Chapter 53 - An Account of Santanu’s Family

1. Vaishampayana said:—Thereupon hearing the words of the earth and thinking minutely on her object the gods said to the grand-father. "

2-8. O Lord, you have created the bodies of all creatures. You are the lord of all the worlds. Do you therefore relieve the earth of her load. O lord, if you dost wish to accomplish the object of the earth in this her calamity do you, without delay, ascertain the duties of Mahendra, Yama, Varuna, the king of riches, Narayana, the moon, the sun, the air, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Patriarchs of the world, the celestial physicians, the Asvinis, of the Saddhyas, of Vrihaspati, preceptor Sukra, of Kala, of Kali, of Mahesvara, of Kartikeya, of Yakshas, Rakshasas, Gandharvas, Caranas, great serpents, of birds, huge mountains and oceans consisting of great waves of rivers headed by Ganga.

9-10. O grand-father, how shall we send down our portions? Let us create bodies, not born of any woman, in the family of those kings who range in the sky, in that of the kings who tread the earth and in that of courtier Brahmanas and other princes".

11. Hearing this great resolution of the gods assembled together for one common cause the grand-father of all, eulogised by the celestials, said to them. "

12. O you leading celestials, I like very much your resolution. Do you create portions of your body on earth with your energy.

13. You are all leading celestials, do you, with your energy, descend on earth. And acquiring the prosperity of the three worlds do you relieve the earth of her burden.

14. Listen to what I did in the days of yore for removing the load of her burden when I was informed of it.

15. "In the days of yore I was seated on the western bank of the eastern ocean along with my grand-son the great Kashyapa.

16. I was describing various themes relating to the Vedas described before, as well as many other episodes of the Puranas.

17. While I was thus discoursing, you all, accompanied by Maruts and the ocean and Ganga in their forms, came to me.

18-20. With rushing waves, clad in a variegated raiment of acquatic animals, with a body shining with shells and pearls, adorned with corals and jewels, accompanied by the moon and roaring like a cloud surcharged with water, the ocean, as if vanquishing me, came to its bank. And throwing up its salt waters he greatly distressed that place.

21. When the ocean was about to assail that place with his water I said to him in angry words 'be quiet'.

22. No sooner I said 'be quiet' than he assumed a form. And with all his waves stilled he shone there in right regal grace.

23-27. Desirous of encompassing your well-being and relieving the earth of her burden I imprecated a curse on the ocean and Ganga, saying 'O ocean, since you have come in a regal form, go, you will be a king. Performing many feats with your own power on earth, you will be born in the race of the great Bharata and be a protector of men. Although impatient you assumed a form as soon as I asked you to be quiet. Therefore gifted with a beautiful person you will be celebrated on earth by the name of Shantanu. And this foremost of rivers, Ganga, of unblemished limbs and expansive eyes, will go to you in a beautiful form'.

28-29. When I said this, the ocean, being depressed at heart, looked at me. He said 'O Lord, O god of gods, why dost you imprecate a curse on me? I always obey your commands. I have been made by you and am always under your protection. I am therefore your son. Why hast you then cursed me in unbecoming words?.

30. O lord, by your favour, my waves increased with the tides and so I was agitated. O Brahman, how am I to blame for this?.

31. If during that time you have been touched by water thrown up by the wind, what reason is there for your imprecating a curse on me?

32. I was agitated by three-fold instruments namely the blowing wind, the increasing cloud and Parva accompanied by the moon.

33. O Brahman, if I have committed any offence for these three instruments set to work by you it behoves you to forgive me and let there be an end of this curse.

34. If dost you find any evidence, O lord of gods, do you show me mercy who have been depressed by a curse for no offence of mine.

35. O lord, by your command, this Ganga will descend on earth. I am guilty but you should show mercy on this innocent one.'

36-37. "Thereupon I said in sweet accents to the great ocean who had been terrified and moved by the curse of the gods who were innocent of the cause thereof. 'O you of great mind, O lord of rivers, be you at ease, do not fear, I have been propitiated with you, Listen now to the future object of this imprecation.

38-39. O lord, renouncing this your ocean body, go to the race of Bharata. Then, O great ocean, O great king, you will be enveloped with regal grace. There, O lord of waters, you will govern the four Varnas and be pleased.

40. And assuming, a beautiful form of a woman, this Ganga, the foremost of rivers, will serve you.

41. Sporting with Janhavi, by my command you will not experience human miseries.

42. O ocean, be you soon united with Ganga in wed-lock and carry out my command.

43. Exiled from the celestial region the Vasus have entered the Rasatala. I appoint you for procreating them.

44. Let Janhavi, for having offspring, conceive those eight Vasus who are effulgent like fire and increase the joy of the celestials.

45. Having procreated the Vasus, multiplied the Kuru race and cast off your human body, you will, in no time, assume your ocean body'.

46-47. "O foremost of gods, thus in the days yore beholding the future burden of the earth, I sowed the seeds of Shantanu’s race for your well-being in which have been born the Vasus who live in the celestial region.

48. Even now in the celestial region exists Ganga’s son Bhishma as the eighth Vasu. The seven other Vasus have repaired to their respective regions and only Vishnu is now living.

49. The king Shantanu begat on his second wife the highly effulgent and powerful king Vicitravirya.

50. The two sons of Vicitravirya were the two famous kings of the world Dhritarastra and Pandu, the two foremost of men.

51. Of them Pandu had two beautiful and youthful wives. The first was named Kunti and the second was named Madri. And both of them were like the wives of the celestials.

52. Dhritarashtra had one wife, by name Gandhari, who, by stead-fastly serving her husband, became celebrated in the world.

53. Herein that house will be divided into two hostile parties and a terrible dissension will take place amongst the sons of those two kings.

54. On account of the internal dissensions of these kings all the royal families will be destroyed. A terrible fear, like the hour of universal dissolution will then prevail.

55. When all the kings, with their armies, will be slain by one another the cities and kingdoms will be shorn of their inhabitants and Earth will enjoy relief.

56-57. I have read in the Puranas that in the end of the Dvapara Yuga, all the kings, with their armies, will be destroyed by weapons. Then Ashvathama, a portion incarnate of Sankara, with the fire of weapon, will consume the remnant of humanity in battle lying unconscious, at night, in sleep.

58. When that one of cruel deeds, the like of death himself, will desist, this story relating to the the Dvapara Yuga, will come to a close.

59. When Ashvathama, a portion of Siva, will disappear, the dreadful Kali Yuga of Mahesvara will set in.

60. In this Yuga people will perpetrate many iniquities and there will flourish only a portion of virtue. Truth will disappear and falsehood will be stored up.

61. In this Yuga, people will worship only Mahesvara and Skanda; old and long-lived men will not exist on the earth.

62. I have thus described the most excellent annihilation of the kings of this world. Therefore, O you celestials, descend on earth, without delay in your respective portions.

63. Let Kunti and Madri conceive portions of Dharma and let Gandhari conceive Kali the instrument of all dissensions.

64. These kings, urged on by destiny, will form two parties and being desirous of securing the earth, will seek a war.

65. Let Earth, who upholds all the worlds, enter into her own native source. This sacred and well-known means of the kings is thus created."

66. Hearing the words of the Grand-father Earth with Kala went away happily for encompassing the destruction of the kings.

67-69. Thereupon Brahma despatched the gods for slaying their enemies. The ancient Rishi Nara the (Serpent) Sesha, that upholds the earth, Sanatkumar, the Sadhyas, Agni, and other gods, Varuna, the Vasus, the sun, the moon, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras, the Rudras, the Visvas, the two Asvinis all descended on earth in their respective portions.

70-71. As described by me before the incarnations of the portions of gods, those foremost of Purushas were born, through women or otherwise, on earth as the destroyers of the Daityas and Danavas. Some of them multiplied their families like fig-trees. And some of them were hard-bodied like thunder-bolts.

72. Some of them were endued with the strength of a million of elephants. Some of them were powerful like mighty currents and some were capable of handling clubs, Parighas and other weapons.

73-75. All of them were capable of striking with the summits of the mountains. Hundreds and thousands of men, having arms like Parighas, were born in the race of Vrishnis. And the gods were born in the races of Kuru and Pancala as kings. There were born in the prosperous family of Yadus and those of Brahmanas many sacrificers of pious deeds, well read in the scriptures, mighty bow-men, observant of Vedic rituals and endued with prosperity and accomplishments.

76. Whenever angry they could shake the mountains, the rivers, the surface of the earth, rise up in the sky and agitate the mighty deep.

77. Having thus commanded the gods the Grand-father Brahma, the master of present, past, and future, consigned all the worlds to Narayana and attained peace.

78-79. Listen again to what the Omnipotent Narayana, Vishnu, of sacred fame, the lord of wealth and life, did for the behoof of creatures after incarnating himself on earth and taking birth in the family of the intelligent Vasudeva, the descendant of Yayati.