Radha Krishna - Chapter 20: The Dynasty of Pûru up to Bharata

(1) The son of Vyâsadeva said: 'I shall now describe the dynasty of Pûru in which you were born oh son of Bharata. From the saintly kings of that dynasty many brahmin dynasties originated. (2) From Pûru the son Janamejaya appeared, Pracinvân was his son and from him there was Pravîra from whom next Manusyu appeared. He on his turn fathered Cârupada.

(3) The son appearing from him was Sudyu who had a son named Bahugava. From Bahugava Samyâti was born who had a son named Ahamyâti. His son was called Raudrâs'va. (4-5) Just like the ten senses [of action and perception] originated from the primal force of the universal self, from an Apsara girl known as Ghritâcî ten sons were born: Riteyu, Kaksheyu, Sthandileyu, Kriteyuka, Jaleyu, Sannateyu, Dharmeyu, Satyeyu, Vrateyu and Vaneyu who was the youngest. (6) From Riteyu a son named Rantinâva appeared and his three sons oh ruler of man, were Sumati, Dhruva and Apratiratha. Kanva was Apratiratha's son. (7) From him there was Medhâtithi from whom there were Praskanna and others who were all twice-born souls [brahmins]. From Sumati there was Rebhi and his son was called Dushmanta.

(8-9) Dushmanta one day went hunting and arrived at the âs'rama of Kanva. There he saw a woman sitting who radiated with a beauty like that of the goddess of fortune. Seeing her he immediately felt himself strongly drawn towards this manifestation of divine feminine beauty. In the company of some of his soldiers he then addressed that finest one of all ladies. (10) Exhilarated by her presence he was relieved of the fatigue of his hunting excursion. Driven by lusty feelings, he smilingly asked with pleasing words: (11) 'Who are you oh lotus petal-eyed lady? Who do you belong to oh beauty of my heart and what are your intentions, all by yourself being here in the forest? (12) You appear to be of royal blood. You can count on it that I as a descendant of Pûru oh raving beauty, never outside of the dharma think of enjoying whatever!'

(13) S'rî S'akuntalâ said: 'I was born from Vis'vâmitra and was by Menakâ [my mother] left behind in this forest. Kanva the mighty saint, knows everything about it! Oh my hero, what can I do for you? (14) Please come and sit next to me oh lotus eyed one, accept my humble service. Please eat from the nîvârâ ['of a virgin'] rice that I have to offer and stay here if you want to.'

(15) S'rî Dushmanta answered: 'This oh beautiful eyebrows, befits your position of being born in the family of Vis'vâmitra. It is indeed so that the daughters of a royal family personally choose a suitable husband.'

(16) The king well aware of what would befit the time and place, said yes and then married according to the rules of dharma with S'akuntalâ in the gandharva way [of mutual consent]. (17) Unerring in his virility the saintly king deposited his semen in the queen and turned back to his residence in the morning. In due course of time she then gave birth to a son. (18) Kanva Muni executed in the forest the prescribed ceremonies for the child. The boy later on became known for having captured with great force a lion and having played with it. (19) [His mother S'akuntalâ,] the best of women, took him who as a partial expansion of the Lord was of an insurmountable strength, with her to her husband [Dushmanta]. (20) When the king did not accept them as his wife and son, while they had done nothing wrong, for everyone to hear there was a loud sound from the sky. An incorporeal voice declared: (21) 'The mother is like a bellows to the son of the father who begot him. He therefore belongs to the father. Just take care of your son oh Dushmanta and do not offend S'akuntalâ! (22) Oh King, the son saves him who discharged the semen from the punishment of Yamarâja [death]. S'akuntalâ who said that you are the one who fathered the child has spoken the truth.'

(23) After his father had passed away, the son became an emperor of great fame and glory who was celebrated as a partial representation of the Lord on earth [see also B.G. 10: 41]. (24-26) He carried the mark of the cakra on his right hand and the mark of the lotus whorl on the soles of his feet. Because he was of worship with a grand ritualistic ceremony he received the position as the lord and master over the entire world. He used fifty-five horses for performing sacrifices from the mouth of the Ganges up to its source. For that purpose he appointed the son of Mamatâ as the priest. In the same way he proceeded at the bank of the Yamunâ where he bound [the as'vamedha plate of honor to] seventy-eight horses of sacrifice. He who was called Bharata, the son of Dushmanta, established his fire of sacrifice in the best possible way, gave away a fortune in charity and divided a badva [13.084] cows among the brahmins present. (27) The son of Dushmanta who astonished all the kings by bringing together for these yajñas three-thousand three-hundred horses, [thus] surpassed the opulence of the demigods and gained [the favor of] the spiritual master [the Lord]. (28) During the sacrifice at Mashnâra he in charity donated fourteen lakhs of fine black elephants with the whitest tusks, that were covered with golden ornaments. (29) Even as one cannot seize the heavenly worlds by the strength of one's arms, it is impossible for any ruler in the past or the future to parallel the exalted activities of Bharata. (30) When he conquered the directions he killed all the barbarian rulers who opposed the brahminical culture like the Kirâtas [Africans], the Hûnân [the Huns], the Yavanas [the Greek] the Paundras [the wild men of south Bihar and Bengal], the Kankas [the Scandinavians?], the Khas'âs [the Mongolians] and the S'akas [the Tartars]. (31) In the past, when the Asuras had conquered the demigods and they returned to the lower worlds [Rasâtala], all the wives and daughters of the godly ones had been transported to the nether worlds, but he brought all of them and their associates back to their original places. (32) Sending his troops and circulating his instructions in all directions, for twenty-seven thousand years heaven and earth provided whatever his subjects desired. (33) He the emperor, the ruler over all rulers and places, who was impeccable with the achievements of his power, the realm and the order of state, [in the end considered] all of his life false and thus he ceased to enjoy them. (34) He, oh master of man, had three wives, daughters of Vidarbha who were most pleasing and suitable. But afraid that they would be rejected by him because their sons were not as perfect as their father, they killed them. (35) Thus being frustrated in generating offspring he performed a marut-stoma sacrifice to beget sons. The Maruts thereupon presented him Bharadvâja.

(36) Brihaspati [the scholar and priest of the demigods who was his father, in the past] felt attracted to his brother's pregnant wife and wanted to make love to her, but when the son in the womb forbade him to engage that way he cursed him and discharged his semen anyway. (37) For Mamatâ [the mother], who out of fear to be abandoned by her husband [Utathya] wanted to get rid of the child, was at its name-giving ceremony the following verse pronounced by the God-conscious ones: (38) 'Oh foolish woman, take care of this child that has two fathers.' [She thereupon said:] 'Oh Brihaspati, maintain it yourself although it has another father!' With both the parents having turned away from the child by saying these words, the child was consequently called Bharadvâja ['a burden for both']. (39) Even though she by the God-conscious ones was encouraged to maintain the child, the mother still rejected it, for she thought that in the light of what had happened, it had no purpose in life. It was maintained by the Maruts who gave it [to Bharata] when the dynasty was unfulfilled.'