Vayu Purana

अम्बरीषस्तु नाभागिर्विरूपस्तस्य चात्मजः। पृषदश्वो विरूपस्य तस्य पुत्रो रथीतरः ।। २६.

Ambarīṣa was the son of Nabhāga; Virūpa was his son; Pṛṣadaśva was the son of Virūpa, and his son was Rathītara.

एते क्षत्रप्रसूता वै पुनश्चाङ्गिरसः स्मृताः । रथीतराणां प्रवराः क्षात्रोपेता द्विजातयः ।। २६.

These were born of kṣatriyas, but are also remembered as descendants of Aṅgiras; the foremost among the Rathītaras, brāhmaṇas with kṣatriya heritage.

क्षुवतस्तु मनोः पूर्व्वमिक्ष्याकुरभिनिःसृतः । तस्य पुत्रशतं त्वासीदिक्ष्वाकोर्भूरिदक्षिणम् ।। २६.

From Kṣuvata, the eldest of Manu, Ikṣvāku was born; he had a hundred sons, and Ikṣvāku was exceedingly generous.

तेषां ज्येष्ठो विकुक्षिश्च नेमिर्दण्डश्च ते त्रयः। शकुनिप्रमुखास्तस्य पुत्राः पंचाशतस्तु ते ।। २६.

Of them, the eldest was Vikukṣi, and Nemi and Daṇḍa—these three; and his sons, led by Śakuni, were fifty in number.

उत्तरापथदेशस्य रक्षितारो महीक्षितः। चत्वारिंशत्तथाष्टौ च दक्षिणस्याञ्च ते दिशि ।। २६.

The kings who protected the region of Uttarāpatha were forty-eight in the southern direction as well.

विंशतिप्रमुखास्ते तु दक्षिणापथरक्षिणः। इक्ष्वाकुस्तु विकुक्षिं वै अष्टकायामथादिशेत् ।। २६.

Those twenty foremost guardians of the southern region, Ikshvaku then instructed Vikukshi for the Ashtaka ceremony.

राजोवाच।। मांसमानय श्राद्धेयं मृगान् हत्वा महाबल। श्राद्धमद्य नु कर्तव्यमष्टकायां न संशयः ।। २६.

The king spoke: 'Bring meat for the shraddha, slay animals, O mighty one. Today the shraddha must be performed for the Ashtaka, without doubt.'

स गतस्तु मृगव्यां वै वचनात्तस्य धीमतः। मृगान् सहस्रशो हत्वा परिश्रान्तश्च वीर्य्यवान्। भक्षयच्छशकन्तत्र विकुक्षिर्मृगयाङ्गतः ।। २६.

He went hunting, as instructed by that wise one, and after slaying thousands of animals, Vikukshi, strong and weary from the hunt, ate a hare there.

आगते स विकुक्षौ तु समांसे सहसैनिके। वसिष्ठञ्चोदयामास मांसं प्रोक्षयतामिति ।। २६.

When Vikukshi returned with the meat and his army, he urged Vasishtha to sprinkle the meat for consecration.

तथेति चोदितो राज्ञा विधिवत्समुपस्थितः। स दृष्ट्वोपहतं मांसं क्रुद्धो राजानमब्रवीत् ।। २६.

Thus instructed by the king, Vasishtha prepared the meat according to the rite; seeing it defiled, he angrily addressed the king.

शूद्रेणोपहतं मांसं पुत्रेण तव पार्थिव। शशभक्षादभोज्यं वै तव मांसं महाद्युते ।। २६.

O king, the meat has been defiled by your son, a Shudra, through eating hare; your meat, O illustrious one, is unfit for offering.

शशो दुरात्मना पूर्वमरण्ये भक्षितोऽनघ। तेन मांसमिदं दुष्टं पितॄणां नृपसत्तम ।। २६.

The hare was eaten earlier in the forest by the wicked one, O sinless king; thus this meat is impure for the ancestors, O best of kings.

इक्ष्वाकुस्तु ततः क्रुद्धो विकुक्षिमिदमब्रवीत्। पितृकर्म्मणि निर्द्दिष्टो मया त्वं मृगयाङ्कतः। शशं भक्षयसेऽरण्ये निर्घृणः पूर्व्वमद्य नु ।। २६.

Ikshvaku, angered, spoke to Vikukshi: 'I appointed you for ancestral rites, and you went hunting; you ate hare in the forest, heartless, before the ceremony.'

तस्मात्परित्यजामि त्वां गच्छ त्वं स्वेन कर्म्मणा। एवमिक्ष्वाकुना त्यक्तो वसिष्ठवचनात् सुतः ।। २६.

Therefore, I renounce you; go, follow your own path. Thus Ikshvaku abandoned his son at Vasishtha's word.

इक्ष्वाकौ संस्थिते तस्मिञ्छशी स पृथिवीमिमाम् । प्राप्तः परमधर्म्मात्मा स चायोध्याधिपोऽभवत् ।। २६.

When Ikshvaku departed, Shashi obtained this earth, possessing supreme righteousness, and became ruler of Ayodhya.

तदाकरोत्स राज्यं वै वसिष्ठपरिनोदितः। ततः स्तेनेन सा पूर्णो राज्यावस्था महीपतेः ।। २६.

He then governed the kingdom, urged by Vasishtha; thereafter, the king's reign was filled with prosperity.

कालेन गतवांस्तत्र स च न्यूनतराङ्गतिम्। ज्ञात्वैवमेतदाख्यानं ना विधिर्भक्षयेत्तु वै ।। २६.

With time, he departed from there, attaining a lesser state; knowing this account, one should not eat meat in the ritual.

मां सभक्षयितामुत्र यस्य मांसमिहाज्यहम्। एतन्मांसस्य मांसत्वं प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः ।। २६.

Whoever eats meat here, I shall eat his meat there; thus the wise declare the nature of meat.

शशादस्य तु दायादः ककुत्स्थो नाम वीर्य्यवान्। इन्द्रस्य वृषभूतस्य ककुत्स्थो जायते पुरा ।। २६.

Shashi's heir was Kakutstha, mighty in valor; Kakutstha was born long ago when Indra took the form of a bull.

पूर्व्वमाडीबके युद्धे ककुत्स्थस्तेन स स्मृतः । अनेनास्तु ककुत्स्थस्य पृथुरोमा च स स्मृतः ।। २६.

In the earlier battle at Adibaka, he was called Kakutstha; by him, Kakutstha's descendant Prithuroma was also so named.

वृषदश्वः पृथोः पुत्रस्तस्मादन्ध्रस्तु वीर्य्यवान् । आन्ध्रस्तु यवनाश्वस्तु श्रावस्तस्तस्य चात्मजः ।। २६.

Vrishadasva was Prithu's son; from him came Andhra, mighty in valor; from Andhra came Yavana, Ashva, and Shravastha, his son.

जज्ञे श्रावस्तको राजा श्रावस्ती येन निर्मिता। श्रावस्तस्य तु दायादो बृहदश्वो महायशाः ।। २६.

King Shravasthaka was born, by whom Shravasti was founded; Shravastha's heir was Brihadasva, renowned.

बृहदश्वसुतश्चापि कुबलाश्च इति श्रुतिः। यः स धुन्धुवधाद्राजा धुन्धुमारत्वमागतः ।। २६.

Brihadasva's son was Kubala, as tradition says; he was the king who slew Dhundhu and attained the title Dhundhumara.

ऋषय ऊचुः ।। धुन्धुवधं महाप्राज्ञ श्रोतुमिच्छमि विस्तरात्। यदर्थं कुबलाश्वः स धुन्धुमारत्वमागतः ।। २६.

The sages said: O greatly wise one, we wish to hear in detail about the slaying of Dhundhu, and for what reason Kubalāśva came to be called the destroyer of Dhundhu.

सूत उवाच।। बृहदश्वस्य पुत्राणां सहस्राण्येकविंशतिः । सर्वे विद्यासु निष्णाता बलवन्तो दुरासदाः ।। २६.

Sūta said: Br̥hadaśva had twenty-one thousand sons, all skilled in every branch of knowledge, powerful, and difficult to overcome.

बभूवुर्द्धार्मिकाः सर्वे यज्वानो भूरिदक्षिणाः। कुबलाश्वं महावीर्यं शूरमुत्तमधार्मिकम् ।। २६.

All of them were righteous, performers of sacrifices, and generous with gifts; but Kubalāśva was the most valiant, heroic, and supremely righteous among them.

बृहदश्वोऽभ्यषिञ्चत्तं तस्मिन् राष्ट्रे नराधिपः। पुत्रसंक्रामितश्रीस्तु वनं राजा विवेश ह ।। २६.

Br̥hadaśva, the king, installed him as ruler over that kingdom, and, having transferred his royal fortune to his son, the king entered the forest.

बृहदश्वं महाराजं शूरमुत्तमधार्म्मिकम् । प्रयातं तमुत्तङ्कस्तु ब्रह्मर्षिः प्रत्यवारयत् ।। २६.

As Br̥hadaśva, the great and righteous king, was departing, the Brahmarṣi Uttanka stopped him.

उत्तङ्क उवाच।। भवतो रक्षणं कार्य्यं तत्तावत् कर्तुमर्हति। निरुद्विग्नस्तपः कर्तुं न हि शक्नोमि पार्थिव ।। २६.

Uttanka said: You must perform an act of protection for me; only then should you depart. O king, I am unable to practice austerities without anxiety.