72 - About the Auttama Manv-antara. 

The brahman performs a sacrifice which turns the queen's heart to the king, and the Rakshasa brings her back from Patala— The brahman frees the Naga princess from the curse, and she coming to thank the king promises him a son who shall be a Manu —Accordingly a son is born who was the Manu Auttama.

Markandeya spoke:

1 Then arriving at his city, the king saw the joyful brahman accompanied by his wife also who was sweet-dispositioned. 

The brahman spoke:

2 O noble king, successful am I inasmuch as righteousness has been preserved by thee, who art wise in righteousness here and who bringest back my wife. 

The king spoke:

3 Successful art thou, O brahman, because thou observest thy own laws of righteousness. I am in a strait, who have no wife at home, O brahman. 

The brahman spoke:

O king, if she, thy queen, has indeed been devoured by wild beasts in the forest, away with her! Why dost thou not take another's hand ia marriage? Falling under the dominion of anger thou didst not preserve righteousness. 

The king spoke:

5 My darling wife is not devoured by wild beasts; indeed she is alive, with character unblemished. How shall I act in this matter? The brahman spoke:

6 If thy wife lives and has not gone astray, why then dost thou commit a sin which will render tliee wifeless in another birth?

The kitig spoke:

7 In sooth, although she was brought back, she is ever opposed to me, O brahman, she would tend to unhappiness, not to happiness; enough! her friendship is not at all towards me. Do thou so strive for me that she may become submissive unto me. 

The brahman spoke:

8 The Vara sacrifice* is beneficial for mutual affection between thee and her. I will perform, the Mitra-vinda †

* Vareshti.                         

†” Friend-finding.”

 9 sacrifice which those perform who wish for friends; for it produces afiection between two persons who love not each other; it creates †† the warmest § affection between wife and husband, O king. I will perform that sacrifice for thee,

††San-janani : not in the dictionary. San-janana is given only as a neuter noun. 

§ Param” anu-ragam or some similar non-feminine noun must be understood; unless we read param to agree with priti as in the next verse.

10 Fetch thy beautiful-browed wife from wherever she is now, O king; she shall feel the warmest love for thee! 

Markandeya spoke:

11 Thus admonished, the king then collected all the materials

12 requisite, and the brahman performed that sacrifice. Seven times then the brahman performed the sacrifice in repetition

13 in order to procure for the king his wife. When the great muni deemed that he had aroused friendliness within her towards her husband, then he, the brahman, addressed the

 14 king—” Fetch her, O king, who is dear to thee, close to thy soul; enjoy all enjoyments with her, and offer sacrifices, being duly respected. 

Markandeya spoke:

15 Thus exhorted by the brahman the king a-wondering then recalled to mind the very valiant, truthful, night-roaming 

16 Rakshasa.* And he, the Rakshasa, being remembered by him, approached the king at once then, and prostrating himself before the great muni exclaimed,” What shall I do?” 

* See canto lxx, verse 38, 

17 Thereupon, after the king had declared the matter fully, he

18 went to Patala and brought the queen back. And she, when brought back, gazed on her husband then with exceeding love and said” Be gracious!” again and again, while filled with

 19 joy. Thereat the king embraced the stately lady impetuously and said—” Darling, I am indeed well pleased! why dost thou keep on repeating that?” 

The queen spoke:

20 If thy mind is inclined with favour to me, O king, then I make thee this request; do thou do it as an honour to me.

The king spoke:

21 Speak out fearlessly whatever thou desirest from me, lady. Thou shalt certaiqly obtain it, timid cue! I am all docile towards thee and not otherwise. 

The queen spoke:

22 On my account the Naga cursed his daughter who is my friend; he said” Thou shalt become dumb,” and she became

23 dumb. If thou. Sir, canst for love of me devise a remedy for her to cure her deprivation of speech, then what wilt thou not have done for me? 

Markandeya spoke:

24 Then said the king to the brahman — “What kind† of ceremony is there for this, in order to dispel her dumbness?” And he replied to the king:- 

† For kidrishi read kidrishi?

The brahman spoke:

25 king, I will perform a sacrifice to Saras-vati at thy word. Let this thy wife discharge her debt of gratitude by stimulating the power of speech in that friend. 

Markandeya spoke:

26 The brahman performed the sacrifice to Saras-vati on her behalf, and uttered tlie hymns addressed to Savas-vati, with composed mind. 

27 Thereupon Garga* spoke to the maiden, who had recovered her speech, in Rasatala —” This moat difficult benefit has been effected by thy friend's husband.” 

* See canto lxxv, verse 13. Garga was the mame. of an old rishi, a deecen dant of Bharad-vaja and Ahgiras (see M.-Bh., Salya-P. liii; and also o varions other persons. 

28 Having gained this information Nanda sped in haste to the city, Then the Naga's daughter, embracing her friend the

29 queen and praising the Icing with auspicious words again and again, spoke sweetly, she, the Naga maiden placing herself upon a seat, 

30 “By this benefit, that thou, O noble hero, hast done me. now,† my heart is drawn out. Listen to what I tell thee.

† For mamaghuna read mamadhuna?

31 Thou shalt have a son great in Valour, O king; he shall

32 wield the discus unresisted on this earth. He shall be skilled in the principles of all the useful sciences, †† devoted, to the practice of righteousness, in truth a Manu, the wise lord of a manv-antara.” 

†† The Artha-shastras.

Markandeya spoke:

33 Having thus bestowed a boon on him, the Kaga king's daughter then closely embraced her friend and departed to Patala, O muni. 

34 While the king lived in pleasure there, along with her and 35 ruled his subjects, a very long time passed by. Then the son was born of her to the high-rsouled king, like the lovely full

 36 orbed moon at the period, of full-moon. At the birth of. that high-souled child all the. people rejoiced, heavenly drums sounded forth, and a shower of flowers fell. 

37 Seeing that his body would be lovely and his disposition also, and reflecting that he was the son of Uttama, § the assembled

§ Auttama.                                           

 38 bled munis gave him a name saying,” He is born in an excellent || family and at an excellent time in it; he has excellent limbs; hence he shall be Auttama.” 

                  || Uttama.

Markandeya spoke:

39 So he was Uttama's son and was famed as Aattama by name. He was a Manu, possessing the majesty of such; hearken to me, O Bhaguri. * 

* Bhagure; see canto lviii, verse 40, note ††. It is said to be a patronymic of Kraushtuki. 

40 He who listens constantly to the entire story of Uttama and also the birth of Uttama, † never experiences enmity

† But Auttama seems preferable” read ch'aivauttamasya for ch'aivottamasya?

41 nor shall the man who listens to it or reads it ever incur

42 separation from his loved wife or sons or kinsmen. Hearken while I tell thee, O brahman, about his manv-antara, and hear who was the Indra in it and who were the gods and rishis.