Canto CXXVII - Avīkṣita’s exploits (continued)

^[1]

Avīkṣit agreed to marry the rescued maiden—The Gandharvas appeared then, and one of them explained she was his daughter and had been born as king Viśāla’s daughter Bhāvinī because of Agastya’s curse—They were married and lived in the Gandharvas’ world—She gave birth to a son there—All the celestial beings came to the boy's birth-ceremony, and because of the blessings invoked for him from the Maruts he was called Marutta,

Mārkaṇḍeya spoke:

On hearing this her speech, he remembered his father’s fine speech which the king had uttered upon the promise regarding the “What-want-ye” penance, and prince Avīkṣit replied to the maiden, he with mind full of love to the maiden who had also abandoned all enjoyments for his sake,—

“When I forsook thee, O slender one, I was vanquished by my enemies. I have now met^[2] thee here after conquering the foes; what shall I do?”

The maiden spoke:

Take thou my hand in wedlock in this charming forest. May the union of a loving maiden and a lover be fraught with merit!

The prince spoke:

Be it so; may welfare be thine! Destiny itself is the cause here. Otherwise how have thou and I met together here?^[3]

Mārkaṇḍeya spoke:

At this moment, O muni, the Gandharva Tunaya arrived, accompanied by the fairest Apsarases and surrounded by other Gandharvas.

The Gandharva spoke:

O prince, this high-spirited maiden is my daughter, by name Bhāminī. By reason of Agastya’s curse she became Viśāla’s daughter. It was Agastya who was angered with her as she was playing in a child’s manner, so he cursed her then, saying, “Thou shalt become a woman!”^[4] And we appeased him by saying, “She is a child and cannot reflect; do thou show favour for the offence against thee, O brāhman ṛṣi.” Being appeased by us the great muni said this—“I passed a lenient curse on her, because I considered she is but a child; it cannot indeed be altered.” By reason of that curse by Agastya my daughter was born in Viśāla’s house as this beautiful fine-browed maiden, called by the name Bhāvinī. Therefore I have come on this account; take this princess who is my daughter in marriage; of her thou shalt have a son, a universal monarch.

Mārkaṇḍeya spoke:

Uttering the words “Be it so!” the prince then took he^[5] hand according to the ordinance, and Tumburu^[6] offered up the sacrifice there. The gods and Gandharvas sang forth, and bevies of Apsarases danced, the clouds dropped down flowers, and the heavenly instruments sounded forth,^[7] as the prince united in marriage with her, who became the instrument for the agent of the deliverance of the whole world.

Then they went everyone with that high-souled muni to the Gandharvas’ world, and she and the prince went also, O muni. Prince Avīkṣit took his joy in company with Bhāvinī, and she obtained the riches of enjoyment together with him there. Sometimes he sports with that slender one in a charming grove near the city; sometimes on a low hill;^[8] sometimes on a sandbank brightened by geese and sārasa cranes in a river; sometimes near the mansion and in the very resplendent palace. In other charming pleasure-grounds he sported in company with the slender bride, and she with that high-souled prince. Munis, Gandharvas and Kinnaras offered them both food and unguents, clothing, and the choicest garlands, beverages and other gifts there.

And when the hero sported with Bhāvinī in the hardly accessible world of the Gandharvas, the bright bride gave birth to a son. When he was born, who would be great in valour, a tiger among men, the Gandharvas perceiving what he would accomplish held a great festival; and some of them sang, and others beat drums and kettledrums and double drums, and others played on flutes, lutes and other musical instruments; and many bevies of Apsarases also danced there; the clouds showered down flowers while they rumbled with gentle sound. Now while that medley of sounds so continued , the muni Tmnbu.ru, who was remembered by Tunāya,^[9] approached^[10] and performed the birth-ceremonies. All the gods assembled, and the pure divine ṛṣis; and from Pātāla came the Nāga lords, Śeṣa, Yāsuki, and Takṣaka; and there came also the chiefs of the gods and Asuras, of the Yakṣas and Guhyakas, O brahman, and all the Winds^[11] also. Then the Gandharvas’ great city was thronged with those who had come, all the ṛṣis, gods, Dānavas and Nagas and the munis. Tumburu then performed the birth-ceremony and other rites, and performed the rite, which is preceded by praises, to secure good fortune on behalf of that boy, saying —

“As a universal monarch, great in valour, mighty of arm, great in strength, exercise thou sovereignty over the entire earth a long time. May Indra and all these other world-guardians and the ṛṣis bestow bliss and foe-destroying. valour on thee, O hero! May the wind^[12] tend to what is auspicious for thee, even the east wind that blows no dust! May the south wind which is clean and unflagging tend to gentleness for thee! May the west wind bestow heroism on thee, the noblest heroism on thee! And may the north wind likewise confer on thee excellent strength also!”

At the end of this rite to secure good fortune a voice spake, issuing from no earthly body,—

“Because the preceptor uttered this phrase ‘Marut-tava’^[13] repeatedly, hence this boy shall be famed on earth as ‘Marutta;’ and because kings shall pass into subjection to his commands on the earth, this boy as a hero shall stand on the head^[14] of all kings. As a universal monarch, great in valour, he shall assail kings and shall unobstructed enjoy the earth which contains seven continents. He shall be chief among kings who offer sacrifices. His shall be the supremacy among kings by reason of valour and heroism.”

Mārkaṇḍeya spoke:

On hearing this speech uttered by some one from among the dwellers in heaven, all were gratified, the brahmans and Gandharvas also and his mother and father.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Canto cxxviii in the Calcutta edition.

[2]:

For samprāpto read samprāptā as in the Poona edition.

[3]:

Ānyatra tvam ahaṃ ca samāgataḥ; the Poona edition reads aim tvam ahaṃ caiva samāgataḥ. These can hardly be correct; read atra tvam ahaṃ caiva samāgatau?

[4]:

That is, of human race. The Gandharvas were semi-celestial.

[5]:

For tathety uktveti tasyātha read tathety uktvā tat as tasyāḥ as in the Poona edition.

[6]:

A muni, see verse 26. He may be the person mentioned in the MahāBhārata, whose happy conjugal life with his wife Rambhā was famous (Udyoga-p. cxvi. 3975). There was a Gandharva of this name (Sabhā-p. li. 1881), and in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa as a friend of Nala Candanodaka-dundubhi.

[7]:

Ni-sasvanuḥ ; this root as a verb is not in the dictionary.

[8]:

Upa-parvate; not in the dictionary. The Poona edition reads vara-pārvate, “on a choice hill.”

[9]:

Tumburu had solemnized the parents’ wedding, see verse 13. Tunaya is the Gandharva of verse 6. The Poona edition reads instead praṇayena smṛto, “who was remembered with affection.”

[10]:

For jāta-jāta-karmākaron read ’bhetya jāta-karmākaron as in the Poona edition.

[11]:

Vāyu in the plural; they are mentioned here because of the invocation which comes afterwards, in which they are called Marut.

[12]:

Marut, with tava or te added here and in the following sentences.

[13]:

“May the wind for thee;” the words used in the preceding invocations.

[14]:

Or “at the head.”