॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Friday, 24 March 2023 - IX.22 - The long list of kings and sages born in the Puru dynasty who became great kings of the Mahabharata.
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So many kings and sages were born in this line that Sage Shuka amazes me with his continuing list of their names and their several offspring. He mentions the Panchalas and the glorious king Drupada who had Draupadi and Dhrishthadyumna as his children.
The Chedi King Jarasandha was born in two distinct lifeless halves and thrown away as a dead child until a demoness named Jaraa picked up the two halves and joined them with some scary incantations for him to be named aptly, Jarasandha. We shall see later how he attacked Mathura and Sri Krishna wisely shifted the capital beyond his reach to the island of Dwaraka. Indeed Kamsa, who shall enter the story soon, was Jarasandha's nephew.
Shantanu was a gifted ruler of Hastinapura. He had the miraculous touch to heal anyone and give them a sense of well-being. But since his elder brother abdicated the throne and went away for penance in the forest, Shantanu's kingdom was confronted with a ten-year-long drought. Shantanu was advised to go and bring his brother back to rule. The brother did not return, but Shantanu's efforts to convince his brother bore fruit as rains and agricultural prosperity returned.
Shantanu married Ganga, who gave him eight divine children out of whom only the last one survived to become the great Bhishma. Bhishma made the terrific vow never to covet the throne to clear the way for Satyavati, the fisherwoman, to be made the queen by Shantanu. Satyavati had already begotten a son from Sage Parashara.
शलश्च शन्तनोरासीद्गङ्गायां भीष्म आत्मवान् । सर्वधर्मविदां श्रेष्ठो महाभागवतः कविः ॥
वीरयूथाग्रणीर्येन रामोऽपि युधि तोषितः । शन्तनोर्दाशकन्यायां जज्ञे चित्राङ्गदः सुतः ॥
विचित्रवीर्यश्चावरजो नाम्ना चित्राङ्गदो हतः । यस्यां पराशरात्साक्षादवतीर्णो हरेः कला ॥
वेदगुप्तो मुनिः कृष्णो यतोऽहमिदमध्यगाम् । हित्वा स्वशिष्यान् पैलादीन् भगवान् बादरायणः ॥
मह्यं पुत्राय शान्ताय परं गुह्यमिदं जगौ । विचित्रवीर्योऽथोवाह काशिराजसुते बलात् ॥
स्वयंवरादुपानीते अम्बिकाम्बालिके उभे । तयोरासक्तहृदयो गृहीतो यक्ष्मणा मृतः ॥
क्षेत्रेऽप्रजस्य वै भ्रातुर्मात्रोक्तो बादरायणः । धृतराष्ट्रं च पाण्डुं च विदुरं चाप्यजीजनत् ॥
T: "Shantanu's son from the fisherwoman Satyavati was the great Bhishma. He was a most learned man and advanced in self-knowledge and devotion to Bhagavan (in fact we know that the holy Vishnu Sahasranama was given by him to Yudhishthira). Bhishma was such a great warrior that he defeated his own Guru, Sage Parashurama! Shantanu had sons Chitrangada and Vichitraveerya from Satyavati. Chitrangada was killed in battle by a Gandharva. Vichitraveerya married two princesses brought by Bhishma. He loved his wives very much but died without giving them children. Satyavati's son Sage Vyasa was born as the son of Sage Parashara (a famed sage who gave us the Vishnu Purana!). Vyasavs name was Krishna Dwaipayana (Krishna born on an island where Satyavati's father was the leader of fisher folk). He was an incarnation of Maha Vishnu! Also called Bhagavan Badarayana, Vyasa protected and organised the Vedas, and I, Sage Shuka, am his son. Vyasa taught me as the most worthy student by my nature of equanimity this holy text of Srimad Bhagavatam. Vyasa also fathered Dhritarashtra and Pandu as the sons of Vichitraveerya. He also fathered the noble Vidura."
Sage Shuka continues his narrative of the Pandavas and Kauravas. He comes to Abhimanyu as the son of Arjuna and Subhadra, who married Princess Uttara. Abhimanyu was a glorious warrior who defeated all foes. Parikshit is his own son!
Shuka continues to list the future generations of Parikshit's line. He mentions how his son Janamejaya (sitting and listening to this narrative!) will wreak vengeance on the serpent Takshaka who will come and kill Parikshit. Janamejaya perform many glorious Yajnas. And so on. Sage Shuka says that Parikshit's extended line will rule far into the future.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
