PART IV.

SECTION I.

Maitreya said:—"O venerable sir, you have described to me the permanent and occasional observances to be observed by those pious individuals who are diligent in their devotions. You have also described to me the duties which appertain to several castes and several orders of men. I wish you to relate to me now the dynasties of the kings who have ruled over the earth".

Parāçara said:— Hear O Maitreya, I shall describe to you the family of Manu beginning with Brahmā and comprising a number of pious, high-minded and heroic princes; It is said, that never does his family become extinct who daily calls to his mind the family of Manu springing from Brahmā. Hear, therefore, O Maitreya, an account of the origin of his family, hearing which all sins shall be removed.

From the mundane egg originated Brahmā, who was Hiranyagarbha, the form of that supreme Brahmā which consists of Vishnu as identical with Rig, Yajur and Sama Vedas—the first, uncreated cause of all worlds. From the right thumb of Brahmā originated the Patriarch Daksha whose daughter was Aditi, who was the mother of the sun. From the sun sprang Manu whose sons were Ikshawaku, Nriga, Dwrishta, Saryati, Narishyanta, Pransu, Nabhaga, Nedishta, Karusha, and Prishadhra. Being desirous of having offspring formerly Manu celebrated a sacrifice in honour of Mitra and Varuna; but the ceremony being unsuccessful on account of some irregularity from the presiding priest a daughter Ilā was born. But by the mercy of the two deities however, her sex was changed and she became a man under the name of Sudyumna. And he again became a woman under an imprecation (from Siva) near the hermitage of Buddha, the son of the moon.

One day while she was walking near the hermitage of Buddha, he became attached to her and begot on her a son named Pururavas. After his birth, the noble Rishis, desiring to restore Sudyumna to his sex, prayed to the glorious Vishnu who is the essence of the four Vedas, of mind, of every thing and of nothing and who is the sacrificed male. By his mercy Ilā once more became Sudyumna, in which character he had three sons, Utkala, Gaya and Vinata.

On account of his having been formerly born a female he did not receive any portion of his paternal kingdom. His father however at the request of Vasistha conferred upon him the city of Pratishtā, and he gave it to Pururavas.

Of the other sons of Manu, Prishadhra, on account of the sin consequent upon slaying a cow, was degraded to the condition of a Sudra. From Karusha sprang the heroic persons named Kārushas. The son of Nedistha, named Nābhaga became a Vaiçya; his son was Bhalandana, whose son was the well-known Vatsapri; his son was Pransu, whose son was Prajani, whose son was Khanitra, whose son was the brave Chakshupa, whose son was Vinsa, whose son was Vivinsati, whose son was Khaninetra, whose son was the powerful, rich, and heroic Karandhama, whose son was Avikshit, whose son was the powerful Marutta, regarding whom this celebrated verse is recited—"Who else on this earth has been able to celebrate a sacrifice like one celebrated by Marutta?" All the implements and utensils were made of gold. Indra was intoxicated with the drinking of Soma juice and all the Brāhmans were greatly pleased on having liberal presents. In his sacrifice the winds were the guards and the other celestials were the courtiers. Marutta was a lord paramount; he had a son named Narishyanta; his son was Dama; his son was Rayavarddana; his son was Suddhriti; his son was Nara; his son was Kevala; his son was Banduhmat; his son was Vegavat; his son was Budha; his son was Trinavindu, who had a daughter under name of Ilavita. Being enamored of Trinavindhu, the nymph Alambushā bore him a son named Visāla by whom the city Vaisāli was founded.

Vinata had a son whose name was Hemchandra; his son was Suchandra; his son was Dhumraswa; his son was Srinjaya; his son was Sahadeva; his son was Krisaswa; his son was Somadatta, who performed ten times the sacrifice of a horse; his son was Janemajaya, whose son was Sunati. These kings are known as Vaisālas, of them it is said—"By the mercy of Trinavindhu all the kings of Vaisāli were long-lived, magnanimous and just and brave".

Saryati had a daughter named Sukanyā. Chyavana married her. He had a pious son named Anartta, who had a son called Revata who governed the country called after the name of his father Anartta and lived at the capital called Kusasthali. The son of this king was Raivata or Kakudmin, the eldest of a hundred bretheren. He had a daughter named Revati. He repaired with her to the region of Brahmā to consult with the god springing from lotus upon whom to confer her. When he reached there the Gandharvas, Haha and Huha, were singing before Brahmā and Raviata waited till they had finished. And the ages passed away during the performance seemed to him as a moment. When they had finished singing Raivata laid himself low before Brahmā and asked him about a fit bridegroom. Brahmā said—"Whom should you wish for a son-in-law?" And bowing again Raivata mentioned to him various persons whom he liked. Nodding his head smiling graciously Brahmā said to him—"Of those whom you have mentioned there is no trace of their family on earth Many ages have passed away whilst you were listening to the songs of Gandharvas. Now the twenty-eighth great age of the present Manu is well-nigh gone. Kali is fast approaching. You alone give away this jewel of a daughter to somebody; all thy friends, ministers, servants, wife, kinsmen, armies, wealth have along since been taken away by the hand of Time".

That king, being terrified again, said, bowing, to Brahmā "O lord, such being the circumstance, upon whom shall I confer this daughter?" Thereupon nodding, the preceptor of the seven worlds—the god, whose throne is lotus, said to the king, standing humbly before—"The being, whose beginning, middle or end we do not know, who exists in all, who is the creator, whose real and infinite nature and essence we do not know is (Vishnu). His power cannot be measured by time, consisting of moments and hours and years; he has no birth or death—all objects are his form—he is eternal—he has no form or name. By the mercy of that imperishable being I am the agent of creation—Rudra is the agent of destruction and Vishnu is the agent of preservation. He, assuming my form creates the universe; in his own essence he provides for its duration; in the form of Rudra he devours all things; and with the body of Ananta he upholds them, In the person of Indra and other celestials he protects mankind and as the sun and moon he dispels darkness. Assuming the nature of fire he bestows warmth and maturity, and in that of earth he nourishes all beings. In the shape of air he gives activity, in the shape of water he gives satisfaction and in the shape of sky he provides space for all objects. He, being creator, creates himself; he, being preserver, preserves himself; he, being destroyer, destroys his own universal form. He is imperishable; there is nothing distinct from him. In him is the world; he is the world; and he, the primeval self-born, is again present in the world. O king, the glorious Vishnu has incarnated a portion of himself on earth. O king, your picturesque city Kusasthali, like the city of Indra, is now called Dwārakā. There reigns a portion of Kesava in the person of Baladeva. O king, confer this daughter of thine upon him, who appears under the guise of a man. He is an excellent bridegroom for this gem of a daughter and she is a fit bride".

Parāçara said:—Being thus advised by the deity springing from lotus, the king returned to earth and beheld mankind, greatly reduced in size and vigour and weakened in intellect. Thereupon that king, having incomparable wisdom, repairing to his own city Kusathali which he saw greatly changed, gave his daughter to Baladeva whose breast was as fair and radiant as crystal. And beholding that damsel of excessive height the king, whose banner is a palm tree, shortened her with the end of his ploughshare. Being thus shortened she became like other women. Balarāma thus married duly Revali, the daughter of Raivata. And the king, too giving away daughter, retired to the mountain Himalaya and engaged in penances with a subdued mind.

SECTION II.

Whilst Kakudmin Raivata was absent in the region of Brahmā, Rākshasas named Punyjanas devastated his capital Kusasthali. His hundred brothers, afraid of the enemies, fled in different directions and their descendants the Kshatriyas settled all over the country.

From Dhristha originated the Kshatriya race of Dharshtaka; the son of Nabhaga was Nābhaga; his son was Ambarisa; his son was Virupa; his son was Prishadāswa; his son was Rathinara, of whom it is said—"These princes of Rathinara family, although Kshatriyas by birth, were called Angerasas or sons of Angera and were Brāhmans and Kshatriyas".

As Manu was sneezing Ikshawku was born from his nostril. He had a hundred sons of whom the three well-known were Vikukshi, Nimi and Danda. These and fifty under Sakuni were the rulers of the north. Forty-eight were the rulers of the south.

Being engaged in the celebration of an ancestral rite upon Ashtaka day Ikshawku ordered Vikukshi to bring him flesh suitable for the offering. The prince, therefore, went into woods and slew many a deer and other wild animals for the purpose. Being exhausted with hunting he was hungry; accordingly he sat down and ate a hare. And being refreshed he carried the rest of the game to his father. Vaisishtha, the family priest of Ikshawakus, was invited to consecrate the food; but he said that it was impure on account of Vikuksh's having eaten a hare from amongst it. Being thus informed by his spiritual preceptor the father abandoned his son who, in consequence thereof, received the epithet Sasāda (hare-eater). On the demise of his father he piously ruled over the earth. A son, Puranjaya by name, was born to him.

There took place a dreadful conflict in the Treta yuga between the gods and demons in which the former were defeated. They accordingly repaired to Vishnu for help and propitiated him by their adorations. Being propitiated the primeval deity, the eternal ruler of the universe, Nārāyana said to them—"What you have desired is known to me. Hear how your desires shall be fulfilled. There is a foremost Kshatriya king named Puranjaya, son of the royal saint Sasāda. Infusing a portion of myself into his body I shall descend on earth and slay all the demons. Do you so endeavour that Putanjaya might engage in the work of the destruction of Asuras". Hearing those words the celestials bowed unto the glorious Vishnu and went to Paranjaya and addressed him, saying, "O foremost of Kshatriyas, we have come to thee to secure thy help in the destruction of our enemies in which we have been engaged. It will not behove thee to neglect our friendship who have come here". Being thus addressed Puranjaya said—"If Indra, the lord of the three worlds, the king of you all, who is known as the performer of hundred sacrifices, agrees to carry me upon his shoulders, I shall then fight with your enemies and help you". The celestials and Indra immediately said "so be it".

Thereupon Satakratu assumed the shape of a bull and the king mounted upon his shoulder. And being invigorated by the power of the undecaying God, the lord of all moveable and and immoveable things, he slew all the Asuras in the battle between the gods and demons. And in consequence of his destroying the Asura army whilst seated upon the hump of the bull he obtained the appellation Kakutstha. The son of Kakutstha was Anenas, whose son was Pritha, whose son was Viswagaswa, whose son was Arda, whose son was Yuvanāswa, whose son was Sravasta, by whom the city of Srāvasti was founded. The son of Sravasta was Vrihadawa whose son was Kuvalayaswa. This prince, invigorated by the energy of Vishnu, slew the Asura Dhundhu, who had disturbed the pious sage Uttanka, and he was accordingly named Dhundhumara (slayer of Dhundhu). Whilst fighting with the demon he was attended by his twenty one thousand sons, who all, with the exception of three, were consumed by the fiery breath of Dhundhu. These three Were Dhridhāswa, Chandrāswa and Kapilāswa. The son of Dhridhāswa was Baryāswa, whose son was Nikumbha, whose son was Sanhataswa, whose son was Krisāswa, whose son was Basenajit, whose son was another Yuvanāswa.

Being aggrieved in consequence of having no son he lived in the hermitage of saints. And being worked up with compassion of sages engaged in the performance of a religious ceremony for this offspring. When half the night had passed away they finished the ceremony and having placed a vessel of consecrated water upon the altar they slept.

When they had slept the king, distressed with thirst, entered the cottage and did not like to disturb the rishis. He then drank the water in the vessel consecrated and rendered efficacious by sacred texts.

When the Rishis got up in the morning, they said—"Who has drunk this consecrated water? Drinking this the wife of the king Yuvanāswa would have given birth to a valiant son". Hearing this the king said—"I have unknowingly drunk this water".

Accordingly a child was conceived in the belly of Yuvanāswa; it grew and in proper time it ripped open the right side of the king and was born. But the king did not die. The son being born the Rishis said—"Who will be its nurse". There appeared the king of the celestials and said "He shall have me for his nurse (mamayan dhāsyati)". He was thence called Māndhāta. Indra put his fore-finger into the mouth of the infant, who sucked it and drew it from heavenly nectar. And he grew up and became a powerful king and brought the seven continents into his subjection. It is said of him "From the rising of the setting sun all that is lighted by his rays is the land of Māndhāta the son of Yuvanāswa".

Māndhāta married Vindumati, the daughter of Sasāvindu end begot on her three sons Purukutsa, Ambarisha and Muchukunda; he had also fifty daughters.

An ascetic, named Saubhari, versed in Rig Veda lived in the waters for twelve years. There lived a huge fish, who was the sovereign, named Sammada, He had a numerous progeny. His children and grand children used to sport around him in all directions and he lived happily amongst them, playing with them day night before the ascetic. Being disturbed in his devotions that ascetic, in the waters, beholding the sport of the king of fish with his children and grand children, thought within himself—"Blessed is the being, who, although born in a degraded state, is sporting with his children and grand children. This has created envy in me and I wish to sport with my children and grand children". Having thus made up his mind the ascetic speedily came up from the water and being desirous of becoming a householder went to Māndhāta to demand one of his daughters as his wife.

Thereupon hearing of the arrival of the sage the king rose up from his seat and worshipped him with libation. Having taken a seat Saubhari said to the king—"I have made up my mind to marry. Do you, O king, give me one of your daughters as a wife. Don't disappoint my love. If any one comes to the race of Kakutstha with a desire he does not go back disappointed. O king, there are many other sovereigns on this earth who have got daughters; but thy family is renowned above all in granting liberal gifts to them who come with that purpose. O king, you have got fifty daughters—confer one of them upon me so that I may be relieved from the anxiety I feel in consequence of the fear that my request may not be granted".

Parāçara said—Hearing the words of the sage and beholding his body worn out with infirmities (he did not like to satisfy his desire)—but afraid of an imprecation he much disturbed in mind and lowering his head thought some time. The Rishi said—"What are you meditating upon, O king? I have not asked for any such thing which you cannot give. Your daughter must be given to somebody. But if you fulfill my desires what is there that cannot obtained by you?" Thereupon the king; afraid of his displeasure, said—"O illustrious sir, such is the practice in our family, that daughters must be given to such fitting persons as they shall themselves select. I did never expect that such a request would come from you—I do not know why such a desire has taken place in your mind. This has created perplexity in me and I am at a loss what to do". Hearing that the sage thought within himself—"This is merely an indirect way of not yielding to my request, I am an old man, having no attractions for women and his daughters will not accept me. Whatever it may be, I shall to that". Thinking thus, the sage said to Māndhāta—"If such be the custom of your family—give orders that I may be admitted into the interior of your palace. If any one of your daughters selects me I shall take her as my wife—if none of them be willing, I shall desist from such an attempt considering that I am too old for it". Having said this the sage was silent.

Being afraid of the imprecation of the sage, the king ordered the eunuch to conduct him to the inner apartment. As he entered, he assumed a form of beauty far exceeding that of men or gods. Addressing the princesses his guide said to them—"Your father, young ladies, sends this pious sage to you who wanted of him a bride. And the king has promised that he will give her to him who will select him". Hearing these words the princesses were all excited with desire and passion, and like a troop of female elephants encircling the lord of the herd, they all contended to have him as their husband. They said to one another—"Away away, sister, I shall take him as my husband. He has already been selected by me; he is not a meet bridegroom for you. He has been purposely created by Brahmā for me as I have been created to become his wife. As soon as he entered the house I selected him as my husband; why do you prevent him from becoming so?" Thus there arose a conflict amongst the daughters of the king, each contending that I have selected him as my husband. While that blameless sage was thus selected by all the princesses the eunuch went to the king and with down cast looks reported to him what had taken place. Having received all information, the king, perplexed the more, thought—"What is all this! What I am to do now! What is it that I have said" and then with extreme reluctance gave away all his daughters to the sage.

Thus the wished-for marriage of the great sage was accomplished and he took away all the princesses to his hermitage. Thereupon he ordered Viswakarmā like second Brahmā, the inventor of art, to construct separate palaces for each of his wives, to furnish each palace with elegant couches and seats and furniture and to attach to them spacious yards, groves with reservoirs of water where the wild ducks and swans should sport amidst beds of lotuses. Thereupon the celestial architect carried out the orders of the sage. And at the behest of the great sage, Saubhari, the divine and inexhaustible treasure Nanda lived there permanently.

Thereupon the princesses entertained there day and night all their guests and dependant with richest and choicest viands.

Once on a time the king, attracted by his affection for the daughters, went to the hermitage of the great ascetic to learn whether his daughters were in poverty or happiness. Repairing there he beheld a number of crystal palaces, brilliant as the rays of the sun and picturesque gardens and tanks. Entering one of the palaces and embracing his daughter, the king said to her with tears of affection and delight in his eyes—"Dear child, tell me how are you here. Are you happy here or not? Does the great sage treat you kindly? Do you remember thy early home?" Being thus addressed the daughter said to her father—"O father, this palace is picturesque surrounded by charming gardens with birds emitting sweet notes, and tanks abounding in full-blown lotuses. I have got here rich viands, fragrant unguents, precious ornaments, costly clothes, soft beds and every other thing that wealth can give. But still then, why should I not remember my early home. By thy favour I have obtained all these things. But there is one source of my grief—my husband never goes out of my house. He is solely attached to me and is always at my side; he never goes to my sisters; for this my sisters are sorry; this is the only cause of my uneasiness". Being thus addressed he went to the second palace and embracing his daughter and taking his seat he put the same question. The same account of the enjoyment of palaces and other things was given by her; she also made the same complaint that the sage was solely attached to her and paid no attention to her sisters. Hearing this the king went round all the palaces, put the same question to all his daughters and received the same reply. Having his heart filled with satisfaction and wonder he repaired to the glorious Saubhari who was alone and reverentially said to him—"O illustrious sage, marvellous is thy power—I have never seen this in any other person. Oh great is the reward of thy austere penances". Having bowed unto the sage and been welcomed by him with great reverence the king lived with him for some time and enjoying the pleasures of the place returned to his capital.

As time went on the daughters of Māndhāta bore to Saubhari one hundred and fifty sons. Gradually he became more and more attached to his children and his mind was wholly engrossed with selfish thoughts. He always used to think—"When will these sons of mine speak to me in sweet accents? When will they learn to walk? When will they attain to youth? When shall I see them wedded? When shall I behold them with their sons?" With these anticipations, he spent some time and at last thought "What exceeding folly is mine! There is no end of desires even in ten thousand or a hundred thousand years. With one desire gratified another springs up. I have seen my infants walk—I have seen their youth, their manhood, their marriage, their children, still my desires are not gratified and mind longs after seeing the descendants of their descendants. When I shall see them another desire will spring up. When that is satisfied another wish will be engendered.

"How can the growth of desires be prevented? I have now learnt that there is no end of desires till death. His mind can never be devoted to the supreme spirit who is a perpetual slave of desires. My devotions, whilst I was in the waters, were thwarted by my attachment to my friend, the fish. The outcome of that connection was my marriage and the result of that marriage is the cycle of worldly desires. Birth with one body is a source of many ills. By my marriage with the princesses I have got one hundred and fifty sons so my miseries have been multiplied to that extent. And they will be infinitely multiplied by their children, by their wives and their progeny—thus a married life is a source of individual anxiety. My devotions, which I practised in the waters, have been thwarted by my worldly wealth and I have been beguiled by the desire for the progeny which was created in me by the association with Sammada. For the ascetics separation from the world is the only way to liberation; association with others is a source of many evils. Even the most accomplished ascetic is degraded by worldly attachments what to speak of those whose observances are incomplete. Though my intellect has been possessed by the desire of married life still I shall exert myself for the salvation of my soul so that freed from human infirmities I may be released from human sufferings. For that purpose by austere penances I shall propitiate Vishnu, the creator of the universe whose form cannot be ascertained, who is smaller than the smallest, larger than the largest, the source of darkness and light—the king of gods. May my mind, freed from sins, be devoted to his body which is both descrete and indescrete substance, boundlessly mighty, at one with the universe so that I may not be born again. I seek the refuge of that Vishnu, who is the teacher of teachers, who is identical with, all beings, the pure eternal lord of all, without beginning, middle or end and besides whom there exists nothing".

SECTION III.

Parāçara said—Having thus thought within himself Sauvari renounced his children, his home, his splendour and wealth and repaired with his wives to the forest. Having daily performed there the observances of the ascetics called Vaikhānasas (or ascetics having families) he cleansed himself from all iniquities. When his mind was ripe and freed from passions he concentrated in his spirit the sacramental fires and became a religious mendicant. Then having made over all his actions to the glorious god he attained to the condition of Achyuta which is above change, the vicissitudes of birth, transmigration or death. Whoever shall read, hear, remember, or understand this story of Sauvari and his marriage with the daughters of Māndhāta, shall never, for eight successive births, be addicted to evil thoughts nor shall he act unrighteously, nor shall he think of improper objects—nor shall he be subject to selfishness; I shall now describe to you the progeny of Māndhāta.

The son of Ambarisha, the son of Māndhāta, was Yuvanāswa; his son was Harita from whom sprang Angirāsa Hāritas.

In the regions below the earth, the Gandharvas named Mauneyas, six million in number, had defeated the snake-gods, usurped their kingdom and stolen away all their precious jewels. Defeated by the Gandharvas the serpent chiefs addressed the lord of celestials, sleeping on the surface of the ocean of milk as he awoke from his sleep; and the blossoms of his lotus eyes opened as he listened to their hymns.

They all bowing said—"How shall we be relieved from the fear of these Gandharvas?" Where to the glorious god replied—"I shall enter into the person of Purukutsa, the son of Māndhāta, the son of Yuvanāswa and slay all the Gandharvas". On hearing these words the snake-gods bowed and went away and returning to their country sent Narmadā to secure the help of Purukutsa.

Accordingly Narmadā went to Purukutsa and led him to the regions below the earth, where, being filled with the energy of Vishnu he slew all the Gandharvas. He then returned to his own house. And the snake-gods conferred upon Narmadā a boon that whosoever should think of her, mention her name, should never have any fear from the snakes. This is the invocation: "Salutation unto Narmadā in the morning; salutation unto Narmadā at night, salutation to thee O Narmadā, save me from this serpent's poison". Whoever shall repeat this day and night shall not be bitten by a serpent in the dark or in entering a room. Nor shall he, who shall remember this, suffer from poison, when he eats even food mixed with it. They also conferred a boon on Purukutsa that none in this family shall be bitten.

Purukutsa begot on Narmadā a son, named Trasadasya, whose son was Sambbuta, whose son was Anaranja, who was killed by Rāvana when he traversed the country for conquests. Anaranja's son was Prishadaswa; his son was Haryyaswa; his son was Sumanas; his son was Tridhanwan; his son was Trayyaruna; his son was was Satyavrata who received the name of Trisanku and was degraded to the state of a Chandāla or outcast. Once on a time there was a famine for twelve years. He used to suspend flesh upon a fig-tree on the banks of the Ganges for the wife and children of Viswamitra—he did not give it with his own hands for he might not accept the present of a Chandāla. For this Viswamitra was highly pleased and took him in his living body to heaven.

The son of Trisanku was Haris Chandra, whose son was Rohitaswa, whose son was Harita, whose son was Chunchu, who had two sons named Vijaya and Sudeva. Ruruka was the son of Vijaya and his son was Vrika whose son was Bahu, This king was defeated by the tribes of Haihayas and Tālajanghas and his country was devastated by them for which he fled into woods with his wives. One of those was pregnant and the rival queen being jealous gave her poison to prevent her delivery and the child was confined in the womb for seven years. And Bahu, being stricken in years, died near the hermitage of the sage Aurva. Having constructed the funeral pile the queen was about to ascend it when the sage Aurva, who was cognisant of past, present and future came out of the cottage and prevented her saying—"Hold, hold! This is sinful; there is in thy womb a heroic king—the sovereign of many kingdoms, the offerer of many sacrifices, the slayer of his enemies and a lord paramount. Do not commit such an unrighteous act". Being addressed thus the queen gave up her intention. The sage then took her to his own cottage and after some time she gave birth to a valiant son—and with him the poison came out. And after performing ceremonies consequent upon birth, Aurva gave him, for that, the name of Sagara (from sa with and gara, poison). He then invested him with the sacred cord, taught him the Vedas and the use of all weapons and especially those of fire called after Bhārgava. When Sagara grew up he one day asked his mother, saying—"O mother why are we living here? Who is my father? Where is he?" Being thus questioned his mother related to him everything. Hearing this he was greatly enraged and promised to recover his father's kingdom and destroy the Haihayas and Tālajanghas by whom it had been devastated. When he grew up he destroyed all the Haihayas and would have also destroyed the Sakas the Yavanas, Kambojas, Paradas, and Pahnavas, had they not solicited the protection of Vasishtha, the family priest of Sagara.

Vasishtha, making them deprived of their power, although living, thus said to Sagara—"O my child, these, are already dead. What is the use of pursuing them? To keep up your vow I have made them renounce their own religion and the company of twice-born ones". Sagara reverentially obeyed the request of his spiritual guide and imposed upon them peculiar distinguishing marks. He made the Yavanas shave their heads entirely and the Sakas partially. The Paradas wore their long hair and the Pahnavas allowed their beards to grow according to his command. He withdrew from these and other Kshatriya races the privilege of offering oblations to fire and studying the Vedas. And being thus deprived from the performance of religious rites and having been abandoned by the Brāhmins they all became Mlechasas. Having thus recovered his kingdom Sagara ruled over the earth having seven continents with undisputed sway.

SECTION IV.

Parāçara said:—Sagara had two wives Sumati, the daughter of Kasyapa and Kesini, the daughter of king Viderbha. Having no offspring the king earnestly solicited the help of the sage Aurva who conferred upon him a boon that one wife should bear him a son who would keep up the race and the other sixty thousand sons; but he allowed them to make their election. Kesini chose to have one son and the other chose to have sixty thousand. Within a few days Kesini gave birth to a son named Asamanjas who upheld the family and Sumati the daughter of Vinata gave birth to a sixty thousand sons. Asamanjas had a son whose name was Ansumat.

Asamanjas was very wicked from his boyhood. His father hoped that with manhood he would reform his conduct. But he continued same even with age so his father renounced him. The sixty thousand sons of Sagara followed the example of their brother Asamanjas. The sons of Sagara having thus trodden the paths of virtue and piety in the world the celestials went to the ascetic Kapila, who was free from guilt, versed in learning and in whom was a portion of Vishnu. Having bowed unto him they said—"These sons of Sagara have followed the conduct of Samanjas. If they continue so how will the world be upheld? Thou art incarnate for the protection of the world". Hearing this Kapila said—"They shall soon be destroyed".

Thereupon Sagara undertook the celebration of a horse sacrifice. They were all engaged to look after the horse. Nevertheless some one stole the horse and carried it to the region below the earth. He then ordered them to search out the steed. Then following the impressions of its hoofs with perseverance they dug downwards each for a league. And coming to the region beneath they saw the horse walking freely. They saw at a distance Kapila, illuminating with the radiance of his person all the quarters, up and down like unto the autumnal sun freed from clouds. Then with uplifted weapons they rushed towards him, saying—"Slay him, slay him; this villain has spoiled our sacrifice; he has stolen our horse". Then turning his eyes a little Kapila looked towards them and with the sacred flame that came out of his body, the sons of Sagara were in no time reduced to ashes.

When Sagara came to know that all his sons, whom he had sent in quest of the horse, had been destroyed by the might of the sage Kapila he sent Asamanja's son to bring the animal. Ansumat, proceeding by the path which Sagara's sons had dug, arrived where Kapila was and reverentially bowing unto him so pleased him that he said—"Go my son and gave over the horse to your grand father; ask of me a boon; thy grand-son shall bring down the river of heaven on earth". Ansumat begged of the glorious Rishi a boon that his uncles, who had died on account of his displeasure although unworthy of it, might be raised to heaven. The Rishi said—"I have told you that your grandson shall bring down the Ganges upon earth. When the ashes and bones Sagara's sons shall be washed by her waters they shall be raised to heaven. Such is the glory of the stream that issues from the toe of Vishnu that they all, who bathe in it intentionally or accidentally, go to heaven. Even those shall go to heaven whose bones, skin, fibres, hair or any other part shall be left after death upon the earth which is contiguous to the Ganges". Thereupon reverentially bowing unto the sage and taking the steed, he went where his grandfather was celebrating the sacrifice. On receiving back the horse Sagara completed the sacrifice and in memory of his sons he gave the name of Sagara[256] to the chasm which they had dug.

The son of Ansumat was Dilipa; his son was Bhagiratha who brought down the Ganges on earth, whence she is called Bhāgirathi. The son of Bhagiratha was Sruta, whose son was Nabhaga, whose son was Ambarisha, whose son was Sindhudwipa, whose son was Ayutaswa, whose son was Rituparna, the friend of Nala, well-skilled in dice; the son of Rituparna was Sarvakāma, whose son was Sudāsa whose son was Sandasa named also Mitrasaha.

Once going out on hunting, the son Sudāsa met with a couple of tigers who had cleared the forest of the deer. He killed of these tigers with an arrow. At the time of dying the form of the animal was changed and it assumed that of a dreadful and hideous fiend. And the second disappeared saying—"I shall take vengeance upon you".

After some time Saudāsa celebrated a sacrifice which was conducted by Vasishtha. At the end of the ceremony Vasishtha went out when the Raksha assuming the shape of Vasishtha said—"The sacrifice is finished to-day. You must give me flesh to eat; I shall just now come back". Having said this he went away and transforming himself into the shape of the cook prepared some human flesh. Saudāsa placing it on a dish of gold, waited for Vasishtha. As soon as the sage came back the king offered to him the dish. Thereat the sage thought—"Alas! what improper conduct on the part of the king that he is offering me flesh!" T