Chapter 14 - The Description of the Lunar Race

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Śuka Said:

1. After this (description of Mithilā kings), now listen to the hallowing race of Soma (the moon-god), in which will be glorified celebrated kings of auspicious fame, like Purūravas, the son of Ilā (Aila),^[1] Oh King.

2. The creator (god Brahmā), born out of the lotus which was grown out of the deep pool-like navel of the Supreme Person of innumerable (lit. thousands of) heads, had a son called Atri, who was equal to his father in excellent qualities.

3. Wonderfully enough a Son called Soma was born out of his tears of joy, and hence he became an embodiment of nectar. He was appointed as the protector (or king) of Brāhmaṇas, (medicinal)plants and herbs and hosts of constellations and stars, by god Brahmā.

4. After conquering the three worlds, he worshipped Lord Viṣṇu by performing a Rājasūya sacrifice. Out of high notions about self-importance, he forcibly abducted Tārā,^[2] the wife of Bṛhaspati.

5. Even though he was repeatedly and earnestly requested by Bṛhaspati, the preceptor of gods, out of arrogance, he refused to restore her (to Bṛhaspati). On this issue was fought a battle between gods and demons.

6. Out of hatred against Bṛhaspati, Śukra along with Asuras, espoused the cause of Soma, the Lord of stars, while god Śiva surrounded by his hosts of goblins took the side of Bṛhaspati, his preceptor’s son.^[3]

7. The great Indra, accompanied by all the hosts of gods, followed his preceptor (Bṛhaspati). Thus, for the sake of Tārā, a great battle was fought, resulting in the destruction of gods and demons.

8. The Creator of the Universe (god Brahmā) was then appealed to in this matter by Aṅgiras (Bṛhaspati’s father). Brahmā threatened Soma and made him restore Tārā to her husband who found her to be pregnant.

9. (Bṛhaspati ordered Tārā): “Cast off, uproot from my field (i.e. get aborted) what has been sown there by others (or enemies), oh wicked-minded woman. I shall not reduce you to ashes as you are a woman, and I am desirous of having an issue (through you)^[4], oh good lady!”

9(A). To her was born a son of golden complexion, the destroyer of Dasyus(or evil beings).

10. Overwhelmed with shame, Tārā delivered a son who was lustrous like gold in complexion.^[5] And both Bṛhaspati, the son of Aṅgiras, and Soma desired to have the son as his own (as a kṣetraja son—born of his field, viz. wife in the case of the former, and as a vīryaja son—born of his own semen—in the case of the latter)^[6]

11. While they (Bṛhaspati and Soma) were wrangling vociferously, “This (son; is mine and not yours”, sages and gods enquired (of Tārā), but through sense of shame, she kept mum.

12. Enraged at the sham modesty of his mother (Tārā), the son exploded, “Why don’t you speak, you woman of immoral behaviour? Confess to me immediately your sin”.

12(A).^[7] (Although you deserve that punishment) I shall not burn you to ashes (with a curse) for concealing your sinful act (as after all you are my mother). But god Brahmā censured the audacious reviler in her presence.

13. God Brahmā then invited her aside, and consoling her in camera, he (sympathetically) enquired. With great hesitation and slowly, she confessed in a low tone, “Soma’s.” And immediately Soma took possession of the child.

14. The self-born god (Brahmā) gave the child the name Budha (the intelligent and wise). By the penetrating intelligence and deep wisdom of his son Budha, the moongod, the king of stars, became highly delighted.

15-16. As already narrated (vide Supra 9.1.35) ‘Purūravas was born of Budha and Ilā. On hearing of the personal charms, excellences, generosity, nobility of character, affluence and deeds of valour as extolled by the celestial sage Nārada in the palace of Indra (the king of gods), the celestial nymph Ūrvaśī was afflicted by shafts of the god of love, and she approached Purūravas.^[8]

17. Being reduced to the status of human beings due to the curse of Mitra and Varuṇa, and hearing (the report that) that great personage was beautiful like the god of Love incarnate, she mustered sufficient courage, and presented herself to his presence.

18. With his eyes fully blooming with great joy at her sight, and with his hair standing on their end (with ecstatic delight), the king spoke to her softly in winsome words.

The King said:

19. Welcome is your arrival, Oh beautiful lady. Be pleased to take a (comfortable) seat. What can we do for you? Enjoy yourself fully with me. Let our mutual enjoyment of love last for innumerable years.

Ūrvaśī replied:

20. “Whose mind and eye will not be attracted by and fixed on you, oh charming Prince? Having caught a glimpse of your bosom (lit. having approached your bosom) I become overpowered with the desire of enjoying life with you, and lose the control over my mind.

21. Oh King! Be pleased to protect the two lambs as my pledges. Oh respector of the respectable! I shall enjoy life fully with you. For he who (by his qualities of beauty etc.) appears praise-worthy (to a woman) is remembered (ordained in the Smṛti texts) as acceptable to women.

22. Oh warrior King! My food will consist of ghee only. And I shall not see you without clothes except on the occasion of sexual intercourse.” The noble-minded king agreed to the conditions.

23. “Oh what elegant form! How noble sentiment, that enchants the entire humanity! What man will not attend upon a goddess who presents herself of her own accord.”

24. In her company she offered him all pleasures worthy of him. The eminent person (king Purūravas) enjoyed with her at will, and to the full, in the pleasure gardens of gods such as Caitraratha (the garden of Kubera).

25. Enjoying amorous pleasures with the goddess (or the queen) whose person was fragrant like lotus-filaments, and being enraptured by the sweet smell of her mouth, he revelled many years delightfully with her.

26. Not seeing Ūrvaśī (in his court) and feeling, “My assembly does not look very charming without Ūrvaśī,” Indra directed Gandharvas (to bring her).

27. Approaching at dead of night when the world was steeped in darkness, and through their Māyā, they stole the two rams which were pledged for safe custody with the king, by his queen Ūrvaśī.

28. Hearing the bleating of her son-like rams, as they were being carried away, queen Ūrvaśī lamented loudly, “I am undone by this sheepish husband, lacking in manliness but posing vaingloriously as a hero.

29. Trusting in him, I am ruined and despoiled of my children (—like lambs) by robbers. Like a woman who is full of fear at night, he sleeps terror-stricken at night, and poses himself as a man when it is (broad) day (—light).

29(A). Let me be free! Leave me immediately! Take away your arm that clasps around me. He is too timid to leave me, and cunning, and addicted to licentious sexual pleasure only.”

30. Being pierced with these verbal shafts, and like an elephant pricked with goads, he caught hold of his sword and sallied forth in rage, in the dead of night, even though he was naked.

31. The Gandharvas let go the two rams, but flashed out light like lightning, when she caught a glimpse of her husband in a nude state, coming with the two rams (and thus left him).

32. Not finding his wife in the bed, Purūravas, the son of Ilā, became despondent. His heart being fixed on her, he was beside himself (with affliction). He ranged over the world (in search of her), like a mad man.

33. (In the course of his wanderings, one day) he happened to see her along with her five female companions with their countenances blooming with delight, on the bank of the Sarasvatī, in Kurukṣetra. Purūravas addressed her the following (persuasive) charming words (recorded in the Sūkta, Ṛg Veda Saṃhitā 10.95 which is adapted here as follows):

34. “Oh my beloved wife! Do stop awhile, wait. Oh cruel-hearted one! It does not behove you to abandon me without giving me pleasure of your company to my satisfaction (or unsated as I am of the pleasures of your company, you ought not to relegate me to terrible misery). Let us (at least) have some (heart to heart) talk.^[9]

35. If this beautiful body of mine^[10] which has been drawn away to such a far off distance by you, be not the recipient of your favours, it will fall down dead here only, and wolves and vultures will prey upon it, Oh my queen (Ob goddess).

Ūrvaśī replied:

36. Do not die. You are a man (as such you must be courageous). Let not these wolves (in the form of passionately craving senses) devour you today (Control your senses). The heart of women like the heart of wolves is friendly to none.^[11]

37. Women are merciless, crud, jealous and mind no risk for the object of their love. Even for a trifling matter, they will kill their trustful husband or unsuspecting brother.

38. After inspiring confidence in gullible persons (through deceitful behaviour), they snap asunder all friendly relations. The unchaste women, being wantonly wayward in behaviour, hunt (long) after a new lover (every now and then).

39. My lord, at the end of the year, you will stay with me for one night. You will have other children also, (in addition to the one I carry).

40. Noticing that the queen was pregnant, he returned to his capital. At the end of the year, he came back again to find Ūrvaśī, as the mother of a hero.

41. Full of delight to have her again, he spent that night with her. Then finding him disheartened at the prospect of impending separation, Ūrvaśī advised him:

42. “You propitiate these Gandharvas (by praise), and they will be pleased to give me unto you.”

Being pleased with his laudatory prayer, the Gandharvas donated him a fire-vase (for fire-worship which will lead him to the region of Ūrvaśī) Oh King. (Being blinded with passion) he believed that fire-vessel to be (the means of securing) Ūrvaśī, and roved in the forest with it, only to discover it to be a vase for carrying fire, and not Ūrvaśī.

43. Depositing the vase in the forest, he returned to his palace, and contemplated throughout the night on Ūrvaśī. In the meanwhile (the Kṛta age ended and) the Tretā Age set in, and the knowledge of trinity of Vedas which contained prescriptions, for the ritualistic performance of sacrifices, revealed itself in his mind.

44. Returning to the spot (in the forest) where the firevase was kept (by him), he noticed an aśvattha (Peepal) tree grown out from the ‘womb’ of the Śamī tree. With a desire to attain to the region of Ūrvaśī, he made two araṇis (churning sticks) out of them (with a view to enkindle fire by friction).

45. Reciting the mantra ‘ūrvaśyām urasi purūravāḥ’ (Purūravas is on Ūrvaśī), the powerful king contemplated the lower piece of araṇi (churning stick) as Ūrvaśī and the upper araṇi to be himself, and the intermediate piece between them as their issue (son), (the king churned out the fire while saying the mantra prescribed for such frictional fire).

46. By that friction of churning was enkindled a fire (flame) which is called Jātaveda (that from which wealth and every enjoyable object is produced). It was consecrated by the method prescribed in the three Vedas. It assumed three forms^[12]—āhavanīya, gārhapatya and dakṣiṇāgni. As it, with its three forms, leads to the celestial regions, it was adopted as his son by the king Purūravas.

47. Wishing to attain to the region of Ūrvaśī he, (Purūravas), worshipped with that sacrificial fire (produced by attrition from araṇis) the glorious Lord Hari, who is the presiding Deity of sacrifices and is Supra-sensuous and who represents all gods in His Person.

48. Formerly (in the Kṛta Age), there was only one Veda viz. the sacred syllable OM which formed the basis of all speech; there was but one God Nārāyaṇa and no other; there was only one Fire (and not three) and only one caste viz. Haṃsa.

49. (In the Kṛta Age), all people had the predominance of Sattva and hence were devoted to spiritual meditation. In the Tretā Age, rajas being the dominant quality, the path of ritualistic acts based on the three Vedas became evolved. Since the time of Purūravas, when the Tretā Age dawned, there came into existence the trinity of the Vedas (and the path of ritualistic action based on them), Oh King. As the King accepted the Fire-god as his son (i.e. maintained the sacrificial fire like unto his son), the king attained to the realm of Gandharvas.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Although Purūravas is regarded as the son of Ilā, Manu’s daughter, it is probable that this human founder of the Lunar race hailed from Ilāvṛta, the region round-about mount Meru.

madhye tvilāvṛtaṃ nāma mahā-meroḥ samantataḥ /—Matsya Purāṇa. 113.19.

Roughly this corresponds to the region round modern Pamirs. Purūravas and his descendants had contacts with ‘gods’ who are now identified as Aryans who inhabited the northern part of Pamirs or Uttara Kuru—vide D.P. Misra—Proto. Hist. of India, ch. 1.

[2]:

This is a symbolism, rooted in the vedic doctrine of Soma. For details vide Agrawal—ALP. A study, pp. 130-31.

[3]:

God Śiva’s preceptor was sage Aṅgiras, the father of Bṛhaspati—Bhāvāratha Dīpikā

[4]:

And as there is no son to ensure the continuity of my family—Bhāgavata Candrikā

[5]:

v.l. janaka-prabha [prabham]—was like his father in complexion and beauty.

[6]:

With due respect to these annotators, I fail to understand why god Brahmā took Tārā into confidence to ascertain who was the real father of the child.—The Translator.

[7]:

This verse is noted by Bhāgavata Candrikā also.

[8]:

This story (of Purūravas and Ūrvaśī) is an elaboration of the dialogue between Purūravas and Ūrvaśī recorded in Ṛg Veda Saṃhitā. 10.95. Many verses from that Sūkta are assimilated verbatim in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa e.g. Ṛg Veda Saṃhitā. 10.95.1, 14, 15. The textual similarity has been noted by all commentators. Padaratnāvalī however is more elaborate in this respect.

Even an ordinary reader will hear the echo of Ṛg Veda Saṃhitā. 10.95.1 (repeated in Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 11.5.1-6):

haye jāye manasā tiṣṭha ghore /
vacāṃsi miśrā kṛṇavāvahai nu //

In Bh. P. 9.14.34:

aho jāye tiṣṭha tiṣṭha ghore na tyaktum arhasi /
māṃ tvam adyāpyanirvṛtya vacāṃsi kṛṇavāvahai //

If we accept the hypothesis of Rajaram Shastri Bhagawat who, in 1907, showed in his Key to Interpret Veda, that Devas were a race of men and Indra their leader’s designation (and there is no reason to disbelieve it as scholars like R.N. Dandekar, D.D. Kosambi endorsed it independently), and M. Ali’s identification of Kirghizia, Samarkand (Sogdiana of the Greeks) and Turkemenistan with Deva-loka (The Geography of the Purāṇas, pp. 63-83), the contract marriage between a lady from Ūr (Ūr-vaśī) and a king hailing from Ilāvṛta—Aila Purūravas, appears quite a human episode with historical basis. The geographical vicinity of his kingdom to Deva- loka made it possible for him and his descendants to fight as allies of Indra.

[9]:

Cf. Ṛg Veda Saṃhitā. 10.95.1.

[10]:

Cf. Ṛg Veda Saṃhitā. 10.95.14. Padaratnāvalī reads ‘sudevo'yam’ for sudeho'yam, which opens Ṛg Veda Saṃhitā 10.95.14 (sudevo atra prapatet). Padaratnāvalī explains the Ṛk rather than this verse Sudeva—This human body which is the tool or means of getting knowledge (gati-lakṣaṇa-jñāna-sādhanam).

Bhāgavata Candrikā explains the v.l. sudevo’yam: Here Purūravas addresses his own soul—the Inner Controller. He construes gṛdhra (greedy, voracious) as the adj. qualifying Vṛkas—wolves in the form of sense-organs which afflict the individual soul.

[11]:

The veres echoes the text of Ṛg Veda Saṃhitā. 10.95.15 while VV. 36-39 explain it. Cf.

purū-ravo mā mṛthā, mā pra papto
mā tvā vṛkāso aśivāsa u kṣan /
na vai straiṇāni sakhyāni santi
sālāvṛkāṇām hṛdayāneytā //—Ṛg Veda Saṃhitā. 10.95.15

[12]:

These are the three forms of householder’s perpetual sacrificial fires: The āhavanīya is the eastern. The Gārhapatya is another perpetual fire transmitted from one generation to another and from this, fires for sacrificial purposes are lighted; the dakṣiṇāgni is the sacred fire placed to the south.