23 verses
Śukadeva said: When his father Priyavrata undertook austerities, Āgnīdhra, following his order and observing the principles of dharma, completely protected the citizens as if they were his own progeny.
Once, desiring sons, the King, carrying items of worship, began to worship Lord Brahmā by austerities and concentrated mind, in a valley where the wives of the devatās used to play.
Carrying items of worship like flowers, desiring sons (pitraloka-kāmaḥ) he worshipped Brahmā.
Understanding King Āgnīdhra's desire, the first created being of this universe, Lord Brahmā, sent him a singer of his assembly, named Pūrvacitti.
The Apsarā began wandering about the garden of the hermitage, which had a lake of pure water full of lotuses, which resounded with the various cries of water hens, kāraṇòavas and swans awakened by the notes of couples of land birds perched on golden creepers which embraced various trees having dense foliage.
She began to wander about the garden of the hermitage. The hermitage had lakes full of lotuses, and resounded with various cries of water birds which were awakened by the notes of pairs of land birds sitting on golden creepers embracing the trunks of various trees with dense foliage.
Hearing the jingling ornaments sounding at every step as she moved her body and walked forward with graceful movements, he opened his eyes which were half-closed because of his samādhi.
The movements of her body and her footsteps as she walked gracefully attracted him.
As she smelled various flowers like a bee, she gave an entrance of Cupid into mens minds by her limbs, her soft words, her glance, humility, shyness and playful movements, which gave joy to the eyes of men and devatās. Her belt, braids and pot-like breasts moved about as she walked quickly in fear of the swarms of bees, which were intoxicated by the fragrance which flowed from her mouth like nectar when she suddenly spoke with a laugh.
Becoming bewildered on seeing her, he speaks the next ten verses. He appeared to be stunned, but this was imitation, showing his skillfulness. She had a belt, braids and pot-like breasts which moved as she walked quickly out of fear when surrounded by swarms of bees intoxicated by the fragrance as she spoke with a laugh, which was like sweet nectar flowing from her mouth. She made a door for Cupid to enter the minds of men.
Who are you! O best of sages! What do you want to do at this mountain? Are you māyā, the energy of the Supreme Lord? You are carrying two bows without bow strings. O friend! What use are they? Are you hunting inattentive animals in the forest?
Asking who she is, he is confused. He indicates that he does not know the difference between a man and a woman since he has been practicing austerities since childhood. O best of sages! Are you staying here like me to perform austerities? But then he thought for a moment, Why does she bewilder me, if she is a sage like me? Then he thought that she was māyā of the Supreme Lord (para-devatā bhagavān), who had come in the form of a sage. Seeing her eye brows, he then said, You are carrying two bows without bow strings. O friend! Why have you done this? What use are they? Are you hunting inattentive animals in the forest? The deeper meaning of this is that he himself is like an animal which she is hunting.
You have two languid arrows with lotus-petal feathers, with no shafts and very sharp arrow heads. I do not know whom you will shoot in this forest. May your prowess be auspicious for me, who have no intelligence!
On seeing her glance he speaks. You have two arrows with lotus-petal feathers, languid because of coquetry, without shafts and with very beautiful sharp arrowheads. May your prowess be auspicious for me. This means that if you shoot me, I will not live because of the pain of the arrows piercing me.
These disciples surrounding you are reciting and singing the powerful, confidential Sama Veda constantly. As sages serve the branches of the Vedas, your disciples are serving the flowers falling from your hair.
Seeing the bees surrounding her out of greed for her fragrance, he speaks. The bees are compared to disciples.
O brāhmaṇa! I hear the loud sounds of invisible partridges encaged around your ankles. Your hips are glowing like yellow kadamba flowers around which you are wearing a circle of embers. Where is your bark clothing?
Relishing the sound of her ankle bells he speaks. I assume there are two partridges encaged on your two feet to give you bliss, since I hear their loud voices though they are invisible to me. O brāhmaṇa! This is manifested because of your great power of yoga arising from austerity. Relishing the beauty of her thin yellow cloth around her waist, he speaks. It is astonishing that your blackish hips have become yellow like the kadamba flower. An alternative version has aḍga nitamba-bimbe. Aḍga is a vocative address. O sir! Looking at her jeweled belt he speaks. On your hips is a circle of embers. You are performing intense penances! Where is your garment made of bark? In bewilderment you have left your covering in your hermitage and come to me naked. This suggests his desire for a sexual encounter.
O brāhmaṇa! What are you holding in the two horns on your chest? You are very thin at the waist, and with difficulty you are carrying them. I am seeing that. O fortunate one! On the two horns there is fragrant, red mud, which is perfuming my hermitage.
Seeing her breasts he speaks. O brāhmaṇa! What valuable jewels are within those two horns, which you cover up on seeing me? Though you are a brāhmaṇa, you are carrying two horns on your chest, and within them you are holding some attractive object, since you carrying them with difficulty though you are very thin at the waist. My seeing this is the proof. Drive away my doubt by uncovering those horns and showing me what you are hiding. If you permit me, then I will uncover them, since I am your friend. Since I am doing austerities, I do not need these things. I only want to see them. Her breasts were like horns because they were raised up. Seeing the kuṁkuma on her breast he speaks. On your two horns you have some mud, fragrant and red, from some lake. I also want to put this mud on my chest.
O good friend! Show me your country where people have such astonishing limbs attached to their chest, which are attractive to persons like me. Those people hold very astonishing nectar arising from words in their mouths and have beauty on their lips.
If you say that in your place men have similar horns on their chest, I will go there and perform penance to get such horns. O best of friends! Out of friendship, show me that place. But these are not horns. In answer he says that the person of that place carries two astonishing limbs on his chests which attract the minds of persons like me. An alternative version has mana-unnayanaiḥ. This means with great attractive features for the mind. The person of your country also carries something very astonishing in his mouthnectar from sweet words and the beauty of the lips. The word ādi indicates the fragrant honey of her smile and joking.
What is the means of subsistence of the people of your place? O sage! Because of your chewing, the fragrance of the sacrifice is coming here. You are a portion of Viṣṇu. You have two makara earrings which shine continuously. You have a face like a lake with two restless fishes, two rows of shining teeth like rows of swans, surrounded by locks of hair like swarms of bees.
What do people eat to maintain their lives in your place? Noticing the astonishing fragrance emanating from her chewing betel nut he speaks. By chewing betel the fragrance of the sacrifice comes here. Persons of another place are said to be the performers of sacrifice. The sacrifice is inferred from the fragrance. This statement indicates that he is not familiar with either betel nut chewing or sacrifice. Another version is adanād bahir-aḍga bhāti: you maintain your life without eating, since you are a portion of Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu does not need to eat. Śruti says anaśnann anyo bhicākaśi: the Lord looks at the jīva without eating. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad) You have signs of Viṣṇu. You have two makara earrings made of jewels which shine continuously without blinking. In your face which is like a lake are two agitated fishes of your eyes, and two rows of brilliant teeth like swans with locks of hair like a swam of bees.
The ball struck by your lotus hand which moves in all directions agitates my eyes, though I am already bewildered. Are you not aware that your hair has become unbound and that the crafty, lusty wind has taken off your garment.
Seeing her play with a ball, he speaks. The ball disturbs my eyes, and I have already become bewildered in heart. You are not aware that your hair has become unbound. The crafty wind has blown away your garment. Are you not aware of this? In this way you are absorbed in playing with the ball.
O wealth of austerity! By what penance have you gained this beauty which destroys the vows of persons performing austerities? You should join me in performing austerities to make me happy, O friend! Or perhaps Brahmā has been merciful to fulfill my desire for a wife.
Perhaps you have been sent to join me in performing austerities. O wealth of austerity! You have gained to a high degree (upa) something which destroys others austerities. You should join me in performing austerities to make me happy (mahyam). Is Brahmā pleased to fulfill my desire?
I will not leave you since you have been given by Brahmā. My mind and eyes cannot leave you. O woman with beautiful, raised breasts! You should lead me wherever you want. May your favorable friends follow me!
He fears that she will say, What is the benefit for me in obeying you? I am going now. He speaks. I will not give you up since you are given by Brahmā. My mind and eyes do not leave you. O person with beautiful horns! Woman with raised breasts! Addressing her in the feminine indicates that that his attempt to conceal his feelings has been destroyed by his lust. You should take me wherever you like. May your favorable (śivāḥ) friends follow me!
Śukadeva said: Being expert at entreating women, Āgnīdhra, who had the intelligence of a devatā, worshipped this devatā woman with words filled with the expertise of a materialist.
His words had the cleverness of a materialist.
Attracted by the intelligence, behavior, beauty, youth, wealth and magnanimity of Āgnīdhra, who was the King of Jambūdvīpa and master of all heroes, Pūrvacitti lived with him for a hundred million years and enjoyed earthly and heavenly happiness.
The list of qualities starting with buddhi is a dvandva compound indicating the group as whole, and is thus expressed in the singular instead of the plural. The sandhi using śriya is permissible according to the grammarian Gālava. Normally the sandhi would be śryaudaryena. Ayutāyuta means a hundred million.
In the womb of Pūrvacitti, Mahārāja Āgnīdhra, the best of kings, begot nine sons, named Nābhi, Kiṁpuruṣa, Harivarṣa, Ilāvṛta, Ramyaka, Hiraṇmaya, Kuru, Bhadrāśva and Ketumāla.
Pūrvacitti gave birth to these nine sons, one each year, but left them in the house of the King and again approached Lord Brahmā.
She left the children in the house of the King, since she was an Apsarā. She gave up her affection for them that she previously had.
Because of drinking the breast milk of their mother, the nine sons of Āgnīdhra naturally had long limbs and strength. Thus the sons of Āgnīdhra ruled different part of Jambūdvīpa that they had received from their father. These kingdoms were named according to the names of the sons.
Because of drinking milk directly from her breast, the sons had naturally long limbs (saṁhanana). They ruled (bubhujuḥ) separate kingdoms.
By actions in accordance with the Vedic injunctions, King Āgnīdhra, always thinking of her with great desire, was promoted to the same planet as his celestial wife, where the Pitṛs live in great delight.
He thought of her with great desire (kāmānām). By performing actions according to the Vedas (śrutibhiḥ), he attains her planet, where the Pitrṣ enjoy (mādayante)
After the departure of their father, the nine brothers married the nine daughters of Meru1 named Merudevī, Pratirūpā, Ugradaṁṣṭrī, Latā, Ramyā, Śyāmā, Nārī, Bhadrā and Devavīti.
Thus ends the commentary on the Second Chapter of the Fifth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
The Second Chapter describes how Āgnīdhra obtained the Apsarā Pūrvacitti, and exhibiting lust, bore sons in her. Āgnīdhra observed the principles of dharma.