Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Yayāti was very much attached to woman. In due course of time, however, when disgusted with sexual enjoyment and its bad ef fects, he renounced this way of life and narrated the following story to his beloved wife. (1) My dearly beloved wife, daughter of Śukrācārya, in this world there was someone exactly like me. Please listen as I narrate the history of his life. By hearing about the life of such a householder, those who have retired from householder life always lament. (2) While wandering in the forest, eating to satisfy his senses, a he-goat by chance approached a well, in which he saw a she-goat standing helplessly, having fallen into it by the influence of the results of fruitive activities. (3)

After planning how to get the she goat out of the well, the lusty he-goat dug up the earth on the well’s edge with the point of his horns in such a way that she was able to come out very easily. (4) When the she-goat, who had very nice hips, got out of the well and saw the very handsome he-goat, she desired to accept him as her husband. When she did so, many other she-goats also desired him as their husband because he had a very beautiful bodily structure and a nice mustache and beard and was expert in discharging semen and in the art of sexual intercourse. Therefore, just as a per son haunted by a ghost exhibits madness, the best of the he-goats, attracted by the many she goats, engaged in erotic activities and naturally forgot his real business of self-realization. (5 6) When the she-goat who had fallen into the well saw her beloved goat engaged in sexual af fairs with another she-goat, she could not toler ate the goat’s activities. (7)

Aggrieved by her husband’s behavior with another, the she-goat thought that the he-goat was not actually her friend but was hardhearted and was her friend only for the time being. Therefore, because her husband was lusty, she left him and returned to her former maintainer. (8) Being very sorry, the he-goat, who was subservient to his wife, followed the she-goat on the road and tried his best to flatter her, but he could not pacify her. (9) The she-goat went to the residence of a brāhmaṇa who was the maintainer of another she-goat, and that brāhmaṇa angrily cut off the he-goat’s dangling testicles. But at the he goat’s request, the brāhmaṇa later rejoined them by the power of mystic yoga. (10)

My dear wife, when the he-goat had his testicles re stored, he enjoyed the she-goat he had gotten from the well, but although he continued to en joy for many, many years, even now he has not been fully satisfied. (11) O my dear wife with beautiful eyebrows, I am exactly like that he goat, for I am so poor in intelligence that I am captivated by your beauty and have forgotten the real task of self-realization. (12) A person who is lusty cannot satisfy his mind even if he has enough of everything in this world, including rice, barley and other food grains, gold, animals and women. Nothing can satisfy him. (13) As supplying butter to a fire does not diminish the fire but instead increases it more and more, the endeavor to stop lusty de sires by continual enjoyment can never be suc cessful. [In fact, one must voluntarily cease from material desires.] (14)

When a man is nonenvious and does not desire ill fortune for anyone, he is equipoised. For such a person, all directions appear happy. (15) For those who are too attached to material enjoyment, sense gratification is very difficult to give up. Even when one is an invalid because of old age, one cannot give up such desires for sense gratifica tion. Therefore, one who actually desires hap piness must give up such unsatisfied desires, which are the cause of all tribulations. (16) One should not allow oneself to sit on the same seat even with one’s own mother, sister or daughter, for the senses are so strong that even though one is very advanced in knowledge, he may be attracted by sex. (17) I have spent a full one thousand years enjoying sense gratification, yet my desire to enjoy such pleasure increases daily. (18)

Therefore, I shall now give up all these desires and meditate upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Free from the dualities of mental concoction and free from false pres tige, I shall wander in the forest with the ani mals. (19) One who knows that material hap piness, whether good or bad, in this life or in the next, on this planet or on the heavenly plan ets, is temporary and useless, and that an intel ligent person should not try to enjoy or even think of such things, is the knower of the self. Such a self-realized person knows quite well that material happiness is the very cause of con tinued material existence and forgetfulness of one’s own constitutional position. (20) Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: After speaking in this way to his wife, Devayānī, King Yayāti, who was now free from all material desires, called his youngest son, Pūru, and returned Pūru’s youth in exchange for his own old age. (21) King Yayāti gave the southeast to his son Druhyu, the south to his son Yadu, the west to his son Turvasu, and the north to his son Anu. In this way he divided the kingdom. (22)

Yayāti enthroned his youngest son, Pūru, as the emperor of the entire world and the proprietor of all its riches, and he placed all the other sons, who were older than Pūru, under Pūru’s con trol. (23) Having enjoyed sense gratification for many, many years, O King Parīkṣit, Yayāti was accustomed to it, but he gave it up entirely in a moment, just as a bird flies away from the nest as soon as its wings have grown. (24) Be cause King Yayāti completely surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, he was freed from all contamination of the material modes of nature. Because of his self-realization, he was able to fix his mind upon the Transcendence [Parabrahman, Vāsudeva], and thus he ultimately achieved the position of an associate of the Lord. (25)

When Devayānī heard Mahārāja Yayāti’s story of the he-goat and she-goat, she under stood that this story, which was presented as if a funny joke for entertainment between hus band and wife, was intended to awaken her to her constitutional position. (26) Thereafter, Devayānī, the daughter of Śukrācārya, under stood that the materialistic association of hus band, friends and relatives is like the associa tion in a hotel full of tourists. The relationships of society, friendship and love are created by the māyā of the Supreme Personality of God head, exactly as in a dream. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, Devayānī gave up her imaginary posi tion in the material world. Completely fixing her mind upon Kṛṣṇa, she achieved liberation from the gross and subtle bodies. (27-28)

O Lord Vāsudeva, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, You are the creator of the entire cosmic manifestation. You live as the Supersoul in everyone’s heart and are smaller than the smallest, yet You are greater than the greatest and are all-pervading. You appear completely silent, having nothing to do, but this is due to Your all pervading nature and Your fullness in all opulences. I therefore offer my respectful obei sances unto You. (29)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King Parīkṣit, as the embodied soul has six senses, King Nahuṣa had six sons, named Yati, Yayāti, Saṁyāti, Āyati, Viyati and Kṛti. (1) When one enters the post of king or head of the government, one cannot understand the meaning of self-realiza tion. Knowing this, Yati, the eldest son of Nahuṣa, did not accept the power to rule, although it was offered by his father. (2) Because Nahuṣa, the father of Yayāti, molested Indra’s wife, Śacī, who then complained to Agastya and other brāhmaṇas, these saintly brāhmaṇas cursed Nahuṣa to fall from the heavenly planets and be degraded to the status of a python. Con sequently, Yayāti became the king. (3)

King Yayāti had four younger brothers, whom he al lowed to rule the four directions. Yayāti him self married Devayānī, the daughter of Śukrācārya, and Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of Vṛṣaparvā, and ruled the entire earth. (4) Mahārāja Parīkṣit said: Śukrācārya was a very powerful brāhmaṇa, and Mahārāja Yayāti was a kṣatriya. Therefore I am curious to know how there occurred this pratiloma marriage be tween a kṣatriya and a brāhmaṇa. (5) Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: One day Vṛṣaparvā ’s daughter Śarmiṣṭhā, who was innocent but angry by nature, was walking with Devayānī, the daughter of Śukrācārya, and with thousands of friends, in the palace garden. The garden was full of lotuses and trees of flowers and fruits and was inhabited by sweetly singing birds and bumblebees. (6-7)

When the young, lotus-eyed girls came to the bank of a reservoir of water, they wanted to enjoy by bathing. Thus they left their clothing on the bank and began sporting, throwing water on one another. (8) While sporting in the water, the girls sud denly saw Lord Śiva passing by, seated on the back of his bull with his wife, Pārvatī. Ashamed because they were naked, the girls quickly got out of the water and covered themselves with their garments. (9) Śarmiṣṭhā unknowingly put Devayānī’s dress on her own body, thus an gering Devayānī, who then spoke as follows. (10) Oh, just see the activities of this servant maid Śarmiṣṭhā! Disregarding all etiquette, she has put on my dress, just like a dog snatching clarified butter meant for use in a sacrifice. (11)

We are among the qualified brāhmaṇas, who are accepted as the face of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The brāhmaṇas have created the entire universe by their austerity, and they always keep the Absolute Truth within the core of their hearts. They have directed the path of good fortune, the path of Vedic civili zation, and because they are the only worship able objects within this world, they are offered prayers and worshiped even by the great demi gods, the directors of the various planets, and even by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul, the supreme purifier, the hus band of the goddess of fortune. And we are even more respectable because we are in the dynasty of Bhṛgu. Yet although this woman’s father, being among the demons, is our disciple, she has put on my dress, exactly like a śūdra taking charge of Vedic knowledge. (12-14)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: When thus rebuked in cruel words, Śarmiṣṭhā was very angry. Breath ing heavily like a serpent and biting her lower lip with her teeth, she spoke to the daughter of Śukrācārya as follows. (15) You beggar, since you don’t understand your position, why should you unnecessarily talk so much? Don’t all of you wait at our house, depending on us for your livelihood like crows? (16) Using such unkind words, Śarmiṣṭhā rebuked Devayānī, the daughter of Śukrācārya. In anger, she took away Devayānī’s garments and threw Devayānī into a well. (17) After throwing Devayānī into the well, Śarmiṣṭhā went home. Meanwhile, King Yayāti, while engaged in a hunting excursion, went to the well to drink water and by chance saw Devayānī. (18) Seeing Devayānī naked in the well, King Yayāti immediately gave her his upper cloth. Being very kind to her, he caught her hand with his own and lifted her out. (19)

With words saturated with love and affection, Devayānī said to King Yayāti: O great hero, O King, conqueror of the cities of your enemies, by accepting my hand you have accepted me as your married wife. Let me not be touched by others, for our relationship as husband and wife has been made possible by providence, not by any human being. (20-21) Because of falling in the well, I met you. Indeed, this has been ar ranged by providence. After I cursed Kaca, the son of the learned scholar Bṛhaspati, he cursed me by saying that I would not have a brāhmaṇa for a husband. Therefore, O mighty-armed one, there is no possibility of my becoming the wife of a brāhmaṇa. (22) Śukadeva Gosvāmī con tinued: Because such a marriage is not sanc tioned by regular scriptures, King Yayāti did not like it, but because it was arranged by prov idence and because he was attracted by Devayānī’s beauty, he accepted her request. (23)

Thereafter, when the learned King returned to his palace, Devayānī returned home crying and told her father, Śukrācārya, about all that had happened because of Śarmiṣṭhā. She told how she had been thrown into the well but was saved by the King. (24) As Śukrācārya listened to what had happened to Devayānī, his mind was very much aggrieved. Condemning the profession of priesthood and praising the pro fession of uñcha-vṛtti [collecting grains from the fields], he left home with his daughter. (25) King Vṛṣaparvā understood that Śukrācārya was coming to chastise or curse him. Conse quently, before Śukrācārya came to his house, Vṛṣaparvā went out and fell down in the street at the feet of his guru and satisfied him, check ing his wrath. (26) The powerful Śukrācārya was angry for a few moments, but upon being satisfied he said to Vṛṣaparvā: My dear King, kindly fulfill the desire of Devayānī, for she is my daughter and in this world I cannot give her up or neglect her. (27)

After hearing Śukrācārya’s request, Vṛṣaparvā agreed to ful fill Devayānī’s desire, and he awaited her words. Devayānī then expressed her desire as follows: “Whenever I marry by the order of my father, my friend Śarmiṣṭhā must go with me as my maidservant, along with her friends.” (28) Vṛṣaparvā wisely thought that Śukrācārya’s displeasure would bring danger and that his pleasure would bring material gain. Therefore he carried out Śukrācārya’s order and served him like a slave. He gave his daughter Śarmiṣṭhā to Devayānī, and Śarmiṣṭhā served Devayānī like a slave, along with thousands of other women. (29) When Śukrācārya gave Devayānī in mar riage to Yayāti, he had Śarmiṣṭhā go with her, but he warned the King, “My dear King, never allow this girl Śarmiṣṭhā to lie with you in your bed.” (30)

O King Parīkṣit, upon seeing Devayānī with a nice son, Śarmiṣṭhā once ap proached King Yayāti at the appropriate time for conception. In a secluded place, she re quested the King, the husband of her friend Devayānī, to enable her to have a son also. (31) When Princess Śarmiṣṭhā begged King Yayāti for a son, the King was certainly aware of the principles of religion, and therefore he agreed to fulfill her desire. Although he remembered the warning of Śukrācārya, he thought of this union as the desire of the Supreme, and thus he had sex with Śarmiṣṭhā. (32) Devayānī gave birth to Yadu and Turvasu, and Śarmiṣṭhā gave birth to Druhyu, Anu and Pūru. (33) When the proud Devayānī understood from outside sources that Śarmiṣṭhā was pregnant by her husband, she was frenzied with anger. Thus she departed for her father’s house. (34)

King Yayāti, who was very lusty, followed his wife, caught her and tried to appease her by speaking pleasing words and massaging her feet, but he could not satisfy her by any means. (35) Śukrācārya was extremely angry. “You un truthful fool, lusting after women! You have done a great wrong,” he said. “I therefore curse you to be attacked and disfigured by old age and invalidity.” (36) King Yayāti said: “O learned, worshipable brāhmaṇa, I have not yet satisfied my lusty de sires with your daughter.” Śukrācārya then re plied, “You may exchange your old age with someone who will agree to transfer his youth to you.” (37) When Yayāti received this benedic tion fromŚukrācārya, he requested his eldest son: My dear son Yadu, please give me your youth in exchange for my old age and invalid ity. (38)

My dear son, I am not yet satisfied in my sexual desires. But if you are kind to me, you can take the old age given by your maternal grandfather, and I may take your youth so that I may enjoy life for a few years more. (39) Yadu replied: My dear father, you have al ready achieved old age, although you also were a young man. But I do not welcome your old age and invalidity, for unless one enjoys mate rial happiness, one cannot attain renunciation. (40) O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Yayāti similarly re quested his sons Turvasu, Druhyu and Anu to exchange their youth for his old age, but be cause they were unaware of religious princi ples, they thought that their flickering youth was eternal, and therefore they refused to carry out their father’s order. (41) King Yayāti then requested Pūru, who was younger than these three brothers but more qualified, “My dear son, do not be disobedient like your elder broth ers, for that is not your duty.” (42)

Pūru replied: O Your Majesty, who in this world can repay his debt to his father? By the mercy of one’s father, one gets the human form of life, which can enable one to become an as sociate of the Supreme Lord. (43) A son who acts by anticipating what his father wants him to do is first class, one who acts upon receiving his father’s order is second class, and one who executes his father’s order irreverently is third class. But a son who refuses his father’s order is like his father’s stool. (44) Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: In this way, O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the son named Pūru was very pleased to accept the old age of his father, Yayāti, who took the youth of his son and en joyed this material world as he required. (45) Thereafter, King Yayāti became the ruler of the entire world, consisting of seven islands, and ruled the citizens exactly like a father. Because he had taken the youth of his son, his senses were unimpaired, and he enjoyed as much ma terial happiness as he desired. (46)

In secluded places, engaging her mind, words, body and various paraphernalia, Devayānī, the dear wife of Mahārāja Yayāti, always brought her hus band the greatest possible transcendental bliss. (47) King Yayāti performed various sacrifices, in which he offered abundant gifts to the brāhmaṇas to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Hari, who is the reservoir of all the demigods and the object of all Vedic knowledge. (48) The Supreme Lord, Vāsudeva, who created the cosmic manifestation, exhibits Himself as all-pervading, like the sky that holds clouds. And when the creation is annihilated, everything enters into the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, and varieties are no longer manifested. (49) Without material desires, Mahārāja Yayāti worshiped the Supreme Lord, who is situated in everyone’s heart as Nārāyaṇa and is invisible to material eyes, although existing everywhere. (50) Although Mahārāja Yayāti was the king of the entire world and he engaged his mind and five senses in enjoying material possessions for one thou sand years, he was unable to be satisfied. (51)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: From Purūravā came a son named Āyu, whose very powerful sons were Nahuṣa, Kṣatravṛddha, Rajī, Rābha and Anenā. O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, now hear about the dynasty of Kṣatravṛddha. Kṣatravṛd dha’s son was Suhotra, who had three sons, named Kāśya, Kuśa and Gṛtsamada. From Gṛt samada came Śunaka, and from him came Śau naka, the great saint, the best of those conver sant with the Ṛg Veda. (1-3) The son of Kāśya was Kāśi, and his son was Rāṣṭra, the father of Dīrghatama. Dīrghatama had a son named Dhanvantari, who was the in augurator of the medical science and an incar nation of Lord Vāsudeva, the enjoyer of the re sults of sacrifices. One who remembers the name of Dhanvantari can be released from all disease. (4) The son of Dhanvantari was Ke tumān, and his son was Bhīmaratha. The son of Bhīmaratha was Divodāsa, and the son of Divodāsa was Dyumān, also known as Pratar dana. (5)

Dyumān was also known as Śatrujit, Vatsa, Ṛtadhvaja and Kuvalayāśva. From him were born Alarka and other sons. (6) Alarka, the son of Dyumān, reigned over the earth for sixty-six thousand years, my dear King Parīkṣit. No one other than him has reigned over the earth for so long as a young man. (7) From Alarka came a son named Santati, and his son was Sunītha. The son of Sunītha was Niketana, the son of Ni ketana was Dharmaketu, and the son of Dhar maketu was Satyaketu. (8) O King Parīkṣit, from Satyaketu came a son named Dhṛṣṭaketu, and from Dhṛṣṭaketu came Sukumāra, the emperor of the entire world. From Sukumāra came a son named Vītihotra; from Vītihotra, Bharga; and from Bharga, Bhārgabhūmi. (9) O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, all of these kings were descendants of Kāśi, and they could also be called descendants of Kṣatravṛddha. The son of Rābha was Rabhasa, from Rabhasa came Gam bhīra, and from Gambhīra came a son named Akriya. (10)

The son of Akriya was known as Brahmavit, O King. Now hear about the de scendants of Anenā. From Anenā came a son named Śuddha, and his son was Śuci. The son of Śuci was Dharmasārathi, also called Citrakṛt. (11) From Citrakṛt was born a son named Śān taraja, a self-realized soul who performed all kinds of Vedic ritualistic ceremonies and there fore did not beget any progeny. The sons of Rajī were five hundred, all very powerful. (12) On the request of the demigods, Rajī killed the demons and thus returned the kingdom of heaven to Lord Indra. But Indra, fearing such demons as Prahlāda, returned the kingdom of heaven to Rajī and surrendered himself at Rajī ’s lotus feet. (13) Upon Rajī’s death, Indra begged Rajī’s sons for the return of the heav enly planet. They did not return it, however, alt hough they agreed to return Indra’s shares in ritualistic ceremonies. (14)

Thereafter, Bṛhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods, offered oblations in the fire so that the sons of Rajī would fall from moral principles. When they fell, Lord Indra killed them easily because of their degradation. Not a single one of them remained alive. (15) From Kuśa, the grandson of Kṣatravṛddha, was born a son named Prati. The son of Prati was Sañjaya, and the son of Sañjaya was Jaya. From Jaya, Kṛta was born, and from Kṛta, King Haryabala. (16) From Haryabala came a son named Sahadeva, and from Sahadeva came Hīna. The son of Hīna was Jayasena, and the son of Jayasena was Saṅkṛti. The son of Saṅkṛti was the powerful and expert fighter named Jaya. These kings were the members of the Kṣatravṛddha dynasty. Now let me describe to you the dynasty of Na huṣa. (17)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear Mahārāja Parīkṣit, son of the Kuru dynasty, when Lord Paraśurāma was given this order by his father, he immediately agreed, saying, “Let it be so.” For one complete year he traveled to holy places. Then he returned to his father’s resi dence. (1) Once when Reṇukā, the wife of Jamadagni, went to the bank of the Ganges to get water, she saw the King of the Gandharvas, decorated with a garland of lotuses and sporting in the Ganges with celestial women [Apsarās]. (2) She had gone to bring water from the Gan ges, but when she saw Citraratha, the King of the Gandharvas, sporting with the celestial girls, she was somewhat inclined toward him and failed to remember that the time for the fire sacrifice was passing. (3)

Later, understanding that the time for offering the sacrifice had passed, Reṇukā feared a curse from her hus band. Therefore when she returned she simply put the waterpot before him and stood there with folded hands. (4) The great sage Jamada gni understood the adultery in the mind of his wife. Therefore he was very angry and told his sons, “My dear sons, kill this sinful woman!” But the sons did not carry out his order. (5) Jamadagni then ordered his youngest son, Paraśurāma, to kill his brothers, who had diso beyed this order, and his mother, who had men tally committed adultery. Lord Paraśurāma, knowing the power of his father, who was prac ticed in meditation and austerity, killed his mother and brothers immediately. (6) Jamada gni, the son of Satyavatī, was very much pleased with Paraśurāma and asked him to take any benediction he liked. Lord Paraśurāma replied, “Let my mother and brothers live again and not remember having been killed by me. This is the benediction I ask.” (7)

Thereafter, by the benediction of Jamadagni, Lord Paraśurāma’s mother and brothers immediately came alive and were very happy, as if awak ened from sound sleep. Lord Paraśurāma had killed his relatives in accordance with his fa ther’s order because he was fully aware of his father’s power, austerity and learning. (8) My dear King Parīkṣit, the sons of Kārtavīryārjuna, who were defeated by the su perior strength of Paraśurāma, never achieved happiness, for they always remembered the killing of their father. (9) Once when Paraśurāma left the āśrama for the forest with Vasumān and his other brothers, the sons of Kārtavīryārjuna took the opportunity to ap proach Jamadagni’s residence to seek venge ance for their grudge. (10)

The sons of Kārtavīryārjuna were determined to commit sinful deeds. Therefore when they saw Jamada gni sitting by the side of the fire to perform yajña and meditating upon the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead, who is praised by the best of selected prayers, they took the opportunity to kill him. (11) With pitiable prayers, Reṇukā, the mother of Paraśurāma and wife of Jamada gni, begged for the life of her husband. But the sons of Kārtavīryārjuna, being devoid of the qualities of kṣatriyas, were so cruel that despite her prayers they forcibly cut off his head and took it away. (12) Lamenting in grief for the death of her husband, the most chaste Reṇukā struck her own body with her hands and cried very loudly, “O Rāma, my dear son Rāma!” (13) Although the sons of Jamadagni, including Lord Paraśurāma, were a long distance from home, as soon as they heard Reṇukā loudly calling “O Rāma, O my son,” they hastily re turned to the āśrama, where they saw their fa ther already killed. (14)

Virtually bewildered by grief, anger, indignation, affliction and lamentation, the sons of Jamadagni cried, “O father, most religious, saintly person, you have left us and gone to the heavenly planets!” (15) Thus lamenting, Lord Paraśurāma entrusted his father’s dead body to his brothers and person ally took up his axe, having decided to put an end to all the kṣatriyas on the surface of the world. (16) O King, Lord Paraśurāma then went to Māhiṣmatī, which was already doomed by the sinful killing of a brāhmaṇa. In the midst of that city he made a mountain of heads, severed from the bodies of the sons of Kārtavīryārjuna. (17) With the blood of the bodies of these sons, Lord Paraśurāma created a ghastly river, which brought great fear to the kings who had no re spect for brahminical culture. Because the kṣat riyas, the men of power in government, were performing sinful activities, Lord Paraśurāma, on the plea of retaliating for the murder of his father, rid all the kṣatriyas from the face of the earth twenty-one times. Indeed, in the place known as Samanta-pañcaka he created nine lakes filled with their blood. (18-19)

Thereaf ter, Paraśurāma joined his father’s head to the dead body and placed the whole body and head upon kuśa grass. By offering sacrifices, he be gan to worship Lord Vāsudeva, who is the all pervading Supersoul of all the demigods and of every living entity. (20) After completing the sacrifice, Lord Paraśurāma gave the eastern di rection to the hotā as a gift, the south to the brahmā, the west to the adhvaryu, the north to the udgātā, and the four cornersnortheast, southeast, northwest and southwestto the other priests. He gave the middle to Kaśyapa and the place known as Āryāvarta to the upadraṣṭā. Whatever remained he distributed among the sadasyas, the associate priests. (21-22) There after, having completed the ritualistic sacrifi cial ceremonies, Lord Paraśurāma took the bath known as the avabhṛtha-snāna. Standing on the bank of the great river Sarasvatī, cleared of all sins, Lord Paraśurāma appeared like the sun in a clear, cloudless sky. (23)

Thus Jamadagni, being worshiped by Lord Paraśurāma, was brought back to life with full remembrance, and he became one of the seven sages in the group of seven stars. (24) My dear King Parīkṣit, in the next manvantara the lotus-eyed Personality of Godhead Lord Paraśurāma, the son of Jamadagni, will be a great propounder of Vedic knowledge. In other words, he will be one of the seven sages. (25) Lord Paraśurāma still lives as an intelligent brāhmaṇa in the moun tainous country known as Mahendra. Com pletely satisfied, having given up all the weap ons of a kṣatriya, he is always worshiped, adored and offered prayers for his exalted char acter and activities by such celestial beings as the Siddhas, Cāraṇas and Gandharvas. (26) In this way the supreme soul, the Supreme Person ality of Godhead, the Lord and the supreme controller, descended as an incarnation in the Bhṛgu dynasty and released the universe from the burden of undesirable kings by killing them many times. (27)

Viśvāmitra, the son of Mahārāja Gādhi, was as powerful as the flames of fire. From the po sition of a kṣatriya, he achieved the position of a powerful brāhmaṇa by undergoing penances and austerities. (28) O King Parīkṣit, Viśvāmitra had 101 sons, of whom the middle one was known as Madhucchandā. In relation to him, all the other sons were celebrated as the Madhucchandās. (29) Viśvāmitra accepted the son of Ajīgarta known as Śunaḥśepha, who was born in the Bhṛgu dynasty and was also known as Devarāta, as one of his own sons. Viśvāmitra ordered his other sons to accept Śunaḥśepha as their eldest brother. (30) Śunaḥśepha’s father sold Śunaḥśepha to be sacrificed as a man-ani mal in the yajña of King Hariścandra. When Śunaḥśepha was brought into the sacrificial arena, he prayed to the demigods for release and was released by their mercy. (31)

Although Śunaḥśepha was born in the Bhārgava dynasty, he was greatly advanced in spiritual life, and therefore the demigods involved in the sacrifice protected him. Consequently he was also celebrated as the descendant of Gādhi named Devarāta. (32) When requested by their father to accept Śunaḥśepha as the eldest son, the elder fifty of the Madhucchandās, the sons of Viśvāmitra, did not agree. Therefore Viśvāmitra, being angry, cursed them. “May all of you bad sons become mlecchas,” he said, “being opposed to the principles of Vedic cul ture.” (33) When the elder Madhucchandās were cursed, the younger fifty, along with Madhucchandā himself, approached their fa ther and agreed to accept his proposal. “Dear father,” they said, “we shall abide by whatever arrangement you like.” (34)

Thus the younger Madhucchandās accepted Śunaḥśepha as their eldest brother and told him, “We shall follow your orders.” Viśvāmitra then said to his obe dient sons, “Because you have accepted Śunaḥśepha as your eldest brother, I am very satisfied. By accepting my order, you have made me a father of worthy sons, and therefore I bless all of you to become the fathers of sons also.” (35) Viśvāmitra said, “O Kuśikas [de scendants of Kauśika], this Devarāta is my son and is one of you. Please obey his orders.” O King Parīkṣit, Viśvāmitra had many other sons, such as Aṣṭaka, Hārīta, Jaya and Kratumān. (36) Viśvāmitra cursed some of his sons and blessed the others, and he also adopted a son. Thus there were varieties in the Kauśika dyn asty, but among all the sons, Devarāta was con sidered the eldest. (37)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: O King Parīkṣit, from the womb of Urvaśī, six sons were generated by Purūravā. Their names were Āyu, Śrutāyu, Satyāyu, Raya, Vijaya and Jaya. (1) The son of Śrutāyu was Vasumān; the son of Satyāyu, Śrutañjaya; the son of Raya, Eka; the son of Jaya, Amita; and the son of Vijaya, Bhīma. The son of Bhīma was Kāñcana; the son of Kāñcana was Hotraka; and the son of Hotraka was Jahnu, who drank all the water of the Ganges in one sip. (2-3) The son of Jahnu was Puru, the son of Puru was Balāka, the son of Balāka was Ajaka, and the son of Ajaka was Kuśa. Kuśa had four sons, named Kuśāmbu, Tanaya, Vasu and Kuśanābha. The son of Kuśāmbu was Gādhi. (4)

King Gādhi had a daughter named Satyavatī, whom a brāhmaṇa sage named Ṛcīka re quested from the King to be his wife. King Gādhi, however, regarded Ṛcīka as an unfit husband for his daughter, and therefore he told the brāhmaṇa, “My dear sir, I belong to the dynasty of Kuśa. Because we are aristocratic kṣatriyas, you have to give some dowry for my daughter. Therefore, bring at least one thousand horses, each as brilliant as moonshine and each having one black ear, whether right or left.” (5 6) When King Gādhi made this demand, the great sage Ṛcīka could understand the King’s mind. Therefore he went to the demigod Var uṇa and brought from him the one thousand horses that Gādhi had demanded. After deliver ing these horses, the sage married the King’s beautiful daughter. (7)

Thereafter, Ṛcīka Muni’s wife and mother-in-law, each desiring a son, requested the Muni to prepare an obla tion. Thus Ṛcīka Muni prepared one oblation for his wife with a brāhmaṇa mantra and an other for his mother-in-law with a kṣatriya mantra. Then he went out to bathe. (8) Mean while, because Satyavatī’s mother thought that the oblation prepared for her daughter, Ṛcīka’s wife, must be better, she asked her daughter for that oblation. Satyavatī therefore gave her own oblation to her mother and ate her mother’s oblation herself. (9) When the great sage Ṛcīka returned home after bathing and un derstood what had happened in his absence, he said to his wife, Satyavatī, “You have done a great wrong. Your son will be a fierce kṣatriya, able to punish everyone, and your brother will be a learned scholar in spiritual science.” (10)

Satyavatī, however, pacified Ṛcīka Muni with peaceful words and requested that her son not be like a fierce kṣatriya. Ṛcīka Muni replied, “Then your grandson will be of a kṣatriya spirit.” Thus Jamadagni was born as the son of Satyavatī. (11) Satyavatī later became the sa cred river Kauśikī to purify the entire world, and her son, Jamadagni, married Reṇukā, the daughter of Reṇu. By the semen of Jamadagni, many sons, headed by Vasumān, were born from the womb of Reṇukā. The youngest of them was named Rāma, or Paraśurāma. (12 13) Learned scholars accept this Paraśurāma as the celebrated incarnation of Vāsudeva who an nihilated the dynasty of Kārtavīrya. Paraśurāma killed all the kṣatriyas on earth twenty-one times. (14)

When the royal dyn asty, being excessively proud because of the material modes of passion and ignorance, be came irreligious and ceased to care for the laws enacted by the brāhmaṇas, Paraśurāma killed them. Although their offense was not very se vere, he killed them to lessen the burden of the world. (15) King Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: What was the offense that the kṣatri yas who could not control their senses commit ted before Lord Paraśurāma, the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for which the Lord annihilated the kṣatriya dynasty again and again? (16)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The best of the kṣatriyas, Kārtavīryārjuna, the King of the Haihayas, received one thousand arms by wor shiping Dattātreya, the plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa. He also became undefeatable by en emies and received unobstructed sensory power, beauty, influence, strength, fame and the mystic power by which to achieve all the perfections of yoga, such as aṇimā and lagh imā. Thus having become fully opulent, he roamed all over the universe without opposi tion, just like the wind. (17-19) Once while en joying in the water of the river Narmadā, the puffed-up Kārtavīryārjuna, surrounded by beautiful women and garlanded with a garland of victory, stopped the flow of the water with his arms. (20) Because Kārtavīryārjuna made the water flow in the opposite direction, the camp of Rāvaṇa, which was set up on the bank of the Narmadā near the city of Māhiṣmatī, was inundated. This was unbearable to the ten headed Rāvaṇa, who considered himself a great hero and could not tolerate Kārtavīryārjuna’s power. (21)

When Rāvaṇa attempted to insult Kārtavīryārjuna in the presence of the women and thus offended him, Kārtavīryārjuna easily arrested Rāvaṇa and put him in custody in the city of Māhiṣmatī, just as one captures a mon key, and then released him neglectfully. (22) Once while Kārtavīryārjuna was wandering unengaged in a solitary forest and hunting, he approached the residence of Jamadagni. (23) The sage Jamadagni, who was engaged in great austerities in the forest, received the King very well, along with the King’s soldiers, ministers and carriers. He supplied all the necessities to worship these guests, for he possessed a kāmadhenu cow that was able to supply every thing. (24) Kārtavīryārjuna thought that Jamadagni was more powerful and wealthy than himself because of possessing a jewel in the form of the kāmadhenu. Therefore he and his own men, the Haihayas, were not very much appreciative of Jamadagni’s reception. On the contrary, they wanted to possess that kāmadhenu, which was useful for the execution of the agnihotra sacrifice. (25)

Being puffed up by material power, Kārtavīryārjuna encouraged his men to steal Jamadagni’s kāmadhenu. Thus the men forcibly took away the crying kāmadhenu, along with her calf, to Māhiṣmatī, Kārtavīryārjuna’s capital. (26) Thereafter, Kārtavīryārjuna having left with the kāmadhenu, Paraśurāma returned to the āśrama. When Paraśurāma, the youngest son of Jamadagni, heard about Kārtavīryārjuna’s ne farious deed, he became as angry as a trampled snake. (27) Taking up his fierce chopper, his shield, his bow and a quiver of arrows, Lord Paraśurāma, exceedingly angry, chased Kārtavīryārjuna just as a lion chases an ele phant. (28) As King Kārtavīryārjuna entered his capital, Māhiṣmatī Purī, he saw Lord Paraśurāma, the best of the Bhṛgu dynasty, coming after him, holding a chopper, shield, bow and arrows. Lord Paraśurāma was covered with a black deerskin, and his matted locks of hair appeared like the sunshine. (29)

Upon seeing Paraśurāma, Kārtavīryārjuna immediately feared him and sent many elephants, chariots, horses and infantry soldiers equipped with clubs, swords, arrows, ṛṣṭis, śataghnis, śaktis, and many similar weapons to fight against him. Kārtavīryārjuna sent seventeen full akṣauhiṇīs of soldiers to check Paraśurāma. But Lord Paraśurāma alone killed all of them. (30) Lord Paraśurāma, being expert in killing the military strength of the enemy, worked with the speed of the mind and the wind, slicing his enemies with his chopper [paraśu]. Wherever he went, the enemies fell, their legs, arms and shoulders being severed, their chariot drivers killed, and their carriers, the elephants and horses, all an nihilated. (31) By manipulating his axe and arrows, Lord Paraśurāma cut to pieces the shields, flags, bows and bodies of Kārtavīryārjuna’s soldiers, who fell on the battlefield, muddying the ground with their blood. Seeing these reverses, Kārtavīryārjuna, infuriated, rushed to the bat tlefield. (32) Then Kārtavīryārjuna, with his one thousand arms, simultaneously fixed ar rows on five hundred bows to kill Lord Paraśurāma. But Lord Paraśurāma, the best of fighters, released enough arrows with only one bow to cut to pieces immediately all the arrows and bows in the hands of Kārtavīryārjuna. (33)

When his arrows were cut to pieces, Kārtavīryārjuna uprooted many trees and hills with his own hands and again rushed strongly toward Lord Paraśurāma to kill him. But Paraśurāma then used his axe with great force to cut off Kārtavīryārjuna’s arms, just as one might lop off the hoods of a serpent. (34) Thereafter, Paraśurāma cut off like a mountain peak the head of Kārtavīryārjuna, who had al ready lost his arms. When Kārtavīryārjuna’s ten thousand sons saw their father killed, they all fled in fear. Then Paraśurāma, having killed the enemy, released the kāmadhenu, which had undergone great suffering, and brought it back with its calf to his residence, where he gave it to his father, Jamadagni. (35-36) Paraśurāma described to his father and brothers his activities in killing Kārtavīryār juna. Upon hearing of these deeds, Jamadagni spoke to his son as follows. (37)

O great hero, my dear son Paraśurāma, you have unneces sarily killed the king, who is supposed to be the embodiment of all the demigods. Thus you have committed a sin. (38) My dear son, we are all brāhmaṇas and have become worshipa ble for the people in general because of our quality of forgiveness. It is because of this qual ity that Lord Brahmā, the supreme spiritual master of this universe, has achieved his post. (39) The duty of a brāhmaṇa is to culture the quality of forgiveness, which is illuminating like the sun. The Supreme Personality of God head, Hari, is pleased with those who are for giving. (40) My dear son, killing a king who is an em peror is more severely sinful than killing a brāhmaṇa. But now, if you become Kṛṣṇa con scious and worship the holy places, you can atone for this great sin. (41)

Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī said to Mahārāja Parīkṣit: O King, thus far you have heard the description of the dynasty of the sun-god. Now hear the most glorious and purifying descrip tion of the dynasty of the moon-god. This de scription mentions kings like Aila [Purūravā] of whom it is glorious to hear. (1) Lord Viṣṇu [Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu] is also known as Sahasra-śīrṣā Puruṣa. From the lake of His navel sprang a lotus, on which Lord Brahmā was generated. Atri, the son of Lord Brahmā, was as qualified as his father. (2) From Atri’s tears of jubilation was born a son named Soma, the moon, who was full of sooth ing rays. Lord Brahmā appointed him the direc tor of the brāhmaṇas, drugs and luminaries. (3)

After conquering the three worlds [the upper, middle and lower planetary systems], Soma, the moon-god, performed a great sacrifice known as the Rājasūya-yajña. Because he was very much puffed up, he forcibly kidnapped Bṛhaspati’s wife, whose name was Tārā. (4) Although requested again and again by Bṛhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods, Soma did not return Tārā. This was due to his false pride. Consequently, a fight ensued be tween the demigods and the demons. (5) Be cause of enmity between Bṛhaspati and Śukra, Śukra took the side of the moon-god and was joined by the demons. But LordŚiva, because of affection for the son of his spiritual master, joined the side of Bṛhaspati and was accompa nied by all the ghosts and hobgoblins. (6) King Indra, accompanied by all kinds of demigods, joined the side of Bṛhaspati. Thus there was a great fight, destroying both demons and demi gods, only for the sake of Tārā, Bṛhaspati’s wife. (7)

When Lord Brahmā was fully in formed by Aṅgirā about the entire incident, he severely chastised the moon-god, Soma. Thus Lord Brahmā delivered Tārā to her husband, who could then understand that she was preg nant. (8) Bṛhaspati said: You foolish woman, your womb, which was meant for me to impregnate, has been impregnated by someone other than me. Immediately deliver your child! Immedi ately deliver it! Be assured that after the child is delivered, I shall not burn you to ashes. I know that although you are unchaste, you wanted a son. Therefore I shall not punish you. (9) Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: By Bṛhaspati’s order, Tārā, who was very much ashamed, immediately gave birth to the child, who was very beautiful, with a golden bodily hue. Both Bṛhaspati and the moon-god, Soma, desired the beautiful child. (10) Fighting again broke out between Bṛhaspati and the moon god, both of whom claimed, “This is my child, not yours!” All the saints and demigods present asked Tārā whose child the newborn baby ac tually was, but because she was ashamed she could not immediately answer. (11)

The child then became very angry and demanded that his mother immediately tell the truth. “You un chaste woman,” he said, “what is the use of your unnecessary shame? Why do you not ad mit your fault? Immediately tell me about your faulty behavior.” (12) Lord Brahmā then brought Tārā to a secluded place, and after pac ifying her he asked to whom the child actually belonged. She replied very slowly, “This is the son of Soma, the moon-god.” Then the moon god immediately took charge of the child. (13) O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when Lord Brahmā saw that the child was deeply intelligent, he gave the child the name Budha. The moon-god, the ruler of the stars, enjoyed great jubilation be cause of this son. (14) Thereafter, from Budha, through the womb of Ilā, a son was born named Purūravā, who was described in the beginning of the Ninth Canto. When his beauty, personal qualities, magnanimity, behavior, wealth and power were described by Nārada in the court of Lord Indra, the celestial woman Urvaśī was attracted to him. Pierced by the arrow of Cupid, she thus approached him. (15-16)

Having been cursed by Mitra and Varuṇa, the celestial woman Ur vaśī had acquired the habits of a human being. Therefore, upon seeing Purūravā, the best of males, whose beauty resembled that of Cupid, she controlled herself and then approached him. When King Purūravā saw Urvaśī, his eyes became jubilant in the ecstasy of joy, and the hairs on his body stood on end. With mild, pleasing words, he spoke to her as follows. (17-18) King Purūravā said: O most beautiful woman, you are welcome. Please sit here and tell me what I can do for you. You may enjoy with me as long as you desire. Let us pass our life happily in a sexual relationship. (19) Urvaśī replied: O most handsome man, who is the woman whose mind and sight would not be attracted by you? If a woman takes shelter of your chest, she cannot refuse to enjoy with you in a sexual relationship. (20)

My dear King Purūravā, please give protection to these two lambs, who have fallen down with me. Alt hough I belong to the heavenly planets and you belong to earth, I shall certainly enjoy sexual union with you. I have no objection to accept ing you as my husband, for you are superior in every respect. (21) Urvaśī said: “My dear hero, only prepara tions made in ghee [clarified butter] will be my eatables, and I shall not want to see you naked at any time, except at the time of sexual inter course.” The great-minded King Purūravāac cepted these proposals. (22) Purūravā replied: O beautiful one, your beauty is wonderful and your gestures are also wonderful. Indeed, you are attractive to all hu man society. Therefore, since you have come of your own accord from the heavenly planets, who on earth would not agree to serve a demi goddess such as you. (23)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: The best of human beings, Purūravā, began freely enjoying the company of Urvaśī, who engaged in sexual activities with him in many celestial places, such as Caitraratha and Nandana-kānana, where the demigods enjoy. (24) Urvaśī’s body was as fragrant as the saffron of a lotus. Being enlivened by the fragrance of her face and body, Purūravā enjoyed her company for many days with great jubilation. (25) Not see ing Urvaśī in his assembly, the King of heaven, Lord Indra, said, “Without Urvaśī my assembly is no longer beautiful.” Considering this, he re quested the Gandharvas to bring her back to his heavenly planet. (26) Thus the Gandharvas came to earth, and at midnight, when every thing was dark, they appeared in the house of Purūravā and stole the two lambs entrusted to the King by his wife, Urvaśī. (27)

Urvaśī treated the two lambs like her own sons. There fore, when they were being taken by the Gandharvas and began crying, Urvaśī heard them and rebuked her husband. “Now I am be ing killed,” she said, “under the protection of an unworthy husband, who is a coward and a eu nuch although he thinks himself a great hero.” (28) “Because I depended on him, the plunder ers have deprived me of my two sons the lambs, and therefore I am now lost. My husband lies down at night in fear, exactly like a woman, alt hough he appears to be a man during the day.” (29) Purūravā, stricken by the sharp words of Urvaśī like an elephant struck by its driver’s pointed rod, became very angry. Not even dressing himself properly, he took a sword in hand and went out naked into the night to fol low the Gandharvas who had stolen the lambs. (30)

After giving up the two lambs, the Gandharvas shone brightly like lightning, thus illuminating the house of Purūravā. Urvaśī then saw her husband returning with the lambs in hand, but he was naked, and therefore she left. (31) No longer seeing Urvaśī on his bed, Purūravā was most aggrieved. Because of his great attraction for her, he was very much dis turbed. Thus, lamenting, he began traveling about the earth like a madman. (32) Once dur ing his travels all over the world, Purūravā saw Urvaśī, accompanied by five companions, on the bank of the Sarasvatī at Kurukṣetra. With jubilation in his face, he then spoke to her in sweet words as follows. (33) O my dear wife, O most cruel one, kindly stay, kindly stay. I know that I have never made you happy until now, but you should not give me up for that rea son. This is not proper for you. Even if you have decided to give up my company, let us nonetheless talk for some time. (34) O god dess, now that you have refused me, my beau tiful body will fall down here, and because it is unsuitable for your pleasure, it will be eaten by foxes and vultures. (35)

Urvaśī said: My dear King, you are a man, a hero. Don’t be impatient and give up your life. Be sober and don’t allow the senses to over come you like foxes. Don’t let the foxes eat you. In other words, you should not be con trolled by your senses. Rather, you should know that the heart of a woman is like that of a fox. There is no use making friendship with women. (36) Women as a class are merciless and cunning. They cannot tolerate even a slight offense. For their own pleasure they can do an ything irreligious, and therefore they do not fear killing even a faithful husband or brother. (37) Women are very easily seduced by men. Therefore, polluted women give up the friend ship of a man who is their well-wisher and es tablish false friendship among fools. Indeed, they seek newer and newer friends, one after another. (38)

O my dear King, you will be able to enjoy with me as my husband at the end of every year, for one night only. In this way you will have other children, one after another. (39) Understanding that Urvaśī was pregnant, Purūravā returned to his palace. At the end of the year, there at Kurukṣetra, he again obtained the association of Urvaśī, who was then the mother of a heroic son. (40) Having regained Urvaśī at the end of the year, King Purūravā was most jubilant, and he enjoyed her company in sex for one night. But then he was very sorry at the thought of separation from her, so Urvaśī spoke to him as follows. (41) Urvaśī said: “My dear King, seek shelter of the Gandharvas, for they will be able to deliver me to you again.” In accordance with these words, the King satisfied the Gandharvas by prayers, and the Gandharvas, being pleased with him, gave him an Agnisthālī girl who looked exactly like Urvaśī. Thinking that the girl was Urvaśī, the King began walking with her in the forest, but later he could understand that she was not Urvaśī but Agnisthālī. (42)

King Purūravā then left Agnisthālī in the forest and returned home, where he meditated all night upon Urvaśī. In the course of his med itation, the Tretā millennium began, and there fore the principles of the three Vedas, including the process of performing yajña to fulfill frui tive activities, appeared within his heart. (43) When the process of fruitive yajña became manifest within his heart, King Purūravā went to the same spot where he had left Agnisthālī. There he saw that from the womb of a śamī tree, an aśvattha tree had grown. He then took a piece of wood from that tree and made it into two araṇis. Desiring to go to the planet where Urvaśī resided, he chanted mantras, meditating upon the lower araṇi as Urvaśī, the upper one as himself, and the piece of wood between them as his son. In this way he began to ignite a fire. (44-45)

From Purūravā’s rubbing of the araṇis came a fire. By such a fire one can achieve all success in material enjoyment and be purified in seminal birth, initiation and in the performance of sacrifice, which are invoked with the combined letters a-u-m. Thus the fire was considered the son of King Purūravā. (46) By means of that fire, Purūravā, who desired to go to the planet where Urvaśī resided, per formed a sacrifice, by which he satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, the en joyer of the results of sacrifice. Thus he wor shiped the Lord, who is beyond the perception of the senses and is the reservoir of all the dem igods. (47)

In the Satya-yuga, the first millennium, all the Vedic mantras were included in one man trapraṇava, the root of all Vedic mantras. In other words, the Atharva Veda alone was the source of all Vedic knowledge. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Nārāyaṇa was the only worshipable Deity; there was no recommenda tion for worship of the demigods. Fire was one only, and the only order of life in human society was known as haṁsa. (48) O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, at the beginning of Tretā-yuga, King Purūravā inaugurated a karma-kāṇḍa sacrifice. Thus Purūravā, who considered the yajñic fire his son, was able to go to Gandharvaloka as he desired. (49)

Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: After begin ning sacrifices, Mahārāja Nimi, the son of Ikṣvāku, requested the great sage Vasiṣṭha to take the post of chief priest. At that time, Va siṣṭha replied, “My dear Mahārāja Nimi, I have already accepted the same post in a sacrifice be gun by Lord Indra.” (1) “I shall return here af ter finishing the yajña for Indra. Kindly wait for me until then.” Mahārāja Nimi remained silent, and Vasiṣṭha began to perform the sacrifice for Lord Indra. (2) Mahārāja Nimi, being a self realized soul, considered that this life is flick ering. Therefore, instead of waiting long for Vasiṣṭha, he began performing the sacrifice with other priests. (3)

After completing the sacrificial performance for King Indra, the spir itual master Vasiṣṭha returned and found that his disciple Mahārāja Nimi had disobeyed his instructions. Thus Vasiṣṭha cursed him, saying, “May the material body of Nimi, who considers himself learned, immediately fall.” (4) For un necessarily cursing him when he had commit ted no offense, Mahārāja Nimi countercursed his spiritual master. “For the sake of getting contributions from the King of heaven,” he said, “you have lost your religious intelligence. Therefore I pronounce this curse: your body also will fall.” (5) After saying this, Mahārāja Nimi, who was expert in the science of spiritual knowledge, gave up his body. Vasiṣṭha, the great-grandfather, gave up his body also, but through the semen discharged by Mitra and Varuṇa when they saw Urvaśī, he was born again. (6)

During the performance of the yajña, the body relinquished by Mahārāja Nimi was preserved in fragrant substances, and at the end of the Satra-yāga the great saints and brāhmaṇas made the following request to all the demigods assembled there. (7) “If you are satisfied with this sacrifice and if you are actually able to do so, kindly bring Mahārāja Nimi back to life in this body.” The demigods said yes to this request by the sages, but Mahārāja Nimi said, “Please do not imprison me again in a material body.” (8) Mahārāja Nimi contin ued: Māyāvādīs generally want freedom from accepting a material body because they fear having to give it up again. But devotees whose intelligence is always filled with the service of the Lord are unafraid. Indeed, they take ad vantage of the body to render transcendental loving service. (9)

I do not wish to accept a material body, for such a body is the source of all distress, lamentation and fear, everywhere in the universe, just as it is for a fish in the water, which lives always in anxiety because of fear of death. (10) The demigods said: Let Mahārāja Nimi live without a material body. Let him live in a spir itual body as a personal associate of the Su preme Personality of Godhead, and, according to his desire, let him be manifest or unmanifest to common materially embodied people. (11) Thereafter, to save the people from the danger of an unregulated government, the sages churned Mahārāja Nimi’s material body, from which, as a result, a son was born. (12) Because he was born in an unusual way, the son was called Janaka, and because he was born from the dead body of his father, he was known as Vaideha. Because he was born from the churning of his father’s material body, he was known as Mithila, and because he constructed a city as King Mithila, the city was called Mithilā. (13)

O King Parīkṣit, from Mithila came a son named Udāvasu; from Udāvasu, Nandi vardhana; from Nandivardhana, Suketu; and from Suketu, Devarāta. (14) From Devarāta came a son named Bṛhadratha and from Bṛhadratha a son named Mahāvīrya, who be came the father of Sudhṛti. The son of Sudhṛti was known as Dhṛṣṭaketu, and from Dhṛṣṭaketu came Haryaśva. From Haryaśva came a son named Maru. (15) The son of Maru was Pratīpaka, and the son of Pratīpaka was Kṛtara tha. From Kṛtaratha came Devamīḍha; from Devamīḍha, Viśruta; and from Viśruta, Mahādhṛti. (16) From Mahādhṛti was born a son named Kṛtirāta, from Kṛtirāta was born Mahāromā, from Mahāromā came a son named Svarṇaromā, and from Svarṇaromā came Hrasvaromā. (17)

From Hrasvaromā came a son named Śīradhvaja [also called Janaka]. When Śīradhvaja was plowing a field, from the front of his plow [śīra] appeared a daughter named Sītādevī, who later became the wife of Lord Rāmacandra. Thus he was known as Śīra dhvaja. (18) The son of Śīradhvaja was Kuśadhvaja, and the son of Kuśadhvaja was King Dharmadhvaja, who had two sons, namely Kṛtadhvaja and Mitadhvaja. (19) O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the son of Kṛtadhvaja was Keśidhvaja, and the son of Mitadhvaja was Khāṇḍikya. The son of Kṛtadhvaja was expert in spiritual knowledge, and the son of Mitadh vaja was expert in Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. Khāṇḍikya fled in fear of Keśidhvaja. The son of Keśidhvaja was Bhānumān, and the son of Bhānumān was Śatadyumna. (20-21) The son of Śatadyumna was named Śuci. From Śuci, Sanadvāja was born, and from Sanadvāja came a son named Ūrjaketu. The son of Ūrjaketu was Aja, and the son of Aja was Purujit. (22)

The son of Purujit was Ariṣṭanemi, and his son was Śrutāyu. Śrutāyu begot a son named Supārśvaka, and Supārśvaka begot Citraratha. The son of Citraratha was Kṣemādhi, who be came the king of Mithilā. (23) The son of Kṣemādhi was Samaratha, and his son was Sat yaratha. The son of Satyaratha was Upaguru, and the son of Upaguru was Upagupta, a partial expansion of the fire-god. (24) The son of Upagupta was Vasvananta, the son of Vasvananta was Yuyudha, the son of Yuyudha was Subhāṣaṇa, and the son of Subhāṣaṇa was Śruta. The son of Śruta was Jaya, from whom there came Vijaya. The son of Vijaya was Ṛta. (25) The son of Ṛta was Śunaka, the son of Śu naka was Vītahavya, the son of Vītahavya was Dhṛti, and the son of Dhṛti was Bahulāśva. The son of Bahulāśva was Kṛti, and his son was Mahāvaśī. (26) Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King Parīkṣit, all the kings of the dynasty of Mithila were completely in knowledge of their spiritual identity. Therefore, even though staying at home, they were liberated from the duality of material existence. (27)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The son of Rāmacandra was Kuśa, the son of Kuśa was Atithi, the son of Atithi was Niṣadha, and the son of Niṣadha was Nabha. The son of Nabha was Puṇḍarīka, and from Puṇḍarīka came a son named Kṣemadhanvā. (1) The son of Kṣema dhanvā was Devānīka, Devānīka’s son was Anīha, Anīha’s son was Pāriyātra, and Pāri yātra’s son was Balasthala. The son of Balasthala was Vajranābha, who was said to have been born from the effulgence of the sun god. (2) The son of Vajranābha was Sagaṇa, and his son was Vidhṛti. The son of Vidhṛti was Hiraṇyanābha, who became a disciple of Jai mini and became a great ācārya of mystic yoga. It is from Hiraṇyanābha that the great saint Yājñavalkya learned the highly elevated sys tem of mystic yoga known as ādhyātma-yoga, which can loosen the knots of material attach ment in the heart. (3-4)

The son of Hiraṇyanābha was Puṣpa, and the son of Puṣpa was Dhruvasandhi. The son of Dhruvasandhi was Sudarśana, whose son was Agnivarṇa. The son of Agnivarṇa was named Śīghra, and his son was Maru. (5) Having achieved perfection in the power of mystic yoga, Maru still lives in a place known as Kalāpa-grāma. At the end of Kali-yuga, he will revive the lost Sūrya dynasty by begetting a son. (6) From Maru was born a son named Prasuśruta, from Prasuśruta came Sandhi, from Sandhi came Amarṣaṇa, and from Amarṣaṇa a son named Mahasvān. From Mahasvān, Viśvabāhu took his birth. (7) From Viśvabāhu came a son named Prasenajit, from Prasenajit came Takṣaka, and from Takṣaka came Bṛhad bala, who was killed in a fight by your father. (8) All these kings in the dynasty of Ikṣvāku have passed away. Now please listen as I de scribe the kings who will be born in the future. From Bṛhadbala will come Bṛhadraṇa. (9)

The son of Bṛhadraṇa will be Ūrukriya, who will have a son named Vatsavṛddha. Vatsavṛddha will have a son named Prativyoma, and Pra tivyoma will have a son named Bhānu, from whom Divāka, a great commander of soldiers, will take birth. (10) Thereafter, from Divāka will come a son named Sahadeva, and from Sa hadeva a great hero named Bṛhadaśva. From Bṛhadaśva will come Bhānumān, and from Bhānumān will come Pratīkāśva. The son of Pratīkāśva will be Supratīka. (11) Thereafter, from Supratīka will come Marudeva; from Marudeva, Sunakṣatra; from Sunakṣatra, Puṣkara; and from Puṣkara, Antarikṣa. The son of Antarikṣa will be Sutapā, and his son will be Amitrajit. (12)

From Amitrajit will come a son named Bṛhadrāja, from Bṛhadrāja will come Barhi, and from Barhi will come Kṛtañjaya. The son of Kṛtañjaya will be known as Raṇañjaya, and from him will come a son named Sañjaya. (13) From Sañjaya will come Śākya, from Śākya will come Śuddhoda, and from Śuddhoda will come Lāṅgala. From Lāṅgala will come Prasenajit, and from Prasenajit, Kṣudraka. (14) From Kṣudraka will come Raṇaka, from Raṇaka will come Suratha, and from Suratha will come Sumitra, ending the dynasty. This is a description of the dynasty of Bṛhadbala. (15) The last king in the dynasty of Ikṣvāku will be Sumitra; after Sumitra there will be no more sons in the dynasty of the sun god, and thus the dynasty will end. (16)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: King Aṁśumān, like his grandfather, performed aus terities for a very long time. Nonetheless, he could not bring the Ganges to this material world, and thereafter, in due course of time, he died. (1) Like Aṁśumān himself, Dilīpa, his son, was unable to bring the Ganges to this ma terial world, and he also became a victim of death in due course of time. Then Dilīpa’s son, Bhagīratha, performed very severe austerities to bring the Ganges to this material world. (2) Thereafter, mother Ganges appeared before King Bhagīratha and said, “I am very much sat isfied with your austerities and am now pre pared to give you benedictions as you desire.” Being thus addressed by Gaṅgādevī, mother Ganges, the King bowed his head before her and explained his desire. (3)

Mother Ganges replied: When I fall from the sky to the surface of the planet earth, the water will certainly be very forceful. Who will sustain that force? If I am not sustained, I shall pierce the surface of the earth and go down to Rasātala, the Pātāla area of the universe. (4) O King, I do not wish to go down to the planet earth, for there the people in general will bathe in my water to cleanse themselves of the reac tions of their sinful deeds. When all these sinful reactions accumulate in me, how shall I become free from them? You must consider this very carefully. (5) Bhagīratha said: Those who are saintly be cause of devotional service and are therefore in the renounced order, free from material desires, and who are pure devotees, expert in following the regulative principles mentioned in the Ve das, are always glorious and pure in behavior and are able to deliver all fallen souls. When such pure devotees bathe in your water, the sin ful reactions accumulated from other people will certainly be counteracted, for such devo tees always keep in the core of their hearts the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who can van quish all sinful reactions. (6)

Like a cloth wo ven of threads extending for its length and breadth, this entire universe, in all its latitude and longitude, is situated under different poten cies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Śiva is the incarnation of the Lord, and thus he represents the Supersoul in the embod ied soul. He can sustain your forceful waves on his head. (7) After saying this, Bhagīratha sat isfied Lord Śiva by performing austerities. O King Parīkṣit, Lord Śiva was very quickly sat isfied with Bhagīratha. (8) When King Bha gīratha approached Lord Śiva and requested him to sustain the forceful waves of the Gan ges, Lord Śiva accepted the proposal by saying, “Let it be so.” Then, with great attention, he sustained the Ganges on his head, for the water of the Ganges is purifying, having emanated from the toes of Lord Viṣṇu. (9) The great and saintly king Bhagīratha brought the Ganges, which can deliver all the fallen souls, to that place on earth where the bodies of his forefa thers lay burnt to ashes. (10)

Bhagīratha mounted a swift chariot and drove before mother Ganges, who followed him, purifying many countries, until they reached the ashes of Bhagīratha’s forefathers, the sons of Sagara, who were thus sprinkled with water from the Ganges. (11) Because the sons of Sagara Mahārāja had offended a great personality, the heat of their bodies had increased, and they were burnt to ashes. But simply by being sprin kled with water from the Ganges, all of them became eligible to go to the heavenly planets. What then is to be said of those who use the water of mother Ganges to worship her? (12) Simply by having water from the Ganges come in contact with the ashes of their burnt bodies, the sons of Sagara Mahārāja were elevated to the heavenly planets. Therefore, what is to be said of a devotee who worships mother Ganges faithfully with a determined vow? One can only imagine the benefit that accrues to such a dev otee. (13)

Because mother Ganges emanates from the lotus toe of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Anantadeva, she is able to liberate one from material bondage. Therefore what ever is described herewith about her is not at all wonderful. (14) Great sages, completely freed from material lusty desires, devote their minds fully to the service of the Lord. Such persons are liberated from material bondage without difficulty, and they become transcendentally situated, acquiring the spiritual quality of the Lord. This is the glory of the Supreme Person ality of Godhead. (15) Bhagīratha had a son named Śruta, whose son was Nābha. This son was different from the Nābha previously described. Nābha had a son named Sindhudvīpa, from Sindhudvīpa came Ayutāyu, and from Ayutāyu came Ṛtūparṇa, who became a friend of Nalarāja. Ṛtūparṇa taught Nalarāja the art of gambling, and Na larāja gave Ṛtūparṇa lessons in controlling and maintaining horses. The son of Ṛtūparṇa was Sarvakāma. (16-17)

Sarvakāma had a son named Sudāsa, whose son, known as Saudāsa, was the husband of Damayantī. Saudāsa is sometimes known as Mitrasaha or Kal māṣapāda. Because of his own misdeed, Mi trasaha was sonless and was cursed by Vasiṣṭha to become a man-eater [Rākṣasa]. (18) King Parīkṣit said: O Śukadeva Gosvāmī, why did Vasiṣṭha, the spiritual master of Saudāsa, curse that great soul? I wish to know of this. If it is not a confidential matter, please describe it to me. (19) Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Once Saudāsa went to live in the forest, where he killed a man eater [Rākṣasa] but forgave and released the man-eater’s brother. That brother, however, de cided to take revenge. Thinking to harm the King, he became the cook at the King’s house. One day, the King’s spiritual master, Vasiṣṭha Muni, was invited for dinner, and the Rākṣasa cook served him human flesh. (20-21) While examining the food given to him, Vasiṣṭha Muni, by his mystic power, could understand that it was unfit to eat, being the flesh of a hu man being. He was very angry at this and im mediately cursed Saudāsa to become a man eater. (22)

When Vasiṣṭha understood that the human flesh had been served by the Rākṣasa, not by the King, he undertook twelve years of austerity to cleanse himself for having cursed the faultless King. Meanwhile, King Saudāsa took water and chanted the śapa-mantra, pre paring to curse Vasiṣṭha, but his wife, Mada yantī, forbade him to do so. Then the King saw that the ten directions, the sky and the surface of the globe were full of living entities every where. (23-24) Saudāsa thus acquired the pro pensity of a man-eater and received on his leg a black spot, for which he was known as Kal māṣapāda. Once King Kalmāṣapāda saw a brāhmaṇa couple engaged in sexual intercourse in the forest. (25)

Being influenced by the pro pensity of a Rākṣasa and being very hungry, King Saudāsa seized the brāhmaṇa. Then the poor woman, the brāhmaṇa’s wife, said to the King: O hero, you are not actually a man-eater; rather, you are among the descendants of Mahārāja Ikṣvāku. Indeed, you are a great fighter, the husband of Madayantī. You should not act irreligiously in this way. I desire to have a son. Please, therefore, return my husband, who has not yet impregnated me. (26-27) O King, O hero, this human body is meant for uni versal benefits. If you kill this body untimely, you will kill all the benefits of human life. (28) Here is a learned, highly qualified brāhmaṇa, engaged in performing austerity and eagerly desiring to worship the Supreme Lord, the Su persoul who lives within the core of the heart in all living entities. (29) My lord, you are com pletely aware of the religious principles. As a son never deserves to be killed by his father, here is a brāhmaṇa who should be protected by the king, and never killed. How does he deserve to be killed by a rājarṣi like you? (30)

You are well known and worshiped in learned circles. How dare you kill this brāhmaṇa, who is a saintly, sinless person, well versed in Vedic knowledge? Killing him would be like destroy ing the embryo within the womb or killing a cow. (31) Without my husband, I cannot live for a moment. If you want to eat my husband, it would be better to eat me first, for without my husband I am as good as a dead body. (32) Be ing condemned by the curse of Vasiṣṭha, King Saudāsa devoured the brāhmaṇa, exactly as a tiger eats its prey. Even though the brāhmaṇa’s wife spoke so pitiably, Saudāsa was unmoved by her lamentation. (33) When the chaste wife of the brāhmaṇa saw that her husband, who was about to discharge semen, had been eaten by the man-eater, she was overwhelmed with grief and lamentation. Thus she angrily cursed the King. (34)

O foolish, sinful person, because you have eaten my husband when I was sexually inclined and desiring to have the seed of a child, I shall also see you die when you at tempt to discharge semen in your wife. In other words, whenever you attempt to sexually unite with your wife, you shall die. (35) Thus the wife of the brāhmaṇa cursed King Saudāsa, known as Mitrasaha. Then, being inclined to go with her husband, she set fire to her husband’s bones, fell into the fire herself, and went with him to the same destination. (36) After twelve years, when King Saudāsa was released from the curse by Vasiṣṭha, he wanted to have sexual intercourse with his wife. But the Queen reminded him about the curse by the brāhmaṇī, and thus he was checked from sexual intercourse. (37) After being thus instructed, the King gave up the future happiness of sexual intercourse and by destiny remained sonless. Later, with the King’s permission, the great saint Vasiṣṭha begot a child in the womb of Madayantī. (38)

Madayantī bore the child within the womb for seven years and did not give birth. Therefore Vasiṣṭha struck her abdo men with a stone, and then the child was born. Consequently, the child was known as Aśmaka [“the child born of a stone”]. (39) From Aśmaka, Bālika took birth. Because Bālika was surrounded by women and was therefore saved from the anger of Paraśurāma, he was known as Nārīkavaca [“one who is protected by women”]. When Paraśurāma vanquished all the kṣatriyas, Bālika became the progenitor of more kṣatriyas. Therefore he was known as Mūlaka, the root of the kṣatriya dynasty. (40) From Bālika came a son named Daśaratha, from Daśaratha came a son named Aiḍaviḍi, and from Aiḍaviḍi came King Viśvasaha. The son of King Viśvasaha was the famous Mahārāja Khaṭvāṅga. (41)

King Khaṭvāṅga was unconquerable in any fight. Requested by the demigods to join them in fighting the de mons, he won victory, and the demigods, being very pleased, wanted to give him a benediction. The King inquired from them about the dura tion of his life and was informed that he had only one moment more. Thus he immediately left his palace and went to his own residence, where he engaged his mind fully on the lotus feet of the Lord. (42) Mahārāja Khaṭvāṅga thought: Not even my life is dearer to me than the brahminical culture and the brāhmaṇas, who are worshiped by my family. What then is to be said of my kingdom, land, wife, children and opulence? Nothing is dearer to me than the brāhmaṇas. (43) I was never attracted, even in my childhood, by insignificant things or irreli gious principles. I did not find anything more substantial than the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (44)

The demigods, the directors of the three worlds, wanted to give me whatever benediction I desired. I did not want their ben edictions, however, because I am interested in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who cre ated everything in this material world. I am more interested in the Supreme Personality of Godhead than in all material benedictions. (45) Even though the demigods have the advantages of being situated in the higher planetary system, their minds, senses and intelligence are agitated by material conditions. Therefore, even such el evated persons fail to realize the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead, who is eternally situated in the core of the heart. What then is to be said of others, such as human beings, who have fewer advantages? (46)

Therefore I should now give up my attachment for things created by the external energy of the Supreme Person ality of Godhead. I should engage in thought of the Lord and should thus surrender unto Him. This material creation, having been created by the external energy of the Lord, is like an im aginary town visualized on a hill or in a forest. Every conditioned soul has a natural attraction and attachment for material things, but one must simply give up this attachment and sur render unto the Supreme Personality of God head. (47) Thus Mahārāja Khaṭvāṅga, by his advanced intelligence in rendering service to the Lord, gave up false identification with the body full of ignorance. In his original position of eternal servitorship, he engaged himself in rendering service to the Lord. (48) The Su preme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is extremely difficult to understand for unintelligent men who accept Him as imper sonal or void, which He is not. The Lord is therefore understood and sung about by pure devotees. (49)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: The son of Rohita was Harita, and Harita’s son was Campa, who constructed the town of Campāpurī. The son of Campa was Sudeva, and his son was Vijaya. (1) The son of Vijaya was Bharuka, Bharuka’s son was Vṛka, and Vṛka’s son was Bāhuka. The enemies of King Bāhuka took away all his possessions, and therefore the King entered the order of vānaprastha and went to the forest with his wife. (2) Bāhuka died when he was old, and one of his wives wanted to die with him, fol lowing the satī rite. At that time, however, Aurva Muni, knowing her to be pregnant, for bade her to die. (3) Knowing that she was preg nant, the co-wives of the wife of Bāhuka con spired to give her poison with her food, but it did not act. Instead, the son was born along with the poison. Therefore he became famous as Sagara [“one who is born with poison”]. Sagara later became the emperor. The place known as Gaṅgāsāgara was excavated by his sons. (4)

Sagara Mahārāja, following the order of his spiritual master, Aurva, did not kill the uncivi lized men like the Tālajaṅghas, Yavanas, Śakas, Haihayas and Barbaras. Instead, some of them he made dress awkwardly, some of them he shaved clean but allowed to wear mustaches, some of them he left wearing loose hair, some he half shaved, some he left without underwear, and some without external garments. Thus these different clans were made to dress differ ently, but King Sagara did not kill them. (5-6) Following the instructions of the great sage Aurva, Sagara Mahārāja performed aśvamedha sacrifices and thus satisfied the Supreme Lord, who is the supreme controller, the Supersoul of all learned scholars, and the knower of all Ve dic knowledge, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But Indra, the King of heaven, stole the horse meant to be offered at the sacrifice. (7)

[King Sagara had two wives, Sumati and Keśinī.] The sons of Sumati, who were very proud of their prowess and influence, following the order of their father, searched for the lost horse. While doing so, they dug into the earth very extensively. (8) Thereafter, in the north eastern direction, they saw the horse near the āśrama of Kapila Muni. “Here is the man who has stolen the horse,” they said. “He is staying there with closed eyes. Certainly he is very sin ful. Kill him! Kill him!” Shouting like this, the sons of Sagara, sixty thousand all together, raised their weapons. When they approached the sage, the sage opened His eyes. (9-10) By the influence of Indra, the King of heaven, the sons of Sagara had lost their intelligence and disrespected a great personality. Consequently, fire emanated from their own bodies, and they were immediately burned to ashes. (11)

It is sometimes argued that the sons of King Sagara were burned to ashes by the fire emanating from the eyes of Kapila Muni. This statement, however, is not approved by great learned per sons, for Kapila Muni’s body is completely in the mode of goodness and therefore cannot manifest the mode of ignorance in the form of anger, just as the pure sky cannot be polluted by the dust of the earth. (12) Kapila Muni enunciated in this material world the Sāṅkhya philosophy, which is a strong boat with which to cross over the ocean of nescience. Indeed, a person eager to cross the ocean of the material world may take shelter of this philosophy. In such a greatly learned person, situated on the elevated platform of transcendence, how can there be any distinction between enemy and friend? (13)

Among the sons of Sagara Mahārāja was one named Asamañjasa, who was born from the King’s second wife, Keśinī. The son of Asamañjasa was known as Aṁśumān, and he was always engaged in working for the good of Sagara Mahārāja, his grandfather. (14) Formerly, in his previous birth, Asamañjasa had been a great mystic yogī, but by bad asso ciation he had fallen from his exalted position. Now, in this life, he was born in a royal family and was a jāti-smara; that is, he had the special advantage of being able to remember his past birth. Nonetheless, he wanted to display him self as a miscreant, and therefore he would do things that were abominable in the eyes of the public and unfavorable to his relatives. He would disturb the boys sporting in the river Sarayū by throwing them into the depths of the water. (15-16)

Because Asamañjasa engaged in such abominable activities, his father gave up affection for him and had him exiled. Then Asamañjasa exhibited his mystic power by re viving the boys and showing them to the King and their parents. After this, Asamañjasa left Ayodhyā. (17) O King Parīkṣit, when all the inhabitants of Ayodhyā saw that their boys had come back to life, they were astounded, and King Sagara greatly lamented the absence of his son. (18) Thereafter, Aṁśumān, the grand son of Mahārāja Sagara, was ordered by the King to search for the horse. Following the same path traversed by his uncles, Aṁśumān gradually reached the stack of ashes and found the horse nearby. (19) The great Aṁśumān saw the sage named Kapila, the saint who is an in carnation of Viṣṇu, sitting there by the horse. Aṁśumān offered Him respectful obeisances, folded his hands and offered Him prayers with great attention. (20)

Aṁśumān said: My Lord, even Lord Brahmā is to this very day unable to understand Your position, which is far beyond himself, ei ther by meditation or by mental speculation. So what to speak of others like us, who have been created by Brahmā in various forms as demi gods, animals, human beings, birds and beasts? We are completely in ignorance. Therefore, how can we know You, who are the Transcend ence? (21) My Lord, You are fully situated in every one’s heart, but the living entities, covered by the material body, cannot see You, for they are influenced by the external energy, conducted by the three modes of material nature. Their in telligence being covered by sattva-guṇa, rajo guṇa and tamo-guṇa, they can see only the ac tions and reactions of these three modes of ma terial nature. Because of the actions and reac tions of the mode of ignorance, whether the liv ing entities are awake or sleeping, they can see only the workings of material nature; they can not see Your Lordship. (22)

O my Lord, sages freed from the influence of the three modes of material naturesages such as the four Kumāras [Sanat, Sanaka, Sanandana and Sanātana]are able to think of You, who are concentrated knowledge. But how can an ignorant person like me think of You? (23) O completely peaceful Lord, although material nature, frui tive activities and their consequent material names and forms are Your creation, You are unaffected by them. Therefore, Your transcen dental name is different from material names, and Your form is different from material forms. You assume a form resembling a material body just to give us instructions like those of Bhaga vad-gītā, but actually You are the supreme orig inal person. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You. (24)

O my Lord, those whose hearts are bewildered by the influence of lust, greed, envy and illusion are interested only in false hearth and home in this world created by Your māyā. Attached to home, wife and children, they wander in this material world perpetually. (25) O Supersoul of all living en tities, O Personality of Godhead, simply by see ing You I have now been freed from all lusty desires, which are the root cause of insurmount able illusion and bondage in the material world. (26) O King Parīkṣit, when Aṁśumān had glo rified the Lord in this way, the great sage Ka pila, the powerful incarnation of Viṣṇu, being very merciful to him, explained to him the path of knowledge. (27)

The Personality of Godhead said: My dear Aṁśumān, here is the animal sought by your grandfather for sacrifice. Please take it. As for your forefathers, who have been burnt to ashes, they can be delivered only by Ganges water, and not by any other means. (28) Thereafter, Aṁśumān circumambulated Ka pila Muni and offered Him respectful obei sances, bowing his head. After fully satisfying Him in this way, Aṁśumān brought back the horse meant for sacrifice, and with this horse Mahārāja Sagara performed the remaining ritu alistic ceremonies. (29) After delivering charge of his kingdom to Aṁśumān and thus being freed from all mate rial anxiety and bondage, Sagara Mahārāja, fol lowing the means instructed by Aurva Muni, achieved the supreme destination. (30)