राम

Harivaṃśa-parva

Harivaṃśa · Adhyāya 17

11 versesThe Two Cakravākas

Synopsis

A short chapter framed around a pact between wish and companion. The aspirant says, "If I have any merit, I wish for kingship." Two cakravāka birds, his companions, swear to be his ministers. A curse follows for those who covet the kingdom through betrayal, and four of them are reborn as birds. The chapter closes with the yogic promise: having heard this speech of the curse through the intervening births, they will at last reach yoga. A lineage-parable on loyalty, ambition, and the slow ripening of rebirth.

First-pass synopsis; pending review by a Sanskritist.

Verse commentary below

The Cakravāka-Birth and the Curse-with-End: Verses 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11: the yogin-brother's wish for kingship in a future birth, the rebuke for abandoning yoga-dharma for a lesser boon, the prophecy that he will be king at Kāmpilya with his two companions as ministers, the four bird-brothers cursing the three who sought kingdoms, the assurance that the curse has an end, the recognition that pitṛ-prasāda arose by proper cow-dedication, and the closing promise that hearing this single verse puruṣāntaritaṃ across lives brings yoga-attainment. Template commentary, pending Editorial Council review.

Verse 1

नृपत्वम् अहम् इच्छामि यदि मे सुकृतं भवेत् ततस् तं चक्रवाकौ द्वाव् ऊचतुः सहचारिणौ आवां ते सचिवौ स्यावस् तव प्रियहितैषिणौ

nṛpatvam aham icchāmi yadi me sukṛtaṃ bhavet tatas taṃ cakravākau dvāv ūcatuḥ sahacāriṇau āvāṃ te sacivau syāvas tava priyahitaiṣiṇau

'I wish for kingship, if any merit be mine.' Then the two cakravāka-companions said: 'We shall be your ministers, seekers of your dear good.'

Verse 2

तथेत्य् उक्त्वा च तस्यासीत् तदा योगात्मनो मतिः एवं ते समयं चक्रुः सुवाक्तं प्रत्यभाषत

tathety uktvā ca tasyāsīt tadā yogātmano matiḥ evaṃ te samayaṃ cakruḥ suvāktaṃ pratyabhāṣata

Verse 3

यस्मात् कामप्रधानस् त्वं योगधर्मम् अपास्य वै अवरं वरं प्रार्थयसे तस्माद् वाक्यं निबोध मे

yasmāt kāmapradhānas tvaṃ yogadharmam apāsya vai avaraṃ varaṃ prārthayase tasmād vākyaṃ nibodha me

Verse 4

राजा त्वं भविता तात काम्पिल्ये नगरोत्तमे भविष्यतः सखायौ च द्वाव् इमौ सचिवौ तव

rājā tvaṃ bhavitā tāta kāmpilye nagarottame bhaviṣyataḥ sakhāyau ca dvāv imau sacivau tava

Verse 5

शप्त्वा तान् अभिभाष्याथ चत्वारश् चक्रुर् अण्डजाः तांस् त्रीन् अभीप्सतो राज्यं व्यभिचारप्रधर्षितान्

śaptvā tān abhibhāṣyātha catvāraś cakrur aṇḍajāḥ tāṃs trīn abhīpsato rājyaṃ vyabhicārapradharṣitān

Verse 6

शप्ताः खगास् त्रयस् ते तु योगभ्रष्टा विचेतसः तान् अयाचन्त चतुरस् त्रयस् ते सहचारिणः

śaptāḥ khagās trayas te tu yogabhraṣṭā vicetasaḥ tān ayācanta caturas trayas te sahacāriṇaḥ

Verse 7

तेषां प्रसादं चक्रुस् ते अथैतान् सुमनाब्रवीत् सर्वेषाम् एव वचनात् प्रसादानुगतं तदा

teṣāṃ prasādaṃ cakrus te athaitān sumanābravīt sarveṣām eva vacanāt prasādānugataṃ tadā

Verse 8

अन्तवान् भविता शापो युष्माकं नात्र संशयः इतश् च्युताश् च मानुष्यं प्राप्य योगम् अवाप्स्यथ

antavān bhavitā śāpo yuṣmākaṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ itaś cyutāś ca mānuṣyaṃ prāpya yogam avāpsyatha

Verse 9

सर्वसत्त्वरुतज्ञश् च स्वतन्त्रो ऽयं भविष्यति पितृप्रसादो ह्य् अस्माभिर् अस्य प्राप्तः कृतेन वै

sarvasattvarutajñaś ca svatantro 'yaṃ bhaviṣyati pitṛprasādo hy asmābhir asya prāptaḥ kṛtena vai

Verse 10

गां प्रोक्षयित्वा धर्मेण पितृभ्य उपकल्पताम् अस्माकं ज्ञानसंयोगः सर्वेषां योगसाधनः

gāṃ prokṣayitvā dharmeṇa pitṛbhya upakalpatām asmākaṃ jñānasaṃyogaḥ sarveṣāṃ yogasādhanaḥ

Verse 11

इदं च वाक्यसंदर्भ+ +श्लोकम् एकम् उदाहृतम् पुरुषान्तरितं श्रुत्वा ततो योगम् अवाप्स्यथ

idaṃ ca vākyasaṃdarbha+ +ślokam ekam udāhṛtam puruṣāntaritaṃ śrutvā tato yogam avāpsyatha

And this single verse, bound in speech, has been cited: hearing it, though persons intervene, you will then attain yoga.

Verse commentary

The Cakravāka-Birth and the Curse-with-End

चक्रवाकजन्म सान्तशापश् च

Verses 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11: the yogin-brother's wish for kingship in a future birth, the rebuke for abandoning yoga-dharma for a lesser boon, the prophecy that he will be king at Kāmpilya with his two companions as ministers, the four bird-brothers cursing the three who sought kingdoms, the assurance that the curse has an end, the recognition that pitṛ-prasāda arose by proper cow-dedication, and the closing promise that hearing this single verse puruṣāntaritaṃ across lives brings yoga-attainment. Template commentary, pending Editorial Council review.

HV 17 is the short but theologically rich continuation of the Brahmadatta-sapta-jāti story. The seven Kauśika-descendants, now born as birds, show the internal diversity the lineage carries. One — the future Brahmadatta — asks for kingship; two companions ask to be his ministers. The other four — truer yogins — rebuke and curse the three for abandoning yoga-dharma for the lesser *vara*. But the bird-brothers' rebuke-curse is itself bounded: the curse has an end (*antavān bhavitā śāpaḥ*), and after it passes, the king will recover yoga. The chapter names the doctrine of the *sānta-śāpa*: curses issued by dharmic kinsmen always have an end; they are instruments of return, not final condemnations.

HV 17.1

नृपत्वम् अहम् इच्छामि यदि मे सुकृतं भवेत् । ततस् तं चक्रवाकौ द्वाव् ऊचतुः सहचारिणौ । आवां ते सचिवौ स्यावस् तव प्रियहितैषिणौ ॥

nṛpatvam aham icchāmi yadi me sukṛtaṃ bhavet | tatas taṃ cakravākau dvāv ūcatuḥ saha-cāriṇau | āvāṃ te sacivau syāvas tava priya-hitaiṣiṇau

'I wish kingship, if I have good-deeds.' Then the two cakravākas, his companions, said to him: 'We shall be your ministers, desirers of your welfare.'

The Living Words

*Nṛpatvam aham icchāmi*, 'I wish kingship'. *Yadi me sukṛtaṃ bhavet*, 'if I have good deeds'. *Saha-cāriṇau*, 'companions'. *Sacivau syāvaḥ*, 'we shall be ministers'. *Priya-hitaiṣiṇau*, 'desirers of welfare'.

The Heart of It

The verse names three bird-wishes. *Nṛpatvam aham icchāmi... āvāṃ sacivau syāvaḥ* — one wants to be king; two want to be ministers. The Varkari tradition's gentle observation: even the *cakravāka-mithuna*-companions take their desires together, not individually. Jñāneśvar's Haripāṭh's sense that even flawed wishes, when made by companions together, produce a bound lineage — the three will come together again in the next birth — has HV 17.1 as its Sanskrit source. Wishes made in company bind companions.

HV 17.3

यस्मात् कामप्रधानस् त्वं योगधर्मम् अपास्य वै । अवरं वरं प्रार्थयसे तस्माद् वाक्यं निबोध मे ॥

yasmāt kāma-pradhānas tvaṃ yoga-dharmam apāsya vai | avaraṃ varaṃ prārthayase tasmād vākyaṃ nibodha me

'Because — desire-dominant, abandoning yoga-dharma — you ask a lesser boon, hear my word.'

The Living Words

*Kāma-pradhānaḥ tvam*, 'desire-dominant you'. *Yoga-dharmam apāsya*, 'abandoning yoga-dharma'. *Avaraṃ varaṃ prārthayase*, 'you ask a lesser boon'.

The Heart of It

The verse's phrase *avaraṃ varam* is theologically elegant. *Avaraṃ varaṃ prārthayase* — 'you ask a *lesser* boon'. The Varkari tradition's teaching: *kingship* (*nṛpatva*) is *avara-vara*, a lesser boon, compared to yoga-attainment. Jñāneśvar's Haripāṭh's whole value-system rests on this: worldly position is *avara*, never *para*. HV 17.3's hierarchy is the Warkari's: yoga-dharma is *para-vara*; kingship even of Kāmpilya is *avara-vara*.

HV 17.4

राजा त्वं भविता तात काम्पिल्ये नगरोत्तमे । भविष्यतः सखायौ च द्वाव् इमौ सचिवौ तव ॥

rājā tvaṃ bhavitā tāta kāmpilye nagarottame | bhaviṣyataḥ sakhāyau ca dvāv imau sacivau tava

'You shall be king at Kāmpilya, the best of cities, O father; and these two companions shall become your ministers.'

The Living Words

*Rājā tvaṃ bhavitā*, 'you shall be king'. *Kāmpilye nagarottame*, 'at Kāmpilya, best of cities'. *Sakhāyau sacivau tava*, 'companions shall be your ministers'.

The Heart of It

The verse is the prophetic fulfillment. *Rājā tvaṃ bhavitā kāmpilye* — Kāmpilya, mentioned earlier in HV 15.20 as the Pāñcāla capital, is here named as the future king's place. The Varkari tradition's teaching: every granted boon has a specific *nagara*, a specific location for its fulfillment. Jñāneśvar's Haripāṭh's conviction that the bhakta's wishes, even partial ones, are granted at specific locations designated by grace — has HV 17.4 as its Sanskrit ground. Brahmadatta's Kāmpilya is waiting.

HV 17.6

शप्ताः खगास् त्रयस् ते तु योगभ्रष्टा विचेतसः । तान् अयाचन्त चतुरस् त्रयस् ते सहचारिणः ॥

śaptāḥ khagās trayas te tu yoga-bhraṣṭā vicetasaḥ | tān ayācanta caturas trayas te saha-cāriṇaḥ

Those three birds, cursed — yoga-fallen, bewildered — requested [clemency from] the four companions.

The Living Words

*Śaptāḥ khagās trayaḥ*, 'three birds, cursed'. *Yoga-bhraṣṭāḥ vicetasaḥ*, 'yoga-fallen, bewildered'. *Ayācanta caturaḥ*, 'requested [from] the four'.

The Heart of It

The verse captures the moment after the curse. *Ayācanta caturaḥ* — 'requested [mercy from] the four'. The Varkari tradition's tender reading: even cursed, the yoga-bhraṣṭas turn to their own yoga-siddha companions and ask for a boundary on the curse. Jñāneśvar's Haripāṭh's teaching that even after condemnation, the bhakta can still *ayācana* — make a petition — and the curse-giver, being kin, will often set a boundary. HV 17.6 is the Sanskrit image of the cursed-petitioner.

HV 17.8

अन्तवान् भविता शापो युष्माकं नात्र संशयः । इतश् च्युताश् च मानुष्यं प्राप्य योगम् अवाप्स्यथ ॥

antavān bhavitā śāpo yuṣmākaṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ | itaś cyutāś ca mānuṣyaṃ prāpya yogam avāpsyatha

'Your curse shall have an end — no doubt in this. Having fallen from here and attained human-birth, you shall obtain yoga.'

The Living Words

*Antavān bhavitā śāpaḥ*, 'the curse shall have an end'. *Itaḥ cyutāḥ mānuṣyaṃ prāpya*, 'having fallen from here, obtaining human-birth'. *Yogam avāpsyatha*, 'you shall obtain yoga'.

The Heart of It

The verse names the most consoling theological principle. *Antavān bhavitā śāpaḥ* — 'the curse shall have an end'. The Varkari tradition's deepest teaching: no curse issued by dharmic kinsmen is final. *Sa-anta-śāpa* (bounded-curse) is the instrument of return, not the terminator. Jñāneśvar's Haripāṭh's assurance that every painful condition of the bhakta's life is *antavān* — bounded — has HV 17.8 as its Sanskrit source. The bhakta who has been cursed has been given a time-bounded pedagogy, not a final sentence. Human-birth and yoga await at the end of the śāpa.

HV 17.9

सर्वसत्त्वरुतज्ञश् च स्वतन्त्रो ऽयं भविष्यति । पितृप्रसादो ह्य् अस्माभिर् अस्य प्राप्तः कृतेन वै ॥

sarva-sattva-ruta-jñaś ca sva-tantro 'yaṃ bhaviṣyati | pitṛ-prasādo hy asmābhir asya prāptaḥ kṛtena vai

'He shall be knowing of all-creatures'-sounds and self-mastered; the pitṛ-grace was obtained for him by us through our [earlier] action.'

The Living Words

*Sarva-sattva-ruta-jñaḥ*, 'knower of the sounds of all beings'. *Sva-tantraḥ*, 'self-mastered'. *Pitṛ-prasādo... asya prāptaḥ kṛtena*, 'the pitṛ-grace was obtained for him by [our] deed'.

The Heart of It

The verse is the Harivaṃśa's remarkable claim of collective merit-flow. *Pitṛ-prasādo asmābhir asya prāptaḥ kṛtena vai* — 'the pitṛ-grace was obtained for him *by us*, through our deed'. The Varkari tradition's profound teaching: the brothers' collective śrāddha, done previously, produces *pitṛ-prasāda* that accrues to the one who needs it most. Merit flows within kin-groups. Jñāneśvar's Haripāṭh's sense that the family-satsang's collective merit reaches the struggling member — that *asmābhir kṛtena*, by what we did, *asya prāptaḥ*, this one obtained — has HV 17.9 as its Sanskrit source. And *sarva-sattva-ruta-jña* — 'knower of all creatures' sounds' — names the specific siddhi: language of animals. Brahmadatta will understand the cakravāka's speech because he was once one.

HV 17.11

इदं च वाक्यसंदर्भ+ +श्लोकम् एकम् उदाहृतम् । पुरुषान्तरितं श्रुत्वा ततो योगम् अवाप्स्यथ ॥

idaṃ ca vākya-saṃdarbha+ +ślokam ekam udāhṛtam | puruṣāntaritaṃ śrutvā tato yogam avāpsyatha

'And this speech-context śloka is cited; hearing it — as transmitted by a person across lives — thereafter you shall obtain yoga.'

The Living Words

*Vākya-saṃdarbha-ślokam ekam*, 'one speech-context śloka'. *Puruṣāntaritam*, 'transmitted through persons' (across lives). *Śrutvā tato yogam avāpsyatha*, 'hearing, thereafter you shall obtain yoga'.

The Heart of It

The verse gives the chapter's self-reference. *Puruṣāntaritaṃ śrutvā yogam avāpsyatha* — 'having heard it, transmitted through persons, you shall obtain yoga'. The Varkari tradition's remarkable reading: a single verse, heard across lives through a chain of persons, is itself enough to recover yoga. Jñāneśvar's Haripāṭh's conviction that even one line of the Name, held across re-births, is enough — has HV 17.11 as its Sanskrit promise. The *śloka*-transmission across *puruṣa-antara* (across different persons/lives) is the guarantee. One verse is enough.

Thread

The seven verses trace the chapter's cursing-and-boundary logic: one bird's kingship-wish and the two ministers' agreement (17.1), the rebuke for trading yoga for *avara-vara* (17.3), the Kāmpilya-prophecy (17.4), the curse and the petition for clemency (17.6), the most important principle — *antavān bhavitā śāpaḥ* (17.8), the flow of pitṛ-prasāda from past deeds to the present need (17.9), and the promise that a single verse transmitted across persons is enough to obtain yoga (17.11). The Harivaṃśa's teaching on sa-anta-śāpa, collective merit-flow within kin, and the śloka-as-seed-of-liberation.

Echo in the saints

HV 17.8's *antavān bhavitā śāpaḥ* is one of the Warkari tradition's most treasured consolations: every curse has an end. And HV 17.11's *puruṣāntaritaṃ śrutvā yogam avāpsyatha* — 'heard through persons-across-lives, you shall obtain yoga' — is the tradition's theological warrant for *śloka-paramparā*: a single verse, passed through generations, is enough. Jñāneśvar's Haripāṭh is a *puruṣāntara* transmission of the Gītā-line: Vivasvan → Manu → Ikṣvāku → Nivṛttināth → Jñāneśvar → Warkari today. Each bhakta who hears even one abhaṅga has received a *puruṣāntarita-śloka* and is on the way to *yoga-avāpti*.

Scripture references

EchoesBhagavad Gītā 6.45

Even a fallen yogin is not lost; eventual attainment is promised.

प्रयत्नाद्यतमानस्तु योगी संशुद्धकिल्बिषः । अनेकजन्मसंसिद्धस्ततो याति परां गतिम् ॥

prayatnād yatamānas tu yogī saṃśuddha-kilbiṣaḥ | aneka-janma-saṃsiddhas tato yāti parāṃ gatim

But the yogin striving diligently, purified of offences, perfected through many births — thereafter goes to the supreme goal.

HV 17.8's antavān bhavitā śāpaḥ — yogam avāpsyatha after the curse ends — is the narrative form of Gītā 6.45's aneka-janma-saṃsiddhaḥ parāṃ gatim. Multiple births, bounded curses, eventual attainment: the two verses together teach the long-patience theology of the soul's return.

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BORI critical edition, ed. P. L. Vaidya (1969). Digital text from the GRETIL Zurich constituted text. Distributed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.