PART IV.

SECTION I.

Maitreya said:—"O venerable sir, you have described to me the permanent and occasional observances to be observed by those pious individuals who are diligent in their devotions. You have also described to me the duties which appertain to several castes and several orders of men. I wish you to relate to me now the dynasties of the kings who have ruled over the earth".

Parāçara said:— Hear O Maitreya, I shall describe to you the family of Manu beginning with Brahmā and comprising a number of pious, high-minded and heroic princes; It is said, that never does his family become extinct who daily calls to his mind the family of Manu springing from Brahmā. Hear, therefore, O Maitreya, an account of the origin of his family, hearing which all sins shall be removed.

From the mundane egg originated Brahmā, who was Hiranyagarbha, the form of that supreme Brahmā which consists of Vishnu as identical with Rig, Yajur and Sama Vedas—the first, uncreated cause of all worlds. From the right thumb of Brahmā originated the Patriarch Daksha whose daughter was Aditi, who was the mother of the sun. From the sun sprang Manu whose sons were Ikshawaku, Nriga, Dwrishta, Saryati, Narishyanta, Pransu, Nabhaga, Nedishta, Karusha, and Prishadhra. Being desirous of having offspring formerly Manu celebrated a sacrifice in honour of Mitra and Varuna; but the ceremony being unsuccessful on account of some irregularity from the presiding priest a daughter Ilā was born. But by the mercy of the two deities however, her sex was changed and she became a man under the name of Sudyumna. And he again became a woman under an imprecation (from Siva) near the hermitage of Buddha, the son of the moon.

One day while she was walking near the hermitage of Buddha, he became attached to her and begot on her a son named Pururavas. After his birth, the noble Rishis, desiring to restore Sudyumna to his sex, prayed to the glorious Vishnu who is the essence of the four Vedas, of mind, of every thing and of nothing and who is the sacrificed male. By his mercy Ilā once more became Sudyumna, in which character he had three sons, Utkala, Gaya and Vinata.

On account of his having been formerly born a female he did not receive any portion of his paternal kingdom. His father however at the request of Vasistha conferred upon him the city of Pratishtā, and he gave it to Pururavas.

Of the other sons of Manu, Prishadhra, on account of the sin consequent upon slaying a cow, was degraded to the condition of a Sudra. From Karusha sprang the heroic persons named Kārushas. The son of Nedistha, named Nābhaga became a Vaiçya; his son was Bhalandana, whose son was the well-known Vatsapri; his son was Pransu, whose son was Prajani, whose son was Khanitra, whose son was the brave Chakshupa, whose son was Vinsa, whose son was Vivinsati, whose son was Khaninetra, whose son was the powerful, rich, and heroic Karandhama, whose son was Avikshit, whose son was the powerful Marutta, regarding whom this celebrated verse is recited—"Who else on this earth has been able to celebrate a sacrifice like one celebrated by Marutta?" All the implements and utensils were made of gold. Indra was intoxicated with the drinking of Soma juice and all the Brāhmans were greatly pleased on having liberal presents. In his sacrifice the winds were the guards and the other celestials were the courtiers. Marutta was a lord paramount; he had a son named Narishyanta; his son was Dama; his son was Rayavarddana; his son was Suddhriti; his son was Nara; his son was Kevala; his son was Banduhmat; his son was Vegavat; his son was Budha; his son was Trinavindu, who had a daughter under name of Ilavita. Being enamored of Trinavindhu, the nymph Alambushā bore him a son named Visāla by whom the city Vaisāli was founded.

Vinata had a son whose name was Hemchandra; his son was Suchandra; his son was Dhumraswa; his son was Srinjaya; his son was Sahadeva; his son was Krisaswa; his son was Somadatta, who performed ten times the sacrifice of a horse; his son was Janemajaya, whose son was Sunati. These kings are known as Vaisālas, of them it is said—"By the mercy of Trinavindhu all the kings of Vaisāli were long-lived, magnanimous and just and brave".

Saryati had a daughter named Sukanyā. Chyavana married her. He had a pious son named Anartta, who had a son called Revata who governed the country called after the name of his father Anartta and lived at the capital called Kusasthali. The son of this king was Raivata or Kakudmin, the eldest of a hundred bretheren. He had a daughter named Revati. He repaired with her to the region of Brahmā to consult with the god springing from lotus upon whom to confer her. When he reached there the Gandharvas, Haha and Huha, were singing before Brahmā and Raviata waited till they had finished. And the ages passed away during the performance seemed to him as a moment. When they had finished singing Raivata laid himself low before Brahmā and asked him about a fit bridegroom. Brahmā said—"Whom should you wish for a son-in-law?" And bowing again Raivata mentioned to him various persons whom he liked. Nodding his head smiling graciously Brahmā said to him—"Of those whom you have mentioned there is no trace of their family on earth Many ages have passed away whilst you were listening to the songs of Gandharvas. Now the twenty-eighth great age of the present Manu is well-nigh gone. Kali is fast approaching. You alone give away this jewel of a daughter to somebody; all thy friends, ministers, servants, wife, kinsmen, armies, wealth have along since been taken away by the hand of Time".

That king, being terrified again, said, bowing, to Brahmā "O lord, such being the circumstance, upon whom shall I confer this daughter?" Thereupon nodding, the preceptor of the seven worlds—the god, whose throne is lotus, said to the king, standing humbly before—"The being, whose beginning, middle or end we do not know, who exists in all, who is the creator, whose real and infinite nature and essence we do not know is (Vishnu). His power cannot be measured by time, consisting of moments and hours and years; he has no birth or death—all objects are his form—he is eternal—he has no form or name. By the mercy of that imperishable being I am the agent of creation—Rudra is the agent of destruction and Vishnu is the agent of preservation. He, assuming my form creates the universe; in his own essence he provides for its duration; in the form of Rudra he devours all things; and with the body of Ananta he upholds them, In the person of Indra and other celestials he protects mankind and as the sun and moon he dispels darkness. Assuming the nature of fire he bestows warmth and maturity, and in that of earth he nourishes all beings. In the shape of air he gives activity, in the shape of water he gives satisfaction and in the shape of sky he provides space for all objects. He, being creator, creates himself; he, being preserver, preserves himself; he, being destroyer, destroys his own universal form. He is imperishable; there is nothing distinct from him. In him is the world; he is the world; and he, the primeval self-born, is again present in the world. O king, the glorious Vishnu has incarnated a portion of himself on earth. O king, your picturesque city Kusasthali, like the city of Indra, is now called Dwārakā. There reigns a portion of Kesava in the person of Baladeva. O king, confer this daughter of thine upon him, who appears under the guise of a man. He is an excellent bridegroom for this gem of a daughter and she is a fit bride".

Parāçara said:—Being thus advised by the deity springing from lotus, the king returned to earth and beheld mankind, greatly reduced in size and vigour and weakened in intellect. Thereupon that king, having incomparable wisdom, repairing to his own city Kusathali which he saw greatly changed, gave his daughter to Baladeva whose breast was as fair and radiant as crystal. And beholding that damsel of excessive height the king, whose banner is a palm tree, shortened her with the end of his ploughshare. Being thus shortened she became like other women. Balarāma thus married duly Revali, the daughter of Raivata. And the king, too giving away daughter, retired to the mountain Himalaya and engaged in penances with a subdued mind.

SECTION II.

Whilst Kakudmin Raivata was absent in the region of Brahmā, Rākshasas named Punyjanas devastated his capital Kusasthali. His hundred brothers, afraid of the enemies, fled in different directions and their descendants the Kshatriyas settled all over the country.

From Dhristha originated the Kshatriya race of Dharshtaka; the son of Nabhaga was Nābhaga; his son was Ambarisa; his son was Virupa; his son was Prishadāswa; his son was Rathinara, of whom it is said—"These princes of Rathinara family, although Kshatriyas by birth, were called Angerasas or sons of Angera and were Brāhmans and Kshatriyas".

As Manu was sneezing Ikshawku was born from his nostril. He had a hundred sons of whom the three well-known were Vikukshi, Nimi and Danda. These and fifty under Sakuni were the rulers of the north. Forty-eight were the rulers of the south.

Being engaged in the celebration of an ancestral rite upon Ashtaka day Ikshawku ordered Vikukshi to bring him flesh suitable for the offering. The prince, therefore, went into woods and slew many a deer and other wild animals for the purpose. Being exhausted with hunting he was hungry; accordingly he sat down and ate a hare. And being refreshed he carried the rest of the game to his father. Vaisishtha, the family priest of Ikshawakus, was invited to consecrate the food; but he said that it was impure on account of Vikuksh's having eaten a hare from amongst it. Being thus informed by his spiritual preceptor the father abandoned his son who, in consequence thereof, received the epithet Sasāda (hare-eater). On the demise of his father he piously ruled over the earth. A son, Puranjaya by name, was born to him.

There took place a dreadful conflict in the Treta yuga between the gods and demons in which the former were defeated. They accordingly repaired to Vishnu for help and propitiated him by their adorations. Being propitiated the primeval deity, the eternal ruler of the universe, Nārāyana said to them—"What you have desired is known to me. Hear how your desires shall be fulfilled. There is a foremost Kshatriya king named Puranjaya, son of the royal saint Sasāda. Infusing a portion of myself into his body I shall descend on earth and slay all the demons. Do you so endeavour that Putanjaya might engage in the work of the destruction of Asuras". Hearing those words the celestials bowed unto the glorious Vishnu and went to Paranjaya and addressed him, saying, "O foremost of Kshatriyas, we have come to thee to secure thy help in the destruction of our enemies in which we have been engaged. It will not behove thee to neglect our friendship who have come here". Being thus addressed Puranjaya said—"If Indra, the lord of the three worlds, the king of you all, who is known as the performer of hundred sacrifices, agrees to carry me upon his shoulders, I shall then fight with your enemies and help you". The celestials and Indra immediately said "so be it".

Thereupon Satakratu assumed the shape of a bull and the king mounted upon his shoulder. And being invigorated by the power of the undecaying God, the lord of all moveable and and immoveable things, he slew all the Asuras in the battle between the gods and demons. And in consequence of his destroying the Asura army whilst seated upon the hump of the bull he obtained the appellation Kakutstha. The son of Kakutstha was Anenas, whose son was Pritha, whose son was Viswagaswa, whose son was Arda, whose son was Yuvanāswa, whose son was Sravasta, by whom the city of Srāvasti was founded. The son of Sravasta was Vrihadawa whose son was Kuvalayaswa. This prince, invigorated by the energy of Vishnu, slew the Asura Dhundhu, who had disturbed the pious sage Uttanka, and he was accordingly named Dhundhumara (slayer of Dhundhu). Whilst fighting with the demon he was attended by his twenty one thousand sons, who all, with the exception of three, were consumed by the fiery breath of Dhundhu. These three Were Dhridhāswa, Chandrāswa and Kapilāswa. The son of Dhridhāswa was Baryāswa, whose son was Nikumbha, whose son was Sanhataswa, whose son was Krisāswa, whose son was Basenajit, whose son was another Yuvanāswa.

Being aggrieved in consequence of having no son he lived in the hermitage of saints. And being worked up with compassion of sages engaged in the performance of a religious ceremony for this offspring. When half the night had passed away they finished the ceremony and having placed a vessel of consecrated water upon the altar they slept.

When they had slept the king, distressed with thirst, entered the cottage and did not like to disturb the rishis. He then drank the water in the vessel consecrated and rendered efficacious by sacred texts.

When the Rishis got up in the morning, they said—"Who has drunk this consecrated water? Drinking this the wife of the king Yuvanāswa would have given birth to a valiant son". Hearing this the king said—"I have unknowingly drunk this water".

Accordingly a child was conceived in the belly of Yuvanāswa; it grew and in proper time it ripped open the right side of the king and was born. But the king did not die. The son being born the Rishis said—"Who will be its nurse". There appeared the king of the celestials and said "He shall have me for his nurse (mamayan dhāsyati)". He was thence called Māndhāta. Indra put his fore-finger into the mouth of the infant, who sucked it and drew it from heavenly nectar. And he grew up and became a powerful king and brought the seven continents into his subjection. It is said of him "From the rising of the setting sun all that is lighted by his rays is the land of Māndhāta the son of Yuvanāswa".

Māndhāta married Vindumati, the daughter of Sasāvindu end begot on her three sons Purukutsa, Ambarisha and Muchukunda; he had also fifty daughters.

An ascetic, named Saubhari, versed in Rig Veda lived in the waters for twelve years. There lived a huge fish, who was the sovereign, named Sammada, He had a numerous progeny. His children and grand children used to sport around him in all directions and he lived happily amongst them, playing with them day night before the ascetic. Being disturbed in his devotions that ascetic, in the waters, beholding the sport of the king of fish with his children and grand children, thought within himself—"Blessed is the being, who, although born in a degraded state, is sporting with his children and grand children. This has created envy in me and I wish to sport with my children and grand children". Having thus made up his mind the ascetic speedily came up from the water and being desirous of becoming a householder went to Māndhāta to demand one of his daughters as his wife.

Thereupon hearing of the arrival of the sage the king rose up from his seat and worshipped him with libation. Having taken a seat Saubhari said to the king—"I have made up my mind to marry. Do you, O king, give me one of your daughters as a wife. Don't disappoint my love. If any one comes to the race of Kakutstha with a desire he does not go back disappointed. O king, there are many other sovereigns on this earth who have got daughters; but thy family is renowned above all in granting liberal gifts to them who come with that purpose. O king, you have got fifty daughters—confer one of them upon me so that I may be relieved from the anxiety I feel in consequence of the fear that my request may not be granted".

Parāçara said—Hearing the words of the sage and beholding his body worn out with infirmities (he did not like to satisfy his desire)—but afraid of an imprecation he much disturbed in mind and lowering his head thought some time. The Rishi said—"What are you meditating upon, O king? I have not asked for any such thing which you cannot give. Your daughter must be given to somebody. But if you fulfill my desires what is there that cannot obtained by you?" Thereupon the king; afraid of his displeasure, said—"O illustrious sir, such is the practice in our family, that daughters must be given to such fitting persons as they shall themselves select. I did never expect that such a request would come from you—I do not know why such a desire has taken place in your mind. This has created perplexity in me and I am at a loss what to do". Hearing that the sage thought within himself—"This is merely an indirect way of not yielding to my request, I am an old man, having no attractions for women and his daughters will not accept me. Whatever it may be, I shall to that". Thinking thus, the sage said to Māndhāta—"If such be the custom of your family—give orders that I may be admitted into the interior of your palace. If any one of your daughters selects me I shall take her as my wife—if none of them be willing, I shall desist from such an attempt considering that I am too old for it". Having said this the sage was silent.

Being afraid of the imprecation of the sage, the king ordered the eunuch to conduct him to the inner apartment. As he entered, he assumed a form of beauty far exceeding that of men or gods. Addressing the princesses his guide said to them—"Your father, young ladies, sends this pious sage to you who wanted of him a bride. And the king has promised that he will give her to him who will select him". Hearing these words the princesses were all excited with desire and passion, and like a troop of female elephants encircling the lord of the herd, they all contended to have him as their husband. They said to one another—"Away away, sister, I shall take him as my husband. He has already been selected by me; he is not a meet bridegroom for you. He has been purposely created by Brahmā for me as I have been created to become his wife. As soon as he entered the house I selected him as my husband; why do you prevent him from becoming so?" Thus there arose a conflict amongst the daughters of the king, each contending that I have selected him as my husband. While that blameless sage was thus selected by all the princesses the eunuch went to the king and with down cast looks reported to him what had taken place. Having received all information, the king, perplexed the more, thought—"What is all this! What I am to do now! What is it that I have said" and then with extreme reluctance gave away all his daughters to the sage.

Thus the wished-for marriage of the great sage was accomplished and he took away all the princesses to his hermitage. Thereupon he ordered Viswakarmā like second Brahmā, the inventor of art, to construct separate palaces for each of his wives, to furnish each palace with elegant couches and seats and furniture and to attach to them spacious yards, groves with reservoirs of water where the wild ducks and swans should sport amidst beds of lotuses. Thereupon the celestial architect carried out the orders of the sage. And at the behest of the great sage, Saubhari, the divine and inexhaustible treasure Nanda lived there permanently.

Thereupon the princesses entertained there day and night all their guests and dependant with richest and choicest viands.

Once on a time the king, attracted by his affection for the daughters, went to the hermitage of the great ascetic to learn whether his daughters were in poverty or happiness. Repairing there he beheld a number of crystal palaces, brilliant as the rays of the sun and picturesque gardens and tanks. Entering one of the palaces and embracing his daughter, the king said to her with tears of affection and delight in his eyes—"Dear child, tell me how are you here. Are you happy here or not? Does the great sage treat you kindly? Do you remember thy early home?" Being thus addressed the daughter said to her father—"O father, this palace is picturesque surrounded by charming gardens with birds emitting sweet notes, and tanks abounding in full-blown lotuses. I have got here rich viands, fragrant unguents, precious ornaments, costly clothes, soft beds and every other thing that wealth can give. But still then, why should I not remember my early home. By thy favour I have obtained all these things. But there is one source of my grief—my husband never goes out of my house. He is solely attached to me and is always at my side; he never goes to my sisters; for this my sisters are sorry; this is the only cause of my uneasiness". Being thus addressed he went to the second palace and embracing his daughter and taking his seat he put the same question. The same account of the enjoyment of palaces and other things was given by her; she also made the same complaint that the sage was solely attached to her and paid no attention to her sisters. Hearing this the king went round all the palaces, put the same question to all his daughters and received the same reply. Having his heart filled with satisfaction and wonder he repaired to the glorious Saubhari who was alone and reverentially said to him—"O illustrious sage, marvellous is thy power—I have never seen this in any other person. Oh great is the reward of thy austere penances". Having bowed unto the sage and been welcomed by him with great reverence the king lived with him for some time and enjoying the pleasures of the place returned to his capital.

As time went on the daughters of Māndhāta bore to Saubhari one hundred and fifty sons. Gradually he became more and more attached to his children and his mind was wholly engrossed with selfish thoughts. He always used to think—"When will these sons of mine speak to me in sweet accents? When will they learn to walk? When will they attain to youth? When shall I see them wedded? When shall I behold them with their sons?" With these anticipations, he spent some time and at last thought "What exceeding folly is mine! There is no end of desires even in ten thousand or a hundred thousand years. With one desire gratified another springs up. I have seen my infants walk—I have seen their youth, their manhood, their marriage, their children, still my desires are not gratified and mind longs after seeing the descendants of their descendants. When I shall see them another desire will spring up. When that is satisfied another wish will be engendered.

"How can the growth of desires be prevented? I have now learnt that there is no end of desires till death. His mind can never be devoted to the supreme spirit who is a perpetual slave of desires. My devotions, whilst I was in the waters, were thwarted by my attachment to my friend, the fish. The outcome of that connection was my marriage and the result of that marriage is the cycle of worldly desires. Birth with one body is a source of many ills. By my marriage with the princesses I have got one hundred and fifty sons so my miseries have been multiplied to that extent. And they will be infinitely multiplied by their children, by their wives and their progeny—thus a married life is a source of individual anxiety. My devotions, which I practised in the waters, have been thwarted by my worldly wealth and I have been beguiled by the desire for the progeny which was created in me by the association with Sammada. For the ascetics separation from the world is the only way to liberation; association with others is a source of many evils. Even the most accomplished ascetic is degraded by worldly attachments what to speak of those whose observances are incomplete. Though my intellect has been possessed by the desire of married life still I shall exert myself for the salvation of my soul so that freed from human infirmities I may be released from human sufferings. For that purpose by austere penances I shall propitiate Vishnu, the creator of the universe whose form cannot be ascertained, who is smaller than the smallest, larger than the largest, the source of darkness and light—the king of gods. May my mind, freed from sins, be devoted to his body which is both descrete and indescrete substance, boundlessly mighty, at one with the universe so that I may not be born again. I seek the refuge of that Vishnu, who is the teacher of teachers, who is identical with, all beings, the pure eternal lord of all, without beginning, middle or end and besides whom there exists nothing".

SECTION III.

Parāçara said—Having thus thought within himself Sauvari renounced his children, his home, his splendour and wealth and repaired with his wives to the forest. Having daily performed there the observances of the ascetics called Vaikhānasas (or ascetics having families) he cleansed himself from all iniquities. When his mind was ripe and freed from passions he concentrated in his spirit the sacramental fires and became a religious mendicant. Then having made over all his actions to the glorious god he attained to the condition of Achyuta which is above change, the vicissitudes of birth, transmigration or death. Whoever shall read, hear, remember, or understand this story of Sauvari and his marriage with the daughters of Māndhāta, shall never, for eight successive births, be addicted to evil thoughts nor shall he act unrighteously, nor shall he think of improper objects—nor shall he be subject to selfishness; I shall now describe to you the progeny of Māndhāta.

The son of Ambarisha, the son of Māndhāta, was Yuvanāswa; his son was Harita from whom sprang Angirāsa Hāritas.

In the regions below the earth, the Gandharvas named Mauneyas, six million in number, had defeated the snake-gods, usurped their kingdom and stolen away all their precious jewels. Defeated by the Gandharvas the serpent chiefs addressed the lord of celestials, sleeping on the surface of the ocean of milk as he awoke from his sleep; and the blossoms of his lotus eyes opened as he listened to their hymns.

They all bowing said—"How shall we be relieved from the fear of these Gandharvas?" Where to the glorious god replied—"I shall enter into the person of Purukutsa, the son of Māndhāta, the son of Yuvanāswa and slay all the Gandharvas". On hearing these words the snake-gods bowed and went away and returning to their country sent Narmadā to secure the help of Purukutsa.

Accordingly Narmadā went to Purukutsa and led him to the regions below the earth, where, being filled with the energy of Vishnu he slew all the Gandharvas. He then returned to his own house. And the snake-gods conferred upon Narmadā a boon that whosoever should think of her, mention her name, should never have any fear from the snakes. This is the invocation: "Salutation unto Narmadā in the morning; salutation unto Narmadā at night, salutation to thee O Narmadā, save me from this serpent's poison". Whoever shall repeat this day and night shall not be bitten by a serpent in the dark or in entering a room. Nor shall he, who shall remember this, suffer from poison, when he eats even food mixed with it. They also conferred a boon on Purukutsa that none in this family shall be bitten.

Purukutsa begot on Narmadā a son, named Trasadasya, whose son was Sambbuta, whose son was Anaranja, who was killed by Rāvana when he traversed the country for conquests. Anaranja's son was Prishadaswa; his son was Haryyaswa; his son was Sumanas; his son was Tridhanwan; his son was Trayyaruna; his son was was Satyavrata who received the name of Trisanku and was degraded to the state of a Chandāla or outcast. Once on a time there was a famine for twelve years. He used to suspend flesh upon a fig-tree on the banks of the Ganges for the wife and children of Viswamitra—he did not give it with his own hands for he might not accept the present of a Chandāla. For this Viswamitra was highly pleased and took him in his living body to heaven.

The son of Trisanku was Haris Chandra, whose son was Rohitaswa, whose son was Harita, whose son was Chunchu, who had two sons named Vijaya and Sudeva. Ruruka was the son of Vijaya and his son was Vrika whose son was Bahu, This king was defeated by the tribes of Haihayas and Tālajanghas and his country was devastated by them for which he fled into woods with his wives. One of those was pregnant and the rival queen being jealous gave her poison to prevent her delivery and the child was confined in the womb for seven years. And Bahu, being stricken in years, died near the hermitage of the sage Aurva. Having constructed the funeral pile the queen was about to ascend it when the sage Aurva, who was cognisant of past, present and future came out of the cottage and prevented her saying—"Hold, hold! This is sinful; there is in thy womb a heroic king—the sovereign of many kingdoms, the offerer of many sacrifices, the slayer of his enemies and a lord paramount. Do not commit such an unrighteous act". Being addressed thus the queen gave up her intention. The sage then took her to his own cottage and after some time she gave birth to a valiant son—and with him the poison came out. And after performing ceremonies consequent upon birth, Aurva gave him, for that, the name of Sagara (from sa with and gara, poison). He then invested him with the sacred cord, taught him the Vedas and the use of all weapons and especially those of fire called after Bhārgava. When Sagara grew up he one day asked his mother, saying—"O mother why are we living here? Who is my father? Where is he?" Being thus questioned his mother related to him everything. Hearing this he was greatly enraged and promised to recover his father's kingdom and destroy the Haihayas and Tālajanghas by whom it had been devastated. When he grew up he destroyed all the Haihayas and would have also destroyed the Sakas the Yavanas, Kambojas, Paradas, and Pahnavas, had they not solicited the protection of Vasishtha, the family priest of Sagara.

Vasishtha, making them deprived of their power, although living, thus said to Sagara—"O my child, these, are already dead. What is the use of pursuing them? To keep up your vow I have made them renounce their own religion and the company of twice-born ones". Sagara reverentially obeyed the request of his spiritual guide and imposed upon them peculiar distinguishing marks. He made the Yavanas shave their heads entirely and the Sakas partially. The Paradas wore their long hair and the Pahnavas allowed their beards to grow according to his command. He withdrew from these and other Kshatriya races the privilege of offering oblations to fire and studying the Vedas. And being thus deprived from the performance of religious rites and having been abandoned by the Brāhmins they all became Mlechasas. Having thus recovered his kingdom Sagara ruled over the earth having seven continents with undisputed sway.

SECTION IV.

Parāçara said:—Sagara had two wives Sumati, the daughter of Kasyapa and Kesini, the daughter of king Viderbha. Having no offspring the king earnestly solicited the help of the sage Aurva who conferred upon him a boon that one wife should bear him a son who would keep up the race and the other sixty thousand sons; but he allowed them to make their election. Kesini chose to have one son and the other chose to have sixty thousand. Within a few days Kesini gave birth to a son named Asamanjas who upheld the family and Sumati the daughter of Vinata gave birth to a sixty thousand sons. Asamanjas had a son whose name was Ansumat.

Asamanjas was very wicked from his boyhood. His father hoped that with manhood he would reform his conduct. But he continued same even with age so his father renounced him. The sixty thousand sons of Sagara followed the example of their brother Asamanjas. The sons of Sagara having thus trodden the paths of virtue and piety in the world the celestials went to the ascetic Kapila, who was free from guilt, versed in learning and in whom was a portion of Vishnu. Having bowed unto him they said—"These sons of Sagara have followed the conduct of Samanjas. If they continue so how will the world be upheld? Thou art incarnate for the protection of the world". Hearing this Kapila said—"They shall soon be destroyed".

Thereupon Sagara undertook the celebration of a horse sacrifice. They were all engaged to look after the horse. Nevertheless some one stole the horse and carried it to the region below the earth. He then ordered them to search out the steed. Then following the impressions of its hoofs with perseverance they dug downwards each for a league. And coming to the region beneath they saw the horse walking freely. They saw at a distance Kapila, illuminating with the radiance of his person all the quarters, up and down like unto the autumnal sun freed from clouds. Then with uplifted weapons they rushed towards him, saying—"Slay him, slay him; this villain has spoiled our sacrifice; he has stolen our horse". Then turning his eyes a little Kapila looked towards them and with the sacred flame that came out of his body, the sons of Sagara were in no time reduced to ashes.

When Sagara came to know that all his sons, whom he had sent in quest of the horse, had been destroyed by the might of the sage Kapila he sent Asamanja's son to bring the animal. Ansumat, proceeding by the path which Sagara's sons had dug, arrived where Kapila was and reverentially bowing unto him so pleased him that he said—"Go my son and gave over the horse to your grand father; ask of me a boon; thy grand-son shall bring down the river of heaven on earth". Ansumat begged of the glorious Rishi a boon that his uncles, who had died on account of his displeasure although unworthy of it, might be raised to heaven. The Rishi said—"I have told you that your grandson shall bring down the Ganges upon earth. When the ashes and bones Sagara's sons shall be washed by her waters they shall be raised to heaven. Such is the glory of the stream that issues from the toe of Vishnu that they all, who bathe in it intentionally or accidentally, go to heaven. Even those shall go to heaven whose bones, skin, fibres, hair or any other part shall be left after death upon the earth which is contiguous to the Ganges". Thereupon reverentially bowing unto the sage and taking the steed, he went where his grandfather was celebrating the sacrifice. On receiving back the horse Sagara completed the sacrifice and in memory of his sons he gave the name of Sagara[256] to the chasm which they had dug.

The son of Ansumat was Dilipa; his son was Bhagiratha who brought down the Ganges on earth, whence she is called Bhāgirathi. The son of Bhagiratha was Sruta, whose son was Nabhaga, whose son was Ambarisha, whose son was Sindhudwipa, whose son was Ayutaswa, whose son was Rituparna, the friend of Nala, well-skilled in dice; the son of Rituparna was Sarvakāma, whose son was Sudāsa whose son was Sandasa named also Mitrasaha.

Once going out on hunting, the son Sudāsa met with a couple of tigers who had cleared the forest of the deer. He killed of these tigers with an arrow. At the time of dying the form of the animal was changed and it assumed that of a dreadful and hideous fiend. And the second disappeared saying—"I shall take vengeance upon you".

After some time Saudāsa celebrated a sacrifice which was conducted by Vasishtha. At the end of the ceremony Vasishtha went out when the Raksha assuming the shape of Vasishtha said—"The sacrifice is finished to-day. You must give me flesh to eat; I shall just now come back". Having said this he went away and transforming himself into the shape of the cook prepared some human flesh. Saudāsa placing it on a dish of gold, waited for Vasishtha. As soon as the sage came back the king offered to him the dish. Thereat the sage thought—"Alas! what improper conduct on the part of the king that he is offering me flesh!" Then by virtue of his meditation he came to know that it was human flesh. Being worked up with ire accordingly he imprecated the king—"Since you have offered, though you know it, to such holy men as we are what should not be eaten, henceforth, your appetite shall be excited by similar food".

The king said—"It was yourself who commanded this food to be prepared". Vasishtha said—"By me, how could that have been". And being engaged in meditation again he found out the whole truth. Being pleased with the king he said—"The food to which I have doomed you shall not be your sustenance for ever; it shall be only so for twelve years". And the king, taking water in his palms addressed himself for cursing the sage but gave up his intention, being reminded by his queen Madayanti that it ill became him to imprecate a curse upon a holy teacher who was the guardian divinity of the family. Unwilling to throw the water upon the earth lest it should wither up the grain for it was filled with malediction and being equally unwilling to throw it up into the air lest it should blast the clouds and dry up their contents, he threw it upon his own feet. Scalded by the heat which was in the water on account of his angry imprecation the feet of the king became spotted black and white and he therefore obtained the name of Kalmashapāda (i.e. having spotted feet).

On account of Vasishtha's curse the king used to become a cannibal every third night and travelling through the forests devoured many men. Once on a time he saw a pious sage engaged in dalliance with his wife. And beholding that terrible Rākshasa form they fled away in fear but he got hold of the husband whilst they escaping. Thereupon the wife of the Brāhman begged of him her husband again and again—"Thou art the great king Mitrasaha, the pride of Ikshwaku race—not the Rākshasa. It is not proper for thee who knowest the nature of women, to carry off my husband and devour him". In vain did she lament in many ways; he devoured the Brāhman as a tiger devours a deer. Being worked up with ire the Brāhman's wife addressed the king and said—"Since, you have devoured my husband before I was satiated in his company, you shall die as soon as you shall associate with your queen". Having thus cursed him she entered the flames.

After the expiration of twelve years when he was freed of the curse, he, being desirous of dallying with his wife, thought of Madayanti who reminded him of the curse of Brahmani. He, therefore, abstained from conjugal intercourse. Being childless he solicited the help of Vasishtha and Madayanti became pregnant. The child was not born for seven years, and the queen divided the womb with a sharp stone and a son was born who was named Asmaka. The son of Asmaka was Mulaka. When the Kshatriyas were rooted out from the earth, he was concealed by a number of women, hence he was called Narikavachā (having woman for armour). The son of Mulaka was Dasaratha; his son was Ilavile; his son was Viswasaha; his son was Khatwanga, called also Dilipa, who, being invited by the gods in a war with the Asuras, destroyed a number of them. Being pleased thereby the celestials asked him to pray for a boon. Dilipa said—"If you press me to accept a boon, tell me what is the duration of my life". The god said "The length of your life is but an hour". Thereupon Khatwanga, who was gifted with great velocity, came down, in his easy-coursing car to the world of mortals. Having reached there, he prayed and said—"If my soul has never been dearer to me than the sacred Brāhmans; If I have never deviated from the satisfaction of duty; if I have never looked upon gods, men, animals, vegetables, and all created things as different from the imperishable, may I then attain unswervingly to that divine being, upon whom the holy sages meditate".

Having thus spoken he was united with that supreme being—Vāsudeva who is the preceptor of all the gods, who is abstract existence and whose form cannot be described. Thus he was united with Vāsudeva and obtained absorption.

A stanza was cited by the seven rishis in the days of yore—"There shall be no king on earth like Khatwanga. He came from heaven, dwelt an hour on earth, and became united with three worlds by means of his liberality and knowledge of truth".

The son of Khatwanga was Dirghābahu, whose son was Raghu, whose son was Aja, whose son was Dasaratha. The glorious god, from whose navel the lotus springs, was born for the protection of the world, as the four sons of Dasaratha—namely Rāma, Lakshmana, Bharata and Satrughna. While a boy Rāma was taken by Viswamitra to protect his sacrifice and slew Tadakā. In the sacrifice, Māricha was slain and thrown away. Suvahu and others were also slain by him. He removed the iniquity of Ahalyā by merely looking upon her. Arriving at the palace of Janaka he easily broke the bow of Maheswara, and received Sitā, self-born daughter of the king Janaka as the meed for his prowess. He humbled the pride of Parusharama—the Ketu of the Haihaya race and the slayer of all Kshatriyas. At the behest of his sire and not being sorry for the loss of kingdom he went to woods accompanied by his brother Lakshmana and his wife, where he destroyed in battle Viradha, Kara, Dusana and other Rākshasas, the headless demon Kavandha and Vali the king of monkeys. Having constructed a bridge across the deep and slain all the Rākshasas, he brought back his spouse Sitā who had been carried away by the Ten-necked Rāvana. Having purified her by the fiery ordeal, and accordingly her virtue chanted by the celestials, he returned with her to Ayodhyā.

Having slain a number of Gandharvas, Bharata became the master of their country and having slain the Rākshasa chief Lavana, the son of Madhu, Satrughna took possession of their capital Muthrā.

Having thus by their unequalled might and strength the world from the grasp of the wicked, Rāma, Lakshmana, Bharata and Satrughna went back to heaven and were followed by those inhabitants of Kosala who were one-mindedly devoted to those incarnate portions of Vishnu.

Rāma had two sons one was named Kusa and the other Lava. Lakshmana too had two sons by the name of Angada and Chandraketu. The sons of Bharata were Taksha and Pushkara. Subāhu and Surasena were the sons of Satrughna.

The son of Kusa was Atithi, whose sort was Nishadha, whose son was Nala, whose son was Nabhas, whose son was Pundarika, whose son was Kshernadhanwan, whose son was Devanika, whose son was Ahinagu, whose son was Paripatra, whose son was Dala, whose son was Chhala, whose son was Uktha, whose son was Vajranābha, whose son was Sāukanātha, whose son was Abhyuthitaswa, whose son was Viswasaha whose son was Hiranyanabha, who was a pupil of the great ascetic Jamini and imparted spiritual knowledge upon Jajnawakla. The son of this pious king was Pushya whose son was Dhruva Sandhi, whose son was Sudarsana, whose son was Agniverna, whose son was Sighra, whose son was Maru who, by virtue of his power of devotion, is still living in the village called Kalpā and who in future will be the restorer of the Kshatriya race in the solar dynasty. Maru's son was Prasusruta, whose son was Susandhi, whose son was Amarsha, whose son was Mahaswat, whose son was Visrutavat, whose son was Vrihadbala, who was slain in the great war by Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna. These are the most illustrious kings is the race of Ikshawku. Whoever hears of account of them will be freed from all sins.

SECTION V.

The son of Ikshawku, by name Nimi, instituted a sacrifice for a thousand years and appointed Vasishtha as the presiding priest. Vasishtha said to him—"I have been already appointed by Indra for presiding at a sacrifice for five hundred years. Wait for some time, I shall come and officiate as a priest at your sacrifice". Being thus addressed the king did not answer. And Vasishtha went away supposing that he had agreed. Nimi in the meantime engaged Gautama and other ascetics and conducted the sacrifice. After the sacrifice of the king of celestials had been finished, Vasishtha hurried on to celebrate Nimi's sacrifice and found that it was being conducted under the superintendence of Gautama. Vasishtha then imprecated a curse upon the king who was asleep, saying "Since the king, not informing me, has entrusted Gautama with the charge of the sacrifice, he shall cease to exist in a corporeal form". When Nimi got up he came to know what had happened and in return imprecated a curse upon his unjust preceptor that he should also cease to exist in a corporeal form as the punishment of uttering a curse upon him without previously communicating with him. Nimi then gave up his bodily form. The spirit of Vasishtha, also renouncing his body, was united with the spirits of Mitra and Varuna for some time, when at last on account of their lustful desire for the nymph Urvasi he was born again in a different body. Nimi's body continued to be handsome and being embalmed with fragrant oils and resins it was not decomposed and remained like the corpse of one just dead. When the gods arrived there to receive their portion on the completion of the sacrifice the priests requested them to confer blessings upon the celebrator of the sacrifice. And being ordered by the celestials for the same Nimi said—"O celestials, you remove all ills from the world. There is not in the world a greater cause of distress than the separation of soul and body. I therefore wish to dwell in the eyes of all beings and not to take up a corporeal form any more". The celestials agreed to this and Nimi was placed by them in the eyes of all living beings and therefore their eye-lids are ever opening and shutting. As Nimi had no son the sages were afraid that the earth would have no ruler. So they churned the body of the king and a son was born who was named Janaka. As his father had no body Janaka was also called Videha. He also received the name of Mithi for having been produced by mathana or agitation. The son of Janaka was Udavasu, whose son was Nandivarddana, whose son was Suketu, whose son was Devarata, whose son was Vrihaduktha, whose son was Mahavirya, whose son was Satyadhristi, whose son was Dhrishtaketu, whose son was Haryyaswa, whose son was Maru, whose son was Pratibandhaka, whose son was Krisaratha, whose son was Krita, whose son was Vibudha, whose son was Mahadhriti, whose son was Kritirāta, whose son was Mahadhriti, whose son was Suvarnaroman, whose son was Haraswaroman, whose son was Siradhwaja.

Siradhwaja ploughing the field, to make it ready for a sacrifice which he undertook in order to obtain progeny, there sprang up in the furrow a damsel who became his daughter Sitā. The brother of Siradhwaja was Kusadhwaja who was king of Kasi. His son was named Bhanumat whose son was Satadhyumna, whose son was Suchi, whose son was Urjjavaha, whose son was Satyadwaya, whose son was Kuni, whose son was Anyana, whose son was Retujit, whose son was Arishtanemi, whose son was Srutayas, whose son was Sanjaya, whose son was Kshemari, whose son was Anenas, whose son was Minaratha, whose son was Satyaratha, whose son was Upagu, whose son was Sruta, whose son was Saswata, whose son was Sudhanwan, whose son was Subhāsa, whose son was Susruta, whose son was Jaya, whose son was Rita, whose son was Sunaya, whose son was Vitahadya, whose son was Dhriti, whose son was Bahalaswa, whose son was Kriti with whom ended the family of Janaka. These are the kings of Mithilā who shall be principally well-versed in spiritual knowledge.

SECTION VI.

Maitreya said:—"O revered sir, you have described to me the solar dynasty but I wish to hear now of the kings of the lunar dynasty, who are still well-known for their glorious deeds. It behoves you to relate it gladly to me".

Parāçara said:—O foremost of Munis, hear from me, a description of the illustrious family of the moon which has produced many well-known kings of the earth. This family is adorned with many kings gifted with regal qualities of strength, valour, magnificence, prudence and energy such as Nahusha, Yayati, Kartavirya, Yaryuna and others. Hear I shall describe this family to you.

Atri was the son of Brahmā, the creator of the universe, who originated from the lotus that grew from the navel of Nārāyana. The son of Atri was Soma whom Brahmā made the king of plants, Brāhmans and of the stars. Some celebrated a Rajshuya sacrifice and on account of the glory derived therefrom and the vast sovereignty which he had acquired he grew haughty and licentious. He carried off Tārā, the wife of Vrihaspati, the preceptor of gods.

Soma did not give up Vrihaspati's wife though he was again and again requested by him, commanded by Brahmā and remonstrated by the holy sages. Usanas, who was an enemy of Vrihaspati, took the side of Soma. Rudra, who was a pupil of Angiras, the father of Vrihaspati, assisted his fellow student. Because their preceptor Usanas joined Soma, Jambha, Kujambha, all the Daityas, Dānavas and other enemies of the celestials came to his help. Indra and all other celestials assisted Vrihaspati.

Thus there took place a terrible combat which being on account of Tāraka was called Tarakāmaya or Tarakā war. In this the celestials led by Rudra hurled their weapons upon the Asuras and the Asuras equally overwhelmed the gods with weapons. Thus in the conflict between the gods and demons the universe, greatly overwhelmed, sought protection of Brahmā. Thereupon the glorious God asked Usanas with the demons and Rudra with the celestials to desist from fighting and give back Tārā to Vrihaspati. Finding that she was pregnant Vrihaspati desired her no longer to keep her burden and in satisfaction of his orders she was delivered of a son whom she kept in a clump of long Munja grass. And the child as soon as it was born proved its character of divinity by its radiance. Beholding both Vrihaspati and Soma fascinated by the beauty of the child the celestials, to know whose son it was, asked Tārā, saying "O damsel whose son is he? Is he Vrihaspati's or Soma's". Being thus addressed Tārā was ashamed and did not answer.

Though she was repeatedly asked by the celestials she was still mute and the child, being enraged, was about to curse her, saying—"Unless, O vile woman, you immediately speak out, who is my father, I shall so punish you for your useless shame that no woman in future shall speak the truth". Brahmā again interfered and pacifying the child said, addressing Tara "Tell me my daughter, is this the child of Vrihaspati or of Soma?" "Of Soma," said Tārā flushing. Thereupon the countenance of the king of constellations became bright, and expanded with joy. He at once embraced his son and said—"Well done my boy, forsooth thou art wise". And accordingly the boy was named Budha.

I have already described how Budha begot Pururavas on Ilā. Paruravas was a prince famous for liberality, devotion, magnificence, love of truth and beauty. Having incurred the curse of Mitra and Varuna, Urvasi made up her mind to live in the land of mortals and descending there saw Pururavas. As soon as a she saw him she forgot all reserve and not caring for the comforts to heaven became greatly attached to him. And finding her far superior to all other females in beauty, elegance, symmetry, and delicacy, Pururavas was equally enamoured of her. Both the man and the woman were equally attached to each other and thought no more of any other object. The king then boldly said—"Fair woman, I love you; have pity on me and return my affection". Urvasi turning her face a little through modesty said—"I will do so, if you satisfy the conditions I propose to you".

"What are they?" asked the king "speak them out". "I have two rams" said the nymph "which I love like my children; they must be kept by my bed-side and shall not be allowed to be carried away. You must not be seen by me undressed and clarified butter alone shall be my food". The king readily agreed to these terms.

After this Pururavas and Urvasi lived together for sixty one thousand years in Alakā, sporting amidst the groves and lakes of Chaitraratha abounding in lotuses and the other forests. By these enjoyments Urvasi's attachment increased every day and she forgot all desire for residing in the region of immortals. In the absence of Urvasi heaven appeared devoid of beauty to the celestials, nymphs, genii and quiristers. Knowing the engagement that Urvasi had contracted with the king, Viswasvasu was appointed by the Gandharvas to bring about its dissolution. And coming by night to the room where they were sleeping he carried off one of the rams: Urvasi got up by its cries and exclaimed—"Ah me! who has stolen one of my children: Had I got a husband this would not have taken place. To whom shall I go for help?" The king heard the lamentations but could not go lest he might be seen undressed. The Gandharvas then took away another ram. Again hearing the sound of its being stolen away in the sky she lamented saying—"Alas I have got no husband. I have taken the shelter of a dastardly person". Thinking "it is darkness" the king took up a dagger and pursued them, saying—"stop, O wicked I shall soon slay you". Immediately the Gandharvas created a flash of brilliant lightning in the room and the king was seen undressed by Urvasi. The contract was broken and she instantly disappeared. And leaving behind the rams the Gandharvas too went to the region of the celestials. Taking the rams, the king, delighted came back to his bed-room but found no Urvasi. Not finding her he wandered naked all over the world like a maniac. At length arriving at Kurukshetra he saw Urvasi sporting with four other nymphs in a lake abounding in lotuses. Like a mad man the king neared him and exclaimed—"O my wife, wait, speak with me, O thou of an iron heart". Urvasi replied—"O great king useless is this inconsiderate attempt. I am now pregnant, go away just now and come here again after a year when I shall give you a son and remain with you for one night". Being thus solaced Pururavas came back to his capital. Urvasi then said to her mates. "This king is that excellent man bring drawn by whose attachment I lived for such a long time". Hearing this the other nymphs said, "Great is his beauty; we too with him could live happily for ever".

After the expiration of a year the king again came to that place and Urvasi gave him a son by the name of Ayus. Living with him for one night she again became pregnant to bear to him five sons. She then said to the king—"O king all the Gandharvas, on account of their regard for me, are ready to confer upon thee a boon. Do thou pray for it". The king said—"I have slain all my enemies—my faculties are all very powerful; I have friends, relations, armies and treasures; so there is nothing which I want but living with my Urvasi in the same region. So I wish to live with her always".

After he had spoken this the Gandharvas brought to him a vessel with fire and said,—"Take this fire and according to the precepts of the Vedas divide it into three parts: then offer oblation to it for Urvasi and your desires shall thus be gratified". The Gandharvas having said this, the king took the vessel and went away. Then coming to a forest he thought—"Oh, what stupid I am; I have brought this vessel but not Urvasi". Then leaving the vessel there he came back to his capital. When half the night had passed he awoke and thought—"The Gandharvas conferred upon me this vessel of fire to enable me to live with Urvasi. I have left that in the forest. I shall go there to bring it". Having said this he went there but did not find the vessel. Then beholding a young Ashwattha tree growing out of a Sami plant he argued within himself—"I left here a vessel of fire and I now see a young Ashwattha tree growing out of a Sami plant. I shall take this type of fire to my capital and having created fire by their attrition I will worship it".

Having thus made up his mind he took the plants to his city and made their wood for attrition with pieces of as many inches as there are syllables in the Gayatri. He recited that verse and rubbed together sticks of as many inches as he recited syllables in the Gayatri, Having created fire there-from he divided it into three portions according to the precepts of the Vedas and offered oblations to it with the view of obtaining re-union with Urvasi. Having performed many sacrifices with this fire he attained to the region of the Gandharvas and suffered no more separation from his beloved Urvasi. Thus fire, that was at first one, was made three-fold in the present Manwantara by the son of Ilā.

SECTION VII.

Pururavas had six sons—Ayus, Dhimat, Amāvasu, Viswavasu, Satayus, and Srutayus. The son of Amāvasu was Bhima, whose son was Kānchana, whose son was Suhotra, whose name was Jahnu. Whilst celebrating a sacrifice this king beheld the whole of the place over-flowed with the waters of the Ganga. Being offended therefore with his eyes red with anger he united the spirit of sacrifice with himself and by the power of his devotion drunk up the river. Thereupon the celestials and the sages pleased him and got back Gangā in the capacity of his daughter.[257]

The son of Jahnu was Sumanta, whose son was Ajaka, whose son was Valakāswa, whose son was Kusa, who had four sons, Kusamba. Kusanābha, Amurttaya and Amāyasu.

Kusambha engaged in devout penances with the object of having a son equal to Indra. Beholding the intensity of his devotions, Indra himself took birth as his son lest a prince equally powerful like him might be born. He was accordingly born as Gadhi or Kausika. Gadhi had a daughter called Satyavati. Richika, one of the descendants of Bhrigu, wanted her in marriage. The king was reluctant to give his daughter in marriage to a peevish old Brāhmin and wanted from him as the bridal present a thousand fleet steeds whose colour should be white with one black ear. Having propitiated Varuna, the god of ocean, Richika obtained from him, at the holy place called Awatirtha a thousand horses. And giving them to the king he married his daughter.

In order to have a son he prepared a dish of rice, barley and pulse with butter and milk for his wife to eat. And being requested by her he made a similar mixture for her mother, by partaking of which she should give birth to a martial prince. Keeping both the dishes with his wife and giving her instructions which was intended for her and which for her mother, the sage went to the forest. At the time of taking the food her mother said to Satyabati—"Daughter, every one wants to have a son gifted with great qualities—and no body wishes to be excelled by the qualities of his mother's brother. It is therefore desirable for you to give me the food which your husband has set apart for you and to partake of that intended for me; for my son shall be the sovereign of the world. What is the use of wealth, strength and prowess for a Brahmin". Being thus addressed Satyavati gave her own food to her mother.

When the sage came back from the forest and saw Satyavati he said to her—"Sinful woman, what hast thou done? Your body appears as very fearful to me. Surely thou hast taken the food which was intended for thy mother. Thou hast committed a wrong. That food I had consecrated with the properties of power, strength and heroism; whereas your food was consecrated with the qualities of a Brāhman—gentleness, knowledge and resignation. As you have exchanged messes your son shall follow a warrior's propensities and use weapons, and fight and slay; your mother's son shall be born with the desires of a Brāhmin and shall be devoted to peace and piety". Hearing this Satyavati fell at her husband's feet and said—"I have done this through my ignorance. Be thou propitiated so that I may not have such a son. If this is inevitably let my grand son be such, not my son". Being thus addressed the sage said—"So be it".

Thereupon she gave birth Jamadagni and her mother brought forth Viswamitra. Satyavati afterwards became the Kausiki river, Jamadagni married Renukā the daughter of Renu, born in the race of Ikshwaku and begot on her a son, Parusarāma the destroyer of the Kshatriya race, who was a portion of Nārāyana, the preceptor of the universe. Sunasepha was conferred upon Viswamitra by the celestials as his son, who became known as Devarata. Viswamitra had other sons—Madhuchandra, Yaya, Kritadeva, Devashtaka, Kachapa and Hareetaka. These founded many families, all of whom were known by the name of Kausikas, and inter-married with the families of various Rishis.

SECTION VIII.

Ayus, the eldest son of Pururavas, married the daughter of Rahu upon whom he begot five sons, Nahusha, Kshatravridha, Rambha, Raji and Anenas.

The son of Kshatravridha was Suhotra, who had three sons, Kash, Lesa, and Ghritsamanda. The son of Ghritsamnada was Saunaka who first instituted the distinction of the four castes. The son of Kasa was Kasiraja, whose son was Dirghatama, whose son was Dhanwantari, who was not subject to human infirmities and who had been master of universal knowledge in every birth. In his past life Nārāyana had conferred upon him the boon that he should be, in his next life, born in the race of Kshatriya, should be the author of the eight fold system of medical science and should be entitled to a share of offerings made to the celestials. The son of Dhanwantari, was Kesumat, whose son was Bhimaratha, whose son was Devadasa, whose son was Pratarddana, so called from destroying the race of Bhadrasrenya. He had various other names—as Satrujit. 'The victor of enemies' on account of his having defeated all his enemies Vatsa or 'child' for his father used to call him often times by that name; Ritadhwaja 'whose emblem was truth' for he was a great observer of truth; and Kuvalayaswa for he had a horse called Kuvalaya. His son was Alarka of whom this verse is recited in the present day—"For sixty thousand and sixty hundred years, no other youthful king except Alarka governed the earth". The son of Alarka was Santati, whose son was Sunitha, whose son was Suketu, whose son was Dharmaketu, whose son was Satyaketu, whose son was Vibhu, whose son was Suvibhu, whose son was Sukumara, whose son was Dhristaketu, whose son was Vainahotra whose son was Bharga, whose son was Bhargabhumi, who laid down the rules of the four castes. These are the descendants of Kasa. We shall now enumerate the descendants of Raji.

SECTION IX.

Raji had five hundred sons who were all gifted with great power and heroism. Once on a time there arose a conflict between the gods and the demons, and they, all desirous of slaying the other party, inquired of Brahmā, saying "O glorious god, which of the parties shall be victorious?" The deity said—"that for which Raji shall take up arms". The Daityas immediately went to Raji to secure his help, which he agreed to give if they would make him their king after defeating the celestials. Hearing this the Asuras said—"We cannot say one thing and do the otherwise. Prahlāda is our king and for him we wage war". Having said this they went away and the celestials came to him for the same purpose. Raji proposed to them the same conditions and the gods agreed and said. "We shall make you our Indra". Thereupon Raji assisted the army of the celestials and by his various weapons destroyed the Asuras. When all the enemies were defeated, Indra the king of the celestials placed Raji's feet on his crown and said, "Thou art our father since thou hast released us from fear; thou art the supreme lord of all the worlds, because, I, who am the lord of the three worlds, have acknowledged thee as my father".

The king smiling said—"So be it. Even if the enemies admit humiliation by flattering speeches that cannot be resisted". Saying this he repaired to his own city. Satkratu too continued to rule as Indra.

A few days after the king went to heaven, and his sons, being incited by the sage Nārada, demanded the rank of Indra as there hereditary right. When he refused to give them the station the highly powerful princes reduced him to submission and usurped his rank. When some tune had passed, Indra, deprived of his share in the sacrifices of the three worlds, spoke to Vrihaspati in a retired place,—"Give me a little of the sacrificial butter not bigger even than a jujube for I am in want of sustenance".

Vrihaspati said:—"Had you applied to me before I could have done any thing for you; however I will now try to gain back for you your position". Saying this he undertook the celebration of a sacrifice for increasing the power of Indra and bringing about the downfall of Raji's sons by leading them astray. When their understanding was bewildered the princes became haters of the Brahmins, negligent of their duties and regardless of the teachings of the Vedas; when they became devoid of religion and morality, Indra slew them and gained back his sovereignty by the help of the priest of gods. Whoever shall hear of Indra's acquirement of the position, shall always keep his proper place and shall not be guilty of iniquity.

Rambha, the third son of Ayus, had no offspring. Kshatravriddha had a son named Pratikshatrā, whose son was Sanjaya, whose son was Vijaya, whose son was Yajnakrit, whose son was Harshavarddhana, whose son was Sahadeva, whose son was Adina, whose son was Jayasena, whose son was Sankriti, whose son was Kshatradharma. These were the progeny of Kshatravriddha. I will now enumerate those of Nahusha.

SECTION X.

Nahusha had six brave sons namely, Yati, Yayati, Sanyati, Ayati, Viyati and Kriti. Yati declined the throne and therefore Yayati succeeded. He had two wives; Devayani, the daughter of Usanasj and Sarmishthā, the daughter of Vrishaparvan. His genealogy is thus recited—"Devayani gave birth to two sons, Yadu and Tarvasu. Sarmishthā, the daughter of Vrishaparvan, gave birth to three sons, Druhya, Anu and Puru. Owing to a curse of Usanas Yayati became untimely old and decripit. Having propitiated his father-in-law however he got the permission to transfer his old age to any one who would agree to take it. He first called his eldest son Yadu and then said,—Your maternal grand-father has caused this untime decripitude of mine. By his permission I may transfer it to you for a thousand years, I am not still satisfied with worldly enjoyments and wish to enjoy through your youth. Do not refuse compliance with my request". Being thus addressed he did not agree to take the decay upon him for which the king imprecated a curse, saying—"No one in your prosterity shall be the king". He then successively requested Druhya, Turvasu and Anu to give him their youth. They all refused and were accordingly cursed by the king. Lastly he called his youngest son Puru—the son of Sarmisthā and requested him for the same. That youth, of ripe understanding, at once agreed and bowing unto his father said—"I have been highly honored". He then took upon himself his father's infirmities and gave him his youth in exchange.

Being thus gifted with renewed youth Yayati governed the kingdom for the good of his people enjoying such pleasures as were suited to his age and strength and were in consonance with piety. He enjoyed in the company of a nymph Vishwachi day and night thinking that there would be an end of all desires. By continued enjoyment all things began to appear more pleasant to him and he then said—"Desire is never satiated by enjoyment as fire, fed with oil, becomes the more intense. No one is satisfied with barley, gold, cattle or women; therefore renounce excessive desire. When a man does not cherish any sinful feeling towards creatures and looks on all with, an equal eye he then finds everything full of pleasure and delight. The wise become happy by renouncing that desire which the feeble-minded cannot abandon and which grows not old with the aged. With age the hair becomes gray, the teeth fall off but the love of wealth and life is never gratified. A thousand years have expired and still my mind is attached to worldly enjoyments: my desires are excited every day by new objects. I shall therefore renounce all enjoyments of sense and devote myself to the culture of spiritual truth. And renouncing all attachments and not influenced by the alternatives of pleasure and pain I shall roam in the forest with the deer".

Having thus made up his mind Yayati returned the youth to Puru and took up his own decrepitude. He then made his youngest son the sovereign and went to Tapovana (the wood of penance). He appointed as viceroys—Turvasu of the south-east districts, Druhya of the west, Yadu of the south and Anu of the north—and made Puru the supreme monarch of the earth.

SECTION XI.

Parāçara said:—I will first enumerate to you the descendants of Yadu, the eldest son of Yayati—one of whom an incarnate portion of Vishnu—of whom glory cannot be described though chanted for ever to confer the fruit of their desires—whether for virtue, wealth, pleasure or final emancipation—upon all created beings, upon men, saints, Gandharvas, spirits of evil, nymphs, centaurs, serpents, birds, demons, sages, Brahmanas and ascetics. Whoever shall hear of the descendants of Yadu shall be freed from all iniquities, for the supreme spirit—devoid of any form—Vishnu was incarnate in this family.

Yadu had four sons Sahasrajit, Kroshti, Nala and Raghu. Sasajit was the son of the eldest brother and had three sons—Haihaya, Venu and Haya. The son of Haihaya was Dharmanetra, whose son was Kunti, whose son was Sahanji, whose son was Mahishmat, whose son was Bhadrasona, whose son was Dardama, whose son was Dhanaka, who had four sons, Kritaviryya, Kritagni, Kritayarman and Kritauyyas. Kritaviryya's son was Aryunu, who was the king of the seven insular continents and the master of a thousand arms. This king propitiated the sage Dattatreya, the descendant of Atri who was an incarnate portion of Vishnu and obtained from him these boons—a thousand arms, acting always justly, governing the world with justice, protecting it impartially, victory over his enemies and death by the hands of a person renowned in the three worlds. By these means he governed the earth powerfully and justly celebrated ten thousand sacrifices. Of him this verse is said—"The kings of the earth shall never equal him in sacrifices, liberality, in devotion, in good manners and in self-control". In his reign nothing was lost or injured, so he governed the whole earth with undecayed health, prosperity, power and strength for eighty-five thousand years. Arriving at the city of Mahismati, on his tour of conquests whilst its king was sporting in the waters of Narmāda excited with wine, Ravana, proud for defeating the gods, demons, Gandharvas, and their king, was taken prisoner by Karthaviryya and confined like a tame beast in a corner in his capital. At the end of a long reign Karthaviryya was slain by Parashurāma Who, was an incarnate portion of Vishnu. The king had a hundred sons of which five were principal, namely Surasena, Vrishana, Madhu, and Jayadwaja. The son of the last was Tālajangha who had a hundred sons named after him Tālajanghas. The eldest of these was Vilipotrā, another was Bharata who had two sons—Vrisha and Sujati. The sons of Vrisha was Madhu; he had a hundred sons, the chief of whom was Vrishna and from him the family obtained the name of Vrishni. From the name of their father Madhu they were called Madhavas and from the name of their common ancestor Yadu they were all called Yadavas.

SECTION XII.

Parāçara said—Kroshtri, the son of Yadu, had a son named Vrijinvat, whose son was Suchi, whose son was Kushadra, whose son was Chitraratha, whose son was Sasavindu, who was the master of the fourteen great gems. He had a hundred thousand wives and a million of sons. The most famous of them were Pryihuyasas, Prithuharman, Prithujaya, Prithukirtti, Prithudaha and Prithusravas. The son of the last of these was Tamas, whose son was Usanas who performed a hundred horse sacrifices. His son was Siteyus, whose son was Rukmakavacha, whose son was Paradrit, who had five sons, Rukmeshu, Prithurukman, Jyamagha, Pahta, and Harita. In the present period the following verse is recited of Jyamagha—"Of all the husbands obedient to their wives, who have been or who will be, the most famous is the king Jyamagha, who was the husband of Saivya". Saivya was barren—but Jyamagha was so much afraid of her that he could not, take any other wife. Once on a time after a hard fighting with horse and elephants the king defeated a powerful enemy who, leaving behind his wife, children, relations, army, treasure and kingdom, fled. When the enemy had fled Jayamagha saw a beautiful princess, exclaiming, "Save father, save me, brother" while her expansive eyes rolled wildly with fear. The king was much attracted by her beauty and cherished love for her and said to himself—"This is accidental; I have no children and am the husband of a barren lady. This maiden has fallen in my hands to keep up my family. I will marry her. But I must take her in my car to my palace, where I must have the permission of my queen for the marriage". So he took the princess into his car and went back to his capital.

To welcome the return of the victorious king, Saivya came to the palace-gate with the ministers, courtiers and the citizens. And beholding a damsel on the left hand of the king Saivya with her lips swollen and trembling in jealousy said to the king—"Who is this fickle girl that is sitting with you in the chariot?" The king was not prepared with a reply and made answer, all on a sudden through fear of his queen—"This is my daughter-in-law?" "I have never had a son" said Saivya "and you have no other children; of what son of yours then is this girl the wife?" The king bewildered by the jealousy and anger which the words of Saivya displayed, gave this answer to avoid further contention. The king said,—"She is the young bride of the future son whom thou shalt give birth". Hearing this Saivya gently smiled and said "so be it" and the king entered into his great palace.

This conversation regarding the birth of a son having taken place in an auspicious conjunction, aspect, and season, the queen, although she was greatly advanced in years, became pregnant and bore a son. His father named him Vidarbha and married him to the damsel he had brought home. He had three sons, Kratha, Kaisika and Romapāda. The son of Romapāda was Dhriti. The son of Kaisika was Chedi whose children were the Chaidya kings. The son of Kratha was Kunti, whose son was Vrishni, whose son was Nirvriti, whose son was Dasārha, whose son was Vyoman, whose son was Jimuta, whose son was Vikriti, whose son was Bhimaratha whose son was Navarathe, whose son was Dasaratha, whose son was Sakuni, whose son was Karambhi, whose son was Devarata, whose son Devakshatra, whose son was Madhu, whose son Anavarathu, whose son was Kuruvatsa, whose son son was Anaratha, whose son was Puruhotra, whose son was Ansu, whose son was Satwata, from whom the princes of this family were called Sātwatas. This was the progeny of of Jyamagha. He, who will hear of the account, will be freed from sins.

SECTION XIII.

Parāçara said—The sons of Satwata were Bhajina Bhajamāna, Divya, Andhaka, Devavriddha, Mahābhoja and Vrishni. Bhajamāna had three sons, Nimi, Krikana, and Vrishni by one wife and as many by another, Satajit, Sahasrajit and Ayutajit. The son of Devavridha was Babhru of whom this verse is recited—"We hear, when we are at a distance and we see when we are near that Babhru is the foremost of men and Devavriddha is equal to the celestials: sixty six persons who were the disciples of one and six thousand and eight who were disciples of the other obtained immortality". Mahabhoja was a virtuous king his descendants were the Bhojas, the kings of Mirttikāvati-thence denominated Mirttikāvāttas. Vrishni had two sons Suimitra and Yudhajit: from the former Anamitra and Sini were born. The son of Anamnitra was Nighna who had two sons Prasena and Satrajit. The god Aditya or the sun was the friend of the latter.

Once on a time arriving at the banks of the ocean, Satrajit began to hymn the praises of the sun, with his mind solely devoted to him, upon which the deity appeared and stood before him. Seeing him in an indistinct shape he said to to the Sun—"I see thee in this sky as a globe of fire—I behold thee just now in the same shape and do not perceive any distinction as a matter of favor". Being thus addressed the divine sun took the jewell called Syamantaka from off his neck and placed it at a distance and Satrajit saw him of a dwarfish form, with a body like burnished copper and with slightly reddish eyes. While he bowed unto him the divine Sun said to Satrajit—"I wish to confer upon thee a boon; do thou pray for it". He then wanted that jewel. The sun gave it to him and then resumed his place in the sky. Satrajit placed that precious gem round his neck and lighting up all the quarters with his radiance like the sun entered the city of Dwārakā. Beholding him approach the inhabitant of Dwārakā went to that excellent Purusha, without beginning, who, to carry the burden of the world, assumed a mortal form, and said—"O lord, forsooth, the divine sun is coming to visit you". But Krishna smiled and said, "It is not the sun but Satrajit. He is coming here with the Syamantaka gem conferred upon him by the sun. You all see him with a fearless heart". Hearing this the inhabitants of Dwārakā repaired to their respective habitations. Satrajit too having gone to his house placed that jewel which gave daily eight loads of gold and through its uncommon power removed all fear of portents, wild beasts, fire, robbers, and famine. Krishna thought that the gem was worthy of the king Ugrasena and desired to take it but did not do so lest it might some disturbance in the family. Understanding that Krishna would ask of him the jewel Satrajit transferred it to his brother Prasena. It was the peculiar virtue of that gem, that if worn with all purity it would yield gold and prosperity of the kingdom but if worn by a man of bad character it would bring on his death. Prasena having taken the jewel and placed it round his neck mounted his horse and went to the forest to hunt. While thus hunting he was killed by a lion. The lion taking the jewel in his mouth was about to go when was seen and killed by Jamvabat the king of the bears, who taking the jewel went to his cave and gave it to his son Sukumara to play with.

When sometime had passed and Prasena did not come, the Yādavas began to whisper, one to another, "This must be Krishna's doing; being willing to get the jewel and not obtaining it he has committed the murder to get this into his possession".

When these calamities reached the ears of Krishna he gathered some members of the Yadu family and in their company followed the course of Prasena by the impressions of his horse's hoofs. And having found it by this way that he and his horse had been destroyed by the lion he was acquitted by all people of any share in the death. Desirous of getting back the jewel, he thence followed the foot-marks of the lion and at no great distance came to the place where the lion had been killed by the bear. Pursuing the foot-prints of the latter he arrived at the foot of a mountain where having kept the Yādavas he pursued the course. And following the impressions of the feet he found out a cavern and before he entered it he heard the nurse of Sukumāra saying to him "The lion killed Prasena; the lion has been killed by Jamvabat: weep not Sukumāra the Syamantaka is your own". Having thus ascertained the truth Krishna entered into the cavern and espied the jewel in the hands of the nurse who was giving it as a plaything to Sukumāra. The nurse in no time found out his approach and seeing his eyes eagerly fixed upon the jewel called aloud for help. Hearing her cries, Jamvabat, worked up with anger, came to that place and an encounter took place between him and the Achyuta which continued for twenty, one days. The Yādavas who followed Krishna waited there for seven or eight days expecting his return but as the slayer of Madhu did not come they arrived at the conclusion that he must have been destroyed in the cave. "It could not have taken so many days" they thought "to defeat a foe". They therefore went away, and came back to Dwārakā and announced that Krishna had been killed.

His relatives too performed ceremonies necessary for the occasion. Food and water offered reverentially to worthy persons tended to support his life and invigorate his strength in the conflict in which he was engaged. While his enemy being exhausted by daily combat with a powerful enemy, bruised in every limb by heavy blows and enfeebled by want of food became unable to resist him. Being thus defeated by his powerful enemy Jamvabat prostrated himself before him and said "O mighty being, thou art, for sooth invincible, by the spirits of heaven, earth or hell, thou canst not be defeated by man and powerless creatures in a human shape—what to speak of such as we are—who are of brute origin. Methinks thou art a portion of my lord Nārāyana the protector of the universe". Being thus addressed by the lord of bears Krishna explained to him fully that he had incarnated himself to take upon himself the burden of the earth. And delightedly touching him with his palms he relieved him of the pain which he had suffered from the fight. Jamvabat again laid himself low before Krishna and presented to him his daughter Jamvabati as a suitable offering to a guest. He also handed over to him the Syamantaka jewel. Although it was not becoming to accept a present from such an individual still he took the gem with a view to clear his reputation. He then came back with his bride Jamvabati to Dwārakā.

When the inhabitants of Dwārakā saw Krishna come back alive they were filled with joy so that even those who were greatly stricken in years were filled with youthful strength; and all the members of the Yadu family, men and women, gathered round Anakadundubhi, the father of the hero and congratulated him. Krishna described to the assembled Yādavas all that had taken place exactly and giving back the Syamantaka jewel to Satrajit was cleared off the charge of murder. He then conducted Jamvabati to the inner apartments.

When Satrajit thought that he had been the instrumental of the false charge against Krishna he was terrified and to satisfy him he gave in marriage with him his daughter Satyabhāmā. She had ere been sought in marriage by many illustrious members of the Yadu family as Akrura, Kritaverman, and Satadhanwan, who were greatly worked up with anger on account of her being married to another, and formed a common cause of enmity against Satrajit. The most leading man amongst them with Akrura and Kritavarman said to Satadhanwan—"By given her daughter to Krishna this caitiff Satrajit had insulted you and us grossly who wanted her: why do you not kill him and take the jewel? Should Achyuta on that account enter into conflict with you we will take your part". Having secured this promise Satadhanwan undertook to destroy Satrajit.

When the intelligence reached Krishna that the Pandavas lad been burned in the house of wax, he, who was acquainted with the real truth, immediately started for Baranāvata to allay the enmity of Duryodhana and perform the necessary duties of his relationship. Taking advantage of his absence Satadhanwan killed Satrajit while asleep and secured the jewel for himself. When Satyabhāmā came to know this, she, highly angered on account of her father's murder, at once ascended the chariot, went to Bāranāvat and told her husband how Satrajit had been killed by Satadhanwan in anger on account of her being married to another, and how the jewel had been taken away by him. And she requested him to take immediate steps to avenge such a heinous crime.

Being thus informed Krishna, though pleased at heart, said to Satyabhāmā, assuming an indignant look—"This is an insult to me! I shall never brook it. One cannot destroy the birds that have built their nests on a tree without assailing it. Remove excessive grief therefore; you need not lament to excite my wrath". Immediately coming back to Dwārakā Krishna took Baladeva apart and said to him. "A lion slew Prasena while hunting in the forests; and now Satrajit has been killed by Satadhanwan. As both these are gone, the jewel which belonged to them, is now our common right. Up then, ascend your car and destroy Satadhanwan".

Being thus excited by his brother, Balarāma engaged in the work; but Satadhanwan being aware of their hostile intention went to Kritavarman and prayed for his help. Kritavarman did not agree saying that he was not able to fight with both Krishna and Baladeva. Being disappointed he again solicited Akrura for help who said—"You must go to some body else for help. How should I be able to defend you? Even none, amongst the celestials whose glories are chanted throughout the universe, is capable of fighting with the holder of the discus, trodden by whose foot the three worlds tremble, whose hand makes the wives of the Asuras widows, whose weapons,—no army, however powerful can resist;—no one is able to fight with the wielder of ploughshare, who by his very looks, nullifies the prowess of his enemies, whose eyes roll with the joys of wine, and whose huge ploughshare manifests his prowess by destroying the most powerful enemies". Whereto Satadhanwan replied—"While such is the case and you are unable assist me, you may at least help me by keeping this jewel in your possession". "I can keep it" Akrura said "if you promise that even in the last extremity you won't give out that the jewel is in my possession". Satadhanwan agreed to this and Akrura took the jewel. And mounting a fleet mare that could run a hundred leagues a day Satadhanwan fled from Dwārakā.

When this intelligence reached Krishna, he made ready his four horses Sarvya, Sugriva, Meghapushpa, and Balahakai, set them to his car and accompanied by Balarāma, started in his pursuit. The mare went on speedily and finished her hundred leagues but when she reached the country of Mithilā, her strength was exhausted and she dropped down and died. Having got down, Satadhanwan continued his flight on foot. When the pursuers came to the place where the mare had died Krishna said to Balarāma—"Do you remain in the car; I shall follow the villain on foot and kill him; the ground here is bad; and the horses will not be able to carry the car across it". Accordingly Balarāma remained in the car and Krishna followed Satadhanwan on foot. When he had pursued him for two Kos he discharged his discus and although Satadhanwan was at a considerable distance the weapon dissevered his head. He then searched his person and clothes very attentively but did not find the jewel. Then coming back he said to Balarāma—"I have for nothing destroyed Satadhanwan—for I have not found on his person the precious gem—the quintessence of all worlds". When Balarāma heard this, he was excited with anger and said to Vāsudeva—"Shame upon you—so greedy of wealth. I don't acknowledge you as my brother. Here is my path. Go wherever you like, I have done with Dwārakā, with you with all our house. It is useless for you to try to deceive me with these perjuries". Having remonstrated with his brother thus, who in vain tried to please him. Balarāma went to the city of Videha, where Janaka received him hospitably and there he remained. Vāsudeva came back to Dwārakā. While Balarāma stayed in the house of Janaka, Duryodhana, the son of Dhritarastra learnt from him the art of fighting with the mace.

In this way three years passed away. Babru, Ugrasena and other Yādavas then repaired to the city of Videha and convinced Balarāma that Krishna had stolen the jewel. They then brought him to Dwārakā.

Akrura too, to utilise the gold produced by the jewel, continually engaged in the celebration of sacrifices. Considering that the murderer of a Kshatriya or Vaiçya engaged in religious duties, is the slayer of Brahmin, Akrura spent sixty-two years being protected by the armour of devotion. And by virtue of that gem there was no death, nor pestilence in the whole country. At the end of that period, Satrughna, the great grandson of Satwata was killed by Bhojas. As they were connected with Akrura he accompanied them in their flight from Dwārakā. From the time of his departure various calamities, portents, snakes, dearth, plague and the like began to take place. Thereupon the illustrious Krishna called together Baladeva, Ugrasena and other Yādavas and consulted with them to ascertain why so many prodigies should have taken place at the same time. On this Andhaka one of the elders of the Yadu family spoke—"Wherever Swaphalka the father of Akrura lived, there famine, plague, dearth and other visitations were unknown. Once when there was want of rain in the kingdom of Kasirāja, Swaphalka was brought there and immediately there fell rain from the heavens. It also happened that the queen of Kasirāja conceived and was big with a child but when the time of delivery came the child did not come out of the womb. Twelve years went away and still the girl was unborn. Then the Kasirāja spoke to the child, saying 'Daughter, why is your birth thus delayed? Come out, I wish to see you; why do you inflict this continued suffering upon your mother?' Thus addressed the infant said—'O father, if you will present a cow daily to the Brahmans I shall be born at the end of three years'. Accordingly the king presented a cow every day to the Brahmans and at the end of three years the girl came out of the womb. Her father called her Gāndini and he afterwards gave her to Swaphalka when he came to his palace to help him. Gāndini as long as she lived, gave a cow to the Brahmans every day. Akrura was her son by Swaphalka. And he is thus born from a combination of extraordinary excellence. When such a person is absent from us it is likely that famine, pestilence and prodigies should take place. Let him then be requested to come back; the weak points of men of excellence should not be too severely criticized".

In accordance with the advice of Andhaka the elder, the Yādavas sent a mission headed by Kesava, Ugrasena and Balabhadra, to assure Akrura that no notice of his fault would be taken. And having convinced him that he would expect no danger they brought him back to Dwārakā. As soon as he arrived on account of the virtue of the jewel, the plague, dearth, famine and every other calamity and portent disappeared. Seeing this Krishna thought that the birth of Akrura from Gāndini and Swaphalka could not bring about such an effect and he must have some other more powerful virtue to arrest pestilence and famine. "Certainly" thought he within himself "the great Syamantaka jewel must be in his keeping, for these, as I have heard, are the properties of the jewel. Akrura too has been performing many sacrifices; his own means are not sufficient for the purpose, undoubtedly he has got the jewel in his possession". Having arrived at this conclusion, he called together all Yādavas at his house under the plea of celebrating some feast. After they had all taken their seals and the object of the meeting had been explained to them and the business finished Krishna began to converse with Akrura and laughing and joking, said to him—"Kinsman, you are a prince in your liberality and we know very well that the valuable gem which was stolen by Sudhanwan was given to you and is now in your possession, to the great benefit of this kingdom. So let it remain; we all derive advantage from its virtues. But Bhalabhadra suspects that I have it and therefore, out of kindness to me shew it to the assembly". When Akrura, who had the jewel in his possession, was thus taxed he hesitated what he should do. He thought—"If I deny that I have the jewel, they will search my person and find the gem hidden amongst my clothes. I cannot submit myself to a search". Thinking thus Akrura said to Nārāyana, the cause of the universe "It is true, Syamantaka jewel was given to my care by Satadhanwan when he left this place. I expected every day that you should ask me for it and with great inconvenience to myself I have retained it. The care of this has put me to so much anxiety that I have not been able to enjoy any pleasure or a moment's rest. Being afraid lest you might think, that I am unfit to keep this jewel which is the source of welfare to the kingdom I did not mention to you that it is in my possession. Now take it yourself and give its charge to any body you like". Having said this Akrura got out of his clothes a small gold box and took from it the jewel. When it was shown to the assembled Yādavas the room in which they sat was illuminated with its radiance, "This" said Akrura "is the Syamantaka jewel which was left to my care by Satadhanwan. Let him to whom it belongs now take it".

When the Yādavas saw the jewel they were filled with surprise and loudly expressed their joy. Balabhadra immediately claimed the jewel as his property jointly with Achyuta as was formerly settled; whereas Satyabhāmā wanted it as her rightful property for it belonged to her father. Between these two Krishna considered himself as an ox between the two wheels of a cart, and thus said to Akrura in presence of the Yadavas—"This jewel has been shown to you all in order to clear my reputation; it is the joint-property of Balabhadra and myself and is the paternal property of Satyabhāmā. But as a source of advantage to the kingdom this jewel must be consigned to the charge of one who leads a life of perpetual continence; if worn by an impure man it will prove the cause of his death. As I have sixteen thousand wives I am not qualified to use it. It is not probable that Satyabhāmā would agree to the conditions, satisfying which she may possess it And as regards Balabhadra, he is greatly addicted to wine and sensual pleasures. We are therefore all out of question. All the Yādavas, Balabhadra, Satyabhāmā and myself request you, most liberal Akrura, to keep this jewel in your possession, as you have done up to this time for the general behoof; for you are qualified to keep it and in your hands it has proved beneficial to the country. You must comply with your request".

Thus requested Akrura took the jewel and thenceforth wore it publicly round his neck where it shone with dazzling radiance and he moved about like the sun wearing a garland of light.

He, who remembers the vindication of Krishna's character from false charges, shall never be subject to any false charge in the least degree and living in the full display of senses, shall be freed from every sin.

SECTION XIV.

Parāçara said:—The younger brother of Anamitra was Sini, whose son was Satyaka, whose son was Yuyudhana, otherwise known as Satyaki, whose son was Asanga, whose son was Yuni, whose son was Yugandhara. These princes were named Saineyas.

Prisni was born in the race of Anamitra, whose son was Swaphalka the purity of whose character has been described; the younger brother of Swaphalka was named Chitraka. Swaphalka had by Gāndini, besides Akrura, Upamadgu, Mridura, Sarimejaya, Giri, Kshatropa, Kshatra, Satrughna, Arimarddana, Dharmadhris, Dhristasarman, Gandha, Mojavaha and Prativaha. He had also a daughter, named Sutāra.

Devavat and Upadeva were the sons of Akrura. The sons of Chitrika were Pritha and Vipritha and many others. Andhaka had four sons, Lukkura, Bhojamana, Suchi, Kambalavarhish. The son of Kukkura was Vrishta, whose son was Kapotaroman, whose son was Viloman, whose son was Bhava, who was otherwise named Chandanodakadunbubhi; he was a friend of the Gandharva Tumburu; his son was Abhejit, whose son was Punarvasu, whose son was Ahuka; he had also a daughter called Ahuki. The sons of Ahuka were Devaka and Ugrasena. The former had four sons Devavat, Upadeva, Sudeva and Devarakshita And seven daughters—Vrikadevā, Upadevā, Devarakshitā, Sridevā, Santidevā, Sahadeva and Devaki; and all the daughters were married to Vasudeva. The sons of Ugrasena were Kansa, Nyagroddha, Sunaman, Kanka, Sanka, Subhumi, Rashtrapala, Yuddhamushthi, and Yushtimat and her daughters were Kansa, Kausavati, Sutana, Rashtrapali and Kanki.

The son of Bhajamana was Viduratha, whose son was Sura, whose son was Samin, whose son was Pratikshatra, whose son was Swayambhoja whose son was Hrideka, who had Kritavarma, Satadhana, Devamidusha and others. Sura, the son of Devamidhusa, was married to Marisha and had by her ten sons, When Vasudeva, who was one of these sons, was born, the celestials, to whom future is known, foresaw that the divine being would be born in his race and they therefore joyously sounded the celestial drums and accordingly Vasudeva was named Anakadundubhi. His brothers were Devabhaga, Devasravas, Anadhristi, Karundhaka, Vatsabalaka, Srinjaya, Syama, Samika and Gandusha. They had five sisters who were named Pritha, Srutadeva, Srutakirti, Srutasrava and Rājādhidevi.

Sura had a friend named Kuntibhoja who had no son. And to him he presented duly his daughter Pritha. She was married to Pandu and bore him Yudhishthira, Bhima and Arjuna who were in reality the sons of the deities Dharma, Vayu and Indra. And whilst she was a maiden she had a son named Karna begotten by the divine sun. Pandu had another wife named Madri who had by the twin sons of Aditya, Nasatya and Basra, two sons, Nakula and Sahadeva.

A Karusha prince by name Vriddhasarman married Srutadeva and begot on her a dreadful Asura named Dantavaktra. Dhristaketu king of Kaikeya, married Srutakirti and had by her Santarddana and four others sons known as the five Kaikeyas. Jayasena, king of Avanti married Rājādhidevi and had two sons, Vinda and Anavinda. Damaghosa, the king of Chedi, married Srutasravās and begot on her a son named Sisupala. This prince in his pristine birth, was the wicked and valiant king of the Daityas, Hiranyakashipu, who was killed by the divine guardian of creation. He was in another birth was born as the ten-headed Ravana, whose unequalled, strength, prowess and power were overcome by Rāma, the lord of the three worlds. Having been destroyed by the deity in the shape of Raghava, he was exempted from an embodied state for a long time as a reward of his virtues but had now been born once more as Sisupala the son of Damaghosa, king of Chedi, In this character he began to show greatest hostility towards Krishna an incarnate portion of the glorious Pundarikaksha to carry the burden of the world. He was killed by the great God. And on account of his thoughts being entirely devoted to him Sisupala was united with him after death; for the lord giveth to those with whom he is propitiated what they desire and he confers a heavenly and exalted station even upon those whom he destroys in displeasure.

SECTION XV.

Maitreya said:—Being killed by Vishnu as Hiranyakashipu and Ravana he obtained enjoyments which are not attainable even by the immortals. Why did they not obtain absorption albeit slain by Vishnu? And why as Sisupala were they absorbed into the eternal Hari? O foremost of those conversant with religion, I wish to hear of all these; I am greatly stricken with curiosity; do thou relate them.

Parāçara said:—When the creator, preserver and destroyer of the universe killed Hiranyakashipu, the king of Daityas, he assumed the figure of a lion and man, he was not aware that his slayer was Vishnu. He thought this wonderful figure was but the creation of his accumulated piety.

And the quality of passion being predominant in his mind he obtained destruction from man-lion. And in consequence of his death at the hands of Vishnu be obtained sovereignty over three worlds and immense riches and enjoyments as Dasāsana. He was not absorbed into the supreme spirit that is without beginning or end because his mind was not wholly devoted to that object. Dasāsana, thus being entirely subject to love and being entirely taken up by thoughts of Janaki, could not perceive that the son of Dasaratha whom he saw, was in fact the divine Achyuta. At the time of his death he was impressed with the idea that his enemy was a mortal and therefore the fruit he obtained from being slain by Vishnu was his birth in the illustrious family of the kings of Chedi and the possession of extensive dominions. And he was known as Sisupala. In this birth many circumstances occurred by which he was constrained to utter the name of the great God and on all these occasions the enmity, that had accumulated through successive births, influenced his mind. And always speaking disrespectfully of Achyuta he repeated all his names. Whether walking, eating, sitting, or sleeping his enmity was never at rest and Krishna was always present to his mind in his ordinary form, having eyes like lotus-petals, clad and bright yellow raiment, adorned with a garland, with bracelets on his arms and wrists and a diadem on his crown; having four stalwart arms bearing the conch, the discus, the mace and the lotus. Uttering his names always although in malediction Krishna was always present in his mind, and while inflicting his death Sisupāla saw him radiant with shining weapons and in his true Brahma form void of passion and enmity. Being slain by the discus of Vishnu at this moment all his sins were removed by his divine enemy and he was united with him by whose might be destroyed.

I have thus related to you everything. He, who names or remembers the glorious Vishnu even in the enmity obtains final emancipation which is not attainable by the gods or demons. It is useless to say that he, who reverentially names or remembers him, obtains final liberation.

Vasudeva, otherwise named Anakadundubhi, and Rohini, Pauravi, Bhadra, Madira, Devaki and several other wives. His sons by Rohini were Balabhadra, Sārana, Saru, Durmada, and others. Balabhadra married Revati and had by her Nisatha and Ulmaka. The sons of Sarana were Marshti, Marshtimat, Sisu, Satyadhriti, and others. Bhadraswa, Bhadrabahu, Durgama, Bhuta and others were born in the race of Rohini. The son of Vasudeva by Madirā were Nanda, Upananda, Kritaka and others. By his wife Vinsāli he had one son named Kausika. Devaki before him six sons: Kritimat, Sushena, Udayin, Bhadrasena, Rijudāsa and Bhadradeha all of whom were killed by Kansa.

When Devaki was again big with a child the seventh time, Yoganidrā (the sleep of devotion), dispatched by Vishnu, extricated the embryo from maternal womb at the mid-night and transferred it to that of Rohini; and from having been thus taken away, the child (who was Balarāma) received the name of Sankarshnā. Being desirous of relieving the world of the burden, the divine Vishnu, the source of the vast universe, beyond the understanding of all gods, demons sages, and men, past, present or future, worshipped of Brahmā and all the celestials, who is without beginning, middle or end, descended into the womb of Devaki and was born as her son Vasudeva. Yaganidrā, always proud to satisfy his orders, removed the embryo to Yasodā the wife of Nanda, the cow-herd. At this birth the earth was relieved of all sins; the sun, moon and planets shone with unclouded brilliance; all fear of evil portents was removed and universal happiness prevailed. And from the time of his birth people were led into the righteous path.

Whilst this powerful being lived in the land of mortals he had sixteen thousand and one hundred wives of whom the Principal were Rukmini, Satyabhāmā, Jamvabati, Jalahasini and four others. The divine Krishna, the universal form without beginning, begot on all these wives a hundred and eighty thousand sons, of whom thirteen were most celebrated: Pradyumna, Charudeshna, Samba and others. Pradyumna married Kakudwati, the daughter of Rukmini and had by her Aniruddha. Aniruddha married Subhadrā, the granddaughter of the same Rukmini and she bore him a son named Vajra. The son of Vajra and Bāhu and his son was Suchāru.

In this way the members of the Yadu family increased and were many hundreds of thousands of them so that it would be impossible to repeat their names in hundreds of years. Two verses regarding them are recited. "The domestic teachers of the boys in the use of arms numbered three crores and eighty lacs. Who shall enumerate the powerful members of the Yadava family who were tens of ten thousands and hundreds of hundred thousands in number?" Those powerful Daityas, who were slain by them in the encounter between the gods and demons, were born again on earth as men, as tyrants and oppressors. With a view to arrest their violence the gods also descended to the land of mortals and became members of the hundred and one branches of the family of Yadu. Vishnu was their teacher and ruler and all the members were obedient to his commands.

Whoever hears often times of this account of the origin of the heroes of the race of Vrishni shall be freed from all iniquities and shall attain to the region of Vishnu.

SECTION XVI.

Parāçara said:—I shall now briefly give you an account of the descendants of Turvasu.

The son of Turvasa was Tahni, whose son was Gobhanu, whose son was Traisamba, whose son was Karandhama, whose son was Marutta. Marutta had no issue and he therefore adopted Dushyanta of the race of Puru by which the line of Turvasa merged into that of Puru. This was brought about by the curse imprecated on his son by Yayati.

SECTION XVII.

The son of Druhya was Babhru, whose son was Setu, whose son was Aradwat, whose son was Gandhara, whose son was Dharma, whose son was Dhrita, whose son was Duryaman, whose son was Prachetas, who had a hundred sons and they were the princes of the lawless Mlechehhas or barbarians of the north.

SECTION XVIII.

Anu, the fourth son of Yayati, had three sons, Sabhanara, Chakshusha and Paramekshu. The son of the first was Kālānara, whose son was Srinjaya, whose son was Puranjaya, whose son was Janamenjaya, whose son was Mahāmani, whose son was Mahāmanas, who had two sons, Ushinara and Titikshu. Ushinara had five sons: Sivi, Trina, Gara, Krimi, Darvan. Sivi had four sons: Vrishadarva, Suvira, Kaikeya and Madra. Titikshu had one son Ushadratha, whose son was Hema, whose son was Sutapas, whose was Bali, on whose spouse five sons were begotten by Dirghatamas—namely Anga, Banga, Kalinga, Sauhma and Pundra and their progeny and the countries they inhabited were known by the same names.

The son of Anga was Para, whose son was Divaratha, whose son was Dharmaratha, whose son was Chitraratha, whose son was Romapāda also called Dasaratha, to whom on account of his having no offspring, Dasaratha, the son of Aja gave his daughter Sāntā to be adopted. After this Romapāda had a son named Chaturanga, whose son was Prithulaksha, whose son was Champā who founded the city of Champā. The son of Champā was Haryyanga, whose son was Bhadraratha, who had two sons, Vrihatkatman and Vrihadratha. The son of the former was Vrihadbhanu, whose son was Vrihanmanas, whose son was Jayadratha, who by a wife who was the daughter of a Kshatriya father and Brāhman mother, had a son named Vijaya.

Vijaya had a son whose name was Dhriti, whose son was Dritabrata, whose son was Satyakarman, whose son was Adiratha who found a son in a basket on the banks of the Ganges. This was Karna, the son of Pritha in her maidenhood. Karna's son was Vrishasena. These were the Anga kings. I shall now describe to you the descendants of Puru.

SECTION XIX.

Parāçara said:—The son of Puru was Janamenjaya, whose son was Prāchinvat, whose son was Pravira, whose son was Manasyu, whose son was Bhayada, whose son was Sudyunna, whose son was Bahugava, whose son was Samyati, whose son was Ahamyati, whose son was Raudraswa, who had ten sons: Riteyu, Kaksheyu, Sthanditeyu, Ghriteyu, Jaleyu, Sthaleyu, Santaleyu, Dhaneyu, Vaneyu, and Vrateyu. The son of Riteyu was Rantināra, whose sons were Tansu, Apratirtha and Dhruva. The son of the second of these was Kanwa, whose son was Medhātithi, from whom the Kanwayana Brāhmanas were sprung. Anila was the son of Tansu, who had four sons of whom Dushyanta was the elder. The son of Dushymanta was the Emperor Bharata regarding whom a verse is recited by the celestials. "The mother is merely the receptable; it is the father by whom a son is begotten. Rear up thy son, Dushyamanta, treat not Sakuntalā with disrespect. Sons, who are born from the loins of their father, save their manes from hell. Thou art father of this boy; Sakuntalā has spoken the truth".

Bharata begat on his wives nine sons, beholding whom he said that they were not after him. The queens, being afraid lest he might desert them, destroyed those sons. The birth of sons being thus useless the king celebrated a sacrifice in honour of Maruts. They gave him Bharadwaja, the son of Vrihaspati by Mamatā, the wife of Utathya, expelled untimely by the kick of his half brother Dirghatamas. The following verse explains the meaning of the name—"Silly woman" said Vrihaspati "cherish this child of two fathers (Bhara-dwa-jam)". "No, Vrihaspati" replied Mamatā "you take care of him". So saying they both left him and from these expressions the boy was named Bharadwaja. He was also called Vitatha for both the sons of Bharata proved fruitless. The son of Vitatha was Bhavanmanya, who had many sons, the principals among whom were Vrihatkshatra, Mahaviryya, Nara and Garga. The son of Narn was Sankriti, whose sons were Ruchiradhi and Rantideva. The son of Garga was Sini and their progeny were respectively called Gargyas and Sainyas; although Kshatriyas by birth they became Brāhmans. The son of Mahaviryya was Urukshaya, who had three sons: Trayyaruna, Pushkarin and Kapi, the last of whom became a Brahman. The son of Vrihatkshatra was Suhotta, whose son was Hastin, who founded the city of Hastināpur. The sons of Hastin were Ajamidha, Dwimidha, Purumidha. One son of Ajamidha was Kanwa, whose son was Medhatithi; his other son was Vrihadishu, whose son was Vrihadvasu, whose son was Vrihatkarman, whose son was Jayadratha, whose son was Viswajit, whose son was Senajit, whose sons were Ruchiraswa, Kasya, Dridhadhanusha and Vasahana. The son of Ruchiraswa was Prithusena, whose son was Pāra, whose son was Nipa, who had a hundred sons, of whom the chief Samara was the king of Kampilya. Samara had three sons: Para, Sampara, Sadāswa. The son of Para was Pritha, whose son was Sukriti, whose son was Vibhrata, whose son was Anuha, who married Kritwi, the daughter of Suka and had by her Brahmadatta, whose son was Viswaksena, whose son was Udaksena and whose son was Bhallata.

The son of Dwimidha was Yavinara, whose son was Dhrtimat, whose son was Satyadhriti, whose son was Dridhanemi, whose son was Suparswa, whose son was Sumati, whose son was Sannatimat, whose son was Krita, who was taught by Hiramyanabha, the philosophy of Yoga and who compiled the twenty-four Sanhitas for the use of the eastern Brāhmanas studying the Sama Veda. The son of Krita was Ugrayudhas, who by his power destroyed the Nipa race of Kshatriyas. His son was Kshemya, whose son was Suirra, whose son was Nripanjaya, whose son was Baharatha. These were all called Pauravas.

Ajamidha espoused Nilini and by her had a son called Nilaj whose son was Santi, whose son was Susanti, whose son was Purujanu, whose son was Chakshu, whose son was Harryaswa, who had five sons: Mudgala, Srinjaya, Vrihadishu, Pravira and Kampilya. Their father said—"These five sons of mine are capable of protecting the countries" and hence they were called Panchalas—(i.e. Pancha—five and alam—able). From Mudgala sprang the Maudgahya Brāhmans. He had also a son called Bahwaswa, who had two children, twins, a son and daughter—Divodasa and Ahalya. The son of Saradwat or Gautama by Ahalya was Sātanands, whose son was Satyadhriti, who was well versed in military science. Being enamoured of the nymph Urvasi, Satyadriti begot on her two children, a boy and a daughter. The king Sāntanu, a-hunting, found their children in a clump of long Sara grass and feeling pity for them took them and reared them up. As they were brought up through Kripā, pity, they were called Kripa and Kripi. The latter became the wife of Drona and the mother of Aswathāman.

The son of Divodasa was Mitrāyu, whose son was Chyavanna, whose son was Sudāsa, whose son was Saudāsa, also called Sahadeva, whose son was Somaka, who had a hundred sons of whom the eldest was Jantu and the youngest was Prishata. The son of Prishata was Drupada, whose son was Dhrishtadyumna, whose son was Drishtaketu.

Another son of Ajamidha was called Riksha, whose son was Samvarāna, whose son was Kuru, who gave his name to the holy district Kurukshetra. His sons were Sudhanush, Jahnu, Parikshit, and many others. The son of Sudanush was Suhotra, whose son was Chyavana, whose son was Kritaka, whose son was Uparichara the Vasu, who had seven children: Vrihadratha, Pratyagra, Kusamba, Mavella, Matysa and others. The son of Vrihadratha was Kusagra, whose son was Rishabha, whose son was Pushpavat, whose son was Satyadhrita, whose son was Sudhanwan, whose son was Jantu. Vrihadratha had another son. He was born in two parts which were joined together by a female fiend named Jarā and accordingly he was named Jarāsandha. His son was Sahadeva, whose son was Somāpi, whose son was Srutasravas. These were the kings of Magadha.

SECTION XX.

Parāçara said:—Parikshit had four sons—Janamejaya, Srutasena, Ugrasena and Bhimasena. The son of Jahnu was Surathai whose son was Viduratha, whose son was Sarvabhauma, whose son was Jayasena Aravin, whose son was Ayutayus, whose son was Akrodhana; one of his sons was Devatithi and another was called Riksha, whose son was Dilipa, whose son was Pratipa, who had three sons, Devāpi, Sāntanu, and Bāhlika. The first took to a forest life in childhood and Sāntanu became the king. Regarding him this verse is recited throughout the earth—"Sāntanu is his name because if he places his hands upon an old man he restores him to youth and by him men obtain tranquility".

In Sāntanu's kingdom there was not rain for twelve years. When he perceived that the whole kingdom was about to be devastated he called together all the Brāhmans and said to them—"Why does not the God pour rains in my kingdom? What fault have I committed?" They told him that he was as it were a younger brother married before sm elder for he was governing the kingdom which was the rightful property of his elder brother. "What then am I to do?" said the king. The Brāhmanas replied—"As long as the Brāhmanas shall not be displeased with Devāpi on account of his deviating from the path of righteousness the kingdom is his; you should therefore give it over to him". When the minister of the king Amarisarin heard this he collected a number of ascetics who taught doctrines opposed to those of the Vedas and sent them into the forest. They met Devāpi, perverted the understanding of the simple-minded prince and led him to cherish heretical notions. Being informed of his offence by the Brāhmanas, Sāntanu was greatly pained. Accordingly he sent them before him into the forest and then went there himself to restore the kingdom to his elder brother. When the Brāhmans reached the hermitage of Devāpi they informed him, that, according to the doctrines of the Vedas, succession to a kingdom was the right of the elder brother. But he discussed with them and set forth various arguments which were opposed to the teachings of the Vedas. When the Brāhmans heard this they looked towards Sāntanu and said "Come here king you need not put yourself further trouble in this matter. The dearth is gone, this man has fallen from his condition for he uttered disrespectful words to the authority of the eternal uncreated Veda. When the elder brother goes down to a degraded state there is no sin consequent upon prior espousals of his junior". Thereupon Sāntanu came back to his capital and governed the kingdom as before; his elder brother was degraded for declaring doctrines opposed to the Vedas. Indra poured down abundant rain, which was followed by rich harvests.

The son of Bahlika was Somadatta, who had three sons: Bhuri, Bhurisravas and Sala, The son of Sāntanu was the well known and the learned Bhishma, who was born to him by the holy Gangā. He had by his wife Satyavati two sons, Chitrangada and Vichitraviryya. Chitrangada, in his youth was slain in an encounter with a Gandharbha called Chitrangada. Vichitraviryya married Ambā and Ambālika, the daughters of the king of Kasi, and enjoying too much connubial pleasures was attacked with consumption and died. By command of Satyavati, my son Krishna-Daipāyana, who was always obedient to his mother, begot upon the widows of his brother, the princes Dhritarastra and Pandu and upon a female servant Vidura. Dritarashtra had Duryodhana, Dushāsana and others to the extent of a hundred. Having incurred the imprecation of a deer whose mate he had slain in a chase, Pandu was prevented from procreating children. Accordingly his wife Kunti bore to him three sons who were begotten by the deities, Dharma, Vayu and Indra—namely Yudhishthira, Bhima and Arjuna. His wife Madri had two sons by the sons of Aswini—namely Nakula and Sahadeva. These each had a son by Draupadi. The son of Yudhishthira was Prativindhya; of Bhima, Srutasoma; of Arjuna, Srutakirti; of Nakula, Satanika, and of Sahadeva, Srutakarman. The Pandavas had also other sons. By his wife Yaudheyi Yudhishthira had Devaka; Bhima had by Hidemba, Ghatotkacha, and had another by his wife Kasi, Sarvatraga. Sadeva had by Vijaya, Suhotra and Niramitra was the son of Nakula by Karenutmati. Arjuna had Irāvat by the serpent nymph Ulupi—by the daughter of the king of Manipur he had Babrubabana, who was adopted by his maternal grand father, by his wife Subhadrā, Abhimanyu, who even in his boy-hood was famous for valour and strength and crushed the enemies' cars in fight. The son of Abhimanyu by his wife Uttarā was Parikshit, who after the destruction of all the Kurus, was killed in his mother's womb by the weapon hurled by Aswathama. But by the mercy of Krishna at whose feet bow all the gods and demons and who for his own pleasure had assumed human shape he was restored to life. This Parikshit now governs the earth with undisputed sway.

SECTION XXI.

Parāçara said:—I shall now give you an account of the future kings. He, who is the sovereign now, shall have four sons, namely Janamejaya, Srutasena, Ugrasena, and Bhimasena. The son of Janamejaya shall be Satāneeka. He shall study the Vedas from Jagnawalka, learn the use of weapons from Kripa and then disassociate himself from worldly affairs. And then receiving instructions regarding the knowledge of self from Saunaka he shall attain final liberation.

From Satineeka shall be born Aswamedhadatta, whose son shall be Adhiseemakrishna and whose son shall be Nichakshu who shall reside in Kusambhi, when Hastināpur shall be at the bed of the Ganges. Nichakshu's son shall be Ushna, whose son shall be Chitraratha, whose son shall be Suchiratha, whose son shall be Brishnimān, whose son shall be Sushena, whose son shall be Suneetha, whose son shall be Richa, whose son shall be Nrichakshu, whose son shall be Sukhabala, whose son shall be Pariplava, whose son shall be Sunaya, whose son shall be Medhabee, whose son shall be Nripanjaya, whose son shall be Mridu, whose son shall be Tigma, whose son shall be Trihadratha, whose son shall be Vasudāna, whose son shall be the second Sataneeka, whose son shall be Udayana, whose son shall be Aheenara, whose son shall be Khandapani, whose son shall be Niramitra, whose son shall be Kshemaka. The following verse is recited of Kshemaka—"The family of Kuru, that has produced many Brāhmanas and Kshatriyas, that has been ornamented by many a royal saint, shall end with Kshemaka in the Kali Yuga".

SECTION XXII.

Parāçara said:—I shall now engage in giving you an account of the future kings of the Ikshawku race.

The son of Vrihadvala shall be Vrihatkshana, whose son shall be Guruksepa, whose son shall be Vatsa, whose son shall be Vatsabhuha, whose son shall be Pratibyoma, whose son shall be Divākara, whose son shall be Sahadeva, whose son shall be Vrihadaswa, whose son shall be Bhānuratha, whose son shall be Suprateeka, whose son shall be Marudeva, whose son shall be Sunakshatra, whose son shall be Kinnara, whose son shall be Antariksha, whose son shall be Suverna, whose son shall be Amitrajit, whose son shall be Vrihadwāja, whose son shall be Dharma, whose son shall be Kritanjaya, whose son shall be Rananjaya, whose son shall be Sanjaya, whose son shall be Sakya, whose son shall be Krudhodana, whose son shall be Rātula, whose son shall be Prasenajit, whose son shall be Kshrudraka, whose son shall be Kundaka, whose son shall be Suratha, whose son shall be the second Sumitra. These kings of the Ikswaku family are the descendants of Vrihadvala. There is a verse often recited regarding this race—"The family of Ikshawku shall extend up to Sumitra; with this king the family shall end in the Kali Yuga".

SECTION XXIII.

Parāçara said:—I shall now describe to you the future kings of Magadha sprung from Vrihadratha. In this race were born Jarāsandha and other powerful kings.

The son of Jarāsandha shall be Sahadeva, whose son shall be Somāpi, whose son shall be Srutavan, whose son shall be Ayutayu, whose son shall be Niramitra, whose son shall be Sukshatra, whose son shall be Vrihatkarman, whose son shall be Senajit, whose son shall be Srutanjaya, whose son shall be Vipra, whose son shall be Suchi, whose son shall be Kshemya, whose son shall be Subrata, whose son shall be Dharma, whose son shall be Susrama, whose son shall be Drirasena, whose son shall be Sumati, whose son shall be Subala, whose son shall be Satyajit, and whose son shall be Ripunjaya. The kings of the race of Vrihadratha shall reign for a thousand years.

SECTION XXIV.

Parāçara said:—Ripunjaya, the last king of the race of Vrihadratha, shall have minister by the name of Sunika. Slaying his Master he shall place his own son Prodyuta on the throne. He shall have a son by the name of Palaka, whose son shall be Visākayupa, whose son shall be Janaka, whose son shall be Nandivardana. These five kings of the family of Prodyuta shall govern the earth for a hundred and thirty eight years.

Thereupon Sisunāga (shall become the king). His son shall be Kākavarna, whose son shall be Kshemadarman, whose son shall be Kshatraujas whose son shall be Vidmisara, whose son shall be Ajatasatru, whose son shall be Darvaka, whose son shall be Udayashwa, whose son shall be Nanrdivardana, whose son shall be Mahanandi. These ten kings of the family of Sisunāga shall lord over the earth for three hundred and sixty-two years.

Mahapandi shall beget a son on a Sudra woman by name, Mahapadma Nanda, who shall be very avaricious and shall extirpate all the Kshatriyas like Parashurama. From that time Sudra kings shall govern the earth. And this Mahapadma shall enjoy the earth as lord paramount, and his commands shall no where be disobeyed. He shall have eight sons—Sumatya and others. Mahapadma and his eight sons shall reign for a hundred years. Thereupon a Brahman by name Kantilya shall root out Nanda and his sons.

After the family of Nanda, Mauryas shall lord over the earth. This Kantilya shall install the Maurya king Chandra-Gupta on the throne. He shall have a son by name Vindusāra, whose son shall be Asokavardana, whose son shall be Sujasas, whose son shall be Dasaratha, whose son' shall be Sangata, whose son shall be Sālisuka, whose son shall be Vrihadratha. These Maurya kings shall reign for a hundred and seventy-three years. After them the Sungas will enjoy the earth.

Thereupon slaying his own master the Commander-in-Chief Pushpamitra shall establish himself on the throne. His son shall be Agnimitra, whose son shall be Sujestsha, whose son shall be Vasumitra, whose son shall be Ardraka, whose son shall be Pulindaka, whose son shall be Ghosavasu, whose son shall be Vajramitra, whose son shall be Vagabata, whose son shall be Devabhuti. These ten Sunga kings shall reign for one hundred and twelve years. Thereafter the Kanwa kings shall lord over the earth. Slaying his own master, the Sunga king Devabhuti who shall be addicted to gambling, the minister Vasudeva shall place himself on the throne. His son shall be Vumimitra, whose son shall be Nārāyana, whose son shall be Susarma. These four Kanwa kings shall reign for forty-five years..

A servant by name Sipraka of the race of Andra shall slay Susarma, the last Kanwa king and by force place himself on the throne. Thereafter his brother Krishna shall govern the earth. Krishna's son shall be Purnotsanga, whose son shall be Lambodara, whose son shall be Durlaka, whose son shall be Meghaswati, whose son shall be Paruman, whose son shall be Aristhakarman, whose son shall be Hāl, whose son shall be Pathalaka, whose son shall be Prabillasen, whose son shall be the beautiful Sātakarni, whose son shall be Sivaswati, whose son shall be Gomatipatra, whose son shall be Patimari, whose son shall be Sivasreesatakarma, whose son shall be Sivashkandha, whose son shall be Yajnasree, whose son shall be Vijaya, whose son shall be Chandrasree, whose son shall be Pulomarchi. These thirty illustrious Andhra kings will govern the earth for four hundred and fifty years.

Thereafter seven kings of the Avira race, sixteen kings of Gardavila race and sixteen Saka kings shall respectively govern the earth.

Thereupon eight Yavana kings, fourteen Tukhara kings, thirteen Munda kings, and eighteen Manu kings shall rule the earth for thirteen hundred and ninety-nine years. Thereafter eleven Paura kings shall govern the earth for three hundred years.

When the Pauras shall spread all over the earth the Yavanas of Kailakila shall become kings. And amongst them one Viridhyasakti shall be the lord paramount. His son shall be Paranjaya, whose son shall be Ramchandra, whose son shall be Dharma, whose son shall be Varanga, whose son shall be Kritamandana, whose son shall be Sashinandi, whose son shall be Nandiyasā, whose son shall be Sisaka, whose son shall be Pravira. These nine kings shall reign for a hundred and sixty years.

Thereafter thirteen kings of this family, three of Valheeka, Pushpamitra, Parupmitra and Padmamitra, the nine kings of Saptakosala and then again nine kings of the country of Nishdha shall respectively flourish.

One king of the city of Magadha by name Viswasphatika shall create many a new mixed caste. He will root out the Kshatriya or martial race and elevate fishermen, barbarians and Brāhmans and other castes to power. The nine Nāgas will reign in Padmāvati, Kāntipuri, and Mathurā; and the Guptas of Magadha along the Ganges to Prayaga. A king by name Devarakshita will reign in a city on the sea shore over the Kosalas, Pundras and Tāmraliptas. The Guhas will occupy Kalinga, Māhihaka and the mountains of Mahendra. The race of Manidhanu will occupy the countries of Nishādas, Naimishikas and Kalatyas. The people called Kanakas will occupy the Amazon country and that called Mushika. People of the degraded three tribes and Abhiras and Sudras will occupy Saurāshtra, Avanti Sura Arbuda and Marubhumi. And Sudras, outcasts and barbarians will occupy the banks of the Jadus, Darvika, the Chandrabhāgā and Kashmir.

These and all the contemporary kings will be of churlish spirit; violent temper and always addicted to falsehood and wickedness. They will destroy women, children and cows; they will seize upon the property of their subjects, will be of limited power; they will rapidly rise and fall; the duration of their life will be very short; they will form high expectations and acquire very little piety.

The people of the countries, they will rule over, will imbibe the same nature. And the barbarians being powerful under royal patronage will destroy the subjects. Wealth and virtue will decrease day by day until the whole world will be depraved. Wealth will be the test of pedigree and virtue; passion will be the only tie of marriage; falsehood will be the only means of success in litigation; and women will be merely the objects of sensual gratification. Earth will be respected for its mineral treasures; sacrificial thread will be the only test of a Brāhman; external marks will constitute the only distinction of orders and wickedness will be the only means of livelihood. Weakness will be the cause of dependence; menace will be the cause of learning; gifts only will constitute virtue; wealth will be the only sign of honesty; simple ablution will be purification; mutual consent will be the marriage; a man wearing good clothes will be considered honest and water at a distance will be considered a holy spring. When the world will be thus sunk in faults, he, who will be the strongest amidst those castes, shall be the king; They will grow avaricious and the subjects, unable to bear the burden of various taxes, will take refuge amongst the valleys of the mountains and will be glad to feed upon wild honey, herbs, roots, fruits, flowers and leaves: their only covering will be the bark of trees and they will be exposed to the cold and wind and sun and rain. No man shall live more than three and twenty years. Thus in the end of the Kali Yuga most of human-kind will be annihilated.

Thus when the ceremonies of the Vedas and the institutes of law shall nearly have ceased, and the end of the Kali Yuga will approach, a portion of that divine being, who is the creator of the whole universe, preceptor of the mobile and immobile, who is the beginning and end of all, who is at one with all, who is identical with Brahmā and all created beings, shall incarnate himself on earth. He will be born in the family of Vishnuyasas, an eminent Brāhman of Sambhala village as Kalki gifted with the eight superhuman faculties. By his irrepressible power he will slay all the Mlechchhas and thieves and all those who are addicted to sins. His greatness and might shall be unobstructed.

He shall again establish virtue on earth and when the Kali Yuga will completely close, the remaining people shall be awakened and their minds shall be as pure as crystal. The people thus purified shall be the seeds of human beings and shall procreate a progeny who shall follow the laws of Krita-age. A verse is recited regarding this—"When the sun, moon, and the lunar asterism Tishya and the planet Jupiter are in mansion the Krita age shall come back".

Thus, O great sage, I have enumerated all the kings of the solar and lunar dynasties—those who are past and those who are present and those who shall be. From the birth of the king Parikshit and up to the installation of king Nanda it is to be known that 1065 years have passed. When the two first stars of the seven Rishis rise in the heavens and some lunar asterism is seen at night at an equal distance then the seven Rishis continue stationary in that conjunction for a hundred years of men. At the birth of the king Parikshit they were in Magha and the Kali Yuga then began which consists of twelve hundred divine years.

When the portion of Vishnu born in the race of Yadu went back to heaven the Kali Yuga set in. But as long as he touched with his lotus feet the earth the Kali Yuga could not effect it. As soon as the incarnation of the eternal Vishnu has departed, Yudhisthira the son of Dharma and his brothers renounced the kingdom. Seeing evil omens, on the departure of Krishna the son of Pandu installed Parikshit on the throne. When seven Rishis will be in Parvashadha, then Nanda will begin to reign and thenceforth the influence of Kali will increase.

The day of Krishna's departure from the earth will be the first of the Kali Yaga, the duration of which you shall learn from me. It will continue tor 360,800 years of men. After twelve hundred divine years the Krita-age shall come back.

Thus, O foremest of twice-born ones, thousands of eminent Brāhmans, Kshatriyas, Vasyas, and Sudras have passed away. It will be tautology and useless to mention the names and numbers of them born in various families. I therefore refrain from doing so.

The king Devapi of the Puru race and Maru of the Ikswaku race, by virtue of their great asceticism, are residing in the village of Kalapa. When the Krita-age shall set in they will come to the city and give origin to the Kshatriya dynasties. In this wise the earth is occupied through every series of the first three ages, Krita, Treta and Dwāpara by the descendants of Manu. As Devapi and Maru are still living so one of them remains in the Kali Yuga, to serve as the seed of the renewed generations.

I have thus related to you briefly the families of the various kings. To relate them at length would be impossible in a hundred lives.

The kings mentioned above and others, who assuming frail bodies have ruled over the ever-during world, and being binded by illusions have indulged the feeling—"This earth is mine—it is my son's—it belongs to my dynasty," have gone away. Those who reigned before them, those who succeeded them, those who will be kings in future, have ceased and shall cease to be. The earth, with her autumnal flowers, as if smiles, beholding the king eager for conquest and fightings. Hear, O Maitrya, I shall now recite some verses that were chanted by Earth and which the Muni Asita communicated to Janaka, whose banner was virtue, "How greatly are the princes, although reasonable, mistaken, that they consider themselves immortal when they themselves are but foam upon the wave. Before they have subdued themselves they endeavour to reduce their ministers, their servant, their subjects to subjection; they then attempt to defeat their enemies. They say 'We shall by and by subdue the sea-girt earth?' Their minds being thus always taken up with those thoughts, they cannot perceive the near approach of death. The subjugation of the sea-girt earth is not so very difficult for him who has subdued him; for the final liberation is another fruit of self-control. It is through ignorance that the kings wish to possess me whom their predecessors have been constrained to leave and whom their fathers have not kept, by the selfish love of power fathers fight with sons and brothers with brothers for occupying me. All the kings who reigned on this earth and who are now dead foolishly thought—'All this earth is mine—every thing is mine, it will be in my house for ever for he is dead.' How is it possible that such vain desires should be cherished by his descendants, who have seen their progenitor, on account of the thirst of dominion, compelled to desert me, whom he called his own and tread the path of dissolution. When I hear a king communicating to another through his ambassador, ‘This earth is mine—you give up all your claims for it,' I laugh at first but that laughter is soon turned into pity for the infatuated fool".

Parāçara said:—These were the verses, Maitreya, which Earth chanted, hearing which ambition melts away like snow before the sun. I have now given you a complete account of the descendants of Manu amongst whom many were endowed with a portion of Vishnu engaged in the preservation of the universe.

He, who hears reverentially from the beginning to the end, of the account of this family of Manu, gets his heart purified and all this sins are removed. Hearing of the description of the illustrious solar and lunar dynasties, people, with their faculties perfect, shall live in unequalled affluence, plenty and prosperity. He who has heard of the races of Ikshawku, Jahnu, Mindhāta, Sagara, Abiksheta, Raghu, Yayati, and Nahusha, who have all perished and of other wealthy kings gifted with great strength and power, who have been subdued by still more powerful time and are now only tales, will learn wisdom and forbear to call either children, or wife, or house or lands or wealth his own. Those heroic men, who have performed penances for many years with uplifted hands, those who have celebrated many sacrifices, have been left by time as subjects of narration. That Pritbu, even, whose discus dissevered many an enemy, who unobstructed travelled all over the regions, has been destroyed by the last of time like the light down of the Simal tree. Even Karlaviryya, who defeated numberless enemies and conquered the seven Zones of the earth, exists now only as the topic of a theme, a subject for affirmation or contradiction. The riches, of the kings Dashānana, Raghava, Abikoluta and others, which dazzled all the quarters, have all been reduced to ashes by the very frown of time. Oh! fie upon such wealth. The lord paramount of the earth, by the name of Māndhāta now exists only in name. And what pious man, hearing this story, will be so foolish as to cherish the desire of possession in his soul? Bhagiratha, Sagara, Kākutstha, Dasānana, Rāma, Lakshmana, Yudhishthira and others have been. Is it so? Have they really existed? Where are they now? We know not! The kings, who are now reigning, who shall be kings in future, and those whose names have not been specified, shall all remain only in names like their predecessors. The wise man, cognizant of this, will not cherish attachment even for his own self—what to speak of children, lands and properties.

THE END OF PART IV.