The Dynasty of Mahārāja Nimi
VERSE 9.13.1
śrī-śuka uvāca
nimir ikṣvāku-tanayo
vasiṣṭham avṛtartvijam
ārabhya satraṁ so ’py āha
śakreṇa prāg vṛto ’smi bhoḥ
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; nimiḥ — King Nimi; ikṣvāku-tanayaḥ — the son of Mahārāja Ikṣvāku; vasiṣṭham — the great sage Vasiṣṭha; avṛta — appointed; ṛtvijam — the chief priest of the sacrifice; ārabhya — beginning; satram — the sacrifice; saḥ — he, Vasiṣṭha; api — also; āha — said; śakreṇa — by Lord Indra; prāk — before; vṛtaḥ asmi — I was appointed; bhoḥ — O Mahārāja Nimi.
TRANSLATION
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: After beginning sacrifices, Mahārāja Nimi, the son of Ikṣvāku, requested the great sage Vasiṣṭha to take the post of chief priest. At that time, Vasiṣṭha replied, “My dear Mahārāja Nimi, I have already accepted the same post in a sacrifice begun by Lord Indra.”
VERSE 9.13.2
taṁ nirvartyāgamiṣyāmi
tāvan māṁ pratipālaya
tūṣṇīm āsīd gṛha-patiḥ
so ’pīndrasyākaron makham
SYNONYMS
tam — that sacrifice; nirvartya — after finishing; āgamiṣyāmi — I shall come back; tāvat — until that time; mām — me (Vasiṣṭha); pratipālaya — wait for; tūṣṇīm — silent; āsīt — remained; gṛha-patiḥ — Mahārāja Nimi; saḥ — he, Vasiṣṭha; api — also; indrasya — of Lord Indra; akarot — executed; makham — the sacrifice.
TRANSLATION
“I shall return here after finishing the yajña for Indra. Kindly wait for me until then.” Mahārāja Nimi remained silent, and Vasiṣṭha began to perform the sacrifice for Lord Indra.
VERSE 9.13.3
nimiś calam idaṁ vidvān
satram ārabhatātmavān
ṛtvigbhir aparais tāvan
nāgamad yāvatā guruḥ
SYNONYMS
nimiḥ — Mahārāja Nimi; calam — flickering, subject to end at any moment; idam — this (life); vidvān — being completely aware of this fact; satram — the sacrifice; ārabhata — inaugurated; ātmavān — self-realized person; ṛtvigbhiḥ — by priests; aparaiḥ — other than Vasiṣṭha; tāvat — for the time being; na — not; āgamat — returned; yāvatā — so long; guruḥ — his spiritual master (Vasiṣṭha).
TRANSLATION
Mahārāja Nimi, being a self-realized soul, considered that this life is flickering. Therefore, instead of waiting long for Vasiṣṭha, he began performing the sacrifice with other priests.
VERSE 9.13.4
śiṣya-vyatikramaṁ vīkṣya
taṁ nirvartyāgato guruḥ
aśapat patatād deho
nimeḥ paṇḍita-māninaḥ
SYNONYMS
śiṣya-vyatikramam — the disciple’s deviation from the order of the guru; vīkṣya — observing; tam — the performance of yajña by Indra; nirvartya — after finishing; āgataḥ — when he returned; guruḥ — Vasiṣṭha Muni; aśapat — he cursed Nimi Mahārāja; patatāt — may it fall down; dehaḥ — the material body; nimeḥ — of Mahārāja Nimi; paṇḍita-māninaḥ — who considers himself so learned (as to disobey the order of his spiritual master).
TRANSLATION
After completing the sacrificial performance for King Indra, the spiritual master Vasiṣṭha returned and found that his disciple Mahārāja Nimi had disobeyed his instructions. Thus Vasiṣṭha cursed him, saying, “May the material body of Nimi, who considers himself learned, immediately fall.”
VERSE 9.13.5
nimiḥ pratidadau śāpaṁ
gurave ’dharma-vartine
tavāpi patatād deho
lobhād dharmam ajānataḥ
SYNONYMS
nimiḥ — Mahārāja Nimi; pratidadau śāpam — countercursed; gurave — unto his spiritual master, Vasiṣṭha; adharma-vartine — who was induced to irreligious principles (because he cursed his offenseless disciple); tava — of you; api — also; patatāt — let it fall; dehaḥ — the body; lobhāt — because of greed; dharmam — religious principles; ajānataḥ — not knowing.
TRANSLATION
For unnecessarily cursing him when he had committed no offense, Mahārāja Nimi countercursed his spiritual master. “For the sake of getting contributions from the King of heaven,” he said, “you have lost your religious intelligence. Therefore I pronounce this curse: your body also will fall.”
VERSE 9.13.6
ity utsasarja svaṁ dehaṁ
nimir adhyātma-kovidaḥ
mitrā-varuṇayor jajñe
urvaśyāṁ prapitāmahaḥ
SYNONYMS
iti — thus; utsasarja — gave up; svam — his own; deham — body; nimiḥ — Mahārāja Nimi; adhyātma-kovidaḥ — fully conversant with spiritual knowledge; mitrā-varuṇayoḥ — from the semen of Mitra and Varuṇa (discharged from seeing the beauty of Urvaśī); jajñe — was born; urvaśyām — through Urvaśī, a prostitute of the heavenly kingdom; prapitāmahaḥ — Vasiṣṭha, who was known as the great-grandfather.
TRANSLATION
After saying this, Mahārāja Nimi, who was expert in the science of spiritual knowledge, gave up his body. Vasiṣṭha, the great-grandfather, gave up his body also, but through the semen discharged by Mitra and Varuṇa when they saw Urvaśī, he was born again.
VERSE 9.13.7
gandha-vastuṣu tad-dehaṁ
nidhāya muni-sattamāḥ
samāpte satra-yāge ca
devān ūcuḥ samāgatān
SYNONYMS
gandha-vastuṣu — in things very fragrant; tat-deham — the body of Mahārāja Nimi; nidhāya — having preserved; muni-sattamāḥ — all the great sages gathered there; samāpte satra-yāge — at the end of the sacrifice known by the name Satra; ca — also; devān — to all the demigods; ūcuḥ — requested or spoke; samāgatān — who were assembled there.
TRANSLATION
During the performance of the yajña, the body relinquished by Mahārāja Nimi was preserved in fragrant substances, and at the end of the Satra-yāga the great saints and brāhmaṇas made the following request to all the demigods assembled there.
VERSE 9.13.8
rājño jīvatu deho ’yaṁ
prasannāḥ prabhavo yadi
tathety ukte nimiḥ prāha
mā bhūn me deha-bandhanam
SYNONYMS
rājñaḥ — of the King; jīvatu — may again be enlivened; dehaḥ ayam — this body (now preserved); prasannāḥ — very much pleased; prabhavaḥ — all able to do it; yadi — if; tathā — let it be so; iti — thus; ukte — when it was replied (by the demigods); nimiḥ — Mahārāja Nimi; prāha — said; mā bhūt — do not do it; me — my; deha-bandhanam — imprisonment again in a material body.
TRANSLATION
“If you are satisfied with this sacrifice and if you are actually able to do so, kindly bring Mahārāja Nimi back to life in this body.” The demigods said yes to this request by the sages, but Mahārāja Nimi said, “Please do not imprison me again in a material body.”
VERSE 9.13.9
yasya yogaṁ na vāñchanti
viyoga-bhaya-kātarāḥ
bhajanti caraṇāmbhojaṁ
munayo hari-medhasaḥ
SYNONYMS
yasya — with the body; yogam — contact; na — do not; vāñchanti — jñānīs desire; viyoga-bhaya-kātarāḥ — being afraid of giving up the body again; bhajanti — offer transcendental loving service; caraṇa-ambhojam — to the lotus feet of the Lord; munayaḥ — great saintly persons; hari-medhasaḥ — whose intelligence is always absorbed in thoughts of Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
Mahārāja Nimi continued: Māyāvādīs generally want freedom from accepting a material body because they fear having to give it up again. But devotees whose intelligence is always filled with the service of the Lord are unafraid. Indeed, they take advantage of the body to render transcendental loving service.
VERSE 9.13.10
dehaṁ nāvarurutse ’haṁ
duḥkha-śoka-bhayāvaham
sarvatrāsya yato mṛtyur
matsyānām udake yathā
SYNONYMS
deham — a material body; na — not; avarurutse — desire to accept; aham — I; duḥkha-śoka-bhaya-āvaham — which is the cause of all kinds of distress, lamentation and fear; sarvatra — always and everywhere within this universe; asya — of the living entities who have accepted material bodies; yataḥ — because; mṛtyuḥ — death; matsyānām — of the fish; udake — living within the water; yathā — like.
TRANSLATION
I do not wish to accept a material body, for such a body is the source of all distress, lamentation and fear, everywhere in the universe, just as it is for a fish in the water, which lives always in anxiety because of fear of death.
VERSE 9.13.11
devā ūcuḥ
videha uṣyatāṁ kāmaṁ
locaneṣu śarīriṇām
unmeṣaṇa-nimeṣābhyāṁ
lakṣito ’dhyātma-saṁsthitaḥ
SYNONYMS
devāḥ ūcuḥ — the demigods said; videhaḥ — without any material body; uṣyatām — you live; kāmam — as you like; locaneṣu — in the vision; śarīriṇām — of those who have material bodies; unmeṣaṇa-nimeṣābhyām — become manifest and unmanifest as you desire; lakṣitaḥ — being seen; adhyātma-saṁsthitaḥ — situated in a spiritual body.
TRANSLATION
The demigods said: Let Mahārāja Nimi live without a material body. Let him live in a spiritual body as a personal associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and, according to his desire, let him be manifest or unmanifest to common materially embodied people.
VERSE 9.13.12
arājaka-bhayaṁ nṝṇāṁ
manyamānā maharṣayaḥ
dehaṁ mamanthuḥ sma nimeḥ
kumāraḥ samajāyata
SYNONYMS
arājaka-bhayam — due to fear of the danger of an unregulated government; nṝṇām — for the people in general; manyamānāḥ — considering this situation; mahā-ṛṣayaḥ — the great sages; deham — the body; mamanthuḥ — churned; sma — in the past; nimeḥ — of Mahārāja Nimi; kumāraḥ — one son; samajāyata — was thus born.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, to save the people from the danger of an unregulated government, the sages churned Mahārāja Nimi’s material body, from which, as a result, a son was born.
VERSE 9.13.13
janmanā janakaḥ so ’bhūd
vaidehas tu videhajaḥ
mithilo mathanāj jāto
mithilā yena nirmitā
SYNONYMS
janmanā — by birth; janakaḥ — born uncommonly, not by the usual process; saḥ — he; abhūt — became; vaidehaḥ — also known as Vaideha; tu — but; videha-jaḥ — because of being born from the body of Mahārāja Nimi, who had left his material body; mithilaḥ — he also became known as Mithila; mathanāt — because of being born from the churning of his father’s body; jātaḥ — thus born; mithilā — the kingdom called Mithilā; yena — by whom (Janaka); nirmitā — was constructed.
TRANSLATION
Because he was born in an unusual way, the son was called Janaka, and because he was born from the dead body of his father, he was known as Vaideha. Because he was born from the churning of his father’s material body, he was known as Mithila, and because he constructed a city as King Mithila, the city was called Mithilā.
VERSE 9.13.14
tasmād udāvasus tasya
putro ’bhūn nandivardhanaḥ
tataḥ suketus tasyāpi
devarāto mahīpate
SYNONYMS
tasmāt — from Mithila; udāvasuḥ — a son named Udāvasu; tasya — of him (Udāvasu); putraḥ — son; abhūt — was born; nandivardhanaḥ — Nandivardhana; tataḥ — from him (Nandivardhana); suketuḥ — a son named Suketu; tasya — of him (Suketu); api — also; devarātaḥ — a son named Devarāta; mahīpate — O King Parīkṣit.
TRANSLATION
O King Parīkṣit, from Mithila came a son named Udāvasu; from Udāvasu, Nandivardhana; from Nandivardhana, Suketu; and from Suketu, Devarāta.
VERSE 9.13.15
tasmād bṛhadrathas tasya
mahāvīryaḥ sudhṛt-pitā
sudhṛter dhṛṣṭaketur vai
haryaśvo ’tha marus tataḥ
SYNONYMS
tasmāt — from Devarāta; bṛhadrathaḥ — a son named Bṛhadratha; tasya — of him (Bṛhadratha); mahāvīryaḥ — a son named Mahāvīrya; sudhṛt-pitā — he became the father of King Sudhṛti; sudhṛteḥ — from Sudhṛti; dhṛṣṭaketuḥ — a son named Dhṛṣṭaketu; vai — indeed; haryaśvaḥ — his son was Haryaśva; atha — thereafter; maruḥ — Maru; tataḥ — thereafter.
TRANSLATION
From Devarāta came a son named Bṛhadratha and from Bṛhadratha a son named Mahāvīrya, who became the father of Sudhṛti. The son of Sudhṛti was known as Dhṛṣṭaketu, and from Dhṛṣṭaketu came Haryaśva. From Haryaśva came a son named Maru.
VERSE 9.13.16
maroḥ pratīpakas tasmāj
jātaḥ kṛtaratho yataḥ
devamīḍhas tasya putro
viśruto ’tha mahādhṛtiḥ
SYNONYMS
maroḥ — of Maru; pratīpakaḥ — a son named Pratīpaka; tasmāt — from Pratīpaka; jātaḥ — was born; kṛtarathaḥ — a son named Kṛtaratha; yataḥ — and from Kṛtaratha; devamīḍhaḥ — Devamīḍha; tasya — of Devamīḍha; putraḥ — a son; viśrutaḥ — Viśruta; atha — from him; mahādhṛtiḥ — a son named Mahādhṛti.
TRANSLATION
The son of Maru was Pratīpaka, and the son of Pratīpaka was Kṛtaratha. From Kṛtaratha came Devamīḍha; from Devamīḍha, Viśruta; and from Viśruta, Mahādhṛti.
VERSE 9.13.17
kṛtirātas tatas tasmān
mahāromā ca tat-sutaḥ
svarṇaromā sutas tasya
hrasvaromā vyajāyata
SYNONYMS
kṛtirātaḥ — Kṛtirāta; tataḥ — from Mahādhṛti; tasmāt — from Kṛtirāta; mahāromā — a son named Mahāromā; ca — also; tat-sutaḥ — his son; svarṇaromā — Svarṇaromā; sutaḥ tasya — his son; hrasvaromā — Hrasvaromā; vyajāyata — were all born.
TRANSLATION
From Mahādhṛti was born a son named Kṛtirāta, from Kṛtirāta was born Mahāromā, from Mahāromā came a son named Svarṇaromā, and from Svarṇaromā came Hrasvaromā.
VERSE 9.13.18
tataḥ śīradhvajo jajñe
yajñārthaṁ karṣato mahīm
sītā śīrāgrato jātā
tasmāt śīradhvajaḥ smṛtaḥ
SYNONYMS
tataḥ — from Hrasvaromā; śīradhvajaḥ — a son named Śīradhvaja; jajñe — was born; yajña-artham — for performing sacrifices; karṣataḥ — while plowing the field; mahīm — the earth; sītā — mother Sītā, the wife of Lord Rāmacandra; śīra-agrataḥ — from the front portion of the plow; jātā — was born; tasmāt — therefore; śīradhvajaḥ — was known as Śīradhvaja; smṛtaḥ — celebrated.
TRANSLATION
From Hrasvaromā came a son named Śīradhvaja [also called Janaka]. When Śīradhvaja was plowing a field, from the front of his plow [śīra] appeared a daughter named Sītādevī, who later became the wife of Lord Rāmacandra. Thus he was known as Śīradhvaja.
VERSE 9.13.19
kuśadhvajas tasya putras
tato dharmadhvajo nṛpaḥ
dharmadhvajasya dvau putrau
kṛtadhvaja-mitadhvajau
SYNONYMS
kuśadhvajaḥ — Kuśadhvaja; tasya — of Śīradhvaja; putraḥ — son; tataḥ — from him; dharmadhvajaḥ — Dharmadhvaja; nṛpaḥ — the king; dharmadhvajasya — from this Dharmadhvaja; dvau — two; putrau — sons; kṛtadhvaja-mitadhvajau — Kṛtadhvaja and Mitadhvaja.
TRANSLATION
The son of Śīradhvaja was Kuśadhvaja, and the son of Kuśadhvaja was King Dharmadhvaja, who had two sons, namely Kṛtadhvaja and Mitadhvaja.
VERSE 9.13.20-21
kṛtadhvajāt keśidhvajaḥ
khāṇḍikyas tu mitadhvajāt
kṛtadhvaja-suto rājann
ātma-vidyā-viśāradaḥ
khāṇḍikyaḥ karma-tattva-jño
bhītaḥ keśidhvajād drutaḥ
bhānumāṁs tasya putro ’bhūc
chatadyumnas tu tat-sutaḥ
SYNONYMS
kṛtadhvajāt — from Kṛtadhvaja; keśidhvajaḥ — a son named Keśidhvaja; khāṇḍikyaḥ tu — also a son named Khāṇḍikya; mitadhvajāt — from Mitadhvaja; kṛtadhvaja-sutaḥ — the son of Kṛtadhvaja; rājan — O King; ātma-vidyā-viśāradaḥ — expert in transcendental science; khāṇḍikyaḥ — King Khāṇḍikya; karma-tattva-jñaḥ — expert in Vedic ritualistic ceremonies; bhītaḥ — fearing; keśidhvajāt — because of Keśidhvaja; drutaḥ — he fled; bhānumān — Bhānumān; tasya — of Keśidhvaja; putraḥ — son; abhūt — there was; śatadyumnaḥ — Śatadyumna; tu — but; tat-sutaḥ — the son of Bhānumān.
TRANSLATION
O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the son of Kṛtadhvaja was Keśidhvaja, and the son of Mitadhvaja was Khāṇḍikya. The son of Kṛtadhvaja was expert in spiritual knowledge, and the son of Mitadhvaja was expert in Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. Khāṇḍikya fled in fear of Keśidhvaja. The son of Keśidhvaja was Bhānumān, and the son of Bhānumān was Śatadyumna.
VERSE 9.13.22
śucis tu tanayas tasmāt
sanadvājaḥ suto ’bhavat
ūrjaketuḥ sanadvājād
ajo ’tha purujit sutaḥ
SYNONYMS
śuciḥ — Śuci; tu — but; tanayaḥ — a son; tasmāt — from him; sanadvājaḥ — Sanadvāja; sutaḥ — a son; abhavat — was born; ūrjaketuḥ — Ūrjaketu; sanadvājāt — from Sanadvāja; ajaḥ — Aja; atha — thereafter; purujit — Purujit; sutaḥ — a son.
TRANSLATION
The son of Śatadyumna was named Śuci. From Śuci, Sanadvāja was born, and from Sanadvāja came a son named Ūrjaketu. The son of Ūrjaketu was Aja, and the son of Aja was Purujit.
VERSE 9.13.23
ariṣṭanemis tasyāpi
śrutāyus tat supārśvakaḥ
tataś citraratho yasya
kṣemādhir mithilādhipaḥ
SYNONYMS
ariṣṭanemiḥ — Ariṣṭanemi; tasya api — of Purujit also; śrutāyuḥ — a son named Śrutāyu; tat — and from him; supārśvakaḥ — Supārśvaka; tataḥ — from Supārśvaka; citrarathaḥ — Citraratha; yasya — of whom (Citraratha); kṣemādhiḥ — Kṣemādhi; mithilā-adhipaḥ — became the king of Mithilā.
TRANSLATION
The son of Purujit was Ariṣṭanemi, and his son was Śrutāyu. Śrutāyu begot a son named Supārśvaka, and Supārśvaka begot Citraratha. The son of Citraratha was Kṣemādhi, who became the king of Mithilā.
VERSE 9.13.24
tasmāt samarathas tasya
sutaḥ satyarathas tataḥ
āsīd upagurus tasmād
upagupto ’gni-sambhavaḥ
SYNONYMS
tasmāt — from Kṣemādhi; samarathaḥ — a son named Samaratha; tasya — from Samaratha; sutaḥ — son; satyarathaḥ — Satyaratha; tataḥ — from him (Satyaratha); āsīt — was born; upaguruḥ — Upaguru; tasmāt — from him; upaguptaḥ — Upagupta; agni-sambhavaḥ — a partial expansion of the demigod Agni.
TRANSLATION
The son of Kṣemādhi was Samaratha, and his son was Satyaratha. The son of Satyaratha was Upaguru, and the son of Upaguru was Upagupta, a partial expansion of the fire-god.
VERSE 9.13.25
vasvananto ’tha tat-putro
yuyudho yat subhāṣaṇaḥ
śrutas tato jayas tasmād
vijayo ’smād ṛtaḥ sutaḥ
SYNONYMS
vasvanantaḥ — Vasvananta; atha — thereafter (the son of Upagupta); tat-putraḥ — his son; yuyudhaḥ — by the name Yuyudha; yat — from Yuyudha; subhāṣaṇaḥ — a son named Subhāṣaṇa; śrutaḥ tataḥ — and the son of Subhāṣaṇa was Śruta; jayaḥ tasmāt — the son of Śruta was Jaya; vijayaḥ — a son named Vijaya; asmāt — from Jaya; ṛtaḥ — Ṛta; sutaḥ — a son.
TRANSLATION
The son of Upagupta was Vasvananta, the son of Vasvananta was Yuyudha, the son of Yuyudha was Subhāṣaṇa, and the son of Subhāṣaṇa was Śruta. The son of Śruta was Jaya, from whom there came Vijaya. The son of Vijaya was Ṛta.
VERSE 9.13.26
śunakas tat-suto jajñe
vītahavyo dhṛtis tataḥ
bahulāśvo dhṛtes tasya
kṛtir asya mahāvaśī
SYNONYMS
śunakaḥ — Śunaka; tat-sutaḥ — the son of Ṛta; jajñe — was born; vītahavyaḥ — Vītahavya; dhṛtiḥ — Dhṛti; tataḥ — the son of Vītahavya; bahulāśvaḥ — Bahulāśva; dhṛteḥ — from Dhṛti; tasya — his son; kṛtiḥ — Kṛti; asya — of Kṛti; mahāvaśī — there was a son named Mahāvaśī.
TRANSLATION
The son of Ṛta was Śunaka, the son of Śunaka was Vītahavya, the son of Vītahavya was Dhṛti, and the son of Dhṛti was Bahulāśva. The son of Bahulāśva was Kṛti, and his son was Mahāvaśī.
VERSE 9.13.27
ete vai maithilā rājann
ātma-vidyā-viśāradāḥ
yogeśvara-prasādena
dvandvair muktā gṛheṣv api
SYNONYMS
ete — all of them; vai — indeed; maithilāḥ — the descendants of Mithila; rājan — O King; ātma-vidyā-viśāradāḥ — expert in spiritual knowledge; yogeśvara-prasādena — by the grace of Yogeśvara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa; dvandvaiḥ muktāḥ — they were all freed from the duality of the material world; gṛheṣu api — even though staying at home.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King Parīkṣit, all the kings of the dynasty of Mithila were completely in knowledge of their spiritual identity. Therefore, even though staying at home, they were liberated from the duality of material existence.