विष्णुपुराणम् — चतुर्थांशे पञ्चमोऽध्यायः | viṣṇupurāṇam

इक्ष्वाकुतिनयो योसौ निमिर्नाम्ना सहस्रं वत्सरं सत्रमारेभे ॥

Summary AI Nimi, the son of Ikṣvāku, commenced a sacrificial session (satra) intended to last for a thousand years.

Summary AI He chose the sage Vasiṣṭha to officiate as the chief priest (hotṛ) for the sacrifice.

तमाह वसिष्ठोहमिन्द्रेण पञ्च- ।
वर्षशतयागार्थं प्रथमं वृतः ॥

Summary AI Vasiṣṭha replied to him, stating that he had already been engaged by Indra for a sacrifice lasting five hundred years.

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तदनन्तरं प्रतिपाल्यतामागतस्तवापि ऋत्वि- ।
क्भविष्यमीत्युक्ते स पृथिवीपतिर्न किञ्चिदुक्तवान् ॥

Summary AI When Vasiṣṭha told the king to wait until he finished Indra's rite, promising to serve him thereafter, the monarch remained silent.

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वसिष्ठोप्यनेन समन्विच्छितमित्यमारपतेर्यागमकरोत् ॥

Summary AI Vasiṣṭha, assuming the king had consented to wait, proceeded to perform the sacrifice for Indra, the lord of the immortals.

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सो ऽपि तत्काल एवान्यैर्गौतमादिभिर्यागमकरोत् ॥

Summary AI However, King Nimi immediately went ahead and performed his sacrifice with other sages, such as Gautama.

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समाप्ते चामरपतेर्यागे त्वरया वसिष्ठोनिमियज्ञं करिष्यामीत्याजगाम् ॥

Summary AI Upon completing the sacrifice for Indra, Vasiṣṭha hurried back, intending to fulfill his role in Nimi's sacrifice.

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तत्कर्मकर्तृत्वं च गौतमस्य दृष्ट्वा स्वपते
तस्मै राज्ञे मां प्रत्याख्यायैव तदनेन ।
गौतमाय कर्मान्तरं समर्पितं यस्मात्त-
स्मादयं विदेहो भविष्यतीति शापं ददौ ॥

Summary AI Seeing Gautama acting as the priest, Vasiṣṭha cursed the sleeping king, declaring that because Nimi had rejected him for another, he would become bodiless (videha).

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प्रबुद्धश्चासाववनिपतिरपि प्रह ॥

Summary AI When the king eventually woke up and learned of the curse, he also spoke.

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यस्मान्मामसंभाष्याज्ञानत एव शयानस्य शापोत्सर्गमसौ दुष्टगुरुश्चकार तस्मात्तस्यापि देहः पतिष्यतीति शापं दत्त्वा देहमत्यजत् ॥

Summary AI Nimi countered with a curse, stating that since the wicked teacher cursed a sleeping man without communication, Vasiṣṭha's body would also perish; then Nimi died.

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तच्छापाच्च मित्रावरुणयोस्तेजसि वसिष्ठस्य चेतः प्रविष्टम् ॥

Summary AI Due to Nimi's curse, the consciousness of Vasiṣṭha entered the combined brilliance of the deities Mitra and Varuṇa.

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रुशीदर्शनादुद्भुतबीजप्रपातयोस्तयोःसकाशाद्वसिष्ठो देहमपरं लेभे ॥

Summary AI Vasiṣṭha obtained a new body from Mitra and Varuṇa after their seed was discharged upon seeing the celestial nymph Urvaśī.

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निमेरपि तच्छरीरमतिम-
नोहरगन्धतैलादिभिरुप- ।
संस्क्रियमाणं नैव क्लेदादिकं
दोषमवाप सद्यो मृत इव तस्थौ ॥

Summary AI Nimi's body was preserved with fragrant oils and perfumes, remaining free from decay and appearing as though he had only just passed away.

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यज्ञसमाप्तौ भागग्रहणाय देवानागतानृत्विज ऊचुः । यजमानाय वरो दीयतामिति ॥

Summary AI At the end of the sacrifice, the priests requested the gods who had come for their sacrificial portions to grant a boon to the departed king.

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देवैश्च छन्दितोसौ निमिराह ॥

Summary AI When the deities invited Nimi to choose a boon, the king expressed his wish.

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भगवन्तोखिलससारदुःखहन्तारः ॥

Summary AI Nimi addressed the gods as the destroyers of all the miseries inherent in worldly existence.

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न ह्येतादृगन्यद्दुःखमस्ति यच्छरीरात्मनोर्वियोगे भवति ॥

Summary AI He stated that there is no sorrow comparable to the suffering caused by the separation of the soul from its physical body.

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तदहमिच्छामि सकललोकलोचनेषु वस्तुं न पुनः शरीरग्रहणं कर्तुमित्येवमुक्तैर्देवैरसावशेषभूतानां नेत्रेष्ववतारितः ॥

Summary AI Nimi requested to reside in the eyes of all creatures instead of taking another body. The gods granted this, placing him in the eyes of all beings.

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ततो भूतान्युन्मेषनिमेषं चक्रुः ॥

Summary AI Consequently, living beings began to exhibit the action of opening and closing their eyes, known as blinking (nimeṣa).

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अपुत्रस्य च तस्य भूभुजः शरीरम- ।
राजकभीरवो मुनयो ऽरण्या ममन्थुः ॥

Summary AI As the king died without an heir, the sages, fearing the consequences of an empty throne, churned his body using sacrificial fire-sticks (araṇi).

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तत्र च कुमारो जज्ञे ॥

Summary AI And there, a son was born.

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जननाज्जनकसंज्ञां चावाप ॥

Summary AI From the circumstances of his birth, he obtained the name Janaka.

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अभूद्विदेहोस्य पितेति वैदेहः मथनान्मिथिरिति ॥

Summary AI He was called Vaideha because his father was bodiless (videha), and he was named Mithi because he was produced by churning.

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तस्योदावसुः पुत्रो ऽभवत् ॥

Summary AI His son was Udāvasu.

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उदावसोर्नदिवर्धनस्ततःसुकेतुः तस्माद्देवरात- ।
स्ततश्च बृहदुक्थः तस्य चे महावीर्यस्तस्यापि सुधृति ॥

Summary AI From Udāvasu came Nadivardhana, then Suketu, then Devarāta, followed by Bṛhaduktha, Mahāvīrya, and Sudhṛti.

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ततश्चधृष्टकेतुरजायत ॥

Summary AI Following them, Dhṛṣṭaketu was born.

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धृष्टकेतोर्हर्यश्वस्तस्य च मनुः मनोः पतिकः तस्मात्कृतरथस्तस्य देवमीढः तस्य च विबुधः विबुधस्य महाधृतिस्ततश्च कृतरातः ततो महारोमा तस्य स्वर्णरोमा तत्पुत्रो ह्रस्वरोणा ह्रस्वरोम्णःसीरध्वजो ऽभवत् ॥

Summary AI The lineage continued from Dhṛṣṭaketu to Haryaśva, Manu, Patika, Kṛtaratha, Devamīḍha, Vibudha, Mahādhṛti, Kṛtarāta, Mahāromā, and Svarṇaromā. His son was Hrasvaromā, whose son was Sīradhvaja.

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तस्य पुत्रर्थं यजनभुवं कृष- ।
तः सीरे सीता दुहिता समुत्पन्ना ॥

Summary AI While Sīradhvaja was ploughing the sacrificial ground to obtain a son, a daughter named Sītā appeared in the furrow of the plough.

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सीरध्वजस्य भ्राता संकाश्य- ।
धिपतिः कुशध्वजनामासीत् ॥

Summary AI The brother of Sīradhvaja was named Kuśadhvaja, who was the ruler of Saṃkāśyā.

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सीरध्वजस्यापत्यं भानुमान्भानुमतः शत- ।
द्युम्नः तस्य तु शुचिः तस्माच्चोर्जनामा पुत्रो जज्ञे ॥

Summary AI Sīradhvaja's offspring was Bhānumān; from him came Śatadyumna, then Śuci, and from him a son named Ūrja was born.

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तस्यापि शतध्वजः ततः कृतिः कृतेरञ्जनः तत्पुत्रः कुरुजित्ततो ऽरिष्टनेमिः तस्माच्छुतायुः श्रुतायुषः सुपार्श्वाः तस्मात्सृंजयः ततः क्षेमावी क्षेमाविनो ऽनेनाः तस्माद्भौमरथः तस्य सत्यरथः तस्मादुपगुः उपगोरुपगुप्तः तत्पुत्रः स्वागतस्तस्य च स्वानन्दः तस्माच्च सुवर्चाः तस्य सुपार्श्वः तस्यापिसुभाषः सुश्रुतः तस्मासुश्रुताज्जयः तस्य पुत्रो विजयः विजयस्य ऋतः ऋतात्सुनयः सुनयाद्वीतहव्यः तस्माद्धूतिः धृतेर्वबहुलास्वः तस्य पुत्रः कृतिः ॥

Summary AI The line proceeded through Śatadhvaja, Kṛti, Añjana, Kurujit, Ariṣṭanemi, Śrutāyu, Supार्श्व, Sṛñjaya, Kṣemāvī, Anenā, Bhaumaratha, Satyaratha, Upagu, Upagupta, Svāgata, Svānanda, Suvarcas, Supārśva, Subhāṣa, Suśruta, Jaya, Vijaya, Ṛta, Sunaya, Vītahavya, Dhṛti, and Bahulāśva, ending with Kṛti.

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कृतौ संतिष्ठत्य- ।
यं जनकवंशः ॥

Summary AI This dynasty of Janaka concludes with the king named Kṛti.

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इत्येते मैथिलाः ॥

Summary AI Thus, these are the kings of Mithilā.

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प्रायेणैते आत्मविद्याश्रयिणो भूपाला भवन्ति ॥

Summary AI Generally, these monarchs are dedicated seekers of self-knowledge (ātmavidyā).

इति श्रीविष्णुमहापुराणे चतुर्थांसे पञ्चमो ऽध्यायः ।