To Agnidhra, he gave Jambu Dvipa.
" Idhmajihva, " " Plaksha Dvipa.
" Yajnavahu, " " Salmali Dvipa.
" Hiranyaretas, " " Kusa Dvipa.
" Ghritapristha, " " Krauncha Dvipa.
" Medhatithi, " " Saka Dvipa.
" Vitihotra. " " Pushkar Dvipa.
He gave his daughter Urjasvati in marriage to Sukra. The famous Devayani
was their daughter.
*SKANDHA V. CHAP. 2.*
King Agnidhra presided over Jambu Dvipa. He saw the Apsara Purva-chitti
and became love-stricken, so much so that he became a _jada_ (Jada is
literally fixed, materialized hence idiotic, mad.)
The King had by her nine sons Nabhi, Kimpurusha, Harivarsha, Ilavrita,
Ramyak, Hiranmaya, Kuru, Bhadrasva and Ketumala. Each of them presided
over the Varsha of his name. They were respectively wedded to the
following nine daughters of Meru, -- Merudevi, Pratirupa, Ugradanstri,
Lata, Ramya, Syama, Nari, Bhadra and Devaviti.
*SKANDHA V. CHAP. 4-6.*
Nabhi had for his son RISHABHA an Incarnation of Vishnu. Rishabha knew
his Varsha to be the field of Karma. He married Jayanti and had by her
one hundred sons. The eldest and most qualified of his sons was Bharata,
Bharatavarsha is named after him.
The chief amongst the remaining ninety-nine sons were Kusavarta,
Ilavarta, Brahmavarta, Malayaketu, Bhadrasena, Indrasprik, Vidarbha and
Kikata. These nine were the immediate successors of Bharata and were
attached to him.
Following them were Kavi, Hari, Antariksha, Prabuddha, Pippalayana,
Abirhotra, Dravida, Chamasa and Karabhajana. They were devoted to
Bhagavan. Their story will be related in the 11th. Branch of this
Purana.
The younger eighty one sons were devoted to karma and they were great
performers of Yajna.
Rishabha called his sons together and gave them proper advice. He taught
them Atma Vidya and revealed to them his own nature as the all pervading
Purusha, free from Avidya.
"This my body is inconceivable. My heart is pure Satva. All impurities
were cast off by me. Therefore good people call me 'Rishabha' (primarily
a bull, secondarily the best). You are all born of my heart and so you
all are great; follow your brother Bharata willingly. By serving him you
will do your duty by your subjects."
So saying, he made over the reins of government to Bharata and himself
became a Parama Hansa. He took the vow of silence and never spoke again.
He looked blind, dumb and deaf like one obsessed and mad. He went
everywhere in this state, heedless of what others said. People flocked
round him wherever he went. At last he thought the rush of people to be
an impediment to yoga and took the vow of Ajagara life (Ajagara is a
huge python that does not move, but eats whatever comes within reach of
its mouth). He remained fixed at one place.
The yoga powers (Sidhis) sought him but he spurned them all. When he
foresaw the end of his _prarabdha karma_ Rishabha went about at will and
travelled in Kanka, Venkata, Kutaka and South Karnataka. While in the
forest of Kutaka he thrust some stones into his mouth. At that time the
wind blew high and the bamboo tops caught fire and the body of the King
was consumed. In Kali Vuga, King Arhat of Kanka, Venkata and Kutaka will
hear of the deeds of Rishabha and in the name of religion will introduce
all sorts of sacrilegious practices as sanctioned by Rishabha's example.
*SKANDHA V. CHAP. 7.*
King Bharata married Panchajani, the daughter of Visva. He had by her
five sons -- Sumati, Rashtrabhrit, Sudarsana, Abharana and Dhumraketu.
This Varsha was formerly called Ajanabha. When Bharata became king, it
was named after him Bharata Varsha. King Bharata performed the Vedic
Yajnas and made offerings to the Devas. But he knew the Devas as
manifestations only of Vasudeva. His mind became pure and filled with
Satva. He lost himself in devotion to Vasudeva. At last he divided his
kingdom amongst his sons and himself went for Tapas to the hermitage of
Pulaha in the _kshetra_ of Hari on the Sacred Gandaki. He meditated in
his heart on the lotus feet of Bhagavan and became suffused with
ecstasy.
Bharata invoked the golden Purusha in the rising sun by a special Rik
(Vedic Mantra) and addressed Him thus, "Let us attain the spiritual rays
of luminous Savitri that are beyond Rajas and that are the generators of
Karmic effects. By His Manas He created this universe. He preserves the
Jiva again by permeating this universe."
*SKANDHA V. CHAP. 8.*
Once upon a time king Bharata had bathed in the Gandaka and after
performing the daily practices was meditating on Pranava on the
river-side. A deer came to drink water at the time. While the animal was
quenching her thirst a lion roared not far off and she in terror jumped
into the river. As she happened to be big with child, she was delivered
of it at the time. Exhausted, the deer got back to the river side only
to die. The new born fawn was being washed away, having no one to take
care of it. Bharata took pity on the little fawn. He took it up and
brought it to his hermitage. He brought it up as his own child and
became deeply attached to it. He constantly thought of the deer-child,
even so much so that when death approached he could not forget it and
became re-born in another birth as a deer.
But though born as a deer, Bharata did not lose the memory of his former
birth. He reflected that the mind that had been trained and controlled
in the worship of Vasudeva went astray only for the sake of one
deer-child. He left the Kalanjara hills where he was born as a deer and
sought for Salagram, sacred with the Asramas of Pulastya and Pulaha. He
waited calmly for the exhaustion of Karma that had given rise to his
deer life. He then gave up his body in the sacred waters of the Gandaka.
*SKANDHA V. CHAP. 9.*
A Brahmana of the line of Angiras had nine sons by one wife. They were
all well versed in the Vedas, He had one son by another wife and one
daughter. This son was said to be an incarnation of Bharata. He was
afraid of _sanga_ (company), so much so that he would not even speak to
any one for fear of acquiring new Karma. People took him for an idiot.
His father strove hard to teach him the Vedas but did not succeed. His
parents died and his half brothers had charge of him. Their wisdom was
that of the Vedas. They had not learned Atma Vidya. So they did not
understand the nature of Bharata and neglected him. They gave him poor
meals for the day's work in the fields.
At one time a thief wanted to propitiate the goddess Bhadra Kali by
human sacrifice in order that he might be blessed with a child. The
victim that was procured somehow untied himself and fled. The attendants
searched for him on all sides in vain. They at last fell upon Bharata
who was watching in the fields in a peculiar way. They found him most
suited for sacrifice and tied him up and carried him to the altar of
Kali. He was duly consecrated and the priest took up a sharp instrument
to cut off his head. Kali could no longer remain unconcerned. She rushed
forth in rage from out of her image, wrested the knives from the hands
of the thieves and cut off their heads.
Once upon a time Rahugana King of Sindhu and Saubira was travelling in a
palanquin. The chief palanquin bearer on reaching the river Ikshumati
went in search of a bearer and on finding Bharata deemed him to be a
god-send. He found his limbs strong and well-built and thought him
capable of bearing the palanquin. He forced Bharata into the service.
Bharata though quite unfit for this menial work did his utmost. But he
was in the habit of looking forward for the distance of an arrow throw
and then taking steps in advance, so that he might not unwarily kill
some animal under his feet. He could not therefore keep pace with the
other bearers and the palanquin lost its balance. King Rahugana became
angry and reproached the bearers. They complained against the new
recruit. The king taunted Bharata with these words; "Oh my friend I dare
say you are tired -- for have you not carried me long and for a long
distance too -- and you appear to be thin indeed and weak. Are you
suffering from decrepitude? Are not these your fellow-mates."
Bharata kept quiet. For these taunting remarks did not touch him. He was
crystallised in wisdom and was no longer troubled with the false
perceptions of "I and mine."
The palanquin again lost its balance. The king lost his temper and broke
forth thus; "What is this? are you alive or dead? Do you thus disregard
my orders and think of living? You must be a madman, like the Death-god
I will punish your madness and bring you to your senses." King Rahugana
was proud of his learning and his kingship. He was inflated with Rajas
and Tames. He had therefore no hesitation in reproaching that lord of
Yoga, Bharata.
Bharata smiled and thus replied: -- "Thy taunts are true, O king! There
is no doubt, I am neither tired nor did I travel long. For thy weight
does not affect me nor have I any distance to travel. Nor could I be
called fat. For the body is fat and not I. It is by falsely attributing
the bodily attributes to self that one is said to have thickness,
leanness, disease, hunger thirst, fear, enmity, desire, sleep,
attachment, anger, egotism, pride and sorrow. But I have no such false
perception.
"Thou sayest I am dead even when alive. But such is the case with all
beings for they are all subject to constant transformations.
"Thou chargest me with disregarding the orders of my Master. But only if
the relationship of Master and servant does really subsist, might there
be command and obedience. But where is that relationship? If thou
sayest, in the ways of the world, thou art my king momentary though
these ways be, please tell me thy behests.
"Thou callest me a mad man and dost want to punish me and bring me to my
senses. But I am not mad, though I may look so, for I am fixed in the
meditation of Brahma. But still if thou thinkest me to be a madman it
will be useless to punish or to teach a senseless being."
So saying Bharata continued to carry the king. Rahugana came down from
the palanquin and fell at Bharata's feet. He expressed regret for having
slighted such a sage in disguise and prayed for a fuller explanation of
the philosophy involved in his weighty words. This led to an explanation
by Bharata of the Advaita philosophy from the stand point of the
Puranas, a denunciation of Vedic and Tantric rites, and an allegorical
description of the worldly life as trading in the forest (the world
being the forest and the traders being men in search of wealth). The
allegory was explained by Suka to Parikshit. [The enquiring student is
referred to the original for details (V. 11-14.)]
*SKANDHA V. CHAP. 15.*
We must hurriedly refer to the line of Bharata. Sumati was the son of
Bharata. Ill guided men in the Kali Yuga will call him a God. In his
line Pratiha was master of Atma Vidya. Coming lower down by far the most
renowned king in the line of Bharata was Gaya Viraja was also well
known. Of the hundred sons of Viraja, the eldest was Satajit or the
Conqueror of the hundred.