Tirthayatra Parva — The history of Mandhata

Yudhishthira said: O great Brahmana, how was born that excellent king, that foremost of monarchs, the son of Yuvanashva, Mandhata, celebrated over the three worlds?

Here did that immeasurably effulgent one attain to the highest regal power, for all the three worlds were as much under his rule as they were under that of the high-souled Vishnu?

I am desirous to hear all about the life and achievements of that intelligent king. I should also like to hear when and how his name became Mandhata, belonging as it did to the greatly effulgent Indra and how that matchlessly powerful hero was born, you are greatly-skilled in the art of narrating all events, (narrate all this to me).

Lomasha said: O king, hear with attention how the name of Mandhata, that high-souled king, came to be famous all over the world.

The king Yuvanashva was born in the race of Ikshvaku. O ruler of earth, he performed many sacrifices in which Dakshinas (gifts) were large.

That foremost of all virtuous men, performed one thousand horse-sacrifices. He also performed many other sacrifices in which Dakshinas were in abundance.

But that royal sage had no son and therefore that high-souled and greatly vow-observing king made over to his ministers the duties of the state and went to live in the forest.

That high-souled king devoted himself to the pursuits, enjoined in the Shastras; and one day, O king, that monarch was much afflicted with observing a fast.

He was suffering from the pangs of hunger and his inner soul seemed perched with thirst. He then entered the hermitage of Bhrigu. O king of kings, on that very night, the great Rishi, who was the delight of Bhrigu's race, had performed a religious ceremony with the object of getting a son born to Sudyumana. A large vessel was there filled with water which was consecrated with mantras and which had been previously deposited there. The water was endued with the virtue of making the wife of Yuvanashava conceive a son equal to Indra.

Having been much fatigued by keeping up nights, those great Rishis placed that jar on the altar and went to sleep.

The king was suffering from thirst, his palate was dry and he was eagerly looking for water. Entering the hermitage, greatly tired as he was, he asked for water.

With fatigue and with a perched throat, he cried in a feeble voice which resembled like the inarticulate notes of a bird. Therefore none heard his voice.

Thereupon the king, seeing the jar filled with water, quickly ran towards it. He drank the water and put the jar down.

That intelligent king, who was very thirsty, drank that cool water; his thirst being quenched he became greatly happy.

Those ascetic Rishis then awoke from their sleep and all of them saw that the water of the jar was gone.

The assembled all together and asked one another who had done this. Then Yuvanashva told the truth saying, “It was done by me.”

The illustrious son of Bhrigu then said to hirn, O royal sage, O greatly powerful one, "It was not proper. This was kept with the object that a son may be born to you. It was endued with ascetic virtue. Having performed severe asceticism, I infused the virtue of my religious acts in this water, so that a son might be born to you.

O king, a son would have been bom to you would have been greatly strong, courageous, endued with the prowess of asceticism and who by his might would have even sent Indra to the abode of Yama. It was thus that this water was prepared by me. By drinking this water, O king, you have done what was not proper.

It is impossible now to turn back the incident which happened. What you have done was certainly ordained by Fate,

O great king, as you, being very thirsty, have drank the water prepared with sacred hymns which was filled with the virtue of my religious labours, you must bring forth out of your own body a son as described above. We shall perform for your sake a sacrifice of wonderful effect, so that you will bring forth a son equal to Indra. You will not feel any pain at the time of the delivery.

When one hundred years passed away, a son, as effulgent as the sun, came out by rising the left side of that high-souled king. The greatly effulgent child came out, but king Yuvanashva did not die, it was no doubt a great wonder.

Then greatly effulgent, Indra came there with the desire of seeing him. Thereupon the celestials asked Indra, “What is to be sucked by this boy?"

Then Indra gave his own fore finger into his mouth (to suck) and the wielder of thunder said, "he will suck me.” Thereupon the dwellers of heaven with Indra gave him the name Mandhata. Having sucked the fore-finger of Indra, he became greatly strong and he grew to be thirteen cubits.

O great king, the whole of the sacred learning together with the holy science of arms was acquired by that greatly intelligent boy by the simple and unassisted power of his thought.

O descendant of Bharata, the bow, celebrated all over the world by the name of Ajagava and a large number of arrows made of horn, also an impenetrable armour, all came to him on the same day. He was installed on the throne by Indra himself and he then conquered the three worlds in righteous way, as once Vishnu did by three steps.

The wheel of that high-souled king's car was irresistible in its course. Gems and jewels came to that royal sage of their own accord.

O ruler of earth, this is the region which (once) belonged to him. It abounds in great wealth. He performed may sacrifices in which gifts were in abundance.

O king, that great, powerful and immeasurably effulgent king erected many sacred piles and performed greatly pious deeds, by which he obtained the privilege of sitting at Indra's side.

That intelligent king conquered and ruled with virtuous laws the earth with cities and with the sea, the abode of gems.

O great king, the sacrificial grounds prepared by him were to be found all over the earth. There is not a single spot which is not marked with it.

O great king, that greatly powerful king is said to have given away to the Brahmanas ten thousand Padmas and kine.

When there was a draught extending for twelve years, disregarding the wielder of thunder, he caused rain to fall for the growth of crops.

The greatly powerful king of Gandhara, born in the Lunar dynasty, was terrible like the roaring clouds. Those that foolishly attacked him with arrows were immediately killed by him.

O king, that intelligent king protected the four orders of the people and by virtue of his asceticism and religious rites the world was kept from harm by that greatly powerful king.

This is the place where he, as effulgent as the sun, performed sacrifices to the celestials. Look as it. Yonder it is in the middle of Kurukshetra.

O ruler of earth, I have thus narrated to you all the great history of Mandhata, the manner in which he was born, a birth which was surely wonderful.”

Vaishampayana said : O descendant of Bharata, having been thus addressed by the great Rishi Lomasha, the son of Kunti (Yudhishthira) asked other questions about Somaka.