48 verses
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Ambarīṣa had three sons, named Virūpa, Ketumān and Śambhu. From Virūpa came a son named Pṛṣadaśva, and from Pṛṣadaśva came a son named Rathītara.
Rathītara had no sons, and therefore he requested the great sage Aḍgirā to beget sons for him. Because of this request, Aḍgirā begot sons with brahminical prowess in the womb of Rathītara's wife.
Tantave means for producing children.
Having been born from the womb of Rathītara's wife, all these sons were known as the dynasty of Rathītara, but because they were born from the semen of Aḍgirā, they were also known as the dynasty of Aḍgirā. Among all the progeny of Rathītaras line, these sons were the most prominent because, owing to their birth, they were considered brāhmaṇas.
Because of being born in Rathītaras wife they were part of Rathītaras line. Because they were born from Aḍgirās semen they were part of his lineage. They were famous as Rathītaras sons because of being born in his wife, but they were considered brāhmaṇas. They can be described as having two lineages.
When Vaivasvata Manu sneezed, Ikṣvāku was born from Manu's nostrils. King Ikṣvāku had one hundred sons, of whom Vikukṣi, Nimi and Daṇòakā were the most prominent.
The dynasty from Ikṣvāku, Manus son, was extensive.1 This is now explained. Ikṣvāku was born out of Manus nostril when he sneezed. Śrīdhara Svāmī says that when it is said that ten sons were born from Manus wife Śraddhā, this is generalization, since Ikṣvāku was actually born from Manus nostril.
O King! Of the one hundred sons, twenty-five became kings in the eastern side of Āryāvarta. Another twenty-five sons became kings to the west of Āryāvarta, and the three principal sons became kings in the middle. The other sons became kings in various other places.
Āryāvarta is a pious land between the Vidya and Himalaya ranges. East of that, stretching to the ocean, in separate areas, twenty-five sons became kings. West of Āryāvarta twenty-five became kings. The three eldest sons became kings of the middle area. Others became kings in the north and south.
When Mahārāja Ikṣvāku was performing his oblations for the āṣṭakā-śraddha, he ordered his son Vikukṣi to go immediately to the forest to bring some pure flesh.
Four verses explain why Vikukṣi became known as Śaśāda.
Thereafter, Ikṣvāku's son Vikukṣi went to the forest and killed animals suitable for being offered as oblations. But when fatigued and hungry, he became forgetful and ate a rabbit he had killed.
Vikukṣi offered the remnants of the flesh to King Ikṣvāku, who gave it to Vasiṣṭha for purification. But Vasiṣṭha said that it was polluted, unfit for the śrāddha ceremony.
The guru was Vasiṣṭha. It was polluted because Vikukṣi had already eaten part of the offering.
When King Ikṣvāku, thus informed by Vasiṣṭha, understood what his son Vikukṣi had done, out of anger he ordered Vikukṣi to leave the country because Vikukṣi had violated the rules.
Instituting the instructions give by Vasiṣṭha, Mahārāja Ikṣvāku became renounced and achieved the supreme perfection after giving up his material body.
Ikṣvāku, executing the instructions given by Vasiṣṭha who gave knowledge, became detached.
After his father's disappearance, Vikukṣi returned to the country and thus became the king, ruling the planet earth and worshipped the Lord by performing various sacrifices. Vikukṣi later became celebrated as Saśāda (rabbit eater).
Śāsat means he protected.
The son of Saśāda was Purañjaya, who is also known as Indravāha and sometimes as Kakutstha. Please hear from me how he received different names for different activities.
He was called Purañjaya because he conquered the city of the demons. He was called Indravāha because Indra became his carrier. He was called Kakutsha because he stood on the back of a bull. Hear how these names arose by his activities.
Formerly, there was a devastating war between the devatās and the demons. The devatās, having been defeated, accepted Purañjaya as their assistant.
There was a war similar to the destruction of the universe. During that war Purañjaya was accepted as an ally by the devatās.
Indra became a great bull, and accepted to be the carrier of Purañjaya by the order of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, soul of the universe.
If Indra becomes my carrier, then I will kill the demons. Indra, out of shame, refused to be his carrier, but by the order of Viṣṇu, he became a huge bull and carried Purañjaya.
tejasāpyāyito viṣṇoḥ puruṣasya mahātmanaḥ pratīcyāṁ diśi daityānāṁ nyaruṇat tridaśaiḥ puram
Well protected by armor and desiring to fight, Purañjaya took up a celestial bow and sharp arrows, and, while being highly praised by the devatās, he got up on the back of the bull [Indra] and sat on its hump. Empowered by Lord Viṣṇu, who is the Supersoul and the Supreme Person, Purañjaya, surrounded the city of the demons in the west along with the devatās.
Purañjaya, mounting the bull who was Indra is thus called Indravāha (he whose carrier is Indra). Because he sat on the hump of the bull he is called Kakutsha (situated on the hump). He surrounded the city with the devatās.
There was a fierce, hair-raising battle between the demons and Purañjaya. Purañjaya sent all the demons who approached him in battle to the abode of death by his arrows.
He killed them all. Dative case (yamāya) is used to express an action leading to a destination.2
Giving up the attack of arrows of Indravāha, which resembled the flames of devastation at the end of the millennium, the demons, being killed, fled to Pātāla.
Those demons who remained fled to Pātāla.
After conquering the enemy, the saintly king Purañjaya gave everything, including the enemy's riches and wives, to Indra, who carries a thunderbolt. For this he is celebrated by different names because of his different activities.
By conquering the demons city, he was known as Purañjana. He gave everything to Indra, and Indra gave it to Purañjaya. Therefore the King was known by various names. Another version has āhutaḥ, but the meaning is the same.
The son of Purañjaya was known as Anenā, Anenā's son was Pṛthu, and Pṛthu's son was Viśvagandhi. Viśvagandhi's son was Candra, and Candra's son was Yuvanāśva.
The son of Yuvanāśva was Śrāvasta, who constructed a township known as Śrāvastī. The son of Śrāvasta was Bṛhadaśva, and his son was Kuvalayāśva.
To satisfy the sage Utaḍka, the powerful Kuvalayāśva killed a demon named Dhundhu with the assistance of his twenty-one thousand sons.
With the assistance of his twenty-one thousand sons, he killed the demon.
dṛòhāśvaḥ kapilāśvaś ca bhadrāśva iti bhārata dṛòhāśva-putro haryaśvo nikumbhas tat-sutaḥ smṛtaḥ
O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, for this reason Kuvalayāśva is celebrated as Dhundhumāra "the killer of Dhundhu". All but three of his sons, however, were burned to ashes by the fire emanating from Dhundhu's mouth. The remaining sons were Dṛòhāśva, Kapilāśva and Bhadrāśva. From Dṛòhāśva came a son named Haryaśva, whose son is celebrated as Nikumbha.
The son of Nikumbha was Bahulāśva, the son of Bahulāśva was Kṛśāśva, the son of Kṛśāśva was Senajit, and the son of Senajit was Yuvanāśva. Yuvanāśva had no sons, and thus he retired from family life and went to the forest.
Yuvanāśva and his one hundred wives were morose. The sages in the forest, however, being very kind to the King, began very attentively performing an Indra-yajña.
Being thirsty one night, the King entered the arena of sacrifice, and when he saw all the brāhmaṇas lying down, he personally drank the sanctified water meant to be drunk by his wife.
Being thirsty, he drank water sanctified by mantras meant for his wife.
When the brāhmaṇas got up from bed and saw the water pot empty, they inquired who had done this act of drinking the water meant for begetting a child.
When the brāhmaṇas came to understand that the King, inspired by the supreme controller, had drunk the water, they all exclaimed "Alas! The power of providence is most powerful. In this way they offered their respectful obeisances unto the Lord.
They said, The power of the Lord is most powerful.
Thereafter, in due course of time, a son with all the good symptoms of a powerful king came forth from the lower right side of King Yuvanāśva's abdomen.
"Who will take care of this baby?" they said. Then Indra, who was worshiped in that sacrifice, came and solaced the baby. "Do not cry," Indra said. Then Indra put his index finger in the baby's mouth and said, "You may drink me."
The brāhmaṇas said, Who will feed the child? Then Indra, who was worshipped in the sacrifice, appeared. He said, Drink me (māṁ dhātā). Do not cry. He put his forefinger in the childs mouth.
Because Yuvanāśva, the father of the baby, was blessed by the brāhmaṇas, he did not fall a victim to death. After this incident, he performed severe austerities and achieved perfection in that very spot.
yauvanāśvo 'tha māndhātā cakravarty avanīṁ prabhuḥ sapta-dvīpavatīm ekaḥ śaśāsācyuta-tejasā
O King Parīkṣit! Māndhātā, the son of Yuvanāśva, the cause of fear for Rāvaṇa and other criminals who caused anxiety, was known as Trasaddasyu (giving fear to the criminals). This name was given by King Indra. By the power of the Supreme Lord, the powerful son of Yuvanāśva, called Māndhātā, became the emperor and alone ruled the entire world, consisting of seven islands.
dravyaṁ mantro vidhir yajño yajamānas tathartvijaḥ dharmo deśaś ca kālaś ca sarvam etad yad ātmakam
By performance of sacrifice with plentiful donations, Māndhātā, knower of the Lord, worshipped the Lord who is beyond the senses, who represents all devatās, who is the soul of all beings, is non-different from sacrifice, and is non-different from its ingredients, its mantras, its rules, its sponsor, its priests, its results, its time and its place.
All places, from where the sun rises to where the sun sets, are known as the land Māndhātā, the son of Yuvanāśva.
Pratitiṣṭhati means sets.
O King! Māndhātā begot three sons in the womb of Bindumatī, the daughter of Śaśabindu. These sons were Purukutsa, Ambarīṣa, and Mucukunda, a great mystic yogī. These three brothers had fifty sisters, who all accepted the great sage Saubhari as their husband.
jāta-spṛho nṛpaṁ vipraḥ kanyām ekām ayācata so 'py āha gṛhyatāṁ brahman kāmaṁ kanyā svayaṁvare
Saubhari was engaged in austerity in the water of the River Yamunā, when he saw the pleasure of a big fish engaged in sexual affairs. Desire appearing in him, he went to King Māndhātā and begged for one of the King's daughters. In response to this request, the King said, "O brāhmaṇa, any of my daughters may accept any husband according to her personal selection."
Why did the sage Saubhari performing great austerities, marry these daughters and why did the daughters accept an old withered sage as their husband? After seeing the fish, he came out of the water, went to Mathurā and requested King Māndhātā.
sādhayiṣye tathātmānaṁ sura-strīṇām abhīpsitam kiṁ punar manujendrāṇām iti vyavasitaḥ prabhuḥ
Saubhari thought: I am now feeble because of old age. My hair has become grey, my skin is wrinkled, and my head always trembles. Therefore women do not like me. Thus I have been rejected. I shall reform my body in such a way as to be desirable even to celestial women, what to speak of the daughters of worldly kings. In this way the powerful Saubhari decided.
My head trembles (ejatkaḥ). I have been refused (pratyudāhṛtaḥ) by the King. Then he decided (vyavasitaḥ) to change his body.
Thereafter, the messenger of the palace took him inside the residential quarters of the princesses, full of splendor. All fifty princesses then accepted him as their husband, although he was only one man.
Thereafter, the princesses, being attracted by Saubhari, gave up their sisterly relationship and quarreled among themselves over him, each one of them contending, "This man is just suitable for me, and not for you."
mahārha-śayyāsana-vastra-bhūṣaṇa- snānānulepābhyavahāra-mālyakaiḥ svalaḍkṛta-strī-puruṣeṣu nityadā reme 'nugāyad-dvija-bhṛḍga-vandiṣu
Because Saubhari was expert in chanting mantras perfectly, he enjoyed with his wives in luxurious homes, valuable furniture, fragrant gardens with lakes of clear water, parks, with garlands, palatable food, cosmetics, baths, ornaments, clothing, seats and valuable beds, along with other men and women, all created by his impossible austerities, while birds, bees and bards sang.
Bahvṛcaḥ means that he had powers from mantras to create his wealth. He had performed austerities impossible for others (apāraṇīya-tapaḥ). He enjoyed in houses, and even cities with great wealth, created by his austerity.
Māndhātā, the king of the entire world consisting of seven islands, was struck with wonder when he saw the household opulence of Saubhari. Thus he gave up his false prestige in his position of wealth and power.
Stambham means pride.
In this way, Saubhari, attached to family life, enjoyed sense objects by various types of happiness, but he was not at all satisfied, just as a fire never ceases blazing if constantly supplied with drops of ghee.
Stokaiḥ means by drops.
One day while Saubhari, who was expert in chanting mantras, was sitting down, he realized his fall down had been caused by his association with some fish.
Seven verses describe how Saubhari regained his sense after enjoying, caused by an offense to Garuòa. He realized the cause of his being cheated of the bliss of the self (ātmā apahnavam) was himself (ātmanaḥ), arising from association with fish. To protect some fish he had prevented Garuòa from eating them.
Alas! While practicing austerity, even within the depths of the water, and while observing all the rules practiced by saintly persons, I lost the results of my long austerities simply by association with the sexual affairs of fish. Everyone should observe this destruction.
Brahma means austerity.
A person desiring liberation must give up the association of persons interested in sex life and should not employ his external senses. He should always stay in a secluded place, completely fixing his mind at the lotus feet of the unlimited Lord, and if there is associate with devotees also engaged in meditation on the Lord it is permitted, and otherwise not.
Therefore, others should not become like me. In this way he regrets his condition in two verses. He should not engage his external senses. There is no injunction not to employ the internal senses, since such an order is impossible. There is no substance in giving impossible orders. If there is excellent association with devotees fixed in the Lord (tat-vrateṣu), he should take that association. Because I lacked that association, I associated with fish engaging in sex life, arising from finding fault in Garuòa. If there is excellent association then take it, otherwise do not associate. This negative should be supplied.
In the beginning I was alone and engaged in performing the austerities of mystic yoga, but later, because of the association of fish, I became fifty members, and then increased to five thousand members. My intelligence destroyed by the guṇas, thinking enjoyment as the goal of life, I obtained no end to my desires in this and next life.
He explains further the fault of association. By association with fifty wives I became fifty. By sons I became five thousand since he had a hundred sons by each wife. Thinking that enjoyment is the goal of life (artha-bhāvaḥ), I obtained no end to desires for performing actions for this and next life (ubhaya-kṛtya).
In this way he passed his life in household affairs for some time, but then he became detached from material enjoyment. He accepted the vānaprastha order and went to the forest. His devoted wives followed him, for they had no shelter other than their husband.
Nyāsam means giving up material association, taking vāna-prastha.
Saubhari, knowing the self, performed severe penances in the forest for realizing the self. He gave up his body along with the fires and attained the Supreme Lord.
He gave up his body along with the household fires, and attained the Lord.
O Mahārāja Parīkṣit! By observing their husband progressing in spiritual existence, Saubhari's wives followed him, just as the flames of a fire cease when the fire is extinguished.
Anvīyuḥ means they followed.
Thus ends the commentary on the Sixth Chapter of the Ninth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
The Sixth Chapter tells the stories of Śaśāda, Indravāha, Yuvanāśva, Māndhātā and the astonishing story of sage Saubhari.