॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Friday, 14 October 2022 - III.22 - The great king Svayamubhuva Manu and his wife Shatarupa give away their daughter, Princess Devahuti, in the world’s first recorded marriage ceremony to Sage Kardama.
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This chapter makes a delightful reading as it gives an inkling of how hoary our traditions are and how a great king and a great rishi conducted themselves in times immemorial.
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King Svayambhuva Manu accepted with humility and grace the words of Sage Kardama extolling his kingship. He also responded with gratitude for Sage’s timely reminder of how a king should always be engaged in his Dharma of rulership, protecting and nurturing his subjects.
Then he said,
“Oh, Sage, you, the Brahmin rishis, emerged from Lord Brahma’s face to uphold the Vedas and are full of austerity, knowledge and mysticism. We, the Kshatriyas, were created by the Virat Purusha as His limbs. So Brahmins are His heart and Kshatriyas are His limbs.”
अतो ह्यन्योन्यमात्मानं ब्रह्म क्षत्रं च रक्षतः। रक्षति स्मावययो देवः च यः सदसदात्मकः॥
T; “Therefore, indeed, the Brahmin and the Kshatriya look out for each other and protect and foster themselves mutually. As a matter of fact, it is the inexhaustible Lord, beyond creation and dualities, who protects all in this way.”
“I am blessed to have met you, touched the dust of your feet with my head and heard your sage advice. I do have one more thing to ask of you.”
प्रियव्रतोत्तानपदोः स्वसेयं दुहिता मम। अन्विच्छति पतिं युक्तं वयःशीलगुनादिभिः॥
यदा तु भवतः शीलश्रुतरूपवयोगुणान्। अशृणोन्नारदादेषा त्वय्यासीत्कृतनिश्चया॥
तत्प्रतीच्छ द्विजाग्र्येमां श्रद्धयोपहृतां मया। सर्वात्मनानुरूपां ते गृहमेधिषु कर्मसु॥
T: “Sir, here is my daughter, sister of Priyavrata and Uttanapada. She is looking for a husband suitable by age, virtues and attributes for her. Ever since she heard of your good looks, qualities and virtues from Sage Narada, she had made up her mind to wed you. Therefore, be so kind as to accept her in marriage whom I offer with all due respect. She will be your ideal partner in the duties of a householder, especially the Yajna Dharma.”
“Sir, do not refuse this offer as I know you have also decided to end your Brahmacharya and become a Grihastha.”
Sage Kardama replied that he was gladly ready to marry Princess Devahuti, as that was her name.
आद्यो वैवाहितो विधिः T: “Oh, King, ours will be the first wedding ceremony as per the Vedic injunctions.”
क एव ते तनयां नाद्रियेत स्वयैव कान्त्या क्षिपतीव श्रियम्॥
T; “Who would refuse your worthy daughter’s hand when she exudes such radiance of beauty that she does not even need to wear ornaments!”
“I have come to know that once she was playing with a ball on the palace terrace with her tinkling anklets and lustrous beauty, her eyes darting here and there. The Gandharva Vishwavasu who was travelling overhead was distracted enough to fall off his aerial vehicle!”
तां प्रार्थयन्तीं ललनाललामसेवितश्रीचरणैरदृष्टाम् ।
वत्सां मनोरुच्चपदः स्वसारं को नानुमन्येत बुधौऽभिधीयताम्॥
T: “Who among the wise would reject her, a jewel of womanhood, the beloved daughter of King Svayambhuva Manu, sister of Uttanapada? One who has worshipped and pleased Goddess Sri Lakshmi alone would qualify to behold her, and your daughter has come to me of her own accord!”
“But, oh, King, I am making a condition. I shall perform my householder duty with the Princess duly and beget children. After that, I shall accept a life of Paramahamsa eschewing all worldly activity and pursuing a life of austerity and non-violence. This is ordained to me by Lord Maha Vishnu Himself, the eternal Lord of all creation and dissolution.”
Having reached a most felicitous accord, the King formally gave his daughter’s hand in marriage to the Sage. He experienced simultaneously a sense of relief that comes to any father who has done his duty and also a feeling of sadness at separation from his dear daughter.
शतरूपा महाराज्ञी पारिबर्हान्महाधनान्। दम्पत्यो पर्यदात्प्रीत्या भूषावासःपरिच्छदान्॥
T: “Then the Empress Shatarupa lovingly gave as wedding gifts sumptuous wealth, grand clothes, household utensils and so on to the newly married couple.”
The King, before leaving, kissed his daughter on her head, shedding copious tears as any loving father would do.
असिञ्चदम्ब वत्सेति नेत्रोर्दैदुर्हितुः शिखाः
T: “Manu kissed his daughter, calling her, “Amba, Child!”, and drenched her hair with tears.”
The King and Queen left with their retinue after bidding goodbye and passed the hermitages of several rishis on the banks of the Saraswati on their way to their city called Barhishmati, the capital of Brahmavarta, their kingdom. The citizens received them with great celebrations, amidst music and festivities.
We have read how Svayambhuva Manu asked his father, Lord Brahma, for the land to build his kingdom. That occasioned the avatara of Varaha. Now Vyasa tells us that the hairs that fell off from the divine boar Adi Varaha as He shook Himself on emerging from the waters had fallen and given rise to the grasses Kusha and Kasha, used in Vedic Yajnas. That place had become Barhishmati.
As Brahma had advised him, Manu spent his life in royal duties, surrounded by luxuries of every kind and sensual enjoyments, but he was beyond all that as he dedicated his mind and heart to the worship of Maha Vishnu. He performed great Yajnas and ruled very well.
एतत्त आदिराजस्य मनोश्चरितमद्भुतम्। वर्णितं वर्णनीयस्य तदपत्योदयं शृणु॥
T: Maitreya said to Vidura, “ I have described to you the wonderful story of the world’s first king, Svayambhuva Manu. Now let me narrate to you the glorious life of his daughter, Devahuti.”
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
