Chapter 22 - Marriage of Kardama and Devahūti

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Maitreya said:

1. The emperor (Manu) whose all excellent attributes and deeds were thus eulogised, spoke rather bashfully (due to his modesty at hearing his own praise or the fear of the rejection of the marriage proposal) to the sage full of quietism (and dissociation with worldly acts).

Manu said:^[1]

2. With a desire to preserve himself, Brahmā who is the Veda incarnate, created from his mouth you Brāhmaṇas who are full of tapas, learning, yoga and are free from lust.^[2]

3. The thousand-legged God (Brahmā) created us from bis thousand arms for their (Brāhmaṇas’) protection. It is said that Brāhmaṇas form his heart and Kṣatriyas his body (limbs).

4. Hence Brāhmaṇas and Kṣatriyas protect each other. The immutable, disinterested God who is the Soul (antaryāmin) of all^[3] thus protects all.

5. All my doubts have been resolved by your very sight as Your worship himself has explained to me, out of favour, the duty (dharma) of one who desires to protect (the world).

6. It is my good luck that I could see your revered self who are difficult to be met by those who have not controlled their minds. I am happy that I could touch the holy dust of your honour’s feet with my head.

7. It is a great fortune that I have been advised (taught) by you. A great favour has been done to me. Your sweet words have been luckily received by my open ears (i.e. I could eagerly hear etc).

8. Oh sage, your worship should kindly listen to the request of a distressed person like me whose mind is tormented by affection for his own daughter.

9. This daughter of mine is the sister of Priyavrata and Uttānapāda. She desires to marry a husband who is suitable to her in age. character, excellences and other attributes.

10. When this (daughter) had heard from Nārada Your honour’s excellent character, learning, beauty, youth and qualities, she has firmly decided to marry you.

11. Oh eminent Brāhmaṇa, therefore accept this (daughter) who has been respectfully offered by me. She is in all respects suitable to you in carrying out sacrificial and other duties as a householder.

12. It is not commendable even for a person who has given up attachment, to reject a desired object when it offers itself. What need be said in the case of a person who is attached to worldly objects?

13. A person who, having disrespected an offer (of a desired object) begs the same of a miser, gets (finds) his widespread fame diminished and his self-respect ruined by disrespect (from others).

14. Oh learned one, I have heard that you are ready to get yourself married. As you are to terminate your period of celebacy, you please accept (my daughter) offered to you.

The Sage said:

15. I definitely wish to marry. Your daughter is also not proposed to any other person. This first (or important) union in marriage of ours is suitable.

16. Oh King, may the desire (of procreation) expressed in the mantras of Vedic marriage-ceremony be fulfilled by my marriage with your daughter. Who will not feel respect for your daughter who surpasses ornaments by her complexion?

17. (Who would not like to marry your daughter) on seeing whom playing (with a ball) on the terrace of your palace and looking with a perturbed glance at the ball and her feet beautified by tinkling anklets, (Gandharva) Viśvāvasu got his mind bewildered by infatuation (made love for her) and fell down from his aerial car.

18. When Manu's daughter and Uttānapāda’s sister who is the ornament of beautiful women, and who cannot be even seen by persons who have not served the feet of Lakṣmī, approaches with a request for marriage, what wise man will not give his consent?

19. Hence I will accept this pious (daughter of yours) on condition of staying with her till she bears a child to me. Thereafter I shall think more of the duties as taught by Viṣṇu (such as śama, dama) essential for attaining knowledge and which are characterised by ahiṃsā.

20. That infinite Eternal Lord, the Lord of all Prajāpatis is the highest authority to me—the Lord from whom was evolved this wonderful diversified universe, in whom it is sustained and in whom it will get dissolved.

Maitreya said:

21. Oh Vidura (wielder of a terrible bow), having spoken this much, the sage became silent quietly meditating over Lord Viṣṇu from whose navel has sprouted forth a lotus. But the heart of Devahūti was captivated by his smiling face (or he enticed Devahūti’s heart by his smiling countenance).

22. Having learnt the firm resolution of the queen and his daughter, he was overjoyed and gave in marriage to the sage who was endowed with excellent qualities, his daughter who was equal to him.

23. Empress Śatarūpā, out of affection bestowed upon the couple very costly marriage gifts such as ornaments, garments and articles of household use.

24. The King felt free from anxiety at the marriage of his daughter with a suitable bridegroom. He whose heart was greatly agitated by sorrow (due to the prospective departure of his daughter) took her in his arms.

25. Being unable to bear separation from her, he constantly shed tears. Calling her ‘Oh dear, Oh child’, he drenched the hair of his daughter with his tears.

26. He took leave of the eminent sage. Being permitted by him, he got into the chariot with his wife and set out to his capital along with his retinue.

27. (On way) he saw the beautiful hermitages of tranquil-minded sages on both the beautiful banks of the sacred river Sarasvatī.

28. Hearing that the king was returning, his subjects from Brahmāvarta became delighted, and came forward to greet him by songs, eulogies and playing on musical instruments.

29. (The place) where the hair of the Yajña Varāha fell while he shook his body, there arose the town called Barhiṣmatī endowed with all kinds of riches and prosperity.

30. Those hair became the ever-green kuśa and kāsa with which the sages defeated the trouble-makers of sacrifices and performed sacrifice, (worshipped Yajña-Viṣṇu).

31. Having spread out a layer (—seat) of Kuśa and Kāśa grass, revered Manu performed sacrifice for Viṣṇu (Yajñapuruṣa) and the earth as his place of residence from him.

32. The king went into (his capital) Barhiṣmatī wherein he lived. Therein he entered his palace which (is free from) the three types of afflictions (viz. ādhibhautika, ādhyātmika, ādhidaivika).

33. With his wife and along with his subjects, be enjoyed pleasures without conflicting other puruṣārthas (viz. dharma, artha and mokṣa). His glorious fame was being sung by heavenly musicians along with their wives. Every day, at dawn, he heard the stories of Hari with a devoted heart

34. Pleasures could not swerve the sage Svāyambhuva Manu (from the path of dharma) to the slightest degree as he was a past-master in yoga-māyā (and hence could create his desired objects), and was intensely devoted to Viṣṇu.

35. As he was (always busy in) listening to, meditating over, composing and describing the stories of Viṣṇu, (even) the small units of time during the period allotted to him (called Manvantara) were not spent unfruitfully.

36. In this way, he passed his prescribed period (called Manvantara) consisting of seventy-one Yugas. He overpowered (counteracted) the influence of three gatis (viz. weals or woes of the ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika and ādhidaivika types), by his devotion to Vāsudeva.

37. Oh Vidura, how can afflictions of a physical and psychological nature or sufferings due to heavenly or human cause affect one who has resorted to Hari?

38. He was always obliging to all beings. When consulted by the sages, he explained to them the various auspicious paths of duties prescribed for men belonging to all Varṇas (classes of people) and Aśramas (stages in life.).

39. This wonderful life of the ancient (first) praiseworthy king Manu has been described to you. Now listen to the great fortune of his daughter (Devahūti).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Verses 2 and 3 are the echo of the Puruṣa-sūkta.

[2]:

Tapo-vidyā...yuktān: (i) Possessed karma upāsanā (devotion) and jñāna (knowledge)—Bhāgavata Candrikā (ii) Full of tapas, knowledge of śāstras and devotion (bhakti)—Padaratnāvalī

[3]:

sadasadātmakaḥ [sadasadātmaka]: (i) Whose nature is of causal relation, lit. who is of the form of cause and effect—Bhāgavata Candrikā

(ii) Who is comprised of cause and effect.