Srimad Bhagavatam · Canto 9 · Chapter 20
श्रीबादरायणिरुवाच पूरोर्वंशं प्रवक्ष्यामि यत्र जातोऽसि भारत । यत्र राजर्षयो वंश्या ब्रह्मवंश्याश्च जज्ञिरे ॥ १ ॥
sri-badarayanir uvaca puror vamsam pravaksyami yatra jato ’si bharata yatra rajarsayo vamsya brahma-vamsyas ca jajnire
Sukadeva Gosvami said: O Maharaja Pariksit, descendant of Maharaja Bharata, I shall now describe the dynasty of Puru, in which you were born, in which many saintly kings appeared, and from which many dynasties of brahmanas began.
जनमेजयो ह्यभूत् पूरो: प्रचिन्वांस्तत्सुतस्तत: । प्रवीरोऽथ मनुस्युर्वै तस्माच्चारुपदोऽभवत् ॥ २ ॥
janamejayo hy abhut puroh pracinvams tat-sutas tatah praviro ’tha manusyur vai tasmac carupado ’bhavat
King Janamejaya was born of this dynasty of Puru. Janamejaya’s son was Pracinvan, and his son was Pravira. Thereafter, Pravira’s son was Manusyu, and from Manusyu came the son named Carupada.
तस्य सुद्युरभूत् पुत्रस्तस्माद् बहुगवस्तत: । संयातिस्तस्याहंयाती रौद्राश्वस्तत्सुत: स्मृत: ॥ ३ ॥
tasya sudyur abhut putras tasmad bahugavas tatah samyatis tasyahamyati raudrasvas tat-sutah smrtah
The son of Carupada was Sudyu, and the son of Sudyu was Bahugava. Bahugava’s son was Samyati. From Samyati came a son named Ahamyati, from whom Raudrasva was born.
ऋतेयुस्तस्य कक्षेयु: स्थण्डिलेयु: कृतेयुक: । जलेयु: सन्नतेयुश्च धर्मसत्यव्रतेयव: ॥ ४ ॥ दशैतेऽप्सरस: पुत्रा वनेयुश्चावम: स्मृत: । घृताच्यामिन्द्रियाणीव मुख्यस्य जगदात्मन: ॥ ५ ॥
rteyus tasya kakseyuh sthandileyuh krteyukah jaleyuh sannateyus ca dharma-satya-vrateyavah dasaite ’psarasah putra vaneyus cavamah smrtah ghrtacyam indriyaniva mukhyasya jagad-atmanah
Raudrasva had ten sons, named Rteyu, Kakseyu, Sthandileyu, Krteyuka, Jaleyu, Sannateyu, Dharmeyu, Satyeyu, Vrateyu and Vaneyu. Of these ten sons, Vaneyu was the youngest. As the ten senses, which are products of the universal life, act under the control of life, these ten sons of Raudrasva acted under Raudrasva’s full control. All of them were born of the Apsara named Ghrtaci.
ऋतेयो रन्तिनावोऽभूत् त्रयस्तस्यात्मजा नृप । सुमतिर्ध्रुवोऽप्रतिरथ: कण्वोऽप्रतिरथात्मज: ॥ ६ ॥
rteyo rantinavo ’bhut trayas tasyatmaja nrpa sumatir dhruvo ’pratirathah kanvo ’pratirathatmajah
Rteyu had a son named Rantinava, who had three sons, named Sumati, Dhruva and Apratiratha. Apratiratha had only one son, whose name was Kanva.
तस्य मेधातिथिस्तस्मात् प्रस्कन्नाद्या द्विजातय: । पुत्रोऽभूत् सुमते रेभिर्दुष्मन्तस्तत्सुतो मत: ॥ ७ ॥
tasya medhatithis tasmat praskannadya dvijatayah putro ’bhut sumate rebhir dusmantas tat-suto matah
The son of Kanva was Medhatithi, whose sons, all brahmanas, were headed by Praskanna. The son of Rantinava named Sumati had a son named Rebhi. Maharaja Dusmanta is well known as the son of Rebhi.
दुष्मन्तो मृगयां यात: कण्वाश्रमपदं गत: । तत्रासीनां स्वप्रभया मण्डयन्तीं रमामिव ॥ ८ ॥ विलोक्य सद्यो मुमुहे देवमायामिव स्त्रियम् । बभाषे तां वरारोहां भटै: कतिपयैर्वृत: ॥ ९ ॥
dusmanto mrgayam yatah kanvasrama-padam gatah tatrasinam sva-prabhaya mandayantim ramam iva vilokya sadyo mumuhe deva-mayam iva striyam babhase tam vararoham bhataih katipayair vrtah
Once when King Dusmanta went to the forest to hunt and was very much fatigued, he approached the residence of Kanva Muni. There he saw a most beautiful woman who looked exactly like the goddess of fortune and who sat there illuminating the entire asrama by her effulgence. The King was naturally attracted by her beauty, and therefore he approached her, accompanied by some of his soldiers, and spoke to her.
तद्दर्शनप्रमुदित: सन्निवृत्तपरिश्रम: । पप्रच्छ कामसन्तप्त: प्रहसञ्श्लक्ष्णया गिरा ॥ १० ॥
tad-darsana-pramuditah sannivrtta-parisramah papraccha kama-santaptah prahasan slaksnaya gira
Seeing the beautiful woman, the King was very much enlivened, and the fatigue of his hunting excursion was relieved. He was of course very much attracted because of lusty desires, and thus he inquired from her as follows, in a joking mood.
का त्वं कमलपत्राक्षि कस्यासि हृदयङ्गमे । किंस्विच्चिकीर्षितं तत्र भवत्या निर्जने वने ॥ ११ ॥
ka tvam kamala-patraksi kasyasi hrdayan-game kim svic cikirsitam tatra bhavatya nirjane vane
O beautiful lotus-eyed woman, who are you? Whose daughter are you? What purpose do you have in this solitary forest? Why are you staying here?
व्यक्तं राजन्यतनयां वेद्म्यहं त्वां सुमध्यमे । न हि चेत: पौरवाणामधर्मे रमते क्वचित् ॥ १२ ॥
vyaktam rajanya-tanayam vedmy aham tvam sumadhyame na hi cetah pauravanam adharme ramate kvacit
O most beautiful one, it appears to my mind that you must be the daughter of a ksatriya. Because I belong to the Puru dynasty, my mind never endeavors to enjoy anything irreligiously.
श्रीशकुन्तलोवाच विश्वामित्रात्मजैवाहं त्यक्ता मेनकया वने । वेदैतद् भगवान् कण्वो वीर किं करवाम ते ॥ १३ ॥
sri-sakuntalovaca visvamitratmajaivaham tyakta menakaya vane vedaitad bhagavan kanvo vira kim karavama te
Sakuntala said: I am the daughter of Visvamitra. My mother, Menaka, left me in the forest. O hero, the most powerful saint Kanva Muni knows all about this. Now let me know, how may I serve you?
आस्यतां ह्यरविन्दाक्ष गृह्यतामर्हणं च न: । भुज्यतां सन्ति नीवारा उष्यतां यदि रोचते ॥ १४ ॥
asyatam hy aravindaksa grhyatam arhanam ca nah bhujyatam santi nivara usyatam yadi rocate
O King with eyes like the petals of a lotus, kindly come sit down and accept whatever reception we can offer. We have a supply of nivara rice that you may kindly take. And if you so desire, stay here without hesitation.
श्रीदुष्मन्त उवाच उपपन्नमिदं सुभ्रु जाताया: कुशिकान्वये । स्वयं हि वृणुते राज्ञां कन्यका: सदृशं वरम् ॥ १५ ॥
sri-dusmanta uvaca upapannam idam subhru jatayah kusikanvaye svayam hi vrnute rajnam kanyakah sadrsam varam
King Dusmanta replied: O Sakuntala, with beautiful eyebrows, you have taken your birth in the family of the great saint Visvamitra, and your reception is quite worthy of your family. Aside from this, the daughters of a king generally select their own husbands.
ओमित्युक्ते यथाधर्ममुपयेमे शकुन्तलाम् । गान्धर्वविधिना राजा देशकालविधानवित् ॥ १६ ॥
om ity ukte yatha-dharmam upayeme sakuntalam gandharva-vidhina raja desa-kala-vidhanavit
When Sakuntala responded to Maharaja Dusmanta’s proposal with silence, the agreement was complete. Then the King, who knew the laws of marriage, immediately married her by chanting the Vedic pranava (omkara), in accordance with the marriage ceremony as performed among the Gandharvas.
अमोघवीर्यो राजर्षिर्महिष्यां वीर्यमादधे । श्वोभूते स्वपुरं यात: कालेनासूत सा सुतम् ॥ १७ ॥
amogha-viryo rajarsir mahisyam viryam adadhe svo-bhute sva-puram yatah kalenasuta sa sutam
King Dusmanta, who never discharged semen without a result, placed his semen at night in the womb of his Queen, Sakuntala, and in the morning he returned to his palace. Thereafter, in due course of time, Sakuntala gave birth to a son.
कण्व: कुमारस्य वने चक्रे समुचिता: क्रिया: । बद्ध्वा मृगेन्द्रंतरसा क्रीडति स्म स बालक: ॥ १८ ॥
kanvah kumarasya vane cakre samucitah kriyah baddhva mrgendram tarasa kridati sma sa balakah
In the forest, Kanva Muni performed all the ritualistic ceremonies concerning the newborn child. Later, the boy became so powerful that he would capture a lion and play with it.
तं दुरत्ययविक्रान्तमादाय प्रमदोत्तमा । हरेरंशांशसम्भूतं भर्तुरन्तिकमागमत् ॥ १९ ॥
tam duratyaya-vikrantam adaya pramadottama harer amsamsa-sambhutam bhartur antikam agamat
Sakuntala, the best of beautiful women, along with her son, whose strength was insurmountable and who was a partial expansion of the Supreme Godhead, approached her husband, Dusmanta.
यदा न जगृहे राजा भार्यापुत्रावनिन्दितौ । शृण्वतां सर्वभूतानां खे वागाहाशरीरिणी ॥ २० ॥
yada na jagrhe raja bharya-putrav aninditau srnvatam sarva-bhutanam khe vag ahasaririni
When the King refused to accept his wife and son, who were both irreproachable, an unembodied voice spoke from the sky as an omen and was heard by everyone present.
माता भस्त्रा पितु: पुत्रो येन जात: स एव स: । भरस्व पुत्रं दुष्मन्त मावमंस्था: शकुन्तलाम् ॥ २१ ॥
mata bhastra pituh putro yena jatah sa eva sah bharasva putram dusmanta mavamamsthah sakuntalam
The voice said: O Maharaja Dusmanta, a son actually belongs to his father, whereas the mother is only a container, like the skin of a bellows. According to Vedic injunctions, the father is born as the son. Therefore, maintain your own son and do not insult Sakuntala.
रेतोधा: पुत्रो नयति नरदेव यमक्षयात् । त्वं चास्य धाता गर्भस्य सत्यमाह शकुन्तला ॥ २२ ॥
reto-dhah putro nayati naradeva yama-ksayat tvam casya dhata garbhasya satyam aha sakuntala
O King Dusmanta, he who discharges semen is the actual father, and his son saves him from the custody of Yamaraja. You are the actual procreator of this child. Indeed, Sakuntala is speaking the truth.
पितर्युपरते सोऽपि चक्रवर्ती महायशा: । महिमा गीयते तस्य हरेरंशभुवो भुवि ॥ २३ ॥
pitary uparate so ’pi cakravarti maha-yasah mahima giyate tasya harer amsa-bhuvo bhuvi
Sukadeva Gosvami said: When Maharaja Dusmanta passed away from this earth, his son became the emperor of the world, the proprietor of the seven islands. He is referred to as a partial representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in this world.
चक्रं दक्षिणहस्तेऽस्य पद्मकोशोऽस्य पादयो: । ईजे महाभिषेकेण सोऽभिषिक्तोऽधिराड् विभु: ॥ २४ ॥ पञ्चपञ्चाशता मेध्यैर्गङ्गायामनु वाजिभि: । मामतेयं पुरोधाय यमुनामनु च प्रभु: ॥ २५ ॥ अष्टसप्ततिमेध्याश्वान् बबन्ध प्रददद् वसु । भरतस्य हि दौष्मन्तेरग्नि: साचीगुणे चित: । सहस्रं बद्वशो यस्मिन् ब्राह्मणा गा विभेजिरे ॥ २६ ॥
cakram daksina-haste ’sya padma-koso ’sya padayoh ije mahabhisekena so ’bhisikto ’dhirad vibhuh panca-pancasata medhyair gangayam anu vajibhih mamateyam purodhaya yamunam anu ca prabhuh asta-saptati-medhyasvan babandha pradadad vasu bharatasya hi dausmanter agnih saci-gune citah sahasram badvaso yasmin brahmana ga vibhejire
Maharaja Bharata, the son of Dusmanta, had the mark of Lord Krsna’s disc on the palm of his right hand, and he had the mark of a lotus whorl on the soles of his feet. By worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead with a grand ritualistic ceremony, he became the emperor and master of the entire world. Then, under the priesthood of Mamateya, Bhrgu Muni, he performed fifty-five horse sacrifices on the bank of the Ganges, beginning from its mouth and ending at its source, and seventy-eight horse sacrifices on the bank of the Yamuna, beginning from the confluence at Prayaga and ending at the source. He established the sacrificial fire on an excellent site, and he distributed great wealth to the brahmanas. Indeed, he distributed so many cows that each of thousands of brahmanas had one badva [13,084] as his share.
त्रयस्त्रिंशच्छतं ह्यश्वान्बद्ध्वा विस्मापयन् नृपान् । दौष्मन्तिरत्यगान्मायां देवानां गुरुमाययौ ॥ २७ ॥
trayas-trimsac-chatam hy asvan baddhva vismapayan nrpan dausmantir atyagan mayam devanam gurum ayayau
Bharata, the son of Maharaja Dusmanta, bound thirty-three hundred horses for those sacrifices, and thus he astonished all other kings. He surpassed even the opulence of the demigods, for he achieved the supreme spiritual master, Hari.
मृगाञ्छुक्लदत: कृष्णान् हिरण्येन परीवृतान् । अदात् कर्मणि मष्णारे नियुतानि चतुर्दश ॥ २८ ॥
mrgan chukla-datah krsnan hiranyena parivrtan adat karmani masnare niyutani caturdasa
When Maharaja Bharata performed the sacrifice known as Masnara (or a sacrifice in the place known as Masnara), he gave in charity fourteen lakhs of excellent elephants with white tusks and black bodies, completely covered with golden ornaments.
भरतस्य महत् कर्म न पूर्वे नापरे नृपा: । नैवापुर्नैव प्राप्स्यन्ति बाहुभ्यां त्रिदिवं यथा ॥ २९ ॥
bharatasya mahat karma na purve napare nrpah naivapur naiva prapsyanti bahubhyam tridivam yatha
As one cannot approach the heavenly planes simply by the strength of his arms (for who can touch the heavenly planes with his hands?), one cannot imitate the wonderful activities of Maharaja Bharata. No one could perform such activities in the past, nor will anyone be able to do so in the future.
किरातहूणान् यवनान् पौण्ड्रान् कङ्कान् खशाञ्छकान् । अब्रह्मण्यनृपांश्चाहन् म्लेच्छान् दिग्विजयेऽखिलान् ॥ ३० ॥
kirata-hunan yavanan paundran kankan khasan chakan abrahmanya-nrpams cahan mlecchan dig-vijaye ’khilan
When Maharaja Bharata was on tour, he defeated or killed all the Kiratas, Hunas, Yavanas, Paundras, Kankas, Khasas, Sakas and the kings who were opposed to the Vedic principles of brahminical culture.
जित्वा पुरासुरा देवान् ये रसौकांसि भेजिरे । देवस्त्रियो रसां नीता: प्राणिभि: पुनराहरत् ॥ ३१ ॥
jitva purasura devan ye rasaukamsi bhejire deva-striyo rasam nitah pranibhih punar aharat
Formerly, after conquering the demigods, all the demons had taken shelter in the lower planeary system known as Rasatala and had brought all the wives and daughters of the demigods there also. Maharaja Bharata, however, rescued all those women, along with their associates, from the clutches of the demons, and he returned them to the demigods.
सर्वान्कामान् दुदुहतु: प्रजानां तस्य रोदसी । समास्त्रिणवसाहस्रीर्दिक्षु चक्रमवर्तयत् ॥ ३२ ॥
sarvan kaman duduhatuh prajanam tasya rodasi samas tri-nava-sahasrir diksu cakram avartayat
Maharaja Bharata provided all necessities for his subjects, both on this earth and in the heavenly planes, for twenty-seven thousand years. He circulated his orders and distributed his soldiers in all directions.
स संराड्लोकपालाख्यमैश्वर्यमधिराट् श्रियम् । चक्रं चास्खलितं प्राणान् मृषेत्युपरराम ह ॥ ३३ ॥
sa samrad loka-palakhyam aisvaryam adhirat sriyam cakram caskhalitam pranan mrsety upararama ha
As the ruler of the entire universe, Emperor Bharata had the opulences of a great kingdom and unconquerable soldiers. His sons and family had seemed to him to be his entire life. But finally he thought of all this as an impediment to spiritual advancement, and therefore he ceased from enjoying it.
तस्यासन् नृप वैदर्भ्य: पत्न्यस्तिस्र: सुसम्मता: । जघ्नुस्त्यागभयात् पुत्रान् नानुरूपा इतीरिते ॥ ३४ ॥
tasyasan nrpa vaidarbhyah patnyas tisrah susammatah jaghnus tyaga-bhayat putran nanurupa itirite
O King Pariksit, Maharaja Bharata had three pleasing wives, who were daughters of the King of Vidarbha. When all three of them bore children who did not resemble the King, these wives thought that he would consider them unfaithful queens and reject them, and therefore they killed their own sons.
तस्यैवं वितथे वंशे तदर्थं यजत: सुतम् । मरुत्स्तोमेन मरुतो भरद्वाजमुपाददु: ॥ ३५ ॥
tasyaivam vitathe vamse tad-artham yajatah sutam marut-stomena maruto bharadvajam upadaduh
The King, his attempt for progeny frustrated in this way, performed a sacrifice named marut-stoma to get a son. The demigods known as the Maruts, being fully satisfied with him, then presented him a son named Bharadvaja.
अन्तर्वत्न्यां भ्रातृपत्न्यां मैथुनाय बृहस्पति: । प्रवृत्तो वारितो गर्भं शप्त्वा वीर्यमुपासृजत् ॥ ३६ ॥
antarvatnyam bhratr-patnyam maithunaya brhaspatih pravrtto varito garbham saptva viryam upasrjat
When the demigod named Brhaspati was attracted by his brother’s wife, Mamata, who at that time was pregnant, he desired to have sexual relations with her. The son within her womb forbid this, but Brhaspati cursed him and forcibly discharged semen into the womb of Mamata.
तं त्यक्तुकामां ममतां भर्तुस्त्यागविशङ्किताम् । नामनिर्वाचनं तस्य श्लोकमेनं सुरा जगु: ॥ ३७ ॥
tam tyaktu-kamam mamatam bhartus tyaga-visankitam nama-nirvacanam tasya slokam enam sura jaguh
Mamata very much feared being forsaken by her husband for giving birth to an illegitimate son, and therefore she considered giving up the child. But then the demigods solved the problem by enunciating a name for the child.
मूढे भर द्वाजमिमं भर द्वाजं बृहस्पते । यातौ यदुक्त्वा पितरौ भरद्वाजस्ततस्त्वयम् ॥ ३८ ॥
mudhe bhara dvajam imam bhara dvajam brhaspate yatau yad uktva pitarau bharadvajas tatas tv ayam
Brhaspati said to Mamata, You foolish woman, although this child was born from the wife of one man through the semen discharged by another, you should maintain him Upon hearing this, Mamata replied, O Brhaspati, you maintain him After speaking in this way, Brhaspati and Mamata both left. Thus the child was known as Bharadvaja.
चोद्यमाना सुरैरेवं मत्वा वितथमात्मजम् । व्यसृजन् मरुतोऽबिभ्रन् दत्तोऽयं वितथेऽन्वये ॥ ३९ ॥
codyamana surair evam matva vitatham atmajam vyasrjan maruto ’bibhran datto ’yam vitathe ’nvaye
Although encouraged by the demigods to maintain the child, Mamata considered him useless because of his illicit birth, and therefore she left him. Consequently, the demigods known as the Maruts maintained the child, and when Maharaja Bharata was disappointed for want of a child, this child was given to him as his son.
