VISHNU
PURANA. BOOK IV. CHAP. V.
Kings of Mithila.
Legend of Nimi, the son of Ikshwaku. Birth of Janaka. Sacrifice of Siradhwaja.
Origin of Sita. Descendants of Kus'adhwaja. Kriti the last of the Maithila
princes.
THE son of Ikshwaku,
who was named Nimi, instituted a sacrifice that was to endure for a thousand
years, and applied to Vas'ishtha to offer the oblations. Vas'ishtha in answer
said, that he had been preengaged by Indra for five hundred years, but that if
the Raja, would wait for some time, he would come and officiate as superintending
priest. The king made no answer, and Vas'ishtha went away, supposing that he
had assented. When the sage had completed the performance of the ceremonies he
had conducted for Indra, he returned with all speed to Nimi, purposing to
render him the like office. When he arrived, however, and found that Nimi had
retained Gautama and other priests to minister at his sacrifice, he was much
displeased, and pronounced upon the king, who was then asleep, a curse to this
effect, that since he had not intimated his intention, but transferred to
Gautama the duty he had first entrusted to himself, Vas'ishtha, Nimi should
thenceforth cease to exist in a corporeal form. When Nimi woke, and knew what
had happened, he in return denounced as an imprecation upon his unjust
preceptor, that he also should lose his bodily existence, as the punishment of
uttering a curse upon him without previously communicating with him. Nimi then
abandoned his bodily condition. The spirit of Vas'ishtha also leaving his body,
was united with the spirits of Mitra and Varuna for a season, until, through
their passion for the nymph Urvas'i, the sage was born again in a different
shape. The corpse of Nimi was preserved from decay by being embalmed with
fragrant oils and resins, and it remained as entire as if it were immortal.
When the sacrifice was concluded, the priests applied to the gods, who had come
to receive their portions, that they would confer a blessing upon the author of
the sacrifice. The gods were willing to restore him to bodily life, but Nimi
declined its acceptance, saying, "O deities, who are the alleviators of
all worldly suffering, there is not in the world a deeper cause of distress
than the separation of soul and body: it is therefore my wish to dwell in the
eyes of all beings, but never more to resume a corporeal shape!" To this
desire the gods assented, and Nimi was placed by them in the eyes of all living
creatures; in consequence of which their eyelids are ever opening and shutting.
As Nimi left no successor,
the Munis, apprehensive of the consequences of the earth being without a ruler,
agitated the body of the prince, and produced from it a prince who was called
Janaka, from being born without a progenitor. In consequence of his father
being without a body (videha), he was termed also Vaideha, 'the son of the
bodiless;' and the further received the name of Mithi, from having been
produced by agitation (mathana) [*3]. The son of Janaka was Udavasu; his son
was Nandivarddhana; his son was Suketu; his son was Devarata; his son was
Vrihaduktha; his son was Mahavirya; his son was Satyadhriti; his son was
Dhrishtaketu; his son was Haryyas'wa; his son was Maru; his son was
Pratibandhaka; his son was Kritaratha; his son was Krita; his son was Vibudha;
his son was Mahadhriti; his son was Kritirata; his son was Maharoman; his son
was Suvarnaroman; his son was Hraswaroman; his son was Siradhwaja.
Siradhwaja ploughing
the ground, to prepare it for a sacrifice which he instituted in order to
obtain progeny, there sprang up in the furrow a damsel, who became his daughter
Sita [*4]. The brother of Siradhwaja was Kus'adhwaja, who was king of Kas'i; he
had a son also, named Bhanumat. The son of Bhanumat was Satadyumna; his son was
S'uchi; his son was Urjjavaha; his son was S'atyadhwaja; his son was Kuni; his
son was Anjana; his son was Ritujit; his son was Arishtanemi; his son was
S'rutayus; his son was Supars'wa; his son was Sanjaya; his son was Kshemari;
his son was Anenas; his son was Minaratha; his son was Satyaratha; his son was
Satyarathi; his son was Upagu; his son was S'ruta; his son was Saswata; his son
was Sudhanwan; his son was Subhasa; his son was Sus'ruta; his son was Jaya; his
son was Vijaya; his son was Rita; his son was Sunaya; his son was Vitahavya; his
son was Dhriti; his son was Bahulas'wa; his son was Kriti, with whom terminated
the family of Janaka. These are the kings of Mithila, who for the most part will
be proficient in spiritual knowledge.
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