14.004
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said;
śuśrūṣe tasya dharmajña rājarṣeḥ parikīrtanam। dvaipāyana maruttasya kathāṃ prabrūhi me'nagha ॥14-4-1॥
I wish to hear the story of that royal sage who knows dharma; O Dvaipāyana, O sinless one, please tell me the story of Marutta. (14-4-1)
vyāsa uvāca॥
Vyāsa said;
āsītkṛtayuge pūrvaṃ manur daṇḍadharaḥ prabhuḥ। tasya putro maheṣvāsaḥ prājātir iti viśrutaḥ॥14-4-2॥
Formerly, in the Kṛta Yuga, there was Manu, the lord and bearer of the staff. His son, the renowned great archer, was Prajāti. (14-4-2)
prajāter abhavat putraḥ kṣupa iti abhiviśrutaḥ। kṣupasya putraḥ tu ikṣvākuḥ mahīpālaḥ abhavat prabhuḥ॥14-4-3॥
Kṣupa, a well-known son of Prajāti, was born. Ikṣvāku, the king who ruled the earth, was the son of Kṣupa. (14-4-3)
tasya putraśataṃ rājann āsīt paramadhārmikam। tāṃs tu sarvān mahīpālān ikṣvākuḥ akarot prabhuḥ ॥14-4-4॥
O king, he had a hundred sons, all extremely righteous. Ikshvaku, the lord, made all of them rulers of the earth. (14-4-4)
teṣāṃ jyeṣṭhastu viṃśo'bhūtpraṭimānaṃ dhanuṣmatām। viṃśasya putraḥ kalyāṇo viviṃśo nāma bhārata ॥14-4-5॥
O Bhārata, among them, the eldest was Viṃśa, who was the equal of the bowmen. Viṃśa's son, an auspicious one, was named Viviṃśa. (14-4-5)
viviṁśasya sutā rājan babhūvur daśa pañca ca। sarve dhanuṣi vikrāntā brahmaṇyāḥ satyavādinaḥ॥14-4-6॥
O king, there were fifteen sons of Viviṁśa. All of them were valiant in archery, devoted to Brahman, and speakers of the truth. (14-4-6)
dānadharmaratāḥ santaḥ satataṃ priyavādinaḥ। teṣāṃ jyeṣṭhaḥ khanīnetraḥ sa tān sarvān apīḍayat॥14-4-7॥
Among virtuous people devoted to charity and righteousness who were always pleasant-spoken, their elder Khanīnetra oppressed all of them. (14-4-7)
khanīnētras tu vikrānto jitvā rājyam akaṇṭakam। na aśaknōd rakṣitum rājyam na anvarajyanta taṃ prajāḥ॥14-4-8॥
But khaninetras, though powerful and having conquered a kingdom free from troubles, was not able to protect it; the subjects did not follow him. (14-4-8)
tam apāsya ca tad rāṣṭraṃ tasya putraṃ suvarcasam | abhyaṣiñcata rājendra muditaṃ ca abhavat tadā ॥14-4-9॥
Having set him aside, he anointed Suvarcasa, his son, as ruler of that kingdom, O king, and there was rejoicing then. (14-4-9)
sa piturvikriyāṃ dṛṣṭvā rājyānnirasanaṃ tathā। niyato vartayāmāsa prajāhitacikīrṣayā॥14-4-10॥
Seeing his father's misdeed and his own banishment from the kingdom, he, self-controlled, conducted himself with the intent to benefit the people. (14-4-10)
brahmaṇyaḥ satyavādī ca śuciḥ śamadamānvitaḥ। prajāstaṃ cānv arajyanta dharmanityaṃ manasvinam ॥14-4-11॥
He was devoted to Brahman, truthful in speech, pure, endowed with tranquility and self-restraint; the people, always intent on righteousness, followed him, who was noble-minded. (14-4-11)
tasya dharmapravṛttasya vyaśīryat kośavāhanam। taṃ kṣīṇakośaṃ sāmantāḥ samantāt paryapīḍayan ॥14-4-12॥
As his wealth was depleted, despite being engaged in dharma, his resources collapsed. Then, with his treasury diminished, the feudatory chiefs oppressed him from all sides. (14-4-12)
sa pīḍyamānaḥ bahubhiḥ kṣīṇa-kośaḥ tu avāhanaḥ ārtim ārcchat parāṃ rājā saha bhṛtyaiḥ pureṇa ca ॥14-4-13॥
He, tormented by many, with a depleted treasury and lacking means of conveyance, the king, along with his servants and the entire city, reached the utmost distress. (14-4-13)
na ca enaṁ parihartuṁ te'śaknuvan parisaṅkṣaye। samyagvṛtto hi rājā sa dharmanityo yudhiṣṭhira ॥14-4-14॥
Even at the final destruction, they were unable to abandon him; for King Yudhishthira was righteous in conduct and always steadfast in dharma. (14-4-14)
yadā tu paramām ārtiṃ gato'sau sapuro nṛpaḥ। tataḥ pradadhmau sa karaṃ prādurāsīttato balam ॥14-4-15॥
But when the king, along with his city, reached supreme distress, then he blew the horn, and then the army appeared. (14-4-15)
tatas tān ajayat sarvān prātisīmān narādhipān। etasmāt kāraṇāt rājan viśrutaḥ sa karandhamaḥ ॥14-4-16॥
Thereupon, he conquered all the neighboring kings. For this reason, O king, Karandhama is renowned. (14-4-16)
tasya kārandhamaḥ putras tretāyugamukhe'bhavat। indrādanavaraḥ śrīmān devair api sudurjayaḥ ॥14-4-17॥
His son Kārandhama was born at the beginning of the Tretā yuga. He was not inferior to Indra, illustrious, and very difficult even for the gods to conquer. (14-4-17)
tasya sarve mahīpālā vartante sma vaśe tadā. sa hi samrāḍabhūtteṣāṃ vṛttena ca balena ca ॥14-4-18॥
At that time, all the kings were under his control. Indeed, he became their emperor by both conduct and strength. (14-4-18)
avikṣinnām dharmātmā śauryeṇendrasamo'bhavat। yajñaśīlaḥ karmaratirdhṛtimān saṃyatendriyaḥ ॥14-4-19॥
He was unwavering in mind, righteous in nature, possessing valor equal to Indra. He was devoted to sacrifice, rejoiced in action, steadfast, and had his senses under control. (14-4-19)
tejasādityasadṛśaḥ kṣamayā pṛthivīsamaḥ. bṛhaspatisamo buddhyā himavāniva susthiraḥ॥14-4-20॥
He is like the sun in brightness, equal to the earth in forbearance, equal to Bṛhaspati in intelligence, and as steadfast as Himavat (the Himalaya). (14-4-20)
karmaṇā manasā vācā damena praśamena ca। manāṃsy ārādhayām āsa prajānāṃ sa mahīpatiḥ॥14-4-21॥
The king pleased the minds of his people by action, mind, speech, self-restraint, and tranquility. (14-4-21)
ya īje hayamedhānāṃ śatena vidhivat-prabhuḥ। yājayāmāsa yaṃ vidvān svayam eva āṅgirāḥ prabhuḥ॥14-4-22॥
He, the lord, who performed a hundred horse-sacrifices according to the proper rite; whom the learned sage Angiras himself caused to perform the sacrifice. (14-4-22)
tasya putro'ticakrāma pitaraṃ guṇavattayā। marutto nāma dharmajñaś cakravartī mahāyaśāḥ॥14-4-23॥
His son surpassed his father in excellence. Marutta, so named, was a knower of dharma, a universal monarch, and greatly renowned. (14-4-23)
nāgāyutasamaprāṇaḥ sākṣād viṣṇur ivāparaḥ। sa yakṣyamāṇo dharmātmā śātakumbhamayāni uta ॥ kārayāmāsa śubhrāṇi bhājanāni sahasraśaḥ ॥14-4-24॥
He, whose strength was equal to ten thousand elephants, another Viṣṇu incarnate, being about to perform a sacrifice and righteous in soul, indeed had thousands of fine golden vessels made. (14-4-24)
meruṃ parvatam āsādya himavat-pārśva uttare। kāñcanaḥ sumahān pādaḥ tatra karma cakāra saḥ ॥14-4-25॥
Having reached Mount Meru, on the northern side of the Himalayas, there he performed an act with his very great golden foot. (14-4-25)
tataḥ kuṇḍāni pātrīś ca piṭharāṇy āsanāni ca। cakruḥ suvarṇakartāro yeṣāṃ saṅkhyā na vidyate॥14-4-26॥
Then goldsmiths made vessels, bowls, pots, and seats, so many that their number could not be counted. (14-4-26)
tasyaiva ca samīpe sa yajñavāṭo babhūva ha। īje tatra sa dharmātmā vidhivat pṛthivīpatiḥ ॥ maruttaḥ sahitaiḥ sarvaiḥ prajāpālair narādhipaḥ ॥14-4-27॥
Near him indeed, that sacrificial ground came into being. There, the righteous king Marutta performed sacrifice according to rule together with all the protectors of the people, as the lord of men. (14-4-27)
