Adhyaya 15

Verse 1

मैत्रेय उवाच अथ तस्य पुनर्विप्रैरपुत्रस्य महीपते: । बाहुभ्यां मथ्यमानाभ्यां मिथुनं समपद्यत ॥ १ ॥

Maitreya said: My dear Vidura, the brāhmaṇas and great sages again churned the two arms of King Vena’s dead body, though he had no son. From those arms a male and female pair emerged.

Verse 2

तद् दृष्ट्वा मिथुनं जातमृषयो ब्रह्मवादिन: । ऊचु: परमसन्तुष्टा विदित्वा भगवत्कलाम् ॥ २ ॥

Seeing that male and female pair born, the sages—learned in Vedic wisdom—were supremely pleased, for they understood the couple to be an expansion of a plenary portion (kalā) of Bhagavān Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Verse 3

ऋषय ऊचु: एष विष्णोर्भगवत: कला भुवनपालिनी । इयं च लक्ष्म्या: सम्भूति: पुरुषस्यानपायिनी ॥ ३ ॥

The sages said: This man is a portion of the potency of Bhagavān Viṣṇu, the protector of all worlds; and this woman is a partial manifestation of Śrī Lakṣmī, who is never separated from the Lord.

Verse 4

अयं तु प्रथमो राज्ञां पुमान् प्रथयिता यश: । पृथुर्नाम महाराजो भविष्यति पृथुश्रवा: ॥ ४ ॥

Of the two, the male will be foremost among kings and will spread his fame throughout the world. His name will be Pṛthu; he will become the great king Pṛthuśravā.

Verse 5

इयं च सुदती देवी गुणभूषणभूषणा । अर्चिर्नाम वरारोहा पृथुमेवावरुन्धती ॥ ५ ॥

The female is a goddess with beautiful teeth and virtues so radiant that she beautifies even the ornaments she wears. Her name will be Arci, and in time she will accept King Pṛthu as her husband.

Verse 6

एष साक्षाद्धरेरंशो जातो लोकरिरक्षया । इयं च तत्परा हि श्रीरनुजज्ञेऽनपायिनी ॥ ६ ॥

As King Pṛthu, the Lord Hari has appeared as a portion of His potency to protect the people of the world. And Śrī Lakṣmī, the Lord’s eternal, inseparable companion, has partially descended as Arci to become Pṛthu’s queen.

Verse 7

मैत्रेय उवाच प्रशंसन्ति स्म तं विप्रा गन्धर्वप्रवरा जगु: । मुमुचु: सुमनोधारा: सिद्धा नृत्यन्ति स्व:स्त्रिय: ॥ ७ ॥

Maitreya said: Dear Vidura, then all the brāhmaṇas praised King Pṛthu, and the finest singers of Gandharvaloka chanted his glories. The residents of Siddhaloka showered flowers, and the beautiful women of the heavenly realms danced in ecstatic joy.

Verse 8

शङ्खतूर्यमृदङ्गाद्या नेदुर्दुन्दुभयो दिवि । तत्र सर्व उपाजग्मुर्देवर्षिपितृणां गणा: ॥ ८ ॥

In the vault of heaven, conchshells, bugles, mṛdaṅgas, and kettledrums resounded. Then the deva-ṛṣis, the pitṛs, and hosts from the celestial worlds all assembled there.

Verse 9

ब्रह्मा जगद्गुरुर्देवै: सहासृत्य सुरेश्वरै: । वैन्यस्य दक्षिणे हस्ते दृष्ट्वा चिह्नं गदाभृत: ॥ ९ ॥ पादयोररविन्दं च तं वै मेने हरे: कलाम् । यस्याप्रतिहतं चक्रमंश: स परमेष्ठिन: ॥ १० ॥

Brahmā, the guru of the universe, arrived there with all the devas and their chiefs. Seeing on King Pṛthu’s right palm the auspicious marks of Viṣṇu, the wielder of the mace, and lotus emblems upon the soles of his feet, Brahmā understood that Pṛthu was an aṁśa-kalā, a partial manifestation of Śrī Hari. One whose palm bears the sign of the cakra and other such sacred lines should be regarded as a partial incarnation of the Supreme Lord.

Verse 10

ब्रह्मा जगद्गुरुर्देवै: सहासृत्य सुरेश्वरै: । वैन्यस्य दक्षिणे हस्ते दृष्ट्वा चिह्नं गदाभृत: ॥ ९ ॥ पादयोररविन्दं च तं वै मेने हरे: कलाम् । यस्याप्रतिहतं चक्रमंश: स परमेष्ठिन: ॥ १० ॥

Brahmā came with the devas and their lords. Seeing on Pṛthu’s right palm the sacred marks of Viṣṇu, the mace-bearer, and lotus emblems on his soles, he knew Pṛthu to be an aṁśa-kalā of Śrī Hari; one whose palm bears the cakra sign and other such marks is regarded as a partial avatāra of the Supreme Lord.

Verse 11

तस्याभिषेक आरब्धो ब्राह्मणैर्ब्रह्मवादिभि: । आभिषेचनिकान्यस्मै आजह्रु: सर्वतो जना: ॥ ११ ॥

Then the brahmavādī brāhmaṇas, devoted to Vedic rites, began the king’s abhiṣeka, the sacred coronation. People from every direction brought the needed paraphernalia, and thus all was made complete.

Verse 12

सरित्समुद्रा गिरयो नागा गाव: खगा मृगा: । द्यौ: क्षिति: सर्वभूतानि समाजह्रुरुपायनम् ॥ १२ ॥

Rivers and seas, hills and mountains, nāgas, cows, birds and beasts—along with the heavenly realms, the earth, and all living beings—gathered gifts according to their own capacity to offer unto the king.

Verse 13

सोऽभिषिक्तो महाराज: सुवासा: साध्वलड़्क़ृत: । पत्‍न्यार्चिषालड्‌क़ृतया विरेजेऽग्निरिवापर: ॥ १३ ॥

Thus the great King Pṛthu, exquisitely dressed and ornamented, was anointed and seated upon the throne. With his wife Arci, also richly adorned, the two shone brilliantly, like fire itself.

Verse 14

तस्मै जहार धनदो हैमं वीर वरासनम् । वरुण: सलिलस्रावमातपत्रं शशिप्रभम् ॥ १४ ॥

Kuvera, lord of wealth, then presented King Pṛthu with a golden throne fit for a hero. Varuṇa offered a moon-bright royal umbrella that continually sprinkled fine drops of water.

Verse 15

वायुश्च वालव्यजने धर्म: कीर्तिमयीं स्रजम् । इन्द्र: किरीटमुत्कृष्टं दण्डं संयमनं यम: ॥ १५ ॥

Vāyu, the wind-god, presented two hair whisks (cāmaras). Dharma, lord of righteousness, gave a flower garland that would spread the King’s fame. Indra offered an excellent helmet, and Yamarāja bestowed a scepter for ruling the world.

Verse 16

ब्रह्मा ब्रह्ममयं वर्म भारती हारमुत्तमम् । हरि: सुदर्शनं चक्रं तत्पत्‍न्यव्याहतां श्रियम् ॥ १६ ॥

Lord Brahmā gave him protective armor made of spiritual knowledge, and Bhāratī (Sarasvatī) bestowed an excellent transcendental necklace. Lord Hari (Viṣṇu) presented the Sudarśana disc, and Goddess Lakṣmī granted imperishable opulence and fortune.

Verse 17

दशचन्द्रमसिं रुद्र: शतचन्द्रं तथाम्बिका । सोमोऽमृतमयानश्वांस्त्वष्टा रूपाश्रयं रथम् ॥ १७ ॥

Rudra (Śiva) presented a sword in a sheath marked with ten moons, and Ambikā (Durgā) gave a shield marked with one hundred moons. Soma, the moon-god, offered horses made of nectar, and Tvaṣṭā (Viśvakarmā) bestowed a most beautiful chariot.

Verse 18

अग्निराजगवं चापं सूर्यो रश्मिमयानिषून् । भू: पादुके योगमय्यौ द्यौ: पुष्पावलिमन्वहम् ॥ १८ ॥

Agni, the fire-god, presented the Ajagava bow fashioned from the horns of goats and cows. The sun-god bestowed arrows radiant like his own rays. The presiding deity of Bhūrloka offered mystic, yoga-māyā-infused slippers, and the gods of the sky again and again brought garlands of flowers in homage.

Verse 19

नाट्यं सुगीतं वादित्रमन्तर्धानं च खेचरा: । ऋषयश्चाशिष: सत्या: समुद्र: शङ्खमात्मजम् ॥ १९ ॥

The sky-roaming devas bestowed upon him the arts of drama, sweet song, instrumental music, and the power to vanish at will. The great sages offered blessings that are true and unfailing. The ocean presented a conchshell (śaṅkha) born of the sea.

Verse 20

सिन्धव: पर्वता नद्यो रथवीथीर्महात्मन: । सूतोऽथ मागधो वन्दी तं स्तोतुमुपतस्थिरे ॥ २० ॥

The seas, mountains, and rivers made way so that the great soul could drive his chariot without obstruction. Then a sūta, a māgadha, and a vandī came forward to offer prayers and praises. All stood before him to perform their respective duties.

Verse 21

स्तावकांस्तानभिप्रेत्य पृथुर्वैन्य: प्रतापवान् । मेघनिर्ह्रादया वाचा प्रहसन्निदमब्रवीत् ॥ २१ ॥

Seeing those professional eulogists before him, the mighty King Pṛthu, son of Vena, smiled to honor them and, with a voice deep as the reverberation of thunderclouds, spoke as follows.

Verse 22

पृथुरुवाच भो: सूत हे मागध सौम्य वन्दिँ- ल्लोकेऽधुनास्पष्टगुणस्य मे स्यात् । किमाश्रयो मे स्तव एष योज्यतां मा मय्यभूवन्वितथा गिरो व: ॥ २२ ॥

King Pṛthu said: “O gentle sūta, O māgadha, and O vandī! The qualities you have spoken of are not yet clearly manifest in me. Why should such praise be applied to me when I am not truly the shelter of those virtues? I do not wish your words to become vain on my account; better offer them to one more worthy.”

Verse 23

तस्मात्परोक्षेऽस्मदुपश्रुतान्यलं करिष्यथ स्तोत्रमपीच्यवाच: । सत्युत्तमश्लोकगुणानुवादे जुगुप्सितं न स्तवयन्ति सभ्या: ॥ २३ ॥

Therefore, O gentle reciters, offer your hymns at the proper time—when the qualities you have spoken of truly manifest in me. The refined, who glorify the Supreme Lord Uttamaśloka, do not ascribe such virtues to a man in whom they are not actually present.

Verse 24

महद्गुणानात्मनि कर्तुमीश: क: स्तावकै: स्तावयतेऽसतोऽपि । तेऽस्याभविष्यन्निति विप्रलब्धो जनावहासं कुमतिर्न वेद ॥ २४ ॥

How could a truly intelligent man, fit to possess such exalted qualities, allow his followers to praise him if those qualities are not actually present? To praise someone by saying, “In the future he will become so,” is mere deception; and the fool who accepts it does not know that such words make him a laughingstock among men.

Verse 25

प्रभवो ह्यात्मन: स्तोत्रं जुगुप्सन्त्यपि विश्रुता: । ह्रीमन्त: परमोदारा: पौरुषं वा विगर्हितम् ॥ २५ ॥

Just as a person of honor and magnanimity does not wish to hear of his own shameful deeds, so one who is very famous and powerful does not relish hearing praise of himself.

Verse 26

वयं त्वविदिता लोके सूताद्यापि वरीमभि: । कर्मभि: कथमात्मानं गापयिष्याम बालवत् ॥ २६ ॥

My dear devotees, headed by the sūta, at present I am not known in the world for any exalted deeds, for I have done nothing worthy of your songs. How, then, could I engage you to praise my activities as if you were children?