Chapter 13: Description of the Descendants of Dhruva Mahârâja

(1) Sûta said [to the rishis at Naimishâranya]: "Hearing Maitreya's description of Dhruva's ascent to the abode of Vaikunthha, Vidura's love for the Supreme Lord in the beyond grew and again he began to question Maitreya Muni.

(2) Vidura asked: 'Who were they, you called the Pracetâs? Which family they were known by, whose sons were they oh best among the sworn and where performed they their sacrifice? (3) I think that Nârada is the greatest of all the devotees; he saw God before his eyes and described the procedure of rendering devotional service to the Lord [in kriyâ-yoga or the pâñcarâtrika-method]. (4) When these men were performing their sacrificial duties in worship of the Supreme Lord, the Enjoyer of All Sacrifices was by Nârada described with devotion. (5) Oh brahmin, be so kind to tell me, so very eager to hear, in full all the stories about the Lord that were narrated there by the devarishi.'

(6) Maitreya said: 'Utkala, the son of Dhruva, after his father departed for the forest, did not desire the throne of the emperor, his father, with all the lands and opulence belonging to it. (7) From the day he was born he was a most satisfied, unattached soul, who equipoised saw the Supersoul as spread everywhere in the world and all the world as resting in the Supersoul. (8-9) Because of his single-minded resolve about the spirit of the Absolute, the separation from heaven had ended in the oneness of the Self. A consequent yoga practice had increased his bliss that as fire burned away the karmic impurities of his mind. Thus realizing his constitutional position all his thoughts were devoted to the Soul of all Souls. (10) Out on the road he to the less intelligent appeared to be like a fool, blind, deaf, dumb and mad, but actually his intelligence was more like a fire with its flames tempered. (11) Thinking that Utkala had no intelligence and was mad, the elders of the family and the ministers of state appointed Vatsara, the younger son of Bhrami, ruler of the world. (12) Svarvîthi, King Vatsara's dearest wife, gave birth to six sons: Pushpârna, Tigmaketu, Isha, Ûrja, Vasu and Jaya. (13) Pushpârna had two wives Doshâ and Prabhâ. Of Prabhâ there were the sons Prâtar, Madhyandinam and Sâyam. (14) Pradosha, Nis'itha and Vyushtha were the three sons of Doshâ. Vyushtha begot in his wife Pushkarinî a son named Sarvatejâ [the all powerful one]. (15-16) His wife, called Âkûti, gave birth to a son named Câkshusha who was the [sixth] Manu. His queen Nadvalâ bore him [twelve] pure sons: Puru, Kutsa, Trita, Dyumna, Satyavân, Rita, Vrata, Agnishthoma, Atîrâtra, Pradyumna, S'ibi and Ulmuka. (17) Ulmuka begot six very good sons in Pushkarinî [who had the same name as her predecessor]: Anga, Sumanâ, Khyâti, Kratu, Angirâ and Gaya. (18) The wife of Anga, Sunîthâ gave birth to Vena who was very crooked. Disappointed about his bad character the wise king Anga left the city [to live in the forest]. (19-20) He [Vena] was cursed by the sages whose angry words struck him like thunder. After that had happened he died. Being without a king all the inhabitants of the world were pestered by thieves and rogues. They then churned his right arm [his 'hand'], upon which a partial incarnation [ams'a-avatâra] of Nârâyana descended called Prithu, who became the original Lord of the Earth.

(21) Vidura said: 'With King Anga being such a reservoir of good qualities and a saintly person, a lover of brahminical culture and a great soul, how could his son be so bad that he became indifferent and left? (22) Why did the sages conversant with the religious principles who saw Vena's faults, desire to pronounce the brahmin's curse against him, while it was the king who carried the rod of punishment? (23) The king is never to be insulted by the citizens however sinful he may be, because he by his personal influence maintains the power of all the local officials. (24) Please describe to me, your faithful devotee oh brahmin, all there is to say about the activities of the son of Sunîthâ, for you are well conversant with [the things of] heaven and earth.'

(25) Maitreya replied: 'King Anga once executed a great as'vamedha sacrifice, but to that great offering all the godly ones never attended despite of the fact that they were invited by the officiating brahmins. (26) Puzzled about it they then told the instigator of the sacrifice: 'The godly ones do not accept the oblations in the fire of the priests. (27) Oh King, there is nothing impure about the offerings that you with great care collected, nor is there anything wrong with the proper execution of the mantras by the qualified brahmins. (28) In this connection we cannot find the least insult or neglect in respect of the  godly ones because of which the God-conscious who are to witness the sacrifice, wouldn't accept their share.'

(29) Maitreya said: 'King Anga, the performer of the sacrifice, was very depressed after hearing what the twice-born said. He then with their permission addressed the priests to be informed by them: (30) 'Being invited the ones of God are not going to [attend the sacrificial ceremony and] accept their share of the offerings. My dear priests, please tell me what offense I have committed.'

(31) The leading priests said: 'Oh god of man, in this life you haven't even committed the slightest sin, but in your previous life there was a sin because of which you in this life are without a son. (32) Therefore we who wish you all good fortune say to you: execute the sacrifice to get good offspring oh King, when you worship  the Lord, the enjoyer of the sacrifice, with the desire to get a son, He will grant you one. (33) Thereupon all the men of God will accept their share of the sacrifice, because for the purpose of [getting] a son then evidently the Supreme Personality has been invited. (34) The Lord being worshiped will award the person whatever he desires; according to the way He is respected by the people they will reap the fruits.'

(35) Thus having decided the learned ones offered rice cake in the fire of the Lord of the Flames, for the king to get a son. (36) From the sacrificial fire a person in white garments appeared with a golden garland and a golden pot in which he carried rice boiled in milk. (37) He, the king, firmly rooted in the noble mind, with the permission of the learned took the in milk boiled rice in his joined palms and offered it, after smelling with great delight, to his wife. (38) The childless queen eating from the food that would give her a child, indeed was impregnated by the husband and thus she in due time gave birth to a son. (39) That boy appeared partly following in the footsteps of his death-oriented, maternal, irreligious grandfather. He therefore became an offender of the holy duty. (40) He used to take up his bow as a hunter and go into the forest to kill innocent deer. Thus all the people cried: 'There he is, the cruel Vena!' (41) While playing in the playground with boys of his age he very cruelly violently killed them mercilessly as if he slaughtered animals. (42) Seeing how cruel his son was, the king by different means of punishment couldn't get a grip on him and thus he became greatly aggrieved thinking: (43) 'They who are without a son probably have worshiped God [in a previous life], they do not have to suffer this unbearable sorrow to live at home with such a bad son. (44) From a bad son's sinful reputation and unrighteousness there will be a great discord among the people who all constantly will live in fear. (45) Who would want such a so-called son? What he no doubt means to the soul is bondage to illusion; which intelligent man would value a son who brings misery to one's family life? (46) I think it's better to have a bad son than a good one. The grief one has because of him will lead to detachment from one's household that is the source of all misery, for it turns the life of a mortal man into a lot of trouble.'

(47) Thus grown indifferent the king, unable to sleep, got up in the middle of the night to forsake his home that was so opulent because of the blessings of the great souls. Not noticed by anyone he left Vena's mother who was fast asleep. (48) As soon as was understood that the king, no longer caring, had left, all the citizens, priests and ministers, friends and the rest of the people searched the earth in great bereavement, just like inexperienced yogis looking for what's hidden within the person. (49) Not finding a trace of their father of state oh Kaurava, the citizens returned disappointed to their city and informed with tears in their eyes, after offering their respects, the assembled sages about the absence of the king.'