Bhagavatapurana 9.15: atha pañcadaśo'dhyāyaḥ

9.15.1

/0 śrībādarāyaṇiruvāca
ailasya corvaśīgarbhāt ṣaḍ āsannātmajā nṛpa /
āyuḥ śrutāyuḥ satyāyū rayo 'tha vijayo jayaḥ //

The son of Bādarāyaṇa said: / From the womb of Urvaśī were born six sons of the son of Ilā, O King: / Āyus, Śrutāyus, Satyāyus, Raya, Vijaya, and Jaya.

1. Sri Suka said:—Pururavas had by Urvasi six sons, O king, namely Ayu, Sruthayu, Satyayu, Raya, Vijaya and Jaya.

9.15.2

śrutāyorvasumān putraḥ satyāyośca śrutañjayaḥ /
rayasya suta ekaśca jayasya tanayo 'mitaḥ //

The son of Śrutāyus was Vasumat, and Śrutañjaya was of Satyāyus; / the son of Raya was Eka, and the son of Jaya was Amita.

2. Sritayu's son was Vasuman; Satyayu's son was Srutanjaya; of Raya Eka; of Jaya was Amita.

9.15.3

bhīmastu vijayasyātha kāñcano hotrakastataḥ /
tasya jahnuḥ suto gaṅgāṃ gaṇḍūṣīkṛtya yo 'pibat /
jahnostu purustasyātha balākaścātmajo 'jakaḥ //

Bhīma was the son of Vijaya, then Kāñcana, and from him Hotraka; / his son was Jahnu, who drank the Gaṅgā in a single mouthful. / The son of Jahnu was Puru, and his son was Balāka, and Ajaka [his].

3. Vajaya's son was Bhima whose son was Kanchana who begot Hotraka; his son was Jahnu who sipped up the whole flood of Ganga; Jahnu's son was Puru whose son was Bataka and his son was Ajaka.

9.15.4

tataḥ kuśaḥ kuśasyāpi kuśāmbustanayo vasuḥ /
kuśanābhaśca catvāro gādhirāsīt kuśāmbujaḥ //

From him was Kuśa; and the sons of Kuśa were Kuśāmba, Vasu, / and Kuśanābha—these four; and Gādhi was the son of Kuśāmba.

4. His son was Kusa who had four sons Kusambu, Murtaya, Vasu, Kusanabha and Kusambu's son was Gadhi.

9.15.5

tasya satyavatīṃ kanyāmṛcīko 'yācata dvijaḥ /
varaṃ visadṛśaṃ matvā gādhirbhārgavamabravīt //

The brāhmaṇa Ṛcīka asked for his daughter Satyavatī; / deeming the bridegroom unsuitable, Gādhi said to the descendant of Bhṛgu:

5. The brahmin sage Richeeka solicited the hand of his daughter Satyavati; but Gadhi, thinking him not suitable, said to Richeeka.

9.15.6

ekataḥ śyāmakarṇānāṃ hayānāṃ candravarcasām /
sahasraṃ dīyatāṃ śulkaṃ kanyāyāḥ kuśikā vayam //

'Let a thousand horses with one ear black and having the luster of the moon / be given as the bride-price for the girl; we are Kuśikas.'

6. Let a fee be paid for the girl, of a thousand horses which are bright like the moon and have one black ear. We belong to Kusika race.

9.15.7

ityuktastanmataṃ jñātvā gataḥ sa varuṇāntikam /
ānīya dattvā tān aśvān upayeme varānanām //

Thus addressed, knowing his intention, he went to Varuṇa; / and having brought and given those horses, he married the fair-faced maiden.

7. Thus replied to, the brahmin understood his mind, approached Varuna, brought and delivered horses of the required description and married the beautiful princess.

9.15.8

sa ṛṣiḥ prārthitaḥ patnyā śvaśrvā cāpatyakāmyayā /
śrapayitvobhayairmantraiścaruṃ snātuṃ gato muniḥ //

Beseeched by his wife and mother-in-law out of a desire for offspring, / the sage cooked sacrificial porridge with mantras for both and went to bathe.

8. Requested by the wife and also by his mother-in-law for the sake of a son, the sage prepared a charu (offering) with mantras required (severally) for both and he went out to bathe. 9. Meanwhile solicited by the mother and considering it as superior, Satyavati gave the charu meant for herself to her mother and herself swallowed what was meant for her mother.

9.15.9

tāvat satyavatī mātrā svacaruṃ yācitā satī /
śreṣṭhaṃ matvā tayāyacchan mātre māturadat svayam //

Meanwhile, Satyavatī was asked by her mother for her own porridge; / considering it superior, she gave it to her mother, and ate her mother's herself.

9.15.10

tadviditvā muniḥ prāha patnīṃ kaṣṭamakāraṣīḥ /
ghoro daṇḍadharaḥ putro bhrātā te brahmavittamaḥ //

Knowing that, the sage said to his wife: "You have done something terrible! / Your son will be a fierce wielder of punishment, and your brother the foremost knower of Brahman."

10. On knowing the fact the sage told his wife, 'thou hast done a very bad thing; thy son will be a formidable punisher and thy brother will be one foremost among those that realise Brahman.'

9.15.11

prasāditaḥ satyavatyā maivaṃ bhūriti bhārgavaḥ /
atha tarhi bhavet pautrojamadagnistato 'bhavat //

Appeased by Satyavatī saying, "May it not be so," the Bhārgava [said], / "Then it shall be your grandson." From that Jamadagni was born.

11. Being prayed to by Satyavati that it might not be so, Bhargava said, "then thy grandson will be such"; Jamadagni was then born.

9.15.12

sā cābhūt sumahatpuṇyā kauśikī lokapāvanī /
reṇoḥ sutāṃ reṇukāṃ vai jamadagniruvāha yām //

And she became the most holy Kauśikī, purifying the worlds. / Jamadagni indeed married Reṇukā, the daughter of Reṇu.

12. That Satyavati afterwards became transformed into the river Kausiki that purifies the world. (It is said) Jamadagni married Renuka, daughter of Renu.

9.15.13

tasyāṃ vai bhārgavaṛṣeḥ sutā vasumadādayaḥ /
yavīyān jajña eteṣāṃ rāma ityabhiviśrutaḥ //

By her the Bhārgava sage had sons headed by Vasumat; / the youngest of them was born renowned as Rāma.

13. By her the Rishi of Bhargava race had Vasumat and other sons; and of these a younger son became celebrated as Rama.

9.15.14

yamāhurvāsudevāṃśaṃ haihayānāṃ kulāntakam /
triḥsaptakṛtvo ya imāṃ cakre niḥkṣatriyāṃ mahīm //

Him they call a portion of Vāsudeva, the end of the race of the Haihayas, / who thrice seven times rid this earth of kṣatriyas.

14. They say he is an amsa of Vasudeva and he was the destroyer of the race of Haihayas; twenty-one times he swept Kshatriyas out of this earth.

9.15.15

dṛptaṃ kṣatraṃ bhuvo bhāramabrahmaṇyamanīnaśat /
rajastamovṛtamahan phalgunyapi kṛte 'ṃhasi //

He destroyed the arrogant warrior class, a burden to the earth and hostile to brāhmaṇas; / covered with passion and darkness, he struck them down even for an insignificant offense.

15. The haughty and wicked Kshatriya race becoming a burden to the earth and inimical to brahmins, he destroyed it. He did away with every Kshatriya who was full of Rajas and Tamas, even if he had committed the smallest fault.

9.15.16

/0 śrīrājovāca
kiṃ tadaṃho bhagavato rājanyairajitātmabhiḥ /
kṛtaṃ yena kulaṃ naṣṭaṃ kṣatriyāṇāmabhīkṣṇaśaḥ //

The King said: / What was that offense committed by the unrestrained rulers against the Lord, / by which the race of the kṣatriyas was wiped out again and again?

16. The king said:— What is that sin or offence given to the worshipful sage by Kshatriyas who had no control over their mind, that repeatedly led to the destruction of the Kshatriya race?.

9.15.17

/0 śrībādarāyaṇiruvāca
haihayānāmadhipatirarjunaḥ kṣatriyarṣabhaḥ /
dattaṃ nārāyaṇāṃśāṃśamārādhya parikarmabhiḥ //

Śrī Bādarāyaṇi said: / The lord of the Haihayas was Arjuna, a bull among kṣatriyas; / having propitiated Datta, a portion of a portion of Nārāyaṇa, through personal services,

17. Sri Suka said.— The king of Haihayas named Arjuna, a foremost Kshatriya, propitiated Datta, an avatar of Sri Narayana, by acts of earnest worship.

9.15.18

bāhūn daśaśataṃ lebhe durdharṣatvamarātiṣu /
avyāhatendriyaujaḥ śrī tejovīryayaśobalam //

he obtained a thousand arms, invincibility against enemies, / unimpeded power of the senses, beauty, luster, valor, fame, and strength;

18. He thereby secured a thousand arms and irresistible power in the front of enemies and undiminished (and insuperable) power of the senses, splendour, wealth, majesty, energy, prowess, reputation and strength.

9.15.19

yogeśvaratvamaiśvaryaṃ guṇā yatrāṇimādayaḥ /
cacārāvyāhatagatirlokeṣu pavano yathā //

and mastery of yoga with lordship in which powers such as minuteness are present; / he moved through the worlds with unobstructed motion, like the wind.

19. He also obtained mastery in yoga, supreme powers and excellent attainments of anima and the like and like wind coursed through the worlds in unobstructed marches.

9.15.20

strīratnairāvṛtaḥ krīḍan revāmbhasi madotkaṭaḥ /
vaijayantīṃ srajaṃ bibhradrurodha saritaṃ bhujaiḥ //

Surrounded by jewels of women, sporting in the waters of the Revā, inflamed with pride, / wearing a Vaijayantī garland, he blocked the river with his arms.

20. Surrounded by the most beautiful women he, intoxicated with pride, sported in the waters of the Narmada, wore the wreath of Vaijayanti, and obstructed the flood of the river with his thousand arms.

9.15.21

viplāvitaṃ svaśibiraṃ pratisrotaḥsarijjalaiḥ /
nāmṛṣyat tasya tadvīryaṃ vīramānī daśānanaḥ //

His own camp flooded by the reversed waters of the river, / the ten-headed [Rāvaṇa], thinking himself a hero, could not bear his valor.

21. When his camp was flooded with the waters of the river flowing upwards, the ten-headed Ravana thinking himself to be the one hero, grew impatient at his (Arjuna's) strength and power.

9.15.22

gṛhīto līlayā strīṇāṃ samakṣaṃ kṛtakilbiṣaḥ /
māhiṣmatyāṃ sanniruddho mukto yena kapiryathā //

Having committed an offense, he was captured sportingly in the presence of the women / and imprisoned at Māhiṣmatī, then released by him like a monkey.

22. When he offended Arjuna, Ravana was playfully seized in the presence of women and imprisoned at Mahishmati like a monkey and afterwards let go.

9.15.23

sa ekadā tu mṛgayāṃ vicaran vijane vane /
yadṛcchayāśramapadaṃ jamadagnerupāviśat //

Once, however, wandering on a hunt in a deserted forest, / he chanced upon the hermitage grounds of Jamadagni.

23. & 24. Once he (Arjuna) went ahunting in an impassable forest and by chance came to the hermitage of Jamadagni. To him as a king, the sage, rich in tapas, offered a welcome reception and did honour and extended his hospitality to all his army, ministers and animals through the help of his Kamadhenu.

9.15.24

tasmai sa naradevāya munirarhaṇamāharat /
sasainyāmātyavāhāya haviṣmatyā tapodhanaḥ //

To that king with his army, ministers, and mounts, the sage rich in asceticism / offered hospitable welcome by means of his sacrificial cow.

9.15.25

sa vai ratnaṃ tu taddṛṣṭvā ātmaiśvaryātiśāyanam /
tan nādriyatāgnihotryāṃ sābhilāṣaḥ sahaihayaḥ //

Seeing that jewel that surpassed his own wealth, / the Haihaya did not respect it, but desired the sacrificial cow.

25. On seeing what surpassed his lordly state that Haihaya warrior conceived a desire for the Kamadhenu and did not relish the hospitality of the sage.

9.15.26

havirdhānīmṛṣerdarpān narān hartumacodayat /
te ca māhiṣmatīṃ ninyuḥ savatsāṃ krandatīṃ balāt //

Out of pride, he urged his men to seize the sage's sacrificial cow, / and they carried her off by force to Māhiṣmatī, crying along with her calf.

26. Then he commanded his men to carry away the Kamadhenu of the sage and they by force took the screaming Kamadhenu and her calf to his capital Mahishmati.

9.15.27

atha rājani niryāte rāma āśrama āgataḥ /
śrutvā tat tasya daurātmyaṃ cukrodhāhirivāhataḥ //

Then, after the king departed, Rāma returned to the hermitage; / hearing of that wickedness of his, he was enraged like a struck serpent.

27. After the king had gone Rama came to his hermitage; having heard of his (Haihaya's) wicked conduct he waxed full of rage like a serpent that is hit.

9.15.28

ghoramādāya paraśuṃ satūṇaṃ varma kārmukam /
anvadhāvata durmarṣo mṛgendra iva yūthapam //

Taking up a terrible battle-axe, quivers, armor, and bow, / intolerant, he ran after him like a lion chasing a herd-leader.

28. Taking a formidable axe, a bow with quivers and a shield, irresistible Rama pursued him just as the lordly lion pursues the king elephant of the herd.

9.15.29

tamāpatantaṃ bhṛguvaryamojasā dhanurdharaṃ bāṇaparaśvadhāyudham /
aiṇeyacarmāmbaramarkadhāmabhir yutaṃ jaṭābhirdadṛśe purīṃ viśan //

As he was entering his city, [the king] saw that best of the Bhṛgus rushing toward him with power, holding a bow, armed with arrows and an axe, / clad in a black-antelope skin, endowed with matted locks shining like the sun.

29. As he entered the city, Arjuna saw rushing with great force the foremost of Brighu race bearing a bow, arrows and an axe for his weapons, clad in deer-skin and wearing matted hair, brilliant like the sun.

9.15.30

acodayaddhastirathāśvapattibhir gadāsibāṇarṣṭiśataghniśaktibhiḥ /
akṣauhiṇīḥ saptadaśātibhīṣaṇās tā rāma eko bhagavān asūdayat //

He dispatched seventeen most terrifying akṣauhiṇī armies / equipped with elephants, chariots, horses, and foot-soldiers, with clubs, swords, arrows, spears, sataghnis, and javelins; the single lord Rāma destroyed them all.

30. (To resist him) Arjuna at once sent forth seventeen most formidable Akshauhinees of army with the necessary chariots, horses, and infantry, armed with gada, swords, arrows, Rishtis, Sataghnis, and Saktis; and the single Rama, the Almighty Lord, vanquished them (all).

9.15.31

yato yato 'sau praharatparaśvadho mano 'nilaujāḥ paracakrasūdanaḥ /
tataś tatas chinnabhujorukandharā nipetururvyāṃ hatasūtavāhanāḥ //

Wherever he struck with his axe, with the swiftness of mind and wind, slaughtering the enemy host, / there their arms, thighs, and necks were severed, and their charioteers and mounts were slain, falling to the earth.

31. In whatever direction Rama, capable of destroying enemies, quick as thought and Vayu, went about striking with his axe, (in all those places) enemies fell down on the earth with their arms, thighs, necks, severed, their charioteers and animals slain.

9.15.32

dṛṣṭvā svasainyaṃ rudhiraughakardame raṇājire rāmakuṭhārasāyakaiḥ /
vivṛkṇavarmadhvajacāpavigrahaṃ nipātitaṃ haihaya āpatadruṣā //

Seeing his army struck down in the mire of torrents of blood on the battlefield / by Rāma’s axe and arrows, its armor, banners, bows, and bodies broken, the Haihaya rushed forward in fury.

32. When he saw his army laid low in the field rendered miry with the streams of blood and with their shields, flags, bows and body cut to pieces by Rama's axe, sword and arrows, the king of Haihayas rushed forward in rage.

9.15.33

athārjunaḥ pañcaśateṣu bāhubhir dhanuḥṣu bāṇān yugapat sa sandadhe /
rāmāya rāmo 'strabhṛtāṃ samagraṇīs tānyekadhanveṣubhirācchinat samam //

Then Arjuna, with his arms, fixed arrows simultaneously onto five hundred bows / aimed at Rāma; Rāma, the foremost of weapon-wielders, severed them all at once with the arrows of a single bow.

33. At once Arjuna took up five hundred bows in five hundred hands and simultaneously aimed and discharged arrows at Rama; but Rama, the foremost bowman of all that ever wielded weapons, had but one bow and [with his shafts] cut them all down at the same time.

9.15.34

punaḥ svahastairacalān mṛdhe 'ṅghripān utkṣipya vegādabhidhāvato yudhi /
bhujān kuṭhāreṇa kaṭhoraneminā ciccheda rāmaḥ prasabhaṃ tv aheriva //

When he rushed forward violently again in battle, hurling mountains and trees with his own hands, / Rāma forcibly severed his arms with the sharp edge of his axe, like those of a serpent.

34. He again picked up mountains and trees with his hands to fight with and rushed forward to attack in battle; but Rama made haste and cut down, like the hoods of a serpent, all his arms with his axe of hard and sharp edge.

9.15.35

kṛttabāhoḥ śirastasya gireḥ śṛṅgamivāharat /
hate pitari tatputrā ayutaṃ dudruvurbhayāt //

He severed the head of him whose arms had been cut off, like the peak of a mountain; / their father having been slain, his ten thousand sons fled in fear.

35. When his arms were cut, Rama cut off his head like the crest of a mountain; (and) when the father was slain, his ten thousand sons ran away in fear.

9.15.36

agnihotrīmupāvartya savatsāṃ paravīrahā /
samupetyāśramaṃ pitre parikliṣṭāṃ samarpayat //

Having recovered the much-tormented sacrificial cow along with her calf, the slayer of enemy heroes / arrived at the hermitage and gave her back to his father.

36. The vanquisher of warrior-enemies brought back Kamadhenu with her calf and, coming into the hermitage, he offered to his father the distressed cow.

9.15.37

svakarma tat kṛtaṃ rāmaḥ pitre bhrātṛbhya eva ca /
varṇayāmāsa tac chrutvājamadagnirabhāṣata //

Rāma described that deed performed by him to his father and his brothers; / hearing that, Jamadagni said:

37. Rama described his action to his father and to his brothers; on hearing that, Jamadagni said.

9.15.38

rāma rāma mahābāho bhavān pāpamakāraṣīt /
avadhīn naradevaṃ yat sarvadevamayaṃ vṛthā //

"Rāma, Rāma, mighty-armed one, you have committed a sin, / in that you have needlessly killed a king who embodies all the gods.

38. "O Rama, Rama of mighty arms, thou hast committed a sin, because thou hast in vain killed the protector of men who is the embodiment all the gods.

9.15.39

vayaṃ hi brāhmaṇāstāta kṣamayārhaṇatāṃ gatāḥ /
yayā lokagururdevaḥ pārameṣṭhyamagāt padam //

"We indeed are brāhmaṇas, my son, who have attained worshipfulness through forgiveness, / by which the divine teacher of the universe attained the supreme state of Brahmā.

39. "We are indeed Brahmanas, O son, and through patience and endurance we have become worshipful, just as Brahma, the father of the world has attained to the Supreme Position.

9.15.40

kṣamayā rocate lakṣmīrbrāhmī saurī yathā prabhā /
kṣamiṇāmāśu bhagavāṃstuṣyate harirīśvaraḥ //

"Through forgiveness, the splendor of a brāhmaṇa shines like the brilliance of the sun; / the Lord Hari, the supreme master, is swiftly pleased with the forgiving.

40. "The brahminic splendour becomes brilliant through patience like the splendour of the sun; the Almighty Lord Hari is soon pleased with those that are forbearing.

9.15.41

rājño mūrdhābhiṣiktasya vadho brahmavadhādguruḥ /
tīrthasaṃsevayā cāṃho jahyaṅgācyutacetanaḥ //

"The killing of an anointed king is graver than the killing of a brāhmaṇa; / cleanse this sin by attending sacred shrines, my dear, keeping your mind fixed on Acyuta."

41. "The killing of a crowned king is a heavier sin than killing a brahmin; therefore devote thy mind to Achyuta and get rid, O child, of thy sin by bathing in holy waters,".