Janamejaya said:—Why was the powerful king Sagara born with poison? And why did he, worked up with anger, put down the religious practices of Shakas and other highly powerful Kshatriya clans as laid down by their respective orders. And why was he not injured by poison? Describe all this at length, O great ascetic (1-2).
Vaishampāyana said:—O king, when Vāhu grew addicted to vice, Haihaya, with Tālajānghas and Shakas spoliated his territories (3). Yavanas, Pāradas, Kāmbhojas, Palhavas and Shakas—these five classes (of Mlechhas) displayed their prowess for Haihaya (4). Deprived of his kingdom, the king Vāhu retired into a forest life. Followed by his wife he gave up his life there in great misery (5). His wife of the Yadu race was (at that time) enciente and she followed her husband whose other wife had administered poison unto her before (her departure) (6). When she, making a funeral pyre for her husband in that forest, got upon it Aurva, born in the family of Bhrigu, out of compassion, prevented her (7). In his hermitage she gave birth to the highly powerful and mighty-armed king Sagara together with poison (8). Having performed all the rites consequent upon the birth of that high-souled (king) Aurva taught him the Vedas and then gave him at last the fiery weapon which even the immortals cannot withstand. Gifted with great strength he, by dint of the prowess of that weapon, in no time destroyed the Haihayas like unto enraged Rudra slaying the beasts. That foremost of the illustrious (kings) spread his own fame in the world (9-11). Thereupon he made up his mind for extirpating the race of the Shakas, Kāmbhojas and Palhavas (12). When about to be slain by the high-souled hero, they, seeking refuge with the intelligent Vasishtha, bowed unto him (13). Seeing them arrived in proper time the highly effulgent Vasishtha promised them security and prevented Sagara (14). Considering his own promise and the words of his preceptor Sagara violated their religious practices and made them change their dress (15). Having made the Shakas shave half of their heads he dismissed them. He made the Yavanas and Kāmbhojas shave their entire head (16). Pāradas used to have their hairs dishevelled and Palhavas kept beards. They were prohibited from studying the Vedas, and offering oblation to fire by the high-souled (Sagara) (17). O my child, Shakas, Yavanas, Kāmbhojas, Paradas, Kolasapyas, Mahishas, Dārvas, Cholas and Keralas were all Kshatriyas. O king, at the words of Vasishtha their religious practices were put down by the high-souled Sagara (18-19). Having conquered the entire earth consisting of (the provinces of) Khasa, Tukhāra, China, Madra, Kishkindhaka, Kountala, Banga, Shālwa, Konkashaka and others, that king, who had put down other religious forms, entered upon the performance of Bājapeya sacrifice and let loose a horse (20–21). The horse, while it was roaming near the bank of the south eastern ocean, was pilfered and made to enter into the earth (22). Then the king had that portion of the country dug by his sons. When that mighty ocean was thus dug up they arrived at a place where the prime deity, the Patriarch Hari, the best of male beings, in the shape of Kapila, was sleeping (23–24). O great king, when he awoke all the sons (of Sagara), with the exception of four, were all consumed by the fire coming out of his eyes (25). O king, they were Varhaketu, Suketu, Dharmarātha and the heroic Panchajana—they perpetuated the race of Sagara (36). The Omniscient Hari Nārāyana conferred on him many boons viz.—unending family, the eternal glory of the Ikshwāku family, the birth of the ocean as his son, eternal habitation in heaven, and the ascension into the eternal region of those of his sons who had been consumed by the fiery looks of Kapila (27–28). Thereupon the ocean worshipped that king with Arghya, and for this it obtained the appellation of Sāgara (29). He obtained from the ocean that horse destined for the Aswamedha sacrifice (30). The highly illustrious king performed a hundred horse sacrifices and we have heard that he had sixty thousand sons (31).
CHAPTER XV. THE SAME STORY CONTINUED.
Janamejaya said:—By what observance, O twice-born one, did the sixty thousand heroic and powerful sons of Sagara attain to greatness? (1)
Vaishampāyana said:—Sagara had two wives whose sons had been consumed by ascetic observances. The oldest of them, the daughter of the king of Vidarbha, was celebrated by the name Keshini (2). His youngest wife was the pious daughter of Arishthanemi, who was unequalled on earth in beauty (3). Hear, O king, what boons Aurva conferred upon them. He wanted one of them to take sixty thousand sons and the other to pray for one son (only) after her heart who will perpetuate the race. Of them she, who was avaricious, prayed for many mighty sons (4-5). The other prayed for only one son, who will keep up the prestige of the family. The ascetic conferred on her the same boon. Sagara begat on Keshini a son named Asmanjā (6). That highly powerful king also passed by the name of Panchajana. The other, as the rumour is, gave birth to a long gourd consisting of seeds (7). Therein lay like corns sixty thousand embryos. They grew up duly in proper time (8). The father threw those embryos into vessels full of clarified butter and appointed equal number of nurses to look after them (9). When ten months were complete thence came out with ease and in proper time those sons of Sagara enhancing his delight (10). In this way, O king, there originated from bottle gourd the sixty thousand sons of Sagara (11). When they were consumed by Nārāyana’s energy one of them only survived namely, Panchajana who became the king (12). Panchajana’s son was the energetic Angsumān. His son Dilipa also passed by the name of Khattānga (13). Coming down to this earth from heaven and taking birth there he, within a moment, ransacked the three worlds by virtue of his intelligence and truthfulness, O sinless one (14). Dilipa's son was the great king Bhagiratha who, powerful as he was, brought down the best of rivers Gangā (15). That noble and illustrious king, equal to Sakra in prowess, brought her to the ocean and then considered her as his daughter. Therefore by the Rishis who keep account of families she has been styled Bhāgirathi (16). Bhagiratha's son was the celebrated king Shruta. The highly pious Nābhāga was Shruta's son (17) Nābhāga's son was Ambarisha who was the father of Sindhudwipa, whose son was the powerful Ayutajit (18). The illustrious Rituparna was Ayutajit's son. He was powerful, well-versed in the game of celestial dice and a friend of king Nala (19). The king Artaparni was Rituparna's son, whose son was the king Sudāsa who became the friend of Indra (20). The king Soudāsa was Sudāsa's son. He was celebrated by the name of Kalmashapāda and was greatly attached to his friends (21). Kalmāshapāda's son was known by the name of Sarvakarmā whose son was the celebrated Anaranya (22). Anaranya's son was Nighna who had two sons, both leading kings, by name Anamitra and Raghu (23). Anamitra's son was the educated and pious Duliduho. His son was Dilipa, the grandfather of Rāma (24). Dilipa's son was the large-armed Raghu. The highly powerful king Raghu reigned in Ayodhya (24). Aja was born of Raghu and Aja's son was Dasharatha whose son was the virtuous-souled and illustrious Rāma (26). Rāma's son passed by the name of Kusha whose son was Atithi and whose son was Nishadha (27). Nishadhas son was Nala whose son was Nabha. Nabha's son was Pundarika whose son passed by the name of Kshemadhanwā (28). Kshemadhanwā's son was the powerful Devānika whose son was the great Ahinagu (29). Ahinagu's good son was the king Sudhanwā, as whose son was born the king Anala (30). Anala's son was the virtuous Uktha, the son of which high souled (king) was Vajranābha (31). His son Shankha was celebrated for his great learning and passed by the name of Dhyushitāshwa. His son was the learned Pushpa, whose son was Arthasiddhi (32). His son was Sudarshana, whose son was Shighra and whose son was Maru (33). Maru practised Yoga in the island of Kala. His son was the illustrious king Vrihadvala (34). O foremost of Bharatas, in Purāna, there are two kings celebrated by the name of Nala. Of them one was the son of Veerasena and the other was a descendant of Ikshwāku (35). I have thus described (to you) in order of precedence the leading members of the Ikshwāku race. These kings, of immeasurable energy, belonged to the solar dynasty (36). By reading the account of creation by the illustrious Srādhadeva Adityā who confers nourishment upon creatures a man gets offspring, attains to the same status with the sun, is freed from sins and haughtiness and obtains longevity (37-38).
CHAPTER XVI. THE ORIGIN OF PITRIS AND FRUITS OF SRADDHAS.
Janamejaya said:—How did the illustrious Aditya become the (presiding) deity of Srāddhas? What is the most excellent mode of performing them? I wish to hear all this, O Vipra. (1). What is the origin of the Pitris and who are they? We have heard from the conversation of the Brāhmanas that the Pitris (ancestral manes), stationed in heaven, are even the gods of the gods. This is said by those well read in the Vedas. I therefore wish to know this (2-3). I wish to hear of the most excellent creation of Pitris, their various orders, their great strength, how are they propitiated by the Srāddhas performed by us, and how they, delighted, shower benedictions on us (4-5).
Vaishampāyana said:—I will now describe to you the most excellent creation of the Pitris; how they are propitiated by Srāddhas performed by us and how they, being pleased, pour blessings on us. Mārkandeya described this when he was accosted by Bhishma. The question, that you have asked me, was put to Bhishma by the pious king (Yudhisthira) when the former was lying on the bed of arrows (5-9).
Yudhisthira said:—O you conversant with virtue, how people, seeking nourishment, get it? By doing what do they not grieve I wish to hear this (9).
Bhishma said:—O Yudhishthira, he, who propitiates the departed manes by the performance of Srāddhas that secure all desired for objects, who always performs them with a concentrated mind, attains to delight both in this world and in the next. The Pitris confer virtue on him who seeks it, children on him who wants them and nourishment on him who desires for it (10–11).