Bhavishya Purana

श्रियावृतं तु राजानं शतानीकं महाबलम् । अभिजग्मुर्महात्मानः सर्वे द्रष्टुं महर्षयः

A king surrounded by splendour, having a hundred thousand troops and great might, the great souls all came to behold him — the eminent seers gathered to look.

भृगुरत्रिर्वसिष्ठश्च पुलस्त्यः पुलहः क्रतुः । पराशरस्तथा व्यासः सुमन्तुर्जैमिनिस्तथा

There were Bhrigu, Tridhanvant, Vasishtha, Pulastya, Pulaha and Kratu; likewise Parashara and Vyasa, and Sumantra and Jaimini.

मुनिः पैलो याज्ञवल्क्यो गौतमस्तु महातपाः । भारद्वाजो मुनिर्धीमांस्तथा नारदपर्वतौ

Among sages were Paila, Yajnavalkya, and the austere Gautama; there too were the sage Bharadvaja and Narada on the mountain.

वैशम्पायनो महात्मा शौनकश्च महातपाः । दक्षोऽङ्गिरास्तथा गर्गो गालवश्च महातपाः

There also stood the great soul Vaishampayana, the austere Shaunak, Daksha, the Angirasas, Gargya and the sage Galava.

तानागतानृषीन्दृष्ट्वा शतानीको महीपतिः । विधिवत्पूजयामास अभिगम्य महामतिः

Seeing those assembled seers, the king with a hundred thousand troops — the wise sovereign — properly honored them.

पुरोहितं पुरस्कृत्य अर्ध्यं गां स्वागतेन च । पूजयित्वा ततः सर्वान्प्रणम्य शिरसा भृशम्

Having called forth the priest and offered water and ghee with welcome, he worshipped them all and then bowed deeply, touching their heads.

सुखासीनांस्ततो राजा निरातङ्कान् गतक्लमान् । उवाच प्रणतो भूत्वा बाहुमुद्धृत्य दक्षिणम्

Seated in comfort, the king, free from fear and weariness, spoke while prostrating, raising his right arm to the south.

इदानीं सफलं जन्म मन्येऽहं भुवि सत्तमाः । आत्मनो द्विजशार्दूला! तथा कीर्तिर्यशो बलम्

I now consider my birth successful on earth, most excellent ones; O twice-born lion among the twice-born! such shall be my fame, renown and strength.

धन्योऽहं पुण्यकर्मा च यतो मां द्रष्टुमागताः । येषां स्मरणमात्रेण युष्माकं पूयते नरः

I am blessed, the doer of meritorious deeds, because those who came to see me — by merely remembering them a man is honored among you.

श्रोतुमिच्छाम्यहं किञ्चिद्धर्मशास्त्रमनुत्तमम् । आनृशंस्यं समाश्रित्य कथयध्वम् महाबलाः!

I wish to hear something of the supreme science of dharma; rely on what is free from fault and speak it out, O mighty ones!

येनाहं धर्मशास्त्रं तु श्रुत्वा गच्छे परां गतिम् । यथागतो मम पिता श्रुत्वा वै भारतं पुरा

By hearing the dharmashastra that I have now heard I will attain the supreme goal; thus my father once went, O Bharata, when he heard it long ago.

तथोक्तास्तेन राज्ञा वै ब्राह्मणास्ते समन्ततः । समागम्य मिथस्ते तु विमृश्य च भृशम् तदा

So said that king, and Brahmanas gathered to him on all sides; they met secretly and then reflected on it at length.

पूजयित्वा ततो व्यासमिदं वचनमब्रुवन् । व्यासं प्रसादय विभो! एष ते कथयिष्यति

Having then worshipped Vyasa, he spoke these words: "O lord, propitiate Vyasa! He will tell this to you."

तिष्ठत्यस्मिन्महाबाहो! वयं वक्तुं न शक्नुमः । तिष्ठमाने गुरौ शिष्यः कथं वक्ति महामते!

"Stay here, mighty-armed one; we cannot speak. If the teacher remains, how can the disciple speak, O exalted one?"

अयं गुरुः सदास्माकं साक्षान्नारायणस्तथा । कृपालुश्च तथा चायं तथा दिव्यविधानवित्

This very teacher of ours is none other than Narayana himself; compassionate and skilled in divine rites is he.

चतुर्णामपि वर्णानां पावनाय महात्मनाम् । धर्मशास्त्रमनेनोक्तं धर्माद्यैः सुसमन्वितम्

For the purification of the four varnas this great soul is declared; the dharma-texts taught by him are perfectly consonant with duties.

बिभेति गहनाच्छास्त्राल्लोको व्याधिरिवौषधात् । भारतस्य च विस्तारो मुनिना व्याहृतः स्वयम्

The world fears that profound scripture as one fears a medicine for disease; and the expansion of Bharata was proclaimed by the sage himself.

यथा स्वादु च पथ्यं च दद्यास्त्वं भिषगौषधम् । तथा रम्यं च शास्त्रं च भारतं कृतवान्मुनिः

Just as a physician gives something both tasty and wholesome as medicine, so the sage made Bharata delightful and edifying like a scripture.

आस्तिक्यारोहसोपानमेतद्भारतमुच्यते । तच्छ्रुत्वा स्वर्गनरकौ लोकः साक्षादवेक्षते

This Bharata is named the ascent of the faithful and the stair of truth; when heard, heaven and hell behold it directly.

देवतातीर्थतपसां भारतादेव निश्चयः । न जन्यते नास्तिकता तस्य मीमांसकैरपि

O Bharata, the certainty of the gods, sacred places and ascetics exists solely because of you; even the critics of scripture cannot generate disbelief there.

विष्णौ देवेषु वेदेषु गुरुषु ब्राह्मणेषु च । भक्तिर्भवति कल्याणी भारतादेव धीमताम्

Devotion to Vishnu arises among gods, in the Vedas, in teachers and in Brahmins — such auspicious devotion comes to the wise from you, O Bharata.

धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां भरतात्सिद्धिरेव हि । अजिह्मो भारतः पन्था निर्वाणपदगामिनाम्

For the achievers of dharma, wealth, pleasure and liberation, Bharata is indeed the means of success; Bharata is the path taken by those bound for the state of nirvana.

मोक्षधर्मार्थकामानां प्रपञ्चो भारते कृतः । अनित्यतापसन्तप्ता भवन्ति तस्य मुक्तये

In Bharata the world is made for the ends of liberation, duty, wealth and desire; those scorched by the transient heat of asceticism become freed by it.

विपत्तिं भारताच्छ्रुत्वा वृष्णिपाण्डवसम्पदाम् । दुःखावसानाद्राजेन्द्र! पुण्यं च संश्रयेद्बुधः

Hearing of calamity befalling Bharata and the riches of the Vrishnis and Pandavas, a wise king should, at the end of sorrow, take refuge in virtue, O lord of kings.

एवंविधं भारतं वै प्रोक्तं येन महात्मना । सोऽयं नारायणः साक्षात् व्यासरूपी महामुनिः

Thus was Bharata described by that great soul; that very Narayana himself is present — the great sage Vyasa in embodied form.

स तेषां वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रतापी यो महीपतिः । प्रसादयामास मुनिं व्यासं शास्त्रविशारदम्

Hearing those words, that king of prowess appeased the seer Vyasa, the master of the scriptures, granting him favor.

शतानीक उवाच अञ्जलिः शिरसा ब्रह्मन्! कृतोऽयं पादयोस्तव । ब्रूहि मे धर्मशास्त्रं तु येना पूततां व्रजे

Anjali, with head bowed, said: O Brahman, your feet have indeed been placed upon my head; speak to me the law code by which rites may be purified.

समुद्धर भवादस्मात्कीर्तयित्वा कथां शुभाम् । यथा मम पिता पूर्वं कीर्तयित्वा तु भारतम्

Lift me up, recounting that auspicious tale which your father once proclaimed about Bharata before me.

व्यास उवाच तस्यैतद्वचनं श्रुत्वा व्यासो वचनमब्रवीत् । एष शिष्यः सुमन्तुर्मे कथयिष्यति ते प्रभो!

Vyasa said: Having heard these words, Vyasa replied — 'This pupil of mine, Sumantra, will relate it to you, O lord.'