(Adivansavatarana Parva continued)
"Janamejaya said, 'O Brahmana, those thou hast named and those thou hast
not named, I wish to hear of them in detail, as also of other kings by
thousands. And, O thou of great good fortune, it behoveth thee to tell me
in full the object for which those Maharathas, equal unto the celestials
themselves, were born on earth.'
"Vaisampayana said, 'It hath been heard by us, O monarch, that what thou
askest is a mystery even to the gods. I shall, however, speak of it unto
thee, after bowing down (to the self-born). The son of Jamadagni
(Parasurama), after twenty-one times making the earth bereft of Kshatriyas
wended to that best of mountains Mahendra and there began his ascetic
penances. And at that time when the earth was bereft of Kshatriyas, the
Kshatriya ladies, desirous of offspring, used to come, O monarch, to the
Brahmanas and Brahmanas of rigid vows had connection with them during the
womanly season alone, but never, O king, lustfully and out of season. And
Kshatriya ladies by thousands conceived from such connection with
Brahmanas. Then, O monarch, were born many Kshatriyas of greater energy,
boys and girls, so that the Kshatriya race, might thrive. And thus sprang
the Kshatriya race from Kshatriya ladies by Brahmanas of ascetic penances.
And the new generation, blessed with long life, began to thrive in virtue.
And thus were the four orders having Brahmanas at their head re-
established. And every man at that time went in unto his wife during her
season and never from lust and out of season. And, O bull of the Bharata
race, in the same way, other creatures also, even those born in the race
of birds went in unto their wives during the season alone. And, O
protector of the earth, hundreds of thousands of creatures were born, and
all were virtuous and began to multiply in virtue, all being free from
sorrow and disease. And, O thou of the elephant's tread, this wide earth
having the ocean for her boundaries, with her mountains and woods and
towns, was once more governed by the Kshatriyas. And when the earth began
to be again governed virtuously by the Kshatriyas, the other orders having
Brahmanas for their first were filled with great joy. And the kings giving
up all vices born of lust and anger and justly awarding punishments to
those that deserved them protected the earth. And he of a hundred
sacrifices, possessed also of a thousand eyes, beholding that the
Kshatriya monarchs ruled so virtuously, poured down vivifying showers at
proper times and places and blessed all creatures. Then, O king, no one of
immature years died, and none knew a woman before attaining to age. And
thus, O bull of the Bharata race, the earth, to the very coasts of the
ocean, became filled with men that were all long-lived. The Kshatriyas
performed great sacrifices bestowing much wealth. And the Brahmanas also
all studied the Vedas with their branches and the Upanishads. And, O king,
no Brahmana in those days ever sold the Vedas (i.e., taught for money) or
ever read aloud the Vedas in the presence of a Sudra. The Vaisyas, with
the help of bullocks, caused the earth to be tilled. And they never yoked
the cattle themselves. And they fed with care all cattle that were lean.
And men never milked kine as long as the calves drank only the milk of
their dams (without having taken to grass or any other food). And no
merchant in those days ever sold his articles by false scales. And, O
tiger among men, all persons, holding to the ways of virtue, did
everything with eyes set upon virtue. And, O monarch, all the orders were
mindful of their own respective duties. Thus, O tiger among men, virtue in
those days never sustained any diminution. And, O bull of the Bharata race,
both kine and women gave birth to their offspring at the proper time. And
trees bore flowers and fruit duly according to the seasons. And thus, O
king, the krita age having then duly set in, the whole earth was filled
with numerous creatures.
"'And, O bull of the Bharata race, when such was the blessed state of the
terrestrial world, the Asuras, O lord of men, began to be born in kingly
lines. And the sons of Diti (Daityas) being repeatedly defeated in war by
the sons of Aditi (celestials) and deprived also of sovereignty and heaven,
began to be incarnated on the earth. And, O king, the Asuras being
possessed of great powers, and desirous of sovereignty began to be born on
earth amongst various creatures, such as kine, horses, asses, camels,
buffaloes, among creatures such as Rakshasas and others, and among
elephants and deer. And, O protector of the earth, owing to those already
born and to those that were being born, the earth became incapable of
supporting herself. And amongst the sons of Diti and of Danu, cast out of
heaven, some were born on the earth as kings of great pride and insolence.
Possessed of great energy, they covered the earth in various shapes.
Capable of oppressing all foes, they filled the earth having the ocean for
its boundaries. And by their strength they began to oppress Brahmanas and
Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras and all other creatures also. Terrifying
and killing all creatures, they traversed the earth, O king, in bands of
hundreds and thousands. Devoid of truth and virtue, proud of their
strength, and intoxicated with (the wine of) insolence, they even insulted
the great Rishis in their hermitages.
"'And the earth, thus oppressed by the mighty Asuras endued with great
strength and energy and possessed of abundant means, began to think of
waiting on Brahman. The united strength of the creatures (such as Sesha,
the Tortoise, and the huge Elephant), and of many Seshas too, became
capable of supporting the earth with her mountains, burdened as she was
with the weight of the Danavas. And then, O king, the earth, oppressed
with weight and afflicted with fear, sought the protection of the
Grandsire of all creatures. And she beheld the divine Brahman--the Creator
of the worlds who knoweth no deterioration--surrounded by the gods,
Brahmanas, and great Rishis, of exceeding good fortune, and adored by
delighted Gandharvas and Apsaras always engaged in the service of the
celestials. And the Earth, desirous of protection, then represented
everything to him, in the presence, O Bharata, of all the Regents of the
worlds. But, O king, the Earth's object had been known beforehand to the
Omniscient, Self-create, and Supreme Lord. And, O Bharata, Creator as he
is of the universe, why should he not know fully what is in the minds of
his creatures including the very gods and the Asuras? O king, the Lord of
the Earth, the Creator of all creatures, also called Isa, Sambhu,
Prajapati, then spake unto her. And Brahman said, "O holder of wealth, for
the accomplishment of the object for which thou hast approached me, I
shall appoint all the dwellers in the heavens."'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said so unto the Earth, O king, the
divine Brahman bade her farewell. And the Creator then commanded all the
gods saying, "To ease the Earth of her burden, go ye and have your births
in her according to your respective parts and seek ye strife (with the
Asuras already born there)". And the Creator of all, summoning also all
the tribes of the Gandharvas and the Apsaras, spake unto them these words
of deep import, "Go ye and be born amongst men according to your
respective parts in forms that ye like."
"'And all the gods with Indra, on hearing these words of the Lord of the
celestials--words that were true, desirable under the circumstances, and
fraught with benefit,--accepted them. And they all having resolved to come
down on earth in their respected parts, then went to Narayana, the slayer
of all foes, at Vaikunth--the one who has the discus and the mace in his
hands, who is clad in purple, who is of great splendour, who hath the
lotus on his navel, who is the slayer of the foes of the gods, who is of
eyes looking down upon his wide chest (in yoga attitude), who is the lord
of the Prajapati himself, the sovereign of all the gods, of mighty
strength, who hath the mark of the auspicious whirl on his breast, who is
the mover of every one's faculties and who is adored by all the gods. Him,
Indra the most exalted of persons, addressed, saying, "Be incarnate." And
Hari replied,--"Let it be."'"