Part 42 (1/2)

Maru Vatsa-Vriddha Sutapas

Prasusruta Prativyoma Amitrajit

Sandhi Bhanu Bridharaj

Amarshana Divaka Barhi

Mahasvat Sahadeva Kritanjaya

Visvabahu Brihadasva Rananjaya

Prasenajit Bhanumat Sanjaya

Takshaka Pratikasva Sakya

Brihadbala, killed Supratika Suddhoda at the battle of

Kurukshetra by Marudeva Langala Abhimanyu

Sunakshatra Prasenajit (Time of Pariks.h.i.+t)

Pushkara Kshudraka Brihat-rana

Antariksha Sumitra Vatsa-vriddha

Sutapas

Sumitra shall be the last of the Ikshvaku dynasty in this Kali Yuga.

Nimi was the second son of Ikshvaku. He asked Vasistha to officiate at his Yajna. But the Ris.h.i.+ had been pre-engaged with Indra. So he asked the king to wait till he came back. Considering the uncertainty, Nimi did not wait for his family Purohita. But engaged another priest.

Vasistha on returning became offended and cursed Nimi with the loss of his body. Nimi gave the same curse to Vasistha. So both gave up their bodies. Vasistha was reborn shortly after as the son of Mitravaruna by Urvasi. The Ris.h.i.+s picked up the body of Nimi and placed it with the scented things of Yajna. On the completion of the Yajna, the Ris.h.i.+s prayed to the Devas for the vivification of the body. But Nimi said from within the scented things that he did not want to be enc.u.mbered with the body any more. The Devas said: ”Then remain in the eyes of all beings as winking.” So Nimi remains in the twinkling of eyes.

The Ris.h.i.+s churned the body of Nimi and a son was born. He was called Janaka. As he was born, when his father was bodiless (_videha_) he was also called _Vaideha_. The churning also gave him the name of Mithila (Manth = to churn). He built the town Milhila. (Mithila is the modern Tirhut).

NIMI Marti

Janaka Pratipa

Udavasu Kritaratha

Nandivardhana Devamirha

Suketu Visruta

Devarata Mahadhriti

Brihadratha Kritirata

Mahavirya Maharoman (large-haired)

Sudhriti Svarnaroman (gold-haired)

Dhrishtaketu Hrasvaroman (short-haired)

Haryasva Sira-Dhvaja

Maru

While ploughing the ground for sacrifice, Sira-Dhvaja got Sita at the end of the plough. Therefore Sira (plough) being his Dhvaja (flag, proclaimer of fame), he was called Sira Dhvaja.

(This Sira-Dhvaja is the renowned Janaka of Ramayana.):

Sira-Dhvaja

Kusa-Dhvaja

Dharma-Dhvaja

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Krita-Dhvaja Mita-Dhvaja

Kesi-Dhvaja Khandikya

Kesi Dhvaja was versed in atma-vidya, Khandikya was versed in Vedic Karma, Kesi Dhvaja overpowered Khandikya and he fled away.

Kesi-Dhvaja Upa-guru

Bhanumat Upa-gupta (incarnation of Agni)

Sata-dyumna Vasvananta

Suchi Yuyudha

Sanadvaja Subhashana

Urja-ketu Sruta

Purujit Jaya

Arishta nemi Vijaya

Srutayu Rita

Suparsva Sunaka

Chitraratha Vitahavya

Kshemadhi Dhriti

Samaratha Bahulasva

Satyaratha Kriti

Upa-guru

These kings of Mithila were well versed in atma-vidya.

THE LUNAR DYNASTY.

*SKANDHA IX. CHAP. 14.*

Soma (the Moon) was born out of the eyes of Atri. He carried off Tara, the wife of Brihaspati (Jupiter). Brihaspati asked for his wife several times, but Soma would not give her up. Sukra (Venus) was not on good terms with Brihaspati. So he took the side of Soma, with his disciples, the Asuras. Siva with his Bhutas took the side of Brihaspati. Indra with the Devas also sided with their preceptor. The two parties engaged in fight. After some days of fight, Angiras informed Brahma about every thing that transpired. Brahma reproached Soma. So he returned Tara to Brihaspati. Brihaspati found that Tara had conceived. ”Immediately throw out the seed of another man in my field,” cried he. Tara feeling bashful brought forth at the time a l.u.s.trous son, Both Brihaspati and Soma desired to have the son, each saying ”It is mine not yours.” When they quarrelled with each other, the Devas and Ris.h.i.+s asked Tara who was the father of the child. The child reproved his mother for the delay in answering. Brahma took Tara aside and learned from her that Soma was the father of the son, Soma then took the child. Brahma seeing the deep wisdom of the child named him Budha (Mercury).

Budha had by Ila one son Pururavas. Narada related his beauty and his virtues to the Devas in Svarga. Urvasi heard all that and took a fancy for the king. By the curse of Mitra Varuna, she had then a human form.

Both the king and the Apsaras became attached to each other and they lived as husband and wife. But Urvasi laid down two conditions of her company with the king - (1) that the king was to preserve two rams, which the Apsaras had brought with her and (2) that the king was never to expose himself before her except in privacy. Indra sent the Gandharvas in search of Urvasi. They found her out and took away her two rams. She had a maternal affection for these animals and she cried out in despair. The king hurriedly took his arms and ran after the Gandharvas. They left the rams and fled away. The king brought them back. But in the hurry, he had forgot to cover himself and Urvasi left him. The king became disconsolate, and roamed about in search of her.

After some days he found her on the banks of the Sarasvati with her 5 companions. He entreated her to come back. She promised to give her company to the king one night every year and informed him of her delicate state of health.

Urvasi came after a year, with one son. She advised the king to entreat the Gandharvas for her hands. The king did so and the Gandharvas became pleased with him. They gave him one Agnisthali (pot of fire). The king took the Agnisthali to be Urvasi and roamed with it in the forest. (The Gandharvas gave him the fire for the performance of sacrifice necessary for the attainment of Urvasi). The king found out his mistake at last.

He then placed the fire in the forest, went home and meditated every night on Urvasi. On the approach of Treta, he was inspired with the three Vedas (Karma-Kanda). He then went to the place of fire and found there one Asvatha tree (the sacred fig) grown from inside a Sami tree (Sami is the name of a tree said to contain fire). He decided that the fire must be within the Asvatha tree. He took two pieces of wood (technically called Arani) from that tree and produced fire by their friction. He deemed one piece to be Urvasi and another piece to be himself and the s.p.a.ce between the two pieces to be his son. By friction, the fire called Jatavedas came out. (_Vedas_ is wealth, enjoyments in general. _Jata_ is grown. Jata-vedas is that fire from which enjoyments proceed that which gratifies all sense-desires. It is the chief fire of the Karma-kanda of the Vedas). By the invocation of the three vedas, that fire became three fold. (ahavaniya, Garhapatya, and Daks.h.i.+na are the three fires perpetually kept in the household. _ahavaniya_ is the eastern fire which represents the relations of the house holder with the Devas. _Garhapatya_ is the sacred fire which the householder receives from his father and transmits to his descendants and from which fires for sacrificial purposes are lighted. It represents household and family duties. _Dakhina_ is the southern fire. It represents all cla.s.ses of duty to the Pitris). The king imagined this threefold fire to be his son (The son by his offerings sends his father's soul to Svarga. The sacrificial fire also sends the performer to Svarga). With that fire, he performed Yajna desiring to reach the Loka (plane) of Urvasi. Prior to this in Satya Yuga, Pranava was the only Veda, Narayana was the only Deva, there was only one fire and only one caste. The three Vedas came only from Pururavas, at the beginning of Treta Yuga. The king attained Gandharva Loka by means of the fire. (In Satya Yuga, Satva generally prevailed in men. Therefore they were all fixed in meditation. But in Treta Yuga, Rajas prevailed and by the division of the Vedas, Karma Marga made its appearance. _Sridhara_.)

[The true history of the origin of the three Vedas is thus given in veiled words. They originated in the strong desire of men in Treta Yuga for the possession of heavenly things. This gives us about two millions of years at the present day. The origin of the Vedas must not be confounded however with their existence in the present form. For that we must refer to the sacrifice of Haris Chandra, the adoption of Sunah sepha by Visvamitra and the division amongst the Madhu Chandas brothers.]

Pururavas _m_. Urvasi

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ayus Srutayus Satyayus Raya Vijaya Jaya

Vasumat Srutanjaya Eka Bhima Amita

Kanchana

Hotraka

Hotraka

Jahnu (He swallowed up the

Ganga in her downward

course and let her out

though his thighs).