha prabhR^itayo rAjan yAdavAH pUrNa-karmiNaH || 1-33-53
vR^iSho vaMsha dharaH tatra tasya putro abhavat madhuH  |
 madhoH putra shataM tu AsIt vR^iShaNaH tasya vaMsha bhAk || 1-33-54
vR^iShaNAt vR^iShNayaH sarve madhoH tu mAdhavAH smR^itAH  |
 yAdavA yadunA cha agre niruchyante cha haihayAH || 1-33-55

The pious vR^iSha and others, O king, are born in the line of yudu... of them vR^iSha is the fount of three dynasties... vR^iSha’s son is madhu who had a hundred sons of whom vR^iShaNa is the one who perpetuated the vR^iShaNi race...

The dynasts of haihayA-s are variously called; vR^iShaNa’s dynasts are called as vR^iShaNi-s; madhu’s dynasts as mAdhavA-s; thus, yadu’s dynasts have become yAdavA-s in a collective way... all stemming from haihayA-s...

After narrating about the dynasty of the first son of yadu, namely sahasra-da, a giver in thousand ways, now the dynasty of second son, namely payoda, is taken up. payaH+da = water, giver; cloud; so also, the word vR^iShaNi is from the word varShaNa= raining; atra payoda eva varShaNAt hetoH vR^iSha shabdena uchyate. 

shUrAH cha shUra-vIrAH cha shUrasenAH tathA Anagha  |
 shUrasena iti khyAtaH tasya desho mahAtmanaH || 1-33-56

There is a subset of yAdavA-s called shUra-senA-s, who are valorous, valiantly heroic; their province is called after them, shUra-sena-desham...

 na tasya vitta nAsho.asti naShTaM prati labhet cha saH  |
 kArtavIryasya yo janma kIrtayet iha nityashaH || 1-33-57

He, who in this world recounts daily the birth of kArtavIrya-arjuna, does not lose his property. And even if he loses it he acquires it again...

ete yayAti putrANAM pa~ncha vaMshA vishAMpate  |
 kIrtitA loka vIrANAM ye lokAn dhArayanti vai  |
 bhUtAnIva mahArAja pa~ncha sthAvaraja~NgamAn || 1-33-58
 shrutvA pa~ncha visargaM tu rAjA dharmArthakovidaH  |
 vashI bhavati pa~nchAnAm AtmajAnAM tatheshvaraH || 1-33-59
 labhet pa~ncha varAMshchaiva durlabhAn iha laukikAn  |
 AyuH kIrtiM tathA putrAn aishvaryaM bhUmim eva cha  |
 dhAraNAt shravaNAt chaiva pa~ncha vargasya bhArata || 1-33-60

O king, thus I have described the families of the five heroic sons of yayAti, celebrated in the world. They are like the five subtle elements preserving the mobile and sessile creation. Anyone well read in the Vedas and other religious scriptures, becomes the master of five senses and god-like and obtains the five boons which are otherwise difficult to get in this world, if he listens to the various episodes of these five kings. By listening to an account of the families of these five kings one acquires longevity, great renown, riches, sons, power and prosperity......

kroShToH tu shR^iNu rAjendra vaMsham uttama pauruSham  |
 yadoH vaMsha-dharasya atha yajvanaH puNya-karmaNaH || 1-33-61
kroShTur hi vaMshaM shrutvemaM sarva pApaiH pramuchyate  |
 yasya anvavAy ajo viShNuH hariH vR^iShNi kula udvahaH || 1-33-62

Now, O king, listen about the most excellent and powerful dynasty of kroShTu, the third son of yadu, from among his five sons called sahasra-da, payoda, kroShTa, nIla and a~njika... kroShTu is the commemorator of yadu’s dynasty, who conducted several vedic rituals, and commendable  for his pietistic deeds... by hearing of an account of kroShTu’s dynasty a man is freed from all his sins, because this dynasty has begotten the begetter of whole universe, namely viShNuH, shrI-hari...

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 iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe harivaMshaparvaNi yaduvaMshavarNanaM nAma
[kArtavIrya utpattiH cha] trayastriMsho.adhyAyaH

Thus, this is the thirty-third chapter of first canto called harivamsha-parva, in harivamsha-purANa, the sequel of mahAbhArata, narrating yadu dynasty and the emergence of kArtavIrya-arjuna.

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