Bhagavatapurana 9.8: athāṣṭamo'dhyāyaḥ

9.8.1

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
harito rohitasutaścampastasmādvinirmitā /
campāpurī sudevo 'to vijayo yasya cātmajaḥ //

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
harito rohitasutaścampastasmādvinirmitā
campāpurī sudevo 'to vijayo yasya cātmajaḥ

1. Sri Suka said:—Rohita's son was Harita whose son was Champa by whom the city of Champa was built. And Champa's son was Sudeva whose son was Vijaya.

9.8.2

bharukastatsutastasmādvṛkastasyāpi bāhukaḥ /
so 'ribhirhṛtabhū rājā sabhāryo vanamāviśat //

bharukastatsutastasmādvṛkastasyāpi bāhukaḥ
so 'ribhirhṛtabhū rājā sabhāryo vanamāviśat

2. Vijaya's son was Bharuka (Bheruka); his son Vrika; and his son Bahuka; this last was deprived of his kingdom by his enemies; and with his wife he betook himself to the forest.

9.8.3

vṛddhaṃ taṃ pañcatāṃ prāptaṃ mahiṣyanumariṣyatī /
aurveṇa jānatātmānaṃ prajāvantaṃ nivāritā //

vṛddhaṃ taṃ pañcatāṃ prāptaṃ mahiṣyanumariṣyatī
aurveṇa jānatātmānaṃ prajāvantaṃ nivāritā

3. When her aged husband died she prepared herself to die with him; but by the sage Aurva who knew her to be pregnant, she was prevented (from the act).

9.8.4

ājñāyāsyai sapatnībhirgaro datto 'ndhasā saha /
saha tenaiva sañjātaḥ sagarākhyo mahāyaśāḥ //

ājñāyāsyai sapatnībhirgaro datto 'ndhasā saha
saha tenaiva sañjātaḥ sagarākhyo mahāyaśāḥ

4. Knowing that, her co-wives administered her poison with food; and with that poison her son was born, who was therefore called Sagara (an emperor) of world-wide reputation.

9.8.5

sagaraścakravartyāsīt sāgaro yatsutaiḥ kṛtaḥ /
yastālajaṅghān yavanāñ chakān haihayabarbarān //

sagaraścakravartyāsīt sāgaro yatsutaiḥ kṛtaḥ
yastālajaṅghān yavanāñ chakān haihayabarbarān

5. Sagara became an emperor and by his sons the sea was extended and came to be called Saagara; he conquered Yavanas, Sakas, Haihayas and Barbaras of long shanks.

9.8.6

nāvadhīdguruvākyena cakre vikṛtaveṣiṇaḥ /
muṇḍān chmaśrudharān kāṃścin muktakeśārdhamuṇḍitān //

nāvadhīdguruvākyena cakre vikṛtaveṣiṇaḥ
muṇḍān chmaśrudharān kāṃścin muktakeśārdhamuṇḍitān

6. & 7. However, in obedience to his preceptor's words he did not kill them but caused them to be disfigured; some were wholly shaved; some left with their beards; some were left only with the hair on their head, and some were half shaven; some ripped of under garment and some others of upper garment.

9.8.7

anantarvāsasaḥ kāṃścidabahirvāsaso 'parān /
so 'śvamedhairayajata sarvavedasurātmakam //

anantarvāsasaḥ kāṃścidabahirvāsaso 'parān
so 'śvamedhairayajata sarvavedasurātmakam

8. He worshipped the Supreme Ruler Hari who is in the form of all the Vedas and the gods by performing Asvamedha sacrifices in the manner taught by Aurva; and in one of his sacrifices Indra stole away the consecrated horse sent out (to go round the world).

9.8.8

aurvopadiṣṭayogena harimātmānamīśvaram /
tasyotsṛṣṭaṃ paśuṃ yajñe jahārāśvaṃ purandaraḥ //

aurvopadiṣṭayogena harimātmānamīśvaram
tasyotsṛṣṭaṃ paśuṃ yajñe jahārāśvaṃ purandaraḥ

9.8.9

sumatyāstanayā dṛptāḥ piturādeśakāriṇaḥ /
hayamanveṣamāṇāste samantān nyakhanan mahīm //

sumatyāstanayā dṛptāḥ piturādeśakāriṇaḥ
hayamanveṣamāṇāste samantān nyakhanan mahīm

9. The haughty sons of Sumati bent on doing their father's command and searching for the horse, dug the earth on all sides.

9.8.10

prāgudīcyāṃ diśi hayaṃ dadṛśuḥ kapilāntike /
eṣa vājiharaścaura āste mīlitalocanaḥ //

prāgudīcyāṃ diśi hayaṃ dadṛśuḥ kapilāntike
eṣa vājiharaścaura āste mīlitalocanaḥ

10. & 11. In the north-east direction they saw a horse near Kapila, "Here is the thief of the horse shutting his eyes, strike him, strike him, the wicked one"; saying thus the sixty thousand sons of Sagara ran towards him with their weapons upraised and at that moment the sage opened his eyes.

9.8.11

hanyatāṃ hanyatāṃ pāpa iti ṣaṣṭisahasriṇaḥ /
udāyudhā abhiyayurunmimeṣa tadā muniḥ //

hanyatāṃ hanyatāṃ pāpa iti ṣaṣṭisahasriṇaḥ
udāyudhā abhiyayurunmimeṣa tadā muniḥ

9.8.12

svaśarīrāgninā tāvan mahendrahṛtacetasaḥ /
mahadvyatikramahatā bhasmasādabhavan kṣaṇāt //

svaśarīrāgninā tāvan mahendrahṛtacetasaḥ
mahadvyatikramahatā bhasmasādabhavan kṣaṇāt

12. They had been first deprived of their sense by Indra, and (now) struck down by the sin of violating the great, they became instantly reduced to ashes by the fire of their own body.

9.8.13

na sādhuvādo munikopabharjitā nṛpendraputrā iti sattvadhāmani /
kathaṃ tamo roṣamayaṃ vibhāvyate jagatpavitrātmani khe rajo bhuvaḥ //

na sādhuvādo munikopabharjitā nṛpendraputrā iti sattvadhāmani
kathaṃ tamo roṣamayaṃ vibhāvyate jagatpavitrātmani khe rajo bhuvaḥ

13. It cannot be correct to say that the sons of the great king were burnt by the fire of the sage's wrath; for Kapila is the abode of Satva (goodness); how could *Tamas* (darkness) in the form of wrath find place in the sage who purifies the whole world, or the earthly dust in the sky?

9.8.14

yasyeritā sāṅkhyamayī dṛḍheha naur yayā mumukṣustarate duratyayam /
bhavārṇavaṃ mṛtyupathaṃ vipaścitaḥ parātmabhūtasya kathaṃ pṛthaṅmatiḥ //

yasyeritā sāṅkhyamayī dṛḍheha naur yayā mumukṣustarate duratyayam
bhavārṇavaṃ mṛtyupathaṃ vipaścitaḥ parātmabhūtasya kathaṃ pṛthaṅmatiḥ

14. It is His utterance in the form of Sankhya Sastra that forms the safe and strong vessel by means of which he, who seeks after release, is able to cross the impassable sea of life, the high road to death: how could (that) Ommiscient and Supreme Lord cherish a sense of difference (as friend and foe)?

9.8.15

yo 'samañjasa ityuktaḥ sa keśinyā nṛpātmajaḥ /
tasya putro 'ṃśumān nāma pitāmahahite rataḥ //

yo 'samañjasa ityuktaḥ sa keśinyā nṛpātmajaḥ
tasya putro 'ṃśumān nāma pitāmahahite rataḥ

15. O king, he, who is called Asamanjasa, was the son of Kesini and his son was Amsuman who devoted himself to the achievement of his grandfather’s purpose.

9.8.16

asamañjasa ātmānaṃ darśayannasamañjasam /
jātismaraḥ purā saṅgādyogī yogādvicālitaḥ //

asamañjasa ātmānaṃ darśayannasamañjasam
jātismaraḥ purā saṅgādyogī yogādvicālitaḥ

16. Asamanjasa exhibited himself like one wanting in good sense; but he was a Yogin in previous life and having strayed from his path of Yoga owing to (bad) association, was now born with the reminiscences of his past life.

9.8.17

ācaran garhitaṃ loke jñātīnāṃ karma vipriyam /
sarayvāṃ krīḍato bālān prāsyadudvejayan janam //

ācaran garhitaṃ loke jñātīnāṃ karma vipriyam
sarayvāṃ krīḍato bālān prāsyadudvejayan janam

17. He did what was reproachful in the eye of the world and what was hateful to his relations and in order to terrify the people threw into the Sarayu young children who were at play.

9.8.18

evaṃ vṛttaḥ parityaktaḥ pitrā snehamapohya vai /
yogaiśvaryeṇa bālāṃstān darśayitvā tato yayau //

evaṃ vṛttaḥ parityaktaḥ pitrā snehamapohya vai
yogaiśvaryeṇa bālāṃstān darśayitvā tato yayau

18. For conducting himself in this manner he was abandoned (outlawed) by his father who for that reason set aside even his natural affection. Afterwards, by virtue of his Yoga powers he brought back and exhibited the children and then retired from the house.

9.8.19

ayodhyāvāsinaḥ sarve bālakān punarāgatān /
dṛṣṭvā visismire rājan rājā cāpyanvatapyata //

ayodhyāvāsinaḥ sarve bālakān punarāgatān
dṛṣṭvā visismire rājan rājā cāpyanvatapyata

19. All the residents of Ayodhya [were astonished] to see the children restored to them, O king, and the king too was full of remorse.

9.8.20

aṃśumāṃścodito rājñā turagānveṣaṇe yayau /
pitṛvyakhātānupathaṃ bhasmānti dadṛśe hayam //

aṃśumāṃścodito rājñā turagānveṣaṇe yayau
pitṛvyakhātānupathaṃ bhasmānti dadṛśe hayam

20. Asked by the king to go in search of the (sacrificial) horse Amsuman set out following the foot-prints of his uncles and near the heaps of their ashes found the horse.

9.8.21

tatrāsīnaṃ muniṃ vīkṣya kapilākhyamadhokṣajam /
astaut samāhitamanāḥ prāñjaliḥ praṇato mahān //

tatrāsīnaṃ muniṃ vīkṣya kapilākhyamadhokṣajam
astaut samāhitamanāḥ prāñjaliḥ praṇato mahān

21. There he saw sitting up, the sage Kapila who was an Avatar of Vishnu: the high-souled Amsuman (a noble prince) bowed to him, joined his hands in reverence and with a collected mind offered him his praise.

9.8.22

/0 aṃśumān uvāca
na paśyati tvāṃ paramātmano 'jano na budhyate 'dyāpi samādhiyuktibhiḥ /
kuto 'pare tasya manaḥśarīradhī visargasṛṣṭā vayamaprakāśāḥ //

/0 aṃśumān uvāca
na paśyati tvāṃ paramātmano 'jano na budhyate 'dyāpi samādhiyuktibhiḥ
kuto 'pare tasya manaḥśarīradhī visargasṛṣṭā vayamaprakāśāḥ

22. Amsuman said:— To this day Brahma does not even now realise Thee as distinct from his own self by means of his concentration and reasoning power. How could others like us full of ignorance and produced through his mind, body and intelligence (hope to do so)?

9.8.23

ye dehabhājastriguṇapradhānā guṇān vipaśyantyuta vā tamaśca /
yanmāyayā mohitacetasastvāṃ viduḥ svasaṃsthaṃ na bahiḥprakāśāḥ //

ye dehabhājastriguṇapradhānā guṇān vipaśyantyuta vā tamaśca
yanmāyayā mohitacetasastvāṃ viduḥ svasaṃsthaṃ na bahiḥprakāśāḥ

23. Those, who are dominated by the three gunas and have a body, perceive only the gunas or tamas, are alive to the objects of sense in the waking and dreaming states and are drowned in darkness in sleep. Being deprived of understanding by His maya, they do not know Thee present in themselves; for they have only external light.

9.8.24

taṃ tvāṃ ahaṃ jñānaghanaṃ svabhāva pradhvastamāyāguṇabhedamohaiḥ /
sanandanādyairmunibhirvibhāvyaṃ kathaṃ vimūḍhaḥ paribhāvayāmi //

taṃ tvāṃ ahaṃ jñānaghanaṃ svabhāva pradhvastamāyāguṇabhedamohaiḥ
sanandanādyairmunibhirvibhāvyaṃ kathaṃ vimūḍhaḥ paribhāvayāmi

24. How could I, an ignorant soul, make enquiries about Thee who art absolutely full of wisdom and fit to be contemplated by Sanandana and other sages who have naturally got rid of the gunas of Maya and their effect, *i.e.*, the delusive notion of difference.

9.8.25

praśānta māyāguṇakarmaliṅgam anāmarūpaṃ sadasadvimuktam /
jñānopadeśāya gṛhītadehaṃ namāmahe tvāṃ puruṣaṃ purāṇam //

praśānta māyāguṇakarmaliṅgam anāmarūpaṃ sadasadvimuktam
jñānopadeśāya gṛhītadehaṃ namāmahe tvāṃ puruṣaṃ purāṇam

25. We bow to Thee, the most ancient Person, who hast assumed a body for imparting knowledge, and who art unapproached by cause or effect, or merit or demerit, without a name and form and body and Karma, which are (all) caused by gunas of Maya, [O Serene One, O Lord destitute of attributes].

9.8.26

tvanmāyāracite loke vastubuddhyā gṛhādiṣu /
bhramanti kāmalobherṣyā mohavibhrāntacetasaḥ //

tvanmāyāracite loke vastubuddhyā gṛhādiṣu
bhramanti kāmalobherṣyā mohavibhrāntacetasaḥ

26. In the world created by Thy Maya creatures have their reason confounded by the passions of love, greed and jealousy and folly and are being tossed about in the house and its belongings, which they take for real objects.

9.8.27

adya naḥ sarvabhūtātman kāmakarmendriyāśayaḥ /
mohapāśo dṛḍhaśchinno bhagavaṃstava darśanāt //

adya naḥ sarvabhūtātman kāmakarmendriyāśayaḥ
mohapāśo dṛḍhaśchinno bhagavaṃstava darśanāt

27. O Soul of all beings, today on seeing Thee the strong cord of our ignorance, the main root of all the passions, actions, and senses is cut away.

9.8.28

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
itthaṃ gītānubhāvastaṃ bhagavān kapilo muniḥ /
aṃśumantamuvācedamanugrāhya dhiyā nṛpa //

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
itthaṃ gītānubhāvastaṃ bhagavān kapilo muniḥ
aṃśumantamuvācedamanugrāhya dhiyā nṛpa

28. Sri Suka said:— When His greatness was thus sung the

venerable sage Kapila blessed him from the bottom of his heart, O king, and said to Amsumat.

9.8.29

/0 śrībhagavān uvāca
aśvo 'yaṃ nīyatāṃ vatsa pitāmahapaśustava /
ime ca pitaro dagdhā gaṅgāmbho 'rhanti netarat //

/0 śrībhagavān uvāca
aśvo 'yaṃ nīyatāṃ vatsa pitāmahapaśustava
ime ca pitaro dagdhā gaṅgāmbho 'rhanti netarat

29. The Lord Kapila said, child, this is the horse, the sacrificial animal of thy grandfather, it may be taken; and these your fathers who lie burnt deserve to be moistened with the water of the Ganges and no other (water).

9.8.30

taṃ parikramya śirasā prasādya hayamānayat /
sagarastena paśunā yajñaśeṣaṃ samāpayat //

Circumambulating him and bowing his head to propitiate him, [Aṃśumat] brought back the horse. / With that sacrificial animal, Sagara completed the remainder of the sacrifice.

30. Having gone round him and begged of his favour, and bowed his head, he took the horse with that animal. Sagara completed his interrupted sacrifice.

9.8.31

rājyamaṃśumate nyasya niḥspṛho muktabandhanaḥ /
aurvopadiṣṭamārgeṇa lebhe gatimanuttamām //

Entrusting the kingdom to Aṃśumat, free from desires and liberated from bonds, / he attained the highest goal along the path taught by Aurva.

31. Having entrusted the kingdom to Amsumat, and free of desires and attachments he attained to the highest goal by the way taught him by Aurva.