King Pṛthu’s One Hundred Horse Sacrifices
VERSE 4.19.1
maitreya uvāca
athādīkṣata rājā tu
hayamedha-śatena saḥ
brahmāvarte manoḥ kṣetre
yatra prācī sarasvatī
SYNONYMS
maitreyaḥ uvāca — the sage Maitreya said; atha — thereafter; adīkṣata — took initiation; rājā — the King; tu — then; haya — horse; medha — sacrifices; śatena — to perform one hundred; saḥ — he; brahmāvarte — known as Brahmāvarta; manoḥ — of Svāyambhuva Manu; kṣetre — in the land; yatra — where; prācī — eastern; sarasvatī — the river named Sarasvatī.
TRANSLATION
The great sage Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, King Pṛthu initiated the performance of one hundred horse sacrifices at the spot where the river Sarasvatī flows towards the east. This piece of land is known as Brahmāvarta, and it was controlled by Svāyambhuva Manu.
VERSE 4.19.2
tad abhipretya bhagavān
karmātiśayam ātmanaḥ
śata-kratur na mamṛṣe
pṛthor yajña-mahotsavam
SYNONYMS
tat abhipretya — considering this matter; bhagavān — the most powerful; karma-atiśayam — excelling in fruitive activities; ātmanaḥ — of himself; śata-kratuḥ — King Indra, who had performed a hundred sacrifices; na — not; mamṛṣe — did tolerate; pṛthoḥ — of King Pṛthu; yajña — sacrificial; mahā-utsavam — great ceremonies.
TRANSLATION
When the most powerful Indra, the King of heaven, saw this, he considered the fact that King Pṛthu was going to exceed him in fruitive activities. Thus Indra could not tolerate the great sacrificial ceremonies performed by King Pṛthu.
VERSE 4.19.3
yatra yajña-patiḥ sākṣād
bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ
anvabhūyata sarvātmā
sarva-loka-guruḥ prabhuḥ
SYNONYMS
yatra — where; yajña-patiḥ — the enjoyer of all sacrifices; sākṣāt — directly; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; hariḥ — Lord Viṣṇu; īśvaraḥ — the supreme controller; anvabhūyata — became visible; sarva-ātmā — the Supersoul of everyone; sarva-loka-guruḥ — the master of all planets, or the teacher of everyone; prabhuḥ — the proprietor.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, is present in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul, and He is the proprietor of all planets and the enjoyer of the results of all sacrifices. He was personally present at the sacrifices made by King Pṛthu.
VERSE 4.19.4
anvito brahma-śarvābhyāṁ
loka-pālaiḥ sahānugaiḥ
upagīyamāno gandharvair
munibhiś cāpsaro-gaṇaiḥ
SYNONYMS
anvitaḥ — being accompanied; brahma — by Lord Brahmā; śarvābhyām — and by Lord Śiva; loka-pālaiḥ — by the predominating chiefs of all different planets; saha anugaiḥ — along with their followers; upagīyamānaḥ — being praised; gandharvaiḥ — by the residents of Gandharvaloka; munibhiḥ — by great sages; ca — also; apsaraḥ-gaṇaiḥ — by the residents of Apsaroloka.
TRANSLATION
When Lord Viṣṇu appeared in the sacrificial arena, Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and all the chief predominating personalities of every planet, as well as their followers, came with Him. When He appeared on the scene, the residents of Gandharvaloka, the great sages, and the residents of Apsaroloka all praised Him.
VERSE 4.19.5
siddhā vidyādharā daityā
dānavā guhyakādayaḥ
sunanda-nanda-pramukhāḥ
pārṣada-pravarā hareḥ
SYNONYMS
siddhāḥ — the residents of Siddhaloka; vidyādharāḥ — the residents of Vidyādhara-loka; daityāḥ — the demoniac descendants of Diti; dānavāḥ — the asuras; guhyaka-ādayaḥ — the Yakṣas, etc; sunanda-nanda-pramukhāḥ — headed by Sunanda and Nanda, the chief of Lord Viṣṇu’s associates from Vaikuṇṭha; pārṣada — associates; pravarāḥ — most respectful; hareḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
The Lord was accompanied by the residents of Siddhaloka and Vidyādhara-loka, all the descendants of Diti, and the demons and the Yakṣas. He was also accompanied by His chief associates, headed by Sunanda and Nanda.
VERSE 4.19.6
kapilo nārado datto
yogeśāḥ sanakādayaḥ
tam anvīyur bhāgavatā
ye ca tat-sevanotsukāḥ
SYNONYMS
kapilaḥ — Kapila Muni; nāradaḥ — the great sage Nārada; dattaḥ — Dattātreya; yoga-īśāḥ — the masters of mystic power; sanaka-ādayaḥ — headed by Sanaka; tam — Lord Viṣṇu; anvīyuḥ — followed; bhāgavatāḥ — great devotees; ye — all those who; ca — also; tat-sevana-utsukāḥ — always eager to serve the Lord.
TRANSLATION
Great devotees, who were always engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as well as the great sages named Kapila, Nārada and Dattātreya, and masters of mystic powers, headed by Sanaka Kumāra, all attended the great sacrifice with Lord Viṣṇu.
VERSE 4.19.7
yatra dharma-dughā bhūmiḥ
sarva-kāma-dughā satī
dogdhi smābhīpsitān arthān
yajamānasya bhārata
SYNONYMS
yatra — where; dharma-dughā — producing sufficient milk for religiosity; bhūmiḥ — the land; sarva-kāma — all desires; dughā — yielding as milk; satī — the cow; dogdhi sma — fulfilled; abhīpsitān — desirable; arthān — objects; yajamānasya — of the sacrificer; bhārata — my dear Vidura.
TRANSLATION
My dear Vidura, in that great sacrifice the entire land came to be like the milk-producing kāma-dhenu, and thus, by the performance of yajña, all daily necessities for life were supplied.
VERSE 4.19.8
ūhuḥ sarva-rasān nadyaḥ
kṣīra-dadhy-anna-go-rasān
taravo bhūri-varṣmāṇaḥ
prāsūyanta madhu-cyutaḥ
SYNONYMS
ūhuḥ — bore; sarva-rasān — all kinds of tastes; nadyaḥ — the rivers; kṣīra — milk; dadhi — curd; anna — different kinds of food; go-rasān — other milk products; taravaḥ — trees; bhūri — great; varṣmāṇaḥ — having bodies; prāsūyanta — bore fruit; madhu-cyutaḥ — dropping honey.
TRANSLATION
The flowing rivers supplied all kinds of tastes — sweet, pungent, sour, etc. — and very big trees supplied fruit and honey in abundance. The cows, having eaten sufficient green grass, supplied profuse quantities of milk, curd, clarified butter and similar other necessities.
VERSE 4.19.9
sindhavo ratna-nikarān
girayo ’nnaṁ catur-vidham
upāyanam upājahruḥ
sarve lokāḥ sa-pālakāḥ
SYNONYMS
sindhavaḥ — the oceans; ratna-nikarān — heaps of jewels; girayaḥ — the hills; annam — eatables; catuḥ-vidham — four kinds of; upāyanam — presentations; upājahruḥ — brought forward; sarve — all; lokāḥ — the people in general of all planets; sa-pālakāḥ — along with the governors.
TRANSLATION
King Pṛthu was presented with various gifts from the general populace and predominating deities of all planets. The oceans and seas were full of valuable jewels and pearls, and the hills were full of chemicals and fertilizers. Four kinds of edibles were produced profusely.
VERSE 4.19.10
iti cādhokṣajeśasya
pṛthos tu paramodayam
asūyan bhagavān indraḥ
pratighātam acīkarat
SYNONYMS
iti — thus; ca — also; adhokṣaja-īśasya — who accepted Adhokṣaja as his worshipable Lord; pṛthoḥ — of King Pṛthu; tu — then; parama — the topmost; udayam — opulence; asūyan — being envious of; bhagavān — the most powerful; indraḥ — the King of heaven; pratighātam — impediments; acīkarat — made.
TRANSLATION
King Pṛthu was dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as Adhokṣaja. Because King Pṛthu performed so many sacrifices, he was superhumanly enhanced by the mercy of the Supreme Lord. King Pṛthu’s opulence, however, could not be tolerated by the King of heaven, Indra, who tried to impede the progress of his opulence.
VERSE 4.19.11
carameṇāśvamedhena
yajamāne yajuṣ-patim
vainye yajña-paśuṁ spardhann
apovāha tirohitaḥ
SYNONYMS
carameṇa — by the last one; aśva-medhena — by the aśvamedha sacrifice; yajamāne — when he was performing the sacrifice; yajuḥ-patim — for satisfaction of the Lord of yajña, Viṣṇu; vainye — the son of King Vena; yajña-paśum — the animal meant to be sacrificed in the yajña; spardhan — being envious; apovāha — stole; tirohitaḥ — being invisible.
TRANSLATION
When Pṛthu Mahārāja was performing the last horse sacrifice [aśvamedha-yajña], King Indra, invisible to everyone, stole the horse intended for sacrifice. He did this because of his great envy of King Pṛthu.
VERSE 4.19.12
tam atrir bhagavān aikṣat
tvaramāṇaṁ vihāyasā
āmuktam iva pākhaṇḍaṁ
yo ’dharme dharma-vibhramaḥ
SYNONYMS
tam — King Indra; atriḥ — the sage Atri; bhagavān — most powerful; aikṣat — could see; tvaramāṇam — moving very hastily; vihāyasā — in outer space; āmuktam iva — like a liberated person; pākhaṇḍam — imposter; yaḥ — one who; adharme — in irreligion; dharma — religion; vibhramaḥ — mistaking.
TRANSLATION
When King Indra was taking away the horse, he dressed himself to appear as a liberated person. Actually this dress was a form of cheating, for it falsely created an impression of religion. When Indra went into outer space in this way, the great sage Atri saw him and understood the whole situation.
VERSE 4.19.13
atriṇā codito hantuṁ
pṛthu-putro mahā-rathaḥ
anvadhāvata saṅkruddhas
tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābravīt
SYNONYMS
atriṇā — by the great sage Atri; coditaḥ — being encouraged; hantum — to kill; pṛthu-putraḥ — the son of King Pṛthu; mahā-rathaḥ — a great hero; anvadhāvata — followed; saṅkruddhaḥ — being very angry; tiṣṭha tiṣṭha — just wait, just wait; iti — thus; ca — also; abravīt — he said.
TRANSLATION
When the son of King Pṛthu was informed by Atri of King Indra’s trick, he immediately became very angry and followed Indra to kill him, calling, “Wait! Wait!”
VERSE 4.19.14
taṁ tādṛśākṛtiṁ vīkṣya
mene dharmaṁ śarīriṇam
jaṭilaṁ bhasmanācchannaṁ
tasmai bāṇaṁ na muñcati
SYNONYMS
tam — him; tādṛśa-ākṛtim — in such dress; vīkṣya — after seeing; mene — considered; dharmam — pious or religious; śarīriṇam — having a body; jaṭilam — having knotted hair; bhasmanā — by ashes; ācchannam — smeared all over the body; tasmai — unto him; bāṇam — arrow; na — not; muñcati — he did release.
TRANSLATION
King Indra was fraudulently dressed as a sannyāsī, having knotted his hair on his head and smeared ashes all over his body. Upon seeing such dress, the son of King Pṛthu considered Indra a religious man and pious sannyāsī. Therefore he did not release his arrows.
VERSE 4.19.15
vadhān nivṛttaṁ taṁ bhūyo
hantave ’trir acodayat
jahi yajña-hanaṁ tāta
mahendraṁ vibudhādhamam
SYNONYMS
vadhāt — from killing; nivṛttam — stopped; tam — the son of Pṛthu; bhūyaḥ — again; hantave — for the purpose of killing; atriḥ — the great sage Atri; acodayat — encouraged; jahi — kill; yajña-hanam — one who impeded the performance of a yajña; tāta — my dear son; mahā-indram — the great heavenly King Indra; vibudha-adhamam — the lowest of all demigods.
TRANSLATION
When Atri Muni saw that the son of King Pṛthu did not kill Indra but returned deceived by him, Atri Muni again instructed him to kill the heavenly King because he thought that Indra had become the lowliest of all demigods due to his impeding the execution of King Pṛthu’s sacrifice.
VERSE 4.19.16
evaṁ vainya-sutaḥ proktas
tvaramāṇaṁ vihāyasā
anvadravad abhikruddho
rāvaṇaṁ gṛdhra-rāḍ iva
SYNONYMS
evam — thus; vainya-sutaḥ — the son of King Pṛthu; proktaḥ — being ordered; tvaramāṇam — Indra, who was moving hastily; vihāyasā — in the sky; anvadravat — began to chase; abhikruddhaḥ — being very angry; rāvaṇam — Rāvaṇa; gṛdhra-rāṭ — the king of vultures; iva — like.
TRANSLATION
Being thus informed, the grandson of King Vena immediately began to follow Indra, who was fleeing through the sky in great haste. He was very angry with him, and he chased him just as the king of the vultures chased Rāvaṇa.
VERSE 4.19.17
so ’śvaṁ rūpaṁ ca tad dhitvā
tasmā antarhitaḥ svarāṭ
vīraḥ sva-paśum ādāya
pitur yajñam upeyivān
SYNONYMS
saḥ — King Indra; aśvam — the horse; rūpam — the false dress of a saintly person; ca — also; tat — that; hitvā — giving up; tasmai — for him; antarhitaḥ — disappeared; sva-rāṭ — Indra; vīraḥ — the great hero; sva-paśum — his animal; ādāya — having taken; pituḥ — of his father; yajñam — to the sacrifice; upeyivān — he came back.
TRANSLATION
When Indra saw that the son of Pṛthu was chasing him, he immediately abandoned his false dress and left the horse. Indeed, he disappeared from that very spot, and the great hero, the son of Mahārāja Pṛthu, returned the horse to his father’s sacrificial arena.
VERSE 4.19.18
tat tasya cādbhutaṁ karma
vicakṣya paramarṣayaḥ
nāmadheyaṁ dadus tasmai
vijitāśva iti prabho
SYNONYMS
tat — that; tasya — his; ca — also; adbhutam — wonderful; karma — activity; vicakṣya — after observing; parama-ṛṣayaḥ — the great sages; nāmadheyam — the name; daduḥ — they offered; tasmai — to him; vijita-aśvaḥ — Vijitāśva (he who has won the horse); iti — thus; prabho — my dear Lord Vidura.
TRANSLATION
My dear Lord Vidura, when the great sages observed the wonderful prowess of the son of King Pṛthu, they all agreed to give him the name Vijitāśva.
VERSE 4.19.19
upasṛjya tamas tīvraṁ
jahārāśvaṁ punar hariḥ
caṣāla-yūpataś channo
hiraṇya-raśanaṁ vibhuḥ
SYNONYMS
upasṛjya — creating; tamaḥ — darkness; tīvram — dense; jahāra — took away; aśvam — the horse; punaḥ — again; hariḥ — King Indra; caṣāla-yūpataḥ — from the wooden instrument where the animals were sacrificed; channaḥ — being covered; hiraṇya-raśanam — tied with a gold chain; vibhuḥ — very powerful.
TRANSLATION
My dear Vidura, Indra, being the King of heaven and very powerful, immediately brought a dense darkness upon the sacrificial arena. Covering the whole scene in this way, he again took away the horse, which was chained with golden shackles near the wooden instrument where animals were sacrificed.
VERSE 4.19.20
atriḥ sandarśayām āsa
tvaramāṇaṁ vihāyasā
kapāla-khaṭvāṅga-dharaṁ
vīro nainam abādhata
SYNONYMS
atriḥ — the great sage Atri; sandarśayām āsa — caused to see; tvaramāṇam — going very hastily; vihāyasā — in the sky; kapāla-khaṭvāṅga — a staff with a skull at the top; dharam — who carried; vīraḥ — the hero (King Pṛthu’s son); na — not; enam — the King of heaven, Indra; abādhata — killed.
TRANSLATION
The great sage Atri again pointed out to the son of King Pṛthu that Indra was fleeing through the sky. The great hero, the son of Pṛthu, chased him again. But when he saw that Indra was carrying in his hand a staff with a skull at the top and was again wearing the dress of a sannyāsī, he still chose not to kill him.
VERSE 4.19.21
atriṇā coditas tasmai
sandadhe viśikhaṁ ruṣā
so ’śvaṁ rūpaṁ ca tad dhitvā
tasthāv antarhitaḥ svarāṭ
SYNONYMS
atriṇā — by the great sage Atri; coditaḥ — inspired; tasmai — for Lord Indra; sandadhe — fixed; viśikham — his arrow; ruṣā — out of great anger; saḥ — King Indra; aśvam — horse; rūpam — the dress of a sannyāsī; ca — also; tat — that; hitvā — giving up; tasthau — he remained there; antarhitaḥ — invisible; sva-rāṭ — the independent Indra.
TRANSLATION
When the great sage Atri again gave directions, the son of King Pṛthu became very angry and placed an arrow on his bow. Upon seeing this, King Indra immediately abandoned the false dress of a sannyāsī and, giving up the horse, made himself invisible.
VERSE 4.19.22
vīraś cāśvam upādāya
pitṛ-yajñam athāvrajat
tad avadyaṁ hare rūpaṁ
jagṛhur jñāna-durbalāḥ
SYNONYMS
vīraḥ — the son of King Pṛthu; ca — also; aśvam — the horse; upādāya — taking; pitṛ-yajñam — to the sacrificial arena of his father; atha — thereafter; avrajat — went; tat — that; avadyam — abominable; hareḥ — of Indra; rūpam — dress; jagṛhuḥ — adopted; jñāna-durbalāḥ — those with a poor fund of knowledge.
TRANSLATION
Then the great hero, Vijitāśva, the son of King Pṛthu, again took the horse and returned to his father’s sacrificial arena. Since that time, certain men with a poor fund of knowledge have adopted the dress of a false sannyāsī. It was King Indra who introduced this.
VERSE 4.19.23
yāni rūpāṇi jagṛhe
indro haya-jihīrṣayā
tāni pāpasya khaṇḍāni
liṅgaṁ khaṇḍam ihocyate
SYNONYMS
yāni — all those which; rūpāṇi — forms; jagṛhe — accepted; indraḥ — the King of heaven; haya — the horse; jihīrṣayā — with a desire to steal; tāni — all those; pāpasya — of sinful activities; khaṇḍāni — signs; liṅgam — the symbol; khaṇḍam — the word khaṇḍa; iha — here; ucyate — is said.
TRANSLATION
Whatever different forms Indra assumed as a mendicant because of his desire to seize the horse were symbols of atheistic philosophy.
VERSE 4.19.24-25
evam indre haraty aśvaṁ
vainya-yajña-jighāṁsayā
tad-gṛhīta-visṛṣṭeṣu
pākhaṇḍeṣu matir nṛṇām
dharma ity upadharmeṣu
nagna-rakta-paṭādiṣu
prāyeṇa sajjate bhrāntyā
peśaleṣu ca vāgmiṣu
SYNONYMS
evam — thus; indre — when the King of heaven; harati — stole; aśvam — the horse; vainya — of the son of King Vena; yajña — the sacrifice; jighāṁsayā — with a desire to stop; tat — by him; gṛhīta — accepted; visṛṣṭeṣu — abandoned; pākhaṇḍeṣu — towards the sinful dress; matiḥ — attraction; nṛṇām — of the people in general; dharmaḥ — system of religion; iti — thus; upadharmeṣu — towards false religious systems; nagna — naked; rakta-paṭa — red-robed; ādiṣu — etc; prāyeṇa — generally; sajjate — is attracted; bhrāntyā — foolishly; peśaleṣu — expert; ca — and; vāgmiṣu — eloquent.
TRANSLATION
In this way King Indra, in order to steal the horse from King Pṛthu’s sacrifice, adopted several orders of sannyāsa. Some sannyāsīs go naked, and sometimes they wear red garments and pass under the name of kāpālika. These are simply symbolic representations of their sinful activities. These so-called sannyāsīs are very much appreciated by sinful men because they are all godless atheists and very expert in putting forward arguments and reasons to support their case. We must know, however, that they are only passing as adherents of religion and are not so in fact. Unfortunately, bewildered persons accept them as religious, and being attracted to them, they spoil their life.
VERSE 4.19.26
tad abhijñāya bhagavān
pṛthuḥ pṛthu-parākramaḥ
indrāya kupito bāṇam
ādattodyata-kārmukaḥ
SYNONYMS
tat — that; abhijñāya — understanding; bhagavān — the incarnation of Godhead; pṛthuḥ — King Pṛthu; pṛthu-parākramaḥ — celebrated as very powerful; indrāya — upon Indra; kupitaḥ — being very angry; bāṇam — an arrow; ādatta — took up; udyata — having taken up; kārmukaḥ — the bow.
TRANSLATION
Mahārāja Pṛthu, who was celebrated as very powerful, immediately took up his bow and arrows and prepared to kill Indra himself, because Indra had introduced such irregular sannyāsa orders.
VERSE 4.19.27
tam ṛtvijaḥ śakra-vadhābhisandhitaṁ
vicakṣya duṣprekṣyam asahya-raṁhasam
nivārayām āsur aho mahā-mate
na yujyate ’trānya-vadhaḥ pracoditāt
SYNONYMS
tam — King Pṛthu; ṛtvijaḥ — the priests; śakra-vadha — killing the King of heaven; abhisandhitam — thus preparing himself; vicakṣya — having observed; duṣprekṣyam — terrible to look at; asahya — unbearable; raṁhasam — whose velocity; nivārayām āsuḥ — they forbade; aho — oh; mahā-mate — O great soul; na — not; yujyate — is worthy for you; atra — in this sacrificial arena; anya — others; vadhaḥ — killing; pracoditāt — from being so directed in the scriptures.
TRANSLATION
When the priests and all the others saw Mahārāja Pṛthu very angry and prepared to kill Indra, they requested him: O great soul, do not kill him, for only sacrificial animals can be killed in a sacrifice. Such are the directions given by śāstra.
VERSE 4.19.28
vayaṁ marutvantam ihārtha-nāśanaṁ
hvayāmahe tvac-chravasā hata-tviṣam
ayātayāmopahavair anantaraṁ
prasahya rājan juhavāma te ’hitam
SYNONYMS
vayam — we; marut-vantam — King Indra; iha — here; artha — of your interest; nāśanam — the destroyer; hvayāmahe — we shall call; tvat-śravasā — by your glory; hata-tviṣam — already bereft of his power; ayātayāma — never before used; upahavaiḥ — by mantras of invocation; anantaram — without delay; prasahya — by force; rājan — O King; juhavāma — we shall sacrifice in the fire; te — your; ahitam — enemy.
TRANSLATION
Dear King, Indra’s powers are already reduced due to his attempt to impede the execution of your sacrifice. We shall call him by Vedic mantras which were never before used, and certainly he will come. Thus by the power of our mantra, we shall cast him into the fire because he is your enemy.
VERSE 4.19.29
ity āmantrya kratu-patiṁ
vidurāsyartvijo ruṣā
srug-ghastāñ juhvato ’bhyetya
svayambhūḥ pratyaṣedhata
SYNONYMS
iti — thus; āmantrya — after informing; kratu-patim — King Pṛthu, the master of the sacrifice; vidura — O Vidura; asya — of Pṛthu; ṛtvijaḥ — the priests; ruṣā — in great anger; sruk-hastān — with the sacrificial ladle in hand; juhvataḥ — performing the fire sacrifice; abhyetya — having begun; svayambhūḥ — Lord Brahmā; pratyaṣedhata — asked them to stop.
TRANSLATION
My dear Vidura, after giving the King this advice, the priests who had been engaged in performing the sacrifice called for Indra, the King of heaven, in a mood of great anger. When they were just ready to put the oblation in the fire, Lord Brahmā appeared on the scene and forbade them to start the sacrifice.
VERSE 4.19.30
na vadhyo bhavatām indro
yad yajño bhagavat-tanuḥ
yaṁ jighāṁsatha yajñena
yasyeṣṭās tanavaḥ surāḥ
SYNONYMS
na — not; vadhyaḥ — ought to be killed; bhavatām — by all of you; indraḥ — the King of heaven; yat — because; yajñaḥ — a name of Indra; bhagavat-tanuḥ — part of the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yam — whom; jighāṁsatha — you wish to kill; yajñena — by performing sacrifice; yasya — of Indra; iṣṭāḥ — being worshiped; tanavaḥ — parts of the body; surāḥ — the demigods.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmā addressed them thus: My dear sacrificial performers, you cannot kill Indra, the King of heaven. It is not your duty. You should know that Indra is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Indeed, he is one of the most powerful assistants of the Personality of Godhead. You are trying to satisfy all the demigods by the performance of this yajña, but you should know that all these demigods are but parts and parcels of Indra, the King of heaven. How, then, can you kill him in this great sacrifice?
VERSE 4.19.31
tad idaṁ paśyata mahad-
dharma-vyatikaraṁ dvijāḥ
indreṇānuṣṭhitaṁ rājñaḥ
karmaitad vijighāṁsatā
SYNONYMS
tat — then; idam — this; paśyata — just see; mahat — great; dharma — of religious life; vyatikaram — violation; dvijāḥ — O great brāhmaṇas; indreṇa — by Indra; anuṣṭhitam — performed; rājñaḥ — of the King; karma — activity; etat — this sacrifice; vijighāṁsatā — desiring to impede.
TRANSLATION
In order to make trouble and impede the performance of King Pṛthu’s great sacrifice, King Indra has adopted some means that in the future will destroy the clear path of religious life. I draw your attention to this fact. If you oppose him any further, he will further misuse his power and introduce many other irreligious systems.
VERSE 4.19.32
pṛthu-kīrteḥ pṛthor bhūyāt
tarhy ekona-śata-kratuḥ
alaṁ te kratubhiḥ sviṣṭair
yad bhavān mokṣa-dharma-vit
SYNONYMS
pṛthu-kīrteḥ — of wide renown; pṛthoḥ — of King Pṛthu; bhūyāt — let it be; tarhi — therefore; eka-ūna-śata-kratuḥ — he who performed ninety-nine yajñas; alam — there is nothing to be gained; te — of you; kratubhiḥ — by performing sacrifices; su-iṣṭaiḥ — well performed; yat — because; bhavān — yourself; mokṣa-dharma-vit — the knower of the path of liberation.
TRANSLATION
“Let there be only ninety-nine sacrificial performances for Mahārāja Pṛthu,” Lord Brahmā concluded. Lord Brahmā then turned towards Mahārāja Pṛthu and informed him that since he was thoroughly aware of the path of liberation, what was the use in performing more sacrifices?
VERSE 4.19.33
naivātmane mahendrāya
roṣam āhartum arhasi
ubhāv api hi bhadraṁ te
uttamaśloka-vigrahau
SYNONYMS
na — not; eva — certainly; ātmane — nondifferent from you; mahā-indrāya — upon the King of heaven, Indra; roṣam — anger; āhartum — to apply; arhasi — you ought; ubhau — both of you; api — certainly; hi — also; bhadram — good fortune; te — unto you; uttama-śloka-vigrahau — incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmā continued: Let there be good fortune to both of you, for you and King Indra are both part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore you should not be angry with King Indra, who is nondifferent from you.
VERSE 4.19.34
māsmin mahārāja kṛthāḥ sma cintāṁ
niśāmayāsmad-vaca ādṛtātmā
yad dhyāyato daiva-hataṁ nu kartuṁ
mano ’tiruṣṭaṁ viśate tamo ’ndham
SYNONYMS
mā — do not; asmin — in this; mahā-rāja — O King; kṛthāḥ — do; sma — as done in the past; cintām — agitation of the mind; niśāmaya — please consider; asmat — my; vacaḥ — words; ādṛta-ātmā — being very respectful; yat — because; dhyāyataḥ — of him who is contemplating; daiva-hatam — that which is thwarted by providence; nu — certainly; kartum — to do; manaḥ — the mind; ati-ruṣṭam — very angry; viśate — enters; tamaḥ — darkness; andham — dense.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, do not be agitated and anxious because your sacrifices have not been properly executed due to providential impediments. Kindly take my words with great respect. We should always remember that if something happens by providential arrangement, we should not be very sorry. The more we try to rectify such reversals, the more we enter into the darkest region of materialistic thought.
VERSE 4.19.35
kratur viramatām eṣa
deveṣu duravagrahaḥ
dharma-vyatikaro yatra
pākhaṇḍair indra-nirmitaiḥ
SYNONYMS
kratuḥ — the sacrifice; viramatām — let it stop; eṣaḥ — this; deveṣu — amongst the demigods; duravagrahaḥ — addiction to unwanted things; dharma-vyatikaraḥ — violation of religious principles; yatra — where; pākhaṇḍaiḥ — by sinful activities; indra — by the King of heaven; nirmitaiḥ — manufactured.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmā continued: Stop the performance of these sacrifices, for they have induced Indra to introduce so many irreligious aspects. You should know very well that even amongst the demigods there are many unwanted desires.
VERSE 4.19.36
ebhir indropasaṁsṛṣṭaiḥ
pākhaṇḍair hāribhir janam
hriyamāṇaṁ vicakṣvainaṁ
yas te yajña-dhrug aśva-muṭ
SYNONYMS
ebhiḥ — by these; indra-upasaṁsṛṣṭaiḥ — created by the King of heaven, Indra; pākhaṇḍaiḥ — sinful activities; hāribhiḥ — very attractive to the heart; janam — the people in general; hriyamāṇam — being carried away; vicakṣva — just see; enam — these; yaḥ — one who; te — your; yajña-dhruk — creating a disturbance in the performance of the sacrifice; aśva-muṭ — who stole the horse.
TRANSLATION
Just see how Indra, the King of heaven, was creating a disturbance in the midst of the sacrifice by stealing the sacrificial horse. These attractive sinful activities he has introduced will be carried out by the people in general.
VERSE 4.19.37
bhavān paritrātum ihāvatīrṇo
dharmaṁ janānāṁ samayānurūpam
venāpacārād avaluptam adya
tad-dehato viṣṇu-kalāsi vainya
SYNONYMS
bhavān — Your Majesty; paritrātum — just to deliver; iha — in this world; avatīrṇaḥ — incarnated; dharmam — religious system; janānām — of the people in general; samaya-anurūpam — according to the time and circumstances; vena-apacārāt — by the misdeeds of King Vena; avaluptam — almost vanished; adya — at the present moment; tat — his; dehataḥ — from the body; viṣṇu — of Lord Viṣṇu; kalā — part of a plenary portion; asi — you are; vainya — O son of King Vena.
TRANSLATION
O King Pṛthu, son of Vena, you are the part-and-parcel expansion of Lord Viṣṇu. Due to the mischievous activities of King Vena, religious principles were almost lost. At that opportune moment you descended as the incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu. Indeed, for the protection of religious principles you have appeared from the body of King Vena.
VERSE 4.19.38
sa tvaṁ vimṛśyāsya bhavaṁ prajāpate
saṅkalpanaṁ viśva-sṛjāṁ pipīpṛhi
aindrīṁ ca māyām upadharma-mātaraṁ
pracaṇḍa-pākhaṇḍa-pathaṁ prabho jahi
SYNONYMS
saḥ — the aforesaid; tvam — you; vimṛśya — considering; asya — of the world; bhavam — existence; prajā-pate — O protector of the people; saṅkalpanam — the determination; viśva-sṛjām — of the progenitors of the world; pipīpṛhi — just fulfill; aindrīm — created by the King of heaven; ca — also; māyām — illusion; upadharma — of the irreligious system of so-called sannyāsa; mātaram — the mother; pracaṇḍa — furious, dangerous; pākhaṇḍa-patham — the path of sinful activities; prabho — O Lord; jahi — please conquer.
TRANSLATION
O protector of the people in general, please consider the purpose of your being incarnated by Lord Viṣṇu. The irreligious principles created by Indra are but mothers of so many unwanted religions. Please therefore stop these imitations immediately.
VERSE 4.19.39
maitreya uvāca
itthaṁ sa loka-guruṇā
samādiṣṭo viśāmpatiḥ
tathā ca kṛtvā vātsalyaṁ
maghonāpi ca sandadhe
SYNONYMS
maitreyaḥ uvāca — the great sage Maitreya continued to speak; ittham — thus; saḥ — King Pṛthu; loka-guruṇā — by the original teacher of all people, Lord Brahmā; samādiṣṭaḥ — being advised; viśām-patiḥ — the king, master of the people; tathā — in that way; ca — also; kṛtvā — having done; vātsalyam — affection; maghonā — with Indra; api — even; ca — also; sandadhe — concluded peace.
TRANSLATION
The great sage Maitreya continued: When King Pṛthu was thus advised by the supreme teacher, Lord Brahmā, he abandoned his eagerness to perform yajñas and with great affection concluded a peace with King Indra.
VERSE 4.19.40
kṛtāvabhṛtha-snānāya
pṛthave bhūri-karmaṇe
varān dadus te varadā
ye tad-barhiṣi tarpitāḥ
SYNONYMS
kṛta — having performed; avabhṛtha-snānāya — taking a bath after the sacrifice; pṛthave — unto King Pṛthu; bhūri-karmaṇe — famous for performing many virtuous acts; varān — benedictions; daduḥ — gave; te — all of them; vara-dāḥ — the demigods, bestowers of benedictions; ye — who; tat-barhiṣi — in the performance of such a yajña; tarpitāḥ — became pleased.
TRANSLATION
After this, Pṛthu Mahārāja took his bath, which is customarily taken after the performance of a yajña, and received the benedictions and due blessings of the demigods, who were very pleased by his glorious activities.
VERSE 4.19.41
viprāḥ satyāśiṣas tuṣṭāḥ
śraddhayā labdha-dakṣiṇāḥ
āśiṣo yuyujuḥ kṣattar
ādi-rājāya sat-kṛtāḥ
SYNONYMS
viprāḥ — all the brāhmaṇas; satya — true; āśiṣaḥ — whose benedictions; tuṣṭāḥ — being very satisfied; śraddhayā — with great respect; labdha-dakṣiṇāḥ — who obtained rewards; āśiṣaḥ — benedictions; yuyujuḥ — offered; kṣattaḥ — O Vidura; ādi-rājāya — upon the original king; sat-kṛtāḥ — being honored.
TRANSLATION
With great respect, the original king, Pṛthu, offered all kinds of rewards to the brāhmaṇas present at the sacrifice. Since all these brāhmaṇas were very much satisfied, they gave their heartfelt blessings to the King.
VERSE 4.19.42
tvayāhūtā mahā-bāho
sarva eva samāgatāḥ
pūjitā dāna-mānābhyāṁ
pitṛ-devarṣi-mānavāḥ
SYNONYMS
tvayā — by you; āhūtāḥ — were invited; mahā-bāho — O great mighty-armed one; sarve — all; eva — certainly; samāgatāḥ — assembled; pūjitāḥ — were honored; dāna — by charity; mānābhyām — and by respect; pitṛ — the inhabitants of Pitṛloka; deva — demigods; ṛṣi — great sages; mānavāḥ — as well as common men.
TRANSLATION
All the great sages and brāhmaṇas said: O mighty King, by your invitation all classes of living entities have attended this assembly. They have come from Pitṛloka and the heavenly planets, and great sages as well as common men have attended this meeting. Now all of them are very much satisfied by your dealings and your charity towards them.