Vyasadev
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Chapter 7
The Descendants of King Mândhâtâ
In this chapter the descendants of King Māndhātā are described, and in this connection the histories of Purukutsa and Hariścandra are also given.
The most prominent son of Māndhātā was Ambarīṣa, his son was Yauvanāśva, and Yauvanāśva's son was Hārīta. These three personalities were the best in the dynasty of Māndhātā. Purukutsa, another son of Māndhātā, married the sister of the snakes (sarpa-gaṇa) named Narmadā. The son of Purukutsa was Trasaddasyu, whose son was Anaraṇya. Anaraṇya's son was Haryaśva, Haryaśva's son was Prāruṇa, Prāruṇa's son was Tribandhana, and Tribandhana's son was Satyavrata, also known as Triśańku. When Triśańku kidnapped the daughter of a brāhmaṇa, his father cursed him for this sinful act, and Triśańku became a caṇḍāla, worse than a śūdra. Later, by the influence of Viśvāmitra, he was brought to the heavenly planets, but by the influence of the demigods he fell back downward. He was stopped in his fall, however, by the influence of Viśvāmitra. The son of Triśańku was Hariścandra. Hariścandra once performed a Rājasūya-yajña, but Viśvāmitra cunningly took all of Hariścandra's possessions as a dakṣiṇa contribution and chastised Hariścandra in various ways. Because of this, a quarrel arose between Viśvāmitra and Vasiṣṭha. Hariścandra had no sons, but on the advice of Nārada he worshiped Varuṇa and in this way got a son named Rohita. Hariścandra promised that Rohita would be used to perform a Varuṇa-yajña. Varuṇa reminded Hariścandra repeatedly about this yajña, but the King, because of affection for his son, gave various arguments to avoid sacrificing him. Thus time passed, and gradually the son grew up. To safeguard his life, the boy then took bow and arrows in hand and went to the forest. Meanwhile, at home, Hariścandra suffered from dropsy because of an attack from Varuṇa. When Rohita received the news that his father was suffering, he wanted to return to the capital, but King Indra prevented him from doing so. Following the instructions of Indra, Rohita lived in the forest for six years and then returned home. Rohita purchased Śunaḥśepha, the second son of Ajīgarta, and gave him to his father, Hariścandra, as the sacrificial animal. In this way, the sacrifice was performed, Varuṇa and the other demigods were pacified, and Hariścandra was freed from disease. In this sacrifice, Viśvāmitra was the hotā priest, Jamadagni was the adhvaryu, Vasiṣṭha was the brahmā, and Ayāsya was the udgātā. King Indra, being very satisfied by the sacrifice, gave Hariścandra a golden chariot, and Viśvāmitra gave him transcendental knowledge. Thus Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes how Hariścandra achieved perfection.
9.7.1
māndhātuḥ putra-pravaro
yo 'mbarīṣaḥ prakīrtitaḥ
pitāmahena pravṛto
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'The most prominent son of Mândhâtâ named Ambarîsha [to the Ambarîsha of Nâbhâga, see 4.13], was adopted by his grandfather Yuvanâs'va as his son and he had a son called Yauvanâs'va who on his turn had a son named Hârîta. These [three, Ambarisha, Yauvanâs'va and Hârîta,] were the most prominent of all members of the Mândhâtâ dynasty.
9.7.2
purukutsāya yoragaiḥ
tayā rasātalaḿ nīto
bhujagendra-prayuktayā
(2) Purukutsa [another son of Mândhâtâ] was taken to the lower regions by his wife Narmadâ who in service of the king of the serpents [Vâsuki] had been given to him in marriage by her serpent brothers.
Before describing the descendants of Purukutsa, the son of Māndhātā, Śukadeva Gosvāmī first describes how Purukutsa was married to Narmadā, who was induced to take him to the lower region of the universe.
9.7.3
(3) There did he, factually empowered by Lord Vishnu, shatter the ones abiding by the song of heaven who deserved it to be chastised [because of their Gandharva sin of gambling]. From the serpentine he received the benediction that those who remember this incident are protected against the reptilians [the snake-like race of humanoids].
9.7.4
trasaddasyuḥ paurukutso
prāruṇo 'tha tribandhanaḥ
(4) The son of Pûrukutsa Trasaddasyu [named after the other one: 9.6: 32-34] was the father of Anaranya whose son had the name Haryas'va [after: 9.6: 23-24]. From him there was Prâruna and Prâruna's son was Tribandhana.
9.7.5-6
tasya satyavrataḥ putras
prāptaś cāṇḍālatāḿ śāpād
tenaiva stambhito balāt
(5-6) Of Tribandhana there was a son named Satyavrata [after the Manu, see 8.24: 10], who, being cursed by his father [for kidnapping a brahmin daughter at her marriage], had acquired the quality of an outcast [cândâla] and was thus called Tris'anku ['afraid of the heavens']. Under the influence of Kaus'ika [sage Vis'vâmitra] went he to heaven where he, having fallen down there, fixed [half way in his fall] by the sage his supreme and divine power, today still can be seen hanging with his head downward from the sky.
9.7.7
traiśańkavo hariścandro
(7) Tris'anku's son was Haris'candra; because of him was there between Vis'vâmitra and Vasishthha a great quarrel because of which the two for many years were as birds [*].
Viśvāmitra and Vasiṣṭha were always inimical. Formerly, Viśvāmitra was a kṣatriya, and by undergoing severe austerities he wanted to become a brāhmaṇa, but Vasiṣṭha would not agree to accept him. In this way there was always disagreement between the two. Later, however, Vasiṣṭha accepted him because of Viśvāmitra's quality of forgiveness. Once Hariścandra performed a yajña for which Viśvāmitra was the priest, but Viśvāmitra, being angry at Hariścandra, took away all his possessions, claiming them as a contribution of dakṣiṇā. Vasiṣṭha, however, did not like this, and therefore a fight arose between Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra. The fighting became so severe that each of them cursed the other. One of them said, "May you become a bird," and the other said, "May you become a duck." Thus both of them became birds and continued fighting for many years because of Hariścandra. We can see that such a great mystic yogī as Saubhari became a victim of sense gratification, and such great sages as Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra became birds. This is the material world. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. Within this material world, or within this universe, however elevated one may be in material qualities, one must suffer the conditions of birth, death, old age and disease (janma-mṛtyu jarā-vyādhi). Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that this material world is simply miserable (duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]). The Bhāgavatam says, padaḿ padaḿ yad vipadām: at every step here there is danger. Therefore, because the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement provides the opportunity for the human being to get out of this material world simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, this movement is the greatest benediction in human society.
9.7.8
so 'napatyo viṣaṇṇātmā
nāradasyopadeśataḥ
(8) He was very morose of having no successor and took on the advise of Nârada shelter with Varuna whom he asked: 'O lord, let there be a son born from me.'
9.7.9
tatheti varuṇenāsya
(9) O Mahârâja, then he said: 'And if there is a son, am I even willing to make with him an offering if you so desire'. Varuna accepted it and so was there indeed a son born to him that was named Rohita ['to the blood'].
9.7.10
jātaḥ suto hy anenāńga
māḿ yajasveti so 'bravīt
(10) 'Since a son has been born can you, my dear, prepare me a sacrifice with him', so Varuna said to Haris'candra who then replied: 'Ten days after [its birth] should an animal be considered fit for being sacrificed.'
9.7.11
yajasvety āha so 'bravīt
dantāḥ paśor yaj jāyerann
(11) Ten days later coming back said he: 'And now: sacrifice!' Thus replied Haris'candra: 'When the teeth of an animal have appeared, then it has become fit for being sacrificed!'
9.7.12
sa pratyāhātha so 'bravīt
(12) When the teeth had grown said Varuna: 'Sacrifice now', upon which Haris'candra replied: 'When he looses his [milk] teeth, then will he be fit.'
9.7.13
yajasvety āha so 'bravīt
(13) When the teeth fell out told he him: 'Sacrifice now then!', upon which came the reply: 'When the 'sacrificial animal' its teeth have grown back, then it is pure!'
9.7.14
sa pratyāhātha so 'bravīt
(14) Varuna, upon them having grown, then said: 'You offer now', after which Haris'candra said: 'When he as a warrior can defend himself with a shield, o King, then will the 'sacrificial animal' be pure.'
9.7.15
iti putrānurāgeṇa
(15) This way with his mind under the control of his affection for his son cheated he the god on the time that it would take and had he him so waiting for the moment to arrive.
9.7.16
prāṇa-prepsur dhanuṣ-pāṇir
(16) Rohita aware of what his father had planned to do, took, trying to save his life, his bow and arrows and left for the forest.
9.7.17
(17) When he heard that his father because of Varuna was plagued by dropsy and had grown a large belly, wanted Rohita to return to the capital, but Indra forbade him to go there.
9.7.18
rohitāyādiśac chakraḥ
(18) Indra told him to travel the world for the purpose of holy places and pilgrimage sites and that he had to live in the forest for one year.
9.7.19
abhyetyābhyetya sthaviro
(19) And so it happened for a second, a third, a fourth and a fifth year as well that Indra in the form of an old brahmin appeared before him to tell him that again and again.
9.7.20
upavrajann ajīgartād
akrīṇān madhyamaḿ sutam
(20) The sixth year that Rohita wandered in the forest, went he to the capital where he with Ajîgarita bought out his second son S'unahs'epha to use as the 'animal of sacrifice'. Him he offered to his father bringing his obeisances.
It appears that in those days a man could be purchased for any purpose. Hariścandra was in need of a person to sacrifice as the animal in a yajña and thus fulfill his promise to Varuṇa, and a man was purchased from another man for this purpose. Millions of years ago, animal sacrifice and slave trade both existed. Indeed, they have existed since time immemorial.
9.7.21
muktodaro 'yajad devān
(21) Thereafter sacrificing the [worldly life of the] man in the yajña [**] became Haris'candra as famous and celebrated as demigods like Varuna are in making sacrifices and was he freed from the dropsy.
9.7.22
jamadagnir abhūd brahmā
(22) Vis'vâmitra was in the sacrifice offering the oblations [the Hotâ], the self-realized Jamadagni led the recitations of the [Yajur Veda] mantras [as the Adhvaryu], Vasishthha was the leading brahmin [the brahmâ] and Ayâsya [or Âgastya] did the [Sâma Veda] hymns [as the Udgâtâ].
9.7.23
śātakaumbhamayaḿ ratham
(23) Indra, very pleased, delivered him a golden chariot. The glories of S'unahs'epha will be recounted with the description of the sons of Vis'vâmitra.
9.7.24
viśvāmitro bhṛśaḿ prīto
(24) To see truthfulness, solidity and forbearance with the ruler [Haris'candra] and his wife pleased Vis'vâmitra very much and so gave he them the imperishable knowledge to reach their destination.
9.7.25-26
manaḥ pṛthivyāḿ tām adbhis
tejasāpo 'nilena tat
bhūtādau taḿ mahātmani
tayājñānaḿ vinirdahan
anirdeśyāpratarkyeṇa
(25-26) Merging the mind with the earth, the earth with the water, the water with the fire, the fire with the air and the air with the sky as also merging that with the material identification, that false ego with the totality of matter and that complete with the spiritual knowledge in all its branches, was by that specific process of meditation the ignorance subdued and the material ambition forsaken. By loving selfrealization and liberating transcendental bliss remained they with the Inconceivable, completely freed from being bound materially.'
'Vis'vâmitra and Vasishthha were always inimical. Formerly, Vis'vâmitra was a kshatriya, and by undergoing severe austerities he wanted to become a brâhmana, but Vasishthha would not agree to accept him. In this way there was always disagreement between the two. Later, however, Vasishthha accepted him because of Vis'vâmitra's quality of forgiveness. Once Haris'candra performed a yajña for which Vis'vâmitra was the priest, but Vis'vâmitra, being angry with Haris'candra, took away all his possessions, claiming them as a contribution of dakshinâ. Vasishthha, however, did not like this, and therefore a fight arose between Vasishthha and Vis'vâmitra. The fighting became so severe that each of them cursed the other. One of them said, "May you become a bird," and the other said, "May you become a duck." Thus both of them became birds and continued fighting for many years because of Haris'candra.'
**: Sacrificing a human being has to be considered here as something nonviolent since the vidhi preaches compassion with all living creatures (dayâ or ahimsâ ) and the Bhâgavatam for sure condemns the sacrifice of human lives by the story of Jada Bharata [see 5.9: 17]. The context here suggests, and from 9.16: 31-32 it appears, that because Haris'candra had been the cause of a fight between the sages Vis'vâmitra and Vasishthha that the sacrifice of a human being meant that some man had to give up his worldly life to serve the sages in their reconcilliation. The heir to the throne, the most likely candidate for the job, could not give up his worldly responsibility, so was another man chartered to take that duty upon him.
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