The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa BOOK 1 ADI PARVA SECTION LXXV (Sambhava Parva continued)

 The Mahabharata of

Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa BOOK 1

ADI PARVA

 SECTION LXXV

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'Hear now, as I recite the recorded genealogy, that

is sacred and subservient to religion, profit and pleasure, of these

royal sages--Daksha, the lord of creation, Manu, the son of Surya,

Bharata, Ruru, Puru, and Ajamidha. I shall also recite to thee, O sinless

one, the genealogies of the Yadavas and of the Kurus and of the king of

the Bharata line. These genealogies are sacred and their recitation is a

great act of propitiation. That recitation conferreth wealth, fame and

long life. And, O sinless one, all these I have named shone in their

splendour and were equal unto the great Rishis in energy.

"Prachetas had ten sons who were all devoted to asceticism and possessed

of every virtue. They burnt, of old, by the fire emanating from their

mouths, several plants of poisonous and innumerable large trees that had

covered the Earth and became a source of great discomfort to man. After

these ten, was born another named Daksha. It is from Daksha that all

creatures have sprung. Therefore is he, O tiger among men, called the

Grandfather. Born of Prachetas the Muni Daksha, uniting himself with

Virini, begat a thousand sons of rigid vows, all like himself. And Narada

taught these thousand sons of Daksha the excellent philosophy of Sankhya

as a means of salvation. And, O Janamejaya, the lord of creation, Daksha,

then, from the desire of making creatures, begat fifty daughters. And he

made all of them his appointed daughters (so that their sons might be his

sons also for the performance of all religious acts). And he bestowed ten

of his daughters on Dharma, and thirteen on Kasyapa. And he gave

twenty-seven to Chandra, who are all engaged in indicating time. And

Kasyapa, the son of Marichi, begat on the eldest of his thirteen wives,

the Adityas, the celestials endued with great energy and having Indra as

their head and also Vivaswat (the Sun). And of Vivaswat was born the lord

Yama. And Martanda (Vivaswat) also begat another son after Yama, gifted

with great intelligence and named Manu. And Manu was endued with great

wisdom and devoted to virtue. And he became the progenitor of a line. And

in Manu's race have been born all human beings, who have, therefore, been

called Manavas. And it is of Manu that all men including Brahmanas,

Kshatriyas, and others have been descended, and are, therefore, all

called Manavas. Subsequently, O monarch, the Brahmanas became united with

the Kshatriyas. And those sons of Manu that were Brahmanas devoted

themselves to the study of the Vedas. And Manu begat ten other children

named Vena, Dhrishnu, Narishyan, Nabhaga, Ikshvaku, Karusha, Saryati, the

eighth, a daughter named Ila, Prishadhru the ninth, and Nabhagarishta,

the tenth. They all betook themselves to the practices of Kshatriyas.

Besides these, Manu had fifty other sons on Earth. But we heard that they

all perished, quarrelling with one another. The learned Pururavas was

born of Ila. It hath been heard by us that Ila was both his mother and

father. And the great Pururavas had sway over thirteen islands of the

sea. And, though a human being, he was always surrounded by companions

that were superhuman. And Pururavas intoxicated with power quarrelled

with the Brahmanas and little caring for their anger robbed them of their

wealth. Beholding all this Sanatkumara came from the region of Brahman

and gave him good counsel, which was, however, rejected by Pururavas.

Then the wrath of the great Rishis was excited, and the avaricious

monarch, who intoxicated with power, had lost his reason, was immediately

destroyed by their curse.

"It was Pururavas who first brought from the region of the Gandharvas the

three kinds of fire (for sacrificial purpose). And he brought thence, the

Apsara Urvasi also. And the son of Ila begat upon Urvasi six sons who

were called Ayus, Dhimat, Amavasu and Dhridhayus, and Vanayus, and

Satayus. And it is said that Ayus begat four sons named Nahusha,

Vriddhasarman, Rajingaya, and Anenas, on the daughter of Swarbhanu. And,

O monarch, Nahusha, of all the sons of Ayus, being gifted with great

intelligence and prowess ruled his extensive kingdom virtuously. And king

Nahusha supported evenly the Pitris, the celestials, the Rishis, the

Brahmanas, the Gandharvas, the Nagas, the Rakshasas, the Kshatriyas, and

the Vaisyas. And he suppressed all robber-gangs with a mighty hand. But

he made the Rishis pay tribute and carry him on their backs like bests of

burden. And, conquering the very gods by the beauty of his person, his

asceticism, prowess, and energy, he ruled as if he were Indra himself.

And Nahusha begat six sons, all of sweet speech, named Yati, Yayati,

Sanyati, Ayati, and Dhruva. Yati betaking himself to asceticism became a

Muni like unto Brahman himself. Yayati became a monarch of great prowess

and virtue. He ruled the whole Earth, performed numerous sacrifices,

worshipped the Pitris with great reverence, and always respected the

gods. And he brought the whole world under his sway and was never

vanquished by any foe. And the sons of Yayati were all great bowmen and

resplendent with every virtue. And, O king, they were begotten upon (his

two wives) Devayani and Sarmishtha. And of Devayani were born Yadu and

Turvasu, and of Sarmishtha were born Drahyu, Anu, and Puru. And, O king,

having virtuously ruled his subjects for a long time, Yayati was attacked

with a hideous decrepitude destroying his personal beauty. And attacked

by decrepitude, the monarch then spoke, O Bharata, unto his sons Yadu and

Puru and Turvasu and Drahyu and Anu these words, 'Ye dear sons, I wish to

be a young man and to gratify my appetites in the company of young women.

Do you help me therein.' To him his eldest son born of Devayani then

said, 'What needest thou, O king? Dost thou want to have your youth?'

Yayati then told him, 'Accept thou my decrepitude, O son! With thy youth

I would enjoy myself. During the time of a great sacrifice I have been

cursed by the Muni Usanas (Sukra). O son, I would enjoy myself with your

youth. Take any of you this my decrepitude and with my body rule ye my

kingdom. I would enjoy myself with a renovated body. Therefore, ye my

sons, take ye my decrepitude.' But none of his sons accepted his

decrepitude. Then his youngest son Puru said unto him, 'O king, enjoy

thyself thou once again with a renovated body and returned youth! I shall

take thy decrepitude and at thy command rule thy kingdom.' Thus

addressed, the royal sage, by virtue of his ascetic power then

transferred his own decrepitude unto that high-souled son of his and with

the youth of Puru became a youth; while with the monarch's age Puru ruled

his kingdom.

"Then, after a thousand years had passed away, Yayati, that tiger among

kings, remained as strong and powerful as a tiger. And he enjoyed for a

long time the companionship of his two wives. And in the gardens of

Chitraratha (the king of Gandharvas), the king also enjoyed the company

of the Apsara Viswachi. But even after all this, the great king found his

appetites unsatiated. The king, then recollected the following truths

contained in the Puranas, 'Truly, one's appetites are never satiated by

enjoyment. On the other hand, like sacrificial butter poured into the

fire, they flame up with indulgence. Even if one enjoyed the whole Earth

with its wealth, diamonds and gold, animals and women, one may not yet be

satiated. It is only when man doth not commit any sin in respect of any

living thing, in thought, deed, or speech, it is then that he attaineth

to purity as that of Brahman. When one feareth nothing, when one is not

feared by anything, when one wisheth for nothing, when one injureth

nothing, it is then that one attaineth to the purity of Brahman.' The

wise monarch seeing this and satisfied that one's appetites are never

satiated, set his mind at rest by meditation, and took back from his son

his own decrepitude. And giving him back his youth, though his own

appetites were unsatiated, and installing him on the throne, he spoke

unto Puru thus, 'Thou art my true heir, thou art my true son by whom my

race is to be continued. In the world shall my race be known by thy name.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then that tiger among kings, having installed

his son Puru on the throne, went away to the mount of Bhrigu for devoting

himself to asceticism. And, having acquired great ascetic merit, after

long years, he succumbed to the inevitable influence of Time. He left his

human body by observing the vow of fasting, and ascended to heaven with

his wives.'"