Bhagavatapurana 9.14: atha caturdaśo'dhyāyaḥ

9.14.1

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
athātaḥ śrūyatāṃ rājan vaṃśaḥ somasya pāvanaḥ /
yasminnailādayo bhūpāḥ kīrtyante puṇyakīrtayaḥ //

Śrī Śuka said: / Now therefore, O king, hear the purifying dynasty of the Moon, / in which kings such as Ila’s son are celebrated, whose fame is holy.

1. Sri Suka said:— Now most usefully listen thou to the description of the hallowed race of Soma (Moon) of which Ila and other kings of hallowed reputation are sung.

9.14.2

sahasraśirasaḥ puṃso nābhihradasaroruhāt /
jātasyāsīt suto dhāturatriḥ pitṛsamo guṇaiḥ //

From the lake-like lotus navel of the thousand-headed Person, / the Creator was born, whose son was Atri, equal to his father in virtues.

2. Brahma, born from the lotus of the navel deep like a pool of the Almighty Lord of thousand heads, had a son called Atri equal to his father in qualities.

9.14.3

tasya dṛgbhyo 'bhavat putraḥ somo 'mṛtamayaḥ kila /
viprauṣadhyuḍugaṇānāṃ brahmaṇā kalpitaḥ patiḥ //

From his eyes was born a son, the Moon, made of nectar; / he was appointed by Brahmā as the lord of brāhmaṇas, medicinal herbs, and stars.

3. Out of (the joyful tears of) his (Atri's) eyes was born a son called Soma, embodiment of nectar, who was appointed by Brahma as the king of brahmins, plants and herbs and the hosts of stars.

9.14.4

so 'yajadrājasūyena vijitya bhuvanatrayam /
patnīṃ bṛhaspaterdarpāt tārāṃ nāmāharadbalāt //

Having conquered the three worlds, he performed the Rājasūya sacrifice; / out of arrogance he seized by force Tārā, the wife of Bṛhaspati.

4. He conquered the three worlds and performed a Rajasuya sacrifice; and it is said that in his pride he seduced by force Tara, the wife of Brihaspati.

9.14.5

yadā sa devaguruṇā yācito 'bhīkṣṇaśo madāt /
nātyajat tatkṛte jajñe suradānavavigrahaḥ //

Though repeatedly begged by the teacher of the gods, out of intoxication / he would not release her; on her account, a war arose between the gods and the dānavas.

5. Though he was constantly requested by the preceptor of the gods, he did not through pride give her up; on that account a great war ensued between the gods and the asuras.

9.14.6

śukro bṛhaspaterdveṣādagrahīt sāsuroḍupam /
haro gurusutaṃ snehāt sarvabhūtagaṇāvṛtaḥ //

Śukra, out of hatred for Bṛhaspati, sided with the Moon along with the asuras; / Hara, out of affection for the preceptor's son, surrounded by hosts of all spirits, [took his side].

6. On account of his jealousy towards Brihaspati, Sukracharya together with asuras took the side of Soma; and the god Siva together with all his Bhutas took the side of Brihaspati on account of his affection for him as his preceptor’s son.

9.14.7

sarvadevagaṇopeto mahendro gurumanvayāt /
surāsuravināśo 'bhūt samarastārakāmayaḥ //

Mahendra, accompanied by all the hosts of gods, followed the teacher; / there occurred a battle involving Tārā that caused the destruction of gods and asuras.

7. With all the hosts of the gods Mahendra followed Brihaspati and the result was a war which led to the destruction of the gods and asuras for the sake of Tara (wife of the Guru).

9.14.8

nivedito 'thāṅgirasā somaṃ nirbhartsya viśvakṛt /
tārāṃ svabhartre prāyacchadantarvatnīmavait patiḥ //

Then, informed by Aṅgiras, the creator of the universe rebuked the Moon / and gave Tārā back to her husband; her husband discovered that she was pregnant.

8. Then acquainted with the matter by Angiras, the father of (Brihaspati), Brahma (the creator of the world) threatened Soma and restored Tara to her husband, who then perceived her to be in the way.

9.14.9

tyaja tyajāśu duṣprajñe matkṣetrādāhitaṃ paraiḥ /
nāhaṃ tvāṃ bhasmasāt kuryāṃ striyaṃ sāntānike 'sati //

“Discard, discard at once, evil woman, the seed implanted in my field by another! / I shall not reduce you to ashes, unfaithful woman, desirous as you are of offspring!”

9. “Give up soon, give up, O wicked one, get, from my ground, rid of what is placed there by others; I would not burn thee, as thou art a woman; and I am eager to have an issue, O good one. (V. D. and as there is no heir to continue the line). [Of her was born a son of golden hue, capable of destroying rogues].

9.14.10

tatyāja vrīḍitā tārā kumāraṃ kanakaprabham /
spṛhāmāṅgirasaścakre kumāre soma eva ca //

Shamed, Tārā cast off a boy of golden radiance. / Both the descendant of Aṅgiras and the Moon developed a longing for the boy.

10. Overcome with shame, she set aside the child brilliant like gold (like his father); but both Brihaspati and Soma conceived a love for the child (a child brilliant like gold was born of her).

9.14.11

mamāyaṃ na tavetyuccaistasmin vivadamānayoḥ /
papracchurṛṣayo devā naivoce vrīḍitā tu sā //

As the two argued loudly, 'This is mine, not yours,' / the sages and the gods asked her, but she said nothing, bashful as she was.

11. “It is my child, not thine”, so the two loudly disputing, the gods and the rishis asked her; but in shame she did not answer.

9.14.12

kumāro mātaraṃ prāha kupito 'līkalajjayā /
kiṃ na vacasyasadvṛtte ātmāvadyaṃ vadāśu me //

Angered by her false shame, the boy said to his mother: / 'Why do you not speak, unchaste woman? Speak my paternity at once!'

12. The angry son said to the mother, “Why dost thou not in false bashfulness tell the fact, thy own fault, O one of unrighteous conduct, tell me soon”.

9.14.13

brahmā tāṃ raha āhūya samaprākṣīc ca sāntvayan /
somasyetyāha śanakaiḥ somastaṃ tāvadagrahīt //

Brahmā called her aside and asked her, comforting her. / She whispered slowly, 'Soma’s.' Thereupon Soma took him.

13. Brahma called her separately and consoling her, asked her about it. She slowly in a low tone said, “Soma’s”. So Soma took him.

9.14.14

tasyātmayonirakṛta budha ityabhidhāṃ nṛpa /
buddhyā gambhīrayā yena putreṇāpoḍurāṇ mudam //

The Self-born named him Budha, O King. / By this son of profound intellect, the King of the Stars attained great joy.

14. Brahma gave him the name of Budha, O king, who by his sublime thoughts gave joy to his father, the lord of stars.

9.14.15

tataḥ purūravā jajñe ilāyāṃ ya udāhṛtaḥ /
tasya rūpaguṇaudārya śīladraviṇavikramān //

From him was born Purūravas, who was described [earlier as born] of Ilā. / Having heard of his beauty, virtues, generosity, / good character, wealth, and valor,

15 & 16. Of Budha and Ila Pururavas was born as already mentioned. Having heard of his beauty, excellent qualities, generosity, character, affluence and exploits that were being sung by Narada in the palace of Indra, Urvasi afflicted by the arrows of Smara betook herself to his presence.

9.14.16

śrutvorvaśīndrabhavane gīyamānān surarṣiṇā /
tadantikamupeyāya devī smaraśarārditā //

sung by the divine sage in Indra’s abode, / the goddess Urvaśī, tormented by the arrows of love, approached him.

9.14.17

mitrāvaruṇayoḥ śāpādāpannā naralokatām /
niśamya puruṣaśreṣṭhaṃ kandarpamiva rūpiṇam /
dhṛtiṃ viṣṭabhya lalanā upatasthe tadantike //

Subject to human status by the curse of Mitra and Varuṇa, / and having heard of that best of men, who was like the god of love incarnate, / the lovely woman restrained her modesty and stood before him.

17. & 18. Having been reduced to the state of a human being under the curse of Mitra and Varuṇa and, having heard of the great person who was like unto Manmatha in flesh and blood, the woman took courage to approach him (with a request) and live with him. On seeing her the king became overjoyed and with his cheerful wide open eyes, spoke to her in winning accents with his hair standing on end.

9.14.18

sa tāṃ vilokya nṛpatirharṣeṇotphullalocanaḥ /
uvāca ślakṣṇayā vācā devīṃ hṛṣṭatanūruhaḥ //

Seeing her, the king's eyes blossomed with delight; / his bodily hairs standing on end with joy, he spoke to the goddess in smooth words.

9.14.19

/0 śrīrājovāca
svāgataṃ te varārohe āsyatāṃ karavāma kim /
saṃramasva mayā sākaṃ ratirnau śāśvatīḥ samāḥ //

The king said: / Welcome to you, O fair-hipped lady! Be seated. What may we do [for you]? / Take your pleasure with me, and let our loving union last for eternal years.

19. The king said:—Hail thee! O paragon of beauty! Take thy seat; what shall we do for thee now? Be happy with me here and we shall have delight for endless years.

9.14.20

/0 urvaśyuvāca
kasyāstvayi na sajjeta mano dṛṣṭiśca sundara /
yadaṅgāntaramāsādya cyavate ha riraṃsayā //

Urvaśī said: / Whose mind and sight would not be bound to you, O handsome one, / upon reaching your limbs, falling under the desire to love?

20. Urvaśī said:— O beautiful prince! whose mind or eye could not be drawn to thee? For, having once gained a view of thy bosom it would not, eager after pleasure, turn from it.

9.14.21

etāv uraṇakau rājan nyāsau rakṣasva mānada /
saṃraṃsye bhavatā sākaṃ ślāghyaḥ strīṇāṃ varaḥ smṛtaḥ //

These two lambs, O King, are placed as a pledge; protect them, O giver of honor. / I will take my delight with you; [such] an excellent husband is praised for women.

21. O king, please take care of these two sheep as my pledges; O respectful one, I shall enjoy life with thee. (For) it is said that he becomes the object of women’s choice who is worthy by his qualities.

9.14.22

ghṛtaṃ me vīra bhakṣyaṃ syān nekṣe tvānyatra maithunāt /
vivāsasaṃ tat tatheti pratipede mahāmanāḥ //

Clarified butter alone shall be my food, O hero; and I must not see you without clothes, except in sexual union. / 'So be it,' agreed the noble-minded king.

22. O heroic one! my food is clarified butter; I should not see thee naked except in our intimate relations; these are my conditions”, said she; the noble-minded king accepted them and said.

9.14.23

aho rūpamaho bhāvo naralokavimohanam /
ko na seveta manujo devīṃ tvāṃ svayamāgatām //

Ah, what beauty, ah, what grace, enchanting to the mortal world! / What man would not enjoy you, a goddess who have come of your own accord?

23. What beauty! What sentiment! (what emotion) that infatuates the mortal world! What man would not attend to thee a goddess that has come of thy own accord?

9.14.24

tayā sa puruṣaśreṣṭho ramayantyā yathārhataḥ /
reme suravihāreṣu kāmaṃ caitrarathādiṣu //

Delighting with her as she brought him pleasure fittingly, / that best of men enjoyed to his desire in the gardens of the gods, such as Caitraratha.

24. Along with her who afforded him all delight worthy of him, that extraordinary king freely sported in the gardens of the gods, namely, Chaitraratha and the like.

9.14.25

ramamāṇastayā devyā padmakiñjalkagandhayā /
tanmukhāmodamuṣito mumude 'hargaṇān bahūn //

Sporting with that goddess, who bore the fragrance of lotus filaments, / captivated by the sweet scent of her mouth, he rejoiced for many a day.

25. Enjoying life with this queen whose person was fragrant like lotus filaments, and captivated by the fragrance of her face, he spent many years in great rejoicing.

9.14.26

apaśyannurvaśīmindro gandharvān samacodayat /
urvaśīrahitaṃ mahyamāsthānaṃ nātiśobhate //

Indra, missing Urvaśī, urged the Gandharvas: / 'Without Urvaśī, my assembly hall does not shine brightly.'

26. Not seeing Urvaśi in his court Indra questioned (requested) them to get her back (the Gandharvas), “My court is not charming without Urvasi”.

9.14.27

te upetya mahārātre tamasi pratyupasthite /
urvaśyā uraṇau jahrurnyastau rājani jāyayā //

Approaching in the dead of night when darkness fell, / they stole Urvaśī's two lambs, which the wife had entrusted to the king.

27. They came down at dead of night when it was very dark, and stole (V. cunningly) away the two sheep pledged with the king by his queen.

9.14.28

niśamyākranditaṃ devī putrayornīyamānayoḥ /
hatāsmyahaṃ kunāthena napuṃsā vīramāninā //

Hearing the cries of her two sons as they were carried off, the goddess [wailed]: / 'I am undone by a wretched master—an impotent man who imagines himself a hero!

28. & 29. When she heard her two sons (pledges) crying as

they were being carried away, she screamed out, "I am undone by a bad master who is wanting in manliness and only a conceited hero! for having put faith in him [I am despoiled of my children by thieves] and he, timid like a woman, sleeps in the night and looks a male only in the day".

9.14.29

yadviśrambhādahaṃ naṣṭā hṛtāpatyā ca dasyubhiḥ /
yaḥ śete niśi santrasto yathā nārī divā pumān //

Trusting in him, I am ruined and robbed of my children by thieves; / he lies asleep terrified by night, like a woman, though a man by day!'

9.14.30

iti vāksāyakairbiddhaḥ pratottrairiva kuñjaraḥ /
niśi nistriṃśamādāya vivastro 'bhyadravadruṣā //

Pierced by these arrow-like words as an elephant by goads, / he took up his sword in the night and, unclothed, rushed forth in rage.

30. Thus pierced with the arrows of (harsh) words, like an elephant struck with goads, he snatched his sword aud in the dead of night ran out naked under the impulse of anger.

9.14.31

te visṛjyoraṇau tatra vyadyotanta sma vidyutaḥ /
ādāya meṣāv āyāntaṃ nagnamaikṣata sā patim //

Releasing the two lambs there, the [Gandharvas] flashed like lightning; / and she saw her husband returning naked, bearing the two rams.

31. Those Gandharvas let off the sheep and shone like lightning. Just then strokes of lightning revealed them. When he returned with the sheep she found him naked.

9.14.32

ailo 'pi śayane jāyāmapaśyan vimanā iva /
taccitto vihvalaḥ śocan babhrāmonmattavan mahīm //

The son of Ilā, not seeing his wife upon the bed, became as one disheartened; / bewildered, his mind fixed on her, he wandered weeping over the earth like a madman.

32. The son of Ila not finding his queen in his bed, became very disconsolate, thought only of her, in bewilderment lamented her and wandered over the earth like a mad man.

9.14.33

sa tāṃ vīkṣya kurukṣetre sarasvatyāṃ ca tatsakhīḥ /
pañca prahṛṣṭavadanaḥ prāha sūktaṃ purūravāḥ //

Seeing her and her five companions at Kurukṣetra on the Sarasvatī, / Purūravas, his face beaming with joy, addressed her in well-spoken verse:

33. He saw her and her five companions of cheerful face in the river Sarasvati (V. in a solitary place) at Kurukshetra and he spoke sweetly to her.

9.14.34

aho jāye tiṣṭha tiṣṭha ghore na tyaktumarhasi /
māṃ tvamadyāpyanirvṛtya vacāṃsi kṛṇavāvahai //

'O wife, stay, stay, O cruel one! You ought not to abandon me / without even speaking a word today, when we have not yet found fulfillment; let us speak words together!

34. "O wife, stop, stop, O cruel one, thou oughtst not to abandon me without giving me some pleasure; (our private conversations are not yet finished) even now let us have some conversation.

9.14.35

sudeho 'yaṃ patatyatra devi dūraṃ hṛtastvayā /
khādantyenaṃ vṛkā gṛdhrāstvatprasādasya nāspadam //

This fair body, carried far away by you, O goddess, falls here; / wolves and vultures will devour it, as it has failed to win your favor.'

35. Let this excellent body (now) fall off here, O queen; it has been drawn away too far by thee; now wolves and kites will eat it; there will be no occasion for thy favour.

9.14.36

/0 urvaśyuvāca
mā mṛthāḥ puruṣo 'si tvaṃ mā sma tvādyurvṛkā ime /
kvāpi sakhyaṃ na vai strīṇāṃ vṛkāṇāṃ hṛdayaṃ yathā //

Urvaśī said: / 'Do not die; you are a man; let not these wolves devour you. / Truly, there is no friendship with women; their hearts are like those of wolves.

36. Urvasi said:—Do not die; man thou art; these wolves cannot eat thee; never trust to friendship with women or the heart of wolves.

9.14.37

striyo hyakaruṇāḥ krūrā durmarṣāḥ priyasāhasāḥ /
ghnantyalpārthe 'pi viśrabdhaṃ patiṃ bhrātaramapyuta //

For women are pitiless, cruel, intolerant, and fond of rash deeds; / for the sake of a trifle they kill even a trusting husband or brother.

37. Indeed women are pitiless, cruel, impatient, fond of adventure and cruel action; even for a trifling purpose they kill the confiding husband or even a brother.

9.14.38

vidhāyālīkaviśrambhamajñeṣu tyaktasauhṛdāḥ /
navaṃ navamabhīpsantyaḥ puṃścalyaḥ svairavṛttayaḥ //

Inspiring false trust in fools, they abandon love; / seeking ever someone new, unchaste women act according to their own whim.

38. They create false confidence in ignorant persons and set aside (all) friendly feelings; the inconstant women would have every moment a new object of love, and are wayward in their conduct.

9.14.39

saṃvatsarānte hi bhavān ekarātraṃ mayeśvaraḥ /
raṃsyatyapatyāni ca te bhaviṣyantyaparāṇi bhoḥ //

At the end of a year, my lord, you shall take your pleasure / with me for one night, and you will have other offspring, sir.'

39. At the end of a year thou wilt spend one night with me, O king, and thou wilt have other sons.

9.14.40

antarvatnīmupālakṣya devīṃ sa prayayau purīm /
punastatra gato 'bdānte urvaśīṃ vīramātaram //

Perceiving that the goddess was pregnant, he returned to his capital; / going there again at the end of the year, and finding Urvaśī, the mother of a hero,

40. He perceived the queen to be in pregnancy and returned to the city; then again, at the end of the year he met Urvasi as the mother of a hero.

9.14.41

upalabhya mudā yuktaḥ samuvāsa tayā niśām /
athainamurvaśī prāha kṛpaṇaṃ virahāturam //

he, filled with joy, spent the night with her. / Then Urvaśī spoke to him, who was wretched and afflicted with separation:

41. Rejoiced to meet her (again) he spent a night with her; then to the helpless king anxious about separation Urvasi said;

9.14.42

gandharvān upadhāvemāṃstubhyaṃ dāsyanti māmiti /
tasya saṃstuvatastuṣṭā agnisthālīṃ dadurnṛpa /
urvaśīṃ manyamānastāṃ so 'budhyata caran vane //

'Pray to these Gandharvas; they will give me to you.' / Pleased by his praise, O King, they gave him a fire-pan; / thinking it to be Urvaśī, he wandered in the forest until he came to his senses.

42. "Do thou wait upon these Gandharvas, they will give me to thee". Pleased with him that offered praises the Gandharvas gave him a vessel to keep fire; he regarded that to be Urvasi and while wandering in the forest he opened his eyes (and saw it was only a vessel).

9.14.43

sthālīṃ nyasya vane gatvā gṛhān ādhyāyato niśi /
tretāyāṃ sampravṛttāyāṃ manasi trayyavartata //

Placing the pan in the forest, he went home and meditated during the night. / As the Tretā age set in, the threefold Veda manifested in his mind.

43. He left the vessel in the forest, went home and lay contemplating her in the night; then Treta Yuga set in and to his mind Trayi the threefold Veda revealed itself.

9.14.44

sthālīsthānaṃ gato 'śvatthaṃ śamīgarbhaṃ vilakṣya saḥ /
tena dve araṇī kṛtvā urvaśīlokakāmyayā //

Going to the place of the pan, he saw an aśvattha tree born within a śamī tree; / making two churning-sticks from it, with the desire for the realm of Urvaśī,

44. Now he went to the spot where he left the vessel and there found Asvatha in the midst of Sami trees; so he took two pieces called Arani of the wood with the hope of finding Urvasi.

9.14.45

urvaśīṃ mantrato dhyāyannadharāraṇimuttarām /
ātmānamubhayormadhye yat tat prajananaṃ prabhuḥ //

meditating through mantra on Urvaśī as the lower churning-stick and the upper one, / and on himself between the two as the son who is engendered, the master [churned].

45. Pronouncing the mantras he contemplated Urvasi to be the lower piece of the wood and himself the upper piece and the piece between them to be the child.

9.14.46

tasya nirmanthanāj jāto jātavedā vibhāvasuḥ /
trayyā sa vidyayā rājñā putratve kalpitastrivṛt //

From his churning, Jātavedas, the glowing fire, was born; / through the threefold knowledge, he was conceived by the king in the form of a son as the threefold fire.

46. By his churning thereof Fire was produced; hence Fire is called Jatavedas guided by the threefold Vedas (and the method of its use); the king adopted that fire in three forms as his son.

9.14.47

tenāyajata yajñeśaṃ bhagavantamadhokṣajam /
urvaśīlokamanvicchan sarvadevamayaṃ harim //

With it, seeking the realm of Urvaśī, he worshipped the Lord of sacrifice, / the Lord Adhokṣaja, Hari, who comprises all the gods.

47. In seeking after the world of Urvasi, with that fire he

worshipped the Almighty Lord, the Lord of sacrifices, who reveals Himself to men of self-discipline, and who is Hari that pervades all the gods.

9.14.48

eka eva purā vedaḥ praṇavaḥ sarvavāṅmayaḥ /
devo nārāyaṇo nānya eko 'gnirvarṇa eva ca //

Formerly there was only one Veda, the sacred syllable, comprising all speech; / there was only one god, Nārāyaṇa, and no other; one fire, and only one caste.

48. Formerly there was but one Veda in the form of the sacred syllable encompassing all speech, there was one God Narayana and no other; there was but one Fire and one caste (called Hamsa).

9.14.49

purūravasa evāsīt trayī tretāmukhe nṛpa /
agninā prajayā rājā lokaṃ gāndharvameyivān //

The threefold Veda arose from Purūravas alone at the beginning of the Tretā age, O King. / By means of that fire as his son, the king attained the Gandharva realm.

49. It is from Pururavas that in the biginning of Tretayuga the Trayi (the threefold Veda) was derived, O king. By virtue of maintaining the fire that was his son the king attained to the region of Gandharvas.