इत्येते मया मागधा भूपालाः कथिताः
Thus, I have recounted the kings of Magadha.
श्रीपराशर उवाच परीक्षितश्च जनमेजयश्रुतसेनोग्रसेनभीमसेनाश्चात्वारः पुत्राः ॥ ४,२०.
Śrī Parāśara said: Parīkṣit had four sons—Janamejaya, Śrutasena, Ugrasena, and Bhīmasena.
जह्नोस्तु सुरथोनामात्मजो बभूव ॥ ४,२०.
Jahnu's son was named Suratha.
तस्यापि विदूरथः ॥ ४,२०.
His son was Viduratha.
तस्मात्सार्वभोमःसार्वभौमाज्जयत्सेनस्तस्मादाराधितस्ततश्चायुतायुरयुतायोरक्रोधनः ॥ ४,२०.
From him came Sārvabhauma; from Sārvabhauma, Jayasena; from Jayasena, Ārādhita; from Ārādhita, Āyutāyu; from Āyutāyu, Akrodhana.
तस्माद्देवातिथिः ॥ ४,२०.
From him came Devātithi.
ततश्च ऋक्षोऽन्योभवत् ॥ ४,२०.
Then, Ṛkṣa was born from him.
ऋक्षाद्भीमसेनस्ततश्च दिलीपः ॥ ४,२०.
From Ṛkṣa came Bhīmasena, and then Dilīpa.
दिलीपात्प्रतीपः ॥ ४,२०.
From Dilīpa came Pratīpa.
तस्यापि देवापिशन्तनुबाह्लीकसंज्ञास्त्रयः पुत्रा बभूवुः ॥ ४,२०.
He had three sons: Devāpi, Śantanu, and Bāhlīka.
देवापिर्बाल एवारण्यं विवेश ॥ ४,२०.
Devāpi, while still a boy, entered the forest.
शन्तनुस्तु महीपालोऽभूत् ॥ ४,२०.
Śantanu became king.
अयं च तस्य श्लोकः पृथिव्यां गीयते ॥ ४,२०.
There is also this verse about him sung on earth.
यंयं कराभ्यां स्पृशति वीर्णं यौवनमेति सः । शान्तिं चाप्नोति येनाग्र्यां कर्मणा तेन शन्तनुः ॥ ४,२०.
Whomever he touches with his hands attains youth; and by his supreme action, Śantanu attains peace.
तस्य च शन्तनोर्राष्ट्रे द्वादशवर्षाणि देवो न ववर्ष ॥ ४,२०.
In Śantanu's kingdom, for twelve years, the god did not rain.
ततश्चाशेषराष्ट्रविनाशमवेक्ष्यासौ राजा ब्राह्मणानपृच्छत्कस्मादस्माकं राष्ट्रे देवो न वर्षति को ममापराध इति ॥ ४,२०.
Then, seeing the destruction of the entire kingdom, the king asked the Brāhmaṇas: 'Why does the god not rain in our land? What is my fault?'
ततश्च तमूचुर्ब्राह्मणाः ॥ ४,२०.
Then the Brāhmaṇas spoke to him.
अग्रजस्य ते हीयमवनिस्त्वया संभुज्यते अतः परिवेत्ता त्वमित्युक्तःस राजा पुनस्तानपृच्छत् ॥ ४,२०.
'The land of your elder brother is being enjoyed by you; therefore, you are a usurper.' Thus addressed, the king again asked them.
किं मयात्र विधेयमिति ॥ ४,२०.
'What should I do in this matter?'
ततस्ते पुनरप्यूचुः ॥ ४,२०.
Then they spoke again.
यावद्देवापिर्न पतनादिभिर् दोषैरभिभूयते तावदेतत्तस्यार्हं राज्यम् ॥ ४,२०.
As long as Devapi is not overcome by faults such as falling from virtue, this kingdom rightly belongs to him.
तदलमेतेन तु तस्मै दीयतामित्युक्ते तस्यं मन्त्रिप्रवरेणाश्मराविणा तत्रारण्ये तपस्विनो वेदवादविरोधवक्तारः प्रयुक्ताः ॥ ४,२०.
When it was said, 'Enough of this, let it be given to him,' the chief minister Ashmaravin sent ascetics in the forest who spoke in accordance with the Vedic doctrine.
तैरस्याप्यतिऋजुमतेर्महीपतिपुत्रस्य बुद्धिर्वेदवादविरोधमार्गानुसारिण्यक्रियत ॥ ४,२०.
By them, even the mind of the prince, son of the king, who was very upright, was made to follow the path opposed to the Vedic doctrine.
राजा च शन्तनुर्द्विजवचनोत्पन्नपरिदेवनशोकस्तान् ब्राह्मणानग्रतः कृत्वाग्रजस्य प्रदानायारण्यं जगाम ॥ ४,२०.
King Shantanu, distressed by the words of the Brahmins and by sorrow, placed those Brahmins before him and went to the forest to offer the kingdom to his elder brother.
तदाश्रममुपगताश्च तमवनतमवनीपतिपुत्रं देवापिमुपतस्थुः ॥ ४,२०.
When they reached the hermitage, the gods approached Devapi, the bowed son of the king.
ते ब्राह्मणा वेदवादानुबन्धीनि वचांसि राज्यमग्रजेन कर्तव्यमित्यर्थवन्ति तमूचुः ॥ ४,२०.
Those Brahmins, speaking words connected to the Vedic doctrine, told him, 'The kingdom should be ruled by the elder brother.'
असावपि देवापिर्वेदवादविरोधयुक्तिदूषितमनेकप्रकारं तानाह ॥ ४,२०.
Devapi, however, replied to them in many ways, refuting their arguments with reasoning opposed to the Vedic doctrine.
ततस्ते ब्राह्मणाः शन्तनुमूचुः ॥ ४,२०.
Then those Brahmins spoke to Shantanu.
आगच्छ हे राजन्नलमत्रातिनिर्बधेन प्रशान्त एवासावना वृष्टिदोषः पतितोयमनादिकालमभिहितवेदवचनदूषणोच्चरणात् ॥ ४,२०.
Come, O King, enough of this delay; the fault of drought has now ceased, having fallen for an endless time due to the utterance of words opposed to the Vedic doctrine.
पतिते चाग्रजे नैव ते परिवेतृत्वं भवतीत्युक्तः शन्तनुःस्वपुरमागम्य राज्यमकरोत् ॥ ४,२०.
When the elder brother has fallen, you do not become the successor, they said; Shantanu returned to his city and ruled the kingdom.