CHAPTER – 76
Markandeya: – Thus have the five Manwantaras been described to you by me. Hear next of the sixth, belonging to Chakshusha. (1) In the previous birth this one was born of the eye of Paramesti, therefore, O thou twice-born one, even in this birth his name became Chakshusha. (2) The wife of the high-souled Rajarshi (the princely Rishi) Anamitra bore a son, learned, and pure, and possessed of the recollections of all former births, and powerful.
(3) At his birth his mother embraced him with love, lying on her lap, loudly expressing her joy, and again and again did she so. (4) He was born endowed with the knowledge of former births, therefore lying on the mother’s lap he laughed; at this the mother becoming angry spoke these words. (5) “I am overtaken by fear. What is this my child? There is smile on thy face – thy intelligence is born prematurely. Dost thou see any happy augury?” (6)
The Son said: – Dost thou not see that this female cat before thee is willing to eat me; and the second one (wishing to eat me) is this Jataharini, who is out of thy sight. (7) Because moved by the love of thy son, thou, O revered one, art beholding me with affection, and by crying aloud art embracing me many times, from which arises rapture (in thee) and thy sight is filled with tears born of love, – therefore has this smile come to (my lips); hear also its reason. (8-9) Drawn by selfishness this female cat is longingly looking at me; and similarly the other one the Jataharini, who is out of sight. (10) Just as these two are devoted to me with tender hearts from selfishness similarly thou too also art moved by selfishness, so it seems to me. (11) But while the female cat and Jataharini are bent upon enjoying me (immediately) thou desirest such fruits of me as thou mayst enjoy gradually in time. (12) Thou dost not know me, – who this one is; nor hast thou been benefitted by me, our association is not of long, only of five or seven days. (13) Still thou lovest me, embracest me with tears, and dost address me with such words as father, son, the good one, &c.
The Mother said: – Not for any benefit, O beloved one, do I embrace thee with love. If this be not pleasant to thee, and I be deserted by thee, whatever selfish objects may be gained from thee, they are given up by me. (15)
Markandeya said: – Thus saying, she, leaving him, got out of the confinement house, with her external senses be numbed and unfit for work, but her inner spirit pure. (16) Then Jataharini took that (child); and she, having stolen their boy, placed him on the bed of king Vikranta, and took his son. (17) And taking him also to another house, and taking up the son of that house, gradually Jataharini ate up that third one. (18) This exceedingly cruel one, thus continually stealing (peoples’ children) and exchanging one after another, always eats up the third one. (19) Then the lord of earth Vikranta performed all the sacramental ceremonies which are performed by the kings. (20) The father, that lord of men, Vikranta, moved by supreme delight, according to law, gave him the name Ananda. (21) To him, and the boy after his Upanayana sacrament had been performed, the Guru said, “at first go and make obeisance to thy mother”. (22) Hearing that word of the Guru he said laughing: – “Which mother is to be adored by me, whether she who gave me birth or she who nursed me.” (23)
The Guru said: – This, O thou possessor of the eight great qualities, is she who gave thee birth, she the daughter of Jarutha, and the chief queen of Vikranta, known by the name of Haimini. (24)
Ananda said: – She is the mother of Chaitra, resident of Vishalagrama and son of the Brahman Agravadha, who is born of her; we are born of another. (25)
The Guru said: – Whence are you, say Ananda? Who again is Chaitra spoken of by thee? Where art thou born, and why art thou here; tell me, I apprehend a great difficulty. (29)
(F. Eden Pargiter: Ananda spoke: I was born in a ksatriya king’s house of his wife Giri-bhadra. O brahmana. The hag that steals newborn children took me; she left me here, and taking Haimini’s son also carried him further to the house of the leading brahmana Bodha, and devoured the brahmana Bodha’s son. Haimini’s son has been consecrated with the sanctifying rites of a brahmana there. I have been consecrated here by you as guru, illustrious Sir. I must obey your command; which mother shall I approach, O guru? The guru spoke: Extremely intricate, my child, is this great difficulty that has befallen. I understand it not at all, for my wits are wandering as it were through enchantment.)
Ananda said: – The universe being thus stationed where is the opportunity for stupefaction? O Brahmana saint, who is whose son and who is whose friend? (32) All such relations
originate with the birth of mankind and they are all snapped by death, O Brahmana. (33) The relation, with the friends that springs up with the birth, ceases with the dissolution of the body; such is the law of the universe. (34) Therefore do I say that there is no friend while living in the world. Who is else is an eternal friend? Why then is thy understanding bewildered? (35) Even in this birth I have got two fathers and two mothers. What wonder is there if this happens again in the next birth? (36) I shall (now) engage in devout penances. Do thou therefore bring him from Vishalagrama who is the son of the king. (37)
Markandeya said: – Thereupon the king, along with his wife and friends, was stricken with wonderment. Then withdrawing all attachment he ordered him to retire into woods. (38) Then bringing his son Chaitra and reverencing the Brahmana by whom he was brought up in the light of a son he trained him up for the kingdom. (39) Then Ananda, a mere boy, engaged in rigid austerities in the forest for exhausting his actions that stand in the way of salvation. (40) Whilst thus engaged in rigid austerities the deity Brahma said to him “O son, tell me why hast thou engaged in such rigid austerities?” (41)
Ananda said: – “O Reverend Sir, with a view to purify my own soul, and exhaust those actions that have fettered me I have engaged in this devout penance”. (42)
Brahma said: – “One, engaged in actions, has no right (to practise devout penances) and is unworthy of salvation. How canst thou, possessed of energy, attain to salvation? (43) Thou must be born as the sixth Manu; do thou therefore go and become so. There is no need of asceticism unto thee; by doing this (i.e., becoming a Manu) thou shalt attain to salvation.” (44)
Markandeya said: -Having been thus addressed by Brahma and acquiesed in it the magnanimous (Ananda), bent on becoming (a Manu), desisted from carrying on devout penances and repaired therefrom. (45) Having taken him away from his ascetic observances Brahma addressed him as Chakshusha Manu. (46) He espoused Vidarbha the daughter of the king Ugra and begat on her a number of sons of well-known prowess. (47) Hearken, O twice-born one, who during this Manwantara were the gods and the Rishis, who was the Indra and who were his sons. (48) In it the gods were called Aryas and they were divided into nine classes. O Vipra, they were all of illustrious deeds, used to feed upon Havya in a sacrifice, were of well-known prowess and energy and were difficult of being eyed for their effulgence. There was another class of deities called Prasuta who were divided into eight sects. (49-50) Another class of deities came into being called Vavyas who also were divided into eight sects and then came the fourth class of deities who were also divided into eightfold divisions. (51) O twice born one, in this Manwantara the fifth class of deities, who appeared, were called Lekhas and used to feed on ambrosia. (52) He, who having celebrated a hundred sacrifices became their lord, was called Manojava and was a partaker of sacrificial offerings. (53) Sumedha, Virajas, Havishman, Unnata, Madhu, Atinama and Sahishnu, these seven were the Rishis. (54) Uru, Puru, Shatadyumna and others were the highly powerful sons of Manu Chakshusha and they all became the lords of the earth (55). I have thus described to you, O you twice-born one, the sixth Manwantara, the birth and the character of the high-souled Chakshusha. (56) The one, who has now appeared, is called Manu Vaivaswata. Hear, I shall now describe the deities and others of this seventh Manwantara. (57)