Skandha V.
Table V. Priyavrata
Skandha V. Chap. 1
Priyavrata was, from the beginning, under the influence of Nârada. So he declined to take part in the rule of the universe; till at last Brahmâ persuaded him not to shirk his assigned work. King Priyavrata married Barhishmati, the daughter of Visvakarmâ. By her he had ten sons Agnidhra &c., all names of Agni.
Of these ten, Kavi, Mahâvira and Savana were spiritually inclined and they became Parama Hansas (Parama Hansa is one who gives up the world entirely and becomes fixed in Brahmâ). Priyavrata had by another wife three sons: Uttama, Tâmasa and Raivata. They all became Manus.
Priyavrata reigned for 400,000,000 years. The Sun-god Âditya moves round the Sumeru Mount and sends his rays up to the Loka-loka range, illumining half the regions while the other half remains dark. King Priyavrata in the exuberance of spiritual power determined to illuminate the dark regions and to make it all day and no night. He followed the Sun-god seven times with a chariot as swift and bright as that of the Sun-god himself even as though he were a second Âditya. Brahmâ appeared saying “Desist, O Son, this is not thy assigned duty in the universe.” The ruts caused by the wheel of Priyavtata’s chariot are the seven oceans, which gave rise to the seven Dvipas — Jambu, Plaksha, Sâlmali, Kusa Krauncha, Śâka and Pushkara.
Of these Dvipas, each succeeding one is twice as large as the one preceding it. The seven oceans respectively consist of:
Kshâra (Salt),
Ikshu (Sugarcane juice),
Surâ (wine),
Ghrita (clarified butter),
Kshira (milk),
Dadhi (curd) and
Suddha (pure water).
They are like ditches round the Dvipas and their dimensions are the same as those of the corresponding Dvipas.
King Priyavrata divided the seven Dvipas among his seven sons thus: —
| To | Agnidhra, he | gave | Jambu Dvipa. |
| ″ | Idhmajihva, ″ | ″ | Plaksha Dvipa. |
| ″ | Yajnavâhu, ″ | ″ | Sâlmali Dvipa. |
| ″ | Hiranyaretas, ″ | ″ | Kuśa Dvipa. |
| ″ | Ghritapristha, ″ | ″ | Krauncha Dvipa. |
| ″ | Medhâtithî, ″ | ″ | Śâka Dvipa. |
| ″ | Vitihotra. ″ | ″ | Pushkar Dvipa. |
He gave his daughter Urjasvati in marriage to Śukra. The famous Devayâni was their daughter.
SKANDHA V. CHAP. 2.
King Âgnidhra presided over Jambu Dvipa. He saw the Apsarâ Purva-chitti and became love-stricken, so much so that he became a jada (Jada is literally fixed, materialized hence idiotic, mad.)
The King had by her nine sons Nâbhi, Kimpurusha, Harivarsha, Ilâvrita, Ramyak, Hiranmaya, Kuru, Bhadrâsva and Ketumâla. Each of them presided over the Varsha of his name. They were respectively wedded to the following nine daughters of Meru, — Merudevi, Pratirûpâ, Ugradanstri, Latâ, Ramyâ, Śyâmâ, Nari, Bhadrâ and Devavîti.
SKANDHA V. CHAP. 4-6.
Nâbhi had for his son RISHABHA an Incarnation of Vishnu. Rishabha knew his Varsha to be the field of Karma. He married Jayanti and had by her one hundred sons. The eldest and most qualified of his sons was Bharata, Bhâratavarsha is named after him.
The chief amongst the remaining ninety-nine sons were Kusâvarta, Ilâvarta, Brahmavarta, Malayaketu, Bhadrasena, Indrasprik, Vidarbha and Kikata. These nine were the immediate successors of Bharata and were attached to him.
Following them were Kavi, Hari, Antariksha, Prabuddha, Pippalâyana, Âbirhotra, Dravida, Chamasa and Karabhâjana. They were devoted to Bhagavân. Their story will be related in the 11th. Branch of this Purâna.
The younger eighty one sons were devoted to karma and they were great performers of Yajna.
Rishabha called his sons together and gave them proper advice. He taught them Âtmâ Vidya and revealed to them his own nature as the all pervading Purusha, free from Avidyâ.
“This my body is inconceivable. My heart is pure Satva. All impurities were cast off by me. Therefore good people call me ‘Rishabha’ (primarily a bull, secondarily the best). You are all born of my heart and so you all are great; follow your brother Bharata willingly. By serving him you will do your duty by your subjects.”
So saying, he made over the reins of government to Bharata and himself became a Parama Hansa. He took the vow of silence and never spoke again. He looked blind, dumb and deaf like one obsessed and mad. He went everywhere in this state, heedless of what others said. People flocked round him wherever he went. At last he thought the rush of people to be an impediment to yoga and took the vow of Ajagara life (Ajagara is a huge python that does not move, but eats whatever comes within reach of its mouth). He remained fixed at one place.
The yoga powers (Sidhis) sought him but he spurned them all. When he foresaw the end of his prarabdha karma Rishabha went about at will and travelled in Kanka, Venkata, Kûtaka and South Karnataka. While in the forest of Kûtaka he thrust some stones into his mouth. At that time the wind blew high and the bamboo tops caught fire and the body of the King was consumed. In Kali Vuga, King Arhat of Kanka, Venkata and Kûtaka will hear of the deeds of Rishabha and in the name of religion will introduce all sorts of sacrilegious practices as sanctioned by Rishabha’s example.
SKANDHA V. CHAP. 7.
King Bharata married Panchajani, the daughter of Vîsva. He had by her five sons — Sumati, Râshtrabhrit, Sudarśana, Âbharana and Dhûmraketu. This Varsha was formerly called Ajanâbha. When Bharata became king, it was named after him Bhârata Varsha. King Bharata performed the Vedic Yajnas and made offerings to the Devas. But he knew the Devas as manifestations only of Vâsudeva. His mind became pure and filled with Satva. He lost himself in devotion to Vâsudeva. At last he divided his kingdom amongst his sons and himself went for Tapas to the hermitage of Pulaha in the kshetra of Hari on the Sacred Gandaki. He meditated in his heart on the lotus feet of Bhagavân and became suffused with ecstasy.
Bharata invoked the golden Purusha in the rising sun by a special Rik (Vedic Mantra) and addressed Him thus, “Let us attain the spiritual rays of luminous Savitri that are beyond Rajas and that are the generators of Kârmic effects. By His Manas He created this universe. He preserves the Jiva again by permeating this universe.”
SKANDHA V. CHAP. 8.
Once upon a time king Bharata had bathed in the Gandaka and after performing the daily practices was meditating on Pranava on the river-side. A deer came to drink water at the time. While the animal was quenching her thirst a lion roared not far off and she in terror jumped into the river. As she happened to be big with child, she was delivered of it at the time. Exhausted, the deer got back to the river side only to die. The new born fawn was being washed away, having no one to take care of it. Bharata took pity on the little fawn. He took it up and brought it to his hermitage. He brought it up as his own child and became deeply attached to it. He constantly thought of the deer-child, even so much so that when death approached he could not forget it and became re-born in another birth as a deer.
But though born as a deer, Bharata did not lose the memory of his former birth. He reflected that the mind that had been trained and controlled in the worship of Vâsudeva went astray only for the sake of one deer-child. He left the Kâlanjara hills where he was born as a deer and sought for Sâlagram, sacred with the Âsramas of Pulastya and Pulaha. He waited calmly for the exhaustion of Karma that had given rise to his deer life. He then gave up his body in the sacred waters of the Gandaka.
SKANDHA V. CHAP. 9.
A Brâhmana of the line of Angiras had nine sons by one wife. They were all well versed in the Vedas, He had one son by another wife and one daughter. This son was said to be an incarnation of Bharata. He was afraid of sanga (company), so much so that he would not even speak to any one for fear of acquiring new Karma. People took him for an idiot. His father strove hard to teach him the Vedas but did not succeed. His parents died and his half brothers had charge of him. Their wisdom was that of the Vedas. They had not learned Âtmâ Vidyâ. So they did not understand the nature of Bharata and neglected him. They gave him poor meals for the day’s work in the fields.
At one time a thief wanted to propitiate the goddess Bhadra Kâli by human sacrifice in order that he might be blessed with a child. The victim that was procured somehow untied himself and fled. The attendants searched for him on all sides in vain. They at last fell upon Bharata who was watching in the fields in a peculiar way. They found him most suited for sacrifice and tied him up and carried him to the altar of Kâli. He was duly consecrated and the priest took up a sharp instrument to cut off his head. Kâli could no longer remain unconcerned. She rushed forth in rage from out of her image, wrested the knives from the hands of the thieves and cut off their heads.
Once upon a time Râhugana King of Sindhu and Saubira was travelling in a palanquin. The chief palanquin bearer on reaching the river Ikshumati went in search of a bearer and on finding Bharata deemed him to be a god-send. He found his limbs strong and well-built and thought him capable of bearing the palanquin. He forced Bharata into the service. Bharata though quite unfit for this menial work did his utmost. But he was in the habit of looking forward for the distance of an arrow throw and then taking steps in advance, so that he might not unwarily kill some animal under his feet. He could not therefore keep pace with the other bearers and the palanquin lost its balance. King Rahûgana became angry and reproached the bearers. They complained against the new recruit. The king taunted Bharata with these words; “Oh my friend I dare say you are tired — for have you not carried me long and for a long distance too — and you appear to be thin indeed and weak. Are you suffering from decrepitude? Are not these your fellow-mates.”
Bharata kept quiet. For these taunting remarks did not touch him. He was crystallised in wisdom and was no longer troubled with the false perceptions of “I and mine.”
The palanquin again lost its balance. The king lost his temper and broke forth thus; “What is this? are you alive or dead? Do you thus disregard my orders and think of living? You must be a madman, like the Death-god I will punish your madness and bring you to your senses.” King Rahûgana was proud of his learning and his kingship. He was inflated with Rajas and Tames. He had therefore no hesitation in reproaching that lord of Yoga, Bharata.
Bharata smiled and thus replied: — “Thy taunts are true, O king! There is no doubt, I am neither tired nor did I travel long. For thy weight does not affect me nor have I any distance to travel. Nor could I be called fat. For the body is fat and not I. It is by falsely attributing the bodily attributes to self that one is said to have thickness, leanness, disease, hunger thirst, fear, enmity, desire, sleep, attachment, anger, egotism, pride and sorrow. But I have no such false perception.
“Thou sayest I am dead even when alive. But such is the case with all beings for they are all subject to constant transformations.
“Thou chargest me with disregarding the orders of my Master. But only if the relationship of Master and servant does really subsist, might there be command and obedience. But where is that relationship? If thou sayest, in the ways of the world, thou art my king momentary though these ways be, please tell me thy behests.
“Thou callest me a mad man and dost want to punish me and bring me to my senses. But I am not mad, though I may look so, for I am fixed in the meditation of Brahmâ. But still if thou thinkest me to be a madman it will be useless to punish or to teach a senseless being.”
So saying Bharata continued to carry the king. Rahûgana came down from the palanquin and fell at Bharata’s feet. He expressed regret for having slighted such a sage in disguise and prayed for a fuller explanation of the philosophy involved in his weighty words. This led to an explanation by Bharata of the Advaita philosophy from the stand point of the Purânas, a denunciation of Vedic and Tântric rites, and an allegorical description of the worldly life as trading in the forest (the world being the forest and the traders being men in search of wealth). The allegory was explained by Suka to Parikshit. [The enquiring student is referred to the original for details (V. 11-14.)]
SKANDHA V. CHAP. 15.
We must hurriedly refer to the line of Bharata. Sumati was the son of Bharata. Ill guided men in the Kali Yuga will call him a God. In his line Pratiha was master of Âtmâ Vidyâ. Coming lower down by far the most renowned king in the line of Bharata was Gaya Viraja was also well known. Of the hundred sons of Viraja, the eldest was Śatajit or the Conqueror of the hundred.