TEXT 1
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
mandhatuh putra-pravaro
yo ‘mbarisah prakirtitah
pitamahena pravrto
yauvanasvas tu tat-sutah
haritas tasya putro ‘bhun
mandhatr-pravara ime
Sukadeva Gosvami said: The most prominent among the sons of Mandhata
was he who is celebrated as Ambarisa. Ambarisa was accepted as son by his
grandfather Yuvanasva. Ambarisa’s son was Yauvanasva, and Yauvanasva’s
son was Harita. In Mandhata’s dynasty, Ambarisa, Harita and Yauvanasva
were very prominent.
TEXT 2
TEXT
narmada bhratrbhir datta
purukutsaya yoragaih
taya rasatalam nito
bhujagendra-prayuktaya
The serpent brothers of Narmada gave Narmada to Purukutsa. Being sent
by Vasuki, she took Purukutsa to the lower region of the universe.
TEXT 3
TEXT
gandharvan avadhit tatra
vadhyan vai visnu-sakti-dhrk
nagal labdha-varah sarpad
abhayam smaratam idam
There in Rasatala, the lower region of the universe, Purukutsa, being
empowered by Lord Visnu, was able to kill all the Gandharvas who deserved
to be killed. Purukutsa received the benediction from the serpents that
anyone who remembers this history of his being brought by Narmada to the
lower region of the universe will be assured of safety from the attack of
snakes.
TEXT 4
TEXT
trasaddasyuh paurukutso
yo ‘naranyasya deha-krt
haryasvas tat-sutas tasmat
praruno ‘tha tribandhanah
The son of Purukutsa was Trasaddasyu, who was the father of Anaranya.
Anaranya’s son was Haryasva, the father of Praruna. Praruna was the
father of Tribandhana.
TEXTS 5-6
TEXT
tasya satyavratah putras
trisankur iti visrutah
praptas candalatam sapad
guroh kausika-tejasa
sasariro gatah svargam
adyapi divi drsyate
patito ‘vak-sira devais
tenaiva stambhito balat
The son of Tribandhana was Satyavrata, who is celebrated by the name
Trisanku. Because he kidnapped the daughter of a brahmana when she was
being married, his father cursed him to become a candala, lower than a
sudra. Thereafter, by the influence of Visvamitra, he went to the higher
planetary system, the heavenly planets, in his material body, but because
of the prowess of the demigods he fell back downward. Nonetheless, by the
power of Visvamitra, he did not fall all the way down; even today he can
still be seen hanging in the sky, head downward.
TEXT 7
TEXT
traisankavo hariscandro
visvamitra-vasisthayoh
yan-nimittam abhud yuddham
paksinor bahu-varsikam
The son of Trisanku was Hariscandra. Because of Hariscandra there was
a quarrel between Visvamitra and Vasistha, who for many years fought one
another, having been transformed into birds.
TEXT 8
TEXT
so ‘napatyo visannatma
naradasyopadesatah
varunam saranam yatah
putro me jayatam prabho
Hariscandra had no son and was therefore extremely morose. Once,
therefore, following the advice of Narada, he took shelter of Varuna and
said to him “My lord I have no son. Would you kindly give me one?”
TEXT 9
TEXT
yadi viro maharaja
tenaiva tvam yaje iti
tatheti varunenasya
putro jatas tu rohitah
O King Pariksit, Hariscandra begged Varuna, “My lord, if a son is born
to me, with that son I shall perform a sacrifice for your satisfaction.”
When Hariscandra said this, Varuna replied, “Let it be so.” Because of
Varuna’s benediction, Hariscandra begot a son named Rohita.
TEXT 10
TEXT
jatah suto hy anenanga
mam yajasveti so ‘bravit
yada pasur nirdasah syad
atha medhyo bhaved iti
Thereafter, when the child was born, Varuna approached Hariscandra and
said, “Now you have a son. With this son you can offer me a sacrifice.”
In answer to this, Hariscandra said, “After ten days have passed since an
animal’s birth, the animal becomes fit to be sacrificed.”
TEXT 11
TEXT
nirdase ca sa agatya
yajasvety aha so ‘bravit
dantah pasor yaj jayerann
atha medhyo bhaved iti
After ten days, Varuna came again and said to Hariscandra, “Now you
can perform the sacrifice.” Hariscandra replied, “When an animal grows
teeth, then it becomes pure enough to be sacrificed.”
TEXT 12
TEXT
danta jata yajasveti
sa pratyahatha so ‘bravit
yada patanty asya danta
atha medhyo bhaved iti
When the teeth grew, Varuna came and said to Hariscandra, “Now the
animal has grown teeth, and you can perform the sacrifice.” Hariscandra
replied, “When all its teeth have fallen out, then it will be fit for
sacrifice.”
TEXT 13
TEXT
pasor nipatita danta
yajasvety aha so ‘bravit
yada pasoh punar danta
jayante ‘tha pasuh sucih
When the teeth had fallen out, Varuna returned and said to
Hariscandra, “Now the animal’s teeth have fallen out, and you can perform
the sacrifice.” But Hariscandra replied, “When the animal’s teeth grow in
again, then he will be pure enough to be sacrificed.”
TEXT 14
TEXT
punar jata yajasveti
sa pratyahatha so ‘bravit
sannahiko yada rajan
rajanyo ‘tha pasuh sucih
When the teeth grew in again, Varuna came and said to Hariscandra,
“Now you can perform the sacrifice.” But Hariscandra then said, “O King,
when the sacrificial animal becomes a ksatriya and is able to shield
himself to fight with the enemy, then he will be purified.”
TEXT 15
TEXT
iti putranuragena
sneha-yantrita-cetasa
kalam vancayata tam tam
ukto devas tam aiksata
Hariscandra was certainly very much attached to his son. Because of
this affection, he asked the demigod Varuna to wait. Thus Varuna waited
and waited for the time to come.
TEXT 16
TEXT
rohitas tad abhijnaya
pituh karma cikirsitam
prana-prepsur dhanus-panir
aranyam pratyapadyata
Rohita could understand that his father intended to offer him as the
animal for sacrifice. Therefore, just to save himself from death, he
equipped himself with bow and arrows and went to the forest.
TEXT 17
TEXT
pitaram varuna-grastam
srutva jata-mahodaram
rohito gramam eyaya
tam indrah pratyasedhata
When Rohita heard that his father had been attacked by dropsy due to
Varuna and that his abdomen had grown very large, he wanted to return to
the capital, but King Indra forbade him to do so.
TEXT 18
TEXT
bhumeh paryatanam punyam
tirtha-ksetra-nisevanaih
rohitayadisac chakrah
so ‘py aranye ‘vasat samam
King Indra advised Rohita to travel to different pilgrimage sites and
holy places, for such activities are pious indeed. Following this
instruction, Rohita went to the forest for one year.
TEXT 19
TEXT
evam dvitiye trtiye
caturthe pancame tatha
abhyetyabhyetya sthaviro
vipro bhutvaha vrtra-ha
In this way, at the end of the second, third, fourth and fifth years,
when Rohita wanted to return to his capital, the King of heaven, Indra,
approached him as an old brahmana and forbade him to return, repeating
the same words as in the previous year.
TEXT 20
TEXT
sastham samvatsaram tatra
caritva rohitah purim
upavrajann ajigartad
akrinan madhyamam sutam
sunahsepham pasum pitre
pradaya samavandata
Thereafter, in the sixth year, after wandering in the forest, Rohita
returned to the capital of his father. He purchased from Ajigarta his
second son, named Sunahsepha. Then he offered Sunahsepha to his father,
Hariscandra, to be used as the sacrificial animal and offered Hariscandra
his respectful obeisances.
TEXT 21
TEXT
tatah purusa-medhena
hariscandro maha-yasah
muktodaro ‘yajad devan
varunadin mahat-kathah
Thereafter, the famous King Hariscandra, one of the exalted persons in
history, performed grand sacrifices by sacrificing a man and pleased all
the demigods. In this way his dropsy created by Varuna was cured.
TEXT 22
TEXT
visvamitro ‘bhavat tasmin
hota cadhvaryur atmavan
jamadagnir abhud brahma
vasistho ‘yasyah sama-gah
In that great human sacrifice, Visvamitra was the chief priest to
offer oblations, the perfectly self-realized Jamadagni had the
responsibility for chanting the mantras from the Yajur Veda, Vasistha was
the chief brahminical priest, and the sage Ayasya was the reciter of the
hymns of the Sama Veda.
TEXT 23
TEXT
tasmai tusto dadav indrah
satakaumbhamayam ratham
sunahsephasya mahatmyam
uparistat pracaksyate
King Indra, being very pleased with Hariscandra, offered him a gift of
a golden chariot. Sunahsepha’s glories will be presented along with the
description of the son of Visvamitra.
TEXT 24
TEXT
satyam saram dhrtim drstva
sabharyasya ca bhupateh
visvamitro bhrsam prito
dadav avihatam gatim
The great sage Visvamitra saw that Maharaja Hariscandra, along with
his wife, was truthful, forbearing and concerned with the essence. Thus
he gave them imperishable knowledge for fulfillment of the human mission.
TEXTS 25-26
TEXT
manah prthivyam tam adbhis
tejasapo ‘nilena tat
khe vayum dharayams tac ca
bhutadau tam mahatmani
tasmin jnana-kalam dhyatva
tayajnanam vinirdahan
hitva tam svena bhavena
nirvana-sukha-samvida
anirdesyapratarkyena
tasthau vidhvasta-bandhanah
Maharaja Hariscandra first purified his mind, which was full of
material enjoyment, by amalgamating it with the earth. Then he
amalgamated the earth with water, the water with fire, the fire with the
air, and the air with the sky. Thereafter, he amalgamated the sky with
the total material energy, and the total material energy with spiritual
knowledge. This spiritual knowledge is realization of one’s self as part
of the Supreme Lord. When the self-realized spiritual soul is engaged in
service to the Lord, he is eternally imperceptible and inconceivable.
Thus established in spiritual knowledge, he is completely freed from
material bondage.
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