Book Iv. Chapter V
*
"The Vishnu Purana", translated by Horace Hayman Wilson, [1840],
p. 388
Chap. V.
Kings of Mithil. Legend of Nimi, the son of Ikshwku. Birth of Janaka. Sacrifice of Sradhwaja. Origin of St. Descendants of Kuadhwaja. Kriti the last of the Maithila princes.
The son of Ikshwku, who was named Nimi 1, instituted a sacrifice that was to endure for a thousand years, and applied to Vaishtha to offer the oblations. Vaishtha in answer said, that he had been preengaged by Indra for five hundred years, but that if the Rj, would wait for some time, he would come and officiate as superintending priest. The king made no answer, and Vaishtha went away, supposing that he had assented. When the sage had completed the performance of the ceremonies he had conducted for Indra, he returned with all speed to Nimi, purposing to render him the like office. When he arrived, however, and found that Nimi had retained Gautama and other priests to minister at his sacrifice, he was much displeased, and pronounced upon the king, who was then asleep, a curse to this effect, that since he had not intimated his intention, but transferred to Gautama the duty he had first entrusted to himself, Vaishtha, Nimi should thenceforth cease to exist in a corporeal form. When Nimi woke, and knew what had happened, he in return denounced as an imprecation upon his unjust preceptor, that he also should lose his bodily existence, as the punishment of uttering a curse upon him without previously communicating with him. Nimi then abandoned his bodily condition. The spirit of Vaishtha also leaving his body, was united with the spirits of Mitra and Varuna for a season, until, through their passion for the nymph Urva, the sage was born again in a different shape. The corpse of Nimi was preserved from decay by being embalmed with fragrant oils and resins, and it remained as entire as if it were immortal 2. When the sacrifice
p. 389
was concluded, the priests applied to the gods, who had come to receive their portions, that they would confer a blessing upon the author of the sacrifice. The gods were willing to restore him to bodily life, but Nimi declined its acceptance, saying, "O deities, who are the alleviators of all worldly suffering, there is not in the world a deeper cause of distress than the separation of soul and body: it is therefore my wish to dwell in the eyes of all beings, but never more to resume a corporeal shape!" To this desire the gods assented, and Nimi was placed by them in the eyes of all living creatures; in consequence of which their eyelids are ever opening and shutting.
As Nimi left no successor, the Munis, apprehensive of the consequences of the earth being without a ruler, agitated the body of the prince, and produced from it a prince who was called Janaka, from being born without a progenitor. In consequence of his father being without a body (videha), he was termed also Vaideha, 'the son of the bodiless;' and the further received the name of Mithi, from having been produced by agitation (mathana) 3. The son of Janaka was Udvasu;
p. 390
his son was Nandivarddhana; his son was Suketu; his son was Devarta; his son was Vrihaduktha; his son was Mahvrya; his son was Satyadhriti; his son was Dhrishtaketu; his son was Haryyawa; his son was Maru; his son was Pratibandhaka; his son was Kritaratha; his son was Krita; his son was Vibudha; his son was Mahdhriti; his son was Kritirta; his son was Mahroman; his son was Suvarnaroman; his son was Hraswaroman; his son was Sradhwaja.
Sradhwaja ploughing the ground, to prepare it for a sacrifice which he instituted in order to obtain progeny, there sprang up in the furrow a damsel, who became his daughter St 4. The brother of Sradhwaja was Kuadhwaja, who was king of K 5; he had a son also, named Bhnumat 6. The son of Bhnumat was Satadyumna; his son was uchi; his son was rjjavha; his son was atyadhwaja; his son was Kuni 7; his son was Anjana; his son was Ritujit; his son was Arishtanemi 8; his son was rutyus; his son was Suprwa; his son was Sanjaya 9; his son was Kshemri 10; his son was Anenas 11; his son was Mnaratha 12; his son was Satyaratha; his son was Styarathi 13; his son was Upagu 14; his son was ruta 15; his son was Sswata 16; his son was Sudhanwan; his son was Subhsa; his son was Suruta 17; his son was Jaya; his son was Vijaya; his son was Rita; his son was Sunaya 18; his son was Vtahavya;
p. 391
his son was Dhriti; his son was Bahulwa; his son was Kriti, with whom terminated the family of Janaka. These are the kings of Mithil, who for the most part will be 19 proficient in spiritual knowledge 20.
Footnotes
388:1 None of the authorities, except the Vyu and Bhgavata, contain the series of kings noticed in this chapter.
388:2 This shews that the Hindus were not unacquainted with the Egyptian art of embalming dead bodies. In the K Khanda, s. 30, an account is given of a Brahman who carries his mother's bones, p. 389 or rather her corpse, from Setuhandha or Rmewara to K. For this purpose he first washes it with the five excretions of a cow, and the five pure fluids, or milk, curds, ghee, honey, and sugar. He then embalms it with Yakshakarddama, a composition of Agallochum, camphor, musk, saffron, sandal, and a resin called Kakkola; and envelopes it severally with Netra vastra, flowered muslin; Pattamvara, silk; Surasa vastra, coarse cotton; Mnjishtha, cloth dyed with madder; and Nepala Kambala, nepal blanketing. He then covers it with pure clay, and puts the whole into a coffin of copper, Tmra samputa. These practices are not only unknown, but would be thought impure in the present day.
389:3 These legends are intended to explain, and were probably suggested by, the terms Vaideha and Mithil, applied to the country upon the Gandak and Kai rivers, the modern Tirhut. The Rmyana places a prince named Mithi between Nimi and Janaka, whence comes the name Mithil. In other respects the list of kings of Mithil agrees, except in a few names. Janaka the successor of Nimi is different from Janaka who is celebrated as the father of Sta. One of them, which, does not appear, is also renowned as a philosopher, and patron of philosophical teachers. Mahbhrata, Moksha Dharma. According to the Vyu P., Nimi founded a city called Jayantapur, near the rama of Gautama. The remains of a city called Janakpur, on the northern skirts of the district, are supposed to indicate the site of a city founded by one of the princes so named.
390:4 This identifies Sradhwaja with the second Janaka, the father-in-law of Rma. The story of St's birth, or rather discovery, is narrated in the Arnya Khanda of the Rmyana, the Vana Parva of the Mahbhrata, and in the Vyu, Brahma Vaivartta, Klik, and other Purnas.
390:5 The Rmyana says, 'of Sankaya,' which is no doubt the correct reading. Fa Hian found the kingdom of Sang-kia-shi in the Doab, about Mainpuri. Account of the Foe-ku-ki. The Bhgavata makes Kuadhwaja the son of Sradwaja.
390:6 The Bhgavata differs from our authority here considerably, by inserting several princes between Ksadhwaja and Bhnumat; or, Dharmadhwaja, who has two sons, Kritadhwaja and Khndikya; the former is the father of Keidhwaja, the latter of Bhnumat. See the last book of the Vishnu.
390:7 akuni, and the last of the series, according to the Vyu,
390:8 Between this prince and uchi the series of the Bhgavata is Sanadhwaja, Urddhwaketu, Aja, Purujit. The following variations are from the same authority.
390:9 Chitraratha.
390:10 Kshemadh.
390:11 Omitted.
390:12 Samaratha.
390:13 Omitted.
390:14 Upaguru.
390:15 Upagupta.
390:16 Vaswananta.
390:17 Yuyudhna, Subhshana, ruta.
390:18 unaka.
391:19 ### is the reading of all the copies; but why the future verb, 'will be,' is used does not appear.
391:20 Descendants of two of the other sons of the Manu are noticed in the Bhgavata; from Nriga, it is said, proceeded Sumati, Bhtajyotish, Vasu, Pratka, Oghavat, and his sister Oghavat, married to Sudarana. The Linga gives three sons to Nriga, Vrisha, Dhrishtaka, and Ranadhrishta, and alludes to a legend of his having been changed to a lizard by the curse of a Brahman. Narishyanta's descendants were Chitrasena, Daksha, Madhwat, Prva, Indrasena, Vtihotra, Satyarava, Ururavas, Devadatta, Agniveya, also called Jtukarna, a form of Agni, and progenitor of the gniveya Brahmans. In the Brhma P. and Hari V. the sons of Narishyat, whom the commentator on the latter considers as the same with Narishyanta, are termed Sacas, Sac or Scythians; whilst, again, it is said that the son of Narishyanta was Dama, or, as differently read, Yams. As this latter affiliation is stated in the authorities, it would appear as if this Narishyanta was one of the sons of the Manu; but this is only a proof of the carelessness of the compilation, for in the Vishnu, Vyu, and Mrkandeya Purnas, Narishyanta, the father of Dama, is the son of Marutta, the fourteenth of the posterity of Dishta or Nedishta.
"The Vishnu Purana", translated by Horace Hayman Wilson, [1840],
p. 388
Chap. V.
Kings of Mithil. Legend of Nimi, the son of Ikshwku. Birth of Janaka. Sacrifice of Sradhwaja. Origin of St. Descendants of Kuadhwaja. Kriti the last of the Maithila princes.
The son of Ikshwku, who was named Nimi 1, instituted a sacrifice that was to endure for a thousand years, and applied to Vaishtha to offer the oblations. Vaishtha in answer said, that he had been preengaged by Indra for five hundred years, but that if the Rj, would wait for some time, he would come and officiate as superintending priest. The king made no answer, and Vaishtha went away, supposing that he had assented. When the sage had completed the performance of the ceremonies he had conducted for Indra, he returned with all speed to Nimi, purposing to render him the like office. When he arrived, however, and found that Nimi had retained Gautama and other priests to minister at his sacrifice, he was much displeased, and pronounced upon the king, who was then asleep, a curse to this effect, that since he had not intimated his intention, but transferred to Gautama the duty he had first entrusted to himself, Vaishtha, Nimi should thenceforth cease to exist in a corporeal form. When Nimi woke, and knew what had happened, he in return denounced as an imprecation upon his unjust preceptor, that he also should lose his bodily existence, as the punishment of uttering a curse upon him without previously communicating with him. Nimi then abandoned his bodily condition. The spirit of Vaishtha also leaving his body, was united with the spirits of Mitra and Varuna for a season, until, through their passion for the nymph Urva, the sage was born again in a different shape. The corpse of Nimi was preserved from decay by being embalmed with fragrant oils and resins, and it remained as entire as if it were immortal 2. When the sacrifice
p. 389
was concluded, the priests applied to the gods, who had come to receive their portions, that they would confer a blessing upon the author of the sacrifice. The gods were willing to restore him to bodily life, but Nimi declined its acceptance, saying, "O deities, who are the alleviators of all worldly suffering, there is not in the world a deeper cause of distress than the separation of soul and body: it is therefore my wish to dwell in the eyes of all beings, but never more to resume a corporeal shape!" To this desire the gods assented, and Nimi was placed by them in the eyes of all living creatures; in consequence of which their eyelids are ever opening and shutting.
As Nimi left no successor, the Munis, apprehensive of the consequences of the earth being without a ruler, agitated the body of the prince, and produced from it a prince who was called Janaka, from being born without a progenitor. In consequence of his father being without a body (videha), he was termed also Vaideha, 'the son of the bodiless;' and the further received the name of Mithi, from having been produced by agitation (mathana) 3. The son of Janaka was Udvasu;
p. 390
his son was Nandivarddhana; his son was Suketu; his son was Devarta; his son was Vrihaduktha; his son was Mahvrya; his son was Satyadhriti; his son was Dhrishtaketu; his son was Haryyawa; his son was Maru; his son was Pratibandhaka; his son was Kritaratha; his son was Krita; his son was Vibudha; his son was Mahdhriti; his son was Kritirta; his son was Mahroman; his son was Suvarnaroman; his son was Hraswaroman; his son was Sradhwaja.
Sradhwaja ploughing the ground, to prepare it for a sacrifice which he instituted in order to obtain progeny, there sprang up in the furrow a damsel, who became his daughter St 4. The brother of Sradhwaja was Kuadhwaja, who was king of K 5; he had a son also, named Bhnumat 6. The son of Bhnumat was Satadyumna; his son was uchi; his son was rjjavha; his son was atyadhwaja; his son was Kuni 7; his son was Anjana; his son was Ritujit; his son was Arishtanemi 8; his son was rutyus; his son was Suprwa; his son was Sanjaya 9; his son was Kshemri 10; his son was Anenas 11; his son was Mnaratha 12; his son was Satyaratha; his son was Styarathi 13; his son was Upagu 14; his son was ruta 15; his son was Sswata 16; his son was Sudhanwan; his son was Subhsa; his son was Suruta 17; his son was Jaya; his son was Vijaya; his son was Rita; his son was Sunaya 18; his son was Vtahavya;
p. 391
his son was Dhriti; his son was Bahulwa; his son was Kriti, with whom terminated the family of Janaka. These are the kings of Mithil, who for the most part will be 19 proficient in spiritual knowledge 20.
Footnotes
388:1 None of the authorities, except the Vyu and Bhgavata, contain the series of kings noticed in this chapter.
388:2 This shews that the Hindus were not unacquainted with the Egyptian art of embalming dead bodies. In the K Khanda, s. 30, an account is given of a Brahman who carries his mother's bones, p. 389 or rather her corpse, from Setuhandha or Rmewara to K. For this purpose he first washes it with the five excretions of a cow, and the five pure fluids, or milk, curds, ghee, honey, and sugar. He then embalms it with Yakshakarddama, a composition of Agallochum, camphor, musk, saffron, sandal, and a resin called Kakkola; and envelopes it severally with Netra vastra, flowered muslin; Pattamvara, silk; Surasa vastra, coarse cotton; Mnjishtha, cloth dyed with madder; and Nepala Kambala, nepal blanketing. He then covers it with pure clay, and puts the whole into a coffin of copper, Tmra samputa. These practices are not only unknown, but would be thought impure in the present day.
389:3 These legends are intended to explain, and were probably suggested by, the terms Vaideha and Mithil, applied to the country upon the Gandak and Kai rivers, the modern Tirhut. The Rmyana places a prince named Mithi between Nimi and Janaka, whence comes the name Mithil. In other respects the list of kings of Mithil agrees, except in a few names. Janaka the successor of Nimi is different from Janaka who is celebrated as the father of Sta. One of them, which, does not appear, is also renowned as a philosopher, and patron of philosophical teachers. Mahbhrata, Moksha Dharma. According to the Vyu P., Nimi founded a city called Jayantapur, near the rama of Gautama. The remains of a city called Janakpur, on the northern skirts of the district, are supposed to indicate the site of a city founded by one of the princes so named.
390:4 This identifies Sradhwaja with the second Janaka, the father-in-law of Rma. The story of St's birth, or rather discovery, is narrated in the Arnya Khanda of the Rmyana, the Vana Parva of the Mahbhrata, and in the Vyu, Brahma Vaivartta, Klik, and other Purnas.
390:5 The Rmyana says, 'of Sankaya,' which is no doubt the correct reading. Fa Hian found the kingdom of Sang-kia-shi in the Doab, about Mainpuri. Account of the Foe-ku-ki. The Bhgavata makes Kuadhwaja the son of Sradwaja.
390:6 The Bhgavata differs from our authority here considerably, by inserting several princes between Ksadhwaja and Bhnumat; or, Dharmadhwaja, who has two sons, Kritadhwaja and Khndikya; the former is the father of Keidhwaja, the latter of Bhnumat. See the last book of the Vishnu.
390:7 akuni, and the last of the series, according to the Vyu,
390:8 Between this prince and uchi the series of the Bhgavata is Sanadhwaja, Urddhwaketu, Aja, Purujit. The following variations are from the same authority.
390:9 Chitraratha.
390:10 Kshemadh.
390:11 Omitted.
390:12 Samaratha.
390:13 Omitted.
390:14 Upaguru.
390:15 Upagupta.
390:16 Vaswananta.
390:17 Yuyudhna, Subhshana, ruta.
390:18 unaka.
391:19 ### is the reading of all the copies; but why the future verb, 'will be,' is used does not appear.
391:20 Descendants of two of the other sons of the Manu are noticed in the Bhgavata; from Nriga, it is said, proceeded Sumati, Bhtajyotish, Vasu, Pratka, Oghavat, and his sister Oghavat, married to Sudarana. The Linga gives three sons to Nriga, Vrisha, Dhrishtaka, and Ranadhrishta, and alludes to a legend of his having been changed to a lizard by the curse of a Brahman. Narishyanta's descendants were Chitrasena, Daksha, Madhwat, Prva, Indrasena, Vtihotra, Satyarava, Ururavas, Devadatta, Agniveya, also called Jtukarna, a form of Agni, and progenitor of the gniveya Brahmans. In the Brhma P. and Hari V. the sons of Narishyat, whom the commentator on the latter considers as the same with Narishyanta, are termed Sacas, Sac or Scythians; whilst, again, it is said that the son of Narishyanta was Dama, or, as differently read, Yams. As this latter affiliation is stated in the authorities, it would appear as if this Narishyanta was one of the sons of the Manu; but this is only a proof of the carelessness of the compilation, for in the Vishnu, Vyu, and Mrkandeya Purnas, Narishyanta, the father of Dama, is the son of Marutta, the fourteenth of the posterity of Dishta or Nedishta.
