Śrīmad Devī Bhāgavatam

BOOK 2 • CHAPTER 4
Ch 4 Verse 1 Verse
२.४ चतुर्थोऽध्यायः । देवव्रतोत्पतिवर्णनम् । सूत उवाच । प्रतीपेऽथ दिवं याते शन्तनुः सत्यविक्रमः । बभूव मृगयाशीलो निघ्नन्व्याघ्रान्मृगान्नृपः ॥ १ ॥
Sūta said :-- On the king Pratīpa, ascending to the Heavens, the truly hero-king Śantanu went out a hunting tigers and other forest animals.
Ch 4 Verse 2 Verse
स कदाचिद्वने घोरे गङ्गातीरे चरन्नृपः । ददर्श मृगशावाक्षीं सुन्दरीं चारुभूषणाम् ॥ २ ॥
Once, while he was roaming in a wild wilderness, on the banks of the Ganges, he saw a fawn-eyed well decorated beautiful woman.
Ch 4 Verse 3 Verse
दृष्ट्वा तां नृपतिर्मग्नः पित्रोक्तेयं वरानना । रूपयौवनसम्पन्ना साक्षाल्लक्ष्मीरिवापरा ॥ ३ ॥
No sooner the king Śantanu saw her than he became addicted to her and thought within himself thus :-- “Certainly my father spoke of this beautiful faced woman who is looking like a second Lakṣmī, endowed with beauty and youth.”
Ch 4 Verse 4-5 Verse
पिबन्मुखाम्बुजं तस्या न तृप्तिमगमन्नृपः । हृष्टरोमाभवत्तत्र व्याप्तचित्त इवानघ ॥ ४ ॥ महाभिषं सापि मत्वा प्रेमयुक्ता बभूव ह । किञ्चिन्मन्दस्मितं कृत्वा तस्थावग्रे नृपस्य च ॥ ५ ॥
The king could not rest satisfied simply with seeing the lotus-like face. The hairs on his body stood on their ends and his heart was very much attracted to her. Gaṅgā Devī, too, knew him to be the king Mahābhisa and became, in her turn, very much attached to him.
Ch 4 Verse 6 Verse
वीक्ष्य तामसितापाङ्गीं राजा प्रीतमना भृशम् । उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं सान्त्वयन् श्लक्ष्णया गिरा ॥ ६ ॥
She then went smiling towards the king. Seeing the blue-coloured lady looking askance at him, the king became very happy and consoled her in sweet words and said :--
Ch 4 Verse 7 Verse
देवी वा त्वं च वामोरु मानुषी वा वरानने । गन्धर्वी वाथ यक्षी वा नागकन्याप्सरापि वा ॥ ७ ॥
:-- “O, one of beautiful thighs! Are you Devī; Mānusī (human kind) Gandharvī; Yakshī, the daughter of Nāgas (serpents), or a celestial nymph?
Ch 4 Verse 8 Verse
यासि कासि वरारोहे भार्या मे भव सुन्दरि । प्रेमयुक्तस्मितैव त्वं धर्मपत्नी भवाद्य मे ॥ ८ ॥
Whoever you may be, O beautiful one! be my wife; your sweet smiles, it seems, are brimful of love; so be my legal wife to-day.”
Ch 4 Verse 9 Verse
सूत उवाच । राजा तां नाभिजानाति गङ्गेयमिति निश्चितम् । महाभिषं समुत्पन्नं नृपं जानाति जाह्नवी ॥ ९ ॥
Sūta said :-- The king Śantanu could not recognise the lady to be Gaṅgā; but Gaṅgā knew that he is the king Mahābhisa and is born as Śantanu.
Ch 4 Verse 10 Verse
पूर्वप्रेमसमायोगाच्छ्रुत्वा वाचं नृपस्य ताम् । उवाच नारी राजानं स्मितपूर्वमिदं वचः ॥ १० ॥
Hearing the above words of the king, Gaṅgā, out of her previous affections, spoke out to the king, smiling :--
Ch 4 Verse 11 Verse
स्त्र्युवाच । जानामि त्वां नृपश्रेष्ठ प्रतीपतनयं शुभम् । का न वाञ्छति चार्वङ्गी भावित्वात्सदृशं पतिम् ॥ ११ ॥
“O king! I know that you are the son of the king Pratīpa. Behold! Though it is inevitable that woman will get their husbands, yet who is that beautiful lady that does not husband according to her liking and qualifications?
Ch 4 Verse 12 Verse
वाग्बन्धेन नृपश्रेष्ठ वरिष्यामि पतिं किल । शृणु मे समयं राजन् वृणोमि त्वां नृपोत्तम ॥ १२ ॥
But I can take you as my husband, if you make a certain promise to me. Hear my resolve afterwards I will marry you.
Ch 4 Verse 13 Verse
यच्च कुर्यामहं कार्यं शुभं वा यदि वाशुभम् । न निषेध्या त्वया राजन्न वक्तव्यं तथाप्रियम् ॥ १३ ॥
O king! Whatever I will do, be it good or bad, auspicious or inauspicious, you must not hinder or interrupt me nor ever say that is not to your liking and satisfaction.
Ch 4 Verse 14 Verse
यदा च त्वं नृपश्रेष्ठ न करिष्यसि मे वचः । तदा मुक्त्या गमिष्यामि यथेष्टदेशं मारिष ॥ १४ ॥
Whenever you will break this my resolve, I will instantly quit you and go to another place wherever I like.
Ch 4 Verse 15 Verse
स्मृत्वा जन्म वसूनां सा प्रार्थनापूर्वकं हृदि । महाभिषस्य प्रेमाथ विचिन्त्यैव च जाह्नवी ॥ १५ ॥
king Śantanu, then, said :-- “Well! That will be” and promised to the above effect; then Gaṅgā Devī recollected within herself Vasuś words and thought of the attachment of the king Mahābhisa and accepted Śantanu as her husband.
Ch 4 Verse 16-17 Verse
तथेत्युक्ताथ सा देवी चकार नृपतिं पतिम् । एवं वृता नृपेणाथ गङ्गा मानुषरूपिणी ॥ १६ ॥ नृपस्य मन्दिरं प्राप्ता सुभगा वरवर्णिनी । नृपतिस्तां समासाद्य चिक्रीडोपवने शुभे ॥ १७ ॥
Thus married to the king Śantanu, the beautiful Gaṅgā in human form went to his abode. The king, on having got possession of her, began to enjoy in pleasant gardens.
Ch 4 Verse 18-22 Verse
सापि तं रमयामास भावज्ञा वै वराङ्गना । न बुबोध नृपः क्रीडन्गतान्वर्षगणानथ ॥ १८ ॥ स तया मृगशावाक्ष्या शच्या शतक्रतुर्यथा । सा सर्वगुणसम्पन्ना सोऽपि कामविचक्षणः ॥ १९ ॥ रेमाते मन्दिरे दिव्ये रमानारायणाविव । एवं गच्छति काले सा दधार नृपतेस्तदा ॥ २० ॥ गर्भं गङ्गा वसुं पुत्रं सुषुवे चारुलोचना । जातमात्रं सुतं वारि चिक्षेपैवं द्वितीयके ॥ २१ ॥ तृतीयेऽथ चतुर्थेऽथ पञ्चमे षष्ठ एव च । सप्तमे वा हते पुत्रे राजा चिन्तापरोऽभवत् ॥ २२ ॥
The lady, too, appreciated his mental feelings and began to serve him to his satisfaction. Thus many years elapsed in lovely enjoyments and intercourses between the couple who looked like Indra and his pair Sacī; and they did not feel at all how the time passed. The lady endowed with all qualities and the clever king, well-versed in the art of loving, began to enjoy incessantly like Laksmī and Nārāyana, in their divine palace. Thus many years passed when the lovely eyed lady became pregnant of the king Śantanu’s sperm and, in due time, gave birth to a son who was a Vasu. No sooner the son was born than Gaṅgā Devī threw it in the waters of the Ganges. Thus the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh sons were threwn successively on the waters.
Ch 4 Verse 23 Verse
किं करोम्यद्य वंशो मे कथं स्यात्सुस्थिरो भुवि । सप्त पुत्रा हता नूनमनया पापरूपया ॥ २३ ॥
Then the king became very anxious and thought within himself :-- “What am I to do now? How my family be preserved?
Ch 4 Verse 24 Verse
निवारयामि यदि मां त्यक्त्वा यास्यति सर्वथा । अष्टमोऽयं सुसम्प्राप्तो गर्भो मे मनसीप्सितः ॥ २४ ॥
This my wife, incarnate of sin, has killed my seven sons; if I now desist her, she will instantly leave me and go away. Now this is the eighth pregnancy as desired by me.
Ch 4 Verse 25-26 Verse
न वारयामि चेदद्य सर्वथेयं जले क्षिपेत् । भविता वा न वा चाग्रे संशयोऽयं ममाद्भुतः ॥ २५ ॥ सम्भवेऽपि च दृष्टेयं रक्षयेद्वा न रक्षयेत् । एवं संशयिते कार्ये किं कर्तव्यं मयाधुना ॥ २६ ॥
Now if I do not interrupt her, she will certainly throw my son in the Ganges. Whether a son will be born again or not is doubtful; and even if that be born, it is doubtful whether she will preserve that child; now what am I to do in this doubtful point? However I will try my best to continue the thread of my family line.”
Ch 4 Verse 27-28 Verse
वंशस्य रक्षणार्थं हि यत्नः कार्यः परो मया । ततः काले यदा जातः पुत्रोऽयमष्टमो वसुः ॥ २७ ॥ मुनेर्येन हृता धेनुर्नन्दिनी स्त्रीजितेन हि । तं दृष्ट्वा नृपतिः पुत्रं तामुवाच पतन्पदे ॥ २८ ॥
Now, in due time, the Vasu who, having been influenced by his wife had stolen Vaśistha’s cow Nandini, became born as the eighth son of Gaṅgā Devī; the king Śantanu, seeing this son fell unto Gaṅgā’s feet and said :--
Ch 4 Verse 29 Verse
दासोऽस्मि तव तन्वङ्गि प्रार्थयामि शुचिस्मिते । पुत्रमेकं पुषाम्येनं देहि जीवितमद्य मे ॥ २९ ॥
“O thin-bodied woman! I pray to you to give my life to-day; better nourish this my one son.
Ch 4 Verse 30 Verse
हिंसिताः सप्त पुत्रा मे करभोरु त्वया शुभाः । अष्टमं रक्ष सुश्रोणि पतामि तव पादयोः ॥ ३० ॥
O beautiful one! You killed in succession my seven exceedingly beautiful sons.
Ch 4 Verse 31 Verse
अन्यद्वै प्रार्थितं तेऽद्य ददाम्यथ च दुर्लभम् । वंशो मे रक्षणीयोऽद्य त्वया परमशोभने ॥ ३१ ॥
O one of beautiful hips! I now fall at your feet. O beautiful one! save the life of this child of mine. If you ask from me any other thing to day, even that be very rare, I will give it to you; but you better now keep the thread of my family line.
Ch 4 Verse 32 Verse
अपुत्रस्य गतिर्नास्ति स्वर्गे वेदविदो विदुः । तस्मादद्य वरारोहे प्रार्थयाम्यष्टमं सुतम् ॥ ३२ ॥
The Pundits, versed in the Vedas, say that he who has no issues cannot go to Heaven; so, O Beautiful one! To-day I pray to you to keep the life of this my eighth son.”
Ch 4 Verse 33-34 Verse
इत्युक्तापि गृहीत्वा तं यदा गन्तुं समुत्सुका । तदातिकुपितो राजा तामुवाचातिदुःखितः ॥ ३३ ॥ पापिष्ठे किं करोम्यद्य निरयान्न बिभेषि किम् । कासि पापकराणां त्वं पुत्री पापरता सदा ॥ ३४ ॥
Though thus spoken by Śantanu, Gaṅgā Devī was eager to take away the son to throw in the waters; the king became very sorrowful and angrily spoke out “O vile and vicious woman! What are you going to do?
Ch 4 Verse 35 Verse
यथेच्छं गच्छ वा तिष्ठ पुत्रो मे स्थीयतामिह । किं करोमि त्वया पापे वंशान्तकरयानया ॥ ३५ ॥
Do you not fear hell! of what villain are you the daughter, that you are always doing this vicious deed? O Sinner! go away wherever you will or remain here as yon like, it matters little; but my son will remain here.
Ch 4 Verse 36 Verse
एवं वदति भूपाले सा गृहीत्वा सुतं शिशुम् । गच्छन्ती वचनं कोपसंयुता तमुवाच ह ॥ ३६ ॥
When you attempt to bring my family to extinction, what use is there in living with you?” When the king thus spoke to the woman who was ready to take away the son she angrily spoke as follows :--
Ch 4 Verse 37 Verse
पुत्रकामा सुतं त्वेनं पालयामि वने गता । समयो मे गमिष्यामि वचनं ह्यन्यथाकृतम् ॥ ३७ ॥
O King! When you have acted against my promise, my word is broken and my connection with you has stopped from to-day.
Ch 4 Verse 38 Verse
गङ्गां मां वै विजानीहि देवकार्यार्थमागताम् । वसवस्तु पुरा शप्ता वसिष्ठेन महात्मना ॥ ३८ ॥
Therefore I will take this son to the forest, where I will nourish him. I am Gaṅgā; to fulfil God’s work I have come here. The high-souled Vaśiṣṭha cursed before the eight Vasus :--
Ch 4 Verse 39 Verse
व्रजन्तु मानुषीं योनिं स्थितां चिन्तातुरास्तु माम् । दृष्ट्वेदं प्रार्थयामासुर्जननी नो भवानघे ॥ ३९ ॥
:-- “Better be born as men”; they became very anxious; and seeing me they prayed :-- “O Sinless one! let you be mother of us all.”
Ch 4 Verse 40 Verse
तेभ्यो दत्त्वा वरं जाता पत्नी ते नृपसत्तम । देवकार्यार्थसिद्ध्यर्थं जानीहि सम्भवो मम ॥ ४० ॥
O best of kings! I granted them what they desired; and then for the purpose of serving god’s ends, I became your wife. Know this my history.
Ch 4 Verse 41 Verse
सप्त ते वसवः पुत्रा मुक्ताः शापादृषेस्तु ते । कियन्तं कालमेकोऽयं तव पुत्रो भविष्यति ॥ ४१ ॥
The seven Vasus already were born and were freed; now this is the last Vasu and he will remain here for sometime as your son.
Ch 4 Verse 42 Verse
गङ्गादत्तमिमं पुत्रं गृहाण शन्तनो स्वयम् । वसुं देवं विदित्वैनं सुखं भुङ्क्ष्व सुतोद्भवम् ॥ ४२ ॥
O Śantanu! now take this son offered by Gaṅgā. Know this to be the Deva Vasu and enjoy the pleasure of having a son.
Ch 4 Verse 43-44 Verse
गाङ्गेयोऽयं महाभाग भविष्यति बलाधिकः । अद्य तत्र नयाम्येनं यत्र त्वं वै मया वृतः ॥ ४३ ॥ दास्यामि यौवनप्राप्तं पालयित्वा महीपते । न मातृरहितः पुत्रो जीवेन्न च सुखी भवेत् ॥ ४४ ॥
O highly fortunate one! This son will be famous by the name of Gāṅgeya (Gaṅgā’s son) and will be the most powerful of all. O King! To-day I will take this son to the place where I chose you as my husband; I will nourish him and when he attains his youth, I will return him to you. For, this son, if deprived of mother, will not be happy nor will he live.”
Ch 4 Verse 45 Verse
इत्युक्त्वान्तर्दधे गङ्गा तं गृहीत्वा च बालकम् । राजा चातीव दुःखार्तः संस्थितो निजमन्दिरे ॥ ४५ ॥
Thus saying, Gaṅgā vanished with the son; the King Śantanu became very sorrowful and passed away his time in his palace.
Ch 4 Verse 46 Verse
भार्याविरहजं दुःखं तथा पुत्रस्य चाद्भुतम् । सर्वदा चिन्तयन्नास्ते राज्यं कुर्वन्महीपतिः ॥ ४६ ॥
The king thought always of the separation from his wife and son and thus painfully governed his kingdom.
Ch 4 Verse 47-48 Verse
एवं गच्छति कालेऽथ नृपतिर्मृगयां गतः । निघ्नन्मृगगणान्बाणैर्महिषान्सूकरानपि ॥ ४७ ॥ गङ्गातीरमनुप्राप्तः स राजा शन्तनुस्तदा । नदीं स्तोकजलां दृष्ट्वा विस्मितः स महीपतिः ॥ ४८ ॥
Thus some time passed on, when, once on an occasion, the king Śantanu went out a hunting and killed, with arrows, buffaloes, boar, and other wild animals and came to the banks of the Ganges.
Ch 4 Verse 49 Verse
तत्रापश्यत्कुमारं तं मुञ्चन्तं विशिखान्बहून् । आकृष्य च महाचापं क्रीडन्तं सरितस्तटे ॥ ४९ ॥
Here he saw with great wonder that a boy was playing with a great bow and was shooting arrows after arrows.
Ch 4 Verse 50 Verse
तं वीक्ष्य विस्मितो राजा न स्म जानाति किञ्चन । नोपलेभे स्मृतिं भूपः पुत्रोऽयं मम वा न वा ॥ ५० ॥
The king’s attention was more attracted towards the boy, but whether that boy was his or not, did not at all come to his mind.
Ch 4 Verse 51-52 Verse
दृष्ट्वाप्यमानुषं कर्म बाणेषु लघुहस्तताम् । विद्यां वाप्रतिमां रूपं तस्य वै स्मरसन्निभम् ॥ ५१ ॥ पप्रच्छ विस्मितो राजा कस्य पुत्रोऽसि चानघ । नोवाच किञ्चिद्वीरोऽसौ मुञ्चञ्छिलीमुखानथ ॥ ५२ ॥
Looking at his extraordinary feats, his agility in shooting arrows with ease and quickness, his learning that can have no equal and his beautiful form, as if of Cupid, he became greatly surprised and asked him :-- “O Sinless one! whose son are you?” The hero boy did not reply anything but went away shooting his arrows.
Ch 4 Verse 53 Verse
अन्तर्धानं गतः सोऽथ राजा चिन्तातुरोऽभवत् । कोऽयं मम सुतो बालः किं करोमि व्रजामि कम् ॥ ५३ ॥
The king thought within himself “Who is this boy? Whose son is he? What to do now? To whom shall I go now?”
Ch 4 Verse 54 Verse
गङ्गां तुष्टाव भूपालः स्थितस्तत्र समाहितः । दर्शनं सा ददौ चाथ चारुरूपा यथा पुरा ॥ ५४ ॥
Thus pondering, he recollected within himself and began to recite verses in praise of Gaṅgā; Gaṅgā, assuming her beautiful form as before, became visible to the king.
Ch 4 Verse 55 Verse
दृष्ट्वा तां चारुसर्वाङ्गीं बभाषे नृपतिः स्वयम् । कोऽयं गङ्गे गतो बालो मम त्वं दर्शयाधुना ॥ ५५ ॥
Seeing her, the king said :-- “O Gaṅgā! Who is this boy that has just gone? Will you show him once more to me now?”
Ch 4 Verse 56 Verse
गङ्गोवाच । पुत्रोऽयं तव राजेन्द्र रक्षितश्चाष्टमो वसुः । ददामि तव हस्ते तु गाङ्गेयोऽयं महातपाः ॥ ५६ ॥
Hearing these words of Śantanu, Gaṅgā said :-- “O king of kings! He is your son, he is that eighth Vasu. So long I have nourished him and now I hand him over to you.
Ch 4 Verse 57 Verse
कीर्तिकर्ता कुलस्यास्य भविता तव सुव्रत । पाठितस्त्वखिलान्वेदान्धनुर्वेदं च शाश्वतम् ॥ ५७ ॥
O Suvrata! This is the great ascetic Gāṅgeya. He is the illustrious scion of your family. The glory of your line will be enhanced. I have taught him the whole science of archery.
Ch 4 Verse 58 Verse
वसिष्ठस्याश्रमे दिव्ये संस्थितोऽयं सुतस्तव । सर्वविद्याविधानज्ञः सर्वार्थकुशलः शुचिः ॥ ५८ ॥
This pure son of yours dwelt in the hermitage of Vaśiṣṭha and has become versed in all the Vidyās and skilled in all the actions.
Ch 4 Verse 59 Verse
यद्वेद जामदग्न्योऽसौ तद्वेदायं सुतस्तव । गृहाण गच्छ राजेन्द्र सुखी भव नराधिप ॥ ५९ ॥
Your this son knows everything that Jamadgni Paraśurām knew. So, O king of kings! Take now your son and be happy.
Ch 4 Verse 60-61 Verse
इत्युक्त्वान्तर्दधे गङ्गा दत्त्वा पुत्रं नृपाय वै । नृपतिस्तु मुदा युक्तो बभूवातिसुखान्वितः ॥ ६० ॥ समालिङ्ग्य सुतं राजा समाघ्राय च मस्तकम् । समारोप्य रथे पुत्रं स्वपुरं स प्रचक्रमे ॥ ६१ ॥
Thus saying, Gaṅgā gave him his son and vanished; the king also became very glad and embraced his son; he smelled his head and took him to his chariot and drove towards his own city.
Ch 4 Verse 62 Verse
गत्वा गजाह्वयं राजा चकारोत्सवमुत्तमम् । दैवज्ञं च समाहूय पप्रच्छ च शुभं दिनम् ॥ ६२ ॥
On returning to Hastināpur, the king held a great festival (utsab) in honor of the arrival of his son; he called all his astrologers and enquired what day was auspicious.
Ch 4 Verse 63 Verse
समाहृत्य प्रजाः सर्वाः सचिवान्सर्वशः शुभान् । यौवराज्येऽथ गाङ्गेयं स्थापयामास पार्थिवः ॥ ६३ ॥
He then called all his subjects and ministers and installed Gāṅgeya as the Crown Prince.
Ch 4 Verse 64 Verse
कृत्वा तं युवराजानं पुत्रं सर्वगुणान्वितम् । सुखमास स धर्मात्मा न सस्मार च जाह्नवीम् ॥ ६४ ॥
The religious Śantanu became very happy on making Gāṅgeya, the Crown Prince; he forgot the pains due to Gaṅgā’s bereavement.
Ch 4 Verse 65 Verse
सूत उवाच । एतद्वः कथितं सर्वं कारणं वसुशापजम् । गाङ्गेयस्य तथोत्पत्तिं जाह्नव्याः सम्भवं तथा ॥ ६५ ॥
Sūta said :-- “Thus I have described to you the cause of the curse on Vasus, the birth of Bhīsma from the womb of Gaṅgā, the union of Gaṅgā and Śantanu, etc.,
Ch 4 Verse 66 Verse
गङ्गावतरणं पुण्यं वसूनां सम्भवं तथा । यः शृणोति नरः पापान्मुच्यते नात्र संशयः ॥ ६६ ॥
He who hears in this world this holy story of Gaṅgā’s birth and the birth of the Vasu, is freed of all sins and gets mukti.
Ch 4 Verse 67 Verse
पुण्यं पवित्रमाख्यानं कथितं मुनिसत्तमाः । यथा मया श्रुतं व्यासात्पुराणं वेदसम्मितम् ॥ ६७ ॥
O Munis! I have described these meritorious holy accounts, as I heard from the mouth of Vyāsa.
Ch 4 Verse 68-69 Verse
श्रीमद्भागवतं पुण्यं नानाख्यानकथान्वितम् । द्वैपायनमुखोद्भूतं पञ्चलक्षणसंयुतम् ॥ ६८ ॥ शृण्वतां सर्वपापघ्नं शुभदं सुखदं तथा । इतिहासमिमं पुण्यं कीर्तितं मुनिसत्तमाः ॥ ६९ ॥
इति श्रीमद्देवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वितीयस्कन्धे देवव्रतोत्पत्तिवर्णनं नाम चतुर्थोऽध्यायः ॥ २.४॥
Any body who hears this holy Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, endowed with five characteristics and filled with various anecdotes, that came out of the mouth of Vyāsa, finds all his sins destroyed and attains peace and blessedness. O Munis! Thus has been described completely to you this holy history. Thus ends the fourth Chapter on the birth of the Vasus in the Mahāpurāna Śrīmad Devī Bhāgavatam of 18,000 verses.