TEXT 1
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
vitathasya sutan manyor
brhatksatro jayas tatah
mahaviryo naro gargah
sankrtis tu naratmajah
Sukadeva Gosvami said: Because Bharadvaja was delivered by the Marut
demigods, he was known as Vitatha. The son of Vitatha was Manyu, and from
Manyu came five sons–Brhatksatra, Jaya, Mahavirya, Nara and Garga. Of
these five, the one known as Nara had a son named Sankrti.
TEXT 2
TEXT
gurus ca rantidevas ca
sankrteh pandu-nandana
rantidevasya mahima
ihamutra ca giyate
O Maharaja Pariksit, descendant of Pandu, Sankrti had two sons, named
Guru and Rantideva. Rantideva is famous in both this world and the next,
for he is glorified not only in human society but also in the society of
the demigods.
TEXTS 3-5
TEXT
viyad-vittasya dadato
labdham labdham bubhuksatah
niskincanasya dhirasya
sakutumbasya sidatah
vyatiyur asta-catvarimsad
ahany apibatah kila
ghrta-payasa-samyavam
toyam pratar upasthitam
krcchra-prapta-kutumbasya
ksut-trdbhyam jata-vepathoh
atithir brahmanah kale
bhoktu-kamasya cagamat
Rantideva never endeavored to earn anything. He would enjoy whatever
he got by the arrangement of providence, but when guests came he would
give them everything. Thus he underwent considerable suffering, along
with the members of his family. Indeed, he and his family members
shivered for want of food and water, yet Rantideva always remained sober.
Once, after fasting for forty-eight days, in the morning Rantideva
received some water and some foodstuffs made with milk and ghee, but when
he and his family were about to eat, a brahmana guest arrived.
TEXT 6
TEXT
tasmai samvyabhajat so ‘nnam
adrtya sraddhayanvitah
harim sarvatra sampasyan
sa bhuktva prayayau dvijah
Because Rantideva perceived the presence of the Supreme Godhead
everywhere, and in every living entity, he received the guest with faith
and respect and gave him a share of the food. The brahmana guest ate his
share and then went away.
TEXT 7
TEXT
athanyo bhoksyamanasya
vibhaktasya mahipateh
vibhaktam vyabhajat tasmai
vrsalaya harim smaran
Thereafter, having divided the remaining food with his relatives,
Rantideva was just about to eat his own share when a sudra guest arrived.
Seeing the sudra in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
King Rantideva gave him also a share of the food.
TEXT 8
TEXT
yate sudre tam anyo ‘gad
atithih svabhir avrtah
rajan me diyatam annam
saganaya bubhuksate
When the sudra went away, another guest arrived, surrounded by dogs,
and said, “O King, I and my company of dogs are very hungry. Please give
us something to eat.”
TEXT 9
TEXT
sa adrtyavasistam yad
bahu-mana-puraskrtam
tac ca dattva namascakre
svabhyah sva-pataye vibhuh
With great respect, King Rantideva offered the balance of the food to
the dogs and the master of the dogs, who had come as guests. The King
offered them all respects and obeisances.
TEXT 10
TEXT
paniya-matram ucchesam
tac caika-paritarpanam
pasyatah pulkaso ‘bhyagad
apo dehy asubhaya me
Thereafter, only the drinking water remained, and there was only
enough to satisfy one person, but when the King was just about to drink
it, a candala appeared and said, “O King, although I am lowborn, kindly
give me some drinking water.”
TEXT 11
TEXT
tasya tam karunam vacam
nisamya vipula-sramam
krpaya bhrsa-santapta
idam ahamrtam vacah
Aggrieved at hearing the pitiable words of the poor fatigued candala,
Maharaja Rantideva spoke the following nectarean words.
TEXT 12
TEXT
na kamaye ‘ham gatim isvarat param
astarddhi-yuktam apunar-bhavam va
artim prapadye ‘khila-deha-bhajam
antah-sthito yena bhavanty aduhkhah
I do not pray to the Supreme Personality of Godhead for the eight
perfections of mystic yoga, nor for salvation from repeated birth and
death. I want only to stay among all the living entities and suffer all
distresses on their behalf, so that they may be freed from suffering.
TEXT 13
TEXT
ksut-trt-sramo gatra-paribhramas ca
dainyam klamah soka-visada-mohah
sarve nivrttah krpanasya jantor
jijivisor jiva-jalarpanan me
By offering my water to maintain the life of this poor candala, who is
struggling to live, I have been freed from all hunger, thirst, fatigue,
trembling of the body, moroseness, distress, lamentation and illusion.
TEXT 14
TEXT
iti prabhasya paniyam
mriyamanah pipasaya
pulkasayadadad dhiro
nisarga-karuno nrpah
Having spoken thus, King Rantideva, although on the verge of death
because of thirst, gave his own portion of water to the candala without
hesitation, for the King was naturally very kind and sober.
TEXT 15
TEXT
tasya tribhuvanadhisah
phaladah phalam icchatam
atmanam darsayam cakrur
maya visnu-vinirmitah
Demigods like Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, who can satisfy all
materially ambitious men by giving them the rewards they desire, then
manifested their own identities before King Rantideva, for it was they
who had presented themselves as the brahmana, sudra, candala and so on.
TEXT 16
TEXT
sa vai tebhyo namaskrtya
nihsango vigata-sprhah
vasudeve bhagavati
bhaktya cakre manah param
King Rantideva had no ambition to enjoy material benefits from the
demigods. He offered them obeisances, but because he was factually
attached to Lord Visnu, Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he
fixed his mind at Lord Visnu’s lotus feet.
TEXT 17
TEXT
isvaralambanam cittam
kurvato ‘nanya-radhasah
maya guna-mayi rajan
svapnavat pratyaliyata
O Maharaja Pariksit, because King Rantideva was a pure devotee, always
Krsna conscious and free from all material desires, the Lord’s illusory
energy, maya, could not exhibit herself before him. On the contrary, for
him maya entirely vanished, exactly like a dream.
TEXT 18
TEXT
tat-prasanganubhavena
rantidevanuvartinah
abhavan yoginah sarve
narayana-parayanah
All those who followed the principles of King Rantideva were totally
favored by his mercy and became pure devotees, attached to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Narayana. Thus they all became the best of yogis.
TEXTS 19-20
TEXT
gargac chinis tato gargyah
ksatrad brahma hy avartata
duritaksayo mahaviryat
tasya trayyarunih kavih
puskararunir ity atra
ye brahmana-gatim gatah
brhatksatrasya putro ‘bhud
dhasti yad-dhastinapuram
From Garga came a son named Sini, and his son was Gargya. Although
Gargya was a ksatriya, there came from him a generation of brahmanas.
From Mahavirya came a son named Duritaksaya, whose sons were Trayyaruni,
Kavi and Puskararuni. Although these sons of Duritaksaya took birth in a
dynasty of ksatriyas, they too attained the position of brahmanas.
Brhatksatra had a son named Hasti, who established the city of
Hastinapura [now New Delhi].
TEXT 21
TEXT
ajamidho dvimidhas ca
purumidhas ca hastinah
ajamidhasya vamsyah syuh
priyamedhadayo dvijah
From King Hasti came three sons, named Ajamidha, Dvimidha and
Purumidha. The descendants of Ajamidha, headed by Priyamedha, all
achieved the position of brahmanas.
TEXT 22
TEXT
ajamidhad brhadisus
tasya putro brhaddhanuh
brhatkayas tatas tasya
putra asij jayadrathah
From Ajamidha came a son named Brhadisu, from Brhadisu came a son
named Brhaddhanu, from Brhaddhanu a son named Brhatkaya, and from
Brhatkaya a son named Jayadratha.
TEXT 23
TEXT
tat-suto visadas tasya
syenajit samajayata
rucirasvo drdhahanuh
kasyo vatsas ca tat-sutah
The son of Jayadratha was Visada, and his son was Syenajit. The sons
of Syenajit were Rucirasva, Drdhahanu, Kasya and Vatsa.
TEXT 24
TEXT
rucirasva-sutah parah
prthusenas tad-atmajah
parasya tanayo nipas
tasya putra-satam tv abhut
The son of Rucirasva was Para, and the sons of Para were Prthusena and
Nipa. Nipa had one hundred sons.
TEXT 25
TEXT
sa krtvyam suka-kanyayam
brahmadattam ajijanat
yogi sa gavi bharyayam
visvaksenam adhat sutam
King Nipa begot a son named Brahmadatta through the womb of his wife,
Krtvi, who was the daughter of Suka. And Brahmadatta, who was a great
yogi, begot a son named Visvaksena through the womb of his wife,
Sarasvati.
TEXT 26
TEXT
jaigisavyopadesena
yoga-tantram cakara ha
udaksenas tatas tasmad
bhallato barhadisavah
Following the instructions of the great sage Jaigisavya, Visvaksena
compiled an elaborate description of the mystic yoga system. From
Visvaksena, Udaksena was born, and from Udaksena, Bhallata. All these
sons are known as descendants of Brhadisu.
TEXT 27
TEXT
yavinaro dvimidhasya
krtimams tat-sutah smrtah
namna satyadhrtis tasya
drdhanemih suparsvakrt
The son of Dvimidha was Yavinara, whose son was Krtiman. The son of
Krtiman was well known as Satyadhrti. From Satyadhrti came a son named
Drdhanemi, who became the father of Suparsva.
TEXTS 28-29
TEXT
suparsvat sumatis tasya
putrah sannatimams tatah
krti hiranyanabhad yo
yogam prapya jagau sma sat
samhitah pracyasamnam vai
nipo hy udgrayudhas tatah
tasya ksemyah suviro ‘tha
suvirasya ripunjayah
From Suparsva came a son named Sumati, from Sumati came Sannatiman,
and from Sannatiman came Krti, who achieved mystic power from Brahma and
taught six samhitas of the Pracyasama verses of the Sama Veda. The son of
Krti was Nipa; the son of Nipa, Udgrayudha; the son of Udgrayudha,
Ksemya; the son of Ksemya, Suvira; and the son of Suvira, Ripunjaya.
TEXT 30
TEXT
tato bahuratho nama
purumidho ‘prajo ‘bhavat
nalinyam ajamidhasya
nilah santis tu tat-sutah
From Ripunjaya came a son named Bahuratha. Purumidha was sonless.
Ajamidha had a son named Nila by his wife known as Nalini, and the son of
Nila was Santi.
TEXTS 31-33
TEXT
santeh susantis tat-putrah
purujo ‘rkas tato ‘bhavat
bharmyasvas tanayas tasya
pancasan mudgaladayah
yavinaro brhadvisvah
kampillah sanjayah sutah
bharmyasvah praha putra me
pancanam raksanaya hi
visayanam alam ime
iti pancala-samjnitah
mudgalad brahma-nirvrttam
gotram maudgalya-samjnitam
The son of Santi was Susanti, the son of Susanti was Puruja, and the
son of Puruja was Arka. From Arka came Bharmyasva, and from Bharmyasva
came five sons–Mudgala, Yavinara, Brhadvisva, Kampilla and Sanjaya.
Bharmyasva prayed to his sons, “O my sons, please take charge of my five
states, for you are quite competent to do so.” Thus his five sons were
known as the Pancalas. From Mudgala came a dynasty of brahmanas known as
Maudgalya.
TEXT 34
TEXT
mithunam mudgalad bharmyad
divodasah puman abhut
ahalya kanyaka yasyam
satanandas tu gautamat
Mudgala, the son of Bharmyasva, had twin children, one male and the
other female. The male child was named Divodasa, and the female child was
named Ahalya. From the womb of Ahalya by the semen of her husband,
Gautama, came a son named Satananda.
TEXT 35
TEXT
tasya satyadhrtih putro
dhanur-veda-visaradah
saradvams tat-suto yasmad
urvasi-darsanat kila
sara-stambe ‘patad reto
mithunam tad abhuc chubham
The son of Satananda was Satyadhrti, who was expert in archery, and
the son of Satyadhrti was Saradvan. When Saradvan met Urvasi, he
discharged semen, which fell on a clump of sara grass. From this semen
were born two all-auspicious babies, one male and the other female.
TEXT 36
TEXT
tad drstva krpayagrhnac
chantanur mrgayam caran
krpah kumarah kanya ca
drona-patny abhavat krpi
While Maharaja Santanu was on a hunting excursion, he saw the male and
female children lying in the forest, and out of compassion he took them
home. Consequently, the male child was known as Krpa, and the female
child was named Krpi. Krpi later became the wife of Dronacarya.
Leave a Reply