तस्य च वत्सस्य पुत्रोऽलर्कनामाभवत् यस्यायमद्यापि श्लोको गीयते
And the son of that calf was named Alarka, of whom this verse is still sung today.
षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि षष्टिवर्षशतानि च । अलर्कादपरो नान्यो बुभुजे मेदिनीं युवा
For six thousand and six hundred years, no one other than Alarka, while still young, ruled the earth.
तस्याप्यलर्कस्य सन्नतिनामाऽभवदात्मजः
And that Alarka also had a son named Sannati.
सन्नतेः सुनीथः तस्यापि सुकेतुः तस्माच्च धर्मकेतुर्जज्ञे
Sannati's son was Sunitha; his son was Suketu; from him was born Dharmaketu.
ततश्च सत्यकेतुः तस्माद्विभुः तत्तयस्सुविभुः ततश्च सुकुमारस्तस्यापि दृष्टकेतुः ततश्च वीतिहोत्रः तस्माद्भार्गः भार्गस्य भार्गभूमिः ततश्चातुर्वर्ण्यप्रवृत्तिरित्येते काश्यपभूभृतः कथिताः
Then came Satyaketu, from him Vibhu, from him Suvibhu, then Sukumara, from him Drishtaketu, then Vitihotra, from him Bharga, from Bharga, Bhargabhumi; then the establishment of the fourfold order—thus these are the kings of the Kashyapa line.
रजेस्तु संततिः श्रूयताम्
Now listen to the lineage of Raji.
रजेः पञ्चपुत्रशतान्यतुलवीर्य्यसांराणयासन् । देवासुरसंग्रामारम्भे परस्पर वधेप्सवो देवाश्वासुराश्व ब्रह्माणां पप्रच्छुः ।। ४-९-
Raji had five hundred sons, all of incomparable strength and sovereignty; at the beginning of the war between the gods and the demons, both sides, eager to destroy each other, approached Brahma and asked:
भगवन् ! अस्माकमत्र विरोधे कतरः पक्षो जेता भविष्यतीति । अथाह भगवान्--येषामर्थे रजिरात्तायुधो योतूस्यातीति । अथ दैत्यैरुपेत्य रजि रात्म साहाय्यदानायाभ्यर्थितः प्राह, --योतूस्येऽहं भवता मर्थे, यद्यहममर जयादू भवतामिन्द्रो बविष्यामि इति । आकर्ण्यैतत् तैरभिहितो, न वयमन्यथा वदिष्यामोऽन्यथा करिष्यामः । अस्माकमिन्द्रः प्रह्लादस्तदर्थमयमुद्यम इत्युक्त्वा गतोष्वसुरेषु देवैरप्यसाववनीपतिरेवमेवोक्तः । तेनापि च तथैवोक्ते देवैरिन्द्रस्त्वं भविष्यसीति समन्वीप्सितम ।। ४-९-
"Lord, in this conflict, which side will be victorious?" Then the Lord replied, "Victory will be with the side for which Raji takes up arms and fights." Then the demons approached Raji and requested his help, and he said, "I will fight for you, if, after victory, I become your Indra." Hearing this, they replied, "We will not say or do otherwise; for us, Prahlada is Indra, and for that purpose we strive." Having said this, they departed. The gods also approached the king in the same way, and when he replied similarly, the gods said, "You shall be Indra," as they desired.
रजिनापि देवसैन्यसहायेन अनेकैर्महास्त्रेस्तदशेषमसूरबलं निषूदितम् । अवजितारातिपक्षश्व इन्द्रो रजिचरणयुलमात्मशिरसा निपीडयाह,--भय त्राणदानादस्मत्पिता भवान्, अशीषलोकानामुत्तमो भवान्, यस्याहं पुत्रस्त्रिलो केन्द्रः ।। ४-९-
With the help of Raji and the army of the gods, the entire demon host was destroyed by many great weapons; Indra, having defeated the enemy side, bowed at Raji's feet, placed his own head there, and said, "You are my father, my protector from fear and giver of refuge, the highest among all beings, of whom I am the son and lord of the three worlds."
स चापि राजा प्रहस्याह,--एवमेवास्तु, अनतिक्रमणीया हि वैरिपक्षादप्यनेकविधचाटुवाक्यगर्भा प्रणतिः, इत्युक्ता स्वपुरमाजगाम ।। ४-९-
The king, smiling, replied, "So be it; for a respectful greeting, even if filled with many flattering words from the enemy's side, cannot be disregarded." Having said this, he returned to his own city.
शतक्रतुरपीन्द्रत्वं तकार । स्वर्याते च रजौ नारदर्षिचोदिता राजसूताः शतक्रतुमात्मपितृपुत्रमाचारादू राज्यं याचितवन्तः ।। ४-९-
Indra, the wielder of a hundred sacrifices, retained the position of Indra; but when Raji ascended to heaven, prompted by the sage Narada, Raji's sons, by custom, requested the kingdom from Indra, their father's friend and son.
अप्रदाने चावजित्येन्द्रमतिबलिनः स्वयमिन्द्रत्वं चक्रः । ततश्व बहुतिथे काले व्यतीते बृहस्पतिमेकान्ते दृष्ट्वापह्टतत्रैलोक्ययज्ञभागः शतक्रतुराह ।। ४-९-
When Indra did not grant it, Raji's sons, being stronger, defeated Indra and themselves assumed the position of Indra. After a long time had passed, Brihaspati, seeing Indra alone, deprived of his share of the three worlds' sacrifices, spoke to him.
वदरीफलमात्रमप्यर्हसि मम आप्यायनाय पुरो डाशखणडं दातुमित्युक्तो बृहस्पतिरूचे, --यद्यवं पूर्वमेव त्वयाहं चोदितः स्यां, तन्मया त्वदर्थं किमकर्त्तव्यमिति ।। ४-९-
Indra said, "You should at least give me a piece of sacrificial cake the size of a jujube fruit for my nourishment." Brihaspati replied, "If you had asked me earlier, what would I not have done for your sake?"
स्वल्पैरेवाहोभिस्त्वां निजं पदं प्रापयिष्यामि इत्यभिधाय तेषामनु दिनाभिचारिकं बुद्धिमोहाय शक्रस्य च तेजोवृद्धये जुहाव । ते चापि तेन बुद्धिमोहेनाभिभूयमाना ब्रह्मद्रिषो धर्म्मत्यागिनो वेदवादपराङूमुखा बभूवुः ततश्व तानपेतधर्म्मा चारान् इन्द्रो जघान पुरोहिताप्यायिततेजाश्व त्रिदिवमाक्रामत् । एतदिन्द्रस्य स्वपदच्यवनारोहणां श्रुत्वा पुरुषः स्वपदभ्रशं दौरात्म्यं वा न चाप्नोति । रम्भस्त्वनपत्योऽभवत् । क्षत्रवृद्धसुतः प्रतिक्षत्त्रः, ततूपुत्रः सञ्जयः, ततश्व विजयः, तस्माज्व यज्ञकृत्, तस्य हर्षवर्द्धनः, हर्षवर्द्धनसुतः सहदेवः, तस्माददीनः, तस्य जयसेनः, ततश्व संहुतिः, तत पुत्रः, क्षंत्रधर्म्माः, इत्येते क्षत्रवृद्धस्य । अतो नहुषवंशं वक्ष्यामि इति ।। ४-९-
"In just a few days, I will restore you to your own position," he said, and then performed a ritual to bewilder their minds and increase Indra's power. Overcome by this delusion, Raji's sons abandoned righteousness, turned away from the Vedas, and were destroyed by Indra, who, with his power restored by the priest, ascended to heaven. Hearing of Indra's fall and restoration, a man does not suffer misfortune or wickedness. Rambha was childless; Kshatravriddha's son was Pratikshatra, his son was Sanjaya, then Vijaya, from him Yajnakrit, his son Harshavardhana, Harshavardhana's son Sahadeva, from him Adina, his son Jayasena, then Samhuti, then his son Kshatradharma—these are the descendants of Kshatravriddha. Now I will describe the lineage of Nahusha.
यति-ययाति-संयाति-अयाति-वियति-कृतिसंज्ञा नहुषस्य षट् पुत्रा महाबल पराक्रमा बभूवुः । यतिस्तु राज्यं नैच्छत् । ययातिस्तु भूबृदभवत्, उशनसश्व दुहितरं देवयानीं शर्म्मिष्ठाञ्च वार्षपर्व्वणीमुपयेमे ।। ४-१० -
Nahusha had six mighty and valiant sons named Yati, Yayati, Samyati, Ayati, Viyati, and Kriti. Yati did not desire the kingdom; Yayati became king and married Devayani, daughter of Ushanas, and Sharmishtha, daughter of Vrishaparvan.
काव्यशापाच्च अकालेनैव ययातिर्जरामवाप ।। ४-१०-
Because of Kavi's curse, Yayati was afflicted with old age before his time.
प्रसन्नशुक्रवचनाज्व जरां संकामयितुं ज्येष्ठं पुत्रं यदुमुवाच,--त्वन्माता महशापादियमकालेनैव जरा मामुपस्थिता । तानहं तस्यैवानुग्रहादू भवतः सञ्च रायाम्येकं वर्षसहस्त्रम्, त तृप्तोऽस्मि विषयेषु, त्वदूयसा विषयानह भोक्तुमिच्छामि ।। ४-१०-
By the favor of Shukra's words, Yayati wished to transfer his old age and said to his eldest son Yadu: "Because of your mother's great curse, old age has come upon me prematurely; by her grace, I may transfer it to you for a thousand years, so that, satisfied with pleasures, I may enjoy your youth."
नात्र भवता प्रत्याख्यानं कर्त्तव्यमित्युक्तः स नैच्छत् तां जरामादातुम । तञ्चपि पिता शशाप,--त्वत प्रसूतिर्न राज्यार्हा भविष्यतीति ।। ४-१०-
When told, "You must not refuse this," he did not wish to accept that old age; so his father cursed him, saying, "Your descendants will not inherit the kingdom because of you."
अनन्तरञ्च द्रह्यु तुर्वसुमनुञ्च पृथिवीपतिर्जरा ग्रहणार्थं स्वयौवनप्रदानाय च चोदयामास । तैरप्येककैश्येन प्रत्याख्यातस्तांश्व शशाप । अथ शम्मिष्ठातनय मशेषकनीयांसं पूरु तथैवाह, स वातिप्रवण मतिः प्रणम्य पितरं सबहुमानो महान् प्रसादोऽयमस्माकमित्युदारमभिधाय जरां प्रतिजग्राह । स्वकीयञ्च यौवनं पित्रे ददौ । सोऽपि च नवं यौवन मासाद्य धर्म्माविरोधेन यथाकामं यथाकालोपपन्न यथोतूसाहं विषयं चचार । सम्यक प्रजापालन मकरोत् ।। ४-१०-
Then the lord of the earth urged Drahya, Turvasa, and Anu, in order to give them his own youth and to take on old age himself. But each of them, one by one, refused, and so he cursed them. Next, he spoke in the same way to Puru, the youngest son of Sharmishtha. Puru, whose mind was very inclined toward his father, bowed with great respect and said, 'This is a great favor to us,' and nobly accepted old age. He gave his own youth to his father. His father, having obtained new youth, enjoyed pleasures as he wished, in accordance with righteousness, time, and his own strength, and governed his subjects well.
विश्वाच्या सहोपभोगं भुक्त्वा कामानामन्त मवाप्स्यामीत्यनुदिनं तन्मनस्को बभूव ।। ४-१०-
Enjoying pleasures together with Vishvaci, his mind became daily absorbed in the thought, 'I will reach the end of desires.'
अनुदिनञ्च उपभोगतश्व कामानतीव रम्यान् मेने ।। ४-१०-
And day by day, through enjoyment, he considered the pleasures to be exceedingly delightful.
न जातु कामः कामानामुपभोगेन शाम्यति । हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव भूय एवाभिवर्द्धते ।। ४-१०-
Desire is never satisfied by the enjoyment of objects; like fire fed with ghee, it only grows all the more.
यत् पृथिव्यां व्रीहियवं हिरण्यं पशवः स्त्रियः । एकस्यापि न पर्य्याप्तं तदित्यतितृषं त्यजेत् ।। ४-१०-
Even all the rice, barley, gold, cattle, and women on earth are not enough for a single man; therefore, one should abandon excessive craving.
यदा न कुरुते भावं सर्व्वभूतेषु पापकम् । समदृष्टेस्तदा पुसः सर्व्वा एव सुखा दिशः ।। ४-१०-
When a person does not harbor evil intent toward any being, and sees all with equal vision, then all directions become pleasant for him.
या दुस्त्यजा दुर्म्मतिभिर्या न जीर्य्यति जीर्य्यतः । तां तृष्णां सन्त्यजन् प्राज्ञः सुखेनैवाभिपूर्य्यते ।। ४-१०-
That craving, which is hard to give up by those of misguided mind, and does not age even as the body ages—by abandoning that, the wise one is easily fulfilled.
जीर्य्यन्ति जीर्य्यतः केशा दन्ता जीर्य्यन्ति जीर्य्यतः । धनाशा जीविताशा च जीर्य्यतोऽपि न जीर्य्यति ।। ४-१०-
As a person ages, his hair and teeth grow old, but the desire for wealth and life does not grow old, even as he does.
पूर्णां वर्षसहस्त्रं मे विषयासक्तचेतसः । तथाप्यनुदिनं तृष्णा ममैतेष्वेव जायते ।। ४-१०-
Even after a full thousand years, with my mind attached to pleasures, still, day by day, my craving for these only increases.
तस्मदितामहं त्यक्त्वा ब्रह्मण्याधाय मानसम् । निर्द्रन्द्रो निर्म्ममो भूत्वा चरिष्यामि मृगैः सह ।। ४-१०-
Therefore, abandoning this craving, fixing my mind on the divine, becoming free from attachment and possessiveness, I will wander with the deer.
पूरोः सकाशादादाय जरां दत्त्वा च यौवनम् । राज्येऽभिषिच्य पूरुञ्च प्रययौ तपसे वनम् ।। ४-१०-
Taking old age from Puru and giving him youth, he anointed Puru as king and departed to the forest for penance.
दिशि दक्षिणपूर्व्वंस्यां तुर्व्वसुं प्रत्यथादिशत् । प्रतीच्याञ्च तथा द्रु ह्यु दक्षिणापथतो यदुम् ।। ४-१०-
He assigned Turvasa to the southeastern direction, Druhyu to the western, and Yadu to the southern path.