Chapter 16: King Prithu Extolled :

 

 

 Skandham-3.2

 

 

Chapter-22.

Slokam- 1 to 39.

 

The marriage of Kardama Muni and Devahûti:-
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(1) Maitreya said: 'After the sage this way had described the greatness of the virtues and activities of Emperor Manu did he fall silent. The Emperor feeling somewhat modest addressed him. (2) Manu said: 'Lord Brahmâ created you people, in your being connected in penance, knowledge and yoga and being turned away from sense gratification, after his own image, to his own interest expanding himself into the form of the Vedas. (3) To protect that created he, the thousand legged father, us as His thousands of arms; for the brahmins are his heart and the kshatriyas [the rulers] are spoken of as his arms. (4) Therefore do the brahmins and the kshatriyas factually protect one another as well as themselves as does God, He who is both cause and effect but is immutable, protect them. (5) By just seeing you all my doubts resolved, the way you, supreme one, personally, lovingly explained what the duty of a king is to his subjects. (6) It is my good fortune o powerful one, that I could see you, who can not easily seen by those who are not acting to the soul; it is my good fortune that my head could touch the dust of your feet that bring all the blessing. (7) I am lucky to have been granted the great favor of receiving your speech; what good fortune to have received with open ears the pure of those words! (8) O sage, Your Honor, be pleased yourself to listen to the prayer of this humble person whose mind is worried out of affection for his daughter. (9) This daughter of mine, the sister of Priyavrata and Uttânapâda, is seeking a husband suitable qua age, character and good qualities. (10) The moment she heard about your noble character, learning, appearance, youth and virtues from Nârada Muni, did she fix her mind on you. (11) Therefore, please accept her, o best of the twiceborn; she is offered by me believing that she is in every way suitable to take for you charge of your household. (12) To deny what in fact came on its own accord is not commendable, not even for one who is free from attachment to sensual pleasure, and what to say of one addicted. (13) One who rejects [such an] an offering and [rather] begs from a miser will see his reputation with the people ruined, and his honor destroyed in neglect. (14) O wise man, I heard that you were preparing to get married and hence have not taken the vow of perpetual celibacy; then please accept my offer [naishthhika-brahmacârîs vow for lifelong celibacy, upakurvâna-brahmacârîs do so up to a certain age].'

 

(15) The rishi replied: 'I am very well willing to get married and your daughter has not promised herself to anyone; properly answering to both these preconditions we can perform the rituals of marriage. (16) Let that desire of your daughter, which is recognized by scriptural authority, be fulfilled, o King; who, in fact, would not adore your daughter, who by her bodily luster alone outshines her ornaments. (17) Didn't Vis'vâvasu [a Gandharva, a heavenly being], who saw her playing on the roof of the palace when she was fondly looking after her ball, fall down from his high position with a mind stupefied? (18) What wise man would not welcome her who came on her own accord, the beloved daughter of Manu and sister of Uttânapâda, that gem of womanhood not found by the ones who missed the feet of the goddess. (19) Therefore I will accept the chaste girl as long as she may bear from the semen of my body, on the condition that thereafter I take up the duties of service as done by the best of the perfected ones [the paramahamsas] and all that I, nonenvious, will consider to be to the word of the Lord. (20) To me, is the highest authority the Supreme unlimited One, the Lord of the fathers of mankind [the prajâpatis], from whom this wonderful creation emanated, in whom it will dissolve and by whom it presently exists.'

 

(21) Maitreya said: 'He, o great warrior, spoke this much only and became silent with his thoughts on Vishnu's lotus, seizing, with a beautiful smile on his face, the mind of a captivated Devahûti. (22) After Manu had confirmed the fixed decision of the queen and as well was clear of his daughter's mind about him, did he, extremely pleased, gave her away who was an equal with as many good qualities. (23) S'atarûpâ, the empress, lovingly gave in dowry valuable presents like ornaments, clothes and household articles to the bride and bridegroom. (24) The emperor relieved of the responsibility of giving his daughter to a suitable person then embraced her with his two arms and an agitated mind full of anxiety. (25) Unable to part from her he shed tears over and over drenching his daughters hair with the water from his eyes uttering: 'O dear mother, my dearest daughter!'

 

(26-27) After asking and receiving permission to take leave of him, the best of sages, did he, the Emperor with his wife mount his chariot and, along with his retinue, started he for his capital, enjoying the tranquil scenery of the beautiful hermitages so pleasant for the sages on both the banks of the river the Sarasvatî. (28) Overjoyed of knowing who was arriving, were the subjects of Brahmâvarta coming forth to greet him with songs, praise and instrumental music. (29-30) The city, which had all kinds of wealth, was named Barhishmatî, after the hairs of the shaking body of Lord Boar that had fallen down and had turned into the evergreen colored kus'a- and kâs'a grass [grasses used for sitting places and mats] by which the sages defeated the disturbers of the sacrifices to the by them worshiped Lord Vishnu. (31) Having spread that kus'a and kâs'a grass had the greatly fortunate Manu created a seat in worship of the Lord of sacrifice [Vishnu] from whom he had achieved his position on earth. (32) Entering the city of Barhishmatî where he till then had lived, did the powerful one went into his palace that defeated the threefold miseries [of body, mind and outer nature]. (33) Along with his wife and subjects he not disturbed by others enjoyed life's pleasures and was praised for his reputation of piety, as he was in his heart very drawn to listen with his wives each morning to the celestial musicians and the talks about the Lord. (34) Although absorbed in the deluding oneness of matter, was Svâyambhuva Manu as a saint; being a supreme devotee of the Lord could his material enjoyments not lead him astray. (35) He did not spend his hours in vain as to the end of his days he spent his life with the hearing and contemplating, recording and discussing of the topics of Lord Vishnu. (36) His thus transcending the three destinations [according the modes, see Gîta ch.18] in being connected with the topics of Vâsudeva, made His era last for the time of seventy-one mahâyuga's. (37) How can the miseries pertaining to the body, the mind, the [natural and supernatural] powers and other men and living beings, o Vidura, ever trouble one who lives under the shelter of the Lord? (38) He [Manu], who was always for the welfare of all living beings, formulated, on request of the sages, the many kinds of duties of the status orientations [varna's and âs'rama's, the vocations and agegroups] beneficial to human society. (39) This is what I could tell you about the wonderful character of Manu the first emperor, whose reputation is worth the description. Now please listen to how his daughter [Devahûti] flourished.