CHAPTER – 72
Markandeya said: – Then having found his own city the king saw that twice-born one with his wife who had attained an excellent disposition, and was full of delight. (1)
The Brahmana said: – O thou most superior king, I am gratified, for the law is maintained unto me by thee who knowest the law and who brought my wife to me. (2)
The King said: – Thou art gratified, O most superior among twice-born persons, owing to the due observance of the law of my order, but we, O Brahmana, whose wife is not in the house, are in a most painful situation. (3)
The Brahmana said: – If she has been, O Lord of men, eaten up by wild animals in the woods, what can be done by her. Why there is not the hand of some other (maiden) taken by thee (in marriage). Owing to thy subjection to anger the law is not being observed by thee. (4)
The King said: – My love has not been devoured by wild animals; she lives, in truth, with unblemished character. What shall I do now? (5)
The Brahmana said: – If thy wife lives and is not attached to any other person then why is the sin, caused by the absence of the wife, committed by thee. (6)
The King said: – Even if brought she will always, O Brahmana, be opposed to me, she is only for my sorrow and not for my happiness – she has no love for me. Do thou so try that she may be subject to me. (7)
The Brahmana said: – For her love towards thee, I shall perform that sacrifice, called Mitravinda, which great and beneficial sacrifice is performed by those who desire love. (8) That sacrifice is the worker of superior love among husband and wife who are not loved by each other. For thy benefit I shall perform that sacrifice. (9) O Lord of the earth, bring her, thy wife, of beautiful eye-brows, from where she exists; she will give thee most superior happiness. (10)
Markandeya said: – Being thus spoken to, he, the lord of the world, brought the endless objects (needful for the sacrifice) and he, that most superior Brahmin also performed that sacrifice – (yajna). (11) With a view to work up the wife of that king, that superior person among the twice-born, again and again performed that sacrifice seven times. (12) When that great Muni felt that the love of her (the queen) had been fully established on her own husband, then that Brahmana told the lord of men. (13) “O thou most superior among men, bring her, who is the object of thy love, near thee; and enjoy the objects of pleasure with her, and perform sacrifices likewise being honoured (by her). (14)
Markandeya said: – Being thus spoken to, by that Brahmana, the ruler of the world, at that time, overcome with wonder, then remembered that Rakshasa of great energy and steadfast resolution. (15) O great Muni, remembered by him at that time, that (Rakshasa), immediately approaching the lord of men, after salutation said, – “What may I do”? (16) Then having been informed in detail by that lord of men, going to the nether regions and securing the wife of the king, he came back to him. (17) Thus brought she beheld then her lord with great love, and said again and again, being full of delight – “Be gracious”. (18) Then that king embracing that honoured one with great eagerness exclaimed – “I am always gracious to thee, my love, why then dost thou say so again”. (19)
The Wife said: – If thy mind is exceedingly gracious towards me, O lord of men, then I beg this of thee, “do thou do this which is the object of my worship”. (20)
The King said: – Tell me without fear, whatever is desired by thee of me, – that will not be unattainable, O thou timid one; there is no doubt of it, that I am under thy control. (21)
The Wife said: – For my sake by that serpent has his daughter, my friend, been cursed -saying, – “thou shalt be dumb,” and she too has come by dumbness. (22) If thou canst effect a remedy of her, for the removal of her dumbness, moved by thy love for me, what great good wilt thou then do unto me. (23)
Markandeya said: – Then that king asked that Brahmana “under the circumstance what kind of work (sacrifice) is to be performed for the remedy of that dumbness,” and he also said that to the king. (24)
The Brahmana said: – In obedience to thy order, O lord of the earth, I shall perform the Saraswati sacrifice and owing to the setting in of the power of speech of Nanda this thy wife shall be released of her debt (of gratitude). (25)
Markandeya said: – That most superior, among twice-born persons for that object, performed the sacrifice called Saraswati and with concentrated mind repeated the Saraswati Suktas. (26) Then Garga told her, whose power of speech had began to work, in the nether world, “this
good, very hard to work, has been done thee, by the husband of thy friend”. (27) Coming by this knowledge, Nanda, the self begotten daughter of the serpent, having quickly found that city and then having embraced her friend the queen, and having also done honour to that ruler of the earth, and having repeatedly uttered, benedictions (on them), – the serpent woman taking her seat spoke (thus) sweetly. (28-29) “By the good that has just been done to me by thee, O brave one, my heart has been drawn to thee. Hear what I speak. (30) O thou lord of men, thou shalt have a son endowed with great energy, on this earth; his arms shall be invincible. (31) He shall know the meaning and significance of all scriptures and shall be devoted to the law and the sacrifices; that intelligent one shall be a Manu, the lord of Manwantara”. (32) Thus having uttered this blessing on him, the daughter of the king of serpents, O Muni, after embracing her friend duly went away to the nether regions. (33) There a long period passed of that king enjoying life with her (the queen) and governing his subjects. (34) Then a son was born of that high-souled king unto her, just as the full-diced and beautiful moon appears on the full moon night. (35) On the birth of that high-souled one all the people found great delight and the flutes of the Gods were played and flowers fell in a shower. (36) Munis, having come (to see him) and seeing the loveliness of his limbs, and his future character, gave him the name – Auttama. (37) ‘This one is born in a good family, similarly in a good time, and unto Uttama, and is of a good form, therefore he shall be Auttama’. (38)
Markandeya said: – Then this one, the son of Uttama, and similarly known by the name of Auttama, became Manu; hear of his prowess from me. (39) Whoever, that hears daily the whole of the story of Uttama, and that of birth of Auttama, shall never become the object of men’s ill-will. (40) Of him who shall hear or read these, there shall never be any separation with objects of his desires or wives, or sons, or friends. (41) Hear, O Brahman, of his Manwantara, from me as also of him who is the Indra (in that Manwantara) and who are the Gods and who are Rishis. (42)