The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 75

Section LXXV. ( Sambhava Parva continued. )

Vaisampayana said, "Hear now, as I recite, the recorded genealogy, that is sacred and subservient to religion, profit, and pleasure, of these royal sages: the lord of creation, Daksha; Manu the son of Surya; Bharata; Kuru; Puru; and Ajmida. I shall also recite to thee, O sinless one, the genealogies of the Yadavas and of the Kurus; and of the kings of the Bharata line. These genealogies are sacred and their recitation is a great act of propitiation. That recitation confereth wealth, fame, and long life. And, O sinless one, all those I have named shone in their splendour and were equal unto the great Rishis in energy.

"Pracheta had ten sons who were all devoted to asceticism and possessed every virtue. They burnt of old, by the fire emanating from their mouths, several plants of poisonous properties, and innumerable large trees that had covered the earth and become a source of great discomfort to man. After these ten, was born another named Daksha. It is from Daksha that all creatures have sprung. Therefore is he, O tiger among men, called the Grand-father. And born of Pracheta, the Muni Daksha, uniting himself with Virini, begat a thousand sons of rigid vows, all like himself. And Narada taught these thousand sons of Daksha the excellent philosophy of Sankhya as a means of Salvation. [These, therefore, totally abstained from begetting creatures.] And, O Janamejaya, the lord of creation, Daksha, then, from desire of making creatures, begat fifty daughters. And he made all of them his appointed daughters (so that their sons might be his sons also for the performance of all religious acts.) And he bestowed ten of his daughters on Dharma, and thirteen on Kasyapa. And he gave twenty-seven to Chandra, who are all engaged in indicating time. And Kasyapa, the son of Marichi, begat in her who was the eldest of his thirteen wives, the Adityas, the celestials endued with great energy and having Indra as their head, and also Vivaswan (the Sun.) And from Vivaswan was born the lord Yama. And Martanda (Vivaswan) also begot another son after Yama, gifted with great intelligence and named Manu. And Manu was endued with great wisdom and devoted to virtue. And he became the progenitor of a line. And in Manu's race have been born all human beings who have, therefore, been called Manavas. And it is from Manu that all men including Brahmanas, Kshatrias, and others have been born. And therefore are they all called Manavas. Subsequently, O monarch, the Brahmanas became united with the Kshatrias. And those sons of Manu that were Brahmanas devoted themselves to the study of the Vedas. And Manu begot ten other children named Vena, Dhrishnu, Narishyan, Nabhaga, Ikshaku, Karusha, Sharyati, the eighth a daughter named Ila, Prishadhru the ninth, and Nabhagarishta the tenth. They all betook themselves to the practices of Kshatras. Besides these, Manu had fifty other sons on earth. But we heard that they all perished quarreling with each other. The learned Pururavā was born of Ilā. It hath been heard by us that Ilā was both his mother and father. And the great Pururava had sway over thirteen islands of the sea. And though a human being he was always surrounded by companions that were inhuman. And Pururava, intoxicated with power, quarreled with the Brahmanas and little caring for their anger robbed them of their wealth. Beholding all this, Sanatkumara came from the region of Brahmā and gave him good counsels which were, however, all rejected by Puru- rava. Then the wrath of the great Rishis was excited, and the avaricious monarch, who, intoxicated with power, had lost his reason, was immediately destroyed by their curse.

"It was Pururava who first brought from the region of the Gandhavrvas the three kinds of fire (for sacrificial purposes.) And he brought thence the Apsarā Urvarsi also. And the son of Ila begat in Urvasi six sons who were called Aya, Dhimān, Amavasu, and Dhridhayu, and Vanayu, and Shatayu. And it is said that Ayu begat four sons, named Nahusha, Vridha-sarma, Rajingaya, and Anenā, in the daughter of Sharvanu. And, O monarch, Nahusha, of all the sons of Ayu, was gifted with great intelligence and prowess. And he ruled his extensive kingdom virtuously. And king Nahusha supported evenly the Pitris, the celestials, the Rishis, the Brahmanas, the Gandharvas, the Nagas, the Rakshasas, the Kshatrias, and the Vaisyas. And he suppressed all robber gangs with a mighty hand. But he made the Rishis pay tribute and carry him on their backs like beasts of burden. And conquering the very gods by the beauty of his person, his asceticism, prowess, and energy, he rule as if he were Indra himself. And Nahusha begot six sons, all of sweet speech, named Yati, Yayati, Sanyati, Ayäti, Ayati, and Dhruva. Yati betaking himself to asceticism became a Muni like unto Brahmā himself. Yayäti became a monarch of great prowess and virtue. He ruled the whole earth, performed numberless sacrifices, worshipped the Pitris with great veneration, and always respected the gods. And he brought the whole world under his sway and was never vanquished by any foe. And the sons of Yayãti were all great bowmen and resplendent with every virtue. And, O king, they were begotten in (his two wives) Devayani and Sharmishtã. And in Devayãni were born Yadu and Turvasu, and in Sharmishta were born Drahyu, Anu, and Puru. And, O king, having virtuously ruled his subjects for a long time, Yayãti was attacked with hideous decrepitude destroying his personal beauty. And attacked by decrepitude, the monarch then spoke, O Bharata, unto his sons Yadu and Puru and Turvashu and Drahyu and Anu these words:—'O dear sons, I wish to be a young man and to gratify my appe- tites in the company of young women. Do you help me thereto!' To him his eldest son born of Devayani then said, 'What needest thou, O king! Dost thou want to have our youth?' Yayati then told him, 'Accept thou my decrepitude. O son! with thy youth I would enjoy myself. During the time of a great sacrifice I have been cursed by the Minu Usana (Sukra.) O sons, I would enjoy myself with your youth. Take any of ye this my decrepitude and with my body rule ye my kingdom. I would enjoy myself with a renovated body. Therefore, ye my sone, take ye my decrepitude!' But none of his sons took his decrepitude. Then his youngest son Puru said unto him, 'O king, enjoy thou once again with a renovated body and returned youth! I shall take thy decrepitude and at thy command rule thy kingdom.' Thus addressed, the royal sage, by virtue of his ascetic power, then transferred his own decrepitude unto that high-souled son of his. And with the youth of Puru the monarch became a young man; while with the monarch's age Puru ruled his kingdom.

"Then, after a thousand years had passed away, Yayati, that tiger among kings, remained as strong and powerful as a tiger. And he enjoyed for a long time the companionship of his two wives. And in the gardens of Chittra-ratha (the king of the Gandharvas), the king also enjoyed the company of the Apsara Viswachi. But even after all this, the great king found his appetites unsatiated. The king then recollected the following truths contained in the Puranas. 'Truly, one's appetites are never satiated with enjoyment. On the other hand, like sacrificial butter poured into the fire, they flame up with indulgence. Even if one enjoyeth the whole earth with its wealth, diamonds and gold, animals and women, one is not yet satiated. It is only when man doth not commit any sin in respect of any living thing, in heart, deed, or word, it is then that he attaineth to purity as that of Brahma. When one feareth nothing, when one is not feared by any thing, when one wisheth for nothing, when one injureth nothing, it is then that one attaineth to the purity of Brahma.' The wise monarch seeing this and satisfied that one's appetites are never satiated, set his mind at rest by meditation, and took back from his son his own decrepitude. And giving him back his youth though his appetites were unsatiated, and installing him on the throne, he spoke unto Puru thus:—'Thou art my true heir, thou art my true son in whom my race is to continue! In the world shall my race be known after thy name!'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Then that tiger among kings, having installed his son Puru on the throne, went away to the mount of Bhrigu for devoting himself to asceticism. And having acquired great ascetic merit, after long years he succumbed to the inevitable influence of Time. He left his human body by observing the vow of fasting, and ascended to heaven with his wives."

And thus ends the seventy-fifth Section in the Sambhava of the Adi Parva.