Sixth Skandha · Chapter 15
Sourceजनमेजय उवाच देहप्राप्तिर्वसिष्ठस्य कथिता भवता किल । निमिः कथं पुनर्देहं प्राप्तवानिति मे वद ॥ १ ॥ व्यास उवाच वसिष्ठेन च सम्प्राप्तः पुनर्देहो नराधिप । निमिना न तथा प्राप्तो देहः शापादनन्तरम् ॥ २ ॥ यदा शप्तो वसिष्ठेन तदा ते ब्राह्मणाः क्रतौ ऋत्विजो ये वृता राज्ञा ते सर्वे समचिन्तयन् ॥ ३ ॥ किं कर्तव्यमहोऽस्माभिः शापदग्धो महीपतिः । अस्मिन्यज्ञे त्वसम्पूर्णे दीक्षायुक्तश्च धार्मिकः ॥ ४ ॥ किं कर्तव्यं कार्यमेतद्विपरीतमभूत्किल । अवश्यम्भाविभावत्वादशक्ताः स्म निवारणे ॥ ५ ॥ मन्त्रैर्बहुविधैर्देहं तदा तस्य महात्मनः । रक्षितं धारयामासुः किञ्चिच्छ्वसनसंयुतम् ॥ ६ ॥ गन्धैर्माल्यैश्च विविधैः पूज्यमानं मुहुर्मुहुः । मन्त्रशक्त्या प्रतिष्टभ्य निर्विकारं सुपूजितम् ॥ ७ ॥ समाप्ते च क्रतौ तत्र देवाः सर्वे समागताः । ऋत्विग्भिस्तु स्तुताः सर्वे सुप्रीताश्चाभवन्नृप ॥ ८ ॥ विज्ञप्ता मुनिभिः स्तोत्रैर्निर्विण्णात्मानमब्रुवन् । प्रसन्नाः स्म महीपाल वरं वरय सुव्रत ॥ ९ ॥ यज्ञेनानेन राजर्षे वरं जन्म विधीयते । देवदेहं नृदेहं वा यत्ते मनसि वाञ्छितम् ॥ १० ॥ दृप्तः कामं पुरोधास्ते मृत्युलोके यथासुखम् । एवमुक्तो निमेरात्मा सन्तुष्टस्तानुवाच ह ॥ ११ ॥ न देहे मम वाञ्छास्ति सर्वदैव विनश्वरे । वासो मे सर्वसत्त्वानां दृष्टावस्तु सुरोत्तमाः ॥ १२ ॥ नेत्रेषु सर्वभूतानां वायुभूतश्चराम्यहम् । एवमुक्ताः सुरास्तत्र निमेरात्मानमब्रुवन् ॥ १३ ॥ प्रार्थय त्वं महाराज देवीं सर्वेश्वरीं शिवाम् । मखेनानेन सन्तुष्टा सा तेऽभीष्टं विधास्यति ॥ १४ ॥ स देवैरेवमुक्तस्तु प्रार्थयामास देवताम् । स्तोत्रैर्नानाविधैर्दिव्यैर्भक्त्या गद्गदया गिरा ॥ १५ ॥ प्रसन्ना सा तदा देवी प्रत्यक्षं दर्शनं ददौ । कोटिसूर्यप्रतीकाशं रूपं लावण्यदीपितम् । १६ दृष्ट्वा प्रमुदिताः सर्वे कृतकृत्याश्च चेतसि । प्रसन्नायां देवतायां राजा वव्रे वरं नृप ॥ १७ ॥ ज्ञानं तद्विमलं देहि येन मोक्षो भवेदपि । नेत्रेषु सर्वभूतानां निवासो मे भवेदिति ॥ १८ ॥ ततः प्रसन्ना देवेशी प्रोवाच जगदम्बिका । ज्ञानं ते विमलं भूयात्प्रारब्धस्यावशेषतः ॥ १९ ॥ नेत्रेषु सर्वभूतानां निवासोऽपि भविष्यति । निमिषं यान्ति चक्षूंषि त्वत्कृतेनैव देहिनाम् ॥ २० ॥ तव वासात्सनिमिषा मानवाः पशवस्तथा । पतङ्गाश्च भविष्यन्ति पुनश्चानिमिषाः सुराः ॥ २१ ॥ इति दत्त्वा वरं तस्मै तदा श्रीवरदेवता । आमन्त्र्य च मुनीन्सर्वांस्तत्रैवान्तर्हिताभवत् ॥ २२ ॥ अन्तर्हितायां देव्यां तु मुनयस्तत्र संस्थिताः । विचिन्त्य विथिवत्सर्वे निमेर्देहं समाहरन् ॥ २३ ॥ अरणिं तत्र संस्थाप्य ममन्धुर्मन्त्रवत्तदा । मन्त्रहोमैर्महात्मानः पुत्रहेतोर्निमेरथ ॥ २४ ॥ अरण्यां मथ्यमानायां पुत्रः प्रादुरभूत्तदा । सर्वलक्षणसम्पन्नः साक्षान्निमिरिवापरः ॥ २५ ॥ अरण्या मथनाज्जातस्तस्मान्मिथिरिति स्मृतः । येनायं जनकाज्जातस्तेनासौ जनकोऽभवत् ॥ २६ ॥ विदेहस्तु निमिर्जातो यस्मात्तस्मात्तदन्वये । समुद्भूतास्तु राजानो विदेहा इति कीर्तिताः ॥ २७ ॥ एवं निमिसुतो राजा प्रथितो जनकोऽभवत् । नगरी निर्मिता तेन गङ्गातीरे मनोहरा ॥ २८ ॥ मिथिलेति सुविख्याता गोपुराट्टालसंयुता । धनधान्यसमायुक्ता हट्टशालाविराजिता ॥ २९ ॥ वंशेऽस्मिन्येऽपि राजानस्ते सर्वे जनकास्तथा । विख्याता ज्ञानिनः सर्वे विदेहाः परिकीर्तिताः ॥ ३० ॥ एतत्ते कथितं राजन्निमेराख्यानमुत्तमम् । शापाद्यस्य विदेहत्वं विस्तरादुदितं मया ॥ ३१ ॥ राजोवाच भगवन्भवता प्रोक्तं निमिशापस्य कारणम् । श्रुत्वा सन्देहमापन्नं मनो मेऽतीव चञ्चलम् ॥ ३२ ॥ वसिष्ठो ब्राह्मणः श्रेष्ठो राज्ञश्चैव पुरोहितः । पुत्रः पङ्कजयोनेस्तु राज्ञा शप्तः कथं मुनिः ॥ ३३ ॥ गुरुं च ब्राह्मणं ज्ञात्वा निमिना न कृता क्षमा । यज्ञकर्म शुभं कृत्वा कथं क्रोधमुपागतः ॥ ३४ ॥ ज्ञात्वा धर्मस्य विज्ञानं कथमिक्ष्वाकुसम्भवः । क्रोधस्य वशमापन्तः शप्तवान्ब्राह्मणं गुरुम् ॥ ३५ ॥ व्यास उवाच क्षमातिदुर्लभा राजन्प्राणिभिरजितात्मभिः । क्षमावान्दुर्लभो लोके सुसमर्थो विशेषतः ॥ ३६ ॥ सर्वसङ्गपरित्यागी मुनिर्भवतु तापसः । निद्राक्षुधोर्विजेता च योगाभ्यासे सुनिष्ठितः ॥ ३७ ॥ कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभो ह्यहङ्कारश्चतुर्थकः । दुर्ज्ञेया देहमध्यस्था रिपवस्तेन सर्वथा ॥ ३८ ॥ न भूतपूर्वः संसारे न चैव वर्ततेऽधुना । भविता न पुमान्कश्चिद्यो जयेत रिपूनिमान् ॥ ३९ ॥ न स्वर्गे न च भूलोके ब्रह्मलोके हरेः पदे । कैलासे नेदृशः कश्चिद्यो जयेत रिपूनिमान् ॥ ४० ॥ मुनयो ब्रह्मपुत्राश्च तथान्ये तापसोत्तमाः । तेऽपि गुणत्रयाविद्धाः किं पुनर्मानवा भुवि ॥ ४१ ॥ कपिलः सांख्यवेत्ता च योगाभ्यासरतः शुचिः । तेनापि दैवयोगाद्धि प्रदग्धाः सगरात्मजाः ॥ ४२ ॥ तस्माद्राजन्नहङ्कारात्सञ्जातं भुवनत्रयम् । कार्यकारणभावात्तु तद्वियुक्तं कथं भवेत् ॥ ४३ ॥ ब्रह्मा गुणत्रयाविष्टो विष्णुश्चैवाथ शङ्करः । प्रभवन्ति शरीरेषु तेषां भावाः पृथक्पृथक् ॥ ४४ ॥ मानवानां च का वार्ता सत्त्वैकान्तव्यवस्थितौ । गुणानां सङ्करो राजन्सर्वत्र समवस्थितः ॥ ४५ ॥ कदाचित्सत्त्ववृद्धिः स्यात्कदाचिद्रजसः किल । कदाचित्तमसो वृद्धिः समभावः कदाचन ॥ ४६ ॥ निर्गुणः परमात्मासौ निर्लेपः परमोऽव्ययः । अलक्ष्यः सर्वसत्त्वानामप्रमेयः सनातनः ॥ ४७ ॥ तथैव परमा शक्तिर्निर्गुणा ब्रह्मसंस्थिता । दुर्ज्ञेया चाल्पमतिभिः सर्वभूतव्यवस्थितिः ॥ ४८ ॥ परात्मनस्तथा शक्तेस्तयोरैक्यं सदैव हि । अभिन्नं तद्वपुर्ज्ञात्वा मुच्यते सर्वदोषतः ॥ ४९ ॥ तज्ज्ञानादेव मोक्षः स्यादिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः । यो वेद स विमुक्तोऽस्मिन्संसारे त्रिगुणात्मके ॥ ५० ॥ ज्ञानं तु द्विविधं प्रोक्तं शाब्दिकं प्रथमं स्मृतम् । वेदशास्त्रार्थविज्ञानात्तद्भवेद्बुद्धियोगतः ॥ ५१ ॥ विकल्पास्तत्र बहवो भवन्ति मतिकल्पिताः । (कुतर्ककल्पिताः केचित्सतर्ककल्पिताः परे । वितर्कैर्विभ्रमोत्पत्तिर्विभ्रमाद्बुद्धिभ्रंशता । बुद्धिभ्रंशाज्ज्ञाननाशः प्राणिनां परिकीर्तितः । ) अनुभवाख्यं द्वितीयं तु ज्ञानं तद्दुर्लभं नृप ॥ ५२ ॥ तत्तदा प्राप्यते तस्य वेत्तुः सङ्गो यदा भवेत् । शब्दज्ञानान्न कार्यस्य सिद्धिर्भवति भारत ॥ ५३ ॥ तस्मान्नानुभवज्ञानं सम्भवत्यतिमानुषम् । अन्तर्गतं तमश्छेत्तुं शाब्दबोधो हि न क्षमः ॥ ५४ ॥ यथा न नश्यति तमः कृतया दीपवार्तया । तत्कर्म यन्न बन्धाय सा विद्या या विमुक्तये ॥ ५५ ॥ आयासायापरं कर्म विद्यान्या शिल्पनैपुणम् । शीलं परहितत्वं च कोपाभावः क्षमा धृतिः ॥ ५६ ॥ सन्तोषश्चेति विद्यायाः परिपाकोज्ज्वलं फलम् । विद्यया तपसा वापि योगाभ्यासेन भूपते ॥ ५७ ॥ विना कामादिशत्रूणां नैव नाशः कदाचन । (मनस्तु चञ्चलं रास्वभावादतिदुर्ग्रहम् । तद्वशः सर्वथा प्राणी त्रिविधो भुवनत्रये । ) कामक्रोधादयो भावाश्चित्तजाः परिकीर्तिताः ॥ ५८ ॥ ते तदा न भवन्त्येव यदा वै निर्जितं मनः । तस्मात्तु निमिना राजन्न क्षमा विहिता मुनौ ॥ ५९ ॥ यथा ययातिना पूर्वं कृता शुक्रे कृतागसि । भृगुपुत्रेण शप्तोऽपि ययातिर्नृपसत्तमः ॥ ६० ॥ न शशाप मुनिं क्रोधाज्जरां राजा गृहीतवान् । कश्चित्सौम्यो भवेत्कश्चित्क्रूरो भवति पार्थिवः ॥ ६१ ॥ स्वभावभेदान्नृपते कस्य दोषोऽत्र कल्प्यते । हैहया भार्गवान्पूर्वं धनलोभात्पुरोहितान् ॥ ६२ ॥ ब्राह्मणान्मूलतः सर्वांश्चिच्छिदुः क्रोधमूर्च्छिताः । पातकं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा ब्रह्महत्यासमुद्भवम् ॥ ६३ ॥
janamejaya uvāca dehaprāptirvasiṣṭhasya kathitā bhavatā kila | nimiḥ kathaṃ punardehaṃ prāptavāniti me vada || 1 || vyāsa uvāca vasiṣṭhena ca samprāptaḥ punardeho narādhipa | niminā na tathā prāpto dehaḥ śāpādanantaram || 2 || yadā śapto vasiṣṭhena tadā te brāhmaṇāḥ kratau ṛtvijo ye vṛtā rājñā te sarve samacintayan || 3 || kiṃ kartavyamaho'smābhiḥ śāpadagdho mahīpatiḥ | asminyajñe tvasampūrṇe dīkṣāyuktaśca dhārmikaḥ || 4 || kiṃ kartavyaṃ kāryametadviparītamabhūtkila | avaśyambhāvibhāvatvādaśaktāḥ sma nivāraṇe || 5 || mantrairbahuvidhairdehaṃ tadā tasya mahātmanaḥ | rakṣitaṃ dhārayāmāsuḥ kiñcicchvasanasaṃyutam || 6 || gandhairmālyaiśca vividhaiḥ pūjyamānaṃ muhurmuhuḥ | mantraśaktyā pratiṣṭabhya nirvikāraṃ supūjitam || 7 || samāpte ca kratau tatra devāḥ sarve samāgatāḥ | ṛtvigbhistu stutāḥ sarve suprītāścābhavannṛpa || 8 || vijñaptā munibhiḥ stotrairnirviṇṇātmānamabruvan | prasannāḥ sma mahīpāla varaṃ varaya suvrata || 9 || yajñenānena rājarṣe varaṃ janma vidhīyate | devadehaṃ nṛdehaṃ vā yatte manasi vāñchitam || 10 || dṛptaḥ kāmaṃ purodhāste mṛtyuloke yathāsukham | evamukto nimerātmā santuṣṭastānuvāca ha || 11 || na dehe mama vāñchāsti sarvadaiva vinaśvare | vāso me sarvasattvānāṃ dṛṣṭāvastu surottamāḥ || 12 || netreṣu sarvabhūtānāṃ vāyubhūtaścarāmyaham | evamuktāḥ surāstatra nimerātmānamabruvan || 13 || prārthaya tvaṃ mahārāja devīṃ sarveśvarīṃ śivām | makhenānena santuṣṭā sā te'bhīṣṭaṃ vidhāsyati || 14 || sa devairevamuktastu prārthayāmāsa devatām | stotrairnānāvidhairdivyairbhaktyā gadgadayā girā || 15 || prasannā sā tadā devī pratyakṣaṃ darśanaṃ dadau | koṭisūryapratīkāśaṃ rūpaṃ lāvaṇyadīpitam | 16 dṛṣṭvā pramuditāḥ sarve kṛtakṛtyāśca cetasi | prasannāyāṃ devatāyāṃ rājā vavre varaṃ nṛpa || 17 || jñānaṃ tadvimalaṃ dehi yena mokṣo bhavedapi | netreṣu sarvabhūtānāṃ nivāso me bhavediti || 18 || tataḥ prasannā deveśī provāca jagadambikā | jñānaṃ te vimalaṃ bhūyātprārabdhasyāvaśeṣataḥ || 19 || netreṣu sarvabhūtānāṃ nivāso'pi bhaviṣyati | nimiṣaṃ yānti cakṣūṃṣi tvatkṛtenaiva dehinām || 20 || tava vāsātsanimiṣā mānavāḥ paśavastathā | pataṅgāśca bhaviṣyanti punaścānimiṣāḥ surāḥ || 21 || iti dattvā varaṃ tasmai tadā śrīvaradevatā | āmantrya ca munīnsarvāṃstatraivāntarhitābhavat || 22 || antarhitāyāṃ devyāṃ tu munayastatra saṃsthitāḥ | vicintya vithivatsarve nimerdehaṃ samāharan || 23 || araṇiṃ tatra saṃsthāpya mamandhurmantravattadā | mantrahomairmahātmānaḥ putrahetornimeratha || 24 || araṇyāṃ mathyamānāyāṃ putraḥ prādurabhūttadā | sarvalakṣaṇasampannaḥ sākṣānnimirivāparaḥ || 25 || araṇyā mathanājjātastasmānmithiriti smṛtaḥ | yenāyaṃ janakājjātastenāsau janako'bhavat || 26 || videhastu nimirjāto yasmāttasmāttadanvaye | samudbhūtāstu rājāno videhā iti kīrtitāḥ || 27 || evaṃ nimisuto rājā prathito janako'bhavat | nagarī nirmitā tena gaṅgātīre manoharā || 28 || mithileti suvikhyātā gopurāṭṭālasaṃyutā | dhanadhānyasamāyuktā haṭṭaśālāvirājitā || 29 || vaṃśe'sminye'pi rājānaste sarve janakāstathā | vikhyātā jñāninaḥ sarve videhāḥ parikīrtitāḥ || 30 || etatte kathitaṃ rājannimerākhyānamuttamam | śāpādyasya videhatvaṃ vistarāduditaṃ mayā || 31 || rājovāca bhagavanbhavatā proktaṃ nimiśāpasya kāraṇam | śrutvā sandehamāpannaṃ mano me'tīva cañcalam || 32 || vasiṣṭho brāhmaṇaḥ śreṣṭho rājñaścaiva purohitaḥ | putraḥ paṅkajayonestu rājñā śaptaḥ kathaṃ muniḥ || 33 || guruṃ ca brāhmaṇaṃ jñātvā niminā na kṛtā kṣamā | yajñakarma śubhaṃ kṛtvā kathaṃ krodhamupāgataḥ || 34 || jñātvā dharmasya vijñānaṃ kathamikṣvākusambhavaḥ | krodhasya vaśamāpantaḥ śaptavānbrāhmaṇaṃ gurum || 35 || vyāsa uvāca kṣamātidurlabhā rājanprāṇibhirajitātmabhiḥ | kṣamāvāndurlabho loke susamartho viśeṣataḥ || 36 || sarvasaṅgaparityāgī munirbhavatu tāpasaḥ | nidrākṣudhorvijetā ca yogābhyāse suniṣṭhitaḥ || 37 || kāmaḥ krodhastathā lobho hyahaṅkāraścaturthakaḥ | durjñeyā dehamadhyasthā ripavastena sarvathā || 38 || na bhūtapūrvaḥ saṃsāre na caiva vartate'dhunā | bhavitā na pumānkaścidyo jayeta ripūnimān || 39 || na svarge na ca bhūloke brahmaloke hareḥ pade | kailāse nedṛśaḥ kaścidyo jayeta ripūnimān || 40 || munayo brahmaputrāśca tathānye tāpasottamāḥ | te'pi guṇatrayāviddhāḥ kiṃ punarmānavā bhuvi || 41 || kapilaḥ sāṃkhyavettā ca yogābhyāsarataḥ śuciḥ | tenāpi daivayogāddhi pradagdhāḥ sagarātmajāḥ || 42 || tasmādrājannahaṅkārātsañjātaṃ bhuvanatrayam | kāryakāraṇabhāvāttu tadviyuktaṃ kathaṃ bhavet || 43 || brahmā guṇatrayāviṣṭo viṣṇuścaivātha śaṅkaraḥ | prabhavanti śarīreṣu teṣāṃ bhāvāḥ pṛthakpṛthak || 44 || mānavānāṃ ca kā vārtā sattvaikāntavyavasthitau | guṇānāṃ saṅkaro rājansarvatra samavasthitaḥ || 45 || kadācitsattvavṛddhiḥ syātkadācidrajasaḥ kila | kadācittamaso vṛddhiḥ samabhāvaḥ kadācana || 46 || nirguṇaḥ paramātmāsau nirlepaḥ paramo'vyayaḥ | alakṣyaḥ sarvasattvānāmaprameyaḥ sanātanaḥ || 47 || tathaiva paramā śaktirnirguṇā brahmasaṃsthitā | durjñeyā cālpamatibhiḥ sarvabhūtavyavasthitiḥ || 48 || parātmanastathā śaktestayoraikyaṃ sadaiva hi | abhinnaṃ tadvapurjñātvā mucyate sarvadoṣataḥ || 49 || tajjñānādeva mokṣaḥ syāditi vedāntaḍiṇḍimaḥ | yo veda sa vimukto'sminsaṃsāre triguṇātmake || 50 || jñānaṃ tu dvividhaṃ proktaṃ śābdikaṃ prathamaṃ smṛtam | vedaśāstrārthavijñānāttadbhavedbuddhiyogataḥ || 51 || vikalpāstatra bahavo bhavanti matikalpitāḥ | (kutarkakalpitāḥ kecitsatarkakalpitāḥ pare | vitarkairvibhramotpattirvibhramādbuddhibhraṃśatā | buddhibhraṃśājjñānanāśaḥ prāṇināṃ parikīrtitaḥ | ) anubhavākhyaṃ dvitīyaṃ tu jñānaṃ taddurlabhaṃ nṛpa || 52 || tattadā prāpyate tasya vettuḥ saṅgo yadā bhavet | śabdajñānānna kāryasya siddhirbhavati bhārata || 53 || tasmānnānubhavajñānaṃ sambhavatyatimānuṣam | antargataṃ tamaśchettuṃ śābdabodho hi na kṣamaḥ || 54 || yathā na naśyati tamaḥ kṛtayā dīpavārtayā | tatkarma yanna bandhāya sā vidyā yā vimuktaye || 55 || āyāsāyāparaṃ karma vidyānyā śilpanaipuṇam | śīlaṃ parahitatvaṃ ca kopābhāvaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ || 56 || santoṣaśceti vidyāyāḥ paripākojjvalaṃ phalam | vidyayā tapasā vāpi yogābhyāsena bhūpate || 57 || vinā kāmādiśatrūṇāṃ naiva nāśaḥ kadācana | (manastu cañcalaṃ rāsvabhāvādatidurgraham | tadvaśaḥ sarvathā prāṇī trividho bhuvanatraye | ) kāmakrodhādayo bhāvāścittajāḥ parikīrtitāḥ || 58 || te tadā na bhavantyeva yadā vai nirjitaṃ manaḥ | tasmāttu niminā rājanna kṣamā vihitā munau || 59 || yathā yayātinā pūrvaṃ kṛtā śukre kṛtāgasi | bhṛguputreṇa śapto'pi yayātirnṛpasattamaḥ || 60 || na śaśāpa muniṃ krodhājjarāṃ rājā gṛhītavān | kaścitsaumyo bhavetkaścitkrūro bhavati pārthivaḥ || 61 || svabhāvabhedānnṛpate kasya doṣo'tra kalpyate | haihayā bhārgavānpūrvaṃ dhanalobhātpurohitān || 62 || brāhmaṇānmūlataḥ sarvāṃścicchiduḥ krodhamūrcchitāḥ | pātakaṃ pṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtvā brahmahatyāsamudbhavam || 63 ||
English translation
1. Janamejaya said “The getting back of another similar body by Vas’istha is certainly described by you. Now tell me how the King Nimi got another body.”
2-31. Vyasa said O King! The Risi Vas’istha only got back his body; but the King Nimi did not get back his body what had been cursed by Vas’istha. The priests engaged at the sacrifice by Nimi began to consider, when the Risi Vas’istha cursed him, in the following way Oh! What a wonderful thing is this? Before the sacrifice is complete, the King Nimi has been cursed; this is against what we had expected; What can we do? What is inevitable must come to pass; how can we thwart it? By various Mantrams, they kept alive the body of the King in which breathing was still going on a little; and they prevented the body from decaying by worshipping the body with various Mantra S’aktis and kept it in a stationary state. When the sacrificial ceremony was completed, the Risis began to praise the gods with hymns whereon the Devas became pleased and came to that spot. When the Munis informed the Devas fully of the condition of the King’s body, the Devas spoke to the sorrowful King thus “O Performer of good vows! We are all pleased with your sacrifice; now ask boons from us. O King! You ought to get an excellent birth as the fruit of performing this sacrifice. So ask what body, the body of a Deva or of a man, you desire? Or you can ask, if you like, for another similar body, that your priest Brihaspati has got quitting his first body whereby he has become proud and is now staying in the Loka of Yama.” O King! At these words the King Nimi was very glad and spoke to them thus O Devas! I have no aspiration for the body that is always liable to destruction; I therefore
want to reside on the top of the eyelids of all the beings. Therefore I ask this boon that I be able to move in the shape of Vayu (air) on the top of the eyes of all the beings. Thus said, the Devas spoke to the soul of Nimi “O King! Pray to the most auspicious Deity, the Devi, the Highest Goddess. She has been pleased with this sacrifice; therefore your prayer will certainly be granted.” Hearing thus, the King began to pray with various hymns with intense devotion, in tremulous voice, the Devi. The Devi became pleased and appeared before him. Seeing Her shining like a crore of suns and looking exceedingly lovely and beautiful, all the persons there became very happy. They began to think themselves as very blessed and as having done all what they had to do. Knowing the Devi Bhagavati pleased, the King asked this boon from her“O Devi! Give me that knowledge, pure and simple, whereby final liberation is obtained. Also, I may be able to reside on the top of the eyes of all the beings.” The Devi, the Lord of the Devas, the Mother of the World being highly pleased, said thus “O King! At the expiry of this your Prarabdha Karma, you will acquire pure knowledge and you will reside on the tops of the eyes in the shape of Vayu, and through your residing there the beings will twinkle, i.e., open and close their eyes. The men, beasts, and birds will twinkle due to your residing there; but the Immortals will always remain with a steadfast gaze; they will not twinkle.” Thus granting him the boon, and addressing all the Munis the Bhagavati, the Highest Deity, disappeared. When the Devi disappeared from their sight, the Munis then thought much and they took the body of the King Nimi to burn it duly. For the sake of getting a son from Nimi, the high-souled Munis performed Homa ceremony (oblations to the fire) and placing the piece of wood Arani on his body began to utter Mantrams and burned his body. When the woods were thus burned, a son, endowed with all auspicious signs, looking like a second Nimi, was born to them. As this son was born due to the burning of the Aranis, the boy was named Mithi, and as it came out of the body of Janaka, the boy was named Janaka. O King! As the King Nimi lost his body, i.e., became Videha through the curse of Vas’istha, all his descendants were known as Videha. Thus the son of Nimi was well known as the King Janaka. He built a
beautiful city on the banks of the Ganges; the city became famous also by his name (Janakapuri). The King Janaka beautified this city with many forts, arcades, markets and many nice buildings and palaces; and his city was full of wealth and grains. O King! All the Kings of this line became famous by the name of Janaka and all were endowed with the Supreme knowledge and known as Videha. O King! I have now described to you the story of the King Nimi who got disembodiedness (Videhatva) out of the curse.
32-35. The King said “O Bhagavan! You have described the cause why the King Nimi was cursed; my mind has grown very doubtful and restless on hearing it. The Risi Vas’istha was the son of Brahma and the best of the Brahmins; especially he was the royal priest; how was it, then, that he was cursed by the King! Why did not the King Nimi forgive him as he was the Guru and a Brahmin? Why he became angry, when he performed such a great, auspicious sacrifice? He was born of the family of Iksaku and he knew well the truths of the religion; then how was it that he became subject to anger and cursed his own Guru Brahmin.”
36-46. Vyasa said O King! It is very hard and rare for the persons not possessed of self-restraint to forgive; especially when one is fully capable, it is very rare to find one in the three worlds, who can forgive. He who has forsaken all attachments and has conquered hunger and sleep and is always engaged in the Yoga practices, even that ascetic Muni is not capable to conquer completely lust, anger and greed and Ahamkara, etc., the passions raging in the mortal coil. None existed before in this whole world who conquered his passions! None exists now and none will be born ever-after. Hardly will be seen any in this earth, or the Heavens, or the Loka of Brahma or in Vaikuntha, even in Kailasa, that has conquered completely his passions! What can be said in regard to the ordinary mortals of this earth when the sons of Brahma, the Maharsis, ascetics, Risis are all
pierced by the Sattva, Rajas, or Tamo Gunas. Behold! The Kapila was the Knower of S’ankhya and always engaged in his Yoga practices and he was a pure and holy soul; yet, by strange combinations of Fate, he became angry and burnt to ashes the sons of the King Sagara. O King! Out of Ahamkara, these three worlds are created; therefore this world and Ahamkara are related to each other as effect and cause; how then the Jivas that are born of this Samsara can extricate themselves from this Ahamkara? Brahma, Visnu and Mahes’a are also pierced by those three Gunas; different feelings are seen in their different bodies. Therefore it need hardly be said that the manifestation of the pure Sattva Guna alone is not to be seen in any of the human beings; for the three Gunas reside in a mixed way in all persons. Sometimes the Sattva preponderates; sometimes the Rajas and sometimes the Tamas preponderates. Sometimes they reside together, the three balancing one other.
47-63. O King! Only that Eternal Highest Purusa is undecaying and untainted and can hardly be measured or seen by all the beings. That Highest Soul, the Highest of the High, is Nirguna (void of the three Gunas); and She who resides in all the beings and is hardly knowable by the small intellectual persons, that Highest S’akti, the Incarnate of Brahma, is also Nirguna (void of attributes). Paramatma (the Highest Soul) and the Highest Force are also One; their Forms are not different. When such a knowledge arises, then the Jivas can be free from all sins and faults and blemishes. From that knowledge comes the liberation, this is sounded in the Vedanta S’astra like Dindima S’abda (thousands of small drums). He, who comes to know That, is freed from the endless cycle of birth and death composed of the three Gunas; there is no doubt in this.
O King! Knowledge is of two kinds The first is considered as coming from sound; this comes out of the knowledge of the meaning of the Vedas by the help of intellect. But this is full of fancies.
agreements and doubts some of which are bad and some are good. The beings are led into errors by these discussions; errors cause destruction of intellect; and when the intellect is gone, the knowledge also goes away with it. Whereas the second kind of knowledge comes from intention or feeling within the depths of heart and brain and it is called Aparoksa Jhana. This knowledge is very rare to the beings. When one comes in contact with a Sad-Guru (a good teacher), then one gets this Aparoksa Jhana. From the sound knowledge, no successful results can issue; and, therefore it cannot give Aparoksa Jhana. Hence great effort is to be made for getting this Aparoksa Jhana. O King! As darkness cannot be destroyed merely by talking of light, without lighting any lamp, so the knowledge of sound merely cannot destroy the darkness of the inside. That Karma (action) is called True Karma which does not lead to bondage, and that Knowledge is the True Knowledge which leads to liberation. Other actions are only meant for one’s own selfish enjoyments and other knowledges are merely the skill in arts. Good behaviour, doing good to others, having no anger, forgiveness, patience, and contentment are the best brilliant fruits of True Knowledge. O King! Without knowledge, without asceticism, and without the Yoga practices, the lust and other passions can never be destroyed. The minds of the JTvas are naturally restless and without control; all the beings are completely under the sway of their minds; thus they roam on the surface of the earth as good, middling and bad. Lust, anger, etc., orginate from this mind; and when mind is conquered, then those feelings can no more arise. O King! Therefore it was that Yayati forgave when S’ukracharya did wrong before. The King Nimi could not forgive Vas’istha in the same way. Yayati; the best of kings, though cursed by S’ukracharya, the son of Bhrigu, did not curse in return but he took upon himself the old age. O King! Some kings are naturally peaceful, whereas some other kings are wicked by their nature. Therefore, in this matter, whose fault is this, how can we ascertain? See! In ancient times the Haihayas, out of their greed of wealth, and being thus insensible destroyed completely, out of anger, the Brahmin priests of the family of Bhrigu. What more than this that those Ksattriyas did not consider the sin
Brahmahattya; rather out of their dire anger, they cut to pieces the sons of those Brahmanas, that were in embryos in their mother’s wombs.
Here ends the Fifteenth Chapter in the Sixth Book on the Nimi’s getting of another body and the beginning of the story of Haihayas, in the Mahapuranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 33261, revision 86851 (2016-10-24T01:38:13Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk06ch15.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.