Śrīmad Bhāgavatam |Canto 4 Chapter 15

King Pṛthu’s Appearance and Coronation

VERSE 4.15.1

maitreya uvāca

atha tasya punar viprair
aputrasya mahīpateḥ
bāhubhyāṁ mathyamānābhyāṁ
mithunaṁ samapadyata

SYNONYMS

maitreyaḥ uvāca — Maitreya continued to speak; atha — thus; tasya — his; punaḥ — again; vipraiḥ — by the brāhmaṇas; aputrasya — without a son; mahīpateḥ — of the King; bāhubhyām — from the arms; mathyamānābhyām — being churned; mithunam — a couple; samapadyata — took birth.

TRANSLATION

The great sage Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, thus the brāhmaṇas and the great sages again churned the two arms of King Vena’s dead body. As a result a male and female couple came out of his arms.

VERSE 4.15.2

tad dṛṣṭvā mithunaṁ jātam
ṛṣayo brahma-vādinaḥ
ūcuḥ parama-santuṣṭā
viditvā bhagavat-kalām

SYNONYMS

tat — that; dṛṣṭvā — seeing; mithunam — couple; jātam — born; ṛṣayaḥ — the great sages; brahma-vādinaḥ — very learned in Vedic knowledge; ūcuḥ — said; parama — very much; santuṣṭāḥ — being pleased; viditvā — knowing; bhagavat — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kalām — expansion.

TRANSLATION

The great sages were highly learned in Vedic knowledge. When they saw the male and female born of the arms of Vena’s body, they were very pleased, for they could understand that the couple was an expansion of a plenary portion of Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

VERSE 4.15.3

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ

eṣa viṣṇor bhagavataḥ
kalā bhuvana-pālinī
iyaṁ ca lakṣmyāḥ sambhūtiḥ
puruṣasyānapāyinī

SYNONYMS

ṛṣayaḥ ūcuḥ — the sages said; eṣaḥ — this male; viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kalā — expansion; bhuvana-pālinī — who maintains the world; iyam — this female; ca — also; lakṣmyāḥ — of the goddess of fortune; sambhūtiḥ — expansion; puruṣasya — of the Lord; anapāyinī — inseparable.

TRANSLATION

The great sages said: The male is a plenary expansion of the power of Lord Viṣṇu, who maintains the entire universe, and the female is a plenary expansion of the goddess of fortune, who is never separated from the Lord.

VERSE 4.15.4

ayaṁ tu prathamo rājñāṁ
pumān prathayitā yaśaḥ
pṛthur nāma mahārājo
bhaviṣyati pṛthu-śravāḥ

SYNONYMS

ayam — this; tu — then; prathamaḥ — the first; rājñām — of kings; pumān — the male; prathayitā — will expand; yaśaḥ — reputation; pṛthuḥ — Mahārāja Pṛthu; nāma — by name; mahā-rājaḥ — the great king; bhaviṣyati — will become; pṛthu-śravāḥ — of wide renown.

TRANSLATION

Of the two, the male will be able to expand his reputation throughout the world. His name will be Pṛthu. Indeed, he will be the first among kings.

VERSE 4.15.5

iyaṁ ca sudatī devī
guṇa-bhūṣaṇa-bhūṣaṇā
arcir nāma varārohā
pṛthum evāvarundhatī

SYNONYMS

iyam — this female child; ca — and; su-datī — who has very nice teeth; devī — the goddess of fortune; guṇa — by good qualities; bhūṣaṇa — ornaments; bhūṣaṇā — who beautifies; arciḥ — Arci; nāma — by name; vara-ārohā — very beautiful; pṛthum — unto King Pṛthu; eva — certainly; avarundhatī — being very much attached.

TRANSLATION

The female has such beautiful teeth and beautiful qualities that she will actually beautify the ornaments she wears. Her name will be Arci. In the future she will accept King Pṛthu as her husband.

VERSE 4.15.6

eṣa sākṣād dharer aṁśo
jāto loka-rirakṣayā
iyaṁ ca tat-parā hi śrīr
anujajñe ’napāyinī

SYNONYMS

eṣaḥ — this male; sākṣāt — directly; hareḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; aṁśaḥ — partial representative; jātaḥ — born; loka — the entire world; rirakṣayā — with a desire to protect; iyam — this female; ca — also; tat-parā — very much attached to him; hi — certainly; śrīḥ — the goddess of fortune; anujajñe — took birth; anapāyinī — inseparable.

TRANSLATION

In the form of King Pṛthu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has appeared through a part of His potency to protect the people of the world. The goddess of fortune is the constant companion of the Lord, and therefore she has incarnated partially as Arci to become King Pṛthu’s queen.

VERSE 4.15.7

maitreya uvāca

praśaṁsanti sma taṁ viprā
gandharva-pravarā jaguḥ
mumucuḥ sumano-dhārāḥ
siddhā nṛtyanti svaḥ-striyaḥ

SYNONYMS

maitreyaḥ uvāca — the great saint Maitreya said; praśaṁsanti sma — praised, glorified; tam — him (Pṛthu); viprāḥ — all the brāhmaṇas; gandharva-pravarāḥ — the best of the Gandharvas; jaguḥ — chanted; mumucuḥ — released; sumanaḥ-dhārāḥ — showers of flowers; siddhāḥ — the personalities from Siddhaloka; nṛtyanti — were dancing; svaḥ — of the heavenly planets; striyaḥ — women (the Apsarās).

TRANSLATION

The great sage Maitreya continued: My dear Vidurajī, at that time all the brāhmaṇas highly praised and glorified King Pṛthu, and the best singers of Gandharvaloka chanted his glories. The inhabitants of Siddhaloka showered flowers, and the beautiful women in the heavenly planets danced in ecstasy.

VERSE 4.15.8

śaṅkha-tūrya-mṛdaṅgādyā
nedur dundubhayo divi
tatra sarva upājagmur
devarṣi-pitṝṇāṁ gaṇāḥ

SYNONYMS

śaṅkha — conches; tūrya — bugles; mṛdaṅga — drums; ādyāḥ — and so on; neduḥ — vibrated; dundubhayaḥ — kettledrums; divi — in outer space; tatra — there; sarve — all; upājagmuḥ — came; deva-ṛṣi — demigods and sages; pitṝṇām — of forefathers; gaṇāḥ — groups.

TRANSLATION

Conchshells, bugles, drums and kettledrums vibrated in outer space. Great sages, forefathers and personalities from the heavenly planets all came to earth from various planetary systems.

VERSE 4.15.9-10

brahmā jagad-gurur devaiḥ
sahāsṛtya sureśvaraiḥ
vainyasya dakṣiṇe haste
dṛṣṭvā cihnaṁ gadābhṛtaḥ

pādayor aravindaṁ ca
taṁ vai mene hareḥ kalām
yasyāpratihataṁ cakram
aṁśaḥ sa parameṣṭhinaḥ

SYNONYMS

brahmā — Lord Brahmā; jagat-guruḥ — the master of the universe; devaiḥ — by the demigods; saha — accompanied; āsṛtya — arriving; sura-īśvaraiḥ — with the chiefs of all the heavenly planets; vainyasya — of Mahārāja Pṛthu, the son of Vena; dakṣiṇe — right; haste — on the hand; dṛṣṭvā — seeing; cihnam — mark; gadā-bhṛtaḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu, who carries a club; pādayoḥ — on the two feet; aravindam — lotus flower; ca — also; tam — him; vai — certainly; mene — he understood; hareḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kalām — part of a plenary expansion; yasya — whose; apratihatam — invincible; cakram — disc; aṁśaḥ — partial representation; saḥ — he; parameṣṭhinaḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahmā, the master of the entire universe, arrived there accompanied by all the demigods and their chiefs. Seeing the lines of Lord Viṣṇu’s palm on King Pṛthu’s right hand and impressions of lotus flowers on the soles of his feet, Lord Brahmā could understand that King Pṛthu was a partial representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One whose palm bears the sign of a disc, as well as other such lines, should be considered a partial representation or incarnation of the Supreme Lord.

VERSE 4.15.11

tasyābhiṣeka ārabdho
brāhmaṇair brahma-vādibhiḥ
ābhiṣecanikāny asmai
ājahruḥ sarvato janāḥ

SYNONYMS

tasya — his; abhiṣekaḥ — coronation; ārabdhaḥ — was arranged; brāhmaṇaiḥ — by the learned brāhmaṇas; brahma-vādibhiḥ — attached to the Vedic rituals; ābhiṣecanikāni — various paraphernalia for performing the ceremony; asmai — unto him; ājahruḥ — collected; sarvataḥ — from all directions; janāḥ — people.

TRANSLATION

The learned brāhmaṇas, who were very attached to the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, then arranged for the King’s coronation. People from all directions collected all the different paraphernalia for the ceremony. Thus everything was complete.

VERSE 4.15.12

sarit-samudrā girayo
nāgā gāvaḥ khagā mṛgāḥ
dyauḥ kṣitiḥ sarva-bhūtāni
samājahrur upāyanam

SYNONYMS

sarit — the rivers; samudrāḥ — the seas; girayaḥ — the mountains; nāgāḥ — the serpents; gāvaḥ — the cows; khagāḥ — the birds; mṛgāḥ — the animals; dyauḥ — the sky; kṣitiḥ — the earth; sarva-bhūtāni — all living entities; samājahruḥ — collected; upāyanam — different kinds of presentations.

TRANSLATION

All the rivers, seas, hills, mountains, serpents, cows, birds, animals, heavenly planets, the earthly planet and all other living entities collected various presentations, according to their ability, to offer the King.

VERSE 4.15.13

so ’bhiṣikto mahārājaḥ
suvāsāḥ sādhv-alaṅkṛtaḥ
patnyārciṣālaṅkṛtayā
vireje ’gnir ivāparaḥ

SYNONYMS

saḥ — the King; abhiṣiktaḥ — being coronated; mahārājaḥ — Mahārāja Pṛthu; su-vāsāḥ — exquisitely dressed; sādhu-alaṅkṛtaḥ — highly decorated with ornaments; patnyā — along with his wife; arciṣā — named Arci; alaṅkṛtayā — nicely ornamented; vireje — appeared; agniḥ — fire; iva — like; aparaḥ — another.

TRANSLATION

Thus the great King Pṛthu, exquisitely dressed with garments and ornaments, was coronated and placed on the throne. The King and his wife, Arci, who was also exquisitely ornamented, appeared exactly like fire.

VERSE 4.15.14

tasmai jahāra dhanado
haimaṁ vīra varāsanam
varuṇaḥ salila-srāvam
ātapatraṁ śaśi-prabham

SYNONYMS

tasmai — unto him; jahāra — presented; dhana-daḥ — the treasurer of the demigods (Kuvera); haimam — made of gold; vīra — O Vidura; vara-āsanam — royal throne; varuṇaḥ — the demigod Varuṇa; salila-srāvam — dropping particles of water; ātapatram — umbrella; śaśi-prabham — as brilliant as the moon.

TRANSLATION

The great sage continued: My dear Vidura, Kuvera presented the great King Pṛthu with a golden throne. The demigod Varuṇa presented him with an umbrella that constantly sprayed fine particles of water and was as brilliant as the moon.

VERSE 4.15.15

vāyuś ca vāla-vyajane
dharmaḥ kīrtimayīṁ srajam
indraḥ kirīṭam utkṛṣṭaṁ
daṇḍaṁ saṁyamanaṁ yamaḥ

SYNONYMS

vāyuḥ — the demigod of air; ca — also; vāla-vyajane — two cāmaras made of hair; dharmaḥ — the King of religion; kīrti-mayīm — expanding one’s name and fame; srajam — garland; indraḥ — the King of heaven; kirīṭam — helmet; utkṛṣṭam — very valuable; daṇḍam — scepter; saṁyamanam — for ruling the world; yamaḥ — the superintendent of death.

TRANSLATION

The demigod of air, Vāyu, presented King Pṛthu with two whisks [cāmaras] of hair; the King of religion, Dharma, presented him with a flower garland which would expand his fame; the King of heaven, Indra, presented him with a valuable helmet; and the superintendent of death, Yamarāja, presented him with a scepter with which to rule the world.

VERSE 4.15.16

brahmā brahmamayaṁ varma
bhāratī hāram uttamam
hariḥ sudarśanaṁ cakraṁ
tat-patny avyāhatāṁ śriyam

SYNONYMS

brahmā — Lord Brahmā; brahma-mayam — made of spiritual knowledge; varma — armor; bhāratī — the goddess of learning; hāram — necklace; uttamam — transcendental; hariḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sudarśanam cakram — Sudarśana disc; tat-patnī — His wife (Lakṣmī); avyāhatām — imperishable; śriyam — beauty and opulence.

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahmā presented King Pṛthu with a protective garment made of spiritual knowledge. Bhāratī [Sarasvatī], the wife of Brahmā, gave him a transcendental necklace. Lord Viṣṇu presented him with a Sudarśana disc, and Lord Viṣṇu’s wife, the goddess of fortune, gave him imperishable opulences.

VERSE 4.15.17

daśa-candram asiṁ rudraḥ
śata-candraṁ tathāmbikā
somo ’mṛtamayān aśvāṁs
tvaṣṭā rūpāśrayaṁ ratham

SYNONYMS

daśa-candram — decorated with ten moons; asim — sword; rudraḥ — Lord Śiva; śata-candram — decorated with one hundred moons; tathā — in that manner; ambikā — the goddess Durgā; somaḥ — the moon-demigod; amṛta-mayān — made of nectar; aśvān — horses; tvaṣṭā — the demigod Viśvakarmā; rūpa-āśrayam — very beautiful; ratham — a chariot.

TRANSLATION

Lord Śiva presented him with a sword within a sheath marked with ten moons, and his wife, the goddess Durgā, presented him with a shield marked with one hundred moons. The moon-demigod presented him with horses made of nectar, and the demigod Viśvakarmā presented him with a very beautiful chariot.

VERSE 4.15.18

agnir āja-gavaṁ cāpaṁ
sūryo raśmimayān iṣūn
bhūḥ pāduke yogamayyau
dyauḥ puṣpāvalim anvaham

SYNONYMS

agniḥ — the demigod of fire; āja-gavam — made of the horns of goats and cows; cāpam — a bow; sūryaḥ — the sun-god; raśmi-mayān — brilliant as sunshine; iṣūn — arrows; bhūḥ — Bhūmi, the predominating goddess of the earth; pāduke — two slippers; yoga-mayyau — full of mystic power; dyauḥ — the demigods in outer space; puṣpa — of flowers; āvalim — presentation; anu-aham — day after day.

TRANSLATION

The demigod of fire, Agni, presented him with a bow made of the horns of goats and cows. The sun-god presented him with arrows as brilliant as sunshine. The predominating deity of Bhūrloka presented him with slippers full of mystic power. The demigods from outer space brought him presentations of flowers again and again.

VERSE 4.15.19

nāṭyaṁ sugītaṁ vāditram
antardhānaṁ ca khecarāḥ
ṛṣayaś cāśiṣaḥ satyāḥ
samudraḥ śaṅkham ātmajam

SYNONYMS

nāṭyam — the art of drama; su-gītam — the art of singing sweet songs; vāditram — the art of playing musical instruments; antardhānam — the art of disappearing; ca — also; khe-carāḥ — demigods traveling in outer space; ṛṣayaḥ — the great sages; ca — also; āśiṣaḥ — blessings; satyāḥ — infallible; samudraḥ — the demigod of the ocean; śaṅkham — conchshell; ātma-jam — produced from himself.

TRANSLATION

The demigods who always travel in outer space gave King Pṛthu the arts to perform dramas, sing songs, play musical instruments and disappear at his will. The great sages also offered him infallible blessings. The ocean offered him a conchshell produced from the ocean.

VERSE 4.15.20

sindhavaḥ parvatā nadyo
ratha-vīthīr mahātmanaḥ
sūto ’tha māgadho vandī
taṁ stotum upatasthire

SYNONYMS

sindhavaḥ — the seas; parvatāḥ — the mountains; nadyaḥ — the rivers; ratha-vīthīḥ — the paths for the chariot to pass; mahā-ātmanaḥ — of the great soul; sūtaḥ — a professional who offers praises; atha — then; māgadhaḥ — a professional bard; vandī — a professional who offers prayers; tam — him; stotum — to praise; upatasthire — presented themselves.

TRANSLATION

The seas, mountains and rivers gave him room to drive his chariot without impediments, and a sūta, a māgadha and a vandī offered prayers and praises. They all presented themselves before him to perform their respective duties.

VERSE 4.15.21

stāvakāṁs tān abhipretya
pṛthur vainyaḥ pratāpavān
megha-nirhrādayā vācā
prahasann idam abravīt

SYNONYMS

stāvakān — engaged in offering prayers; tān — those persons; abhipretya — seeing, understanding; pṛthuḥ — King Pṛthu; vainyaḥ — son of Vena; pratāpa-vān — greatly powerful; megha-nirhrādayā — as grave as the thundering of clouds; vācā — with a voice; prahasan — smiling; idam — this; abravīt — he spoke.

TRANSLATION

Thus when the greatly powerful King Pṛthu, the son of Vena, saw the professionals before him, to congratulate them he smiled, and with the gravity of the vibrating sounds of clouds he spoke as follows.

VERSE 4.15.22

pṛthur uvāca

bhoḥ sūta he māgadha saumya vandiḻ
loke ’dhunāspaṣṭa-guṇasya me syāt
kim āśrayo me stava eṣa yojyatāṁ
mā mayy abhūvan vitathā giro vaḥ

SYNONYMS

pṛthuḥ uvāca — King Pṛthu said; bhoḥ sūta — O sūta; he māgadha — O māgadha; saumya — gentle; vandin — O devotee offering prayers; loke — in this world; adhunā — just now; aspaṣṭa — not distinct; guṇasya — whose qualities; me — of me; syāt — there may be; kim — why; āśrayaḥ — shelter; me — of me; stavaḥ — praise; eṣaḥ — this; yojyatām — may be applied; — never; mayi — unto me; abhūvan — were; vitathāḥ — in vain; giraḥ — words; vaḥ — your.

TRANSLATION

King Pṛthu said: O gentle sūta, māgadha and other devotee offering prayers, the qualities of which you have spoken are not distinct in me. Why then should you praise me for all these qualities when I do not shelter these features? I do not wish for these words meant for me to go in vain, but it is better that they be offered to someone else.

VERSE 4.15.23

tasmāt parokṣe ’smad-upaśrutāny alaṁ
kariṣyatha stotram apīcya-vācaḥ
saty uttamaśloka-guṇānuvāde
jugupsitaṁ na stavayanti sabhyāḥ

SYNONYMS

tasmāt — therefore; parokṣe — in some future time; asmat — my; upaśrutāni — about the qualities spoken of; alam — sufficiently; kariṣyatha — you will be able to offer; stotram — prayers; apīcya-vācaḥ — O gentle reciters; sati — being the proper engagement; uttama-śloka — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guṇa — of the qualities; anuvāde — discussion; jugupsitam — to an abominable person; na — never; stavayanti — offer prayers; sabhyāḥ — persons who are gentle.

TRANSLATION

O gentle reciters, offer such prayers in due course of time, when the qualities of which you have spoken actually manifest themselves in me. The gentle who offer prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead do not attribute such qualities to a human being, who does not actually have them.

VERSE 4.15.24

mahad-guṇān ātmani kartum īśaḥ
kaḥ stāvakaiḥ stāvayate ’sato ’pi
te ’syābhaviṣyann iti vipralabdho
janāvahāsaṁ kumatir na veda

SYNONYMS

mahat — exalted; guṇān — the qualities; ātmani — in himself; kartum — to manifest; īśaḥ — competent; kaḥ — who; stāvakaiḥ — by followers; stāvayate — causes to be praised; asataḥ — not existing; api — although; te — they; asya — of him; abhaviṣyan — might have been; iti — thus; vipralabdhaḥ — cheated; jana — of people; avahāsam — insult; kumatiḥ — a fool; na — does not; veda — know.

TRANSLATION

How could an intelligent man competent enough to possess such exalted qualities allow his followers to praise him if he did not actually have them? Praising a man by saying that if he were educated he might have become a great scholar or great personality is nothing but a process of cheating. A foolish person who agrees to accept such praise does not know that such words simply insult him.

VERSE 4.15.25

prabhavo hy ātmanaḥ stotraṁ
jugupsanty api viśrutāḥ
hrīmantaḥ paramodārāḥ
pauruṣaṁ vā vigarhitam

SYNONYMS

prabhavaḥ — very powerful persons; hi — certainly; ātmanaḥ — of themselves; stotram — praise; jugupsanti — do not like; api — although; viśrutāḥ — very famous; hrī-mantaḥ — modest; parama-udārāḥ — very magnanimous persons; pauruṣam — powerful actions; — also; vigarhitam — abominable.

TRANSLATION

As a person with a sense of honor and magnanimity does not like to hear about his abominable actions, a person who is very famous and powerful does not like to hear himself praised.

VERSE 4.15.26

vayaṁ tv aviditā loke
sūtādyāpi varīmabhiḥ
karmabhiḥ katham ātmānaṁ
gāpayiṣyāma bālavat

SYNONYMS

vayam — we; tu — then; aviditāḥ — not famous; loke — in the world; sūta-ādya — O persons headed by the sūta; api — just now; varīmabhiḥ — great, praiseworthy; karmabhiḥ — by actions; katham — how; ātmānam — unto myself; gāpayiṣyāma — I shall engage you in offering; bālavat — like children.

TRANSLATION

King Pṛthu continued: My dear devotees, headed by the sūta, just now I am not very famous for my personal activities because I have not done anything praiseworthy you could glorify. Therefore how could I engage you in praising my activities exactly like children?