Chapter 15 - Description of Bharata’s Dynasty

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Introductory:

The Bharata Dynasty may be conveniently summarised as follows:

1. Bharata,
2. Sumati,
3. Devatājit,
4. Devadyumna,
5. Parameṣṭhī,
6. Pratīha Prastotā Udgātā,
7. Pratihartā,
8. Bhūmā Aja,
9. Udgītha,
10. Prastāva,
11. Vibhu,
12. Pṛthuṣeṇa,
13. Nakta,
14. Gaya,
15. Chitraratha Sugati Avarodhana,
16. Samrāṭ,
17. Marīci,
18. Bindumān [Bindumat?],
19. Madhu,
20. Vīravrata,
21. Manthu Pramanthu,
22. Bhauvana,
23. Tvaṣṭā,
24. Viraja,
25. Śatajit etc. 100 sons.

Śrī Śuka continued:

1. As already narrated (supra 7.3), Bharata had a son called Sumati. He followed the path of Ṛṣabha. In the Kali Age, heretics (non-believers in the Vedas) outside the Aryan fold, will set him up, according to their wicked and perverted intelligence, as a deity not described in the Vedic texts. (They will think him to be an incarnation of Lord Buddha).

2. By (queen) Vṛddhasenā, he had a son by name Devajit (conqueror of gods).

3. Then, through Āsurī (Devajit’s wife) was born to him a son, Devadyumna; he had by Dhenumatī, a son, called Parameṣṭhī; and then Parameṣṭhī begot on Sauvarcalā a son called Pratīha.

4. Having taught the knowledge of ātman. (to many). he himself became thoroughly purified, and directly realized the Supreme Soul.

5. From Pratīha, through (his wife, another) Suvarcalā, three sons beginning with Pratihartā were born; all of them were well-versed in the sacrificial lore. Pratihartā begot on (his wife) Stuti, two sons Aja and Bhūman.

6. Bhūman had by Ṛṣikulyā a son called Udgītha. He had (a son named) Prastāva from Devakulyā. Prastāva had a son called Vibhu, through (queen) Niyutsā; Vibhu had Pṛthuṣeṇa from Rati; Pṛthuṣeṇa begot Nakta from Ākūtī. From Nakta and (his wife) Druti was born the eminent royal sage Gaya of noble reputation. Gaya who attained the status of a Mahāpuruṣa (an exalted personage) by his possession of characteristics (of greatness) such as self-control, was an aṃśa (part or ray) of Lord Viṣṇu himself who, for the protection of the world, assumed a form consisting of pure Sattva.

7. He followed his righteous duty as a king by protecting his subjects, supplying them with the means of livelihood, providing them with (amenities of) recreation behaving tenderly with them and by governing them per legal precepts. He dedicated with absolute faith his sacrificial and other pious acts to the glorious great personage viz. the Brahman who is higher than the highest.

By constantly serving the feet of those who have realized Brahman and by cultivating path of devotion to the Lord, his mind and intellect became extremely pure. His mind became completely free from the false identification of the non-Soul (viz. the body and its belongings) with the Soul. Though he realized within him the identification of his Self with Brahman, he was totally free from pride and as such he protected the earth.

8. Oh descendant of Pāṇḍavas! Persons well-versed in Purāṇic history sing the following stanzas about him.

9. “What other king, except the one in whom a ray of the Lord has been manifest, can equal Gaya in his achievements? Who else is there like him, a performer of great sacrifices, so highly respected by all, possessor of extensive scholarship, a defender of religion, one so highly blessed with the Goddess of Fortune, a leader of the assembly of the learned and a devoted servant of the saints.

10. The virtuous daughters of Dakṣa (such as Śradḍhā, Maitrī, Dayā) whose blessings always prove true, accompanied the presiding deities of holy rivers (like Gaṅgā) sprinkled him with water (at the time of his coronation) in ecstatic joy. The king, himself was free from desire. But just as the milk begins to flow out of the udders of a cow at the sight of its calf, so at the sight of his excellent virtues, the earth yielded like a cow, milk in the form of the desired objects of his subjects.

11. Though he (Gaya) was above desires, Vedas and the rites prescribed therein blessed him with all enjoyments. (Inimical) kings who were honoured by him with a volley of arrows in the battle, brought him tributes. The Brāhmaṇas who were honoured by him with sumptuous sacrificial fees and donations while performing religious acts, allotted to him one-sixth of their total merit.

12. In his sacrifices, liberal libations of Soma juice were offered. While Indra (the king of gods) became intoxicated (with Soma juice), the glorious Lord who is the Soul of the Sacrifices appeared in person and accepted the fruit of the Sacrifice offered (by the king) in the spirit of unswerving devotion rendered absolutely pure by (unflinching) faith.

13. By pleasing whom (i.e. the Lord) the whole universe from god Brahmā upto gods, men, sub-human beings, creepers and grass, become the Self-same Lord, the very Soul of the universe, who, though ever blissful by nature, became evidently satisfied and delighted at Gaya’s performance of sacrifice.

14.Gaya begot on Gayantī three sons, Citraratha, Sugati and Avarodhana. Out of them, Citraratha had by queen Ūrṇā a son called Samrāṭ.

15.From Samrāṭ, thorough Utkalā, was born Marīci. From Marīci and Bindumatī was boṛn Bindumān; he had by Saraghā (a son) named Madhu; Madhu begot Vīravrata on Sumanas; from Vīravrata and queen Bhojā were born Manthu and Pramanthu; of Manthu, through Satyā, sprang Bhauvana; of Bhauvana and Dūṣaṇā was born Tvaṣṭā; from Tvaṣṭā through Virocanā came Viraja; and Viraja had by Viṣūcī a hundred sons, of whom Śatajit was the eldest, and also a daughter.

About Viraja is sung the following stanza:

16.Viraja, the last born son (in the race of Priyavrata) adorned the dynasty of Priyavrata by his glory, even as Viṣṇu embellishes the host of gods.