Canto Nine / CHAPTER SIX

The Downfall of Saubhari Muni

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O Mahārāja Parīkshit, Ambarīsha had three sons, named Virūpa, Ketumān and Śambhu. From Virūpa came a son named Prishadaśva, and from Prishadaśva came a son named Rathītara.

Rathītara had no sons, and therefore he requested the great sage Angirā to beget sons for him. Because of this request, Angirā begot sons in the womb of Rathītara’s wife. All these sons were born with brahminical prowess.

Having been born from the womb of Rathītara’s wife, all these sons were known as the dynasty of Rathītara, but because they were born from the semen of Angirā, they were also known as the dynasty of Angirā. Among all the progeny of Rathītara, these sons were the most prominent because, owing to their birth, they were considered brāhmanas.

The son of Manu was Ikshvāku. When Manu was sneezing, Ikshvāku was born from Manu’s nostrils. King Ikshvāku had one hundred sons, of whom Vikukshi, Nimi and Dandakā were the most prominent.

Of the one hundred sons, twenty-five became kings in the western side of Āryāvarta, a place between the Himālaya and Vindhya mountains. Another twenty-five sons became kings in the east of Āryāvarta, and the three principal sons became kings in the middle. The other sons became kings in various other places.

During the months of January, February and March, oblations offered to the forefathers are called ashtakā-śrāddha. The śrāddha ceremony is held during the dark fortnight of the month. When Mahārāja Ikshvāku was performing his oblations in this ceremony, he ordered his son Vikukshi to go immediately to the forest to bring some pure flesh.

Thereafter, Ikshvāku’s son Vikukshi went to the forest and killed many animals suitable for being offered as oblations. But when fatigued and hungry he became forgetful and ate a rabbit he had killed.

Vikukshi offered the remnants of the flesh to King Ikshvāku, who gave it to Vasishtha for purification. But Vasishtha could immediately understand that part of the flesh had already been taken by Vikukshi, and therefore he said that it was unfit to be used in the śrāddha ceremony.

When King Ikshvāku, thus informed by Vasishtha, understood what his son Vikukshi had done, he was extremely angry. Thus he ordered Vikukshi to leave the country because Vikukshi had violated the regulative principles.

Having been instructed by the great and learned brāhmana Vasishtha, who discoursed about the Absolute Truth, Mahārāja Ikshvāku became renounced. By following the principles for a yogī, he certainly achieved the supreme perfection after giving up his material body.

After his father’s disappearance, Vikukshi returned to the country and thus became the king, ruling the planet earth and performing various sacrifices to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vikukshi later became celebrated as Śaśāda.

The son of Śaśāda was Purañjaya, who is also known as Indravāha and sometimes as Kakutstha. Please hear from me how he received different names for different activities.

Formerly, there was a devastating war between the demigods and the demons. The demigods, having been defeated, accepted Purañjaya as their assistant and then conquered the demons. Therefore this hero is known as Purañjaya, “he who conquered the residence of the demons.”

Purañjaya agreed to kill all the demons, on the condition that Indra would be his carrier. Because of pride, Indra could not accept this proposal, but later, by the order of the Supreme Lord, Vishnu, Indra did accept it and became a great bull carrier for Purañjaya.

Well protected by armor and desiring to fight, Purañjaya took up a transcendental bow and very sharp arrows, and, while being highly praised by the demigods, he got up on the back of the bull [Indra] and sat on its hump. Thus he is known as Kakutstha. Being empowered by Lord Vishnu, who is the Supersoul and the Supreme Person, Purañjaya sat on the great bull and is therefore known as Indravāha. Surrounded by the demigods, he attacked the residence of the demons in the west.

There was a fierce battle between the demons and Purañjaya. Indeed, it was so fierce that when one hears about it one’s hairs stand on end. All the demons bold enough to come before Purañjaya were immediately sent to the residence of Yamarāja by his arrows.

To save themselves from the blazing arrows of Indravāha, which resembled the flames of devastation at the end of the millennium, the demons who remained when the rest of their army was killed fled very quickly to their respective homes.

After conquering the enemy, the saintly king Purañjaya gave everything, including the enemy’s riches and wives, to Indra, who carries a thunderbolt. For this he is celebrated as Purañjaya. Thus Purañjaya is known by different names because of his different activities.

The son of Purañjaya was known as Anenā, Anenā’s son was Prithu, and Prithu’s son was Viśvagandhi. Viśvagandhi’s son was Candra, and Candra’s son was Yuvanāśva.

The son of Yuvanāśva was Śrāvasta, who constructed a township known as Śrāvastī Purī. The son of Śrāvasta was Brihadaśva, and his son was Kuvalayāśva. In this way the dynasty increased.

To satisfy the sage Utanka, the greatly powerful Kuvalayāśva killed a demon named Dhundhu. He did this with the assistance of his twenty-one thousand sons.

O Mahārāja Parīkshit, for this reason Kuvalayāśva is celebrated as Dhundhumāra [“the killer of Dhundhu”]. All but three of his sons, however, were burned to ashes by the fire emanating from Dhundhu’s mouth. The remaining sons were Dridhāśva, Kapilāśva and Bhadrāśva. From Dridhāśva came a son named Haryaśva, whose son is celebrated as Nikumbha.

The son of Nikumbha was Bahulāśva, the son of Bahulāśva was Kriśāśva, the son of Kriśāśva was Senajit, and the son of Senajit was Yuvanāśva. Yuvanāśva had no sons, and thus he retired from family life and went to the forest.

Although Yuvanāśva went into the forest with his one hundred wives, all of them were very morose. The sages in the forest, however, being very kind to the King, began very carefully and attentively performing an Indra-yajña so that the King might have a son.

Being thirsty one night, the King entered the arena of sacrifice, and when he saw all the brāhmanas lying down, he personally drank the sanctified water meant to be drunk by his wife.

When the brāhmanas got up from bed and saw the waterpot empty, they inquired who had done this work of drinking the water meant for begetting a child.

When the brāhmanas came to understand that the King, inspired by the supreme controller, had drunk the water, they all exclaimed “Alas! The power of providence is real power. No one can counteract the power of the Supreme.” In this way they offered their respectful obeisances unto the Lord.

Thereafter, in due course of time, a son with all the good symptoms of a powerful king came forth from the lower right side of King Yuvanāśva’s abdomen.

The baby cried so much for breast milk that all the brāhmanas were very unhappy. “Who will take care of this baby?” they said. Then Indra, who was worshiped in that yajña, came and solaced the baby. “Do not cry,” Indra said. Then Indra put his index finger in the baby’s mouth and said, “You may drink me.”

Because Yuvanāśva, the father of the baby, was blessed by the brāhmanas, he did not fall a victim to death. After this incident, he performed severe austerities and achieved perfection in that very spot.

Māndhātā, the son of Yuvanāśva, was the cause of fear for Rāvana and other thieves and rogues who caused anxiety. O King Parīkshit, because they feared him, the son of Yuvanāśva was known as Trasaddasyu. This name was given by King Indra. By the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of Yuvanāśva was so powerful that when he became emperor he ruled the entire world, consisting of seven islands, without any second ruler.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not different from the auspicious aspects of great sacrifices, such as the ingredients of the sacrifice, the chanting of Vedic hymns, the regulative principles, the performer, the priests, the result of the sacrifice, the arena of sacrifice, and the time of sacrifice. Knowing the principles of self-realization, Māndhātā worshiped that transcendentally situated Supreme Soul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu, who comprises all the demigods. He also gave immense charity to the brāhmanas, and thus he performed yajña to worship the Lord.

All places, from where the sun rises on the horizon, shining brilliantly, to where the sun sets, are known as the possession of the celebrated Māndhātā, the son of Yuvanāśva.

Māndhātā begot three sons in the womb of Bindumatī, the daughter of Śaśabindu. These sons were Purukutsa, Ambarīsha, and Mucukunda, a great mystic yogī. These three brothers had fifty sisters, who all accepted the great sage Saubhari as their husband.

Saubhari Rishi was engaged in austerity, deep in the water of the river Yamunā, when he saw a pair of fish engaged in sexual affairs. Thus he perceived the pleasure of sex life, and induced by this desire he went to King Māndhātā and begged for one of the King’s daughters. In response to this request, the King said, “O brāhmana, any of my daughters may accept any husband according to her personal selection.”

Saubhari Muni thought: I am now feeble because of old age. My hair has become grey, my skin is slack, and my head always trembles. Besides, I am a yogī. Therefore women do not like me. Since the King has thus rejected me, I shall reform my body in such a way as to be desirable even to celestial women, what to speak of the daughters of worldly kings.

Thereafter, when Saubhari Muni became quite a young and beautiful person, the messenger of the palace took him inside the residential quarters of the princesses, which were extremely opulent. All fifty princesses then accepted him as their husband, although he was only one man.

Thereafter, the princesses, being attracted by Saubhari Muni, gave up their sisterly relationship and quarreled among themselves, each one of them contending, “This man is just suitable for me, and not for you.” In this way there ensued a great disagreement.

Because Saubhari Muni was expert in chanting mantras perfectly, his severe austerities resulted in an opulent home, with garments, ornaments, properly dressed and decorated maidservants and manservants, and varieties of parks with clear-water lakes and gardens. In the gardens, fragrant with varieties of flowers, birds chirped and bees hummed, surrounded by professional singers. Saubhari Muni’s home was amply provided with valuable beds, seats, ornaments, and arrangements for bathing, and there were varieties of sandalwood creams, flower garlands, and palatable dishes. Thus surrounded by opulent paraphernalia, the muni engaged in family affairs with his numerous wives.

Māndhātā, the King of the entire world, consisting of seven islands, was struck with wonder when he saw the household opulence of Saubhari Muni. Thus he gave up his false prestige in his position as emperor of the world.

In this way, Saubhari Muni enjoyed sense gratification in the material world, but he was not at all satisfied, just as a fire never ceases blazing if constantly supplied with drops of fat.

Thereafter, one day while Saubhari Muni, who was expert in chanting mantras, was sitting in a secluded place, he thought to himself about the cause of his falldown, which was simply that he had associated himself with the sexual affairs of the fish.

Alas! While practicing austerity, even within the depths of the water, and while observing all the rules and regulations practiced by saintly persons, I lost the results of my long austerities simply by association with the sexual affairs of fish. Everyone should observe this falldown and learn from it.

A person desiring liberation from material bondage must give up the association of persons interested in sex life and should not employ his senses externally [in seeing, hearing, talking, walking and so on]. One should always stay in a secluded place, completely fixing his mind at the lotus feet of the unlimited Personality of Godhead, and if one wants any association at all, he should associate with persons similarly engaged.

In the beginning I was alone and engaged in performing the austerities of mystic yoga, but later, because of the association of fish engaged in sex, I desired to marry. Then I became the husband of fifty wives, and in each of them I begot one hundred sons, and thus my family increased to five thousand members. By the influence of the modes of material nature, I became fallen and thought that I would be happy in material life. Thus there is no end to my material desires for enjoyment, in this life and the next.

In this way he passed his life in household affairs for some time, but then he became detached from material enjoyment. To renounce material association, he accepted the vānaprastha order and went to the forest. His devoted wives followed him, for they had no shelter other than their husband.

When Saubhari Muni, who was quite conversant with the self, went to the forest, he performed severe penances. In this way, in the fire at the time of death, he ultimately engaged himself in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

O Mahārāja Parīkshit, by observing their husband progressing in spiritual existence, Saubhari Muni’s wives were also able to enter the spiritual world by his spiritual power, just as the flames of a fire cease when the fire is extinguished.