CHAPTER XXIII
(THE STORY OF THE BIRDS—CONTINUED)
Markandeya said:—Those seven ganders, ever practising Yoga and ranging in the Mānasa lake, namely Padmagarbha, Aravindaksha, Kshiragarbha, Sulochana, Uruvindu, Suvindu and Hemagarbha, used always to live upon air and water and nourish their body (1–2). At that time shining in the grace of his person and surrounded by his female companions the king was ranging in that forest like the king of celestials in the pleasure garden of Nandana (3).
By their earnestness and other external marks the king perceived that those birds were Yogins. Then out of shame[1]and thinking upon it he returned to his own city (4). He had a highly pious son by name Anuha. He had his eye on the minutest details of morality and accordingly became the Defender of Faith (5). Sukha conferred upon him his accomplished and worshipful daughter Kritvi gifted with all auspicious marks and endued with the quality of goodness (6). O Bhishma, formerly Sanatkumār mentioned that beautiful damsel to me as Pivari, the daughter of the ancestral manes Vahirshadas (7). She was the foremost of the truthful, beyond the comprehension of persons of uncontrolled mind, was herself an ascetic, the wife of a Yogin and the mother of a Yogin (8). I had described this to you before while giving an account of the ancestral manes. Having placed Anuha on the throne, welcomed the citizens with a delighted heart and made the Brāhmanas perform the benedictory rite the king Vibhrāja repaired to the Mānasa lake, where the ganders were ranging, for carrying on hard austerities (9–10). Having renounced all desires, abstained from food and living on air only he began to practise penances on one side of that lake (11). O descendant of Bharata, his resolution was that he might become the son of one of them and thus acquire Yoga (12). Having made this resolution he began to carry on hard austerities and shone there like the sun (13). O foremost of Kurus, on account of its being rendered brilliant by Vibhrāja that forest, where the four ascetic ganders and the other three who had deviated from the path of Yoga gave up their lives, became celebrated by the name Vaibhrāja (14–15). Being freed from sins those seven high-souled men (born as birds) were born in the city of Kāmpilya under the names of Brahmadatta and others (16). Amongst them four, by knowledge, meditation and asceticism, mastered the holy Vedas and Vedangas and had (a good) memory. The other three remained in ignorance (17). Swatantra was born as the highly illustrious son of Anuha by the name of Brahmadatta. According to his resolution in the previous birth as a bird he was endued with knowledge, meditation and Tapas and mastered the Vedas and Vedangas (18). Chitradarshi and Sunetra were born as Srotrya[2] Brāhmanas, well read in the Vedas with all their auxiliaries, in the races Vābhravya and Vatsa (19). For having lived with him in the previous birth they became helpmates to Brahmadatta. The others were born as Pānchāla, Pinchika and Kandarika (20). Of them Pānchāla was well versed in the Rig Veda and (accordingly) performed the duties of a preceptor. Kandarika was well read in the other two Vedas and acted as Chhandoga[3]and Adhvaryu[4](21). Anuha's son, the king (Brahmadatta), was conversant with the voice of all animals. He was a great friend of Pānchala and Kandarika (22). Although they were addicted to vulgar pleasures they, on account of their pristine good deeds, were conversant with morality, temporal profit and desires (23). Having installed the sinless Brahmadatta on the throne the foremost of ascetic kings, Anuha attained to the most excellent state (24). Brahmadatta's wife, who was the daughter of Devala, was a great female anchorite. Her name was Sunnati (25). Thus from Devala Brahmadatta obtained his daughter the high-minded ascetic Sunnati who was of the same temperament with him (26).
[1] He thought–"These are birds and they are practising yoga while I, being a man, am only seeking pleasure." He was thus ashamed of his own conduct and came back to his city.[2] There are two classes of Brahmins, one of them who are the superior is called Kulsa and another next to them is called Srotrya.[3] A reciter or chanter of the Sama Veda from Chhandas the metre of the Vedas and Ga who sings.[4] A Brahman versed in the Yayurveda.
O descendant of Bharata, in his seventh birth Panchika was the fifth, Kandarika the sixth and Brahmadatta the seventh. The remaining ganders were born as brothers in a poor Srotrya family in the city of Kāmpilya (27–28). Their names were Dhritimān, Sumanā, Vidvān and Tatwadarshi. They were well read in the Vedas and gifted with keen observation (29). They were all endowed with the recollection of their pristine birth. When after having attained to the consummation of Yoga practices and welcomed their father they were about to depart he said to them "Verily by your renouncing me you will commit a mighty iniquity. How can you (all) depart, without removing my poverty and satisfying the other duties of a son viz—the spreading of progeny, the performing of Srāddha at Gya, and attending upon me (in my old age) (30-32)."
The twice-born ones again said to their father:—"We will make arrangements by which you will live (33). Do you go to the sinless king Brahmadatta and recite before him and his minister the Sloka pregnant with great import (34). He will then, with great joy, confer upon you many villages and desired-for objects. Therefore O father, go there" (35). Having said this and worshipped their father they attained to beatitude as the result of the practices of Yoga (36).
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