The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 95

Section LXLV. *( Sambhava Parva continued. )* Janamejaya said, "O Brahmana, I have now heard from thee this great history of my ancestors, I have also heard from thee about the great monarchs that were born in this line. But I have not been gratified in consequence of this charming account having been so short. Therefore be pleased, O Brahmana, to recite the delightful narrative once more in detail, commencing from Manu the lord of creation. Who is there that will not be charmed with such an account, sacred as it is? The fame of these monarchs, increased by their wisdom, virtue, accomplishments, and high character, hath been so swelled as to cover the three worlds, Having listened to the history, sweet as nectar, of their liberality, prowess, physical strength, mental vigor, energy, and perseverance, I have not been satiated. " Vaisampayana said, "Hear then, O monarch, as I recite in full the auspicious account of thy own race just as I heard it from Dwaipayana before. "Daksha begat Aditi, and Aditi begat Vivaswan, and Vivaswan begat Manu, and Manu begat Ila, and Ila begat Pururava, And Puru-rava begat Ayu, and Ayu begat Nahusha, and Nahusha begat Yayati. And Yayati had two wives, viz, Devayani the daughter of Usana, and Sharmishta the daughter of Vrishaparva. Here occurs a *sloka* regarding (Yayati's) descendants. 'Deva-yani gave birth to Yadu and Turvasu; and Vrishaparva's daughter Sharmishta gave birth to Drahyu, Anu, and Puru.' And the descendants of Yadu are the Yadavas, and of Puru are the Pauravas. And Puru had a wife of name Kausalya. And he begat in her a son named Janamejaya. And Janamejaya performed three horse-sacrifices and a sacrifice called *Viswajit*. And then he entered into the woods. And Janamejaya had married Ananta the daughter of Madhava, and begat in her a son called Prachinwan. And the prince was so called because he had conquered all the eastern countries to the very confines of the region where the sun rises. And Prachinwan married Ashmaki a daughter of the Yadavas and begat in her a son named Sanyati. And Sanyati married Varangi the daughter of Drishadwata and begat in her a son named Ahanyati. And Ahanyati married Bhanumati the daughter of Krita-virya and begat in her a son named Sarvabhauma. And Sarvabhauma married Sunanda the daughter of the Kekaya prince, having obtained her by force. And he begat in her a son named Jayat-sena. And Jayat-sena married Susrava the daughter of the Vidharva king and begat in her Avachina. And Avachina also married another princess of Vidharva of name Maryada. And he begat in her a son named Arihas. And Arihas married Angi and begat in her Mahabhauma. And Mahabhauma married Suyajna the daughter of Prasena-jit. And in her was born Ayuta-nayi. And he was so called because he had performed a sacrifice in which the fat of an *Ayuta* of male beings was required. And Ayutanayi took for wife Kama the daughter of Prithu-sravasa. And in her was born a son named Akrodhana. And Akrodhana took for wife Karambha the daughter of the king of Kalinga. And in her was born Devatithi. And Devatithi took for wife Maryada the princess of Videha. And in her was born a son named Arihas. And Arihas took for wife Sudeva the princess of Anga. And in her he begat a son named Riksha. And Riksha married Jwala the daughter of Takshaka. And he begat in her a son of name Matinara. And Matinara performed on the banks of the Saraswati the twelve years' extending sacrifice said to be so efficacious. On the conclusion of the sacrifice, Saraswati appearing in person before the king chose him for her husband. And he begat in her a son named Tangsu. Here occurs a *sloka* desctiptive of Tangsu's descendants. 'Tangsu was born of Saraswati by Matinara. And Tangsu himself begat a son named Ilina in his wife the princess of Kalinga." Ilina begat in his wife Rathantari five sons, of whom Dushmanta was the eldest. And Dushmanta took for wife Sakuntala the daughter of Viswamitra. And he begat in her a son named Bharata. Here occur two *slokas* about (Dushmanta's) descendant. 'The mother is but the sheath of flesh in which the father begets the son. Indeed, the father himself is the son. Therefore, O Dushmanta, support thy son and insult not Sakuntala. O thou god among men, the father himself becoming as son rescueth himself from hell. Sakuntala hath truly said that thou art the author of this child's being.' 'It for this (because the king supported his child after hearing the above speech of the celestial messenger) that Sakuntala's son came to be called *Bharata* (the *supported*.) And Bharata married Sunandā the daughter of Sarva-sena the king of Kasi. And he begat in her a son named Bhumanyu. And Bhumanyu married Vijayā the daughter of Dasharha. And he begat in her a son Suhotra. And Suhotra married Suvarnā the daughter of Ikshaku. In her was born a son named Hasti who founded this city which has therefore been called Hastinapore. And Hasti married Yashodhara the princess of Trigarta. And in her was born a son named Vikunthana. And Vikunthana took for wife Sudeva the princess of Dasharha. And in her was born a son named Ajamida. And Ajamida had four wives named Kaikeyi, Gandhari, Vishala and Riksha. And he begat in them two thousand and four hundred sons. But amongst them all Samvarana became the perpetuator of the dynasty. And Samvarana took for wife Tapati the daughter of Vivaswan. And in her was born Kuru. And Kuru married Suvangi the princess of Dasharha. And he begat in her a son named Vidura. And Vidura took for wife Sampria the daughter of Madhava. And he begat in her a son named Anaswa. And Anaswa married Amrita the daughter of the Madhavas. And in her was born a son named Parikshit. And Parikshit took for wife Yasha the daughter of Vahuda. And he begat in her a son named Bhima-sena. And Bhima-sena married Kumari the princess of Kekaya. And he begat in her Pratisrava. And Pratisrava's son was Pratipa. And Pratipa married Sunanda the daughter of Shivi. And he begat in her three sons, *viz*, Devapi, Shantanu, and Valhika. And Devapi while still a boy entered the woods as a hermit. And Shantanu became king. Here occurs a *sloka* in respect of Shantanu. 'Those old men that were touched by this monarch not only felt an indescribable sensation of pleasure but also became restored to youth. Therefore was this monarch called Shantanu.' And Shantanu married Ganga. And in her was born a son Deva-brata who was afterwards called Bhisma. And Bhisma moved by the desire of doing good to his father married him to Satyavati who was also called Gandhakali. And in her maidenhood she had a son by Parashara, named Dwaipayana. And in her Shantanu begat two other sons named Chittrangada and Vichitra-virya. And before they had attained to majority, Chittrangada was slain by the Gandharvas. But Vichitra-virya became king. And Vichitra-virya married the two daughters of the king of Kasi, named Amvika and Amvalika. And Vichitra-virya died childless. Then. Satyavati began to think how the dynasty of Dushmanta might be perpetuated. And she recollected the Rishi Dwaipayana. The latter coming before her asked, 'What are thy commands? And she said, 'Thy brother Vichitra-virya hath gone to heaven childless. Beget virtuous children for him. And Dwaipayana, consenting to this, begat three children, *viz*, Dhrita-rashtra, Pandu, Vidura. And king Dhrita-rashtra had an hundred sons by his wife Gandhari in consequence of the boon granted by Dwaipayana, And amongst these hundred sons of Dhrita-rashtra, four became celebrated. They were Duryodhana, Dush-shasana, Vikarna, and Chittra-sena. And Pandu had two jewels of wives, *viz*, Kunti, also called Pritha, and Madri. One day Pandu going out to hunt saw a deer coupling with its mate. That was really a Rishi in the form of a deer. And seeing the deer in that attitude he killed it by his arrows before its desire had been gratified. Pierced with the king's arrow, the deer quickly changing its form and becoming a Rishi said unto Pandu, 'O Pandu thou art virtuous and acquainted also with the pleasure devived from the gratification of one's desire. Before my desire was gratified thou hast slain me. Therefore thou also, when in such a state and before thou art gratified, shalt die.' And Pandu hearing this curse became pale, and from that time would not go unto his wives. And he told. them these. words:—'From my own fault, I have been cursed. But I have heard that for the childless there are no regions hereafter.' Therefore he solicited Kunti to raise offspring for him. And Kunti, saying 'Let it be,' raised up offspring. By Dharma she had Yudhishthira; by Maruta, Bhima; and by Sakra, Arjuna. And Pandu well pleased with her, said, 'This thy co-wife is also childless. Therefore cause her to bear children. And Kunti saying 'Let it be,' imparted unto Madri the *mantra* of invocation. And in Madri were raised, by the twin Aswinas, the twins Nakula and Sahadeva. And (one day) Pandu beholding Madri decked in ornaments had his desire kindled. And as soon as he touched her he died. And Madri ascended the funeral pyre with her lord. And she said unto Kunti, 'Let these twins of mine be brought up by thee with affection.' After some time those five Pandavas were taken by the ascetics of the woods to Hastinapore and there introduced to Bhisma and Vidura. And after introducing them the ascetics disappeared in the very sight of all. And after the conclusion of the speech of those ascetics, flowers were showered down upon the earth. And the celestial *Dundhuvi* also rang in the skies. And the Pandavas were then taken (by Bhisma.) They then represented the death of their father and performed his obsequial rites duly. And as they were being brought up there Duryodhana became exceedingly jealous of them. And the sinful Duryodhana, acting like a Rakshasa, tried by various means to drive them away. But that which is to be can never be frustrated. So all Duryodhana's efforts proved futile. Then Dhrita-rashtra sent them, by an act of deception, to Varanavata, and they went there willingly. There an endeavor was made to burn them to death; but it proved abortive owing to the warning counsels of Vidura. After that, the Pandavas slew Hidimva, and then they went to a town called Eka-chakra. There also they slew a Rakshasa of the name of Vaka and then went to Panchala. And there obtaining Draupadi for wife they returned to Hastinapore. And there they dwelt for sometime in peace and begat children. And Yudishthira begat Priti-vindhya; and Bhima, Sutasoma; and Arjuna, Sruta-kirti; and Nakula, Shatanika; and Sahadeva, Sruta-karma, Besides these, Yudhisthira having obtained for wife Devika the daughter of Gavashana the king of Shaivya, in a *Swaymvara* (in which the bride elects her lord from among the assembled princes,) begat in her a son named Yaudheya. And Bhima also, obtaining for wife Valadhara the daughter of the king of Kasi, offering as dower his own prowess, begat in her a son named Sarvaga. And Arjuna also, repairing to Dwaravati brought away by force Subhadra the sweet-speeched sister of Vāsudeva and returned in happiness to Hastinapore. And he begat in her a son named Abhimanyu endued with all accomplishments and dear to Vāsudeva himself. And Nakula obtaining for wife Karenumati the princess of Chedi begat in her a son named Niramitra. And Sahadeva also married Vijaya the daughter of Dyutimana the king of Madra, obtaining her in *Swayamvara*, and begat in her a son named Suhotra. And Bhima-sena had sometime before begat in Hidimva a son named Ghatot-kacha. These are the eleven sons of the Pandavas. Amongst them all, Abhimanyu was the perpetuator of the family. He married Uttarā the daughter of Virata. She brought forth a dead child whom Kunti took up on her lap at the command of Vasudeva who said 'I will revive this child of six months," And though born before time, being burnt by the fire of (Aswathama's) weapon and therefore deprived of strength and energy; he was revived by Vasudeva and endued with strength, energy, and prowess. And after being revived, Vasudeva said, 'Because this child hath been born in an extinct race, therefore be shall be called Parikshit. And Parikshit married Madravati thy mother, O king! And thou art born of her, O Janamejaya! Thou hast also begotten two sons in thy wife Vapustama, named Shatanika and Shankukarna. And Shatanika also hath begot one son named Aswamedha-datta in the princess of Videha. "Thus have I, O king, recited the history of the decendants of Puru and of the Pandavas. 'This excellent, virtue increasing, and sacred history should ever be listened to by vow-observing Brahmanas, by Kshatrias devoted to the practices of their order and ready to protect their subjects; by Vaisyas with attention, and by Sudras with reverence whose chief occupation is to wait upon the three other orders Brahmanas conversant with the Veda and other persons, who with attention and reverence recite this sacred history or listen to it when recited, subdue the heavens and attain to the mansions of the blest. They are also always respected and adored by the gods, Brahmanas, and other men. This holy history of Bharata hath been composed by the sacred and illustrious Vyasa. Veda-knowing Brahmanas and other persons who with reverence and without malice hear it recited, earn great religious merit and subdue the heavens. Though sinning they are not yet disregarded by any one. Here occurs a *sloka*, 'This (Bharata) is equal unto the Vedas: it is holy and excellent. It bestoweth wealth, fame, and life. Therefore should it be listened to by men with rapt attention.'" Thus ends the ninety-fifth Section in the Sambhava of the Adi Parva.