CHAPTER X. VAIVASWATA MANU'S OFFSPRING.
Vaishampāyana said:—O foremost of Bharatas, Vivaswata Manu had nine sons after him—Ikshwāku, Nābhaga, Dhrishnu, Sharyāti, Narishyan, Prangsha, Nābhagarishtha, Korusha and Prishadhra (1–2). O king, desirous of progeny the patriarch Manu performed a sacrifice before Mitra and Varuna (3). O descendant of Bharata, before the birth of these nine sons of his, Muni offered oblation to the portions of Mitra and Varuna in the present sacrifice. When this oblation was offered, the gods, Gandharvas, men and ascetics attained to great delight and exclaimed. "Oh! wonderful is his ascetic energy! Oh! Wonderful is his knowledge of scriptures (4–6)." The tradition is, that in that sacrifice was born Ilā, clad in a celestial raiment, adorned with celestial ornaments and equipped with a celestial armour (7). Manu, with a rod of chastisement in his hand, said to her: "Follow me, O fair one." She gave the following moral reply to that Patriarch desirous of offspring (8).
Ilā said:—"O best of speakers, I am born of the energy of Mitra and Varuna and so I shall go to them. Do not destroy my morality (9)."
Having said this to Manu Ilā approached Mitra and Varuna and that fair one with folded hands said to them, "I am born of your energy; Manu has asked me to follow him. Tell me what I shall do (10-11)". Hear from me what Mitra and Varuna did say to the pious and chaste Ilā who had addressed them thus (12). "O you fair one of beautiful hips, we have been pleased with your virtue, humility, self restraint and truthfulness (13). Therefore O great lady, you will be celebrated as our daughter, O fair one, you will be the son of Manu, perpetuating his race, celebrated in the three worlds by the name of Sudyumna. You will be pious, beloved of the world and multiply the race of Manu (14–15)." While she, on hearing this, was about to return to her father (Manu), she was invited, on the way, by Buddha, for conjugal purposes (16). Then Soma's son Buddha begat on her Pururava. Having given birth to that son Ilā became Pradyumna (17). O descendant of Bharata, the three kinsmen of Sudyumna-Uutkala, Gaya and the energetic Vinatashwa were greatly pious (18), O king, the northern quarter was under Utkala, the western under Vinatashwa and the city Gayā was under Gaya (19). O subduer of foes, Manu having entered the sun, his sons divided the earth into ten parts (20). The eldest of them Ikshwaku obtained the central portion by whose sacrificial stakes the earth, with her forests and mines, has been marked (21). On account of his partaking of the nature of a female Sudyumna did not obtain this (central region). According to the words of Vasishtha, the high-souled pious king Sudyumna was installed in the province of Pratishtāna.[16] O foremost of Kurus. Having obtained that kingdom the highly illustrious Sudyumna conferred it on Pururava and he himself reigned in Partishtana. Utkala had three sons celebrated in the three worlds Dhristaka, Amvarisha and Danda (22-24). Amongst them the noble Danda founded the most excellent Dandakāranya (the forest of Danda) celebrated in the world as the abode of the ascetics (25). As soon as a man enters there he is freed from sins. O descendant of Bharata, having begotten Aila, Sudyumna repaired to heaven (26), O monarch, that son of Manu, who was endowed with the characteristics of both a man and woman, and who took the name of Ilā, was celebrated by the name of Sudyumna (27). O descendant of Bharata, Shakas were the sons of Narishwanta, and Amvarisha, the foremost of kings, was the son of Nābhāga (28). Dhrishnu's son Dharshtaka and Ranadhrishta became known as Kshatra. And Karusha's sons were the Kshatrya Kārushas, dreadful in battle (29). In this way a thousand mighty powerful Kshatryas were born, O descendant of Bharata. The sons of Nābhāgarishtha, although Kshatryas (by birth), came by the status of Vaishyas (30). Prāngshu had one son celebrated by the name of Sharyati. Narishwanta's son was the powerful Danda. Saryāti had a twin son and daughter. The son was named Anartta and the daughter Sukanya became the wife of Chyavana. Anartta's successor was the highly effulgent Reva (31–32). His city Kusasthali was in the province of Anartta. Reva's son Raivata passed by the name of Kukudmi and was pious (32). Having obtained the kingdom of Kusasthali he became the father of a hundred sons. He, along with his daughter, received from Brahmā instructions in music. And O lord, many a Yuga passed away to him like a moment. He then, in his youthful state, returned to his own city filled with Yādavas (33–35). The city of Dwaravati, charming with many damsels, was protected by the descendants of Bhoja and Vrishni races headed by Vasudeva (36).
O slayer of foes, then informed of all these details Raivata conferred upon Baladeva that vow-observing maiden by name Revati (37). Having given away (his daughter) he repaired to the summit of the mount Sumeru for carrying on hard austerities. Rāma too lived happily in the company of Revati (38).
| [16] | Pratishtana or Prayāga is the modern Allahabad, the seat of the Government of N. W. P. |
CHAPTER XI. ACCOUNT OF RAIVATA AND HIS SONS.
Janamejaya said:—O foremost of the twice-born, why were not Revati and Revata's son Kukudmi, visited by decrepitude although they lived for many years (1). Why does Saryāti's grandson, even after his retirement to Meru, still live in this world? I wish to hear all this in sooth (2).
Vaishampāyana said:—O sinless one, O foremost of Bharatas, there is neither decrepitude, hunger, thirst, death, nor the change of seasons in the region of Brahmā (3). After the departure of Revata's son Kukudmi, his city Kushasthali was destroyed by demons and goblins (4). That high-souled and pious king had a hundred brothers. When the Rākshasas began to carry on the work of destruction they fled away in various directions (5). O king of kings, when after their escape all the hundred brothers settled in various parts the Kshatriyas thereof were stricken with fear (6), O king, their families extended to all those countries and are known as Sharyātas (7). O foremost of Bharatas, in all the quarters those pious Kshatriyas reside; O descendant of Kurus, amongst them many entered into mountainous regions (8). The two sons of Nabhāgāristha, although born of a Vaishya mother, attained to the status of a Brāhmana. The sons of Karusha, Kshatriyas dreadful in battle, passed by the name of Kārushas (9). Only one son of Prāngshu is mentioned by the name of Prajapati. O Janamejaya, having killed the cow of his preceptor, Prishata is said to have come by the birth of a Sudra. O fore most of Bhāratas, I have thus given an account of the nine sons of Manu Vaivaswata (10–11). When Manu sneezed there came out from his nostril a son by name Ikshāwku. He had a hundred sons who gave away profuse gifts (12). The eldest of them Vikukshi, on account of his huge abdomen, could not make a warrior and so that pious king reigned as the lord of Ayodhya (13). He had fifty excellent sons headed by Sakuni. They all reigned, O king, protecting the province of Uttarapatha (14). O king, thirty-eight sons headed by Shashāda protected the southern quarter (15). On an Ashtaka[17] day Ikshwāku commanded Vikukshi by saying "O you of great strength, do you bring meat for the Srāddha after killing deer (16)." Having taken the meat of a hare before the performance of the Srāddha for which it was collected he returned from hunting with the name of Shashāda[18] (17). He was forsaken by Ikshwāku at the words of Vashishtha. After the demise of Ikshwāku Shashāda began to live in the city (of Ayodhya) (18). Shashāda's son was the powerful Kakutstha. Seated on the hump of Indra in the guise of a bull he defeated the Asuras in the days of yore in battle and accordingly he was called Kakutstha. Kakustha's son was Anenā and his son was Prithu (19–20). Prithu's son was Vishtarāshwa and from him was born Adra. Adra’s son was Yuvanāshwa and his son was Shrāva (21). The king Shrāva made a city by the name of Shrāvasti. And his son was highly illustrious Vrihadāshwa (22). His son was the highly pious king Kuvalashwa, who, by killing (the demon) Dhundhu, came by the name of king Dhundhumāra (23).
Janamejaya said:—O Brahman, I wish to hear the true account of the destruction of Dhundhu for which Kuvalashwa came by the name of Dhundhumāra (24).