Vayu Purana

तस्य सत्यरता नाम भार्य्या केकयवंशजा। कुमारं जनयामास हरिश्चन्द्रमकल्मषम् ।। २६.

His wife, named Satyaratā, born in the Kekaya lineage, bore a son, the sinless Hariścandra.

स तु राजा हरिश्चन्द्रस्त्रैशङ्कव इति श्रुतः । आहर्त्ता राजसूयस्य सम्राडिति परिश्रुतः ।। २६.

That king, Hariścandra, is known as the son of Triśaṅku, famed as the performer of the Rājasūya sacrifice and as a universal sovereign.

हरिश्चन्द्रस्य तु सुतो रोहितो नाम वीर्य्यवान्। हरितो रोहितस्याथ चंचुहारीत उच्यते ।। २६.

Hariścandra's son was the mighty Rohita; Harita was the son of Rohita, and Caṃcu Hārīta is said to be his descendant.

विजयश्च सुदेवश्च चंचुपुत्रौ बभूवतुः। जेता सर्व्वस्य क्षत्रस्य विजयस्तेन स स्मृतः ।। २६.

Vijaya and Sudeva became the sons of Caṃcu; Vijaya, who conquered all the warrior clans, is thus remembered by that name.

रुरुकस्तनयस्तत्र राजा धर्म्मार्थकोविदः। रुरुकाद्धृतकः पुत्रस्तस्माद्बाहुश्च जज्ञिवान् ।। २६.

There, Ruruka, the son, was a king skilled in righteousness and wealth; from Ruruka came Hṛtaka as his son, and from him Bāhu was born.

हैहयैस्तालजङ्घैश्च निरस्तो व्यसनी नृपः। शकैर्यवनकाम्बोजैः पारदैः पह्लवैस्तथा ।। २६.

The king, afflicted, was overthrown by the Haihayas and Tāla-jaṅghas, as well as by the Śakas, Yavanas, Kāmbojas, Pāradas, and Pahlavas.

नात्यर्थं धार्म्मिकोऽभूत् स धर्म्म्ये सत्ययुगे तथा। सगरस्तु सुतो बाहोर्जज्ञे सह गरेण वै। भृगोराश्रममासाद्य तुर्वेण परिरक्षितः ।। २६.

He was not exceedingly righteous, even in the righteous Satya Yuga; Sagara, the son of Bāhu, was born together with the poison, and, reaching Bhṛgu's hermitage, was protected by Turva.

आग्नेयमस्त्रं लब्ध्वा तु भार्गवात् सगरो नृपः। जघान पृथिवीङ्गत्वा तालजंघान् सहैहयान् ।। २६.

Having obtained the fire weapon from Bhārgava, King Sagara killed the Tāla-jaṅghas along with the Haihayas, after conquering the earth.

शकानां पह्लवानाञ्च धर्म्मान्निरसदच्युतः। क्षत्रियाणां तथा तेषां पारदानाञ्च धर्म्मवित् ।। २६.

The unwavering one expelled the Śakas and Pahlavas from their righteous ways; likewise, the knower of dharma expelled the Kṣatriyas and Pāradas from their proper duties.

ऋषय ऊचुः।। कथं स सगरो राजा गरेण सह जज्ञिवान्। किमर्थञ्च शकादीनां क्षत्रियाणां महौजसाम्। धर्म्मान् कुलोचितान् क्रुद्धो राजा निरसदच्युतः ।। २६.

The sages said: How did King Sagara come to be born together with the poison? And for what reason did the king, angered, expel the Śakas and other mighty Kṣatriyas from their proper family duties and dharmas?

सूत उवाच।। बाहोर्व्यसनिनस्तस्य हृतं राज्यं पुरा किल। हैहयैस्तालजंवैश्च शकैः सार्द्धं समागतैः ।। २६.

The Sūta said: The kingdom of Bāhu, who was afflicted, was once taken away by the Haihayas, Tāla-jaṅghas, and the Śakas who had assembled together.

यवनाः पारदाश्चैव काम्बोजाः पह्लवास्तथा। हैहयार्थं पराक्रान्ता एते पञ्चगणास्तदा ।। २६.

The Yavanas, Pāradas, Kāmbojas, and Pahlavas likewise, these five groups then advanced for the sake of the Haihayas.

हृतं राज्यं बलीयोभिरेभिः क्षत्रियपुङ्गवैः । हृतराज्यस्तदा बाहुः संन्यस्य नु तदा नृपः। वनं प्रविश्य धर्म्मात्मा सह पत्न्या तपोऽचरत् ।। २६.

The kingdom was seized by these powerful leaders among the Kṣatriyas; Bāhu, deprived of his kingdom, renounced it, and, entering the forest with his wife, practiced austerity with a righteous heart.

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य तोयार्थं प्रस्थितो नृपः। वृद्धत्वाद्दुर्ब्बलत्वाच्च अन्तरा स ममार च ।। २६.

Then, after some time, the king set out to fetch water; due to old age and weakness, he died along the way.

पत्नी तु यादवी तस्य सगर्भा पृष्ठतोऽन्वगात् । सपत्न्या तु गरस्तस्यै दत्तो गर्भजिघांसया ।। २६.

His wife, a Yādava woman, who was pregnant, followed behind him; her co-wife gave her poison, intending to destroy the unborn child.

सा तु भर्तुश्चितां कृत्वा वह्नौ तं समरोहयत्। और्वस्तां भार्गवो दृष्ट्वा कारुण्याद्विन्यवर्त्तयत् ।। २६.

She prepared her husband's funeral pyre and placed him in the fire; Aurva, the descendant of Bhṛgu, saw her and, out of compassion, restrained her.

तस्याश्रमे तु तङ्गर्भं सागरेण तदा सह। व्यजायत महाबाहुं सगरं नाम धार्मिकम् ।। २६.

In his hermitage, she gave birth to the child together with the poison; a mighty-armed, righteous son named Sagara was born.

और्वस्तु जातकर्मादीन् कृत्वा तस्य महात्मनः। अध्याप्य वेदशास्त्राणि ततोऽस्त्रं प्रत्यपादयत् ।। २६.

Aurva performed the birth rites for the great-souled child, taught him the Vedas and scriptures, and then bestowed upon him a weapon.

जामदग्न्यात्तदाग्नेयमसुरैरपि दुःसहम्। स तेनास्त्रबलेनैव बलेन च समन्वितः । जघान हैहयान् क्रुद्धो रुद्रः पशुगणानिव ।। २६.

He received the fire weapon from Jāmadagnya, which even the demons could not withstand; empowered by that weapon and his own strength, he angrily slew the Haihayas, as Rudra would slay herds of beasts.

ततः शकान् सयवनान् काम्बोजान् पारदांस्तथा। पह्लवांश्चैव निःशेषान् कर्तुं व्यवसितो नृपः ।। २६.

Then the king resolved to destroy the Śakas, Yavanas, Kāmbojas, Pāradas, and Pahlavas completely.

ते वध्यमाना वीरेण सगरेण महात्मना। वसिष्ठं शरणं सर्व्वे प्रपन्नाः शरणैषिणः ।। २६.

As they were being slain by the mighty Sagara, all those seeking refuge approached Vasiṣṭha for protection.

वसिष्ठस्तान् तथेत्युक्त्वा समयेन महामुनिः । सगरं वारयामास तेषान्दत्त्वाऽभयन्तदा ।। २६.

Vasiṣṭha, the great sage, having agreed to their request, restrained Sagara and granted them assurance at that time.

सगरः स्वाम्प्रतिज्ञाञ्च गुरोर्वास्यं निशम्य च। धर्म्मं जघान तेषां वै वेषान्यत्वं चकार ह ।। २६.

Sagara, hearing his teacher’s promise and residence, acted according to dharma for them, and changed their appearance.

अर्द्धं शकानां शिरसो मुण्डयित्वा व्यसर्जयत्। यवनानां शिरः सर्वं काम्बोजानान्तथैव च।। २६.

He shaved half the heads of the Śakas and sent them away; he shaved the entire heads of the Yavanas and likewise the Kāmbojas.

पारदा मुक्तकेशाश्च पह्लवाः श्मश्रु धारिणः। निःस्वाध्यायवषट्काराः कृतास्तेन महात्मना ।। २६.

The Pāradas were made to keep their hair loose, the Pahlavas to wear beards; all were deprived of Vedic recitation and ritual utterances by that great soul.

शका यवनकाम्बोजाः पह्लवाः पारदैः सह। केलिस्पर्शा माहिषिका दार्वाश्चोलाः खसास्तथा ।। २६.

The Śakas, Yavanas, Kāmbojas, Pahlavas, and Pāradas, along with the Kelisparśas, Māhiṣikas, Dārvās, Colas, and Khasas,

सर्व्वे ते क्षत्रियगणा धर्म्मस्तेषां निराकृतः। वसिष्ठवचनात्पूर्वं सगरेण महात्मना ।। २६.

All these groups of Kṣatriyas had their dharma rejected by Sagara, the great soul, as previously instructed by Vasiṣṭha.

स धर्मविजयी राजा विजित्येमां वसुन्धराम्। अश्वं विचारयामास वाजिमेधाय दीक्षितः ।। २६.

That king, victorious in dharma, having conquered this earth, sent forth the horse, being initiated for the Aśvamedha sacrifice.

तस्य चारयतः सोऽश्वः समुद्रे पूर्वदक्षिणे। वेलासमीपेऽपहृतो भूमिञ्चैव प्रवेशितः ।। २६.

While he was letting the horse roam, it was taken near the shore of the eastern and southern ocean, and entered the earth.