12.201
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
ke pūrvam āsan patayaḥ prajānāṃ bharatarṣabha। ke ca ṛṣayo mahābhāgā dikṣu pratyekaśaḥ smṛtāḥ ॥12-201-1॥
O best of the Bharatas, who were the lords of beings in ancient times? And who are the greatly fortunate sages remembered in each direction?
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
śrūyatāṃ bharataśreṣṭha yan mā tvaṃ paripṛcchasi। prajānāṃ patayo ye sma dikṣu pratyekaśaḥ smṛtāḥ ॥12-201-2॥
O best of the Bharatas, listen to what you have asked me: the lords of the people who are remembered individually in each direction.
ekaḥ svayambhūrbhagavānādyo brahmā sanātanaḥ। brahmaṇaḥ sapta putrā vai mahātmānaḥ svayambhuvaḥ ॥12-201-3॥
There is one self-born, glorious, and eternal Brahmā, the first. From Brahmā, there are indeed seven great-souled sons of Svayambhu. ॥12-201-3॥
marīcir atryaṅgirasau pulastyaḥ pulahaḥ kratuḥ। vasiṣṭhaś ca mahābhāgaḥ sadṛśā vai svayambhuvā ॥12-201-4॥
Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, and the highly blessed Vasiṣṭha were all similar to Svayambhū (Brahmā) himself.
sapta brahmāṇa ityeṣa purāṇe niścayo gataḥ। ata ūrdhvaṃ pravakṣyāmi sarvāneva prajāpatīn ॥12-201-5॥
It has been established in the Purāṇa that there are seven Brahmās. Therefore, I shall now describe all the Prajāpatis.
atrivaṃśa-samutpanno brahma-yoniḥ sanātanaḥ। prācīna-barhir-bhagavāṃs-tasmāt-prācetaso daśa ॥12-201-6॥
Prācīnabarhi, the eternal and venerable one, was born from the lineage of Atri and had Brahmā as his origin. From him came the ten Prācetasa descendants.
daśānāṃ tanayastvaiko dakṣo nāma prajāpatiḥ। tasya dve nāmanī loke dakṣaḥ ka iti cocyate ॥12-201-7॥
Of the ten, there is one son named Daksha, the Prajapati. He is known in the world by two names: Daksha and Ka.
marīceḥ kaśyapaḥ putras tasya dve nāmanī śrute। ariṣṭanemir ity ekaṃ kaśyapety aparaṃ viduḥ॥12-201-8॥
Kaśyapa, the son of Marīci, is known by two names: one is Ariṣṭanemi and the other is Kaśyapa.
aṅgaś caivaurasaḥ śrīmān rājā bhaumaś ca vīryavān। sahasraṃ yaś ca divyānāṃ yugānāṃ paryupāsitā ॥12-201-9॥
Aṅga, the legitimate son, the illustrious king, and Bhauma, who was powerful, was worshipped for a thousand divine ages.
aryamā caiva bhagavān ye ca anye tanayā vibho। ete pradeśāḥ kathitā bhuvanānāṃ prabhāvanāḥ ॥12-201-10॥
Aryaman, the blessed one, and other sons, O mighty one; these regions have been described as the sources of power for the worlds.
śaśabindoś ca bhāryāṇāṃ sahasrāṇi daśācyuta। ekaikasyāṃ sahasraṃ tu tanayānām abhūt tadā ॥12-201-11॥
O Acyuta, Śaśabindu had ten thousand wives, and in each one, there were a thousand sons at that time.
evaṃ śatasahasrāṇāṃ śataṃ tasya mahātmanaḥ। putrāṇāṃ na ca te kañcidicchantyan yaṃ prajāpatim ॥12-201-12॥
Thus, among the hundred thousands, a hundred sons of that great-souled one, none of them desire any other progenitor.
prajām ācakṣate viprāḥ paurāṇīṃ śāśabindavīm। sa vṛṣṇivaṃśaprabhavo mahān vaṃśaḥ prajāpateḥ ॥12-201-13॥
The sages speak of the ancient lineage of Śāśabindu. This great lineage, descended from the Vṛṣṇis, is that of Prajāpati.
ete prajānāṃ patayaḥ samuddiṣṭā yaśasvinaḥ। ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi devāṃstribhuvaneśvarān ॥12-201-14॥
These illustrious lords of beings have been listed. Now, I will describe the gods, the rulers of the three worlds.
bhago'ṁśaś cāryamā caiva mitro'tha varuṇas tathā| savitā caiva dhātā ca vivasvāṁś ca mahābalaḥ ||12-201-15||
Bhaga, Aṁśa, Aryaman, Mitra, Varuṇa, Savitṛ, Dhātṛ, and Vivasvān—all of great strength—(are present here).
pūṣā tvaṣṭā tathaiva indro dvādaśo viṣṇuḥ ucyate। ta ete dvādaśa ādityāḥ kaśyapasya ātmasambhavāḥ ॥12-201-16॥
Pūṣā, Tvaṣṭā, and likewise Indra, and the twelfth, Viṣṇu, are so called. These twelve Ādityas are all born from Kaśyapa himself.
nāsatyaścaiva dasraśca smṛtau dvāvaśvināvapi। mārṭāṇḍasyātmajāvetāvaṣṭamasya prajāpateḥ ॥12-201-17॥
Nāsatya and Dasra, the two Aśvins, are also remembered in tradition as the sons of Mārṭāṇḍa, the eighth son of Prajāpati.
tvaṣṭuścaivātmajaḥ śrīmān viśvarūpo mahāyaśāḥ। ajaikapād ahirbudhnyo virūpākṣo'tha raivataḥ॥12-201-18॥
The prosperous and greatly renowned Viśvarūpa, son of Tvaṣṭṛ, as well as Ajaikapāt, Ahirbudhnya, Virūpākṣa, and then Raivata.
haraś ca bahurūpaś ca tryambakaś ca sureśvaraḥ। sāvitraś ca jayantaś ca pinākī ca aparājitaḥ ॥ pūrvam eva mahābhāgā vasavo'ṣṭau prakīrtitāḥ ॥12-201-19॥
Hara, who is of many forms, three-eyed, lord of the gods; Savitṛ, Jayanta, the wielder of Pināka, and the unconquered one. Formerly, the eight Vasus, greatly fortunate, are proclaimed as such. 12-201-19.
eta evaṃvidhā devā manoreva prajāpateḥ। te ca pūrve surāśceti dvividhāḥ pitaraḥ smṛtāḥ ॥12-201-20॥
These gods of such kind are indeed considered to be of Manu, of Prajāpati. Both they and the former gods, thus, the ancestors are remembered as of two kinds.
śīlarūparatās tv anye tathānye siddhasādhyayoḥ। ṛbhavo marutaś caiva devānāṃ coditā gaṇāḥ॥12-201-21॥
Some are devoted to conduct and form; others are Siddhas and Sādhyas; the Ribhus, Maruts, and other groups of gods were also urged.
evamete samāmnātā viśvedevāstathāśvinau। ādityāḥ kṣatriyāsteṣāṃ viśastu marutastathā ॥12-201-22॥
Thus, these are enumerated together: the Viśvedevās and the Aśvins. The Ādityas are the kṣatriyas among them; the Maruts are the clans of those.
aśvinau tu matau śūdrav tapas-y-ugre samāhitau। smṛtās-tvaṅgiraso devā brāhmaṇā iti niścayaḥ ॥12-201-23॥
The two Aśvins are regarded as Śūdras engaged in intense austerity. The Angirasa gods are remembered as Brāhmaṇas—this is the established conclusion.
ity etat sarva-devānāṃ cātur-varṇyaṃ prakīrtitam ॥12-201-23॥
Thus, the fourfold division of all gods has been proclaimed.
etān vai prātar utthāya devān yas tu prakīrtayet। svajāta anyakṛtāt ca eva sarvapāpāt pramucyate ॥12-201-24॥
Whoever rises in the morning and recites these deities is freed from all sins, whether arising from one's own birth or from the actions of others.
yavakrīto'tha raibhyaś ca arvāvasuparāvasū | auśijaś caiva kakṣīvān nalaś cāṅgirasaḥ sutāḥ ||12-201-25||
Then Yavakrīta, Raibhya, Arvāvasu and Parāvasu, Aushija, Kakṣīvān, Nala, and the sons of Angiras.
ṛṣer medhātitheḥ putraḥ kaṇvo barhiṣad astathā। trailokyabhāvanās tāta prācyāṃ saptarṣayas tathā ॥12-201-26॥
O dear one, in the east, the seven sages—Kaṇva, the son of the sage Medhātithi, and Barhiṣad—are also known as the creators of the three worlds.
unmuc̄o vimuc̄aścaiva svastyātreyaśca vīryavān। pramuc̄aścedhmavāhaśca bhagavāṃśca dṛḍhavrataḥ ॥12-201-27॥
Unmucah, Vimucah, Svastyātreya, the powerful one, Pramucah, Edhmavāha, the venerable one, and the one of firm vow.
mitrāvaruṇayoḥ putras tathāgastyaḥ pratāpavān। ete brahmarṣayo nityam āśritā dakṣiṇām diśam ॥12-201-28॥
Agastya, the powerful son of Mitra and Varuṇa, and these Brahmarṣis always dwell in the southern direction.
ruṣadguḥ kavaṣo dhaumyaḥ parivyādhaś ca vīryavān। ekataś ca dvitaś caiva tritaś caiva maharṣayaḥ ॥12-201-29॥
Ruṣadgu, Kavaṣa, Dhaumya, Parivyādha, and the powerful one; on one side, on the second, and on the third, the great sages (were present).
atreḥ putraś ca bhagavāṃs tathā sārasvataḥ prabhuḥ। ete nava mahātmānaḥ paścimām āśritā diśam ॥12-201-30॥
The son of Atri, the venerable one, and the lord Sarasvata, along with these nine great souls, have taken refuge in the western direction.
ātreyaś ca vasiṣṭhaś ca kaśyapaś ca mahānṛṣiḥ। gautamaḥ sabharadvājo viśvāmitro'tha kauśikaḥ ॥12-201-31॥
Ātreya, Vasiṣṭha, Kaśyapa, the great sage, Gautama with Bharadvāja, Viśvāmitra, and then Kauśika.
tathaiva putro bhagavān ṛcīkasya mahātmanaḥ। jamadagnis ca saptaite udīcīṃ diśam āśritāḥ ॥12-201-32॥
Likewise, the son of the great-souled Ṛcīka, the venerable Jamadagni, along with these seven, went towards the northern direction.
ete pratidiśaṃ sarve kīrtitāstigmatejasaḥ। sākṣibhūtā mahātmāno bhuvanānāṃ prabhāvanāḥ ॥12-201-33॥
All these, who have been mentioned in every direction, are of brilliant energy; they are great souls, witnesses, and the influencers of the worlds.
evam ete mahātmānaḥ sthitāḥ pratyekaśo diśaḥ। eteṣāṃ kīrtanaṃ kṛtvā sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate ॥12-201-34॥
Thus, these great souls are established in every direction. By reciting their names, one is freed from all sins.
yasyāṃ yasyāṃ diśi hyete tāṃ diśaṃ śaraṇaṃ gataḥ। mucyate sarvapāpebhyaḥ svastimāṃśca gṛhānvrajet ॥12-201-35॥
Whichever direction these people have gone for refuge, one is freed from all sins and, being prosperous, should return home.
