तेषामुत्पत्तिरतुला चरितं परमाद्भुतम् । श्रोतुकामोऽस्म्यहं ब्रह्मन् सूर्यवंशस्य विस्तरम्
'Their birth is incomparable, their deeds most wondrous; I wish to hear, O Brāhmaṇa, the detailed account of the solar dynasty.'
समाख्याहि मुनिश्रेष्ठ समासव्यासपूर्वकम् । इति पृष्टो मया राजन्नारदः परमार्थवित्
'O best of sages, recount it to me both in summary and in detail.' Thus questioned by me, O king, Nārada, knower of the highest truth—
उवाच प्रहसन्प्रीतः समाभाष्य मुदान्वयम् । नारद उवाच - शृणु सत्यवतीसूनो राज्ञां वंशमनुत्तमम्
Narada spoke, smiling with delight and addressing him with joy: Hear, O son of Satyavati, the most excellent lineage of kings.
पावनं कर्णसुखदं धर्मज्ञानादिभिर्युतम् । ब्रह्मा पूर्वं जगत्कर्ता नाभिपङ्कजसम्भवः
It is pure, pleasing to the ear, endowed with righteousness, knowledge, and other virtues; Brahma, the creator of the world in the beginning, born from the lotus of the navel—
विष्णोरिति पुराणेषु प्रसिद्धः परिकीर्तितः । सर्वज्ञः सर्वकर्तासौ स्वयम्भूः सर्वशक्तिमान्
He is renowned in the Puranas as Vishnu; he is proclaimed as all-knowing, the doer of all, self-born, and possessed of all power.
तपस्तप्त्वा स विश्वात्मा वर्षाणामयुतं पुरा । सृष्टिकामः शिवां ध्यात्वा प्राप्य शक्तिमनुत्तमाम्
That soul of the universe, having performed austerities for ten thousand years in ancient times, desiring creation, meditated on the auspicious one and obtained unsurpassed power.
पुत्रानुत्पदयामास मानसाञ्छुभलक्षणान् । मरीचिः प्रथिस्तेषामभवत्सृष्टिकर्मणि
He produced sons from his mind, marked by auspicious qualities; among them, Marici was the first in the work of creation.
तस्य पुत्रोऽतिविख्यातः कश्यपः सर्वसम्मतः । त्रयोदशैव तस्यासन्भार्या दक्षसुताः किल
His son, most renowned, was Kashyapa, esteemed by all; he had thirteen wives, said to be the daughters of Daksha.
देवाः सर्वे समुत्पन्ना दैत्या यक्षाश्च पन्नगाः । पशवः पक्षिणश्चैव तस्मात्सृष्टिस्तु काश्यपी
From him were born all the gods, the demons, the yakshas, the serpents, the cattle, and the birds; thus, creation is known as Kashyapa's.
देवानां प्रथितः सूर्यो विवस्वान्नाम तस्य तु । तस्य पुत्रः स विख्यातो वैवस्वतमनुर्नृपः
Among the gods, the illustrious Sun is known as Vivasvan; his son, famed, is King Vaivasvata Manu.
तस्य पुत्रस्तथेक्ष्वाकुः सूर्यवंशविवर्धनः । नवाभवन्सुतास्तस्य मनोरिक्ष्वाकुपूर्वजाः
His son was Ikshvaku, the increaser of the solar dynasty; Manu had nine sons, with Ikshvaku as the eldest.
तेषां नामानि राजेन्द्र शृणुष्वैकमनाः पुनः । इक्ष्वाकुरथ नाभागो धृष्टः शर्यातिरेव च
Hear again, O king, with focused mind, the names of those sons: Ikshvaku, then Nabhaga, Dhrishta, and also Sharyati;
नरिष्यन्तस्तथा प्रांशुर्नृगो दिष्टश्च सप्तमः । करूषश्च पृषध्रश्च नवैते मानवाः स्मृताः
Narisyanta, Pramshu, Nriga, Dishta as the seventh, Karusha, and Prishadhra—these nine are known as the sons of Manu.
इक्ष्वाकुस्तु मनोः पुत्रः प्रथमः समजायत । तस्य पुत्रशतं चासीज्ज्येष्ठो विकुक्षिरात्मवान्
Ikshvaku, the first son of Manu, was born; he had a hundred sons, the eldest being the virtuous Vikukshi.
नवानां वंशविस्तारं संक्षेपेण निशामय । शूराणां मनुपुत्राणां मनोरन्तरजन्मनाम्
Now hear in brief the expansion of the lineages of the nine, the heroic sons of Manu, born in different ages.
नाभागस्य तु पुत्रोऽभूदम्बरीषः प्रतापवान् । धर्मज्ञः सत्यसन्धश्च प्रजापालनतत्परः
Nabhaga's son was Ambarisha, renowned for his prowess, knower of righteousness, truthful, and devoted to the protection of his subjects.
धृष्टात्तु धार्ष्टकं क्षत्रं ब्रह्मभूतमजायत । संग्रामकातरं सम्यग्ब्रह्मकर्मरतं तथा
From Dhrishta was born the Dhrishtaka kshatriya line, which became brahminical, averse to battle, and devoted to the duties of the brahmins.
शर्यातेस्तनयश्चाभूदानर्तो नाम विश्रुतः । सुकन्या च तथा पुत्री रूपलावण्यसंयुता
Sharyati's son was Anarta, famed by name; and his daughter was Sukanya, endowed with beauty and charm.
च्यवनाय सुता दत्ता राज्ञाप्यन्धाय सुन्दरी । मुनिः सुलोचनो जातस्तस्याः शीलगुणेन ह
The beautiful daughter was given in marriage by the king to the sage Chyavana, though he was blind; from her was born a son, Sulocana, due to her virtuous conduct.
विहितो रविपुत्राभ्यामश्विभ्यामिति नः श्रुतम् । जनमेजय उवाच सन्देहोऽयं महान् ब्रह्मन् कथायां कथितस्त्वया
It is heard by us that he was endowed with sight by the Ashvins, sons of the Sun. Janamejaya said: O Brahmin, you have told a great doubt in this story.
यद्राजा मुनयेऽन्धाय दत्ता पुत्री सुलोचना । कुरूपा गुणहीना वा नारी लक्षणवर्जिता
When a king gives his daughter Sulocana to a blind sage, whether she is unattractive, lacking in virtues, or a woman without auspicious marks—
पुत्री यदा भवेद्राजा तदान्धाय प्रयच्छति । ज्ञात्वान्धं सुमुखीं कस्माद्दत्तवान्नृपसत्तमः
If the king has a daughter, he gives her to the blind man; knowing he is blind, why did the noble king give him a beautiful girl?
कारणं ब्रूहि मे ब्रह्मन्ननुग्राह्योऽस्मि सर्वदा । सूत उवाच - इति राज्ञो वचः श्रुत्वा परीक्षितसुतस्य वै
Tell me the reason, O Brahman; I am always eager for your kindness. Sūta said:— Upon hearing the king’s words, Parīkṣit’s son—
द्वैपायनः प्रसन्नात्मा तमुवाच हसन्निव । व्यास उवाच - वैवस्वतसुतः श्रीमाञ्छर्यातिर्नाम पार्थिवः
Dvaipāyana, with a cheerful heart, spoke to him as if smiling. Vyāsa said:— The illustrious son of Vaivasvata, named Śaryāti, was a king.
तस्य स्त्रीणां सहस्राणि चत्वार्यासन्परिग्रहाः । राजपुत्र्यः सरूपाश्च सर्वलक्षणसंयुताः
He had four thousand wives, all princesses, beautiful and endowed with every auspicious mark.
पत्न्यः प्रेमयुताः सर्वाः प्रिया राज्ञः सुसम्मताः । एका पुत्री तु तासां वै सुकन्या नाम सुन्दरी
All his wives were loving, dear to the king, and highly esteemed; among them was one daughter, named Sukanyā, who was beautiful.
पितुः प्रिया च मातॄणां सर्वासां चारुहासिनी । नगरान्नातिदूरेऽभूत्सरो मानससन्निभम्
She was beloved by her father and all her mothers, with a lovely smile; not far from the city was a lake resembling Mānas.
बद्धसोपानमार्गं च स्वच्छपानीयपूरितम् । हंसकारण्डवाकीर्णं चक्रवाकोपशोभितम्
It had steps leading down, was filled with clear drinking water, scattered with swans and cranes, and adorned by chakravāka ducks.
दात्यूहसारसाकीर्णं सर्वपक्षिगणावृतम् । पञ्चधाकमलोपेतं चञ्चरीकसुसेवितम्
It was filled with dātyūha and sāras birds, surrounded by all kinds of birds, adorned with five kinds of lotuses, and frequented by bees.
पार्श्वतश्च द्रुमाकीर्णं वेष्टितं पादपैः शुभैः । सालैस्तमालैः सरलैः पुन्नागाशोकमण्डितम्
Its sides were crowded with trees, encircled by auspicious plants—decorated with sāla, tamāla, sarala, punnāga, and aśoka trees.