ऋग्वेदे विश्वासटिप्पन्यः

THIRD CHAPTER. (The Story of Sansepa)

13

(King Harischandra wishes for a Son. Stanzas praising the Possession of a Son).

Harischandra, the son of Vedhas, of the Ilṣvāku race, mas a king who had no son. Though he had a hundred wives, they did not give birth to a son. In his house there lived the Riṣis, Parvata and Nārada. Once the king addressed to Nārada (the following stanza):

“Since all beings, those endowed with reason (men) as well as those who are without it (beasts) wish for a son, what is the fruit to be obtained by having a son? This tell me, O Nārada?”

Nārada thus addressed in one stanza, replied in the (following) ten :

The father pays a debt in his son, and gains immortality, when he beholds the face of a son living who was born to him.
The pleasure which a father has in his son, exceeds the enjoyment of all other beings, be they on the earth, or in the fire, or in the water.
Fathers always overcome great difficulties through a son. (In him) the Self is born out of Self. The son is like a well-provisioned boat, which carries him over.
“What is the use of living unwashed, wearing the goatskin,” and beard ? ( Here the Grihastha is meant. * The Brahmachari is alluded. * The Vanaprastha, or hermit is to be understood.) What is the use of performing austerities? (The Pariyrājaka, or religious mendicant is meant.) You should wish for a son, O Brahmans!” Thus people talk of them (who forego the married life on account of religious devotion).
- (• Avadavadah, i. e., pronouncing a blame. Sāy. takes the word-in a different sense, “not deserving blame on account of being free from guilt." This explanation is artificial.)
Food preserves life, clothes protect from cold, gold (golden ornaments) gives beauty, marriages produce wealth in cattle; the wife is the friend, the daughter object of compassion, but the son shines as his light in the highest heaven.
- “At certain kinds of marriages, the so-called Arṣa (the Riṣi marriage), a pair of cows was given as a dowry. See Aśval. Grihy, Sötr. 1, 8.
The husband enters the wife (in the shape of seed), and, when the seed is changed to an embryo, he makes her mother, from whom, after having become regenerated, in her, he is born in the tenth month.
His wife is only then a real wife (jāyā, from jan, to be born) when he is born in her again. The [462] seed which is placed in her, she developes to a being and sets it forth.
The Gods and the Riṣis endowed her with great beauty. The gods then told to men, this being is destined to produce you again.
He who has no child, has no place (no firm footing). This even know the beasts. Thence the son cohabits (among beasts even) with his mother and sister.
This is the broad, well-trodden path on which those who have sons walk free from sorrows. Beasts and birds know it; thence they cohabit (even) with their own mothers.

Thus he told.

14

(A Son is Born to Harischandra. Varuna repeatedly requests the King to sacrifice his son to him; but the Sacrifice is under different pretences always Put Off by the King.)

Nārada then told him, “Go and beg of Varuṇa, the king, that he might favour you with the birth of a son (promising him at the same time) to sacrifice to him this son when born.”
He went to Varuṇa, the king, praying, “ Let a son be born to me; I will sacrifice him to thee,"

Then a son, Rohita by name, was born to him.
Varuna said to him, “A son is born to thee, sacrifice him to me."
Harischandra said, “An animal is fit for being sacrificed, when it is more than ten days old. Let him reach this age, then I will sacrifice him to thee.”

After Rohita had passed the age of ten days, Varuṇa said to him, “He is now past ten days, sacrifice him to me.”
Harischandra answered, “An animal is fit for being sacrificed when its teeth come. Let his teeth come, then I will sacrifice [483] him to thee.”

After his teeth had come?, Varuṇa said to Haris chandra, " His teeth have now come, sacrifice him to me."
He answered, “An animal is fit for being sacrificed when its teeth fall out. Let his teeth fall out, then I will sacrifice him to thee.”

His teeth fell out.
He then said, “His teeth are falling out, sacrifice him to me.”
He said, “An animal is fit for being sacrificed when its teeth have come again. Let his teeth come again, then I will sacrifice him to thee.”

The words, ajnatavai and apatsat avãi, are a kind of infinitive.

317

His teeth came again.
Varuṇa said, “His teeth have now come again, sacrifice him to me.”
He answered, " A man of the warrior caste is fit for being sacrificed only after having received his full armour. Let him receive his full armour, then I will sacrifice him to thee.”

He then was invested with the armour. Varuṇa then said, “He has now received the armour, sacrifice him to me.”

After having thus spoken, he called his son, and told him, “Well, my dear, to him who gave thee unto me, I will sacrifice thee now." But the son said, “No, no,” took his bow and absconded to the wilderness, where he was roaming about for a year.

15

(Continuation of this story. Rohita, Harischandra’s Son, Purchases, after Six Years of fruitless Wanderings in the Forest, a Brahman boy, Sunaḥśepa by name, from his parents, to be sacrificed in his stead by Harischandra to Varuṇa. Stanzas.)

Varuna now seized Harischandra, and his belly swelled (i. e., be was attacked by dropsy). When Rohita heard of it, he left the forest, and went to a village, where Indra in human disguise met him, and said to him, " There is no happiness for him who does not travel, Rohita ! thus we have heard. Living (464) in the society of men, the best man (often) becomes a sinner (by seduction, which is best avoided by wandering in places void of human dwellings) ; for Indra surely is the friend of the traveller. Therefore, wander!"

Rohita thinking, a Brāliman told me to wander, wandered for a second year in the forest. When he was entering a village, after having left the forest, Indra met him in human disguise, and said to him. “ The feet of the wanderer are like the flower, his soul is growing and reaping the fruit; and all his sins are destroyed by his fatigues in wandering. Therefore, wander !"

Rohita thinking, a Brāhman told me to wander, wandered then a third year in the forest. When he was entering a village, after having left the forest, Indra met him in human disguise, and said to him, “The fortune of him who is sitting, sits; it rises when he rises; it sleeps when he sleeps ; it moves when he moves. Therefore, wander ! ”

Rohita thinking, a Brāhman told me to wander, vandered then a fourth year in the forest. When he was entering a village, after having left the forest, Indra said to him, " The Kali is lying on the ground, the Dvāpara is hovering there; the Tretā is getting up, but the Krita, happens to talk (hither and thither). S Therefore, wander, wander !"

(Sāy. does not give any explanation of this important passage, where the names of the Yugas are mentioned for the first time. These four names are, as is well known from other sources (see the Sanscrit Dictionary by Boehtlingk and Roth, s. v. kali, dvcipara, &c.,) names of dice, used at gambling. The meaning of this Gatha is, There is every success to be hoped ; for the unluckiest die, the Kali, is lying, two others are slowly moving and half fallen, but the luckiest, the Krita, is in full motion. The position of dice given here is indicatory of a fair chance of winning the game.')

Rohita thinking, a Brāhman told me to wander, wandered for a fifth year in the forest. When he was (465) entering a village, after having left the forest, Indra said to him, “The wanderer finds honey and the street. Udumbara fruit; behold the beauty of the sun, who is not trearied by his wanderings. Therefore, wander, wander!”

Rohita then wandered for a sixth year in the forest. He met (this time) the Riṣi Ajigarta, the son of Suyavasa, who was starving, in the forest. He had three sons, Sunampuchha, Sunaḥśepa, and Sunolangūla. He told him, “Riṣi! I give thee a hundred cows ; for I will ransom myself (from being sacrificed) with one of these (thy sons).” Ajigarta then excepted the oldest, saying, " Do not take him," and the mother excepted the youngest, saying, “Do not take him.” Thus they agreed upon the middle one, Sunaḥśepa. He then gave for him a hundred cows, left the forest, entered the village, and brought him before his father, saying, “O my dear (father) ! by this boy I will ransom myself (from being sacrificed)." Ile then approached Varuna, the king (and said), “I will sacrifice him to theé!” He said, “Well, let it be done: for a Brāhman is worth more than a Kṣattriya ! " Varuna then explained to the king the rites of the Rājasūya sacrifice, at which, on the day appointed for the inauguration (abhiṣechaniya), he replaced the (sacrificial animal) by a man.

16

(The Sacrifice with the intended Human Victim comes off. Four Great Riṣis were officiating as Priests. Sunaḥśepa prays to the Gods to be Released from the Fearful Death. The Rik verses which he used mentioned, and the different Deities to whom he applied.)

At this sacrifice, Viśvāmitra was his Hotar, Jamadagni his Adhvaryu, Vasishtha his Brahmā, and Ayasya his Udgātar. After the preliminary cere (466) monies bad been performed, they could not find a person willing to bind him to the sacrificial post. Ajigarta, the son of Suyavasa, then said, “Give me another hundred (cows), and I will bind him.” They gave him another hundred, whereupon he bound lim. After be ball been bound, the Aprī verses recited, and the fire carried round binu, they could not find a slaughterer. Ajigarta then said, “Give me another hundred, and I will kill him.” They gave him another hundred, He then whetted his knife and went to kill his son. Sunaḥśepa then got aware that they were going to butcher him just as if he were no man (but a beast.) “Well” said he, " I will seek shelter with the gods.” He applied to Prajāpati, who is the first of the gods, with the veise, kiasja nzūram halamasya (1, 21, 1). Prajapati answered him, " Agni is the nearest of the gods, go to him." He then applied to Agni, with the verse, agner vayam prathamasya amritārām (1, 24, 2). Agni answered hin, “Savitar rules over the creatures, go to him." He then applied to Savitar with the three verses (1, 24, 3-5) beginning witb, alhi tvā dera Savitar. Savitar answered him, “Thou art bound for Varuṇa, the King, go to him." He applied to Varuna with the following thirty-one verses (124, 0-25, 21). Varuna then answered him, " Agni is the mouth of the gods, and the most compassionate of them. Praise him now - then we shall release you." He then praised Agni vith twenty-two verses (1, 20, 1. = 27, 12). Agni then answered, “ Praise the Visve Devas, then we shall release you.” He then praised the Viśve Devas with the verse (1,27,13), namo mahadbhyo namo arblakebhyo. The Viśve Devas answered, " Indra is the strongest, the most powerful, the most enduring, the most true of the(467) gods, who kuolys best bow to bring to an end anything. Praise him, then we shall release you." He then praised Indra with the hymn (1, 29), yach chid dhi satya somapa, and with fifteen verses of the following one (1,:30, 1-15). Indra, who had become pleased with his praise, presented him with a golden carriage. This present he accepted with the verse, śaśvad indra (1, 30, 16). Indra then told him, “Praise the Aśvins, then we shall release you." He then praised the Aśvins, with the three verses which follow the above mentioned (1, 30, 17-19. The Aśvins then answered, “Praise Uṣas (Dawn), then we shall release you.” He then praised Uṣās with the three verses which follow the Aśvin verses (1, 30, 20-22). As he repeated one verse after the other, the fetters (of Varuṇa) were falling off, and the belly of Harischandra became smaller. And, after he had done repeating the last verse, (all) the fetters were taken off, and Harischandra restored to health again,

See Ait, Br, 2, 3-5.

OUV

17

(Sunaḥśepa is Released. He Invents the Añjal Sava Preparation of the Soma. Visvámitra Adopts him as his Son. Starzas.)

The priests now said to Sunaḥśepa, " Thou art now only ours (thou art now a priest like us) ; take part in the performance of the particular ceremonies of this day (the abiṣechaniya )." He then saw (invented) the method of direct preparation of the Soma juice (añjal sava without in termediate fermentation) after it is squeezed, and carried it out under the recital of the four verses, yach chid dhi tvam grihe grihe (1,285-8). Then, by the verse, uchchhiṣtam chamvor (1, 28, 9), he brought it into the Droṇakalasa." Then [468], after having been touched by Haris chandra, he sacrificed the Soma, under the recital of the four first verses (of the hymn, yatra gráva prithubudhna (1, 28, 1-4), which were accom panied by the formula Swaha. Then he brought the implements required for making the concluding ceremonies (avabhritha) of this sacrifice to the spot, and performed them under the recital of the two verses, tvar no agne Varunasyn (4, 1, 4-5). Then, after this ceremony was over, Sun aḥsepa summoned Harischandra to the Abayanīya fire,’’ and recited the verse, Sunah chichchhepam niditam (5, 2, 7).

Sunaḥśepa then approached the side of Visvamitra (and sat by bim). Ajīgarta, the son of Suyavasa, then said, “O Riṣi! return me my son.” He answered, “No, for the gods have presented (deva arasata) him to me.” Since that time, be was Devarāta, Visvamitra’s son. From him come the Kapileyas and Babhravas. Ajigarta further said, “come, muu, we (thy mother and I myself) will call thee,” and added, “Thou art known as the seer from Ajīgarta’s family, as a descendant of the Angi rasah. Therefore, O Riṣi, do not leave your ancestral home; return to me." Sunaḥśepa answered, “What is not found even in the hands of a Sūdra, one has seen in thy hand, the knife (to kill thy son); three hundred cows thou hast preferred to me, O Angiras !" Ajigarta then answered, “O my dear son! I repent of the bad deed I have committed ; I blot out this stain ! one hundred of the cows shall be thine !”

Sunaḥśepa answered, “Who once might commit such a sin nay commit the same another time; thou art still not free from the brutality of a Sūdra, for thou hast committed a crime for which no reconciliation exists” “Yes, irreconcileable (is this act)," interrupted Viśvāmitra.

1 The large vessel for keeping the soma in readiness for sacrifcial purposes, after it has been squeezed.

11 They returned from the place of the Uttará Vedi to the Vedi, where the Igtis are performed.

321

Viśvāmitra then said, “Fearful Tas Suyavasa’s son (to look at) when he was standing ready to murder, holding the knife in his hand; do not become his son agnin; but enter my family as my son.” Sunaḥśepa then said, “O prince, let us know, tell (us) how I, ag an Angirasah, can enter thy family as thy (adopted) son?” Visvāmitra answered, “Thou shalt be the first-born of my sons, and thy children the best. Thou shalt now enter on the possession of my divine heritage. I solemnly install thee to it" Sunaḥśepa then said, “When thy sons should agree to thy trish that I should enter thy family, Othou best of the Bharatas! then tell them for the sake of my own happiness to receive me friendly." Viśvāmitra then addressed his sons as follovs: “Hear ye now, Madhu chhandah, Riṣabha, Renu, Astaka, and all ye brothers, do not think 13 yourselves (entitled) to the right of primogeniture, which is (Sunah sepa’s).”

18

(On Viśvāmitra’s Descendants How the Reciters of the Sunchsepa story are to be Reramed by the King Stunsas On the Pratigarn for the Richas and Stanzas at this Occasion.)

This Risi Viśvāmitra bad a hundred sons, fifty of them were older than Madhuchhandas, and fifty were younger than lie. The older ones were not pleased with (the installation of Sunaḥśepa to the primogeniture). Viśvāmitra then pronounced against [470] them the curse, “ You shall have the lowest castes for your descendants." Therefore are many of the most degraded classes of men, the rabble for the most part, such as the Andhras, Pundrus, Sabaras, Palindas, and Matibas, descendants of Visvamitra. But Madhuchlandês, with the fifty younger sons, said, “What our father approves of, by that ive abide; we all accord to the (Sunaḥśepa) the first rank, and we will come after thee!” Viśvāmitra, deligated (at this answer) then praised these sons with the following verses ;

“Ye my sons will have abundance of cattle and children, for you have made me rich in children by consenting to my wish,”

19 I have parsed the word sthana as stha na. Il sthana is taken as a 2nd porson plural, as Max Müller (following Sāyana) does in his translation of the story of Sunaḥśepa (History of Ancient Sanscrit Literature, page 418), the passage is to be translated as follows: " and all you brothers that you are, think him to be entitled to the primogenitura,“322

“Ye gong of Gāthi, blessed rith children, you all will be successful when headed by Devarata ; he will always) lead you on the path of

truth.”

“This Devarāta, is your master (man); follor him, ye Kusikas! He will exercise the paternal rights over you as his heritage from me, and take possession of the sacred knowledge that we have.”

“All the true sons of Viśvamitra, the grandsons of Gāthi, who forth with stood with Devarāta, tere blessed with wealth for their orn Irelfaro and renown.”

Devarata is called the Riṣi who entered on two beritages, the royal dignity of Jahnū’s house, and the divine knowledge of Gathi’s stem.”}$

This is the story of Sunaḥśepa contained in the stanzas which are beyond the number of the hundred Rik verses ‘4 (recited along with them). The Hotar (471] when sitting on a gold embroidered carpet, recites them to the king, after he has been sprinkled with the sacred water. The Adhraiynı who ‘reapeats the responses sits likewise on a gold embroidered carpet. For gold is glory. This procures glory for the king (for whom these Gīthis are repeated). Om is the Adhvaryu’s response to a Rich (repeated by the Hotar), and evam tatha (thus in this way it is) that to a Gatha (recited by thie Ilotar). For Om is divine (therefore applied to richas, fhich aro a divine revelation), and tathe human. By means of the divine (om) and human (tatha) responses, the Adhvaryu makes the king free from sin an fault. Therefore any king who might be a conqueror (and consequently by shedding blood a sinner), although he might not bring a sacrifice, should have told the story of Sunaḥśepa. (If he do so) then not the slightest trace of sin (and its consequences) will remain in him. lle must gire a thousand cows to the teller of this story, and a hundred to him in makes the responses (required); and to each of them the (goll embroilorect) carpet on which he was sitting ; to the Hotar, besides, a silver dockou carriage drawn by mules. Those who wish for children, should also havo told this story ; then they certainly will be blessed with children,

13 Jahnū is the ancestor of Ajigarta, and Gāthi the father of Visyāmitra.

** Sāy, says that ninety-seven out of them had been seen by Sunahspea and three by another Riṣi. The term pararik-sata gāthum akhyanam means, the “story whick contains besides one hunsired Rik verses Gathas (stanzas) algo.” The ?mmhor of the latter is thirty-one.

323