Skandapurana 7.6

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Chapters 51 - 60

Sanatkumāra said:

Then, O Vyāsa, Sukeśa, having heard [this] from his father, like one very pitiable, / distressed, pondered at that time that destination of a living being. / [Critical apparatus: 58 vidviṣṭaḥ - kha. 59... stadā - kha. 60... bhakṣyo - kha. 61 tava putraka - ka. 62 yathāgati - ka., yathāmati - kha. 63 bhaktaḥ - gha. 64 sarvayamyeḥ - kha. 65]

[Critical apparatus: dhanyairviṃśasya- māyuṣyaṃ - kha. 66 śrāvyaṃ - ka. kha. 67 svargamicchatā - kha. 68 sumatipradaṃ - gha. 69 narakakīrtanaṃ samāptaṃ - gha.]

[Critical apparatus: 1 dīnavāk - ka.. vān - kha. gha. 2 dīnavat - ka. gha. 3 gaticintakaḥ - kha.]

279

His mind overwhelmed with worry and stricken with sorrow, / with confused mind he did not know any means for liberating living beings.
When, overcome with worry, he did not speak to those ancestors, / then all those ancestors said this to Sukeśa:

The ancestors said:

“Why do you worry so exceedingly, sinless one? Whence comes this anxiety of yours? / Since you are a master, my son, this is not fitting for you.”
Sukeśa said:

“Having heard from you about the suffering born of living beings' karma, / I wonder how there might be a means for their liberation.”
The ancestors said:

“Without regard to its exhaustion, my son, their liberation cannot be found, / [namely,] of their own actions performed in this world; and that exhaustion is considered [to come only] from experiencing the fruits.

And that experiencing [of fruits] in hell is inevitably performed by the living being; / nor can those hell-dwellers be rescued without the exhaustion of karma.
Indeed, wise men should not undertake those tasks that are impossible, / just as swimming across the ocean meets you with death.”

Sanatkumāra said:

Addressed in this manner, that radiant [sage], filled with deep love, / bowed down and said to those ancestors: “Do not disregard me, your son!

[Apparatus readings]

[Apparatus readings]

280

What power do I have to rescue those living beings by force, auspicious ones? / The grace of Mahādeva will deliver those who are in miserable states.

Just as you, unconscious in hell, have crossed over, / so all those beings will cross over, without doubt.”
Sanatkumāra said:

Then, having taken leave of them, that great-souled leader of the Gaṇas / entered the ocean waters and, staying beneath the water,
pure-minded, motionless, and deeply absorbed in meditation, recited the Rudra [hymns]. / As that great-souled one, endowed with yoga, was reciting,

the entire threefold world, O Vyāsa, was heated by his austerity. / Thereupon, all the gods spoke to the Grandfather [Brahmā]:

“O Lord, why are we all burning helplessly? / Whose power of austerity is this? Whose yoga is such?

Who is this, O tiger among gods, that performs such terrible austerity? / Before it burns in this way, and before he becomes angry,

fulfill all his desires, O Lord!” / Addressed thus by those gods, the blessed best of deities
said: “Do not fear! He is not someone objectionable. / He is that great-souled leader of the Gaṇas belonging to the God of gods.

Sitting beneath the ocean's waters, practicing yoga, he recites the Rudra [hymns]. / And his intention is not evil toward the worlds, O mighty ones.

[Apparatus readings]

[Apparatus readings]

281

He intends only to rescue the hell-dwellers from hell. / Therefore, if you agree, let us go, bow down to Rudra,

and entreat this God that his desired boon be granted.” / Saying “So be it,” all of them assembled with Brahmā,

went unhurriedly to Mandara, and were ushered in by Nandin. / Having seen Lord Īśāna and praised him, they addressed the all-pervading Lord:

“O Lord, Sukeśa, the leader of your Gaṇas, who is dear to you, / out of compassion for living beings is practicing an austerity difficult to perform.

Make his wish fulfilled, O Lord of the universe!” / Having heard their petition, the God of gods, Bhava,

went together with Brahmā and the others into the presence of Sukeśa. / The ocean and whatever other sages of strict vows were there

took up offerings of water by the hundreds and bowed down to Śaṅkara who had arrived. / To that best of the troop-leaders, the God of gods spoke these

sweet words pleasing to the mind and ears, O Vyāsa: / “Arise, dear Sukeśa! Request whatever you desire.

I shall grant all that; for you are equal to Nandin to me.” / Thereupon Sukeśa, rising up and praising the bull-bannered [Lord],

bowed down and again chose the wish he had previously sought: / “O God, the men who do evil deeds are tormented in hells.

My mind is afflicted with sorrow on their account, O Īśvara. / [Grant] how they may all be delivered, [by the grace] of the Lord of the world.”

[Apparatus readings]

[Critical apparatus notes: variants for chapter 51, notes 43–61]

282

Make it so for me this very day; this is the boon I have requested. / And those men who are now being tortured in hells, O God, // 31

for their release I beseech you, O Lord of the gods." / Then the God, granting that which was requested, said this: // 32

"Let it be so, my child; the men dwelling in hell are released. / And by this devotion and compassion, you are dear [to me]. // 33

Be entirely untroubled, endowed with supreme sovereignty." / Then all those hell-dwellers mounted aerial chariots. // 34

Then, approaching the God of gods and Sukeśa, they bowed down. / The God spoke again to Sukeśa, the leader of the gaṇas: // 35
"He who rescues any creatures from calamity, / becoming their father in dharma, does not see worldly existence. // 36

For even in mind, whatever living being always desires to release / creatures from distress, that righteous soul too is freed from all sufferings. // 37
And he who, having himself acquired merit, bestows it upon creatures / for the sake of their happiness, he too is freed from all sufferings. // 38

Endowed with supreme yoga and sovereignty, / engaged in saving living beings—who else on earth is equal to you?" // 39
Sukeśa said:

"O Blessed One, by your grace all this will be mine. / Whence comes my own power, O God? By you alone has this been done, O omnipresent Lord! // 40

[Critical apparatus notes: variants for chapter 51, notes 62–64]

[Critical apparatus notes: variants for chapter 51, notes 64–65]

[Apparatus readings: yuktā — ka; 66 satvānāṃ karuṇāya ca — kha; 67 satvā — gha, satvā muktā yātanasaṃsthitāḥ — kha; 68 me (yo) pi — ka; 69 jantūnāpadaṃ — ka; dā — kha; pādaṃ — gha; 70]

[Critical apparatus notes: variants for chapter 51, notes 71–76]

283

Nor is there any other duty or task that is in my mind. / I am your servant, your slave; it is no wonder that I am such." // 41

Sanatkumāra said:

Then the blessed God, having dismissed the leader of the gaṇas, / went to Mount Mandara, O Vyāsa, surrounded at that time by all the immortals. // 42

The gods also, seeing the hell-dwellers everywhere stationed in aerial chariots / and seeing the distress of the world pacified, departed as they had come. // 43

Whoever hears or recites this rescue of the hell-dwellers / never sinks down into despair upon meeting with suffering. // 44
A man constantly hearing this [text], which is the totality of rules for the practice of yoga,

even if sinful, does not go to the pitiless, frightful refuge of sin. / Furthermore, whoever, having approached here, constantly recites this while purified,

in an assembly of gods, brahmins, and physicians, ever firmly devoted to Śaṅkara— // 45
Thus ends the fifty-first chapter, entitled 'The Liberation of the Hell-dwellers', in the Skandapurāṇa.

Vyāsa said:

"Who, then, do not go to that hell, being doers of good deeds, / or even when engaged in sins, O brahmin? This I wish to know. // 1

And likewise, what is the appropriate, highest, auspicious state for women? / By what ripening of action? This I wish to know." // 2
[Critical apparatus notes: variants for notes 77–86 and chapter 52, notes 1–2]

[Critical apparatus notes: variants for notes 86 and 1–2 continued]

284

Sanatkumāra said:

"Hear about those men, O granter of honor, by which very miserable ones / do not go to that hell, even though engaged in sinful action. // 3

One who maintains the sacrificial fire does not go to hell, nor one with the three sacred cords, nor one observant of the cow vow, / nor he who has sacrificed with the horse sacrifice, nor the giver of a thousand cows; // 4
nor the twice-born who is constantly engaged in self-study of the Veda and who recites the Rudra hymn, / and he who rescues brahmins from mortal danger; // 5

as long as a human being attends upon a brahmin who is diseased, / distressed, destitute, and afflicted with sorrow, endowed with this virtue; // 6
and he who shelters a destitute brahmin endowed with self-study of the Veda, / providing him with a house and household furnishings, does not see hell; // 7

and likewise, one composed in mind who protects a cow that is stuck in mud, / fallen, or bereft of strength, he does not go there at all; // 8
and he who with supreme meditation constantly worships / the Great Lord with devotion and inner feeling, he does not go there at all. // 9

For others, however, worldly rebirth certainly occurs; there is no doubt. / Brahmins who have mastered the Vedas and Vedāṅgas do not go there; // 10
devoted to the six duties, O Vyāsa, steadfast in their own dharma, / endowed with austerity and purity, compassionate, firm in their vows; // 11

and those twice-born who abstain from accepting gifts and are devoted to the Lord; / and those kṣatriyas who are constantly intent upon protecting the subjects, // 12
who give up their lives in battle—they do not go to hell; / vaiśyas engaged in agriculture, trade, and cattle-rearing, steadfast in righteous livelihood, // 13

[Critical apparatus notes: variants for chapter 52, notes 3–6]

[Variant readings: 6. …nimān, in MS gha. 7. mahāmate, in MS gha. 8. na saputro, in MS kha; na saputrī, in MS gha. 9. gopradī, in MS gha. 10. yena yaṣṭo'śvamedhena, in MS kha. 11. gopālanarataśca yaḥ, in MS gha. 12. naraḥ, in MS ka. 13.]

[Variant readings: brāhmaṇaṃ, in MSS ka, gha. 14. yastu, in MS gha. 15. tameva, in MS ka; tamevaṃ vādinaṃ, in MS gha. 16. na karmaṇyaṃ tathaiva ca, in MSS ka, gha. 17. muktaḥ syādiha mānavaḥ, in MS kha. 18. saṃbhagnāṃ, in MSS ka, kha. 19. bhaktaḥ, in MSS ka, gha. 20. tān, in MS gha. 21. śāntādāntā jitendriyāḥ, in MS kha. 22. hyalolupāḥ, in MS kha. 23. prajāyāḥ, in MS gha. 24. svavṛttisaṃyuktāḥ, in MS gha.]

285

Those whose livelihood is uninterrupted and who worship the gods and brahmins / do not see hell; they are declared to go to heaven. (14)

Śūdras who are devoted to the three [higher] castes and devoid of arrogance, / and who especially attend upon brahmins constantly, (15) / do not see hell; when dead, they go to a good destination. / And among all four castes, those mortals who [worship] Śiva with sincere devotion, (16)

having dedicated their actions and states to Śarva, devoted and ever steadfast, / do not go to hell; they attain the supreme state. (17)

And those who, having built a temple, worship the God of gods, / deliver even other ancestors from hell. (18)

Those by whom lotus-ponds, reservoirs, and lakes have been dug, / and groves of trees planted, indeed do not go to those [hells]. (19)

And those who constantly protect the twice-born and other afflicted beings / do not go to those [hells]. (20) / And those who are never prone to anger, who worship the gods and brahmins, / and are ever devoted to giving, do not go to a lower destination. (21)

Endowed with truthful speech, free from wicked undertakings, / and observing the practices of their own duty, they do not see hell. (22)

Therefore, one devoted to worshipping the liṅga is liberated from everything. / One who is meditative at all times, or who, being pure, chants [the names of Śiva's] gaṇas, (23) / and a yogi, even while doing all sins, is not tainted.

For women, however, the supreme god is always the husband. (24) / [Variant readings: 25. satataṃ na vyavacchinnā, in MS kha. 26. pūjane, in MSS ka, gha. 27. goptā gobrāhmaṇasya ca, in MS kha. 28. varṇatraye, in MS kha. 29. ye nityamupasevate, in MS ka. 30. na te, in MS kha. 31. narakān,]

[Variant readings: in MS ka; narakānāgatiñca, in MS gha. 32. …ravā, in MS gha; khananti, in MS kha. After this: 'trisaṃdhyaṃ satataṃ bhaktyā iti me vratamāsthitāḥ / brāhmaṇā ye na paśyanti (?) narakaṃ na sa gacchati' is an additional reading in manuscript kha. 33. puṇyaśca, in MSS ka, kha; puṇyo ye (?),]

[Variant readings: 34. tāni, in MS ka; śarvārpitāni ca puṣpāṇi, in MS gha. 35. …ni, in MS kha. 36. …ni, in MS ka; tatra, in MS kha. 37. na yānti, in MSS ka, kha; na vrajanti, in MS gha. 38. taṃ, in MS kha. 39. ye ca, in MS gha.]

[Variant readings: 40. duṣṭatā, in MS ka; ye narā dharmaśīlinaḥ, in MS gha. 41. svadharmakaraṇe śaktāḥ, in MSS ka, gha. 42. nityaṃ liṅgārcanarataḥ, in MS kha. 43. yogajñaḥ, in MS kha.]

286

Therefore, any thoughtful women attentive to dharma look upon none other. / Whatever a woman gives or offers into the sacrificial fire through action, mind, or speech, (25) / if having abandoned her husband, she does not enjoy its fruit.

She should be devoted to the service of her husband by actions of mind, speech, and body. (26)

The woman who, even when her husband has died, desires no other man in her mind, / and whatever merit she acquires, assigns it all to her husband— / that woman does not go to any hells even in thought. (27)

She does not undergo terrible worldly existence at all. / For other [women], however, there is no doubt regarding hell, O you of good vows. (28)

Sanatkumāra said:

Having thus favored Sukeśa, the God whose mount is the bull / […] went to the hermitage of Kāṣṭhakūṭa. / He bestowed his grace on that brahmin Kāṣṭhakūṭa, whose wealth was austerity. (29)

Vyāsa said:

What was the austerity of that noble brahmin, O Lord, / and after how long a time did he obtain a boon from Maheśvara? (30)

Whose son was he? Whose grandson? What was the name of that most virtuous man? / I wish to hear this auspicious matter recounted in detail, O Lord. (31)

Sanatkumāra said:

In the lineage of Gautama there was a masterly brahmin named Kṛṣṇa. / He had a famous son known by the name of Bhūmanyu. (32) / He had a lovely-browed, renowned wife named Rātreyī. / Once, having taken a wife, that Gautama named Bhūmanyu, (33)

[Variant readings: 44. …vanyat, in MS ka. 45.]

[Variant readings: ye kecid, in MSS ka, kha. 46. cintakāḥ, in MSS ka, kha, gha. 47. karoti, in MS gha. 48. trividhenāpi karmaṇā, in MSS ka, gha. 49. patyau (?). 50. na cānyaṃ sevate patiṃ, in MS gha. 51.]

[Variant readings: kṛtvā puṇyāni sarvāṇi phalaṃ patyuḥ…, in MS kha. 52. na paśyati, in MS kha. 53. ghorān, in MS kha. 54. na pratipadyate, in MS kha. 55. pratipadyate, in MS gha. 56. …vṛtaṃ, in MS gha. 57. gotamasyānujo, in MS gha. 58. prabho, in MS gha.]

287

did not obtain a son with her, and was overcome by old age. / Afflicted with grief, he, skilled in speech, said to his wife: (34) / 'Through a son, men desire the worlds, and they become free of debt. / I have reached old age, and no son of mine is seen. (35)

Therefore, permitted by me, O auspicious woman, approach / some man of my clan for the sake of a son; bowing with joined palms, I implore you.' (36)

Suyaśas said:

Never have I heard such a thing, nor has such a thing been spoken by you, O sinless one! / How could a woman like me consider such a deed even in her mind? (37)

Born into the lineage of Atri, and having entered the lineage of Gautama, / how could one such as I do that which is condemned by the virtuous? (38)

Through austerity one should seek wealth, lives, and pleasures, / sons, family, and worlds. Perform austerity, O great sage! (39)

For indeed, by austerity the son Parāśara was obtained by Śakti, / and through his own austerity the great sage Aurva [was obtained] by Cyavana.

And Indrapramati [was obtained] by Vasiṣṭha upon Kapiñjalā; / and Śilāda begat his son Nandin solely through austerity. / So may you also perform austerity with complete concentration; / you will obtain an excellent son endowed with the power of great yoga.

For seeing me long ago, Atri, Brahmā's son himself, declared: / 'She will be the mother of a noble son.' That will not prove false.

Whatever austerity I have amassed through your grace— / united with that and your own [austerity], worship Rudra, O lord."

[Apparatus readings]

288

Sanatkumāra said:

Thus addressed, that radiant [sage], filled with profound embarrassment / and thus permitted by her, sought refuge in Rudra.

Swiftly coming to the Narmadā, filled with joy, / he stood on its bank, subsisting on air for years with that purpose in mind.

Yet the brahmin did not achieve his aim through that deed. / Then, sorrowful, he stood once more practicing breath control.

Then, after a year, the omnipresent god spoke to him: / "Why do you torment yourself in this way, O brahmin? You have no son anywhere.

This exertion of yours is entirely in vain; you have no son, O sinless one." / Thus spoken to, despondent and despairing of the birth of a son,

he resolved on death, [deciding] not to return to his own home.

He gathered a pile of wood and, seizing fire, deeply grieved,

lamented, afflicted by intense sorrow, and wished to burn himself. / Rudra, perceiving his exceedingly difficult resolve,

invisible, spoke in a deep voice: "O son, O son! / A son will be born to you; go, do not commit such a rash act!

And he shall be your son by the name of Kāṣṭhakūṭa." / Then the brahmin of great austerity, joyful in mind, went to his wife

and begat a son, the great sage Kāṣṭhakūṭa. / When he had received his sacraments in due time, the thought occurred to him:

[Apparatus readings]

[Apparatus readings: samuddiśya- ka. kha.; 77 vāyyāśanaḥ- ka.; 78 tatassuduḥkhito?; 79 ...viprarṣi- kha.; 80 putramātnaḥ- kha.; 81 svagṛhaṃ- gha., svāṃ (n gṛhān?)- ka. kha.; 82 ...ñva duḥkhitaḥ- ka. kha. gha.; 83 ...micchati- dha.; 84 vajraḥ- gha.; 85 ...ssamālakṣya- kha.; 86 cābhāṣyavacanaṃ cedamabravīta,- gha.; 87 mā ca tvaṃ- ka. gha., maivaṃ tvaṃ- kha.; 88 vai- gha.; 89]

[Apparatus readings] / 289

"My father is unable to teach me on account of his advanced age. / Therefore, taking leave of my father, I will depart for the sake of the Veda."

The renowned brahmin went to his mother and father, / bowed respectfully with his head, and spoke these words: / "I was born as a son to both of you for the sake of dharma, not out of desire, / [thinking,] 'He will deliver us both, and likewise our ancestors,

and our lineage will be unbroken, there is no doubt; / and through a noble son we shall fully attain the desired worlds,'

and 'We shall be freed of debt to the ancestors'—for this was I desired as a son by you both. / Yet, unskilled in dharma and deprived of Śruti and Smṛti,

I might out of ignorance commit that act whereby our ancestors are grieved, / and you, plunged into hell, will dwell there for a long time like an evildoer. / You are unable to teach me day by day because of your old age, / and out of affection for a son and daily chores you will not properly discipline me;

and this mother of mine, always thinking, 'He is my only son,' / will not permit me to be properly punished by you.

Therefore, my mind is set on taking refuge with another teacher, ever devoted to austerity, / pitiless [in discipline], and endowed with wisdom. / Yet I cannot resolve upon that, reflecting: 'There is no one of your own / who will continuously perform service at your feet.'

Nor should I conceal this from you; this thought was pondered by me, whether good / or ill—you are my supreme refuge."

[Apparatus readings: 92 mamādhyāpayituṃ - ka. gha. . 93]

[Apparatus readings]

290

Thus spoken to by their exceedingly noble son, both parents, / their eyes filled with tears, stood for a moment and then said this, / smelling the head of their dear son, embracing him, and stroking him out of affection:

Bhūmanyu said:

"Service to parents, O son, is of two kinds, conformable to dharma, / which must be performed with effort by an exceedingly noble son:

service to the physical body belonging to this world, and that which yields merit in the next, / by which the ancestors cross over and attain imperishable desires. / In this regard, this-worldly [service] is not desired by us so much as what is beneficial for the hereafter. / Therefore, practice whatever deed belongs to the hereafter.

Go, study both Śruti and Smṛti of noble deeds." / Suyaśā said:

"As this father of yours who knows himself tells you, my son, / so act, that god Bhava may become a granter of boons to you. / In my womb, O highly wise one, you were carried with sorrow, / and similarly obtained through many hardships for the accomplishment of every aim.

And by your father, through severe austerity, abandoning vital breaths so hard to abandon, / you were obtained from Mahādeva; perform what is fitting for him. / So that we both may be alive, our lives united with each other, pleased with you, O son, / properly act in such a way."

[Apparatus readings: 115 sāśrupūrṇekṣaṇau - ka kha . 116 dīnau - gha. . 117 āghrāyyāliṅgya - ka., ādhyāyyā. - kha. . 118 saṃmārjya - ka. kha. . 119... sutaṃ - kha . itaḥ paraṃ - ``tathā kuru yaśo nityaṃ yena nau duḥkhamāptavān iti pāṭhodhiko gha pustake . 120 dharmasaṃhitā - ka. kha . 121 na me - kha. . 122... bhīṣṭaṃ (?) . 123 kṛtaṃ - kha- . 124 samācareta - ka. . 125 māto.. - gha. . 126 atha - gha. . 127 viditārthavān - gha. . 128 vadate - na. . 129 bhavo - kha, yamuktavān - ka., karuṇātmavān - gha. . 130 sudāruṇaṃ - gha. . 131 duḥkhād - gha. . 132 mahāmune - gha. . 133]

[Variant readings: tapastasmād - gha. 134 saṃyutau - ka. 135 āvāṃ naiva mariṣyāva - gha.,... syātāṃ - ka. 136 tvamācareḥ - kha.]

291

Sanatkumāra said:

Then, permitted by both of them and smelled upon the head, / having circumambulated them to the right, he, possessing a cultivated self, departed.

Sent off by the two of them, he then went toward Cyavana, / like an oblation properly offered through Ṛg and Yajus going toward Varuṇa.

Reaching him, he was made successful by him who was well pleased, / like a leading mantra attaining its share with the gods. / Then, when that son had departed, the father met his appointed end. / Thereupon, having completed his learning, the very righteous Kāṣṭhakūṭa approached,

and saw his mother, wretched like a lotus pond bereft of water, / like a night deprived of the moon, like royal fortune devoid of authority, / weeping, her eyes full of tears, lamenting, deeply grieved.

Kāṣṭhakūṭa, having seen her overwhelmed with sorrow, / like Jayanta seeing Paulomī when Śakra was lost, spoke this: / Kāṣṭhakūṭa said:

"I have already heard this, and the funeral rites have indeed been performed. / Do not fix your mind on grief; this is the eternal law.

Of gods, of seers, and of great-souled yogins, / what then of mortals, O mother? Do not grieve for that man rich in austerity! / By him myself, as his own self, / was indeed created by his very own splendor.

Look upon me, whose duty is accomplished, as Gāyatrī [looks upon] her own son."

[Apparatus readings: 137 sukṛtātmavān - ka. kha., sa kṛtārthavān - gha. . 138 ājagāma - kha. . 139 viśiṣṭaścārcanaṃ - gha. . 140 phaladaḥ - kha. . 141 mantrapurassaraḥ - ka. kha. gha. . 142 kālena - ka. gha. . 143]

[Apparatus readings: meyivān - kha, saṃyukta - ka, saṃmṛta - gha. . 144 nistoyāmiva - gha., nāmato - kha. . 145]

[Apparatus readings: pakṣiṇīm - gha . 146 candrahīnāmiva - kha. . 147 yajñahīnamapāśramam - gha, priyāṃ - ka., priye - kha. . 148]

[Variant readings: sāśru- pūrṇākṣīṃ - ka. kha. gha. 149 plutaḥ - gha. 150 yajaṃta - kha. 151 kṛtā caivodakakriyā - ka. kha. 152 kimu tan mātarmā - kha. 153 mā ruda - ka., mā rodī - gha. 154 tapodhane - ka. 155 sṛṣṭaḥ - kha, bhāvaḥ - ca. 156 svena - kha. 157 tenaiva - kha.]

292

"All the Vedas have been studied by me together with their limbs, secondary limbs, and details, / as well as all the secondary Vedas and the supreme self entirely.

Whatever is to be known by men, all that is indeed known; / what is to be heard has all been heard, and yogins have been revered.

Delighting through this very preeminence, endowed with joy, / protect me, O lady of great courage, just as Gāyatrī ever [protects] the sacrifice."

Sanatkumāra said: / Having heard those truthful words of that great-souled one, his mother, / weeping with even greater sorrow, spoke to him: / Suyaśā said:

"Son, my sorrow is not that he died; this is agreed: / this is ordained for all creatures possessing a mortal nature.

And he, great-souled and endowed with austerity, had accomplished his purpose; / there is nothing at all to be mourned by us on his account here. / I grieve for myself, O son, who have been abandoned without him; / longing for your return, I did not die right after him.

Neither wealth, nor pleasures, nor kinsmen, nor sons, nor friends / matter to women where the husband resides. / If there is a husband, then there is everything; there is nothing without a husband.

For everything gives sorrow to those women who have no husband, O son."

293

"And this is further my sorrow, that together with him today / I do not rejoice with great joy over you, my son, as Śrī over Viṣṇu.

For he said to me many times: 'Kāṣṭhakūṭa will come here, / having completed his learning; then I shall choose an auspicious daughter-in-law for him. / This daughter of Odala of the Kaśyapa gotra is exceedingly virtuous; / I will choose that girl of good vows for Kāṣṭhakūṭa.

Then I shall see that son of firm vows with his wife, / and seeing him accompanied by a wife, I will set up the sacred fires. / When, pleased by the grasping of the bride's hand for my son, / shall I perform many auspicious things in mind and speech?'

Thus, of him who had such desires, of him who had a son, / of him who had a beloved son, it did not come to pass; this burns me, O son! / And you were told by me before, as you were going to his presence: / 'May we see you while both of us are alive!' And that did not happen thus.

Surely my heart today is made of the essence of diamond, since it does not split,

in that I, an unchaste wife, look upon you here again, my son, without him!"

Sanatkumāra said:

Then, like an osprey without her mate, the highly renowned lady, / having lamented, overwhelmed with abundant sorrow, fell onto the surface of the earth.