विष्णुपुराणम् — चतुर्थांशे चतुर्थोऽध्यायः | viṣṇupurāṇam

काश्यपदुहिता मुमतिर्विदर्भराजतनया केशिनी च द्वे भार्ये सगरस्यास्ताम् ॥

Summary AI Sumati, the daughter of Kaśyapa, and Keśinī, the daughter of the King of Vidarbha, were the two wives of King Sagara.

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ताभ्यां चापत्यार्थमौर्वः परमेण समाधिनाराधितो वरमदात् ॥

Summary AI For the sake of offspring, the sage Aurva, propitiated by them through supreme meditation, granted a boon.

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एका वंशकरमेकं पुत्रमपरा षष्टिं पुत्रसहस्राणां जनयिष्यतीति यस्या यदभिमतं तदिच्छया गृह्यतामित्युक्ते केशिन्येकं वरयामास ॥

Summary AI When Aurva declared that one wife would bear a single son to continue the lineage while the other would bear sixty thousand sons, Keśinī chose to have the single son.

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सुमतिः पुत्रसहस्राणि षष्टिं वव्रे ॥

Summary AI Sumati, on the other hand, chose to have sixty thousand sons.

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तथेत्युक्ते अल्पैरहोभिः केशिनी पुत्रमेकमसमञ्जसनामानं वंशकरमसूत ॥

Summary AI After the sage granted the boon, Keśinī gave birth in a few days to a son named Asamañjasa, who was destined to continue the lineage.

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काश्यपतनयायास्तु सुमत्याः षष्टिं पुत्रसहस्राण्यभवन् ॥

Summary AI Meanwhile, Sumati, the daughter of Kaśyapa, gave birth to sixty thousand sons.

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तस्मादसमञ्जसादंशुमान्नाम कुमारो जज्ञे ॥

Summary AI From that Asamañjasa, a son named Aṃśumān was born.

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स त्वससंजसो बालो ।
बाल्यादेवासद्वृत्तोभूत् ॥

Summary AI However, even as a child, Asamañjasa was of wicked conduct from the very beginning.

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पिता चास्याचिन्तयदयमतीतबाल्यः सुबुद्धिमान्भविष्यतीति ॥

Summary AI His father, Sagara, hoped that his son would eventually become wise once he grew past his childhood.

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अथ तत्रापि च वयस्यतीते असच्चारीतमेनं पिता तत्याज ॥

Summary AI When that age had also passed and his wicked conduct persisted, his father finally abandoned him.

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तान्यपि षष्टिः पुत्रसहस्राण्यसमञ्जसचारितमेवानुचक्रुः ॥

Summary AI The sixty thousand sons of Sagara also began to imitate the wicked behavior of Asamañjasa.

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ततश्चाससमजसचरितानुकारिभिः सागरै-
रपध्वस्तयज्ञैः सन्मार्गे जगति देवाःसकलवि- ।
द्यामयमसंस्पृष्टमशेषदोषैर्भगवतः पुरु-
षोत्तमस्यांशभूत कपिलं प्रणम्य तदर्थमूचुः ॥

Summary AI As the sons of Sagara imitated Asamañjasa and disrupted sacrifices and virtuous paths, the gods bowed to Kapila—the embodiment of all knowledge, free from all faults, and a partial incarnation of Lord Puruṣottama—and spoke to him for relief.

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भगवन्नेभिः सगरतनयैर- ।
समञ्जसचरितमनुगम्यते ॥

Summary AI The gods addressed the Lord, stating that Sagara's sons were following the wicked path of Asamañjasa.

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कथमेभिरसद्वृत्तमनु- ।
सरद्भिर्जगद्भविष्यतीति ॥

Summary AI They questioned how the world could survive with these sons following such unrighteous conduct.

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अत्यार्त जगत्परित्राणाय च भगवतोत्र शरीरग्रहणमित्याकर्ण्य भगवानाहाल्पैरेव दिनैर्विनङ्क्ष्यन्तीति ॥

Summary AI Hearing their plea and knowing the Lord incarnated to protect the distressed world, Kapila replied that they would all perish within a few days.

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अत्रान्तरे च सगरो ।
हयमेधमारभत ॥

Summary AI In the meantime, King Sagara commenced the performance of a horse sacrifice (aśvamedha).

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तस्य च पुत्रैरधिष्ठितमस्याश्वं कोप्यपहृत्य भुवो बिलं प्रविवेश ॥

Summary AI While the sacrificial horse was guarded by his sons, someone stole it and entered a hole in the earth.

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ततस्तत्तनयाश्चाश्वखुरगतिनिर्वन्धेनावनीमेकैको योजनं चख्नुः ॥

Summary AI Following the tracks of the horse's hooves, each of Sagara's sons dug the earth for one yojana.

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पाताले चाश्वं परिभ्रमन्तं तमवनीपतितनयास्ते ददृशुः ॥

Summary AI In the netherworld of Pātāla, the king's sons discovered the sacrificial horse wandering about.

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नातिदूरे ऽवस्थितं च भगवन्तमपघने शरत्कालेर्कमिव तेजोभिरवनतमूर्धमधश्चाशेषदिशश्चोद्भासयमानं हयहर्तारं कपिलर्षिमपश्यन् ॥

Summary AI Nearby, they saw the sage Kapila, whom they mistook for the horse-thief. With his head bowed, he illuminated all directions and the depths with his brilliance, like the sun in a cloudless autumn sky.

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ततश्चोद्यतायुधा दुरात्मानो ऽयमस्मदपकारी यज्ञविध्नकारी हन्यतां हयहर्ता हन्यतामीत्यवोच्न्नभ्यधावंश्च ॥

Summary AI Then those wicked ones, with weapons raised, shouted, "Kill him, our enemy and the obstructor of our sacrifice! Kill the steed-thief!" and rushed toward him.

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ततस्तेनापि भगवता किञ्चिदीषत्परिवर्तितलोचनेनावलोकिताःस्वशरीरसमुत्थेनाग्निनादह्यमाना विनेशुः ॥

Summary AI Then, looked upon by the Divine Sage with eyes slightly turned, they were consumed by the fire originating from his own body and perished.

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सगरोप्यवगम्याश्वानुसारि तत्पुत्रबलमशेषं परमर्षिणा कपिलेन तेजसा दग्धं ततोंशुमन्तमसमञ्जसपुत्रमश्वानयनाययुयोज ॥

Summary AI Sagara, learning that his entire host of sons following the horse had been consumed by the radiance of the Great Sage Kapila, then commissioned Aṃśumān, the son of Asamañjasa, to recover the horse.

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स तु सगरकतयखातमार्गेण कपिलमुपगम्य भक्तिनम्रस्तदा तृष्टाव ॥

Summary AI He, approaching Kapila through the path excavated by Sagara’s sons, bowed down in devotion and praised him.

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अथैनं भगवानाह ॥

Summary AI Then the Lord Sage spoke to him.

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गच्छैनं पितामहायाश्वं प्रापय वरं वृणीष्व च पुत्रक पौत्राश्च चते स्वर्गाद्गङ्गां भुवमानेष्यन्त इति ॥

Summary AI "Go, child, deliver this horse to your grandfather and choose a boon; your descendants shall bring the Gaṅgā from heaven to earth."

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अथांशुमानपि स्वर्यातानां ब्र-
ह्मदण्डहतानामस्मत्पितॄणा- ।
मस्वर्गयोग्यानां स्वर्गप्राप्तिकरं
वरमस्माकं प्रयच्छेति प्रत्याह ॥

Summary AI Then Aṃśumān replied, "Grant us a boon that will secure heaven for our ancestors, who have departed and been struck by the rod of Brahmā, making them unfit for the celestial realm."

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तदाकर्ण्य तं च भगवानाह उक्तमेवैतन्मयाद्य पौत्रस्ते त्रिदिवाद्गङ्गांभुवमानयिष्यतीति ॥

Summary AI Hearing this, the Lord said to him, "I have already stated this today; your grandson shall bring the Gaṅgā from the third heaven to the earth."

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तदंभसा च संस्पृष्टेष्वस्थिभस्मासु एते च स्वर्गमारोक्ष्यन्ति ॥

Summary AI "And when their bones and ashes are touched by its waters, they shall ascend to heaven."

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भगवद्विष्णुपादाङ्गुष्ठनिर्गतस्य हि जलस्यैतन्माहात्म्यम् ॥

Summary AI Indeed, such is the greatness of the water that issued from the big toe of the foot of Lord Viṣṇu.

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यन्न केवलमभिसंधिपूर्वकं स्नानाद्युपभोगेषूपकारकमनभिसांधितमप्यस्यां प्रेतप्राणस्यास्थिचर्मस्नायुकेशाद्युपस्पृष्टं शरीरजमपि पतितं सद्यः शरीरिणं स्वर्गं नयतीत्युक्तः प्रणम्य भवगते ऽश्वमादाय पितामहायज्ञमाजगाम् ॥

Summary AI This water is beneficial not just for intentional bathing; even unintentional contact with the remains of the deceased in its stream leads the soul to heaven. Having heard this, he bowed to the Lord, took the horse, and returned to his grandfather’s sacrifice.

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सगरोप्यश्वमासाद्य तं यज्ञं समापयामास ॥

Summary AI Sagara, having recovered the horse, completed that sacrifice.

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सागरं चात्मजप्रीत्या पुत्रत्वे कल्पितवान् ॥

Summary AI And out of affection for his offspring, he adopted the ocean, Sāgara, as his son.

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तस्यांशुमतो ।
दिलीपः पुत्रोभव्- ।
अत् ॥

Summary AI To that Aṃśumān, Dilīpa was born as a son.

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दिलीपस्य भगीरथः यो ऽसौ गङ्गां स्वर्गादिहानीय भगीरथीसंज्ञां चकार ॥

Summary AI Dilīpa’s son was Bhagīratha, who, having brought the Gaṅgā here from heaven, gave it the name Bhāgīrathī.

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भगीरथात्सुहोत्रःसुहोत्राच्छुतः तस्यापि नाभागः ततोंबरीषः तत्पुत्रःसिंधुद्वीपः सिंधुद्वीपादयुतायुः ॥

Summary AI From Bhagīratha came Suhotra; from Suhotra, Śruta; from him, Nābhāga; then Ambarīṣa; his son was Sindhudvīpa; and from Sindhudvīpa came Ayutāyu.

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तत्पुत्रश्च ऋतुपर्णः यो ऽसौ नलसहायोक्षहृदयज्ञोभूत् ॥

Summary AI His son was Ṛtuparṇa, who was the companion of Nala and was an expert in the secrets of dice.

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ऋतुपर्णपुत्रःसर्वकामः ॥

Summary AI Ṛtuparṇa’s son was Sarvakāma.

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तत्तनयःसुदासः ॥

Summary AI His son was Sudāsa.

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सुदासात्सौदासो ।
मित्र सहनामा ॥

Summary AI From Sudāsa came Saudāsa, also known by the name Mitrasaha.

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स चाटव्यां मृगयार्थो पर्यटन्व्याग्रद्वयमपश्यत् ॥

Summary AI While wandering in the forest for the purpose of hunting, King Kṛṣṇa’s ancestor Saudāsa encountered a pair of tigers.

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ताभ्यां तद्वनमपमृगं ।
कृतं मत्वैकं तयोर्बाणेन जघान ॥

Summary AI Believing that the forest had been depleted of deer by those two tigers, the king killed one of them with an arrow.

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म्रियमाणश्चासावतिभीषणाकृतिरतिकरालवदनो राक्षसो ऽभूत् ॥

Summary AI As it was dying, that creature revealed its true form as a rākṣasa, possessing an extremely terrifying appearance and a formidable mouth.

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द्वितीयोपि प्रतिक्रियां ते करिष्यामीत्युक्त्वान्तर्धानं जगाम ॥

Summary AI The second rākṣasa disappeared after vowing to take revenge against the king for the death of his companion.

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कालेन गच्छता सौदासो यज्ञमयजत् ॥

Summary AI As time passed, King Saudāsa performed a sacred sacrifice (yajña).

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परिनिष्ठितयज्ञे आचार्ये वसिष्ठे निष्क्रान्ते तद्रक्षो वसिष्ठरूपमास्थाय यज्ञावसाने मम नरमांसभोजनं देयमिति तत्संस्क्रियतां क्षणादागमिष्यामीत्युक्त्वा निष्क्रान्तः ॥

Summary AI When the sacrifice ended and the preceptor Vasiṣṭha left, the rākṣasa assumed Vasiṣṭha’s form and commanded that human flesh be prepared for his meal, promising to return shortly.

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भूयश्च सूदवेषं कृत्वा राजाज्ञया मानुषं मांसं संस्कृत्य राज्ञे न्यवेदयत् ॥

Summary AI Furthermore, assuming the disguise of a cook, the rākṣasa prepared human flesh as per the king's presumed order and presented it to the monarch.

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असावपि हिरण्यपात्रे मांसमादाय वसिष्ठागमनप्रतीक्षको ऽभवत् ॥

Summary AI The king, taking the meat in a golden vessel, waited for the arrival of the sage Vasiṣṭha to serve him.

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आगताय वसिष्ठाय निवेदितवान् ॥

Summary AI He offered the prepared meat to Vasiṣṭha once the sage had arrived.

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स चाप्यचिन्तयदहोस्य
राज्ञो दौःशील्यं येनैतन्मांसम- ।
स्माकं प्रयच्छति किमे-
तद्द्रव्यजातमिति ध्यानपरोभवत् ॥

Summary AI Vasiṣṭha wondered at the king's perceived wickedness in offering such meat and entered a state of meditation to discern the nature of the substance.

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