The Purana Index v1.c5.s5.160

v1.c5.s5.160

Ṛṣabha (VIII)—the son of Nābhi and Sudevī (Merudevī according to Vi., Vā. & Br. P.) An avatār of Viṣṇu, eldest of all Kṣatra. A Paramahamsa. Had a hundred sons of whom Bharata was the eldest.¹ Nine of these became rulers of the nine dvīpas of the world. Eightyone of them became addicted to Karma tantra, and the remainder nine became sages² Indra grew jealous of him and stopped rains in his kingdom Ajanābha. But Ṛṣabha, invoked rains by yogic powers³ As king, married Jayantī, bestowed on him by Indra, who gave birth to 100 sons. Under Ṛṣabha, his kingdom flowed with milk and honey. Once he went to control Brahmāvarta and proclaimed the importance of self-control and discipline to his sons and to the world at large Installed Bharata on the throne, renounced life and became a wandering mendicant. Finding the world opposed to his yoga practice he adopted the vow of a python (ājagaram) by which he ate, chewed, drank and passed water all lying down. By his yogic powers he wandered through Koṅka, Veṅka, Kuṭaka, S Karṇāṭa, and was consumed by forest-fire. By listening to his story, devotion to Hari was increased. His path was followed by Sumati,⁴ took to the third āśrama at Pulaha's hermitage and lived there until his death⁵