Philosophy and Religion / Harivamsa

Harivaṃśa

27. An account of Ilā's family

VAISHAMPAYANA said:—Ilā's son had seven high-souled sons resembling the sons of the celestials born in the celestial region (1).

They were Ayu, Dhimān, Amāvasu, the high-souled Vishwāyu, Srutāyu, Dridayu, Valāyu, and Shatayu. They were all Urvashi's sons. Amāvasu's sons were Bhima and Nagnajit (2).

Bhima's son was the king Kānchanaprabha. Kānchana's son was the highly powerful and learned Suhotra who begat on Keshini a son by name Janhu who celebrated the great sacrifice Sarvamedha (3–4).

Gangā solicited him to become her husband but on account of his refusal she flooded the Yajna ground (5).

O foremost of the Bharata race, beholding the ground thus flooded by Gangā Suhotra's son Janhu became enraged and said to her (6),

“I shall exhaust your water by drinking it up and you will thus meet with punishment for your arrogance (7).”

The royal saint having drunk up Gangā the great Rishis designated her as his daughter by name Jānhavi (8).

Janhu espoused Yuvanāshwa's daughter Kāveri. On account of Yuvanāshwa's curse Gangā made, with one half of her person, that foremost of rivers, Janhu’s wife the blameless Kāveri (9).

Janhu begat on Kāveri a beloved and pious son by name Susaha whose son was Ajāka (10).

Ajaka's son the king Valākāshwa was greatly fond of hunting. His son was Kusha (11).

He had four sons effulgent like the gods. They were Kushika, Kushanābha, Kushashwa and Murtimān (12).

The king Kushika grew up with Pan??s¹ ranging in the forest. He carried on hard penances for obtaining a son like Indra. Out of fear, accordingly the king of gods was born as a son to him (13).

After he had carried on penances for one thousand years Sakra saw that royal saint of hard austerities. Seeing him the thousand-eyed Purandara thought him capable of creating progeny and accordingly entered into his energy.

When the king of celestials was thus begotten by Kushika as his son he became the king Gādhi who was born of Purukutsa's daughter who was the wife of Kushika (14–16).

Gādhi's daughter was the noble and amiable Satyavati. He gave her away to Bhrigu's son Richika (17).

Bhrigu's son was pleased with her and therefore made Charu for his own and Gadhi's sons (18).

Then calling his own wife Bhrigu's son Richika said to her “you and your mother should eat this Charu (19).

(Your mother) will give birth to an effulgent son the foremost of Kshatryas. No other Kshatriya in this world will be able to vanquish him and he will destroy all the leading heroes of the military caste (20).

O auspicious damsel, this Charu will make your son intelligent, a great ascetic of controlled senses and the foremost of the twice born (21).”

Having said this to his wife Bhrigu's son Richika entered into woods for carrving on hard austerities without any interruption (22).

At that time starting on pilgrimage with his family the king Gādhi arrived at Richika's hermitage for seeing his own daughter (23).

Taking the two cups of Charu from the Rishi, Satyavati with great care gave one to her mother (24).

By a mere accident the mother unwittingly gave her own Charu to her daughter and ate herself the one intended for the latter (25).

Thereupon Satyavati conceived the dreadful offspring whereof was destined to slay all the Kshatryas. She then shone in great effulgence (26).

Seeing her and knowing every thing by meditation the foremost of the twice-born Richika said to his beautiful wife (27).

“By the change of Charu you have been imposed on by your mother. You will give birth to a highly terrible and ruthless son (28).

Your brother will be born as a great ascetic conversant with all the Vedas. By virtue of my Tapas I have handed over mv entire knowledge of the Vedas to him (29).”

Thus addressed by her husband the great Satyavati said to him “I do not wish to have such a wretch of a Brahmana as my son from you” and began to propitiate him. Thus accosted the ascetic again said to her (30).

“O you auspicious dame, I myself did not wish for such a son. On account of the father and mother the son becomes cruel.” Satyavati again replied to him (31).

“You can create the worlds if you like, what to speak of a son. You should therefore give me a simple-minded son capable of controlling his senses (32).

O lord, O foremost of the twice-born, if you cannot undo this, may a grandson be born after my heart (33).”

Thereupon by virtue of his Tapas he became propitiated with her and said “O fair one, I make no distinction between a son and a grandson. Therefore what you have said will come to pass” (34).

Satyavati then gave birth to a son by name Jamadagni always controlling his senses and intent upon carrying one hard austerities (35).

On account of the change of Bhrigu's Charu and the union (of the energies) of Rudra and Vishnu Jamadagni was born from the energy of the latter. And the truthful and pious Satyavati now passes as the celebrated river Koushiki (36–37).

There was another powerful king of the Ikshwāku race by name Renuka. His daughter was the great Renukā. The great ascetic Jamadagni begat on that Renukā a dreadful and highly effulgent son by name Rāma, the destroyer of all the Kshatryas, a master of all sciences and specially that of archery (38–40).

Thus by virtue of Tapas Richika begat on Satyavati the highly illustrious Jamadagni—the foremost of those conversant with the Vedas (41).

His second son was Shunasepha and his youngest son was Shunapuchha. Kushika's son Gādhi begat as his son Viswāmitra endued with Tapas and the qaulity of self-control. Having obtained the status of Brahmana saints he became one of the seven Rishis (42–43).

The virtuous souled Viswāmitra also passed by the name of Viswaratha. By Bhrigu's favour he took his birth from Koushika as the multiplier of his race (44).

Viswāmitra's sons were Devarāt and others celebrated in the three worlds. Hear from me their names (45).

He begat Kati on Devasravā from whom Kātyānas received their name. He begat Hiranyaksha on Shālāvati and Renumān on Renu. Sāngkriti Gālava and Mudgala are also 'well-known.

Madhuchhanda and other Devalas, Ashtaka, Kachhapa and Purita are all the offspring of Viswāmitra. The families of the high-souled descendants of Kushika are all well-known (46–48).

Pānis, Vabhrus, Karajapās and other kings are the descendants of Devarāt. Shālankāyānas, Vāskalas, Lohityas, Yāmadutas, Kārishis, Soushrutas and besides Saindavāyanas are all the descendants of Koushika.

Devalas and Renus are the grandsons of Renukā. Yajnawalka, Aghamarshana, Udumvara, Abhiglāna, Tārakāyana and Chunchula are the grandsons of Sālavati and sons of Hiranyāksha.

Sānskritya, Gālava, Bādrāyana and others are the offspring of the intelligent Viswāmitra. Thus the family of Koushika is well-known to all. They are married according to grades. The connection, between the Brahmanas and Kshatryas amongst the family of Puru and the Brahmana saint Vasishtha and of Koushikas, is well known for ever (49–53).

Of the sons of Viswamitra Sunasepha was the eldest. The foremost of saints Bhārgava became also a Koushika (54).

Viswāmitra's son Sunasepha was destined to be killed at the sacrifice of Haridashwa (55).

The gods again returned Sunasepha unto Viswāmitra and for this he passed by the name of Devarāta. Devarāta and six others were the sons of Viswamitra, who begat on Drishadvati another son by name Ashtaka. Ashtaka’s son was Louhi. Thus I have described the family of Janhu and I shall now describe the progeny of Ayu (56-58).

Footnotes

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