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Mahābhārata • Parva 1 (Ādiparva) • Adhyāya 58

Ādiparva Adhyāya 58

आदिपर्व • अध्यायः 58

Ādiparva Adhyāya 58 of the classical Mahābhārata with 52 verses.

Total: 52 Verses • Citations: MBh 1.58.1–52 • 250 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 2 (Verses 30 shown)
य एते कीर्तिता ब्रह्मन्ये चान्ये नानुकीर्तिताः । सम्यक्ताञ्श्रोतुमिच्छामि राज्ञश्चान्यान्सुवर्चसः ॥
English Translation
Janamejaya said : O Brahmana, I wish to hear in detail the accounts of those that you have named and of those that you have not named and other kings and potentates by thousands.
यदर्थमिह संभूता देवकल्पा महारथाः । भुवि तन्मे महाभाग सम्यगाख्यातुमर्हसि ॥
English Translation
O great man, you should tell me in full the object for which these great car-warriors, all equal to the celestials, were born on earth.
रहस्यं खल्विदं राजन्देवानामिति नः श्रुतम् । तत्तु ते कथयिष्यामि नमस्कृत्वा स्वयंभुवे ॥
English Translation
Vaishampayana said : O king, we have heard that what you ask is a mystery even to the celestials. I shall however, speak of it, after bowing my head to the Self-Born (Brahma).
त्रिःसप्तकृत्वः पृथिवीं कृत्वा निःक्षत्रियां पुरा । जामदग्न्यस्तपस्तेपे महेन्द्रे पर्वतोत्तमे ॥
English Translation
The son of Jamadagni, (Parshurama), after making the earth bereft of Kshatriyas for twenty-one times, went to the best of the mountains, named Mahendra and began his penances.
तदा निःक्षत्रिये लोके भार्गवेण कृते सति । ब्राह्मणान्क्षत्रिया राजन्गर्भार्थिन्योऽभिचक्रमुः ॥
English Translation
O king, when the earth was thus bereft of Kshatriyas, the Kshatriya women used to come to the Brahmanas for offspring.
ताभिः सह समापेतुर्ब्राह्मणाः संशितव्रताः । ऋतावृतौ नरव्याघ्र न कामान्नानृतौ तथा ॥
English Translation
O best of men, the Brahmanas had connections with them only at their seasons and not when they were not in their seasons and they the Brahmans did not do it with lust.
तेभ्यस्तु लेभिरे गर्भान्क्षत्रियास्ताः सहस्रशः । ततः सुषुविरे राजन्क्षत्रियान्वीर्यसंमतान् । कुमारांश्च कुमारीश्च पुनः क्षत्राभिवृद्धये ॥
English Translation
Thus thousands of Kshatriya women conceived through these connections with the Brahmanas and O king, thus were born many Kshatriyas of great prowess,
एवं तद्ब्राह्मणैः क्षत्रं क्षत्रियासु तपस्विभिः । जातमृध्यत धर्मेण सुदीर्घेणायुषान्वितम् । चत्वारोऽपि तदा वर्णा बभूवुर्ब्राह्मणोत्तराः ॥
English Translation
The new generation, blessed with long life, began to thrive in virtue and thus were again established the four castes having Brahmanas at their head.
अभ्यगच्छन्नृतौ नारीं न कामान्नानृतौ तथा । तथैवान्यानि भूतानि तिर्यग्योनिगतान्यपि । ऋतौ दारांश्च गच्छन्ति तदा स्म भरतर्षभ ॥
English Translation
At the time (of which I speak), every man went to his wife only at the time of her season and never from lust or when she was not at her season. Other creatures also, even those that were born in the race of birds, followed this example. O best of the Bharata race, thus were born hundreds and thousands of creatures and they all thrived in virtue.
ततोऽवर्धन्त धर्मेण सहस्रशतजीविनः । ताः प्रजाः पृथिवीपाल धर्मव्रतपरायणाः । आधिभिर्व्याधिभिश्चैव विमुक्ताः सर्वशो नराः ॥
English Translation
O lord of the earth, all creatures were virtuous and religious and all men were free from sorrow and disease.
अथेमां सागरापाङ्गां गां गजेन्द्रगताखिलाम् । अध्यतिष्ठत्पुनः क्षत्रं सशैलवनकाननाम् ॥
English Translation
O king having the walk of an elephant, thus once more, the wide earth, with the ocean for her boundaries, with her mountains and woods and towns was governed by the Kshatriyas.
प्रशासति पुनः क्षत्रे धर्मेणेमां वसुंधराम् । ब्राह्मणाद्यास्तदा वर्णा लेभिरे मुदमुत्तमाम् ॥
English Translation
When thus the earth was again governed virtuously by the Kshatriyas, the other castes, having Brahmanas at their head, were filled with great joy.
कामक्रोधोद्भवान्दोषान्निरस्य च नराधिपाः । दण्डं दण्ड्येषु धर्मेण प्रणयन्तोऽन्वपालयन् ॥
English Translation
All the kings (of the world), becoming free from vices born of lust and anger and punishing those that deserved punishment, protected the earth.
तथा धर्मपरे क्षत्रे सहस्राक्षः शतक्रतुः । स्वादु देशे च काले च ववर्षाप्याययन्प्रजाः ॥
English Translation
And (Indra) the deity that performed one hundred sacrifices and who has one thousand eyes, seeing that all the Kshatriya sovereigns ruled their kingdoms very virtuously, poured down vivifying showers of rains at the proper time and at the proper place and thus protected all creatures.
न बाल एव म्रियते तदा कश्चिन्नराधिप । न च स्त्रियं प्रजानाति कश्चिदप्राप्तयौवनः ॥
English Translation
O king, no one died in early age and none took to wife before attaining to age.
एवमायुष्मतीभिस्तु प्रजाभिर्भरतर्षभ । इयं सागरपर्यन्ता समापूर्यत मेदिनी ॥
English Translation
O best of the Bharata race, thus was filled the earth to the very shores of the sea with long-lived men.
ईजिरे च महायज्ञैः क्षत्रिया बहुदक्षिणैः । साङ्गोपनिषदान्वेदान्विप्राश्चाधीयते तदा ॥
English Translation
The Kshatriyas performed great sacrifices and bestowed much wealth on the Brahmanas and all the Brahmanas also studied the Vedas and the Vedangas and the Upanishads.
न च विक्रीणते ब्रह्म ब्राह्मणाः स्म तदा नृप । न च शूद्रसमाभ्याशे वेदानुच्चारयन्त्युत ॥
English Translation
O king, no Brahmana ever sold the Vedas and none of them ever read them aloud before a Shudra.
कारयन्तः कृषिं गोभिस्तथा वैश्याः क्षिताविह । न गामयुञ्जन्त धुरि कृशाङ्गाश्चाप्यजीवयन् ॥
English Translation
The Vaishyas tilled well the earth with the help of bullocks and they never yoked kine to the plough. They carefully fed the lean ones.
फेनपांश्च तथा वत्सान्न दुहन्ति स्म मानवाः । न कूटमानैर्वणिजः पण्यं विक्रीणते तदा ॥
English Translation
Men never milched the cows as long as the calves could not live on the milk of their mothers. No merchant sold his goods with false scales.
कर्माणि च नरव्याघ्र धर्मोपेतानि मानवाः । धर्ममेवानुपश्यन्तश्चक्रुर्धर्मपरायणाः ॥
English Translation
O best of men, all men, thus virtuously inclined, did every thing with their eyes fixed on virtue.
स्वकर्मनिरताश्चासन्सर्वे वर्णा नराधिप । एवं तदा नरव्याघ्र धर्मो न ह्रसते क्वचित् ॥
English Translation
O king, all men of all castes were mindful of the respective duties of their respective castes. O best of men, their virtue never sustained any diminution.
काले गावः प्रसूयन्ते नार्यश्च भरतर्षभ । फलन्त्यृतुषु वृक्षाश्च पुष्पाणि च फलानि च ॥
English Translation
Both women and kine gave birth to offspring at the proper time and trees bore flowers and fruits at their proper seasons.
एवं कृतयुगे सम्यग्वर्तमाने तदा नृप । आपूर्यत मही कृत्स्ना प्राणिभिर्बहुभिर्भृशम् ॥
English Translation
O king, the Krita (Satya) Yuga having come into the world, the whole earth was filled with numerous beings.
ततः समुदिते लोके मानुषे भरतर्षभ । असुरा जज्ञिरे क्षेत्रे राज्ञां मनुजपुंगव ॥
English Translation
O best of the Bharata race, O lord of men, when such was the happy state of the world, the Asuras began to take birth in royal dynasties.
आदित्यैर्हि तदा दैत्या बहुशो निर्जिता युधि । ऐश्वर्याद्भ्रंशिताश्चापि संबभूवुः क्षिताविह ॥
English Translation
The sons of Diti, (the Asuras), having been continually defeated by the sons of Aditi, (the celestials) and deprived of sovereignty and heaven, began to take birth on earth.
इह देवत्वमिच्छन्तो मानुषेषु मनस्विनः । जज्ञिरे भुवि भूतेषु तेषु तेष्वसुरा विभो ॥
English Translation
O king, wishing to enjoy sovereignty in this earth, the powerful Asuras took birth among humens, cows, horses, mules, camels, buffaloes, elephants, deer; they also took birth as Rakshasas and others.
गोष्वश्वेषु च राजेन्द्र खरोष्ट्रमहिषेषु च । क्रव्यादेषु च भूतेषु गजेषु च मृगेषु च ॥
English Translation
O king, wishing to enjoy sovereignty in this earth, the powerful Asuras took birth among humens, cows, horses, mules, camels, buffaloes, elephants, deer; they also took birth as Rakshasas and others.
जातैरिह महीपाल जायमानैश्च तैर्मही । न शशाकात्मनात्मानमियं धारयितुं धरा ॥
English Translation
O protector of the world, owing to the birth of those (Asuras) that were already born and those that were being born, the Earth became incapable of supporting herself.
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