अध्याय ७
श्लोक 1
य इदं शृणुयान् नित्यं पृथोश् चरितम् आदितः ।पुत्रपौत्रसमायुक्तो मोदते सुचिरं भुवि ।उक्तानि भरतश्रेष्ठ वैन्यस्येह महात्मनः ।किम् अन्यद् भरतश्रेष्ठ पृच्छसि त्वं नरेश्वर ।यः शृणोति सदा भक्त्या स स्वर्गी नात्र संशयः ।मन्वन्तराणि सर्वाणि विस्तरेण तपोधन तेषां पूर्वविसृष्टिं च वैशंपायन कीर्तय
ya idaṃ śṛṇuyān nityaṃ pṛthoś caritam āditaḥ | putrapautrasamāyukto modate suciraṃ bhuvi | uktāni bharataśreṣṭha vainyasyeha mahātmanaḥ | kim anyad bharataśreṣṭha pṛcchasi tvaṃ nareśvara | yaḥ śṛṇoti sadā bhaktyā sa svargī nātra saṃśayaḥ | manvantarāṇi sarvāṇi vistareṇa tapodhana teṣāṃ pūrvavisṛṣṭiṃ ca vaiśaṃpāyana kīrtaya
हिन्दी अर्थ
सैवमुक्त्वा मनुं देवं मित्रावरूणयोरिला। गत्वान्तिकं वरारोहा प्राज्ललिर्वाक्यमब्रवीतू अंशे5स्मि युवयोर्जाता देवौ कि करवाणि वाम्। मनुना चाहमुक्ता वै अनुगच्छस्व मामिति तां तथावादिनीं साध्वीमिलां धर्मपरायणाम्। मित्रश्न वरुणश्रोभावूचतुर्यन्निबोध तत् अनेन तब धर्मेण प्रश्रयेण दमेन च। सत्येन चैव सुश्रोणि प्रीतौ स्वो वरवर्णिनि
English
Vaishampāyana said:—Kuvalāshwa had a hundred sons all skillful archers; they were all well-educated, powerful irrepressible and pious and performed sacrifices and gave away profuse gifts. Kuvalāshwa installed his son Vrihadāshwa in the kingdom (25–26). Having made over the charge of his kingdom to his son he repaired to the forest. But the saint Uttanka prevented him (from doing that) (27). He said:—"O king, it behoves you to protect your subjects; you should not carry on penances, relieved of all anxiety (for the state) (28). O king, high-souled as you are, the earth should be protected by you. Setting aside all cares you should not enter into woods (29). It is seen that great virtue consists in protecting the subjects, but not so, in repairing to the forest (30) Such is upheld to be the duty of a king and even the former saintly kings used to protect their subjects. Therefore, you should look after your subjects (31). On the even ground near my hermitage, all desert and with little water, there is a tract full of the sands of the ocean called _Ujjānaka_.¹⁹ There entered into the ground full of sand a huge-bodied and highly powerful (demon) whom it was beyond (the power of the) gods even to destroy. That son of the Rakshasa, Madhu, also passed by the name of the huge Asura, Dhundhu. Resorting to dreadful penances, he is lying there for the destruction of men (32-33). When he breathes after the expiration of a year the earth trembles with her mountains, forest and wood (34). The heavy dust, raised by his breath, obstructs the path of the sun—the earth-quake continues for one week—and there comes out smoke with scintillations of fire and cinders. At that time, O my child, I cannot live at my hermitage (35-36). Therefore, for the behoof of mankind, do you slay that huge-bodied demon. On the destruction of that demon people will be at ease (37). O king, you alone are competent to kill him. O sinless one, in the previous Yuga Vishnu conferred a boon on me (38). 'You will welcome his energy with a boon who will kill that dreadful and highly powerful great Asura' (39). O king, even in a hundred celestial years trifling energy cannot consume that highly powerful Dhundhu. Great is his energy which even the gods cannot with difficulty overcome (40)". Thus accosted by the high-souled Uttanka the royal saint despatched his son Kuvalāshwa for suppressing Dhundhu (41).