Chapter 9 - The Descent of the Gaṅgā; The Story of Kalmāṣapāda

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Introductory:

(a). This chapter describes the Solar race from King Aṃśumān to Khaṭvāṅga. The genealogy (or rather the chronological order of kings) is as follows:

Aṃśumān—>Dilīpa—>Bhagīratha—>Śruta—>Nābha—>Sindhudvīpa—>Ayutāyu—>Ṛtuparṇa—>Sarvakāma—>Sudās—>Saudāsa (Kalmāṣapāda)—>Aśmaka—>Mūlaka (Nārikavaca)—>Daśaratha—>Aiḍāviḍa [Aiḍaviḍi?]—>Viśvasaha—>Khaṭvāṅga.

(Bhāgavata Purāṇa omits the name of King Ambarīṣa Nabhāgi, the descendant of Śruta, vide Viṣṇu Purāṇa. 4.4.36, Umā 39. 9-10 Vāyu Purāṇa. 3.88, 169-71.)

(b). The Descent of the Gaṅgā is another popular legend recorded in the Mahābhārata Vana. chs. 108, 109, Bhīṣma 6.28-50; Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa—Bāla Sargas 43-44; Brahmāṇḍa P. II.56. 34-50.

It is probably a race-memory how three generations of the Solar race tried to irrigate the parched plains of the kingdom of Ayodhyā.

Śrī Śuka said:

1. (Like his grandfather Sagara) Aṃśumān (also renounced his kingdom in favour of his son Dilīpa), and practised penance for a long time, with the desire of bringing the Gaṅgā down on the earth. But he was not successful (in his mission). In course of time, he passed away.

2. His son Dilīpa also proved unsuccessful, and met death (in his attempt to bring down Gaṅgā). His son Bhāgīratha performed very severe austerities.

3. The goddess (Gaṅgā) manifested herself to him and said, “I am pleased (with your penance). I shall bestow on you the boon (desired by you).” Being assured thus, the king bowed low (in humility), and submitted to her his object (of performing the penance).

4. (She replied:) “Is there anyone capable of sustaining my force while I descend on the earth. Otherwise, I shall penetrate the crust of the earth and go down to Rasātala, the 6th sub-terranean region, Oh King.

5. Besides, I am not willing to go to the earth. Men will wash of their sins in me. Where (and how) can I absolve myself of that sin? Some remedy on this should also be considered, Oh King.”

Bhagīratha said:

6.^[1] “Righteous persons who have renounced actions (for obtaining worldly objects), and have controlled their senseorgans, and persons devoted to the contemplation of Brahman, (or prominent knowers of Brahman), are themselves capable of purifying the world. By the contact of their body (while bathing in you) they will annihilate your sins, as Lord Hari, the destroyer of sins, abides in them.

7. God Rudra, who is the very Soul of corporeal beings, and in Whom is woven this universe, warp and woof, as threads are interwoven in a piece of cloth, will bear your force.”

7(A). Having heard this speech of Bhagīratha, Gaṅgā advised, “In that case, propitiate the great god Śiva, for sustaining the velocity of my waters.”

8. Having spoken thus,^[2] the king propitiated god Śiva by his penance. Within a short period (of penance), Lord Śiva was also highly pleased with him.

9. Granting the prayer of the King with the words, “Be it so”, Lord Śiva who is always benevolent to the world, carefully bore on his head the Gaṅgā whose waters are hallowed by the feet of Hari.

10. The royal sage Bhagīratha led Gaṅgā, the purifier of the Universe, to the spot where the bodies of his fore-fathers (great-grand-uncles), lay reduced to ashes.

11. (Closely on the heels of) Bhagīratha who rode (in advance) in a chariot speeding with the velocity of the wind she rushed after him, hallowing the countries or regions (through which she flowed), and bathed the burnt-up sons of Sagara (with her waters).

12. The sons of Sagara, though struck down by their offence against a Brāhmaṇa (sage Kapila). attained to the celestial regions simply through the contact of her waters with their ashes.

13. Merely by the contact of her waters with the ashes to which their bodies were reduced, the sons of Sagara ascended the heaven. What need be said in case of those who observe religious vows and serve her with faith?

14. What has been glorified above about (the hallowing power of) the heavenly river is not very miraculous, inasmuch as She springs from the lotus-like feet of the Infinite Lord (Viṣṇu) and puts an end to Saṃsāra.

15. Concentrating their minds properly with faith in Him, pure-minded sages shed off their contacts with (and attachment to) the three guṇas of Prakṛti (and its product—their body,—misidentified with the soul)—which is so very difficult to cast off—and have instantly attained identity with Brahman.

16. Śruta was born from Bhagīratha who had another son named Nābha. His son was Sindhudvīpa from whom was born Ayutāyu.

17. Ayutāyu’s son was Ṛtuparṇa, a friend of Nala who, in exchange of imparting the secret technique of the play of dice to Nala, learnt from him the equestrian science (the secret of managing horses). His (Ṛtuparṇa’s) son was Sarvakāma.

18. From his loins was born Sudās whose son was the husband of Madayantī, Oh King. People called him Mitrasaha, and rarely as Kalmāṣapāda. He became a demon through the curse of Vasiṣṭha, but remained issueless inconsequence of his own act.

King (Parīkṣit) asked:

19. We wish to know the reason or the occasion of the pronouncement of the curse by preceptor Vasiṣṭha on the great- souled son of Sudās. Be pleased to narrate it to us, if there be no secret about it.

Śrī Śuka said:

20. As the tradition goes, king Saudāsa (the son of Sudās) happened to kill a certain demon, while on hunting expedition. He allowed his brother to escape. He (the Rākṣasa’s brother) went away with a determination to wreak revenge.

21. Remembering the offence (of killing his brother) committed by the king, and disguising himself as the cook of the king in the palace, he dressed human flesh and presented it for service to the king’s preceptor Vasiṣṭha, who came there to dine.

22. Perceiving easily that a prohibited article of food (human flesh) was about to be served to him, the venerable sage flared up in rage, and cursed the king, “You will turn into an ogre by this improper act of yours.”

23. Having come to know that, that act (serving of human flesh) was committed by a demon (and that the king was innocent), he limited the duration of his curse to (a period of twelve years. But (in the meanwhile) Saudāsa took water into the hollow of his joined palms and was ready to counter-curse his preceptor (who uttered the unjustifiable imprecation).

24. He was however prevented (from cursing his preceptor) by (his queen) Madayantī. The king found that all the cardinal points, the sky, the earth were all instinct with life. (And lest he should injure living beings), he let the water be charged with wrathful mantras, fall on his own feet (and thus justified his epithet—mitra-saha, indulgent towards friends).

25. Changed into a demonic state, and with both of his feet turned black (by the water charged by him with a curse), he happened to see a forest-dwelling couple of Brāhmaṇas in the act of sexual intercourse.

26. Overpowered with hunger, he caught hold of the Brāhmaṇa, when his wife helplessly appealed to him, “Your honour is not a born ogre. You are veritably a great hero (a chariot-warrior) belonging directly to the race of Ikṣvākus.

27. Oh warrior! You are the husband of Madayantī. It does not behove you to perpetrate unrighteous deeds. Be pleased to restore to me who am desirous of having a child, the Brāhmaṇa, my husband, who has not accomplished his purpose.

28. Oh King! This human body is capable of securing all the objects (puruṣārthas) in human life. Hence the destruction of this body is called the total destruction of all purposes.

29. This Brāhmaṇa is learned and endowed with asceticism, virtuous character and other qualities. He desires to propitiate Brahman which is designated as Mahāpuruṣa (Viṣṇu) who abides in all beings as their Inner Controller, but lies obscured in them on account of guṇas.

30. This being the case, how does this prominent Brāhmaṇa sage deserve death at the hands of a great royal sage like you, even as the death of a son at the hands of the father, Oh knower of the righteous path?

31. Your worship is respected by the righteous. How do you approve of the death of the righteous, sinless (innocent) Śrotriya who is well-versed in the Vedas (or innocent like a child in the womb), any more than killing of a cow.

32. If he is to be your victim, please devour me first, inasmuch as I shall not live without him for a minute, and am as good as dead.”

33. Disregarding the piteous appeal of the helpless bewailing Brāhmaṇa woman, Saudāsa deluded by (his preceptor’s) curse, devoured the Brāhmaṇa, as a tiger would prey upon a beast.

34. Finding her impregnator (husband) eaten up by a cannibal, the Brāhmaṇa woman lamented herself. Flying in a rage, the chaste lady uttered the imprecation on the king.

35. “You wicked fellow! Inasmuch as my husband has been devoured by you while I was afflicted with sexual desire, your death too is indicated to follow while -engaged in sexual intercourse, you foolish one.”

36. Having thus cursed king Mitrasaha, the woman who was determined to attain to the region of her husband, consigned to flames his bones in a burning fire, and followed the course of her husband (by immolating herself to fire).

37. When freed from the curse at the end of the twelfth year, he (Saudāsa) proceeded to have sexual intercourse (with his queen), but the queen who knew well the imprecation of the Brāhmaṇa lady prevented him from that attempt.

38. Thenceforth, he gave up all pleasures with women and he remained issueless by this act. It was with his consent that the sage Vasiṣṭha begot an issue on queen Madayantī.

39. For seven years she carried the foetus and did not deliver. Vasiṣṭha then hit her abdomen with a stone, and the son so born came to be known as Aśmaka.

40. From Aśmaka was born Mūlaka who was protected on all sides (from Paraśurāma) by women, and hence he is called Nārīkavaca (women-armoured). He is called Mūlaka as he was the root of further pro-creation of the Kṣatriya race, when it was being exterminated by Paraśurāma.

41. From Mūlaka sprang forth Daśaratha of whom a son, Aiḍaviḍa was born. His son was King Viśvasaha whose son Khaṭvāṅga became the sovereign ruler of the world.

42. Being entreated by gods, the invincible king killed a number of demons in the battle. Learning (from gods) that only one muhūrta (48 minutes) of his life is left, he hurried back to his capital (in a celestial car) and concentrated his mind on the Supreme Lord.

43. (He mused to himself). Neither my life nor my sons, nor my wealth nor the earth, nor my empire or my queens are dearer to me than the Brāhmaṇa race who form our family-deities.

44. Not even in my childhood, my mind ever took delight in unrighteousness. I did not look upon anything other than the Lord of hallowed reputation (Viṣṇu) as the reality.

45. A boon of my choice was offered for bestowal on me by gods, the rulers of the three worlds. But as I contemplate on the creator of all beings, I do not seek any object of desire.^[3]

46. The celestials themselves have got their minds and senses distracted (by objects of senses), and do not realize the beloved, eternal Soul who stays established in their own heart. Need it be said that human and other beings, characterised by rajas and tamas, can never do so.

47. I shall give up, through deep devotion to the Creator of the Universe, attachment to guṇas (the product of guṇas viz. the object of senses) which has been firmly fixed in the mind, by the very nature of things, but which are the creation of the Illusive Power (Māyā) of the Lord, and hence are as unreal and transitory as the city of Gandharvas in the sky, and take asylum in him.

48. Having determined thus by his reasoning capacity and intellect, which was attracted towards himself (and thus possessed) by Lord Nārāyaṇa, he discarded ignorance^[4] and the consequent false notions of the identity of the body with Soul and attained to his essential nature (which is Brahmahood).

49.^[5] (The state) that is the Supreme Brahman which is very subtle but not a void^[6] though it is as good as intangible, as it is beyond the rage of expression, and which the devotees of Lord Viṣṇu sing as the glorious Lord Vāsudeva.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Padaratnāvalī: Pious persons endowed with quiescence, self-control etc., completely free from desires (for heaven, pleasures etc.), thoroughly devoted to meditation of Brahman and thus established in Brahman and purifiers of the world, will annihilate your sins by their physical contact (e.g. washing hands or feet in your waters or by ablutions).

Bhāgavata Candrikā and Bālaprabodhini: As Lord Hari, the destroyer of sins, abides in them, the question of transfer of your sins by them to others does not arise, as Hari annihilates the sins altogether.

[2]:

v.l.: tac chrutvā—Hearing this—Bhāgavata Candrikā

[3]:

As the boon will come in the way of my realization of the Lord—VR. Gd. Bhaktamanorañjanī

Any act except the propitiation of Hari, is not acceptable to me as it is not conducive to Liberation—Padaratnāvalī

[4]:

hitvānyabhavam ajñānam—Having given up his body.—Bhāgavata Candrikā

[5]:

Padaratnāvalī: The stage to which Veḍantins call the Supreme Brahman, the yogins describe as very subtle, beyond the ken of senses like the sky. Some non-vedic thinkers (viz. the Buddhists, especially the followers of Mādhya- mika school) assume it as void; but it is really positive (and not void) and which the followers of the Pañcarātra school (Sātvatas) call Lord Vasudeva.

Kramasandarbha. With his intellect (mind) possessed by Nārāyaṇa, Khaṭvāṅga attained to Brahmā’s region in a muhūrta.

[6]:

Bhaktamanorañjanī aśūnya—(i) Proved as positively existent and not non-existent like horns of a hare.

(ii) Śūnya is destitute of guṇas, attributeless, a-śūnya means full of infinite excellences, conducive to the good of all or devoid of guṇas which deserve to be discarded.

Sva-bhāva: The brahmabhāva implies devoted service to the Lord as of a chaste woman to her husband.