48 - Sagara keeps his vow 

Jaimini said: 

1. After the departure of that excellent sage, Sagara the best of the kings, resided in Ayodhyā and ruled over the earth. 

2. He was equipped with all types of wealth and assets. He was conversant with the principles of Dharma and Artha (politics and economics). He was a boy only in years but in his activities he earned the appreciation of all elderly persons. 

3. But he was always dejected in his heart. He neither took food during the day nor did he sleep during the night. Recollecting something, he used to heave deep hot sighs. 

4. On hearing that his kingdom had been annexed by the enemies after vanquishing his father, that he had fled to the dense forest along with his (king Sagara's) mother and that he had passed away in the same forest, the king became grief stricken. Habitually, true to his promise, he angrily took the vow of exterminating the entire race of his enemies. A king belonging to the family of Ikşhvāku is unable to bear the fire of discomfiture. 

5. Once, the king, having celebrated a solemn ceremony, resolved to defeat his enemy and to conquer all the quarters in due order. 

6. Surrounded on all sides by many thousands of chariots and elephants, horses, chariots, * and foot-soldiers, the king set out from his excellent city. 

*Repeated in the SK. Text. 

7. In order to destroy his enemies he started with his combined force consisting of six Angas¹ (Parts, Units), which appeared like the ocean that is agitated due to different kinds of animals and series of waves, on account of the galloping horses; he appeared to be moving along with the entire world consisting of the groups of Kulagiris² on account of the herds of elephants in rut; he appeared to be moving along with the firmament brightened by the good (i.e. white) rays of the moon, on account of the stream of white umbrellas and banners (of the army on march). 

1. The six units of the army are: four usual units of elephants, chariots, cavalry and infantry as well as the unit in charge of food for animals and human beings and the unit in charge of entertainment such as dancing girls, musicians, those who play on instruments etc.) 

2. Seven principal mountains such as Mahendra, Malaya, Sahyadri and others. 

8. As the king proceeded ahead in his campaign, the low lying areas (depressions) of the earth were filled up with the dust particles of the mountain ranges pounded by the feet of the armies of the front ranks. The ground thus raised there, always became a fence like hedge, due to the dust particles raised severally by the armies consisting of thc four units. 

9. He killed many haughty warriors confronting the arrays of elephants, horses, and chariots. He wore the splendour of the moon-crested lord (Shiva) who killed the armies of the hordes of Asuras; during the periods of encircling and attacking the cities of the enemies, he used to proclaim from a distance, the duties (of the enemy soldiers) in the case of defeat and mortification; he used to give them sufficient time to move away quickly and he used to assure them of no harm or loss to their lives (he made them confident of the safety to their lives). 

10-13a. The king was desirous of conquering the quarters (the entire world). That king whose realm he attacked, immediately bowed down to him. After defeating all the kings, he made then followers of his footsteps. He let some go on some conditions indicated and returned their kingdom to them. 

Thus, he went to various directions. When he went to the South, he remembered the previous enmity and marched against the Haihayas. 

136-14a. A great battle causing hairs to stand on ends, took place between him and the Haihaya kings who had full complement of chariots and elephants and who were great warriors. 

14b-17a. In that great battle, the powerful and infuriated lord of the Kosalas killed thousands of kings and their armies. 

The king who wanted to put an end to the enmity (by taking revenge) defeated thc Haihaya kings, shattered and burnt their city and entirely reduced it to ruins. 

Sweeping the whole of the land and crushing it down with his entire army, he reduced the kingdom of the Haihayas to dust. 

176-182. Leaving off the city and the kingdom those kings who survived fled everywhere with all their riches and glory gone, and their lustre faded. 

18b-19a. The king rushed against those fleeing kings and killed them along with their followers like the frantic, infuriated god of death killing the subjects. 

19b. Sagara whose anger had been roused and who slew his enemies in battle discharged against them the extremely terrible Bhargava¹ missile that struck terror among the enemies. 

1. As Sagara received his military training under Aurva and had no contact with Parashuråma, this Bhärgava missile might be the fire-missile developed by Aurva who was advised by his pitrus not to finalise it. 

20. The kings were rendered helpless with their bodies being burned by the flames of the Bhargava missile which was discharged by him. The missile which was extremely terrific and which made the three worlds frightened shone brilliantly. Immediately they were rendered blind by the darkness due to the columns of smoke made to whirl round by the Vayu missile (one whose deity is the wind god). They wandered here and there and rolled about on the ground where for a short while their limbs were hidden beneath a great deal of dust particles. 

21. The movement of the kings was hindered by the brilliant glow of the Agneya missile. They could not see their way around. They became separated from one another belonging to their group. They became helpless in their bodies. Their minds became agitated and confused. They were frightened. They abandoned their clothes, weapons, coats of mail, ornaments etc. With their hairs let loose and dishevelled, they exhibited various caprices of insane persons in front of their enemies. 

22. After defeating all the Haihayas in battle, Sagara the powerful King, had the features of an agitated ocean. He moved against the Kambojas. 

23. Kåmbojas,¹ Tālajanghas, Shakas, Yavanas, Kiratas and others—his enemies who had offended him formerly, became utterly confounded as they lost courage on hearing the sounds of the wardrums and various other musical instruments (of Sagara's army). They immediately abandoned their kingdoms, armies, cities and ladies of their harems. They wandered here and there to various directions due to their fear (of a fresh discharge) of his arrows and missiles. 

1. Kambojas were a people in northern Afghanistan. The Shiaposh tribe which now resides on the Hindukush is said to have been descendants of ancient Kambojas— (De 87). Kåmbojas, Shakas, Yavanas were people in the north-west Frontier. But they are blubbed together with Kiratas (tribe from North-eastern India, Tipårå, Sikkim (West) and Eastern Nepal and Talajanghas from the Narmadå valley. 

24. The enemies of that king were frightened. Their vision bccamc blinded by the flames of the fire of his valour. They abandoned their homes, realms etc. along with their sons and others. Being attacked and chased by the armies of their enemies, they fled to the forest region where also they were stunned and stupefied by another enemy who got up from his sleep in the caves of the mountain. 

25. After exterminating the Tälajanghas along with their armies and vehicles, that king, the suppressor of enemies, gradually destroyed their kingdom. 

26. Extremely infuriated he slew many of the Yavanas, Kambojas, Kirātas and others as well as Palhavas¹ and Pāradas. 

1. The Puråņa distinguishes between Palhavas and Paradas. Päradas were Parthians (probably Pruthus in RV). But De opines that Päradas dwelt in northem Beluchistan (De 148) Palhavas were a tribe in Media (Mada)-a part of the Parthian (ancient Persian) empire. Their country was famous for horses. (De. 143) 

27. On being struck down by him in battle, those kings became frightened. Those who survived the slaughter fled all round in groups. 

28. “I am the son of that king whose kingdom was taken away by many of you. I am desirous of wreaking revenge. I have come here purposely as I have taken a vow of killing you all forcibly.” Thus the king Sagara who had the virility of elephants and the splendour destructive of Kshatriya heroes, made his enemy kings hear his life story. He thus reminded the other kings (of his previous history). 

29-30. On seeing that the excellent king had taken the vow of annihilating the races of all his enemies, seven of the enemies of the excellent king, viz. Päradas, Palhavas and others who were born of royal families and who were very famous, became frightened. In order to save their own lives, they sought refuge in Vasişhtha the family preceptor of the Ikşhvākus along with their womenfolk and children. 

31. “Be our refuge, O Brahmana. We are distressed and we desire freedom from fear. Our bodies are being burnt by the fire of Sagara's missiles. We are about to die. 

32. Determined in wreaking vengeance, he kills all of us without exception. We are desirous of preserving our lives by coming out of that danger. 

33. Our kingdoms have been split. Our pleasures and prosperity have been ruined. Our wives, children and relatives have been separated from us. It is only for saving our life that we are seeking refuge in you. 

34. There is no other person in the world who, by friendly persuasion or by the application of force, can turn him back and protect us from this great danger. 

35. You had been chosen as the family preceptor of the kings born of the solar race by the kings, his predecessors in the family. Your power and influence is such. 

36. Therefore, restrained by the respect for the greatness of his preceptor, he shall not transgress your behest like the great ocean that does not trespass the boundary of the sea shore. 

37. O holy lord, you are our friend, father and mother, you are preceptor of all the people. Hence, O highly fortunate one, it behoves you to save us from this difficult situation”. 

Jaimini said: 

38. On hearing these words of theirs, the holy lordly saint Vasişhtha slowly surveyed those who sought refuge in him. 

39. On seeing those persons who were born of royal families, who had survived the general massacre and most of whom were old men, women and children the holy lord who was merciful towards all living beings, became distressed. 

40. After looking at them with due honour, and mentally pondering for a long time, the highly intelligent sage revived their lives with the slowly uttered words--"Do not be afraid”. 

41. The highly fortunate one, indued with great sympathy, spoke to them kindly and made those persons who sought their lives to agree to the conditions of the king. 

42. In order to fulfil the vow of the king, Vasişhtha stipulated the condition that those persons who had been burned by the anger of the king should be denied all those holy rites laid down for persons of royal families. He went to the excellent king himself. He pacified him slowly in fitting manner. He then requested him for permission to the surviving enemies to go away for good. 

43. Though the king was still angry, he respected the words of his preceptor. Those enemies were compelled to eschew the holy rites laid down for their families as well as thcir mode of dress. He made them accept rites different from what are laid down in ŚHrutis and Smrutis. They were forsaken but maņas. He let off each and everyone of those kings alive but no better than dead. 

44. He made the Shakas shave off half of their heads, he made the Palhavas grow moustache (and beard). He made the Yavanas devoid of the moustache. He made the Kambojas to retain the chin (i.e. the beard).¹ 

1. These were probably the fashions of hairstyles among those tribes which are attributed to king Sagara's orders of punishment.

45. In this manner he made others also born of royal families, very ugly. They were denied the right of performing the holy rites mentioned in the Vedas. They were forsaken by the Brāhmaṇas. 

46-48. After forcing them to accept these stipulations, he left them alive. Those enemies abandoned their characteristic features and mode of conduct. They became outcastes. They were censured by the people of all castes. All of them were slighted and insulted. They became ruthless, shameless Mleccha barbarian tribes. They roamed about in the world in groups. 

49. Released by that king these ŚHhakas, Yavanas, Kiratas and others, immediately abandoned their modes of dress and conduct of life. Their only resorts were mountains, forests, caves and such other places. Even today they are censured by good people. These tribes maintain themselves by evil activities and wicked pursuits. But they keep up the vow of the king and prevent it from being broken.”