Skandapurana 3.2.36
English (machine translation) 3.2.36
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3.2.36.1
Nārada said:
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Tell me, O you of good vows, what happened after this;
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and relate it entirely to me as before, O best of speakers!
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Tell me, for how long was that place firmly established?
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By whom was it protected, and whose command prevailed there, O lord?
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Brahmā said:
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From the Tretā to the end of the Dvāpara, until the arrival of the Kali [age],
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Hanūmān, the son of the wind, was the sole guardian in protecting it.
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No one else was capable except Hanumat, O son,
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by whom Laṅkā was destroyed and powerful rākṣasas were slain.
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He alone protected it there by Rāma's command, my dear son.
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The command of the twice-born prevailed, and likewise that of the glorious Mother.
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Day after day, great joy arose among the people dwelling there.
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The twice-born there recited the characteristics of the Ṛg, Yajus, and Sāman,
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and they recited the Atharvan there day and night.
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The sound arising from the roar of the Veda resounded throughout the three worlds with their moving and unmoving beings.
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Festivals arose there in every village and in every town.
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Various sacrifices, resting upon diverse righteous duties, were performed.
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Yudhiṣṭhira said:
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Did destruction ever happen to that place, or did it not?
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Was the place ever conquered by daityas, or by wicked rākṣasas?
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Vyāsa said:
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Well asked by you, O king! You are knower of dharma and ever pure.
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Listen to what was granted when the Kali age first arrived, O king!
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For the welfare of the worlds, for desire, and for happiness,
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I will also tell of the sacrifice; listen to it all, O protector of the earth.
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Now, when the Kali arrived, there was indeed one named Āma,
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the glorious ruler of Kānyakubja, knowing righteousness and devoted to statecraft,
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peaceful, self-controlled, of good character, and devoted to truth and righteousness.
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At the end of the Dvāpara, O best of kings, as the Kali age was approaching,
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out of fear of the particularities of Kali, and from fear of unrighteousness and the like,
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all the gods abandoned the earth and took refuge in Naimiṣāraṇya.
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Rāma too went with his companions to Setubandha, O king.
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Yudhiṣṭhira said:
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Indeed, what kind of fear, so hard to overcome, exists in the world when Kali arrives,
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because of which the earth, bearer of gems, was abandoned by the gods?
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Vyāsa said:
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Listen, O king, to the characteristics of the Kali age, how they will come to be.
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People will speak untruth and be intent on reviling the virtuous,
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all engaged in the deeds of bandits and devoid of devotion to their fathers,
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delighting in the wives of their own clan, and intent on meditating upon greed.
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All will hate the Veda and oppose one another;
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they will slay those who come for refuge in the Kali age.
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The brahmins will pursue the livelihood of Vaiśyas, fallen from the Veda and full of pride;
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when the Kali age arrives, the twice-born will neglect the twilight prayers,
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brave when at peace, wretched in times of danger, devoid of ancestral offerings and libations,
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engaged in the conduct of asuras, devoid of devotion to Viṣṇu,
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coveting others' wealth, and eager to accept bribes.
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The brahmins will eat without bathing, and the Kṣatriyas will avoid battle;
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when Kali arrives, they will become foul, of wicked conduct,
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all addicted to drinking intoxicating liquor, and performing sacrifices for those who are unworthy of sacrificing.
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Women will hate their husbands, sons will hate their fathers,
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and the base will hate their brothers in the Kali age.
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Those brahmins, intent on wealth, will indeed sell cow products;
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cows will not yield milk when the Kali age has arrived.
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Trees will never bear fruit, O descendant of Bharata;
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there will be sellers of daughters, and sellers of cows and goats,
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sellers of poison, sellers of liquids,
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and sellers of the Veda in the Kali age.
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A woman will conceive at the eleventh year;
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people everywhere will abandon fasting on the eleventh lunar day.
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And brahmins will not be devoted to attending sacred fords;
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they will eat heavily and be overwhelmed with much sleep,
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all addicted to crooked conduct, wholly devoted to reviling the Veda,
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and devoted to censuring ascetics, deceiving one another.
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There will be no fear of the fault of touch in the Kali age;
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Kṣatriyas will be stripped of their kingdoms, and a barbarian will become king.
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All will be treacherous, and engaged in rebellion against their gurus;
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they will betray their friends, O king, devoted only to their genitals and bellies.
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All four classes will become a single class;
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when the Kali age arrives, O great king, my word is not otherwise."
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Having heard this from his guru, the mighty ruler of Kānyakubja,
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named Āma, indeed ruled the kingdom there on earth.
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Having attained universal sovereignty, he was intent on protecting his subjects;
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but through the influence of Kali, an inclination toward sin arose among his subjects.
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Abandoning the Vaiṣṇava religion, they turned to the Buddhist religion;
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the subjects followed him, instructed by the mendicants.
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That king had an illustrious chief queen named Māmā;
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she, endowed with every auspicious mark, bore a child for the king.
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When the tenth month was complete, there was born to the queen in due time
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a beautiful daughter whose face resembled the full moon,
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named Ratnagaṅgā, adorned with gems and rubies.
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Once, by the power of fate, there arrived from another country
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a man named Indrasūri in this land of Kānyakubja.
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And that maiden, the king's daughter, was sixteen years of age and not yet married.
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Having met her through a maidservant, the mendicant Indrasūri
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recited Śābarī incantation-lore, O descendant of Bharata.
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She became single-minded, enchanted by that Śaiva ritual;
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then, having fallen into delusion, she devoted herself to his every word.
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Instructed by the mendicants, O child, and devoted to the Jain religion,
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to the wise Kumbhīpāla, the ruler of Brahmāvarta,
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that valorous [king] gave her, Queen Ratnagaṅgā;
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deluded by fate, he gave him the Mohereka district in marriage.
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Having arrived at Dharmāraṇya, he then made it his capital;
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and he installed deities prescribed by the Jain religion.
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All the classes became like that, taking refuge in the Jain religion;
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brahmins were not honored at all, nor were rites for peace and prosperity performed.
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He never gave gifts; thus time passed.
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The brahmins, who had received royal charters, were deprived of their ownership day and night;
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their minds agitated, they approached King Āma,
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the hero residing in Kānyakubja, who was surrounded by heretics.
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Having reached the city of Kānyakubja after some days, O king,
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those exhausted Moḍha brahmins settled on the bank of the Gaṅgā.
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Reported by spies, they came before the king.
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Summoned in the morning, the brahmins arrived in the king's assembly.
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The king did not respectfully rise to greet them or offer salutations.
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He then questioned all the brahmins who were standing there:
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“For what reason have you come, brahmins? Speak what your business may be.”
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The brahmins said:
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“We have come here from Dharmāraṇya into your presence, O ruler of men.
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O king, the husband of your daughter is Kumārapāla;
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by him, following the Jain faith
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at the instigation of Indrasūri, the great, wondrous charter of the brahmins has been revoked.”
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The king said:
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“By whom indeed were you settled in this city of Moheraka?
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Tell all this occurrence just as it happened, O brahmins!”
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The brahmins said:
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“Formerly we were settled by kings, [beginning with] the wise Dharmarāja,
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and then a city was established here in this auspicious place by Rāma.
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Seeing the charter of Rāmacandra, by other kings as well
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the charter was indeed preserved righteously here, O best of kings.
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Now your son-in-law does not protect the brahmins.”
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Having heard those words of the brahmins, the king then said to the brahmins:
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“Go quickly indeed, O brahmins, and speak by my command
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to King Kumārapāla: ‘Restore the settlement to the brahmins!’”
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Having heard his words, the brahmins attained supreme joy.
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Greatly delighted, they went from there, and his message was delivered there.
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Having heard the words of his father-in-law, the king spoke these words:
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Kumārapāla said:
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“I will certainly not preserve the charter of Rāma, O brahmins!
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I abandon the brahmins who are devoted to the slaughter of animals in sacrifice.
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Therefore, I have no devotion toward violent men, O twice-born ones!”
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The brahmins said:
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“How have you, through a heretical doctrine, revoked the charter?
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Protect [it], O best of kings; do not set your mind on sin!”
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The king said:
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“Non-violence is the supreme virtue; non-violence is the supreme austerity;
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non-violence is supreme knowledge; non-violence is the supreme fruit.
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In grasses and in trees, in insects and in men,
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in worms, bugs, and the like, in goats, horses, and elephants,
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in spiders and in snakes, as well as in buffaloes and such—
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living beings are equal, O brahmins, among the minute and the large.
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How can you conduct yourselves devoted to violence, O brahmins?”
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Hearing those words like a thunderbolt, the excellent twice-born,
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all the brahmins, replied with eyes red with anger:
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The brahmins said:
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“‘Non-violence is the supreme virtue’—this was spoken truly by you.
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Yet still, duty is [manifold]; listen with a focused mind!
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The violence prescribed by the Vedas is determined not to be violence.
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That which is struck with a weapon and where injury arises in creatures—
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that alone is unrighteousness in the world, O best among knowers of righteousness.
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Living beings killed through Vedic mantras without a weapon,
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that is not a cause of torment to creatures; that [ritual] violence brings happiness.
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Helping others leads to merit; tormenting others leads to sin.
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Even having performed the violence enjoined by the Veda, one is not tainted by sins.”
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Having heard the words of the brahmins, he spoke again:
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The king said:
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“Dharmāraṇya is the supreme, unsurpassable sacred field of Brahmā and the others;
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Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśa, and the rest are not present there now.
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Nor is righteousness found here; that Rāma you mentioned was a mere mortal!
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And where is that long-tailed one who was left to protect you?”
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"If your charter is not to be seen, I will not uphold it at all."
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Filled with anger, the twice-born then replied:
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The twice-born said:
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"Ah, fool! How do you know, speaking greedily through arrogance?
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For the destruction of the Daityas and for the protection of dharma,
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Rāma, visibly four-armed, took human form on earth.
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He gives refuge to the helpless, and is wholly devoted to dharma;
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He is compassionate, merciful, the protector of living beings."
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The king said:
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"Where is Rāma today? Where indeed is the son of the Wind?
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Like scattered clouds, all of them—where is Rāma, where is Hanumān?
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However, if Rāma and Hanumān are present everywhere,
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my intention will now turn to helping the brahmins.
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Show me Hanumān, or Rāma, or Lakṣmaṇa!
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If there is any proof, let it be shown to us, O brahmins!"
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It was said by them: "Lord Rāma, making the son of Añjanī his messenger,
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granted one hundred and forty-four villages, O king!
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Returning again to this place, thirteen villages were given,
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and upon the earth and at the Gaṅgā, the sixteen great gifts
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were given to the chief brahmins, and magnificent villages were given;
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again they were ordained to the number of fifty-six, O hero!
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Thirty-six thousand excellent landholders were created;
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one hundred and twenty-five thousand merchants called Māṇḍalikas were given."
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By him it was said: "All you brahmins, show me Māruti!
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Merely by token of him, I will restore your former status.
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I will do as the brahmins say, if proof is shown.
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Then all will be devoted to Vedic dharma;
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otherwise, conduct yourselves entirely according to the Jaina religion."
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Having heard the king's words, they returned to their respective places.
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The brahmins, depressed in mind and blinded by anger on the earth,
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letting out deep sighs, kept crying, "Alas, alas!"
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Grinding their teeth together and wringing their hands,
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speaking to one another: "What shall we do now?"
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Meeting together, all the brahmins held an excellent consultation,
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meditating in their hearts upon Rāma's word, and meditating upon the son of Añjanī.
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The twice-born held an assembly, young and oldest alike.
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The eldest brahmin among them then spoke auspicious words:
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"Our sixty-four and seventy-two clans,
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with the family names of their respective lineages, speaking for their single village—
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Linked texts (1)
- Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit