Bhagavatapurana 4.15: atha pañcadaśo'dhyāyaḥ

4.15.1

/0 maitreya uvāca
atha tasya punar viprair aputrasya mahīpateḥ /
bāhubhyāṃ mathyamānābhyāṃ mithunaṃ samapadyata //

Maitreya said: / Then, as the arms of that king who had died sonless / were churned once more by the brāhmaṇas, a pair came into being.

1. Maitreya said.—Thereupon the sages having churned the two arms of the childless king a male and a female child came out of them.

4.15.2

tad dṛṣṭvā mithunaṃ jātam ṛṣayo brahma-vādinaḥ /
ūcuḥ parama-santuṣṭā viditvā bhagavat-kalām //

Seeing that pair born, the sages who spoke of Brahman, / knowing them to be plenary portions of the Lord, spoke in supreme delight.

2. On the birth of the two, the Rishis ever devoted to the recitation of Vedas were very much gratified to perceive that Prithu was an Amsa of the glorious Lord and said.

4.15.3

/0 ṛṣaya ūcuḥ
eṣa viṣṇor bhagavataḥ kalā bhuvana-pālinī /
iyaṃ ca lakṣmyāḥ sambhūtiḥ puruṣasyānapāyinī //

The sages said: / “This is a plenary portion of the Lord Viṣṇu, protector of the world; / and this [maiden] is a manifestation of Lakṣmī, the Puruṣa’s inseparable consort.

3. Rishis said.—This is indeed an Amsa of the glorious Lord Vishnu intended for the protection of the world and this

female child is an Avatar (Amsa) of Lakshmi who is never separated from the Supreme Being.

4.15.4

ayaṃ tu prathamo rājñāṃ pumān prathayitā yaśaḥ /
pṛthur nāma mahārājo bhaviṣyati pṛthu-śravāḥ //

He will be the first among kings, a man who will spread his fame abroad; / he will be a great king named Pṛthu, of wide renown.

4. And of these two the first born male child will enhance the reputation of kings and will become an emperor of great glory known as Prithu.

4.15.5

iyaṃ ca sudatī devī guṇa-bhūṣaṇa-bhūṣaṇā /
arcir nāma varārohā pṛthum evāvarundhatī //

And this fair-toothed goddess, adorned with the ornaments of her virtues, / named Arci, beautifully formed, will take only Pṛthu as her husband.

5. And this divine damsel who is a grace to qualities and ornaments and most beautiful among women will be known as Archis and she will cleave only to Prithu (i.e., will be his queen.)

4.15.6

eṣa sākṣād dharer aṃśojāto loka-rirakṣayā /
iyaṃ ca tat-parā hi śrīr anujajñe 'napāyinī //

He is an incarnation of a portion of Hari Himself, born to protect the world, / and she, Śrī devoted to him, has taken birth after him, never to be separated.”

6. He is directly an Amsa of Hari, born to protect the world! and she is also born with Him being ever devoted to Him and inseparable from Him.

4.15.7

/0 maitreya uvāca
praśaṃsanti sma taṃ viprā gandharva-pravarā jaguḥ /
mumucuḥ sumano-dhārāḥ siddhā nṛtyanti svaḥ-striyaḥ //

Maitreya said: / The brāhmaṇas praised him; the best of Gandharvas sang; / the Siddhas showered streams of flowers; celestial women danced.

7. Maitreya said.—Wise men and chief among the Ghandarvas praised him and sang panegyrics; the Siddhas poured down showers of flowers and celestial damsels danced.

4.15.8

śaṅkha-tūrya-mṛdaṅgādyā nedur dundubhayo divi /
tatra sarva upājagmur devarṣi-pitṝṇāṃ gaṇāḥ //

Conchs, trumpets, mṛdaṅga drums, and kettle drums sounded in the sky; / all the hosts of divine sages and ancestors arrived there.

8. In the celestial world were sounded various instruments of music viz., Sankha, Tūrya, Mriḍanga, Dundubhi and the like; and there gathered together all the gods, sages and the Pitris.

4.15.9

brahmā jagad-gurur devaiḥ sahāsṛtya sureśvaraiḥ /
vainyasya dakṣiṇe haste dṛṣṭvā cihnaṃ gadābhṛtaḥ //

Brahmā, the teacher of the world, approached along with the gods, the lords of heaven; / seeing upon the right hand of Vena's son the mark of the Bearer of the Mace,

9—10. Brahma the father of all the world came with all the great gods and observed on the right arm of Vena's son the mark of Gadabrith (the mark of Vishnu) and the lotus-mark on the feet and thereupon knew him to be an Amsa of Hari; for he is an Amsa of the Supreme Lord who bears the Chakra mark not crossed or touched by other lines.

4.15.10

pādayor aravindaṃ ca taṃ vai mene hareḥ kalām /
yasyāpratihataṃ cakram aṃśaḥ sa parameṣṭhinaḥ //

and a lotus upon his feet, he indeed knew him to be a portion of Hari; / he whose discus is unimpeded is a portion of the Supreme Being.

4.15.11

tasyābhiṣeka ārabdho brāhmaṇair brahma-vādibhiḥ /
ābhiṣecanikāny asmai ājahruḥ sarvato janāḥ //

His royal consecration was commenced by the brāhmaṇas who spoke of Brahman, / and people from all directions brought articles for the coronation.

11. His coronation was commenced by Brahmins well versed in Vedas; and from all directions people brought the materials which are useful and necessary for the ceremony of crowning him.

4.15.12

sarit-samudrā girayo nāgā gāvaḥ khagā mṛgāḥ /
dyauḥ kṣitiḥ sarva-bhūtāni samājahrur upāyanam //

Rivers, oceans, mountains, serpents, cattle, birds, beasts, / heaven, earth, and all creatures brought tribute.

12. Rivers, seas, mountains, Nagas (serpents) and cattle, birds and brutes brought offerings or tributes to him.

4.15.13

so 'bhiṣikto mahārājaḥ suvāsāḥ sādhv-alaṅkṛtaḥ /
patnyārciṣālaṅkṛtayā vireje 'gnir ivāparaḥ //

Thus consecrated, that great king, finely dressed and well adorned, / shone forth beside his ornamented wife Arci like a second fire.

13. Thus installed the Maharaja in (royal) fine robes and with his queen dressed most beautifully he particularly shone like fire.

4.15.14

tasmai jahāra dhanado haimaṃ vīra varāsanam /
varuṇaḥ salila-srāvam ātapatraṃ śaśi-prabham //

Kubera, the bestower of wealth, presented him a splendid golden throne, O hero; / Varuṇa, an umbrella shedding water, lustrous like the moon;

14. O heroic one! Kubera presented him an excellent throne of gold; and Varuna an umbrella brilliant like the moon and dripping with water (from which always a gentle rain fell).

4.15.15

vāyuś ca vāla-vyajane dharmaḥ kīrtimayīṃ srajam /
indraḥ kirīṭam utkṛṣṭaṃ daṇḍaṃ saṃyamanaṃ yamaḥ //

Vāyu, two yak-tail whisks; Dharma, a garland made of renown; / Indra, an exquisite crown; Yama, a restraining rod;

15. Vayu presented him two chamaras; and Dharma a garland which was an embodiment of renown; Indra an excellent crown, and Yama a sceptre to sway the world with.

4.15.16

brahmā brahmamayaṃ varma bhāratī hāram uttamam /
hariḥ sudarśanaṃ cakraṃ tat-patny avyāhatāṃ śriyam //

Brahmā, armor made of sacred Brahman; Sarasvatī, an excellent necklace; / Hari, the Sudarśana discus; and His consort, uninterrupted fortune;

16. Bramha gave him an armour which was full of Vedic virtue; Sarasvati bestowed on him a very precious wreath of pearls; Vishnu gave him his Sudarsana, and the queen of Hari conferred on him undiminished fortune.

4.15.17

daśa-candram asiṃ rudraḥ śata-candraṃ tathāmbikā /
somo 'mṛtamayān aśvāṃs tvaṣṭā rūpāśrayaṃ ratham //

Rudra, a sword with ten moons; Ambikā, one with a hundred moons; / Soma, nectar-like horses; Tvaṣṭṛ, a chariot that was an abode of beauty;

17. Rudra gave him a sword of which the hilt bore ten moons; and Pārvati also a sword of which the hilt was blazoned with a hundred moons; the god Soma gave him horses which were embodied forms of nectar. Tvashtri (the celestial joiner) a beautiful chariot.

4.15.18

agnir āja-gavaṃ cāpaṃ sūryo raśmimayān iṣūn /
bhūḥ pāduke yogamayyau dyauḥ puṣpāvalim anvaham //

Agni, a bow made of goats’ horns; Sūrya, arrows of light rays; / the Earth, sandals made of yogic power; the Sky, a shower of flowers day after day;

18. Agni gave him a bow made of the bones of the sheep and the ox; the sun gave him shafts which were only other forms of his own rays; the goddess earth gave him sandals of magical virtue and the sky daily sent him a shower of flowers.

4.15.19

nāṭyaṃ sugītaṃ vāditram antardhānaṃ ca khecarāḥ /
ṛṣayaś cāśiṣaḥ satyāḥ samudraḥ śaṅkham ātmajam //

celestial musicians, drama, sweet song, musical instruments, and invisibility; / the sages, unfailing blessings; the Ocean, a conch born of itself;

19. Those that move about in the sky *i.e.*, the Ghandarvas, Charanas and others taught him the arts of dancing, music and playing upon instruments as well as the power of remaining incognito (invisible); the Rishis uttered their real benedictions; and Samudra (the ocean) presented him a Sankha born of him.

4.15.20

sindhavaḥ parvatā nadyo ratha-vīthīr mahātmanaḥ /
sūto 'tha māgadho vandī taṃ stotum upatasthire //

the seas, mountains, and rivers, chariot-tracks for that great-souled one. / Then the chronicler, the bard, and the panegyrist stepped forward to praise him.

20. The seas, mountains and rivers provided the high-souled king with the roads of communication by chariots etc. Sūtas, Māghadas and Bandins (bards, ministrels and heralds) all crowded round him to sing his praises.

4.15.21

stāvakāṃs tān abhipretya pṛthur vainyaḥ pratāpavān /
megha-nirhrādayā vācā prahasann idam abravīt //

Perceiving those panegyrists, the valiant Pṛthu, son of Vena, / smiling, spoke these words in a voice deep as rumbling clouds.

21. Turning to these panegyrists Prithu the son of Vena and the hero of great prowess smiled and said to them in accents sublime as the rolling thunder.

4.15.22

/0 pṛthur uvāca
bhoḥ sūta he māgadha saumya vandin loke 'dhunāspaṣṭa-guṇasya me syāt /
kim āśrayo me stava eṣa yojyatāṃ mā mayy abhūvan vitathā giro vaḥ //

Pṛthu said: / “O Sūta, O Māgadha, O gentle Bard! In the world today my virtues are not yet manifest; / on what basis can this praise of me be composed? May your words addressed to me not prove false!

22. Prithu said.—‘O Sūta, Māghadha and O gentle Vandin, perhaps your praise might be proper to me who am now in the world of acknowledged merits. But what does it rest upon? Let it be offered to somebody else; do you not waste your words upon me.

4.15.23

tasmāt parokṣe 'smad-upaśrutāny alaṃ kariṣyatha stotram apīcya-vācaḥ /
saty uttamaśloka-guṇānuvāde jugupsitaṃ na stavayanti sabhyāḥ //

Therefore, once [my deeds] are heard of by us in the future, you will appropriately make your praise, O speakers of charming words! / While the narration of the qualities of He of highest renown is at hand, noble men do not praise the unworthy.

23. So, do you out of our hearing and in after times take up the celebration of our renown, O bards of sweet words; when there is necessity for repeatedly singing the excellent qualities of Hari of the purest renown, worthy men do not give their praise to low objects.

4.15.24

mahad-guṇān ātmani kartum īśaḥ kaḥ stāvakaiḥ stāvayate 'sato 'pi /
te 'syābhaviṣyann iti vipralabdho janāvahāsaṃ kumatir na veda //

Capable of creating exalted virtues in himself, what man would have himself praised by bards for non-existent ones? / An evil-minded person, deceived into thinking ‘they would have belonged to him,’ does not realize people’s mockery.

24. Who, though able to acquire the virtues of the great, would still allow the praise of qualities not actually found in him? or who would allow it even if he should possess them? If any foolish man deceives himself with the hope that he will acquire them, he does not see that he makes himself the butt of ridicule.

4.15.25

prabhavo hy ātmanaḥ stotraṃjugupsanty api viśrutāḥ /
hrīmantaḥ paramodārāḥ pauruṣaṃ vā vigarhitam //

For the capable, even when widely renowned, modest and supremely generous, / shrink from self-praise or reprehensible heroics.

25. Those who are of noble disposition are averse to hear the praises of their own reproachful prowess—as also those who are naturally modest.

4.15.26

vayaṃ tv aviditā loke sūtādyāpi varīmabhiḥ /
karmabhiḥ katham ātmānaṃ gāpayiṣyāma bālavat //

We, however, are as yet unknown in the world for noble deeds, / O bards; how could we have ourselves sung of, like a foolish child?”

26. On the other hand, O Sūta, we are not as yet known in the world for any great deeds; and how could we like a child allow ourselves to be sung by you?