Radha Krishna - Chapter 8: The Sons of Sagara Meet Lord Kapiladeva

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Harita was the son of King Rohita [see previous chapter] and his son Campa built a city called Campâpurî. After him there was Sudeva who also had a son called Vijaya. (2) Bharuka was the son of Vijaya, he had one called Vrika and Vrika had Bâhuka of whom all the land he owned was taken by his enemies so that the king had to enter the forest with his wife. (3) When he died of old age his queen wanted to die with him but sage Aurva, understanding that she was pregnant with a son in her womb, forbade it. (4) The co-wives who knew this gave her poison with her food, but with that poison Sagara ['with poison'] was born who became an emperor of great repute. His sons were responsible for [leading the Ganges to the] ocean [that was therefore called Sâgara]. (5-6) He did not kill the antisocial elements [Tâlajanghas, or tree-people], nor the ones opposing [the Yavanas, also: invaders like the Muslims and the Europeans], the godless ones [the S'akâs], the ruffians [Haihayas] and the barbarians [Barbaras]. He instead, following the orders of the guru, allowed them to appear in odd dresses, shaved clean and wearing mustaches. Some [he accepted as appearing] with loose hair, being half shaven, without any underwear or not being clad at all. (7) Following the words of Aurva he, being of yoga with the Supersoul, worshiped the Lord, the Original Self and Controller of all Vedic knowledge and all enlightened souls, with horse sacrifices. One day he discovered that the horse that was used for the sacrifice had been stolen by Purandara [Indra, see also 4.19: 17]. (8) The proud sons born from Sumati [a wife of Sagara] then, to the instruction of their father, all together searched throughout the entire country for the horse.

(9-10) In the northeastern direction they saw the horse near the âs'rama of Kapila. They said: 'Now we know where that horse thief lives with his eyes closed. Kill him, kill him that sinner!' The sixty thousand men of Sagara thus raised their weapons and approached him. That very moment the muni opened his eyes. (11) With their minds stolen [by Indra] and in offense with such a great personality [as Kapila, see also 3.25-33], their bodies self-ignited instantly and turned to ashes. (12) It is not the viewpoint of the sages to say that the sons of the emperor burned to ashes on the spot because of the anger of the muni, for how could in the self of him [Him] who always resides in goodness and by whose grace the entire universe is purified, the mode of ignorance manifest itself so that anger could rise? How can earthly dust pollute the ether? (13) How can with him who so thoroughly explained the world in analytical terms [see 3.25-33] and who is present in this world as a boat for the seeker to cross over the ocean of nescience that is so hard to overcome in one's mortal existence, there be a sense of distinction between friend and foe with such a learned person elevated in transcendence [for such a one is always jubilant: prasannâtmâ]?

(14) He who was born from Kes'inî [another wife of Sagara] was called Asamañjasa. This prince fathered a son known as Ams'umân who always served his grandfather to the best of his ability. (15-16) In a former life Asamañjasa had been a yogi, so he could remember, who had fallen from the path of yoga because of bad association. In this life [not tolerating any association] he therefore personally proved himself in a most disturbing way. Once sporting with his relatives he acting most offensively had thrown all the boys into the river the Sarayû. He thus caused his family a lot of grief. (17) Because of these deeds he was banned by his father who gave up his affection for him. By the power of his yoga he then showed the boys [to their parents] and went away. (18) Oh King, all the inhabitants of Ayodhyâ were astounded to see their sons having returned again. The king was therefore truly sorry [that his son was gone].

(19) The king ordered Ams'umân [Asamañjasa's son] to search for the horse [that was stolen by Indra]. He went after it and followed the path his uncles purportedly had taken. Thus he found the horse near a pile of ashes. (20) When the great yogi saw the Transcendental Lord, [the Vishnu avatâra] known as Kapila, sitting there he, prostrating himself, offered attentively prayers with folded hands.

(21) Ams'umân said: 'No one among us, living beings, is able to envision You as the Transcendental Person. Up to the present day not even Lord Brahmâ is able to fathom You. And by whatever meditation or guesswork would others be able to do so, we creatures of the material world who, mistaking the body for the [real] self, are groping in the dark [see also B.G. 7: 27]? (22) The consciousness of those people who under the influence of the three modes [the gunas, see also B.G. 14: 5] revere the body, is obscured by the deluding material energy. They see, also when they sleep, nothing but those modes. Those who only have eyes for the external world cannot know You who reside within the body. (23) How can I, this fool of matter, keep You in mind who are full of spiritual knowledge, You who are heeded by Sanandana and other sages free from the contaminating and bewildering illusion of the material diversity that is caused by the gunas [see B.G. 14: 26 & 2: 45]? (24) Oh Peaceful One, I offer You, the Original Person, my obeisances, You who, free from a specific name and form, are transcendental to both the manifest and non-manifest material energies but, in order to distribute the transcendental knowledge, have assumed a material body that is characterized by fruitive actions in relation to the modes of nature. (25) Those whose minds are bewildered by lust, greed, envy and illusion wander around in this world and take their hearth and home, these products of Your material energy, for real. (26) Oh Supreme Lord, by simply seeing You this hard and tight knot of our illusion today has been broken, this bewildered state because of which one in one's sensuality, oh Soul of all living beings, is ruled by lust and selfishness.'

(27) S'rî S'uka said: 'Oh master of man, the great sage and Supreme Lord Kapila this way having been glorified, with a mind filled with mercy told Ams'umân the following. (28) The Supreme Lord said: 'Take this horse, My son, it is the sacrificial animal of your grandfather, but for your forefathers who burned to ashes, there is no other way to be saved but by Ganges water.' (29) After having circumambulated Him and having bowed down to His satisfaction, he brought the horse back to Sagara whereupon with that animal the ceremony was completed. (30) After delivering his kingdom to Ams'umân he [Sagara] being freed from his material bonds, attained the supreme destination by following the path delineated by Aurva.'