एवमुक्तो द्विजैर्ज्येष्ठं छन्दयामास सोऽब्रवीत् । तन्मन्त्रिप्रहितैर्विप्रैर्वेदाद् विभ्रंशितो गिरा ॥ १६ ॥ वेदवादातिवादान् वै तदा देवो ववर्ष ह । देवापिर्योगमास्थाय कलापग्राममाश्रित: ॥ १७ ॥
evam ukto dvijair jyestham chandayam asa so ’bravit tan-mantri-prahitair viprair vedad vibhramsito gira veda-vadativadan vai tada devo vavarsa ha devapir yogam asthaya kalapa-gramam asritah
- evam
- thus (as above mentioned)
- uktah
- being advised
- dvijaih
- by the brahmanas
- jyestham
- unto his eldest brother, Devapi
- chandayam asa
- requested to take charge of the kingdom
- sah
- he (Devapi)
- abravit
- said
- tat-mantri
- by Santanu’s minister
- prahitaih
- instigated
- vipraih
- by the brahmanas
- vedat
- from the principles of the Vedas
- vibhramsitah
- fallen
- gira
- by such words
- veda-vada-ativadan
- words blaspheming the Vedic injunctions
- vai
- indeed
- tada
- at that time
- devah
- the demigod
- vavarsa
- showered rains
- ha
- in the past
- devapih
- Devapi
- yogam asthaya
- accepting the process of mystic yoga
- kalapa-gramam
- the village known as Kalapa
- asritah
- took shelter of (and is living in even now)
When the brahmanas said this, Maharaja Santanu went to the forest and requested his elder brother Devapi to take charge of the kingdom, for it is the duty of a king to maintain his subjects. Previously, however, Santanu’s minister Asvavara had instigated some brahmanas to induce Devapi to transgress the injunctions of the Vedas and thus make himself unfit for the post of ruler. The brahmanas deviated Devapi from the path of the Vedic principles, and therefore when asked by Santanu he did not agree to accept the post of ruler. On the contrary, he blasphemed the Vedic principles and therefore became fallen. Under the circumstances, Santanu again became the king, and Indra, being pleased, showered rains. Devapi later took to the path of mystic yoga to control his mind and senses and went to the village named Kalapagrama, where he is still living.