Adhyaya 15

Verse 1

श्रीशुक उवाच भरतस्यात्मज: सुमतिर्नामाभिहितो यमु ह वाव केचित्पाखण्डिन ऋषभपदवीमनुवर्तमानं चानार्या अवेदसमाम्नातां देवतां स्वमनीषया पापीयस्या कलौ कल्पयिष्यन्ति ॥ १ ॥

Śrī Śukadeva said: Bharata’s son, named Sumati, followed the path of Ṛṣabhadeva; yet in Kali-yuga deceitful, unrefined, Veda-opposing people will concoct their own notion, accept him as Buddhadeva, and spread that fabricated doctrine.

Verse 2

तस्माद्‍वृद्धसेनायां देवताजिन्नाम पुत्रोऽभवत् ॥ २ ॥

Thereafter, from the womb of Vṛddhasenā, the wife of Sumati, a son was born named Devatājit.

Verse 3

अथासुर्यां तत्तनयो देवद्युम्नस्ततो धेनुमत्यां सुत: परमेष्ठी तस्य सुवर्चलायां प्रतीह उपजात: ॥ ३ ॥

Thereafter, in the womb of Āsurī, the wife of Devatājit, a son named Devadyumna was born. Devadyumna begot Parameṣṭhī through Dhenumatī, and Parameṣṭhī begot Pratīha through Suvarcalā.

Verse 4

य आत्मविद्यामाख्याय स्वयं संशुद्धो महापुरुषमनुसस्मार ॥ ४ ॥

King Pratīha personally taught the principles of self-realization; thus he became purified, a great devotee of the Supreme Person, Lord Viṣṇu, and realized Him directly.

Verse 5

प्रतीहात्सुवर्चलायां प्रतिहर्त्रादयस्त्रय आसन्निज्याकोविदा: सूनव: प्रतिहर्तु: स्तुत्यामजभूमानावजनिषाताम् ॥ ५ ॥

Through his wife Suvarcalā, Pratīha begot three sons—Pratihartā, Prastotā, and Udgātā—highly expert in Vedic sacrifice. Pratihartā, through his wife Stutī, begot two sons named Aja and Bhūmā.

Verse 6

भूम्न ऋषिकुल्यायामुद्गीथस्तत: प्रस्तावो देवकुल्यायां प्रस्तावान्नियुत्सायां हृदयज आसीद्विभुर्विभो रत्यां च पृथुषेणस्तस्मान्नक्त आकूत्यां जज्ञे नक्ताद्‍द्रुतिपुत्रो गयो राजर्षिप्रवर उदारश्रवा अजायत साक्षाद्भ‍गवतो विष्णोर्जगद्रिरक्षिषया गृहीतसत्त्वस्य कलाऽऽत्मवत्त्वादिलक्षणेन महापुरुषतां प्राप्त: ॥ ६ ॥

Through his wife Ṛṣikulyā, Bhūmā begot a son named Udgītha. From Udgītha’s wife Devakulyā was born Prastāva; Prastāva begot Vibhu through Niyutsā; Vibhu begot Pṛthuṣeṇa through Ratī; Pṛthuṣeṇa begot Nakta through Ākūti; and from Druti, the wife of Nakta, was born the great King Gaya. Gaya was renowned and pious, the foremost of saintly kings. Because Lord Viṣṇu and His protective expansions abide in the pure transcendental goodness called viśuddha-sattva, and because Gaya was a direct expansion of Lord Viṣṇu, Mahārāja Gaya also stood in viśuddha-sattva; thus, endowed with divine knowledge, he was known as Mahāpuruṣa.

Verse 7

स वै स्वधर्मेण प्रजापालन पोषणप्रीणनोपलालनानुशासनलक्षणेनेज्यादिना च भगवति महापुरुषे परावरे ब्रह्मणि सर्वात्मनार्पितपरमार्थलक्षणेन ब्रह्मविच्चरणानुसेवयाऽऽपादितभगवद्‍भक्तियोगेन चाभीक्ष्णश: परिभावितातिशुद्ध मतिरुपरतानात्म्य आत्मनि स्वयमुपलभ्यमानब्रह्मात्मानुभवोऽपि निरभिमान एवावनिमजूगुपत् ॥ ७ ॥

King Gaya, by his own svadharma, protected the people, provided their sustenance, pleased them with gifts, comforted them with gentle words, and guided them with proper discipline; and by sacrifices and the duties of a householder he offered everything to Bhagavān, the Mahāpuruṣa—Parabrahman, the Self of all. Through bhakti-yoga gained by serving the feet of Brahman-knowing devotees, his intelligence became supremely pure; free from bodily ego, though established in Brahman realization, he ruled without pride, safeguarding the earth.

Verse 8

तस्येमां गाथां पाण्डवेय पुराविद उपगायन्ति ॥ ८ ॥

O Parīkṣit, descendant of the Pāṇḍus, the learned knowers of Purāṇic histories sing this gāthā in praise of King Gaya.

Verse 9

गयं नृप: क: प्रतियाति कर्मभि-र्यज्वाभिमानी बहुविद्धर्मगोप्ता । समागतश्री: सदसस्पति: सतांसत्सेवकोऽन्यो भगवत्कलामृते ॥ ९ ॥

King Gaya performed every kind of Vedic yajña; he was keen-minded, learned in the Vedic scriptures, a protector of many dharmic principles, endowed with all opulence, a leader among gentlemen, and a servant of saintly devotees. Who could equal him in such vast sacrificial works? He was like a kalā of Bhagavān—a fully qualified plenary manifestation.

Verse 10

यमभ्यषिञ्चन् परया मुदा सती:सत्याशिषो दक्षकन्या: सरिद्भ‍ि: । यस्य प्रजानां दुदुहे धराऽऽशिषोनिराशिषो गुणवत्सस्‍नुतोधा: ॥ १० ॥

The chaste daughters of Dakṣa—such as Śraddhā, Maitrī, and Dayā—whose blessings never failed, joyfully performed the abhiṣeka of Mahārāja Gaya with sanctified river waters. Seeing his virtues, Mother Earth appeared as a cow and, as if beholding her calf, poured forth abundant “milk” of prosperity for the citizens; yet Gaya himself remained desireless.

Verse 11

छन्दांस्यकामस्य च यस्य कामान्दुदूहुराजह्रुरथो बलिं नृपा: । प्रत्यञ्चिता युधि धर्मेण विप्रायदाशिषां षष्ठमंशं परेत्य ॥ ११ ॥

Although Mahārāja Gaya had no personal desire, by the power of Vedic chandas and the performance of yajñas the fruits came to him of their own accord. The kings who fought him were compelled to battle on dharmic principles and, satisfied, offered tribute and gifts. Likewise the brāhmaṇas of his realm were pleased by his generous charity; therefore, for his benefit in the next life, they bestowed upon him a sixth share of the merit of their pious blessings.

Verse 12

यस्याध्वरे भगवानध्वरात्मामघोनि माद्यत्युरुसोमपीथे । श्रद्धाविशुद्धाचलभक्तियोग-समर्पितेज्याफलमाजहार ॥ १२ ॥

In Mahārāja Gaya’s sacrifices there was an abundant supply of soma-rasa. King Indra would come and become intoxicated by drinking it in great quantity. And the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, the yajña-puruṣa, also came and personally accepted the fruits of sacrifice offered with pure, steady devotion in the sacrificial arena.

Verse 13

यत्प्रीणनाद्ब‍‌र्हिषि देवतिर्यङ्-मनुष्यवीरुत्तृणमाविरिञ्चात् । प्रीयेत सद्य: स ह विश्वजीव:प्रीत: स्वयं प्रीतिमगाद्गयस्य ॥ १३ ॥

When the Supreme Lord is pleased by a person’s deeds, all beings—beginning with Brahmā, including the demigods, humans, animals, birds, bees, creepers, trees and grass—are at once pleased. The Lord is the Supersoul of everyone and is by nature fully satisfied; yet He came to Mahārāja Gaya’s sacrificial arena and declared, “I am completely pleased.”

Verse 14

गयाद्गयन्त्यां चित्ररथ: सुगतिरवरोधन इति त्रय: पुत्रा बभूवुश्चित्ररथादूर्णायां सम्राडजनिष्ट तत उत्कलायां मरीचिर्मरीचे ॥ १४ ॥ र्बिन्दुमत्यां बिन्दुमानुदपद्यत तस्मात्सरघायां मधुर्नामाभवन्मधो: सुमनसि वीरव्रतस्ततो भोजायां मन्थुप्रमन्थू जज्ञाते मन्थो: सत्यायां भौवनस्ततो दूषणायां त्वष्टाजनिष्ट त्वष्टुर्विरोचनायां विरजो विरजस्य शतजित्प्रवरं पुत्रशतं कन्या च विषूच्यां किल जातम् ॥ १५ ॥

In the womb of Gayantī, Mahārāja Gaya begot three sons—Citraratha, Sugati and Avarodhana. From Citraratha and his wife Ūrṇā was born Samrāṭ; from Samrāṭ and Utkalā, Marīci. From Marīci and Bindumatī came Bindu; from Bindu and Saraghā, Madhu. From Madhu and Sumanā came Vīravrata; from Vīravrata and Bhojā came Manthu and Pramanthu. From Manthu and Satyā came Bhauvana; from Bhauvana and Dūṣaṇā came Tvaṣṭā. From Tvaṣṭā and Virocanā came Viraja; and from Viraja and Viṣūcī were born one hundred sons and one daughter, of whom Śatajit was foremost.

Verse 15

गयाद्गयन्त्यां चित्ररथ: सुगतिरवरोधन इति त्रय: पुत्रा बभूवुश्चित्ररथादूर्णायां सम्राडजनिष्ट तत उत्कलायां मरीचिर्मरीचे ॥ १४ ॥ र्बिन्दुमत्यां बिन्दुमानुदपद्यत तस्मात्सरघायां मधुर्नामाभवन्मधो: सुमनसि वीरव्रतस्ततो भोजायां मन्थुप्रमन्थू जज्ञाते मन्थो: सत्यायां भौवनस्ततो दूषणायां त्वष्टाजनिष्ट त्वष्टुर्विरोचनायां विरजो विरजस्य शतजित्प्रवरं पुत्रशतं कन्या च विषूच्यां किल जातम् ॥ १५ ॥

In Gayantī’s womb, Gaya had three sons—Citraratha, Sugati and Avarodhana. From Citraratha and Ūrṇā came Samrāṭ; from Samrāṭ and Utkalā came Marīci. From Marīci and Bindumatī came Bindu; from Bindu and Saraghā came Madhu. From Madhu and Sumanā came Vīravrata; from Vīravrata and Bhojā came Manthu and Pramanthu. From Manthu and Satyā came Bhauvana; from Bhauvana and Dūṣaṇā came Tvaṣṭā. From Tvaṣṭā and Virocanā came Viraja; and from Viraja and Viṣūcī were born one hundred sons and one daughter, among whom Śatajit was the best.

Verse 16

तत्रायं श्लोक:— प्रैयव्रतं वंशमिमं विरजश्चरमोद्भ‍व: । अकरोदत्यलं कीर्त्या विष्णु: सुरगणं यथा ॥ १६ ॥

There is a celebrated verse about King Viraja: “Born as the last descendant of Priyavrata’s dynasty, Viraja adorned that line with incomparable fame, just as Lord Viṣṇu, by His transcendental potency, adorns and blesses the hosts of demigods.”