Canto CX - The Majesty of the Sun (concluded)

King Rājyavardhana’s subjects besought of the Sun that the king might reign ten thousand years more, and the Sun granted it — But the king, distressed that the boon did not include all his family and subjects, went and propitiated the Sun, and at length gained his desire—This story is commented on and its merits are extolled.

Mārkaṇḍeya spoke:

Well-pleased then, the adorable Sun said to all the populace —“Choose, O ye dvijas and other people, what ye have wished to obtain from me!”

Thereupon those brāhmans and other people gazing in fear on the fiery-rayed Sun, as he stood before them, prostrated themselves and said, O brāhman:—

The people spoke:

Prostrating themselves they said then to the lord of the world who proffered them a boon—“O adorable Dispeller of darkness, if thou art pleased with our faith, then let our king live^[1] ten thousand years, free from sickness, victorious over his enemies, rich in his treasury, and with firmly-enduring youth! May Rājyavardhana live ten thousand years!”

Mārkaṇḍeya spoke:

“So be it!” said the Sun to the populace, and became too dazzling for sight, O great muni. And they, having gained the boon and joyous thereat, assembled about the king. And having gained the boon completely from the thousand-rayed god, O brāhman, they made known to the king how it had happened.

On hearing that, his queen Māninī rejoiced, O brāhman; and the king pondered a long while and said nothing to the people. Thereupon she Māninī, whose mind was filled with joy, exclaimed to the king her husband—“How fortunate! Prosper, O king, with long life!” Thus did Māninī courteously salute her husband in her delight, hut the king said nothing, his mind being numbed with thought, O brāhman. She addressed her husband again, as he was rapt in thought with countenance bent downwards,—“Why dost thou not give way to joy in this supreme moment of exaltation, O king? Thou shalt live free from sickness, with firmly-enduring youth, ten thousand years from today. Why nevertheless dost thou not rejoice? But declare thou the reason, why thou hast thy mind drawn away by thought, even when a supreme moment of exaltation has been reached, O king?”

The king spoke:

How has a moment of exaltation come, O lady, and why dost thou courteously salute me? When thousands of afflictions are incurred, is courteous salutation wished for?^[2] I shall live alone ten thousand years, hut not thou; when calamity befalls thee, shall I not have affliction? When I see sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons and other beloved relatives dead, will my affliction indeed be small? And when my most faithful servants are dead, and when my circle of friends is dead, there will then he boundless affliction for me continually, O lady. They who with emaciated bodies, constantly attached to^[3] righteousness, have performed austerities for my sake, they shall die, and I who enjoy the benefit shall live—this is censurable!^[4] This, such as it is, is a calamity that has befallen me, O lady of beautiful hips; it is not a moment of exaltation. How again is it thou dost not think in that thou dost courteously salute me now?

Māninī spoke:

O great king, as thou hast said, so indeed it is; herein there is no doubt. I and the citizens in our affection for thee did not perceive this mistake. Since it has gone so, consider what should be done in this matter, O lord of men. What the adorable Sun has said in his graciousness shall not be otherwise.

The king spoke:

It is a benefit that my citizens and servants have done to me out of affection; how shall I taste enjoyments, without discharging my obligation to them? I then in this position will go with subdued mind to the mountain from today^[5] and will practise austerities, abstaining from food, resolved to propitiate the Sun. Since I shall live in firmly-enduring youth free from sickness ten thousand years through that god’s favour therefore, if the adorable Sun grants us this favour, that all my people, my servants, and thou and my children, sons, grandsons and great-grandsons, and my friends shall also live, O lovely-faced one—then I shall continue in the kingdom and shall taste enjoyments with delight. If the Sun does not do this, then, O Māninī, I will practise austerities on the mountain there, abstaining from food until my life perish.

Mārkaṇḍeya spoke:

Being thus addressed by him, she said to the king then, “Be it so!” And she also went with him to that mountain. The king’going with his queen to the sanctuary there engaged in worshipping the Sun, being assiduous in his service, O brahman, and becoming emaciated through want of food; and she, just as that king did, practised severe austerities likewise, enduring cold, wind and the sun’s heat. While he was worshipping the Sun and practising great austerities, when a year and part of the next year had passed, the Maker of the day was pleased then and granted him, O dvija, a boon according to his desire for the sake of all his dependants, citizens and other subjects, and his sons, O excellent brāhman.

On gaining the boon, the king going to his city ruled his kingdom in joyousness, protecting his people righteously; and he offered many sacrifices, gave away gifts day and night, and in company with Māninī indulged in enjoyments, being wise in righteousness. He rejoiced^[6] with his sons, grandsons and other descendants, with his dependants and citizens^[7] for ten thousand years; he remained continuously youthful.

A Bhārgava named Pramati, after seeing that his exploit, sang this song while his heart was drawn out with astonishment,—“Lo, the power of faith in the Sun, in that king Rājyavardhana has been born for the increase of life of his own people as well as of himself!”

Thus I have related to thee, O brāhman, what thou didst ask me, namely, the majesty of the lord^[8] Āditya Vivasvat, the god who was in the beginning. The man who, after hearing the whole of that story of the Sun’s sublime majesty with the brahmans, reads it also during the space of seven nights, is delivered from his sins.^[9] And the intelligent man, who may hold this fast, becomes free from sickness, possessed of riches and opulent; and is born again a man of great understanding in a great family of wise men.^[10] And miserable are they who are smitten herein by the Sun, O best of munis.^[11] The repetition of each of these verses during three twilights destroys sin. And in whatever sanctuary of the Sun all this poem of his majesty is recited, there the adorable Sun withdraws not his presence. Therefore thou, O brahman, who desirest to gain great merit, must retain this poem of the Sun’s sublime majesty in thy mind and must mutter it over. Verily he who makes a gift of a milch cow with gilded horns and most handsome body, and the man who self-possessed listens to this poem for three days—equal are the merit and reward of them both, O brahman!^[12]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Jīvatām ; ātmane-pada; and again in this verse.

[2]:

For sūbhājanayiṣyate read sabhājanam iṣyate as in the Bombay edition.

[3]:

Ni-san-tata, not in the dictionary.

[4]:

Dhik-kara, not in the dictionary.

[5]:

The Bombay edition inserts two lines here doubtfully.

[6]:

For samuditaḥ read sa muditaḥ.

[7]:

Pauttraiḥ in the text; but read probably pauraiḥ, which I have adopted.

[8]:

Vibho; but vibhoḥ seems preferable and I have adopted it. The Bombay edition reads āditaḥ, “what thou didst ask me from the first.”

[9]:

Or “reads it also, is delivered from the sins which he has committed during seven nights” as the Bombay edition reads.

[10]:

The Bombay edition inserts here, though doubtfully—

“And he truly who after hearing of this exploit sacrifices with great sacrifices replete with boons and fees, gains honour as his reward.”

[11]:

The Bombay edition reads differently—“And the verses which were herein addressed [read abhihitā for abhihatā?] to the Sun, O best of munis, the repetition of each of these verses during three twilights destroys sin.”

[12]:

For dvijāgryam read dvijāgrya.