36 verses
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: O King, Śaryāti, another son of Manu, was a ruler completely aware of Vedic knowledge. He gave instructions about the functions to be performed for the second day of the sacrifice by the descendants of Aḍgira.
Śaryāti had a beautiful lotus-eyed daughter named Sukanyā, with whom he went to the forest to see the hermitage of the sage Cyavana.
While that Sukanyā, surrounded by her friends, was collecting various types of fruits from the trees in the forest, she saw within the hole of an anthill two glowing objects.
As if induced by providence, the girl ignorantly pierced those two glowworms with a thorn, and then blood began to ooze out.
Immediately all the soldiers of Śaryāti could not pass urine and stool. Upon perceiving this, Śaryāti spoke to his associates in surprise.
You have committed some offense to Cyavana. It is certain that someone among us must have done something to pollute his hermitage.
You have committed (vicestitam) some offense. Someone among us must have committed an offense.
The frightened Sukanyā said to her father: I have done something wrong, for I have ignorantly pierced two luminous objects with a thorn.
After hearing this statement by his daughter, King Śaryāti became afraid. In various ways, he tried to appease Cyavana Muni, who was within the hole of anthill.
With controlled mind, King Śaryāti, understanding Cyavana Muni's purpose, gave his daughter in charity to the sage. Thus released from danger with great difficulty, he took permission from Cyavana Muni and returned home.
He said, Please of forgive my foolish daughter. Is your daughter married or not? Understanding his desire by that question, he gave his daughter in marriage to the sage.
Cyavana was very irritable, but since Sukanyā had gotten him as her husband, she satisfied him. Knowing his mind, she performed service to him with attention.
Thereafter, some time having passed, the Aśvinī-kumāra brothers, the heavenly physicians, happened to come to Cyavana's hermitage. After offering them respectful obeisances, Cyavana requested them to give him youthful life, for they were able to do so.
Kasyacit kālasya means at some time. Īśvarau means capable of giving youth.
Cyavana said: Although you are ineligible to drink soma-rasa in sacrifices, I will give you a full pot of it. Kindly arrange beauty and youth for me which is attractive to young women.
I will give you a full pot of soma (graham). I will perform sacrifice to you two using soma.
The great physicians, the Aśvinī-kumāras, accepted Cyavana's proposal. Thus rejoicing, they told the brāhmaṇa, "Just dive into this lake which can fulfill all desires."
After saying this, the Aśvinī-kumāras caught hold of Cyavana, who was emaciated with age, having loose skin and white hair, and all three of them entered the lake.
Taking the old man, they also entered the lake.
Thereafter, three handsome men, all of equal beauty, wearing lotus garlands, earrings and fine cloth, attractive to women, emerged from the lake.
Beautiful Sukanyā could not distinguish her husband from the two Aśvinī-kumāras, for they were equally beautiful. Not understanding who her real husband was, she took shelter of the Aśvinī-kumāras.
They said, Please accept your husband, recognizing him among us three. Among you, you two Āśvini-kumāras should by merciful and show me my husband. This is the meaning of taking shelter of the Aśvimi-kumāras.
The Aśvinī-kumāras, pleased to see Sukanyā's chastity and faithfulness, showed her Cyavana, her husband, and after taking permission from him, they returned to the heavenly planets in their plane.
Thereafter, King Śaryāti, desiring to perform a sacrifice, went to the residence of Cyavana. There he saw by the side of his daughter a young man, as bright as the sun.
After receiving obeisances from his daughter, the King, instead of offering blessings to her, appeared very displeased and spoke as follows.
O unchaste girl! What have you have desired to do? You have cheated your husband, who is honored by everyone, because giving up your husband who was old, your have accepted as your husband this traveler respected by liars.
You have cheated your husband, because you have given up an old husband and accepted this lover, respected by the liars (asatya-sammatam).
O my daughter, who were born in a respectable family! HHow have you degraded your consciousness in this way? Since you are shamelessly maintaining a paramour, you will thus degrade the dynasties of both your father and your husband to hellish life.
O woman born in a pure family! How has your mind become deviated and degraded? You are without shame (apatrapā). You lead our families to hell.
Sukanyā smiled upon hearing the rebukes of her father and said, "My dear father, this young man by my side is your son-in-law, the great sage Cyavana, who was born in the family of Bhṛgu."
She smiled out of pride in her chastity.
Thus Sukanyā explained how her husband had received youth and beauty. The surprised King, greatly pleased, embraced his daughter.
Cyavana, by his own prowess, enabled King Śaryāti to perform the soma-yajña. The sage offered a full pot of soma-rasa to the Aśvinī-kumāras, although they were unfit to drink it.
He had Śaryāti (vīram) perform a soma-yajñā.
King Indra, in anger, immediately took up his thunderbolt to kill Cyavana. But Cyavana paralyzed Indra's arm that held the thunderbolt.
With considering, Indra suddenly became angry and took up his thunderbolt.
Although the Aśvinī-kumāras were only physicians and were previously excluded from drinking soma-rasa in sacrifices, the devatās allowed them henceforward to drink it.
King Śaryāti begot three sons, named Uttānabarhi, Ānarta and Bhūriṣeṇa. From Ānarta came a son named Revata.
O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, subduer of enemies! Revata constructed a kingdom known as Kuśasthalī in the depths of the ocean. There he lived and ruled such tracts of land as Ānarta. He had one hundred sons, of whom the eldest was Kakudmī.
Taking his own daughter, Revatī, Kakudmī went to Lord Brahmā in Brahmaloka, which is uninfluenced by rajas and tamas, and inquired about a husband for her.
Vibhum means Brahmā. His planet is not covered by rajas and tamas (apāvṛtam).
Since a Gandharva was engaged in performing, Lord Brahmā was busy. After a moment, when the Gandharva finished, Kakudmī offered his respects to Brahmā and expressed his desire.
Brahmā did not have time (alabdha-kṣaṇaḥ). When the Gandharva was finished, he spoke to Brahmā (ādyam).
After hearing his words, Lord Brahmā, who is most powerful, laughed and said to Kakudmī: O King, all those whom you may have decided within the core of your heart to accept as your son-in-law have passed away in the course of time.
Those who were considered as son-in-laws in your heart have passed away.
Twenty-seven catur-yugas have already passed. We do not hear of the sons, grandsons and other descendants of those whom you considered as suitable son-in-laws.
Time calculated especially (vikalpitaḥ) as twenty-seven yuga cycles has passed.
O King, leave this place. The very powerful Baladeva, whose portion is Viṣṇu, is present. Offer the jewel of your daughter to the jewel among men.
The Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, the well-wisher of all living entities, who causes purification by hearing and chanting, has descended with his portion Balarāma to lessen the burden of the earth.
Having received this order from Lord Brahmā, Kakudmī offered obeisances unto him and returned to his own residence, which had been abandoned by his brothers and other relatives, who were living in all directions because of fear of Yakṣas.
This describes what happened in the past. His brothers had long abandoned the residence.
The King gave his most beautiful daughter to the supremely powerful Baladeva and then retired to perform austerity in Badarikāśrama, the hermitage of Nārāyaṇa.
Thus ends the commentary on the Third Chapter of the Ninth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
The Third Chapter describes how Śaryātis daughter Sukanyā married the sage named Cyavana, and later in his dynasty Kakudmīs daughter married Balarāma. Brahmiṣṭhaḥ means he was learned in the Vedas. Thus he gave instructions about the activities for the second day of a sacrifice of Aḍgira.