तीर्थयात्रा पर्व — जमदग्निको जन्म

Vaishampayana said : That lord of earth (Yudhishthira) lived there for one night. He with his brothers gave the highest honours to the ascetics.

Lomasha told him there the names of all the ascetics, namely the Bhrigus, the Angiras, the Vasishthas and the Kashyapas.

The royal sage (Yudhishthira) paid a visit to them all and made obeisance to thein with joined hands. He then thus asked Akritavrana who was the follower of heroic (Parshu) Rama. "When will the illustrious (Parshu) Rama show himself to the ascetics here? I desire on that occasion to see that descendant of Bhrigu.

Akritavrana said : Your coming here is already known to Rama whose soul spontaneously knows everything. Rama is pleased with you. He will soon show himself to you.

The ascetics see Rama on the fourteenth and eighth day of the lunar month. At the close of this night, the fourteenth day of the lunar course will set in.

Yudhishthira said: You are a follower of the mighty Rama, the son of Jamadagni; you must have personally scen all the (great) deeds performed by him in the days of yore.

Therefore narrate to us today how the Kshatriyas were vanquished by him in battle and what was the cause of it.

Akritavrana said : O foremost of kings, O descendant of Bharata, I shall with great pleasure narrate to you that excellent story of the celestials-like deeds of Rama, the son of Jamadagni, who was born in the race of Bhrigu. (I shall also narrate the history of) Kartavirya, the king of the Haihayas.

The king of the Haihayas, named Arjuna, was killed by Rama. O son of Pandu, he had ons.

O lord of earth, through the favour of Dattatreya he possessed a golden car. His wealth was the whole earth including all creatures.

The car of that illustrious hero could go everywhere in an unobstructed course. Being greatly powerful by having received boons, he on that car.

Trampled upon the celestials, the Yakshas and all the Rishis. He always persecuted all creatures wherever they were bound.

Thereupon the celestials and the Rishis of great vows all met together; and they thus spoke to the god of gods, the slayer of Asuras, Vishnu of great prowess, “O lord, O exalted one, kill Arjuna to protect all creatures. The lord, the ruler of the Haihayas, on his celestials car, chastised Vasava (Indra) when he was sporting with Sachi. O descendant of Bharata, thereupon the exalted deity (Vishnu) held a consultation with Sakra (Indra) as how to kill Kartavirja.

All that was beneficial to the world was told by the lord of celestials. The exalted one, the adored of all the world, (Vishnu) promising to do all. Indra adviced the welfare of all creatures. Then hearing everythig, lord of all world went to Badari, his most favourite hermitage. At this very time there lived on earth a mighty king in Kanyakubja, monarch of great prowess, known in the world by the name of Gadhi. But he retired into the forest. .When he was living in the forest, a daughter was born to him as beautiful as an Apsara. O descendant of Bharata, Rechika, the son of Bhrigu asked her for marriage.

Thereupon Gadhi thus spoke to that Brahmana of rigid vows, "There is a custom in our family, established from the days of yore. O foremost of Brahmanas, know, the bridegroom must give a dowry of one thousand swift and brown coloured and black-eared horses.

O son of Bhrigu, O exalted one, you cannot be asked to give (such a dowry). O exalted one, my daughter also cannot be refused (when asked by you). Do what is proper."

Richika said: I shall give you one thousand swift, browncoloured and black-eared horses. Let your daughter become my wife.

Akritavrana said: O king, having thus promised, he (Rechika) thus spoke to Varuna, "Give me one thousand swift, brown-coloured and black-eared horses to be my dowry. Varuna immediately gave him one thousand (such) horses.

The place, where the horses rose from the Ganges in Kanyakubja, is celebrated as the Horse-Tiriha. And then the king bestowed Satyavati (his daughter to Rechika). In the marriage of the daughter of Gadhi even the celestials were present. Thus that foremost of Brahmana Rechika obtained one thousand horses. Saw the dwellers of heaven and got a wife according to the ordinance. He then sported with that slender-waisted damsel at pleasure.

O king, when the marriage ceremony was over, Bhrigu came to see his excellent son, who with his wife duly worshipped him; and seeing them he (Bhrigu) was greatly pleased.

When the preceptor (Bhrigu), the adored of all the celestials, was seated, the husband and wife after duly worshipping him with joined hands stood before him and waited for his command.

Thereupon the exalted Bhrigu with a delighted heart thus spoke to nis daughter-inlaw, “O blessed girl, ask for a boon. I ain ready to grant you what you desire."

She gratified the preceptor (Bhrigu) in order to obtain a son for herself and for her mother; and he too granted her desire.

Bhrigu said : At the time of the season you and your mother after bathing at the proper time must einbrace two different trees, she as Ashvatha tree and you a fig tree.

O blessed girl, after having ransacked the whole universe these two Charus have been prepared by me with the utmost care.

They must be taken with the greatest care." And he then disappeared. But they made an exchange, both in the case of the Charus and the embracing (of trees).

After a long time that exalted Rishi (Bhrigu) again came there. Knowing all by his divine knowledge he again came there.

Thereupon the greatly effulgent Bhrigu thus spoke to his daughter-in-law Satyavati, “O blessed girl, O maiden of lovely brow, you have taken the wrong Charu and embraced the wrong tree. It was your mother who have deceived you. Your son, though a Brahmana, will adopt the practices of the Kshatriyas.

The mighty son of your mother, though a Kshatriya, will adopt the practices of a Brahmanas. His power will be great; he will tread the path of the righteous.

Thereupon she again and again adored her father-in-law, saying, "Let not my son be of this character; let my grandson be such."

O son of Pandu, he replied, “Be it so;" and he was pleased to grant her prayer. When the proper time came, her son was born, named Jamadagani.

This descendant of Bhrigu was endued with both splendour and grace. He grew in years as well as in strength; and he excelled all in the Vedas.

O best of the Bharata race, the science of arms with four kinds of weapons rivalling the lustre of the sun spontaneously and without instruction came to him.