76 - The Sixth Manu-antara. 

Ch'akshusha when an infant was taken by a hag from his parents and changed for the son of king Vi-kranta, and was brought up as a prince. —On reaching boyhood he revealed the fraud, and abandoning his princely state became an ascetic. —Brahma made him, the sixth Manu. —The deities, rishis and kings of his period are mentioned. 

Markandeya spoke:

1 Thus I liave narrated these five manv-antaras to thee.* Hear about this sixth period, that of the Manu Chakshusha.

* For tava read tatha? The Bombay edition reads maya. 

2 In another birth he was born from the eye † of the supreme deity, hence in this birth also he retained the condition †† of

†Ch'akshushah.

                  †† Or ‘appellation.” 

 3 Ch'akshusha, O brahman.§ His mother repeatedly makes him prattle|| as he lies in her lap after hia birth, and embraces

§ The Bombay edition inserts an explanatory verse here — “Bhadra, wife of the high-souled royal rishi An-amitra, gave birth to a son, who was very wise, pure, who remembered hia former lives, a very sovereign.” See verse 27. 

||Ul-lapya. Ul-lap is not given as a verb in the dictionary; ul-ldpa is given as a noun meaning ‘calling out in a, loud voice; change of voice in grief, sickness, &c.;” but those meanings seem inadmissible here. See ul-lapana in canto xxv, verse 10. 

4 him lovingly and then again makes him prattle. ¶ Being indeed born with a recollection of his prerious existences, he

¶ ul-lapayati. ** Jata-harini; see canto li, verse 102.

5 laughed as he lay on his mother's lap. His mother said to bim angrily then —” I am frightened; what is this, my cbild, that there is laughter in thy mouth? Thou art bom with premature intelligence. Perhaps thou seest something bright! 

The son spoke:

6 Dost thou not see, a cat in front wishes to devour me? And another, the hag who seizes newly-born children,** has

†† For snigdha-hridaya read snigdha-hridaye to agree with ete pra-vrilte, as the Bombay edition reads.

7 vanished. And since thou, lady, looking on me lovingly in thy affection for thy son, dost keep on making me prattle and

8 dost embrace me much, while thy hair rises up and thine eyes are suffused with tears springing from love, therefore

9 I chanced to laugh. Hear also the reason of it. The cat intent on its own object looks on me who am attached to thee; and the other also, the hag who seizes newly-born

10 cbildren, has vanished. Just as these two, with hearts solicitous for their own Belf-interest,†† were busy over me, even 

†† For snigdha-hridaya read snigdha-hridaye to agree with ete pra-vrilte, as the Bombay edition reads.

so thou appearest to me to be engaged in thy own self-interest

11 But the cat and the hag who seizes newly-born children aimed at enjoying me; thon on the other hand desirest to obtain good results from me which shall be enjoyed

12 gradually. Thou dost not know me who I am, nor the benefit that I have conferred. Our meeting is for no very long time,

13 a period of five and seven days. Nevertheless, thou lovest and embracest me excessively with tears in thine eyes; sincerely thou callest me “dear child” and “lovely darling.”

The mother spoke:

14 “It is not for the sake of a benefit that I embrace thee lovingly, my darling, nor shall I be deprived of thee, if this

 15 shall be for thy pleasure. * I have now relinquished any self-interest which shall accrue to me from thee.” †

* This seems a little involved, but both editions read alike. 

† For tatto read tvatto. 

16 So saying she left him and went out of the lying-in house. The hag Jata-harini then seized him when left, his body and external organs of sense being apathetic, his heart and soul

 17 pure. Having seized the boy, she placed him then as a new- born child on the bed of king Vi-kranta’s wife, and took his

18 new-born son and carried him †† to another house, and taking a son from that house she, Jata-harini, in regular course

†† For tvam read tam? but both editions read tvam.

 19 devoured this third child Now carrying children off in succession she devours the third child, totally devoid of pity; but she makes a substitution thus with the other two day after day.

20 And then king Vi-kranta performed the purificatory rites,

21 which appertain to a prince, for that very son; and as father king Vi-kranta gave him the name Ananda according to rule,

22 being himself filled with intense joy. Now when as a youth he had donned the sacred thread, his spiritual guide ordered him “Approach before thy mother respectfully and salute

23 her!” Hearing that his guru’s speech, he smiled and spoke thus “Which of my mothers shall I praise, her who gave me birth or her who has nourished me?” 

The gum spoke:

24 Not the latter, indeed! Thy mother who bore thee, noble youth, is Rutha’s daughter, Vi-kranta’s chief queen, Haimini by name. 

Ananda spoke:

25 She is the mother of Ch’aitra, who dwells in the village Vishala, as son of the leading brahman Bodha, and who was born of her. I come from elsewhere. 

The guru spoke:

26 Whence art thou? tell me, O Ananda. What Ch’aitra again dost thou mention? It appears to be a great difficulty. Where wast thou born? What dost thou say of this? 

A’nanda spoke:

27 I was born in a kshatriya king’s house of his wife Giribhadra, O brahman. The hag that steals new-born children

28 took me; she left me here, and taking Haimini’s son also carried him further to the house of the leading brahman

29 Bodha, and devoured the brahman Bodha’s son. Haimini’s son has been consecrated with the sanctifying rites of a brahman

30 there. I have been consecrated here by thee as guru, illustrious Sir. I must obey thy command: wliich mother shall I approach, O guru?

The guru spoke:

31 Extremely intricate, my child, is this great difficulty that has befallen. I understand it not at all, for my wits are wandering as it were through enchantment, 

Ananda spoke:

32 What case of enchantment is there here, while the world is thus constituted? Who is whose son, O brahman rishi?

33 Or who is not whose kinsman? Beginning from his birth, whatever man enters into connexions, the others who are connected with him are made to pass away by death, O

34 brahman. Moreover, when he is born here, whatever connexion he has with kinsmen, that also ceases with the ending

35 of his body. This is the entire process. Hence I Say, “Who is not a kinsman to one who dwells in this worldly existence? Or who is a kinsman for ever?” Is thy mind

36 bewildered? I have had two fathers indeed in this very birth, and two mothers; is it wonderful chat it should be

37 otherwise in the recurring birth of the body? Being such, I will practise austerities. Do thou bring here Ch’aitra, who is indeed the son of this king, from the village Vishala. 

Markandeya spoke:

38 Thereupon the king was astonished with his wives and kinsmen; withdrawing his feeling of ownership from that

39 boy, he permitted him to depart to the forest. Fetching his son Ch’aitra he made him worthy of the kingdom, after honouring the brahman who brought him up in the belief that he was his son. 

40 And he, Ananda, a mere boy, practised austerities in the great forest, in order to consume away his actions which

41 were adversaries in the path to final emancipation. And to him then as he practised austerities spoke the divine Praja-pati  “Why art thou performing severe austerities my child? tell me that.” 

Ananda spoke:

42 Desirous of purity of soul I perform austerities, adorable lord! setting my face towards consuming the actions which tend to fetter me. 

Brahma spoke:

43 He who is lord over consumed actions is fit for final emancipation, not he who engages in action. Hence Sir! thou shalt obtain final emancipation, when thou hast the lordship of 

44 goodness. Thou must be the sixth Manu; go; do accordingly! Enough of austerities for thee! When thou hast done that, thou shalt obtain final emancipation. 

Markandeya spoke:

4.5 Being thus exhorted by Brahma, he then the high-minded replied, “So be it!” and went directing himself to that

46 pursuit. He ceased indeed from austerities. Turning him away from austerities Brahma addressed him as Ch’akshusha;

formerly he was known by that name; he became famous as Manu Ch’aksliusha. 

47 He married Vidarbha, daughter of king Ugra, and begot by her sons celebrated for valour. 

48 Hear, brahman, who were the gods of the period, while he reigned over the manv-antara; and who were the rishis,

49 and who was the Indra, and who were his sons. The gods therein were named A’ryas; they formed one group of eight persons; it was composed of those who had done famous deeds, who partook of the oblations at the sacrifice, O brahman,

50 of those who were famous for strength and valour, who were hardly to be gazed at because of their halo of splendour. And the second class of gods was called Prasutas,

51 consisting of eight persons. There was another class of gods also called Bhavyas, consisting of just eight persons; and a fourth class therein was called Yutha-gas, which also

52 consisted of eight persons. There were, Moreover, other gods called Lekha in a fifth class also in that manv-antara,

53 O brahman; those so named fed indeed on amrita. And the Indra was Mano-java, who offered a hundred sacrifices and became their lord; he was reckoned the eater of a portion

54 of the sacrifices. And Su-medhas, and Vi-rajas, Havishmat, Un-nata, Madhu, Ati-naman, and Sahishnu were the

55 seven rishis. Manu Ch’akshusha’s song, chief of whom were Uru,* Puru, and Sh’ata-dyumna, veiy great in strength, were the kings of the earth. 

* For Uru, read Uru

56 Thus I have narrated to thee the sixth manv-antara, brahman, both the birth and the exploits of high-souled

57 Ch’akshusha. He who subsists at the present time is named Manu Vaivasvata; hear from me about the gods and other chief personages in his, the seventh, period.