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2024-04-24, 8:14 AM |
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Chapter 6: The
Downfall
of
Saubhari
Muni
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'The three sons of
Ambarîsha [see previous chapters] were Virûpa,
Ketumân and S'ambhu. From Virûpa there was Prishadas'va and
from him there was a son called Rathîtara. (2) Rathîtara
had
no
sons
and
therefore
[sage]
Angirâ was requested to
beget children with his [Rathîtara's] wife. That led to the birth
of ['kshetra jâta'-] sons with brahminical qualities. (3)
Being born from his wife
these sons belonged to his family. They
were remembered as the dynasty of Angirâ and were among the sons
of Rathîtara most prominent because they, being born
under that circumstance, were
considered double-born [brahmins of mixed caste]. (4)
When Manu once sneezed the son
Ikshvâku was born from his
nose [see also 8.13].
Vikukshi, Nimi and
Dandakâ
were the most prominent among the hundred sons whom he begot. (5) Twenty-five of them became kings in
Âryâvarta in the east [in the Himalaya and Vindhya
mountains] oh King, as also [did twenty-five of them] in the west [of
that region]. Three of them ruled in the middle region, while the rest
of the sons
ruled over other places. (6)
He, king Ikshvâku, once
during ashthaka-s'râddha
[offerings to the forefathers made in January, February and March]
ordered his son: 'Oh Vikukshi, bring me pure flesh [as acquired by hunting].
Go for it right now without delay.'
(7) Thus he went to the forest to kill animals
suitable for the oblations, but when he was fatigued and hungry the
hero forgetfully [about the
fact that the flesh was meant for the sacrifices] ate a
rabbit [*]. (8) He offered what had remained to his
father who on his turn
asked their guru [Vasishthha] to purify it. He replied: 'All this is
polluted and unfit for use.'
(9) Thus being informed by the spiritual master
the ruler understood what his son had done. Out of anger that he had
violated the vidhi he consequently sent him out of the country. (10) The
king had a
conversation with the scholar. In accordance with what he told him he
thereupon, living as a yogi, gave up his vehicle of time [his body] and
thus achieved
the supreme position.
(11) After the withdrawal of his father, Vikukshi
returned to rule over this planet earth. He worshiped the Lord with different yajñas and became celebrated as Sas'âda ['the
rabbit-eater']. (12) Purañjaya ['the conqueror of the
residence'] was his son. He was also known as Indravâha ['carried
by Indra'] and Kakutstha ['sitting on the hump of a bull']. Hear now
about what he has done to receive these names. (13)
There had been a devastating
war, a
fight between the gods and the demons, in which his supreme assistance
as a hero was accepted by the godly ones who had been defeated by the
Daityas. (14)
By the order of the God of
Gods Lord Vishnu, the Supersoul and Master of the
Entire Creation, Indra in the
form of
a great bull became engaged
in
his
[Purañjaya's]
service
as
his
carrier. (15-16) He
well-equipped with a first-class bow
taking up the
sharpest arrows, was praised [by the demigods], mounted it and sat on the hump prepared to fight.
Favored by the power of Vishnu, the Original Person and Supersoul,
he surrounded by the servants of heaven, then laid siege to the
Daitya residence on the
western side. (17) A
battle took place between him and the demons that was so aggressive
that it
made one's hair stand on end. All the Daityas who approached him in
the fight he sent to Yamarâja with his arrows. (18)
Confronted with his shower of arrows that
was as fierce
as the fire at the end of time, the Daityas who were slaughtered and
dispersed fled away to return to their places. (19) Conquering
over them he, the saintly king, turned all their wealth and wives over
to the carrier of the thunderbolt [Indra]. That gave him his
names.
(20) From Purañjaya there was a son called
Anenâ, his son was Prithu and the son that he begot was
Vis'vagandhi
who on his turn had a son called Candra whose son was called
Yuvanâs'va. (21)
S'râvasta was his son and he built a town called
S'râvastî. By S'râvasta next Brihadas'va was begotten
and from him there was Kuvalayâs'va. (22)
He was of a great power. Together with the twenty-one
thousand sons that surrounded him, he for the satisfaction of sage
Utanka
killed a demon named Dhundhu. (23-24) He was thus known as Dhundhumâra ['the killer of
Dhundhu']. All but three of his sons had been burned by the fire from
the mouth of Dhundhu. The only ones that remained alive were
Dridhâs'va, Kapilâs'va and Bhadrâs'va oh son of
Bharata. Dridhâs'va's son was Haryas'va and the renown Nikumbha
was his son. (25) Nikumbha's son was Bahulâs'va and his
son was Kris'âs'va. Senajit
succeeded him and from him
Yuvanâs'va was born. Yuvanâs'va had no sons and retired
[together with his wives] to the forest. (26)
Living together with his hundred wives he was depressed
so that the
sages, very merciful with him, with the greatest care began a
[fertility]
ceremony known as Indra-yajña. (27)
One night he being very thirsty entered the sacrificial arena. Seeing
all the brahmins fast asleep, he drank from the sanctified
water
himself [instead of keeping it for his women]. (28) After they [in the morning] all woke up and
next found the
water pot empty oh prabhu, they inquired who was responsible
for
drinking the water that was meant for giving birth to a child. (29) Understanding that it by providence was
drank by the king, they all prayed to the Supreme Lord saying: 'Alas,
the power of God is what rules!' (30)
And so, lo and behold, after due course of time, the lower
abdomen of king Yuvanâs'va opened itself at the right side from
which a son
was born [with all the qualities characterizing] a good king. (31) Who now would supply the child with milk? It
was crying that much thirsting for it that king Indra said: 'Do not
cry my
child, just drink from me' and thereupon gave it his index-finger to suck. (32)
It
was the mercy of the divine scholars that the father did not die because of the baby he
gave
birth to. Yuvanâs'va
later on achieved the perfection of life by doing tapas in that
same
place. (33-34) Dear King, Indra gave the child the name
Trasaddasyu ['the fear of the rogues']. Crooks
like Râvana and such, were afraid of him. Yuvanâs'va's
son Mândhâtâ by the power of the
Infallible One thus could
rule
the
surface of the earth with its seven continents as the one and only
master. (35-36) He also in
full awareness of the [Super]soul worshiped Yajña, the Lord of
Sacrifices, the God and Supersoul of everyone elevated above the
sensual plane. This happened in
sacrificial ceremonies that were attended by all the godly
people whom
he rewarded with large donations. The ingredients, the mantras and the
regulative principles, the worship and the worshiper as also the
priests in their dharma of proceeding according to the time and place,
all
together
contributed to assure that the interest of the true self was done
justice. (37) For all the places mentioned that stretch
from where the sun rises above the horizon to everywhere it sets,
one speaks about the field of action of Yuvanâs'va's son,
Mândhâtâ.
(38) The ruler
[Mândhâtâ]
begot in the daughter
Bindumatî of a king
called S'as'abindu [the sons] Purukutsa, Ambarîsha and Mucukunda
who was a great yogi. Their
fifty sisters accepted sage Saubhari as their husband. (39-40) He [Saubhari] performing an
uncommon austerity in being submerged in the depth of the Yamunâ
river, saw in his penance how a big fish was enjoying sexual matters.
Thus being sexually awakened the scholar begged the king
[Mândhâtâ] for a single daughter. The king said: 'You
may marry a daughter of mine oh brahmin, if that is what she chooses.'
(41-42) He thought to himself: 'Women
do not like me, I'm too old, I'm not attractive to them. I am wrinkled,
have
gray hair and a head tremor. I'll be rejected! Let me make it so that
my body is desirable to the women of heaven, not to mention the
daughters of the worldly kings!' Thus was the resolve of the mystic.
(43) The
sage being announced by an envoy
was admitted
into the quarters of the
princesses
that were opulent in every
respect. There he was accepted by all the fifty princesses as their
single husband. (44) A great quarrel rose among
them when they, being attracted
to him, gave up their friendship
by saying things like: 'This man is the right person for me, not for
you.' (45-46) He,
as a result of his
austerity knowing many a mantra, enjoyed with his wives an
unlimited opulence with everything that one could wish for: all kinds
of finely furnished houses and quarters, parks, the clearest water in
ponds amidst fragrant gardens, costly bedding and furniture, clothing
and ornaments. There were bathing places, palatable dishes, there was
sandalwood paste and a dress up with garlands and decorations of all
men and women who in constant glee were accompanied by the song of
birds,
bumblebees and professional singers. (47) The ruler over the seven continents
[Mândhâtâ] was struck with wonder when he saw Saubhari's
family life because of which he no longer could
pride himself on being the emperor of the world blessed
with all opulence. (48) Saubhari
though,
who
was
always
engaged
in
the
happiness
and
diversity
of
the
material
affairs
of his household, could
not find satisfaction in his
enjoyment, just like a fire
cannot that is fueled with fat. (49) One
day sitting down and wondering how his straying away from the true
self could have taken place, the expert in many mantras saw that it had
been caused by
a couple of copulating fish: (50) 'Alas,
see
how
I,
who
was
such
a
great
ascetic,
fell
down.
I,
so
observant and
strict
to the vow, was distracted from the spiritual life that I practiced for
so
long. Just because of the thing aquatics do under water! (51) He
who seeks liberation must give it up
to associate with those who are loose in their sexual morals. He should
in
every
respect avoid it to give free reign to his external senses. He should
live alone in
a
secluded place and fix his mind on the lotus feet of the Unlimited
Lord. And if he seeks [intimate]
association, he should associate with like-minded souls of detachment. (52)
As
a renunciate I was all alone under water associating with fish (!) and
acquired
fifty wives, not mentioning the five thousand [grand]children I begot.
I see no
end to all my duties here and in the hereafter that are occupying my
mind, for I, under
the influence of the modes of matter being motivated for my own interest, lost my intelligence in the material enjoyment.'
(53) Thus [regretfully] living at home he in due
course of time became detached
and situated in the renounced order of life. He went to the forest and
was followed by all his wives, for he was their
object of worship. (54) In his
penance there being of the severest austerity conducive to
self-realization,
he, conversant now with the fires of the personal self, engaged
himself
with the Supreme Self. (55)
Oh Mahârâja, the wives who saw their husband progressing spiritually, managed
under that influence to follow
him, just like the flames do
with a fire that extinguishes [compare B.G. 9:
32].'
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