Vyasadev
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Chapter 12
The Dynasty of Kus'a, the Son of Lord Râmacandra
This chapter describes the dynasty of Kuśa, the son of Lord Rāmacandra. The members of this dynasty are descendants of Saśāda, the son of Mahārāja Ikṣvāku.
Following in the genealogical table of Lord Rāmacandra's dynasty, Kuśa, the Lord's son, was followed consecutively by Atithi, Niṣadha, Nabha, Puṇḍarīka, Kṣemadhanvā, Devānīka, Anīha, Pāriyātra, Balasthala, Vajranābha, Sagaṇa and Vidhṛti. These personalities ruled the world. From Vidhṛti came Hiraṇyanābha, who later became the disciple of Jaimini and propounded the system of mystic yoga in which Yājñavalkya was initiated. Following in this dynasty were Puṣpa, Dhruvasandhi, Sudarśana, Agnivarṇa, Śīghra and Maru. Maru attained full perfection in the practice of yoga, and he still lives in the village of Kalāpa. At the end of this age of Kali, he will revive the dynasty of the sun-god. Next in the dynasty were Prasuśruta, Sandhi, Amarṣaṇa, Mahasvān, Viśvabāhu, Prasenajit, Takṣaka and Bṛhadbala, who was later killed by Abhimanyu. Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that these were all kings who had passed away. The future descendants of Bṛhadbala will be Bṛhadraṇa, Ūrukriya, Vatsavṛddha, Prativyoma, Bhānu, Divāka, Sahadeva, Bṛhadaśva, Bhānumān, Pratīkāśva, Supratīka, Marudeva, Sunakṣatra, Puṣkara, Antarikṣa, Sutapā, Amitrajit, Bṛhadrāja, Barhi, Kṛtañjaya, Raṇañjaya, Sañjaya, Śākya, Śuddhoda, Lāńgala, Prasenajit, Kṣudraka, Raṇaka, Suratha and Sumitra. All of them will become kings one after another. Sumitra, coming in this age of Kali, will be the last king in the Ikṣvāku dynasty; after him, the dynasty will be extinguished.
9.12.1
kuśasya cātithis tasmān
kṣemadhanvābhavat tataḥ
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Of Kus'a [the son of Lord Râma] there was Atithi, and from him there was Nishadha; Nishadha's son was Nâbha, Pundarîka came after him and Kshemadhanvâ became his son.
9.12.2
devānīkas tato 'nīhaḥ
tato balasthalas tasmād
vajranābho 'rka-sambhavaḥ
(2) Devânîka was the son of Kshemadhanvâ, his was Anîha whose son was Pâriyâtra; Pâriyâtra's son was Balasthala who had a son called Vajranâbha who stemmed from the sun-god.
9.12.3-4
sagaṇas tat-sutas tasmād
vidhṛtiś cābhavat sutaḥ
tato hiraṇyanābho 'bhūd
yājñavalkyo 'dhyagād yataḥ
yogaḿ mahodayam ṛṣir
(3-4) From Sagana [from Vajranâbha] there was a son called Vidhriti from whom the son Hiranyanâbha was born who became a teacher of yoga after Jaimini. With him studied Yâjñavalkya as a disciple the spirituality of Kaus'alya [âdhyâtma yoga see 6.15: 12-15]: the most elevated yoga of becoming a seer able to cut through the material knots in the heart.
9.12.5
puṣpo hiraṇyanābhasya
dhruvasandhis tato 'bhavat
sudarśano 'thāgnivarṇaḥ
(5) From Pushpa, the son of Hiranyanâbha, was born Dhruvasandhi from whom there was Sudars'ana. After him came Agnivarna whose son was named S'îghra and Maru was his son.
9.12.6
(6) The person of him still exists in Kalâpa-grâma ['bundle of communities'] as a perfect one of yoga; remaining there will he at the end of Kali-yuga, in order to revive the lost dynasty of the sun-god, beget a son.
At least five thousand years ago, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī ascertained the existence of Maru in Kalāpa-grāma and said that Maru, having achieved a yoga-siddha body, would continue to exist until the end of Kali-yuga, which is calculated to continue for 432,000 years. Such is the perfection of mystic power. By controlling the breath, the perfect yogī can continue his life for as long as he likes. Sometimes we hear from the Vedic literature that some personalities from the Vedic age, such as Vyāsadeva and Aśvatthāmā, are still living. Here we understand that Maru is also still living. We are sometimes surprised that a mortal body can live for such a long time. The explanation of this longevity is given here by the word yoga-siddha. If one becomes perfect in the practice of yoga, he can live as long as he likes. The demonstration of some trifling yoga-siddha does not constitute perfection. Here is a factual example of perfection: a yoga-siddha can live as long as he likes.
9.12.7
sandhis tasyāpy amarṣaṇaḥ
mahasvāḿs tat-sutas tasmād
viśvabāhur ajāyata
(7) There was a son of him: Prasus'ruta who had Sandhi and of him there was a son named Amarshana from whose son Mahasvân the person of Vis'vabâhu took birth.
9.12.8
tato bṛhadbalo yas tu
(8) From him there was Prasenajit from whom again Takshaka would take birth. From Takshaka there was Brihadbala, the one who then by your father was killed in a fight.
9.12.9
ete hīkṣvāku-bhūpālā
putro nāmnā bṛhadraṇaḥ
(9) All these kings of the Ikshvâku-dynasty are dead and gone. Now listen to the ones to become: after Brihadbala there will be a son named Brihadrana.
9.12.10
ūrukriyaḥ sutas tasya
vatsavṛddho bhaviṣyati
prativyomas tato bhānur
(10) Brihadrana's son will be Ûrukriya, of him will Vatsavriddha take birth, Prativyoma will be his son and of him there will be Bhânu, whose son Divâka will be a great military commander.
9.12.11
sahadevas tato vīro
bṛhadaśvo 'tha bhānumān
pratīkāśvo bhānumataḥ
(11) Sahadeva from him will beget a great hero: Brihadas'va, from whom there will be Bhânumân. From Bhânumân will Pratîkâs'va father the son Supratîka.
9.12.12
bhavitā marudevo 'tha
sunakṣatro 'tha puṣkaraḥ
(12) Marudeva will be born thereafter and after him there will be Sunakshatra; next will there be Pushkara and his son Antariksha will have Sutapâ whose son will be Amitrajit.
9.12.13
bṛhadrājas tu tasyāpi
barhis tasmāt kṛtañjayaḥ
(13) Brihadrâja then of him will bring Barhi, Kritañjaya born of him will have a son called Ranañjaya and of him Sañjaya will take birth.
9.12.14
tasmāc chākyo 'tha śuddhodo
(14) From him will thereafter be S'âkya whose son will be the memorable S'uddhoda, the father of Lângala of whom there will be Prasenajit who on his turn will father Kshudraka.
9.12.15
surathas tanayas tataḥ
sumitro nāma niṣṭhānta
ete bārhadbalānvayāḥ
(15) Ranaka will take birth from him, Suratha will be the next son, and the one of him named Sumitra will end the line of all these kings in the Brihadbala-dynasty. (16) Of all these descendants of Ikshvâku will Sumitra be the last to appear in the future because getting to him as a king will be the culmination indeed for Kali-yuga.'
Canto 9
Chapter 13
The Story of Nimi and the Dynasty of his Son Mithila.
This chapter describes the dynasty in which the great and learned scholar Janaka was born. This is the dynasty of Mahārāja Nimi, who is said to have been the son of Ikṣvāku.
When Mahārāja Nimi began performing great sacrifices, he appointed Vasiṣṭha to be chief priest, but Vasiṣṭha refused, for he had already agreed to be priest in performing a yajña for Lord Indra. Vasiṣṭha therefore requested Mahārāja Nimi to wait until Lord Indra's sacrifice was finished, but Mahārāja Nimi did not wait. He thought, "Life is very short, so there is no need to wait." He therefore appointed another priest to perform the yajña. Vasiṣṭha was very angry at King Nimi and cursed him, saying, "May your body fall down." Cursed in that way, Mahārāja Nimi also became very angry, and he retaliated by saying, "May your body also fall down." As a result of this cursing and countercursing, both of them died. After this incident, Vasiṣṭha took birth again, begotten by Mitra and Varuṇa, who were agitated by Urvaśī.
The priests who were engaged in the sacrifice for King Nimi preserved Nimi's body in fragrant chemicals. When the sacrifice was over, the priests prayed for Nimi's life to all the demigods who had come to the arena of yajña, but Mahārāja Nimi refused to take birth again in a material body because he considered the material body obnoxious. The great sages then churned Nimi's body, and as a result of this churning, Janaka was born.
The son of Janaka was Udāvasu, and the son of Udāvasu was Nandivardhana. The son of Nandivardhana was Suketu, and his descendants continued as follows: Devarāta, Bṛhadratha, Mahāvīrya, Sudhṛti, Dhṛṣṭaketu, Haryaśva, Maru, Pratīpaka, Kṛtaratha, Devamīḍha, Viśruta, Mahādhṛti, Kṛtirāta, Mahāromā, Svarṇaromā, Hrasvaromā and Śīradhvaja. All these sons appeared in the dynasty one after another. From Śīradhvaja, mother Sītādevī was born. Śīradhvaja's son was Kuśadhvaja, and the son of Kuśadhvaja was Dharmadhvaja. The sons of Dharmadhvaja were Kṛtadhvaja and Mitadhvaja. The son of Kṛtadhvaja was Keśidhvaja, and the son of Mitadhvaja was Khāṇḍikya. Keśidhvaja was a self-realized soul, and his son was Bhānumān, whose descendants were as follows: Śatadyumna, Śuci, Sanadvāja, Ūrjaketu, Aja, Purujit, Ariṣṭanemi, Śrutāyu, Supārśvaka, Citraratha, Kṣemādhi, Samaratha, Satyaratha, Upaguru, Upagupta, Vasvananta, Yuyudha, Subhāṣaṇa, Śruta, Jaya, Vijaya, Ṛta, Śunaka, Vītahavya, Dhṛti, Bahulāśva, Kṛti and Mahāvaśī. All of these sons were great self-controlled personalities. This completes the list of the entire dynasty.
9.13.1
nimir ikṣvāku-tanayo
vasiṣṭham avṛtartvijam
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Nimi [see 9.6: 4], the son of Ikshvâku, planning for a sacrifice appointed Vasishthha to be the priest who said: 'I am already engaged by Lord Indra, o Mahârâja.
9.13.2
taḿ nirvartyāgamiṣyāmi
so 'pīndrasyākaron makham
(2) When I have finished that sacrifice will I return, wait for me till then'. Nimi remained silent and [Vasishthha] performed the sacrifice for Indra.
9.13.3
satram ārabhatātmavān
ṛtvigbhir aparais tāvan
(3) With the guru for a long time not returning thought Nimi: 'Life is short' and inaugurated the sacrifice with another self-realized soul as the officiating priest.
Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, śarīraḿ kṣaṇa-vidhvāḿsi kalpānta-sthāyino guṇāḥ: "The duration of one's life in the material world may end at any moment, but if within this life one does something worthy, that qualification is depicted in history eternally." Here is a great personality, Mahārāja Nimi, who knew this fact. In the human form of life one should perform activities in such a way that at the end he goes back home, back to Godhead. This is self-realization
9.13.4
aśapat patatād deho
(4) Having ended the ceremonies did the guru upon his return find deviation from the instructions given and so he pronounced a curse: 'May the body of Nimi, who thinks he's so learned, come to a fall!'
9.13.5
tavāpi patatād deho
(5) Nimi [on his turn] cursed the guru who tried to thrive in denial of his religious practice: 'And may your body, so ignorant of the dharma with your greed, fall down too!'
The religious principle for a brāhmaṇa is that he should not be greedy at all. In this case, however, for the sake of more lucrative remunerations from the King of heaven, Vasiṣṭha neglected Mahārāja Nimi's request on this planet, and when Nimi performed the sacrifices with other priests, Vasiṣṭha unnecessarily cursed him. When one is infected by contaminated activities, his power, material or spiritual, reduces. Although Vasiṣṭha was the spiritual master of Mahārāja Nimi, because of his greed he became fallen.
9.13.6
(6) Thus had Nimi, fully conversant with the spiritual knowledge, to give up his body. Vasishthha, the great-grandfather [died also but] was by Mitra and Varuna [their seed] born [again] from Urvas'î [the heavenly courtesan, see also 6.18: 5-6].
Mitra and Varuṇa chanced to meet Urvaśī, the most beautiful prostitute of the heavenly kingdom, and they became lusty. Because they were great saints, they tried to control their lust, but they could not do so, and thus they discharged semen. This semen was kept carefully in a waterpot, and Vasiṣṭha was born from it.
9.13.7
(7) Nimi's body was preserved in fragrant substances and at the end of the Sa(t)tra-sacrifice [a long-standing Soma-sacrifice] formulated the assembled ones of God the following:
9.13.8
prasannāḥ prabhavo yadi
(8) 'May this body of the potent king cherished by us, come alive!' Thus having expressed themselves answered Nimi: 'Do not bind me to a physical frame!
The demigods are in a position many times higher than that of human beings. Therefore, although the great saints and sages were also powerful brāhmaṇas, they requested the demigods to revive Mahārāja Nimi's body, which had been preserved in various perfumed balms. One should not think that the demigods are powerful only in enjoying the senses; they are also powerful in such deeds as bringing life back to a dead body. There are many similar instances in the Vedic literature. For example, according to the history of Sāvitrī and Satyavān, Satyavān died and was being taken away by Yamarāja, but on the request of his wife, Sāvitrī, Satyavān was revived in the same body. This is an important fact about the power of the demigods.
9.13.9
bhajanti caraṇāmbhojaḿ
(9) Shunning to be falsely united do spiritual philosophers [jñânis] neither desire to get into contact that way nor to be of a service like that of the great saints who at the lotus feet are absorbed in thoughts about the Lord [see bhajan].
Mahārāja Nimi did not want to accept a material body, which would be a cause of bondage; because he was a devotee, he wanted a body by which he could render devotional service to the Lord. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings:
janmāobi more icchā yadi tora
"My Lord, if You want me to take birth and accept a material body again, kindly do me this favor: allow me to take birth in the home of Your servant, Your devotee. I do not mind being born there even as an insignificant creature like an insect." Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said:
na dhanaḿ na janaḿ na sundarīḿ
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukyī tvayi
"O Lord of the universe, I do not desire material wealth, materialistic followers, a beautiful wife or fruitive activities described in flowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated devotional service to You." (Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) By saying "life after life" (janmani janmani), the Lord referred not to an ordinary birth but a birth in which to remember the lotus feet of the Lord. Such a body is desirable. A devotee does not think like yogīs and jñānīs, who want to refuse a material body and become one with the impersonal Brahman effulgence. A devotee does not like this idea. On the contrary, he will accept any body, material or spiritual, for he wants to serve the Lord. This is real liberation.If one has a strong desire to serve the Lord, even if he accepts a material body, there is no cause of anxiety, since a devotee, even in a material body, is a liberated soul. This is confirmed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī:
īhā yasya harer dāsye
nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu
"A person acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness (or, in other words, in the service of Kṛṣṇa) with his body, mind, intelligence and words is a liberated person even within the material world, although he may be engaged in many so-called material activities." The desire to serve the Lord establishes one as liberated in any condition of life, whether in a spiritual body or a material body. In a spiritual body the devotee becomes a direct associate of the Lord, but even though a devotee may superficially appear to be in a material body, he is always liberated and is engaged in the same duties of service to the Lord as a devotee in Vaikuṇṭhaloka. There is no distinction. It is said, sādhur jīvo vā maro vā. Whether a devotee is alive or dead, his only concern is to serve the Lord. Tyaktvā dehaḿ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9]. When he gives up his body, he goes directly to become an associate of the Lord and serve Him, although he does the same thing even in a material body in the material world.For a devotee there is no pain, pleasure or material perfection. One may argue that at the time of death a devotee also suffers because of giving up his material body. But in this connection the example may be given that a cat carries a mouse in its mouth and also carries a kitten in its mouth. Both the mouse and the kitten are carried in the same mouth, but the perception of the mouse is different from that of the kitten. When a devotee gives up his body (tyaktvā deham), he is ready to go back home, back to Godhead. Thus his perception is certainly different from that of a person being taken away by Yamarāja for punishment. A person whose intelligence is always concentrated upon the service of the Lord is unafraid of accepting a material body, whereas a nondevotee, having no engagement in the service of the Lord, is very much afraid of accepting a material body or giving up his present one. Therefore, we should follow the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu: mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. It doesn't matter whether we accept a material body or a spiritual body; our only ambition should be to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
9.13.10
sarvatrāsya yato mṛtyur
(10) I do not wish to assume a material body that inevitably dies again, it is for each everywhere, like with fish living in the water, the cause of all distress, lamentation and fear [see also 1.13: 47 and B.G. 9: 3].'
The material body, whether in the higher or lower planetary system, is destined to die. In the lower planetary system or lower species of life one may die soon, and in the higher planets or higher species one may live for a long, long time, but death is inevitable. This fact should be understood. In the human form of life one should take the opportunity to put an end to birth, death, old age and disease by performing tapasya. This is the aim of human civilization: to stop the repetition of birth and death, which is called mṛtyu-saḿsāra-vartmani. This can be done only when one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, or has achieved the service of the lotus feet of the Lord. Otherwise one must rot in this material world and accept a material body subject to birth, death, old age and disease.
The example given here is that water is a very nice place for a fish, but the fish is never free from anxiety about death, since big fish are always eager to eat the small fish. phalgūni tatra mahatām: all living entities are eaten by bigger living entities. This is the way of material nature.
ahastāni sahastānām
"Those who are devoid of hands are prey for those who have hands; those devoid of legs are prey for the four-legged. The weak are the subsistence of the strong, and the general rule holds that one living being is food for another." (Bhāg. 1.13.47) The Supreme Personality of Godhead has created the material world in such a way that one living entity is food for another. Thus there is a struggle for existence, but although we speak of survival of the fittest, no one can escape death without becoming a devotee of the Lord. Hariḿ vinā naiva sṛtiḿ taranti: one cannot escape the cycle of birth and death without becoming a devotee. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (9.3). Aprāpya māḿ nivartante mṛtyu-saḿsāra-vartmani. One who does not attain shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa must certainly wander up and down within the cycle of birth and death.
9.13.11
lakṣito 'dhyātma-saḿsthitaḥ
(11) The godly said: 'Live as you like without a body; in the vision of the embodied you may become manifest or unmanifest now we've seen you in your spiritual existence!'
The demigods wanted Mahārāja Nimi to come to life, but Mahārāja Nimi did not want to accept another material body. Under the circumstances, the demigods, having been requested by the saintly persons, gave him the benediction that he would be able to stay in his spiritual body. There are two kinds of spiritual bodies, as generally understood by common men. The term "spiritual body" is sometimes taken to refer to a ghostly body. An impious man who dies after sinful activities is sometimes condemned so that he cannot possess a gross material body of five material elements, but must live in a subtle body of mind, intelligence and ego. However, as explained in Bhagavad-gītā, devotees can give up the material body and attain a spiritual body free from all material tinges, gross and subtle (tyaktvā dehaḿ punar janma naiti mām eti so 'rjuna [Bg. 4.9]). Thus the demigods gave King Nimi the benediction that he would be able to stay in a purely spiritual body, free from all gross and subtle material contamination.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead can be seen or unseen according to His own transcendental desire; similarly, a devotee, being jīvan-mukta, can be seen or not, as he chooses. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, nāhaḿ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ: [Bg. 7.25] the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is not manifest to everyone and anyone. To the common man He is unseen. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ: [BRS. 1.2.234] Kṛṣṇa and His name, fame, qualities and paraphernalia cannot be materially understood. Unless one is advanced in spiritual life (sevonmukhe hi jihvādau), one cannot see Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the ability to see Kṛṣṇa depends on Kṛṣṇa's mercy. The same privilege of being seen or unseen according to one's own desire was given to Mahārāja Nimi. Thus he lived in his original, spiritual body as an associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
9.13.12
manyamānā maharṣayaḥ
(12) In respect of the common people afraid of anarchy churned the great seers the deceased body of Nimi and was thus a son born [compare: 4.14: 43 and 4.15: 1].
Arājaka-bhayam. If the government is unsteady and unregulated, there is danger of fear for the people. At the present moment this danger always exists because of government by the people. Here we can see that the great sages got a son from Nimi's material body to guide the citizens properly, for such guidance is the duty of a kṣatriya king. A kṣatriya is one who saves the citizens from being injured. In the so-called people's government there is no trained kṣatriya king; as soon as someone strong accumulates votes, he becomes the minister or president, without training from the learned brāhmaṇas expert in the śāstras. Indeed, we see that in some countries the government changes from party to party, and therefore the men in charge of the government are more eager to protect their position than to see that the citizens are happy. The Vedic civilization prefers monarchy. People liked the government of Lord Rāmacandra, the government of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and the governments of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa and Mahārāja Prahlāda. There are many instances of excellent government under a monarch. Gradually the democratic government is becoming unfit for the needs of the people, and therefore some parties are trying to elect a dictator. A dictatorship is the same as a monarchy, but without a trained leader. Actually people will be happy when a trained leader, whether a monarch or a dictator, takes control of the government and rules the people according to the standard regulations of the authorized scriptures.
9.13.13
vaidehas tu videhajaḥ
mithilo mathanāj jāto
(13) Because of his uncommon birth became he known as Vaideha ['free from a body'] because of being born from Videha [Nimi who was without a body]. He as well as the city he founded, were also known as Mithila from the being born from the churning.
9.13.14
tasmād udāvasus tasya
putro 'bhūn nandivardhanaḥ
tataḥ suketus tasyāpi
devarāto mahīpate
(14) From him there was a son named Udâvasu, the one born from him was Nandivardhana, Suketu followed him and his son carried the name Devarâta, o great ruler.
9.13.15
tasmād bṛhadrathas tasya
sudhṛter dhṛṣṭaketur vai
haryaśvo 'tha marus tataḥ
(15) From him there was Brihadratha, Mahâvîrya was his and he became the father of Sudhriti who had a son named Dhrishthaketu. He on his turn had Haryas'va after whom there was Maru.
9.13.16
maroḥ pratīpakas tasmāj
devamīḍhas tasya putro
viśruto 'tha mahādhṛtiḥ
(16) Maru's son was Pratîpaka and from him was Kritaratha born. From him came Devamîdha and his son Vis'ruta had one named Mahâdhriti.
9.13.17
kṛtirātas tatas tasmān
svarṇaromā sutas tasya
(17) Kritirâta followed and from him there was Mahâromâ as a son whose son Svarnaromâ had a son called Hrasvaromâ as the next one in the dynasty.
9.13.18
yajñārthaḿ karṣato mahīm
(18) From him was S'îradhvaja [King Janaka] born who for the performance of sacrifices plowing the earth from the front of his plow [or s'îra] had Sîtâdevî [the wife of Râma, Sîtâ means 'furrow'] born, because of which he was celebrated as S'îradhvaja.
9.13.19
kuśadhvajas tasya putras
tato dharmadhvajo nṛpaḥ
(19) Kus'adhvaja was S'îradhvaja's son and his son was king Dharmadhvaja whose two sons were Kritadhvaja and Mitadhvaja.
9.13.20-21
khāṇḍikyas tu mitadhvajāt
kṛtadhvaja-suto rājann
bhānumāḿs tasya putro 'bhūc
(20-21) Kritadhvaja had Kes'idhvaja and Mitadhvaja's son was Khândikya, o King. Kritadhvaja's son was an expert in the science of transcendence and Khândikya was an expert in vedic rituals. The latter fled because he feared Kes'idhvaja. From Bhânumân, Kes'idhvaja's son, there was the son S'atadyumna.
9.13.22
sanadvājaḥ suto 'bhavat
ūrjaketuḥ sanadvājād
(22) S'uci was his son and of him was the son Sanadvâja born. Ûrjaketu, his son, had Aja who thereafter had Pûrujit as his son.
9.13.23
ariṣṭanemis tasyāpi
śrutāyus tat supārśvakaḥ
tataś citraratho yasya
kṣemādhir mithilādhipaḥ
(23) Also he had a son: Arishthanemi, and from his son S'rutâyu was there Supârs'vaka who fathered Citraratha of whom the son Kshemâdhi became the king of Mithilâ.
9.13.24
āsīd upagurus tasmād
upagupto 'gni-sambhavaḥ
(24) His son named Samaratha had one named Satyaratha. From him was Upaguru born who begot Upagupta who was a partial expansion of Agni [the god of fire].
9.13.25
vasvananto 'tha tat-putro
yuyudho yat subhāṣaṇaḥ
śrutas tato jayas tasmād
(25) Vasvananta [of Upagupta] his son thereafter was known by the name of Yuyudha who had a son called Subhâshana and his son was S'ruta. He had Jaya and Jaya had Vijaya. Vijaya's son was Rita.
9.13.26
vītahavyo dhṛtis tataḥ
bahulāśvo dhṛtes tasya
(26) Of him was the son S'unaka born, then came Vîtahavya and his son was Dhriti. Dhriti begot the son Bahulâs'va and of him there was Kriti who had a son called Mahâvas'î.
9.13.27
(27) These, o King, are the descendants of Mithila who by the grace of the Lord of Yoga were all true knowers of the soul finding liberation from the worldly duality, even though they stayed at home.'
This material world is called dvaita, or duality. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya 4.176) says:
'dvaite 'bhadrābhadra-jñāna, saba — 'manodharma'
In the world of duality — that is to say, in the material world — so-called goodness and badness are both the same. Therefore, in this world, to distinguish between good and bad, happiness and distress, is meaningless because they are both mental concoctions (manodharma). Because everything here is miserable and troublesome, to create an artificial situation and pretend it to be full of happiness is simply illusion. The liberated person, being above the influence of the three modes of material nature, is unaffected by such dualities in all circumstances. He remains Kṛṣṇa conscious by tolerating so-called happiness and distress. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (2.14):
mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkhadāḥ
āgamāpāyino 'nityās
tāḿs titikṣasva bhārata
"O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed." Those who are liberated, being on the transcendental platform of rendering service to the Lord, do not care about so-called happiness and distress. They know that these are like changing seasons, which are perceivable by contact with the material body. Happiness and distress come and go. Therefore a paṇḍita, a learned man, is not concerned with them. As it is said, gatāsūn agatāsūḿś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. The body is dead from the very beginning because it is a lump of matter. It has no feelings of happiness and distress. Because the soul within the body is in the bodily concept of life, he suffers happiness and distress, but these come and go. It is understood herewith that the kings born in the dynasty of Mithila were all liberated persons, unaffected by the so-called happiness and distress of this world.(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swamyjis, Philosophers, Scholars and Knowledge Seekers for the collection)
No comments:
Post a Comment