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He had three sons Purukutsa, Ambarisha, and the Yogin Muchukunda. He had also fifty daughters. Rishi Soubhari made Tapas in the waters of the Yamuna. One day he saw the pairing of a couple of fish and became excited. He re- quested king Mandhata to give him one daughter in marriage. The king said: "By Svayamvara, you may get my daughter" (i.e. the girl must choose her own husband from amongst a number of men offer- ing themselves as husbands.) The Rishi thought because he was old and decrepit therefore the king wanted to put him off. So Soubhari by yogic powers became young and beautiful. All the fifty daughters then accepted him for their husband. The Rishi prepared for him- self all the enjoyments of life and passed his days in company with his 50 wives. He then became disgusted with this sensual life and afterwards attained Moksha with his wives. Yuvanasva adopted his grand son Ambarisha. Ambarisha had one son Youvanasva. His son was Harita. These three, Ambarisha, You- vanasva and Harita were the founders of the chief clans of the Mand- hata Dynasty. Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 211 The elemental serpents gave their sister Narmoda in marriage to Purukutsa. Purukutsa accompanied Narmoda to Rasatala at the re- quest of Vastiki. There he killed such Gandharvas as deserved to be killed. Those who remember this story have no fear from serpents. Such was the blessing of the elemental serpents. Yuvanasva Mandhata | ae Araboritsa Muchukunda m. Narmoda (adopted by Yuvanasva) (Yogin) Trasadasya Youvanasva Anaranya Harita Horyasva Praruna Tribandhana | Satyavrata or Tri Sanku Tri Sanku became a Chandiala by the curse of his father. Rishi Visvamitra lifted him up to Svarga in his own mortal body. Tri Sanku is still visible in the heavens. The devas turned him with his head downwards and attempted to throw him down. Visvamitra by his power has retained him there. Haris Chandra had at first no issue. He prayed to Varuna for a son, promising to offer him as a sacrifice to the Water-god. The king had a son named Rohita (Red). Varuna asked for his victim. Ten days passed away. "Without teething the child will not be pure." There was teething. "When these milk teeth fall away, then will be the time." The milk teeth fell off. "Let other teeth grow." Other teeth did grow. "But he is a Kshatriya boy. He can be pure only when he is fit to put his armour on." The king put off Varuna from time to time in this way, out of affection for his son. Rohita came to know of his father’s promise. To save himself, he took a bow and went to the forest. There he Z12 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana learned that his father had an attack of dropsy, the disease caused by Varuna. So he prepared himself to go back, but Indra prevented him by persuasive words. He was put back from year to year by Indra, till his 6th. year. He then made his way to the king. He purchased from Ajigarta his second son Stinahsepha. He saluted his father and offered the child. King Haris Chandra appeased Varuna by human sacrifice and got rid of his dropsy. In that sacrifice, Visvamitra was the Hota, Jamadagni was the Adhvaryu, Vasistha Brahma and Ayasya was the Udgata. Indra being pleased gave a golden chariot to the king. Visvamitra taught Atma Vidya to Haris Chandra and he attained lib- eration. [The story of Haris Chandra in this Purana follows the vedic ver- sion. The gist of the story is that in the course of further evolution the Devas were to be propitiated by human sacrifice. But this sacrifice did not mean killing. It was the complete offering of oneself up to the service of the gods. The mission of the human victim is to constantly work for the good of the Universe and to extinguish his own person- ality. Sinahsepha was not killed in the sacrifice. He was offered up to the service of the gods. After the sacrifice, he was called Devarata ie. one offered to the Devas. Visvamitra adopted Devarata as his own son and he asked his hundred sons to accept him as their eldest brother. He disowned those sons that did not obey him (Bhagavata IX-16). Therefore Visvamitra took the principal part in this sacrifice and not Vasistha, though he was the family preceptor. ] His enemies dispossesed Bahuka of his kingdom. He went to the forest accompanied by his wives. When he died, the eldest queen prepared herself for death also. Rishi Aurva knew her to be big with child, and dissuaded her from accompanying her husband on to the funeral pyre. The co-wives of the queen, out of jealousy, gave her poison. The child was born with this poison, therefore he was called Sagara (Sa = with, gara = poison.) Sagara became a great king. The Seas were dug by his sons. He was prevented by Rishi Aurva from taking the lives of the Talajanghas, Yavanas, Sakas, Haihayas, and Barbars. But he made them change their outward look. He performed an Asvamedha sacrifice as advised by Aurva and Indra stole the sac- rificial horse. Sagara had two wives Sumati and Kesini. The 60 thousand sons Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 213 Haris Chandra | Rohita Harita Se tA Champa (founder of Champa) Sudeva . Vijaya Bharuka Vita Bshuka 214 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana of Sumati searched for the horse on all sides. They dug the earth’s surface and made the Seas. They found the horse near Kapila. They took him to be the stealer of the horse and abused him. For this they were all burnt up. Kesini had one son Asamanjas by Sagara. Ansumat was son of Asamanjas. He was attached to his grandfather Sagara. Asamanjas was a Yogin in his former birth. He therefore wanted to avoid com- pany by means of provoking acts. He threw down some children into the Saraju. His father Sagara was thus compelled to forsake him. By Yogic powers, be brought back the children thrown into the Saraju, and left his father for ever. Ansumat was also sent by Sagara to search for the horse. He found the horse and a heap of ashes near Kapila. He saluted Kapila and glorified him. The Avatara was pleased. He permitted Ansumat to take away the horse. He also informed him that his burnt-up Pitris could only he saved by the water of the Ganga. Sagara completed the sacrifice with the horse. He made over the kingdom to Ansumat and attained Mukti. Ansumat made Tapas for the downward flow of Ganga but with- out success. He was followed by his son Dilipa. He also did not succeed. Bhagiratha was the son of Dilipa. He prayed hard and Ganga appeared in person before him. "Child, I am pleased with thee. What boon do you ask for"? Bhagiratha told her what he prayed for. "But who shall arrest my course, when I fall down. If not arrested I will pierce the earth and reach Rasatala. Again if I pass over earth, men will wash away their sins in my waters. Where shall I wash away those sins, O King? Therefore do thou ponder well what to do." Said Bhagiratha:—"The touch of Sadhus shall take away thy sins. For Vishnu, the destroyer of sins, remains in them. Thy downward course shall be arrested by Rudra." Siva was pleased by the prayer of Bhagiratha, and he consented to hold Ganga. Ganga came rushing down and she was taken by Bhagiratha to where the ashes of his Pitris lay. The very touch of her waters purified the sons of Sagara and they went to Svarga. Once there lived two Rakshasas. Soudasa killed one and did not kill the other. The surviving Rakshasa, bent on taking revenge, en- tered the service of Soudasa as a cook. When the king entertained Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 215 BAhuka ‘ Sagara m. Sumati | m. Kesinl | 60 thousand Asamanjas sons Angumat | Dilipa | Bhagiratha Sruta | Nabha | Sindhu Dvipa | Ayutayu Rituparna (friend | of Nala) | Sarvakama | Suddsa Soudasa or Mitrasaha or Kalmashapada m, Madayanti. 216 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana Soud4sa ASgmaka Balika or Malaka Dafgaratha Aidaviai Visvasaha | Khatvanga Vasistha, he gave him human flesh to eat. The Rishi became angry and caused Soudasa to become a Rakshasa. When he learned how- ever it was the doing of a Rakshasa, he reduced the king’s Rakshasa life to 12 years. The king also held out water for the execration of Va- sistha. His queen prevented him. So he threw the water at his own feet. His feet became black with sin. While living as a Rakshasa, the king saw a Brahmana and his wife in their privacy, and he attacked the Brahmana. The wife reminded the king of his former birth and requested him not to deprive her of her husband at the time of enjoy- ment. The king heeded not her words but devoured the Brahmana. The Brahmana woman cursed Soudasa so that he should meet with death whenever he had female connection. On the expiry of 12 years, Soudasa reverted to his former birth, but for fear of the curse he had no connection with women. Vasistha at the request of Soudasa pro- duced a son by his wife, Madayanti. The conception lingered for 7 years. Vasistha struck the womb with a stone (Asman) and the son was hence called Asmaka. The son of Asmaka was Balika. He was the surviving kshatriya, after the extirpation of that caste by Parasurama. Hence he was called Milaka also (the root of a race). Khatvanga was a very powerful king. He killed Daityas as a friend of the Devas. The Devas offered him a boon. The king wanted to know how much longer he was to live. Learning it was a Muhurta only, he returned forthwith to his place and concentrated his mind on Bhagavan. He attained Mukti. Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 217 Khatvanga Dirgha-babu Raghu Aja Dasaratha | RAMA Lakshmana Bharata Satrughna (The story of Rama as told in the Ramayana is widely and universally known.