24 verses
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The most prominent among the sons of Māndhātā was he who is celebrated as Ambarīṣa. Ambarīṣa was accepted as a son by his grandfather Yuvanāśva. Ambarīṣa's son was Yauvanāśva, and Yauvanāśva's son was Hārīta. In Māndhātā's dynasty, Ambarīṣa, Hārīta and Yauvanāśva were very prominent.
The serpent brothers of Narmadā gave their sister Narmadā to Purukutsa.1 Being urged by Vāsuki, she took Purukutsa to the lower region of the universe.
In speaking of the dynasty of Purukutsa, first his marriage is described. The snakes gave her to Purukutsa in marriage. She brought him to Rasātala.
There in Rasātala, Purukutsa, being empowered by Lord Viṣṇu, was able to kill all the Gandharvas who deserved to be killed. Purukutsa received the benediction from the serpents that anyone who remembers how he was brought to Rasātala will be free of fear of snakes.
He killed those who deserved to be killed. Those who remember how he was brought to Rasātala will have no fear of snakes.
The son of Purukutsa was Trasaddasyu, who was the father of Anaraṇya. Anaraṇya's son was Haryaśva, the father of Prāruṇa. Prāruṇa was the father of Tribandhana.
Trasaddasyu was the father (deha-krṭ). His son was Anaraṇya.
saśarīro gataḥ svargam adyāpi divi dṛśyate pātito 'vāk-śirā devais tenaiva stambhito balāt
The son of Tribandhana was Satyavrata, who is celebrated by the name Triśaḍku. His father cursed him to become a caṇòāla. Thereafter, by the influence of Viśvāmitra, he went to Svarga in the same body, but because of the prowess of the devatās he fell back downward. Nonetheless, by the power of Viśvāmitra, he did not fall all the way down; even today he can still be seen hanging in the sky, head downward.
He was called Triśaḍku because he had faults which caused suffering like three nails (śaḍku). This is told in Hari-vaṁśa. He displeased his father, he killed the milking cow of his guru, and he enjoyed unsanctified items. These were his three faults. He was cursed by his father out of anger because he stole the bride of a brāhmaṇa who was being married. By Viśvāmitra power (kauśika-tejasā) he did not fall but remained in the sky.
The son of Triśaḍku was Hariścandra. Because of Hariścandra there was a quarrel between Viśvāmitra and Vasiṣṭha, who for many years fought one another, having been transformed into birds.
Viśvāmitra stole everything belonging to Hariścandra on the pretext of taking donations at a Rājasūya sacrifice. Hearing this, Vaśiṣṭha became angry and cursed him to become an āòi bird. Viśvāmitra cursed him to become a crane. Then they fought.
Hariścandra had no son and was therefore extremely morose. Once, therefore, following the advice of Nārada, he took shelter of Varuṇa and said to him "My lord! Please give me a son."
Saḥ refers to Hariścandra.
O King Parīkṣit! Hariścandra begged Varuṇa, "My lord, if a son is born to me, with that son as an offering I shall perform a sacrifice to you." Varuṇa agreed. Because of Varuṇa's benediction, Hariścandra begot a son named Rohita.
Tatheti varuṇena means because of Varuṇa who had agreed to give a boon.
Thereafter, Varuṇa said, A son has been born. With this son you can offer me a sacrifice." In answer to this, Hariścandra said, "After ten days have passed since an animal's birth, the animal becomes fit to be sacrificed."
Varuṇa spoke. Out of affection for his son, Hariścandra, then spoke to cheat Varuṇa. After ten days an animal becomes pure.
After ten days, Varuṇa came again and said to Hariścandra, "Now you can perform the sacrifice." Hariścandra replied, "When an animal grows teeth, then it becomes pure enough to be sacrificed."
When the teeth grew, Varuṇa came and said to Hariścandra, "Now the animal has grown teeth .Perform the sacrifice." Hariścandra replied, "When all its teeth have fallen out, then it will be fit for sacrifice."
When the teeth had fallen out, Varuṇa returned and said to Hariścandra, "Perform the sacrifice." But Hariścandra replied, "When the animal's teeth grow in again, then he will be pure enough to be sacrificed."
When the teeth grew in again, Varuṇa came and said to Hariścandra, "Now perform the sacrifice." But Hariścandra then said, "O King, when the kṣatriya animal is fit for wearing armor, then he will be purified."
O king! O Varuṇa! When the kṣatriya animal is fit for wearing armor, it is pure.
Because of affection for his son, with mind controlled by that affection, he asked Varuṇa to delay the time. Varuṇa waited for the time to come.
He, cheating time, begged Varuṇa. Varuṇa waited for the time.
Rohita could understand that his father intended to offer him as the animal for sacrifice. Therefore, just to save himself from death, taking bow and arrows, he went to the forest.
When Rohita heard that his father had been attacked by Varuṇa and that his abdomen had grown very large, he wanted to return to the capital, but Indra forbade him to do so.
Indra advised Rohita that it was purifying to travel the earth with service to different pilgrimage sites. Rohita lived in the forest for one year.
Samām means a year.
In this way, at the end of the second, third, fourth and fifth years, when Rohita wanted to return to his capital, Indra approached him as an old brāhmaṇa and forbade him to return.
In the second year again, when Rohita approached him, Indra out of compassion forbade him to return to the city.
Thereafter, in the sixth year, after wandering in the forest, Rohita returned to the capital of his father. He purchased from Ajīgarta his second son, named Śunaḥśepha. Then he offered Śunaḥśepha to his father, Hariścandra, to be used as the sacrificial animal and offered Hariścandra his respects.
Thereafter, the famous King Hariścandra, whose story is famous among great persons, worshiped the devatās headed by Varuṇa by sacrificing a man. In this way his dropsy created by Varuṇa was cured.
Mahat-kathaḥ means his story is famous among the famous persons.
In that great human sacrifice, Viśvāmitra was the chief priest to offer oblations, the perfectly self-realized Jamadagni had the responsibility for chanting the mantras from the Yajur Veda, Vasiṣṭha was the chief brahminical priest, and the sage Ayāsya was the reciter of the hymns of the Sāma Veda.
The sage Ayāsya was the udgātā (sāmagaḥ).
Indra, pleased with Hariścandra, offered him a gift of a golden chariot. Śunaḥśepha's glories will be presented later.
Later means in relation to the story about the son of Viśvāmitra.
The great sage Viśvāmitra, seeing the fortitude and essence of truth in Mahārāja Hariścandra and his wife, gave them imperishable knowledge.
Gatim means knowledge.
tasmiñ jñāna-kalāṁ dhyātvā tayājñānaṁ vinirdahan hitvā tāṁ svena bhāvena nirvāṇa-sukha-saṁvidā anirdeśyāpratarkyeṇa tasthau vidhvasta-bandhanaḥ
Mahārāja Hariścandra merged his mind with the earth. Then he amalgamated the earth with water, the water with fire, the fire with the air, and the air with ether. He amalgamated the ether with the ahaḍkāra and the ahaḍkāra with mahat-tattva. He meditated on vidyā within mahat-tattva and by that vidyā destroyed avidyā. Giving up vidyā, free of bondage, he became situated in his svarūpa endowed with bliss of Brahman, inconceivable and imperceptible.
The knowledge is explained. Śruti says annamayam hi saumya manaḥ: the mind is food. Because the mind is food, and earth is food, he merged his mind into earth. He merged earth into water, and water, in fire. He merged fire into air, and air into ether. He merged ether into ahaḍkāra, and merged ahaḍkāra into mahat-tattva. He meditated on vidyā (jñāna-kalām) in mahat-tattva. He destroyed avidyā by vidyā. Giving up vidyā he remained situated in his svarūpa which was endowed with a wealth of happiness of Brahman.
Thus ends the commentary on the Seventh Chapter of the Ninth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
In the Seventh Chapter Hariścandra, a descendent of Māndhātā, cheats Varuṇa. Out of affection for his son, and then satisfies him with a human sacrifice. Yuvanāśva, the grandfather, accepted Ambarīṣa as his son. Ambariṣas son was Yauvanāśva. Ambarīṣa, Yauvanāśva and Harītā were the chief descendents of Māndhātā.