Bhagavatapurana 12.1: atha prathamo'dhyāyaḥ

12.1.1

/0 śrī-śuka uvāca
yo 'ntyaḥ purañjayo nāma bhaviṣyo bārahadrathaḥ /
tasyāmātyas tu śunako hatvā svāminam ātma-jam //

Śrī Śuka said: / The last king of Bṛhadratha's line will be named Purañjaya. / His minister, Śunaka, having killed his master, will make his own son,

2. & 3. Sri Suka said:—The last-mentioned prince of Brihadratha's family, by name Puranjaya, yet to be born, will be assasinated by his minister Sunaka who will make his son Pradyota king, whose son will be called Palaka; his son will be Visakhayupa and his son Rajaka;

12.1.2

pradyota-saṃjñaṃ rājānaṃ kartā yat-pālakaḥ sutaḥ /
viśākhayūpas tat-putro bhavitā rājakas tataḥ //

known as Pradyota, the king. His son will be Pālaka; / his son will be Viśākhayūpa, and from him will come Rājaka.

12.1.3

nandivardhanas tat-putraḥ pañca pradyotanā ime /
aṣṭa-triṃśottara-śataṃ bhokṣyanti pṛthivīṃ nṛpāḥ //

His son will be Nandivardhana. These five Pradyotas / will rule the earth as kings for one hundred and thirty-eight years.

4. His son is Nandivardhana and these are the five Pradyotanas; these princes will protect the earth for a hundred and thirty-eight years.

12.1.4

śiśunāgas tato bhāvyaḥ kākavarṇas tu tat-sutaḥ /
kṣemadharmā tasya sutaḥ kṣetrajñaḥ kṣemadharma-jaḥ //

Then Śiśunāga will come to be, and Kākavarṇa will be his son; / his son will be Kṣemadharman, and born of Kṣemadharman will be Kṣetrajña.

5. Then Sisunaga will be born; his son Kakavarna; his son Kshemadharma; and his son Kshetragna.

12.1.5

vidhisāraḥ sutas tasyā- jātaśatrur bhaviṣyati /
darbhakas tat-suto bhāvī darbhakasyājayaḥ smṛtaḥ //

Vidhisāra will be his son, and Ajātaśatru will be [his]; / Darbhaka will be his son, and Ajaya is remembered as the son of Darbhaka.

6. His son Vidhisra; his son will be Ajatasatru; his son will be Darbhaka whose son will be called Ajaya.

12.1.6

nandivardhana ājeyo mahānandiḥ sutas tataḥ /
śiśunāgā daśaivaite saṣṭy-uttara-śata-trayam //

Nandivardhana will be born of Ajaya, and then his son will be Mahānandi. / These ten are indeed the Śiśunāgas, who for three hundred and sixty

7. Then Nandivardhana, then Ajaya, then his son Mahanandi; these ten, the princes of Sisunaga line, will rule the earth for three-hundred and sixty years during the age of Kali, O best of Kurus. O king, a son of Mahanandi born of a Sudra woman, Nanda by name, given to unrighteousness, powerful and leading a very large army will prove the ruin of the Kshatriya race and character (He is also called MahaPadma).

12.1.7

samā bhokṣyanti pṛthivīṃ kuru-śreṣṭha kalau nṛpāḥ /
mahānandi-suto rājan śūdrā-garbhodbhavo balī //

years will rule the earth in the Kali age, O best of the Kurus. / O King, the son of Mahānandi, born from the womb of a Śūdra woman, will be mighty:

12.1.8

mahāpadma-patiḥ kaścin nandaḥ kṣatra-vināśa-kṛt /
tato nṛpā bhaviṣyanti śūdra-prāyās tv adhārmikāḥ //

a certain Nanda, lord of vast armies, destroyer of the kṣatriyas. / Thereafter kings will be mostly Śūdras and devoid of dharma.

12.1.9

sa eka-cchatrāṃ pṛthivīm anullaṅghita-śāsanaḥ /
śāsiṣyati mahāpadmo dvitīya iva bhārgavaḥ //

Under a single umbrella, with his commands unvanquished, / that Mahāpadma will rule the earth like a second Paraśurāma.

10. Like another Parasurama, MahaPadma will bring the whole earth under one sceptre (umbrella) and rule it unopposed (with unopposed command).

12.1.10

tasya cāṣṭau bhaviṣyanti sumālya-pramukhāḥ sutāḥ /
ya imāṃ bhokṣyanti mahīṃ rājānaś ca śataṃ samāḥ //

He will have eight sons, headed by Sumālya, / who will rule this earth as kings for a hundred years.

11. He will have eight sons, Sumalya and others, who will be kings protecting this earth for a century.

12.1.11

nava nandān dvijaḥ kaścit prapannān uddhariṣyati /
teṣāṃ abhāve jagatīṃ mauryā bhokṣyanti vai kalau //

A certain brahmin will uproot the nine Nandas who had fallen into his power; / in their absence, the Mauryas will indeed rule the earth in the Kali age.

12. A certain Brahmin will destroy the nine Nandas that will trust themselves to him; on their destruction princes of Maurya family will rule the world in the age of Kali.

12.1.12

sa eva candraguptaṃ vai dvijo rājye 'bhiṣekṣyati /
tat-suto vārisāras tu tataś cāśokavardhanaḥ //

That very brahmin will consecrate Candragupta on the throne; / his son will be Vārisāra, and then Aśokavardhana.

13. The same Brahmin will crown Chandragupta as king of the Empire; his son will be Varisara whose son will be Asokavardhana.

12.1.13

suyaśā bhavitā tasya saṅgataḥ suyaśaḥ-sutaḥ /
śāliśūkas tatas tasya somaśarmā bhaviṣyati /
śatadhanvā tatas tasya bhavitā tad-bṛhadrathaḥ //

His son will be Suyaśas, and Saṅgata will be Suyaśas's son. / Then his son will be Śāliśūka; Somaśarman will come next; / Śatadhanvan will follow, and after him will come Bṛhadratha.

14. His son will be Suyasas; of this last Salisuka will be born and his son will be Somasarma.

15. & 16. His son will be Satadhanvan and his son Brihadratha; these indeed are the ten Maurya kings, that will hold their sway for 137 years over the earth in the age of Kali, O foremost among Kurus; [in the age of Kali His general Pushyamitra called Sunga will kill Brihadratha the Maurya Prince and usurp the throne to himself]: from him will be descended Agnimitra whose son will be Sujyeshta.

12.1.14

mauryā hy ete daśa nṛpāḥ sapta-triṃśac-chatottaram /
samā bhokṣyanti pṛthivīṃ kalau kuru-kulodvaha //

These ten kings, the Mauryas, will rule the earth / for one hundred and thirty-seven years in the Kali age, O scion of the Kuru clan.

12.1.15

agnimitras tatas tasmāt sujyeṣṭho bhavitā tataḥ /
vasumitro bhadrakaś ca pulindo bhavitā sutaḥ //

From him will come Agnimitra, and from him Sujyeṣṭha will follow; / Vasumitra, Bhadraka, and Pulinda will be the son;

17. Then Vasumitra, Bhadraka, and Pulinda will be born in order; the next son of the line will be Ghosha whose son will be Vajramitra.

12.1.16

tato ghoṣaḥ sutas tasmād vajramitro bhaviṣyati /
tato bhāgavatas tasmād devabhūtiḥ kurūdvaha //

then his son Ghoṣa, and from him Vajramitra will arise; / then Bhāgavata, and from him Devabhūti, O leader of the Kurus.

18. The next prince will be Bhagavata of whom the wellknown Devabhuti will be born; these ten are Sunga kings who will rule the earth for a little more than a century.

12.1.17

śuṅgā daśaite bhokṣyanti bhūmiṃ varṣa-śatādhikam /
tataḥ kāṇvān iyaṃ bhūmir yāsyaty alpa-guṇān nṛpa //

These ten Śuṅgas will rule the earth for more than a hundred years; / thereafter, O King, this earth will pass to the Kāṇvas of meager virtue.

19. Then this earth will, O king, pass on to the kings of Kanva family of very poor merit; Kanva the minister will assasinate the lewd Devabhuti of Sunga dynasty.

12.1.18

śuṅgaṃ hatvā devabhūtiṃ kāṇvo 'mātyas tu kāminam /
svayaṃ kariṣyate rājyaṃ vasudevo mahā-matiḥ //

Killing the lustful Śuṅga king Devabhūti, his minister, / the Kāṇva Vasudeva, of great intelligence, will rule the kingdom himself.

20. (Then) Vasudeva, of great intelligence, will himself rule the kingdom, and his son will be Bhumitra and his son Narayana.

12.1.19

tasya putras tu bhūmitras tasya nārāyaṇaḥ sutaḥ /
kāṇvāyanā ime bhūmiṃ catvāriṃśac ca pañca ca /
śatāni trīṇi bhokṣyanti varṣāṇāṃ ca kalau yuge //

His son will be Bhūmitra, and his son Nārāyaṇa. / These descendants of Kaṇva will rule the earth / for three hundred and forty-five years in the Kali age.

21. [Then will be born of Kanva family a prince called Susarma]; these are the kings of Kanva dynasty, who in the Kali age will rule the earth for 345 years.

12.1.20

hatvā kāṇvaṃ suśarmāṇaṃ tad-bhṛtyo vṛṣalo balī /
gāṃ bhokṣyaty andhra-jātīyaḥ kañcit kālam asattamaḥ //

Having slain the Kāṇva king Suśarman, his servant, a mighty Śūdra / of the Andhra lineage, a most degraded man, will rule the earth for some time.

22. A powerful Sudra, their own servant, will put an end to the Kanva prince Susarma and this most wicked prince of the Andhra race will be in possession of the earth for some time.

12.1.21

kṛṣṇa-nāmātha tad-bhrātā bhavitā pṛthivī-patiḥ /
śrī-śāntakarṇas tat-putraḥ paurṇamāsas tu tat-sutaḥ //

Then his brother named Kṛṣṇa will become lord of the earth; / Śrī Śāntakarṇa will be his son, and Paurṇamāsa his son;

23. Next to him his brother named Krishna will become the lord of the earth; his son will be Sreesantakarna and his son Paurnamasa.

12.1.22

lambodaras tu tat-putras tasmāc cibilako nṛpaḥ /
meghasvātiś cibilakād aṭamānas tu tasya ca //

Lambodara will be his son, and from him King Cibilaka; / Meghasvāti from Cibilaka, and Aṭamāna his [son];

24. His son will be Lambodara of whom will be born the prince Chibilaka, whose son will be Meghaswati, who will beget Atamana.

12.1.23

aniṣṭakarmā hāleyas talakas tasya cātma-jaḥ /
purīṣabhīrus tat-putras tato rājā sunandanaḥ //

Aniṣṭakarman, Hāleya, and Talaka will be his son; / Purīṣabhīru will be his son, and then King Sunandana;

25. Anishtakarman, Haleya, Talaka and his son Purishabhiru and his son king Sunandana will be successive princes of the line.

12.1.24

cakoro bahavo yatra śivasvātir arin-damaḥ /
tasyāpi gomatī putraḥ purīmān bhavitā tataḥ //

Cakora, where there were many, and Śivasvāti, subduer of enemies; / his son will be Gomatī, and then Purīmān will come to be;

26. In the same family will be born Chakora, and Sivaswati, the last of some princes all bearing the name Bahu, and the vanquisher of enemies. He will have a son called Gomati of whom will be born Purimat.

12.1.25

medaśirāḥ śivaskando yajñaśrīs tat-sutas tataḥ /
vijayas tat-suto bhāvyaś candravijñaḥ sa-lomadhiḥ //

Medaśiras, Śivaskanda, and Yajñaśrī his son after him; / Vijaya will be his son, Candravijña, along with Lomadhi.

27. Medasiras, Sivaskandha, Yagna, Sri Vijaya, Chandravigna, Salomadhi will be successive princes of the same line.

12.1.26

ete triṃśan nṛpatayaś catvāry abda-śatāni ca /
ṣaṭ-pañcāśac ca pṛthivīṃ bhokṣyanti kuru-nandana //

These thirty kings will rule the earth / for four hundred and fifty-six years, O delight of the Kurus.

28. These thirty princes will, O joy of Kurus, enjoy possession of the earth for 456 years.

12.1.27

saptābhīrā āvabhṛtyā daśa gardabhino nṛpāḥ /
kaṅkāḥ ṣoḍaśa bhū-pālā bhaviṣyanty ati-lolupāḥ //

There will be seven Ābhīras, kings of Avabhṛti, and ten Gardabhins; / sixteen Kaṅka kings will arise, exceedingly greedy.

29. Seven kings of Abhira Dynasty will reign at their capital, the city of Avabhriti; ten kings of Gardabhin race, and sixteen greedy kings of Kanka race, will be born (in the future).

12.1.28

tato 'ṣṭau yavanā bhāvyāś caturdaśa turuṣkakāḥ /
bhūyo daśa guruṇḍāś ca maulā ekādaśaiva tu //

Then eight Yavanas will be, fourteen Turuṣkas, / and further ten Guruṇḍas, and eleven Maulas.

30—33. Then there will be eight of the Yavana race and fourteen of the Turushka: again there will be ten of Garunda race, these will enjoy the earth for one thousand ninety-nine years; while the eleven Mauna kings will rule the earth, O beloved king, they will enjoy the earth for three centuries, and when they cease to be, the kings who will have their capital at Kilakila are Bhutananda Vangiri, Sisunandi, and his brother Yasonandi, a great warrior—these will reign for a hundred and six years.

12.1.29

ete bhokṣyanti pṛthivīṃ daśa varṣa-śatāni ca /
navādhikāṃ ca navatiṃ maulā ekādaśa kṣitim //

These will rule the earth for a thousand years / and ninety-nine more; the eleven Maulas will rule the earth

12.1.30

bhokṣyanty abda-śatāny aṅga trīṇi taiḥ saṃsthite tataḥ /
kilakilāyāṃ nṛpatayo bhūtanando 'tha vaṅgiriḥ //

for three hundred years, my dear. When they are gone, then / kings in Kilakilā: Bhūtananda, then Vaṅgiri,

12.1.31

śiśunandiś ca tad-bhrātā yaśonandiḥ pravīrakaḥ /
ity ete vai varṣa-śataṃ bhaviṣyanty adhikāni ṣaṭ //

Śiśunandi, his brother Yaśonandi, and Pravīraka; / these will indeed rule for one hundred and six years.

12.1.32

teṣāṃ trayodaśa sutā bhavitāraś ca bāhlikāḥ /
puṣpamitro 'tha rājanyo durmitro 'sya tathaiva ca //

They will have thirteen sons, the Bāhlikas; / then the royal Puṣpamitra, and likewise his [son] Durmitra.

34. They will have 13 sons known as Balhikas; then Pushpamitra will be kshatriya and his son Durmitra.

12.1.33

eka-kālā ime bhū-pāḥ saptāndhrāḥ sapta kauśalāḥ /
vidūra-patayo bhāvyā niṣadhās tata eva hi //

These kings will rule at the same time: seven Andhras, seven Kauśalas, / kings of Vidūra, and from that very area the Niṣadhas.

35. Contemporaries are these kings (ruling over different kingdoms)—the seven of the Andhra country, seven of the Kosalas, those of the Vidura & Nishadha kingdoms—all descendants of Balhikas.

12.1.34

māgadhānāṃ tu bhavitā viśvasphūrjiḥ purañjayaḥ /
kariṣyaty aparo varṇān pulinda-yadu-madrakān //

Over the Māgadhas will arise Viśvasphūrji, also known as Purañjaya; / he will turn the other social classes into Pulindas, Yadus, and Madrakas.

36. There will be born the ruler of Magadhas known as Visvasphurji; and another Puranjaya will make Brahmins and others called Pulindas, Yadus and Madrakas almost mlechchas.

12.1.35

prajāś cābrahma-bhūyiṣṭhāḥ sthāpayiṣyati durmatiḥ /
vīryavān kṣatram utsādya padmavatyāṃ sa vai puri /
anu-gaṅgam ā-prayāgaṃ guptāṃ bhokṣyati medinīm //

That evil-minded one will establish subjects mostly lacking brahminical culture; / being powerful, having destroyed the kṣatriya order, he will rule from the city of Padmāvatī / the protected earth along the Gaṅgā up to Prayāga.

37. He will make his subjects mostly destitute of reverence to the Vedas and Brahmins and establish them as such; being very powerful he will exterminate the Kshatriya race and he will reign, occupying the capital city of Padmavati, along the Ganga as far as Prayaga.

12.1.36

saurāṣṭrāvanty-ābhīrāś ca śūrā arbuda-mālavāḥ /
vrātyā dvijā bhaviṣyanti śūdra-prāyā janādhipāḥ //

In Saurāṣṭra, Avanti, Ābhīra, Śūra, Arbuda, and Mālava, / the twice-born will become outcasts, and the rulers will be mostly Śūdras.

38. Brahmins of Saurashtra, of Avanti, of Abhira, of Sura, of Arbudas, of Malavas will become fallen men and the rulers will be mostly of the Sudra class.

12.1.37

sindhos taṭaṃ candrabhāgāṃ kauntīṃ kāśmīra-maṇḍalam /
bhokṣyanti śūdrā vrātyādyā mlecchāś cābrahma-varcasaḥ //

The bank of the Sindhu, the Candrabhāgā, the Kauntī, the realm of Kaśmīra / will be ruled by Śūdras, outcasts, and mlecchas devoid of brahminical luster.

39. & 40. Sudras, Vratyas and others and Mlechchas,—all devoid of a Vedic course of conduct and life will be in possession of the banks of the Sindhu, the Chandrabhaga, the city of Kaunti and the tract of Kasmiras; all these, O king, will be contemporary rulers mostly mlechchas in character, addicted to unrighteousness and untruth, illiberal and irritable.

12.1.38

tulya-kālā ime rājan mleccha-prāyāś ca bhū-bhṛtaḥ /
ete 'dharmānṛta-parāḥ phalgu-dās tīvra-manyavaḥ //

These contemporaneous rulers, O King, will be mostly mlecchas; / devoted to unrighteousness and untruth, giving petty gifts, fiercely wrathful,

12.1.39

strī-bāla-go-dvija-ghnāś ca para-dāra-dhanādṛtāḥ /
uditāsta-mita-prāyā alpa-sattvālpakāyuṣaḥ //

slayers of women, children, cows, and brahmins, coveting the wives and wealth of others, / mostly rising and falling quickly, of little vitality and short lifespan,

41. All these will be given to murdering women, children, cows and brahmins, finding great delight in appropriating others' women and wealth, almost ephemeral in their existence and of poor strength and life, full of joy and grief.

12.1.40

asaṃskṛtāḥ kriyā-hīnā rajasā tamasāvṛtāḥ /
prajās te bhakṣayiṣyanti mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇaḥ //

unpurified by rites, devoid of sacred ceremonies, shrouded in passion and darkness— / these mlecchas in the guise of kings will devour the subjects.

42. Devoid of purifying ceremonies or of culture, of righteous actions, overpowered by Rajas and Tamas, i.e., by their passions and ignorance, all being mlechchas in the form of Kshatriyas will prey upon their own subjects.

12.1.41

tan-nāthās te janapadās tac-chīlācāra-vādinaḥ /
anyonyato rājabhiś ca kṣayaṃ yāsyanti pīḍitāḥ //

Having them as masters, those populations, imitating their character and conduct, / tormented by one another and by their kings, will go to ruin.

43. Those countries also having such rulers and given to the same course of habits, conduct, and talk will afflict one another and be afflicted by the kings and thus go to ruin.