Adhyaya 111
Nahuṣa’s Departure and the Splendor of Mahodaya (City-and-Forest Description)
As Nahuṣa sets out with heroic resolve, Kuñjala recounts—within the wider Bhūmi-khaṇḍa narrative frame—how celestial women, apsarases and kinnarīs, appear and sing auspicious songs, while gandharva women gather in wonder and curiosity. The focus then turns to a splendid cityscape: Mahodaya, a city said to be associated even with the wicked Huṃḍa, yet adorned like Indra’s Nandana with pleasure-groves, jeweled ramparts, watchtowers, moats, lotus-filled waters, and Kailāsa-like mansions. Beholding its prosperity, Nahuṣa enters a wondrous forest at the city’s edge with Mātali and reaches a riverbank where gandharvas sing and sūtas and māgadhas praise him. The chapter ends as he hears a sweet kinnara song, highlighting royal glory framed by celestial beauty and performative eulogy.
Shlokas
Verse 1
कुंजल उवाच । निर्गच्छमाने समराय वीरे नहुषे हि तस्मिन्सुरराज तुल्ये । सकौतुका मंगलगीतयुक्ताः स्त्रियस्तु सर्वाः परिजग्मुरत्र
Kuñjala said: As that heroic Nahusha—equal to the king of the gods—set out for battle, all the women there, filled with eager delight, came forth singing auspicious songs.
Verse 2
देवतानां वरा नार्यो रंभाद्यप्सरसस्तथा । किन्नर्यः कौतुकोत्सुक्यो जगुः स्वरेण सत्तम
O best of the virtuous, the excellent women of the gods—apsarases such as Rambhā—and the kinnarī maidens, eager with wonder and joy, sang out in sweet melody.
Verse 3
गंधर्वाणां तथा नार्यो रूपालंकारसंयुताः । कौतुकाय गतास्तत्र यत्र राजा स तिष्ठति
And the women of the Gandharvas, adorned with beauty and ornaments, went there out of curiosity—to the place where the king was staying.
Verse 4
पुरं महोदयं नाम हुंडस्यापि दुरात्मनः । नंदनोपवनैर्दिव्यैः सर्वत्र समलंकृतम्
There was a city named Mahodaya, belonging even to the wicked-souled Huṃḍa; it was everywhere adorned with divine pleasure-groves like Nandana.
Verse 5
सप्तकक्षान्वितैर्गेहैः कलशैरुपशोभितः । सपताकैर्महादंडैः शोभमानं पुरोत्तमम्
The excellent city was resplendent with houses having seven chambers, adorned with kalaśa finials, and beautified by lofty flagstaffs bearing banners.
Verse 6
कैलासशिखराकारैः सोन्नतैर्दिवमास्थितैः । सर्वश्रियान्वितैर्दिव्यैर्भ्राजमानं पुरोत्तमम्
The supreme city shone in splendor—adorned with divine, lofty edifices shaped like the peaks of Kailāsa, rising as though to touch the heavens, and endowed with every glory and prosperity.
Verse 7
वनैश्चोपवनैर्दिव्यैस्तडागैः सागरोपमैः । जलपूर्णैः सुशोभैस्तु पद्मै रक्तोत्पलान्वितैः
It had forests and splendid divine groves, and ponds like the ocean—brimming with water and beautifully adorned with lotuses and red water-lilies.
Verse 8
प्राकारैश्च महारत्नैरट्टालकशतैरपि । परिखाभिः सुपूर्णाभिर्जलैः स्वच्छैः प्रशोभितम्
It was adorned with ramparts set with great jewels, with hundreds of lofty watchtowers, and beautified by moats filled to the brim with clear, pure water.
Verse 9
अन्यैश्चैव महारत्नैर्गजाश्वैश्च विराजितम् । सुनारीभिः समाकीर्णं पुरुषैश्च महाप्रभैः
It was adorned with many other great jewels, splendid with elephants and horses; it was thronged with beautiful women and with illustrious, powerful men.
Verse 10
नानाप्रभावैर्दिव्यैश्च शोभमानं महोदयम् । राजश्रेष्ठो महावीरो नहुषो ददृशे पुरम्
Radiant with many divine marvels and marked by great prosperity, that splendid city was beheld by Nahuṣa, the foremost of kings and a mighty hero.
Verse 11
पुरप्रांते वनं दिव्यं दिव्यवृक्षैरलंकृतम् । तद्विवेश महावीरो नंदनं हि यथाऽमरः
At the city’s edge stood a wondrous forest, adorned with celestial trees. Into it the great hero entered—like a god entering Nandana, Indra’s heavenly grove.
Verse 12
रथेन सह धर्मात्मा तेन मातलिना सह । प्रविष्टः स तु राजेंद्रो वनमध्ये सरित्तटे
With his chariot, and with Mātali at his side, the righteous king entered the forest and reached the bank of a river within its midst.
Verse 13
तत्र ता रूपसंयुक्ता दिव्या नार्यः समागताः । गंधर्वा गीततत्त्वज्ञा जगुर्गीतैर्नृपोत्तमम्
There assembled radiant, beautiful celestial women; and the Gandharvas—knowers of the true principles of song—sang their melodies for the best of kings.
Verse 14
सूताश्च मागधाः सर्वे तं स्तुवंति नृपोत्तमम् । राजानमायुपुत्रं तं भ्राजमानं यथा रविम्
All the Sūtas and Māgadhas praised that foremost of kings—King Āyu’s son—who shone brilliantly like the sun.
Verse 15
शुश्राव गीतं मधुरं नहुषः किन्नरेरितम्
Nahuṣa heard a sweet song, sung by a Kinnara.
Verse 111
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्ये च्यवनचरित्रे नहुषाख्याने एकादशाधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one-hundred-and-eleventh chapter of the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa of the revered Padma Purāṇa, within the narratives of Vena, the greatness of Guru-tīrtha, the account of Cyavana, and the episode of Nahuṣa.