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LXIV
"Janamejaya said, 'O Brahmana, those thou hast named and
those thou hast not named, I wish to hear of them in detail, as also of other
kings by thousands. And, O thou of great good fortune, it behoveth thee to tell
me in full the object for which those Maharathas, equal unto the celestials themselves,
were born on earth.'
"Vaisampayana said, 'It hath been heard by us, O monarch,
that what thou askest is a mystery even to the gods. I shall, however, speak of
it unto thee, after bowing down (to the self-born). The son of Jamadagni (Parasurama),
after twenty-one times making the earth bereft of Kshatriyas wended to that
best of mountains Mahendra and there began his ascetic penances. And at that
time when the earth was bereft of Kshatriyas, the Kshatriya ladies, desirous of
offspring, used to come, O monarch, to the Brahmanas and Brahmanas of rigid
vows had connection with them during the womanly season alone, but never, O
king, lustfully and out of season. And Kshatriya ladies by thousands conceived
from such connection with Brahmanas. Then, O monarch, were born many Kshatriyas
of greater energy, boys and girls, so that the Kshatriya race, might thrive. And
thus sprang the Kshatriya race from Kshatriya ladies by Brahmanas of ascetic
penances. And the new generation, blessed with long life, began to thrive in
virtue. And thus were the four orders having Brahmanas at their head
re-established. And every man at that time went in unto his wife during her
season and never from lust and out of season. And, O bull of the Bharata race,
in the same way, other creatures also, even those born in the race of birds
went in unto their wives during the season alone. And, O protector of the earth,
hundreds of thousands of creatures were born, and all were virtuous and began
to multiply in virtue, all being free from sorrow and disease. And, O thou of
the elephant's tread, this wide earth having the ocean for her boundaries, with
her mountains and woods and towns, was once more governed by the Kshatriyas.
And when the earth began to be again governed virtuously by the Kshatriyas, the
other orders having Brahmanas for their first were filled with great joy. And
the kings giving up all vices born of lust and anger and justly awarding
punishments to those that deserved them protected the earth. And he of a
hundred sacrifices, possessed also of a thousand eyes, beholding that the
Kshatriya monarchs ruled so virtuously, poured down vivifying showers at proper
times and places and blessed all creatures. Then, O king, no one of immature
years died, and none knew a woman before attaining to age. And thus, O bull of
the Bharata race, the earth, to the very coasts of the ocean, became filled
with men that were all long-lived. The Kshatriyas performed great sacrifices
bestowing much wealth. And the Brahmanas also all studied the Vedas with their
branches and the Upanishads. And, O king, no Brahmana in those days ever sold
the Vedas (i.e., taught for money) or ever read aloud the Vedas in the presence
of a Sudra. The Vaisyas, with the help of bullocks, caused the earth to be
tilled. And they never yoked the cattle themselves. And they fed with care all
cattle that were lean. And men never milked kine as long as the calves drank
only the milk of their dams (without having taken to grass or any other food).
And no merchant in those days ever sold his articles by false scales. And, O
tiger among men, all persons, holding to the ways of virtue, did everything
with eyes set upon virtue. And, O monarch, all the orders were mindful of their
own respective duties. Thus, O tiger among men, virtue in those days never
sustained any diminution. And, O bull of the Bharata race, both kine and women gave
birth to their offspring at the proper time. And trees bore flowers and fruit
duly according to the seasons. And thus, O king, the krita age having then duly
set in, the whole earth was filled with numerous creatures.
"And, O bull of the Bharata race, when such was the blessed
state of the terrestrial world, the Asuras, O lord of men, began to be born in
kingly lines. And the sons of Diti (Daityas) being repeatedly defeated in war by
the sons of Aditi (celestials) and deprived also of sovereignty and heaven,
began to be incarnated on the earth. And, O king, the Asuras being possessed of
great powers, and desirous of sovereignty began to be born on earth amongst
various creatures, such as kine, horses, asses, camels, buffaloes, among
creatures such as Rakshasas and others, and among elephants and deer. And, O
protector of the earth, owing to those already born and to those that were
being born, the earth became incapable of supporting herself. And amongst the
sons of Diti and of Danu, cast out of heaven, some were born on the earth as
kings of great pride and insolence. Possessed of great energy, they covered the
earth in various shapes. Capable of oppressing all foes, they filled the earth having
the ocean for its boundaries. And by their strength they began to oppress
Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras and all other creatures also.
Terrifying and killing all creatures, they traversed the earth, O king, in
bands of hundreds and thousands. Devoid of truth and virtue, proud of their
strength, and intoxicated with (the wine of) insolence, they even insulted the
great Rishis in their hermitages.
"And the earth, thus oppressed by the mighty Asuras endued
with great strength and energy and possessed of abundant means, began to think
of waiting on Brahman. The united strength of the creatures (such as Sesha, the
Tortoise, and the huge Elephant), and of many Seshas too, became capable of
supporting the earth with her mountains, burdened as she was with the weight of
the Danavas. And then, O king, the earth, oppressed with weight and afflicted
with fear, sought the protection of the Grandsire of all creatures. And she beheld
the divine Brahman—the Creator of the worlds who knoweth no deterioration--surrounded
by the gods, Brahmanas, and great Rishis, of exceeding good fortune, and adored
by delighted Gandharvas and Apsaras always engaged in the service of the celestials.
And the Earth, desirous of protection, then represented everything to him, in
the presence, O Bharata, of all the Regents of the worlds. But, O king, the
Earth's object had been known beforehand to the Omniscient, Self-create, and
Supreme Lord. And, O Bharata, Creator as he is of the universe, why should he
not know fully what is in the minds of his creatures including the very gods
and the Asuras? O king, the Lord of the Earth, the Creator of all creatures,
also called Isa, Sambhu, Prajapati, then spake unto her. And Brahman said, 'O
holder of wealth, for the accomplishment of the object for which thou hast
approached me, I shall appoint all the dwellers in the heavens.'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said so unto the Earth, O
king, the divine Brahman bade her farewell. And the Creator then commanded all
the gods saying, 'To ease the Earth of her burden, go ye and have your births in
her according to your respective parts and seek ye strife (with the Asuras
already born there)'. And the Creator of all, summoning also all the tribes of
the Gandharvas and the Apsaras, spake unto them these words of deep import, 'Go
ye and be born amongst men according to your respective parts in forms that ye
like.'
"And all the gods with Indra, on hearing these words of the
Lord of the celestials--words that were true, desirable under the circumstances,
and fraught with benefit,--accepted them. And they all having resolved to come
down on earth in their respected parts, then went to Narayana, the slayer of
all foes, at Vaikunth--the one who has the discus and the mace in his hands,
who is clad in purple, who is of great splendour, who hath the lotus on his
navel, who is the slayer of the foes of the gods, who is of eyes looking down
upon his wide chest (in yoga attitude), who is the lord of the Prajapati
himself, the sovereign of all the gods, of mighty strength, who hath the mark
of the auspicious whirl on his breast, who is the mover of every one's
faculties and who is adored by all the gods. Him, Indra the most exalted of persons,
addressed, saying, "Be incarnate." And Hari replied,--'Let it
be.'"
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