110 - The Majesty of the Sun, concluded. 

King Rajya-vardhana’s subjects besought of the Sun that the king might reign ten thousand years more, and the Sum, granted it—But the king, distressed that the boon did not include all his family and subjects, went and propitiated the Sun, and at length gained his desire—This story is convmented on and its merits are extolled. 

Markandeya spoke:

1 Well-pleased then, the adorable Sun said to all the populace— “Choose, O ye dvijas and other people, what ye have wished to obtain from me!”

2 Thereupon those brahmans and other people gazing in fear on the fiery-rayed Sun, as he stood before them, prostrated themselves and said, O brahman:- 

The people spoke:

3 Prostrating themselves they said then to the lord of the world who proffered them a boon— “adorable Dispeller of

4 darkness, if thou art pleased with our faith, then let our king live* ten thousand- years, free from sickness, victorious over his enemies, Rich in his treasury, cmd with fimdy-enduring youth! May Rajya-vardhana live ten thoasand years!” 

* Jivatam; atmane-pada; and again in this verse. 

Markandeya spoke:

5 “So he it!” said the Sun to the populace, and became too dazzling for sight, O great muni. And they, having gained

6 the boon and joyous thereat, assembled about the king. And having gained the boon completely from the thousand-rayed god, O brahman, they made known to the king how it had happened. 

7 On hearing that, his queen Manini rejoiced, O brahman; and the king pondered a long while and said nothing to the people.

8 Thereupon she Manini, whose mind was filled with joy, exclaimed to the king her husband— “How fortunate! Prosper,

9 O king, with long life! “Thus did Manini courteously salute her husband in Tier delight, hut the king said nothing, his mind

10 being numbed with thought, O brahman. She addressed her husband again, as he was rapt in thought with countenance bent downwards,— “Why dost thou not give way to joy in

11 this supreme moment of exaltation, O king? Thou shalt live free from sickness, with firmly-enduring yonth, ten thousand years from to-day. Why nevertheless dost thou not rejoice?

12 But declare thou the reason, why thou hast thy mind drawn away by thought, even when a supreme moment of exaltation has been reached, O king? “

The king spoke:

13 How has a moment of exaltation come, O lady,-and why dost thou courteously salute me? When thousands of afflictions

14 are incurred, is courteous salutation wished for? † I shall live alone ten thousand years, hut not thou; when calamity

† For sabhajanayishyate read sabhajanam ishyate as in the Bornbay edition.

15 befalls thee, shall I not have affliction? When I see sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons and other beloved relatives 

16 dead, will my affliction indeed be small? And when my most faithful servants are dead, and when my circle of friends is dead, there will then be boundless affliction for me continnaly,

17 lady. They who with emaciated todies, constantly attached to * righteousness, have performed austerities for my sake, they shall die, and I who enjoy the benefit shall live—this

* Ni-san-tata, not in the dictionary. 

18 is censurable! † This, such as it is, is a calamity that has befallen me, O lady of beautiful hips; it is not a moment of exaltation. How again is it thou dost not think in that thou dost courteously sfilute me now? 

† Dhik-kara, not in the dictionary. 

Manini spoke:

19 O great king, as thou hast said, so indeed it is; herein there is no doubt. I and the citizens in our affection for thee did

20 not perceive this mistake. Since it has gone so, consider what should be done in this matter, O lord of men. What the adorable Sun has said in his graciousness shall not be otherwise. 

The king spoke:

21 It is a benefit that my citizens and servants have done to me out of affection; how shall I taste enjoyments, without

22 discharging my obligation to them? I then in this position will go with subdued mind to the mountain from to-day†† and will practise austerities, abstaining from food, resolved to propitiate 

†† The Bornbay edition inserts two lines here doubtfally. 

23 the Sun. Since I shall live in firmly-enduring youth free from sickness ten thousand years through that god’s favour

24 therefore, if the adorable Sun grants us this favour, that all my people, my servants, and thou and my children, sons,

25 grandsons and great-grandsons, and my friends shall also live, O lovely-faced one—then I shall contintie in the kingdom and

26 shall taste enjoyments with delight. If the Sun does not do this, then, O Manini, I will practise austerities on the mountain there, abstaining from food until my life perish. 

Markandeya spoke:

27 Being thus addressed by him, she said to the king then, “Be it so!” And she also went with him to that mountain. The

28 king’going with his queen to the sanctuary there engaged in worshipping the Sun, being assiduous in his service, O brahman,

29 and becoming emaciated through want of food; and she, just as that king did, practised severe austerities likewise, enduring

30 cold, wind and the sun’s heat. While he was worshipping the Sun and practising great austerities, when a year and part of the next year had passed, the Maker of the day was

31 pleased then and granted him, O dvija, a boon according to his desire for the sake of all his dependants, citizens and other subjects, and his sons, excellent brahman. 

32     On gaining the boon, the king going to his city ruled his

33 kingdom in joyousness, protecting his people righteously; and he offered many sacrifices, gave away gifts day and night, and in company with Manini indulged in enjoyments, being wise in

34 righteousness. He rejoiced* with his sons, grandsons and other descendants, with his dependants and citizens† for ten thousand years; he remained continuously youthful. 

* For samuditah, read sa muditah. 

† Pauttraih in the text; bat read probably pauraih, which I have adopted.

35 A Bhargava named Pramati, after seeing that his exploit, sang this song while his heart was drawn out with astonishment,

36 “Lo, the power of faith in the Sun, in that king Rajya-vardhana has been born for the increase of life of his own people as well as of himself!”

37 Thus I have related to thee, O brahman, what thou didst ask me, namely, the majesty of the lord†† Aditya Vivasvat, the

†† Vibho; but vibhoh seems preferable and I have adopted it. The Bornbay edition reads aditah, “what thou didst

38 god who was in the beginning. The man who, after hearing the whole of that story of the Sun’s sublime majesty with tlie brahmans, reads it also during the space of seven

39 nights, is delivered from his sins.§ And the intelligent man, who may hold this fast, becomes free from sickness, possessed of Richhes and opulent; and is born again a man of ask me from the first.

§ Or “reads it also, is delivered from the sins which he has committed during seven nights” as the Bornbay edition reads. 

40 great understanding in a great family of wise men.|| And miserable are they -who are smitten lierein by the Sun, O best of munis* The repetition of each of these verses during three

|| The Bornbay edition inserts here, though doubtfully— “And he trulv who after hearing of this exploit sacrifices with great sacriflces replete with boons and fees, gains honour as his reward.”

* The Bornbay edition rends differently— “And the verses which were herein addressed [read abihita for abhihata?] to the Sun, O best of munis, the repetition of each of these verses during three twilights destroys sin.

41 twilights destroys sin. And in whatever sanctuary of the Sun all this poem of Ais majesty is recited, there the adorable Sun

42 withdraws not his presence. Therefore thou, O brahman, who desirest to gain great merit, must retain ihia poem of the Sun’s

43 sublime majesty in thy mind and must mutter it over. Verily he who makes a gift of a milch cow with gilded horns and most handsome body, and the man who self-possessed listens to this poem for three days—equal are the merit and reward of them both, O brahman! † 

†For dvijagryam read dvijagrya.