2 - The Legend of Naimisharanya 

[Greedy King Pururavas killed while confiscating the Golden altar: Prince Ayu installed as King: sages conciliated) 

1-3. Those sages who considered the austerities as their wealth asked Süta once again: -  "Where did that Sattra (sacrificial session) of those persons of miraculous deeds take place? How long did it continue? How was it performed? How did Prabhanjana (the Windgod) recount the Puraņa? Recount it in detail as we have great eagerness to hear it". 

Thus urged, Süta replied the following auspicious words (narrative): 

4. "Listen to the narration as to where those self possessed ones performed the excellent Sattra, how long it continued and how it was performed. 

5-7. Desirous of creating the universe formerly, he (Brahma) discharged (everything) to those who performed the Yajna. They performed the highly meritorious Sattra for a thousand years. 

Brahmå himself became the Tapogruhapati (Lord of the penance house). Ida accepted the status of the Patni (wife of the sponsor of the sacrifice). The intelligent Mrutyu of great splendour performed the Samitra rite (the act of killing the sacrificial animal) in that Sattra of those noble souls. The Vibudhas (Devas) stayed there for a thousand years. 

8. The place where the rim of the whirling Dharmachakra (wheel of righteousness) broke down became well known as Naimisha1 on account of that event. It is a place well-worshipped by the sages. 

1. Vide Ch. 1, p. 8 note 2. It appears that the Bd.P. regards Nimsar near the Gomati as the original Naimişhăranya. 

9-10. It is the place where the holy Gomati river is resorted to by Siddhas and Chåranas. The Gomati had a daughter in a trice and that is the Rohiņi. 

Shakti became the eldest son of the noble-souled Vasişhtha and Arundhati of excellent brilliance* (?) 

11. It is the place where King Kalmăşhapáda and Shakra** met Shakti. It is the place where enmity broke out between Viśhvamitra and Vasişhtha. 

12. It is the place where sage Parashara was born of Adruśhyanti. Against his knowledge, Vasişhtha had to court discomfiture.2 

The text: Sutayaträdanam uttamatejasah is confusing. Vā.P.2.10 in identical verse reads: 

Shakti-jyeshthah sambhavam Vasishthasya mahatmanah |

Arundhyatyah suta yatra shatam uttama-tejasah||

 "There a hundred sons of excellent brilliance of whom Shakti was the eldest, were born of the noble-souled Vasishtha from Arundhati" 

** VaP. 2.11 (identical with this No. 11-verse) reads: 'Saptah for Shakrah. It means: It is a place where king Kalmashapada was cursed by Shakti. 

2. Pararshara, while in his mother's (Adrushyanti's) womb, was such great Vedic scholar that he surpassed his grandfather Vasishtha (Mbh. Adi 176.12-15.) 

13. The expounders of Brahman thought of a mountain in Naimisha at that spot. Since they were born (rather-performed sacrifice-Vå.P.2.13) in Naimişha, they are remembered as Naimishiyas. 

14. The Sattra of those intelligent persons lasted for twelve years, when the Valorous Pururavas was ruling over the earth 

15. We have heard the report that, even when he enjoyed eighteen islands over the ocean, Pururavas was never contented with the jewels, due to his covetousness, 

16. Urged by a divine messenger, Urvashi made love to him. He sponsored this Sattra in the company of Urvashi. 

17-19. While King Pururavas ruled, the sages of the Naimisha forest performed the sacrificial session. * The Gangå conceived a brilliant foetus from the Fire-god, she deposited it on the mountain and it was transformed into gold. God Višhvakarmá himself, the god of great imagination who evolved the world, entered that sacrificial session of those sages of unbounded (immense) lustre (and) transformed the premises and enclosure of the sacrifice into a golden one. 

*satre emended as satram (as in Vå.P. 2.17, an identical verse). 

20-21. Pururavas, the son of Ida came a-hunting to that region. Seeing that extremely wonderful enclosed place of the sacrifice made of gold, his wisdom was overcome (lit. struck down) by avarice and he began to seize it. Thereupon the residents of Naimisha became very much infuriated against the king. 

22-23. The angry learned ascetics (who were devoted to penance) urged by the Devas hit him with Kusha grasses, charged with thunderbolt, pounded by the adamantine Kušha grasses that king cast off his mortal body,1 The son of Urvashi, fought there on the ground.1 

1.This account of Pururavas' death recorded here appears to be correct historically. Pururavas was a chief from trans-Himalayan region-Ilavruta varsha, the region round Mt. Meru bounded by Mt. Gandhamádana on the West and Mályaván on the east. He established his kingdom at Pratishthana (modern Jhusi near Allahabad) and founded the famous Lunar dynasty. His greed for wealth and his attempt to plunder the sacrificial session is recorded in the Mbh. Adi.75.20-23. As he came there a-hunting (and not with an army for conquest), it is more probable that he was overwhelmed by the sages and got killed in the scuffle. The sages' curse and the bringing of fire from the hcaven etc. described in the Mbh. is obviously a white-wash by its author as the episode concerned the founder of the Lunar dynasty to which Pandavas belonged. The sages wisely installed his son Ayus who, like a farsighted statesman trying to consolidate the newly-founded kingdom, extended his patronage to the sacrificial session. The Bd.P. version is supported by Va.P. 

1. The text: aurvasheyais tatas tasya yuddham chakre nrupo bhuvi, is syntactically not correct. Moreover, Ayu, the son of Pururavas and Urvashi who succeeded him is not known to have fought with the sages. 

1.      Vā.P.2.23b (a corresponding verse reads:) 

2.     aurvasheyam tatas tasya putram chakrur nrupam bhuvi 'Then they made his son born of Urvashi the king over the earth'. 

24-26. Ayus, the righteous ruler of the carth whom they call the noblesouled father of Nahusha, obtained a high priority among those who got purificatory bath in the principal sacrifice of that sacrificial session. Having pacified the King that way, the sages, the knowers of Brahman, who themselves were the můrtis (idols) of the calves of the cow in the form of the earth2 (?), began to perform the sacrificial session. In this sattra, the noble-souled ones observed celibacy. 

2. For Pruthvi vatsatma-murtayah in this text, cp. Vå.P.2.26(a corresponding verse reads): (satram drebhire kartum) yathavad dharma-bhutaye 'according to prescribed rites for the prosperity of Dharma'. 

27-31. They obscrved Brahmacharya as in the case of Vishvasrujs (creators of the universe) formerly, when they were desirous of creating the universe. The king became endowed with the lustre of the sun and the fire. He shone like Indra with the sages and others around him, such as the anchorites Valakhilyas fond of their friends, Marichis; the unborn sages3, they worshipped the Devas with hymns of praise and houses (?) and the Pitrus by means of the holy rites befitting the Pitrus. They duly worshipped the Gandharvas and others in accordance with their species. While propitiating, he remembered the Gandharvas and others. Thereafter, in other holy rites the Gandharvas sang Saman hymns; the groups of Apsaras danced; the sages spoke words of wonderfully variegated letters and of splendid form. 

3. The reading of these stanzas in Vā.P.2.27/29a.: 

Vaikhanasaih priya-sakhair Valakhilyair marichikaih |

anyaishcha munibhir jushtam surya –vaishvanara - prabhaih ||

 (28-the same as 28b in Vå.P.) 

Sambharais tu Subhair justam tair evendra-sado yathe ||

(The sacrificial session) was attended by Válakhilyas and other sages brilliant like the sun, the fire and by auspicious (holy) multitudes of Pitru, Charanas, as in the assembly of Indra). 

32. The learned scholars chanted Mantras etc. They defeated their opponents by means of copious objections. 

33-34. The sages were great erudite scholars. They were experts in words, meanings and logical arguments. Nothing was seized from them. No Brahmarākşhasas entered the place and spoiled the Yajña. Neither the Daityas nor those with weapons with feather attached to them came there. There was no occasion for expiatory acts and there was no poverty. 

35. Due to the combination of efficiency, intellect and steady activity, the injunctions were duly carried out resulting in blessings. Thus the Sattra (sacrificial session of those learned persons continued for twelve years. 

36-38. That sacrifice of the sages residing in Naimisha was like that of the thunderbolt-bearing Indra. The elderly heroic and other Rutviks1 performed the Jyotişhtoma sacrifices. separately, riding on the backs2 (of horses?), they concluded all the sacrifices after distributing ten thousand (coins) as monetary gifts. After concluding their Yajna, all of them asked Väyudeva (the wind god) the great lord of unmeasured vitality, O Brāhmaṇas, what I have been asked by you all. Urged (by them) the lord mentioned to them, the matter of his own race. 

1.Va.P.2.36 reads: Bhrugvadya rusayo dhiya: 'intelligent & self possessed sages like Brugu & others. 

2. VI.P.2.36 reads: Prushthagamanan who went after them.’

39. (Lord Wind) was the disciple of the self-born deity. He has perfect control over the sense organs. He sees every thing directly. He is endowed with the cight Powers-Anima (minuteness) and others. He is equipped with subtle limbs.

40. Hc sustains all the worlds by means of rains along with the winds blowing obliquely. The branches, the seven boughs, have been borne by him. (? the seven types of wind are probably alluded to). Hc protects the mobile and the immobile beings all round. 

41-43. In his realm the seven times seven (fortynine) Maruts are stationed. 

He is extremely powerful and he performs the Sattra of the Sūtas with three Vyühas1 (circular or other types of arrays) 

1. Va.P.2.41 reads: Vyühăshrayanam bhutánäm-'Bhutas (bcings) who depend on the Vyuha (body)'.

He holds the remedies of the fiery embodied beings. The five functional organ airs, viz., Prăņa and others sustain the body filling it with its innate activities. The wind has ether (akasha) as its source of origin. It has two qualities. It is endowed with the qualities of Shabda (sound) and Sparsha (touch). 

44. He has been called Váchoraņi (source of origin of speech like the Arani which is the source of fire) by persons who are clever in the science of sound and phonetics. With soft and gentle specch, he appeared to delight the sages. 

45. O learned ones, conversant with the Purăņas, O Brahmaņas, well disciplined in the knowledge of the Puraņas, the lord (wind) recounted the story in a speech befitting the basis which is the Purana. 

46-48. All these narrations, O excellent Brahmanas, are in accordance with what had transpired. This is an excellent great principle of the world of the sages. This Puräna has been formerly recounted by Brahmă. It contains excellent wisdom of the deities and the sages. It destroys all sins. I shall narrate it in detail its contents in due order.2 

2. VV. 36-48 show that this Puraņa (Bd.P.) was formerly narrated by god Brahma originally. His disciple, the Windgod recounted it to sages of Naimisharanya on the occasion of the Sattra of twelve years’ duration.