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Devi Bhagavatam (Devi
Puranam)
Chapter XI
On the ascertainment of Dharma
1-10. Janamejaya said :-- “O King of the Brâhmanas! You said that Râma and
Krisna took their incarnations to relieve the burden of earth. One great
doubt arises in my mind on this point. At the end of the Dvâpara Yuga, the
Earth, burdened and oppressed very much, assumed, in anguish, the form of a
cow and took refuge under Brahmâ. Brahmâ, then, went with the Earth to Visnu,
the Lord of Laksmî, and thus prayed, “O Bibhu! Let You, with all the other
gods, incarnate soon on earth at the house of Vâsudeva to relieve the Earth
of Her load, as well as to protect the righteous.” When Brahmâ thus prayed,
the Bhagavân Visnu incarnated as the son of Devakî, along with Balarâma to
lessen the burden of the Earth. And, in fact, he relieved, to a certain
extent, the Earth by killing many vicious persons and many wicked and
irreligious Kings. But, along with that, Bhîsma, Drona, Virâta, Drupada,
Somâdatta, and Karna, the son of the Sun were killed. But, See! that those
who plundered afterwards His riches, and stole away the wives of Hari, those
crores of Âbhîras, S’akas, Mlechchas, and Nisâdas and other vicious people
remained alive; and how could it, then, be said that the Earth was relieved
when Krisna did not kill those people! O Fortunate One! When I see all the
people in this Kâlî Yuga addicted to sinful acts, this great doubt is not
going out of my mind (how the Earth had been relieved of Her load).
11-14. Vyâsa said :-- O King! As the Yuga changes, so the people changes in
course of time. Nothing can alter its course, for this is caused by the Yuga
Dharma (the Dharma peculiar to each Yuga). Therefore if all the subjects
that are considered wicked and vicious according to the law of the Yuga
Dharma, then this creation would be destroyed; hence Krisna killed only
those Dânavas and vicious Ksattriyas that were really the burden of Earth. O
King! The persons that are devoted to religion take their births in the
Satya Yuga; those that are fond of religion and wealth they become manifest
in the Tretâ Yuga; those that like Dharma (religion), Artha (wealth) and
Kama (desires), they are born in the Dvâpara Yuga, and those that dote on
wealth and lust, they are seen in the Kâlî Yuga. O King! Know this as
certain that these characteristics, peculiar to each Yuga, never vary; and
know this too, that Time, the Lord of Dharma and Adharma, is always present.
15-18. The King said :-- “O Intelligent One! Where are those pious persons
now that were born as high-souled religious persons in the Satya Yuga; where
are those Munis now who were devoted to charity in the Tretâ or Dvâpara
Yuga? Again where will go these shameless and merciless persons, that are
being seen now in this Kâlî Yuga, these vicious creatures that revile their
own Gurus? O Highly Intelligent One! I am very eager to know how these
religious matters are brought to a decision and settlement; kindly describe
to me in detail all these secret truths.”
19-30. Vyâsa said :-- O King! Persons, born in the Satya Yuga, that perform
acts of merit, go to the Deva Loka. O King! The Brâhmins, Ksattriyas,
Vais’yas and S’ûdras, if they remain in their own spheres and if they be
devoted to religious acts, go to their respective spheres, earned by their
meritorious deeds. By virtue of truth, mercy, charity, going to one’s own
wives, not injuring animals, and having no jealousy and showing mercy
equally towards all, by practising these universal forms of religion, even
the lowest castes, e.g., washermen and others all go to the Paradise. So in
the Tretâ and Dvâpara Yugas men go to Heaven by virtue of their merits,
earned in practising their own Dharma; but in this Kâlî Yuga persons
addicted to vicious acts go to terrible hells and remain there till the end
of the Kâlî Yuga when they will be again born in this earth. O King! When
the Satya Yuga begins and the Kâlî Yuga ends, at this junction time, the
virtuous highsouled persons descend from Heaven and are born on this earth;
and when the Kâlî begins and the Dvâpara ends, the vicious souls come on the
earth again from their hells. O King! Know this as the course of Time; it
never becomes otherwise. See, then, that the Kâlî Yuga tends to do vicious
things and the people, therefore, become vicious. At times, the birth of
beings takes place otherwise than the laws of Yugas, out of the strange
combinations of Fate (i.e., good persons are seen in the Kâlî and vicious
persons are seen in the Satya). For this reason those that do meritorious
acts in the Kâlî Yuga are born as men in the Dvâpara; so the Dvâpara good
persons take their births as men in the Tretâ; and the Tretâ good persons
are born as men in the Satya Yuga. Again those who are vicious in the Satya
Yuga become persons of the Kâlî Yuga. The Jîvas suffer miseries on account
of their own bad Karmas; they again suffer more miseries by doing over and
over again those bad Karmas by virtue of the Yuga Dharma.
31. Janamejaya said :-- “O Bhagavân! Describe particularly the details of
the Yuga Dharma. I am now very desirous to hear which Dharma is for which
Yuga?”
32-54. Vyâsa said :-- O King! I will now show to you by example the
influence of the religion peculiar to each Yuga; hear it attentively. O
King! The hearts even of saints are quite disturbed by the Yuga Dharma. See!
Your father was a religious and high-souled monarch; still the wicked Kâlî
defiled his mind and prompted him to do an act very insulting to a Brâhmana.
Otherwise why would he, being a renowned prince amongst the Ksattriyas and a
descendant of Yayâti, thus go and encircle a snake round the throat of an
ascetic Brâhmin? Therefore, O King! All actions are being influenced by the
Yuga Dharma. The Pundits, also recognise this. If you try your best to
perform any religious act, even then the Yuga Dharma would prevail, yet you
would be able to perform to a certain extent, a part of your intention. O
King! In the Satya Yuga, the Brâhmins were versed in the Vedas, always
devoted to worship the Highest Force, with an ardent desire to see the Devî;
they were devoted to Gâyatrî with Pranava, devoted to the meditation of
Gâyatrî, always reciting silently Gâyatrî, and the Mâyâvîja Mantram, the
chief mantram. In every village, the Brâhmins were very eager to erect
temples of the Devî Mahâ Mâyâ Ambikâ and were truthful, merciful and pure
and devoted to their own respective works. The Ksattriyas, skilled in the
science of the highest knowledge, were ever engaged in doing things ordained
by the Vedas and were always intent in protecting well their subjects. The
Vais’yas did their cultivation and trade and the S’ûdras always served the
other three castes. Thus, in the Satya Yuga, all the Varnas (castes) were
devoted to the worship of the Devî Ambikâ, the Highest S’akti; but in the
Tretâ Yuga, the observance of the religion declined a little and in the
Dvâpara, it declined very much. O Ornament of Indra! Those who were Râksasas
before, they become the Brâhmins of the Kâlî Yuga; they are the flowers of
atheists, deceptors of men, untruthful, without any Vedas, devoid of the
Vedic practices, arrogant, cunning, egoistic, and capable only to serve the
S’ûdras. Some of them try to find fault with the Sanâtan Dharma and are the
promulgators of various other creeds, wicked, fallen from their religion and
given to much talking. O King! As Kâlî gets stronger, so the true religion
declines and ultimately dies; and, in that proportion, the Ksattriyas,
Vais’yas and S’ûdras are also devoid of their religion. When Kâlî will be in
full swing, the Ksattriyas, Vais’yas and S’ûdras will all be untruthful,
vicious; the Brâhmins will act like S’ûdras and will accept other’s gifts. O
King! The women in the Kâlî Yuga would be very passionate, avaricious and
ignorant. They would be very powerful and insolent, wilful, vicious and
untruthful and so would be a source of pain to the society. They would think
themselves vainly religious and learned and would be always ready to impart
religious instructions and deceive their own husbands and be exceedingly
vicious. O King! Our minds are purified by the food that we take; when our
minds are pure, the Light of Dharma shines clearly. The customs and
practices of Varna and Âs’rama Dharmas get intermixed with each other and so
arises the fault of Dharma S’amkara (i.e., mixture of the several parts of
religion with each other). When the Dharma S’amkara creeps in, the Varna
S’ankara is seen (i.e., purity in blood and other matters of birth are
lost). Thus, in the Kâlî Yuga, all the Dharmas will gradually die out and
ultimately nothing will be heard about one’s own religion. O King! In this
Yuga even the religious high-souled persons will be found to do irreligious
acts! The nature of Kâlî is so; nobody will be able to quit it. O King!
Thus, in this age, men naturally commit vicious things; with ordinary means,
therefore, no one becomes able to extricate from the worst vicious habits.
55-56. Janamejaya said :-- “O Bhagavân! You know all and you are versed in
all the S’âstras; what will be the fate of so many persons in this Kâlî
Yuga? If there be any path, kindly describe it to me.”
57-65. Vyâsa said :-- O King! There is only one path and none other which
can save a man from the sin of this Kâlî; and that is this :-- The Jîvas
must meditate on the lotus-feet of the Highest Devî for the purification of
all their faults and sins. O King! There is so much strength in Her
sin-destroying Name, that the amount of sin in this world falls much less in
proportion to that. Where, then, is the cause of fear? Her Name, uttered at
random, even in an unconscious state, bestows so much unspeakable results
that even Hari, Hara and others have not the capacity to know that. O King!
The mere remembrance of the name of S’rî Devî is an atonement for a
multitude of sins; then it behoves that every man, afraid of the Kâlî Yuga,
residing in a place of pilgrimage, ought to remember incessantly the Name of
the Highest Deity. Even if anybody cuts, pierces, and kills all the beings
in this whole world, he won’t be touched with the sins, if he bows down,
with devotion, before the Devî. O King! I have narrated to you all the
secret truths of all the S’âstras. Consider all these fully and always
worship the lotus-feet of the Devî. All men are reciting silently the Japam
called the Ajapâ Gâyatrî; still they do not know the glory of it; such is
the powerful influence of Mâyâ. All the Brâhmanas are reciting in the depth
of their hearts the Gâyatrî Mantram, yet they do not know the glory of it
(otherwise they would have been liberated); such is the great influence of
Mâyâ. O King! I have described to you all that you asked me about the Yuga
Dharmas; what more do you want to hear?
Here ends the Eleventh Chapter of the Sixth Book on the ascertainment of
Dharma in the Mahâ Purânam, S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam, of 18,000 verses by
Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
Chapter XII
On the cause of the war between Âdi and Baka
1-2. The King said :-- “O Best of Munis! Tell me the names of the holy
places of pilgrimage on the surface of this earth, the holy Ksetras and the
holy rivers; what are the fruits acquired in bathing there and in making
charitable gifts as well; also what are the rules of the journeys and acts
there are to be conducted?”
3-34. Vyâsa said :-- Hear; I am describing to you various Tîrthas or places
of pilgrimage as well as those that are highly extolled as the best places
favourite to the Devî. Amongst the rivers the following are reckoned as
chief and holy :-- The Ganges, Jumnâ, Sarasvatî, Narmaddâ, Gandakî, Sindhu,
Gomatî, Tamasâ, Cavery, Chandrahâgâ, Vetravatî, Charmanvatî, Saraju, Tâpî,
and Sâvramatî. Besides these, there are hundreds of rivers on the surface of
this earth; of them, those that fall into the ocean, they are holier and
those that have not reached the ocean are less holy. Of those rivers that
fall into the ocean, those that always flow with great current, they are
comparatively holier; but in the two months S’râvan and Bhâdra (15th July -
15th September) all the rivers are considered as if they are during their
menstruation periods; at this time also some rivers carry water of the rains
just sufficient to supply the villagers with water. O King! The following
are the famous places of pilgrimages calculated to bestow merits:-- Puskara,
Kuruksettra, the holy Dharmâranya, Pravâsa, Prayâga, Naimisâranya, and
Arbudâranya. O King! Of the mountains, the following are considered as
sacred :-- S’rîs’aila, Sumeru, Gandhamâdana; of the lakes, the following are
very holy and very famous :-- Mânasarovara, Vindusarovara and Aksoda; these
are the chief lakes. To those Munis that meditate on their Âtman, all the
hermitages are sacred; still the hermitage of Badri is always considered
very sacred and the most celebrated; here Nara and Nârâyana, the two famous
Munis, practised their asceticism. The Vâmanâs’rama and S’atayûpâs’rama are
also well known; thus every hermitage is named after the Muni that practised
asceticism there. Thus innumerable holy places on the surface of the earth
are mentioned by the Munis as tending to sanctify the hearts of the persons.
At all these holy places, the Devî is worshipped in special sites
consecrated to Her. All the sins are destroyed by their mere sight. The
devotees of the Devî stay there, with rules obeyed. I will mention
afterwards some of these places in the course of my narrations. O Best of
kings! Going to these holy places, charity, vow, sacrifices, asceticism and
good acts all depend on one another. The holy places of pilgrimages,
asceticism, and observance of vows depend on the purity of the articles (Dravya
S’uddhi), on the purity and one pointedness of actions (Kriyâ S’uddhi) and
on the purity of the mind and heart (Chitta S’uddhi). Some may attain, at
times, the Dravya S’uddhi and Kriyâ S’uddhi; but every one finds it very
difficult and, indeed, rarely get the Chitta S’uddhi. O King! This mind
always tries to seek shelter with various objects and is, therefore, always
restless. How, then, can the purity of mind be effected, with ease, when it
is occupied with all sorts of thoughts on various objects. Cupidity, anger,
greed, pride, and egoism, these bring about all sorts of obstacles in the
holy places of pilgrimages, in practising tapasyâ and in observing vows. O
King! Non-injury, truthfulness, non-stealing, chastity and purity,
controlling of senses, and observing one’s own religion, all these bring
about the fruits of the labour in visiting all tîrthas. They bestow fruits
that can be obtained by visiting all the tîrthas. During one’s pilgrimage,
one forsakes one’s Nitya Karma (daily duties) and one has to come in contact
with various persons. Hence one’s journey becomes fruitless; rather it
becomes a source of sin. The waters of the sacred places can only wash the
outside dirts and the impurities of the physical bodies; they can never wash
the impurities of their inner minds. Were it the fact that the waters of the
tîrthas could purify their minds, why was it, then, that the Munis, residing
on the banks of the Ganges, and devoted to God, ever indulged themselves
with feelings of jealousy and enmity against each other. The humble Munis
like Vas’istha, and the Risis like Vis’vâmitra were always entangled in love
and hatred and they were ever impatient with anger. Therefore it is evident
that the internal purification, the purification of heart, the bathing in
the Gñân Gangâ flowing within, no doubt removes more the dirt than the
Ganges and other places of pilgrimages. O King! No doubt this fact must be
admitted on all hands that one’s impurity of mind is washed away if by the
strange combination of Fate, one comes in intimate contact with a man
possessed of the Divine Knowledge. O King! The Vedas or S’âstras, vows or
austerities, sacrifices or gifts none can purify the heart. See! Vas’istha,
the son of Brahmâ, though versed in the Vedas and residing on the banks of
the Ganges, was under the control of love, hatred and other infirmities. Out
of the enmity of Vis’vâmitra and Vas’istha, arose the great battle named Âdi
Baka, astonishing even to the Gods. In this, the ascetic Vis’vâmitra was
cursed by Vas’istha, on account of some curse in connection with the king
Haris’chandra and had to take his birth as a crane (Baka). The Risi
Vas’istha was cursed also by Vis’vâmitra and was born as a bird named
S’arâri. Thus the two powerful Risis were born as Âdi Baka and lived on the
banks of the Mânasarovara and they fought for full ten thousand years (ajuta)
terribly, out of anger, with their nails and beaks like two maddened lions.
35-36. The King asked :-- “O Muni! Why were the two Maharsis, the two great
ascetics and devoted to religion, involved in enmity with each other? Both
of them were intelligent; how was it that they knowing the act of cursing to
be a source of pain to men, cursed each other so painfully?”
37-48. Vyâsa said :-- O King! In former times, there was born in the solar
dynasty a king Haris’chandra, the son of Tris’anku; he was the best of the
kings and reigned before Râmchandra. That King had no issue and therefore
promised to Varuna, “O Lord of water and ocean! If I get a son born to me, I
will perform a sacrifice, called Naramedha, where I will sacrifice my son
for your propitiation.” Varuna was very pleased with the king when he made
such a vow; and the exquisitely beautiful queen held the foetus in the womb.
Seeing his wife in the family way, the king was very pleased and performed
all the purificatory ceremonies pertaining to the foetus in the womb. O
King! When the queen was delivered of a son endowed with all auspicious
signs, the king Haris’chandra was very glad and performed duly all the Jâta
Karma (natal) ceremonies and distributed as charity big sums of gold and
many cows giving good quantities of milk. When the festivities on the birth
of the child were celebrated in the palace on a grand scale, Varuna, the
Lord of Waters, assuming the form of a Brâhmin, came up there. The King,
too, honoured him duly with seat and worshipped him regularly and asked him
about his purpose, when Varuna spoke to him :-- “O King! I am Varuna, the
Lord of Waters; you promised before that you would perform Naramedha
sacrifice where you would sacrifice your son; now do those things and keep
your words true.” The King became very much confused and was very much
pained at heart. He then checked his mental feelings of pain and spoke to
the Deva Varuna, with folded hands :-- “O Lord! I will do the sacrifice duly
and fulfil the promise that I made before you and keep my word. But, O Best
of the Devas! My legal wife will be pure from her Sûtikâ-S’auchak after one
month, when I will perform the Naramedha sacrifice.”
49-53. Vyâsa said :-- O King! Hearing thus the words of the king
Haris’chandra, Varuna returned to his own abode; the King also became glad,
but he was somewhat anxious for fear of the destruction of the child. When
one month was complete, the sweet-speaking Varuna, the holder of the noose,
assuming the form of a very pure Brâhmin, again came there to the palace of
the king to examine him. The King worshipped him duly and gave him the seat
to sit and spoke, with humility, the following reasonable words :-- “O Lord!
My son is not yet purified; how can he be tied to the sacrificial post for
being immolated? Therefore I will perform that sacrifice when the boy
becomes cleansed after a purificatory rite and becomes a Ksattriya. O Deva!
If you know me as your humble servant, have mercy on me; I will then
consider myself as blessed. See! The children, not passed through
purificatory rites, are not entitled to any act; therefore wait for some
time longer.”
54-56. Varuna said :-- “O King! You are deceiving me and putting off the
time longer and longer; I now see that you were issueless before and now
that you have got a son, you are bound up in an indissoluble tie of
affection for a son. Whatever it be, I now go back to my home at your
pitiful request; I will wait for some time longer and I will come again. O
child! Let you then be true to your words; if it be otherwise, I will surely
curse you and thus give vent to my angry feelings.”
57. The King said :-- O Lord of the Waters! After the completion of the
Samâvartan ceremony (a pupil’s return home after finishing his holy study),
I will duly sacrifice my son at the great Naramedha sacrifice; there is no
doubt.
58-71. Vyâsa said :-- Varuna was very pleased at the King’s words and
quickly went back saying “Let it be so.” The king also became comforted. On
the one hand, the king Haris’chandra’s son became widely known by the name
of Rohita; and as he got older, he became gradually versed in all the
sciences and became very clever and intelligent. That boy then came to know
by degrees the cause of the sacrifice in full detail; and knowing that his
death is quite certain, became very afraid and quickly fled away from the
King and went and stayed in caves of mountains with a fearful heart. Then,
when the proper time came, Varuna came up there to the royal palace,
desirous to have the sacrifice and spoke to the King thus :-- “O King! Now
the prescribed time has come; therefore perform the sacrifice that you have
resolved to celebrate.” The King was very much pained to hear this and spoke
with a very sad appearance :--
“O Best of the Devas! What can I
do now? My son has fled away out of the fear of his life; I do not know his
whereabouts.” Varuna became very angry at these words and cursed him thus
:-- “O Liar! You are an hypocrite pundit; therefore you deceived me
frequently. Let therefore the disease dropsy come and attack your body.”
Varuna, the Holder of the noose, cursing thus, went back to his own abode.
The King was attacked with that disease, remained in his own residence,
afflicted with cares and anxieties. Rohita, the son of the king
Haris’chandra, heard about the severe illness of his father when he was very
much tormented with that disease, as the curse of Varuna. One day a
traveller told him :-- “O son of the King! Your father is very ill with
dropsy, due to the curse, and is very sorry. Certainly your brain has turned
wrong; vain is your coming in this world; you have passed your life to no
purpose, for you are staying still in this mountain cave, abandoning your
sorrowful father. Certainly you are a bad disobedient son; what use is there
in your keeping up this body? What purpose will be served by your birth?
When you have got this body, you have abandoned that father and are staying
in this solitary cave. Know this as certain that to sacrifice one’s life is
the duty of a good and obedient son; therefore what more shall I say now
than this that your father the king Haris’chandra ailing from a severe
illness is very sorry for you and is always weeping.”
72-74. Vyâsa said :-- O King! Hearing from the passerby these good words,
the prince Rohita wanted to go to his sorrowful father attacked with disease
when Indra assuming a Brâhmin form came up to him and began to speak to him
when he was alone like one who was filled with mercy. O Son of a King! You
are a fool; are you not positively acquainted with the fact that your father
is in trouble; why then do you intend in vain to go there?
Here ends the Twelfth Chapter on the cause of the war between Âdi and Baka
in the Sixth Book of the Mahâpurânam of S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000
verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
Chapter XIII
On the description of the battle between Âdi and Baka after the discourse on
S’unahs’epha
1-6. Indra said :-- “O Prince! The King Haris’chandra promised before to
Varuna that he would celebrate for his propitiation the great Naramedha
sacrifice when he would offer his own son as a victim to be immolated. O
Prince! You are very intelligent; can’t you grasp this idea that your father
has become merciless due to his suffering in this illness and no sooner you
go there than he will make you the victim and tie you to the sacrificial
post when you will be slaughtered.” The indomitable Indra thus prohibiting
the son, he began to stay there deluded by the Mâyâ of the great Mahâ Mâyâ.
O King! Thus whenever the prince heard of his father’s severe illness, he
wanted to go to his father, Indra repeatedly used to go to him and prevent
him from doing so. On the other hand, the King Haris’chandra became very
much afflicted, and, seeing his family Guru all-knowing well-wisher
Vas’istha close by, asked him, “O Bhagavân! what am I to do now? I am now
very impatient with the agonies of this disease and am very weak; besides I
am very much afraid of it. Kindly give me a good advice and save me.”
7-9. Vas’istha said :-- “O King! There is a good remedy for the cure of your
disease. It is stated in the S’âstras that the sons are of thirteen kinds;
Aurasa, Ksattraja, Datrima, Krîtrima; etc. Therefore pay the reasonable
price and buy one good Brâhmin boy and perform your sacrifice with that boy.
O King! Thus Varuna will be pleased and you will be cured of your disease.”
10-24. Vyâsa said :-- O King! Hearing thus the words of Vas’istha, the King
Haris’chandra addressed to his minister :-- “O Minister-in-Chief! You are
very sharp and intelligent, therefore you better try your best and seek in
my kingdom a Brâhmin boy. In case a poor Brâhmin be willing, out of his love
for money, to give over his son, then give him any amount he wants and bring
his son. O Minister! By all means, bring a Brâhmin boy for this sacrifice;
in other words, do not be miserly or act lazily to perform my business. You
should pray to any Brâhmin thus :-- Take this money and give your son, who
will be sacrificed in a sacrificial ceremony as a victim.” Thus ordered, the
minister sought for a Brâhmin boy in towns after towns, villages after
villages, and houses after houses. Till, at last, he came to know that in
his kingdom there was a poor distressed Brâhmin named Ajîgarta, who had
three sons. Then the minister gave to the Brâhmin that he wanted and
purchased his second son named S’unahs’epha and brought him before the King.
And handed him over to the King, saying that this Brâhmin boy is fit for the
sacrificial victim. The King then gladly brought the best Brâhmins versed in
the Vedas for the performance of the sacrifice, and collected all the
articles requisite for the purpose. When the sacrifice was commenced, the
great Muni Vis’vâmitra, seeing S’unahs’epha tied, prohibited the King and
said :-- “O King! Do not be so bold as to sacrifice this boy; let this boy
be free. O long-lived One! I am asking this thing from you today and if you
obey it, certainly it will do good to you. O King! This boy S’unahs’epha is
crying; his cries are paining my heart and I am feeling pity for him. Hear
my word and free this boy out of mercy. See! The purehearted Ksattriyas, in
ancient days, used to sacrifice their own bodies and thus preserve others’
bodies, so that they might attain the Heavens. And now you are killing this
Brâhmin boy forcibly so that you may preserve your own body; judge how
vicious is this your act! Be merciful to this boy. O King! Everyone likes
his own body to the same extent; you are feeling this yourself; therefore if
you take my word, then quit this boy.”
25-36. Vyâsa said :-- O King! The King Haris’chandra was ailing very much;
hence be did not pay any heed to the Muni’s words and did not quit the boy.
Thereupon the very fiery spirited Vis’vâmitra became very angry with the
King. Then Vis’vâmitra, the son of Kus’ika, the foremost of the knowers of
the Vedas, shewed mercy on S’unahs’epha and gave him the “Varuna Mantram.”
S’unahs’epha, very much afraid to lose his life, earnestly repeatedly
remembered Varuna and uttered that mantram in pluta tone (lengthened or
prolonged). Varuna, too, the ocean of mercy, knowing that the Brâhmin boy
was praising him with hymns came up to that spot and freed S’unahs’epha from
his bondage and freed the King also from his disease and went back to his
own abode. Thus the Maharsi Vis’vâmitra became very glad to rescue the
Muni’s son from the jaws of death. The King Haris’chandra did not observe
the words of Vis’vâmitra; hence the son of Gâdhi harboured within his heart
anger towards the King. One day while the King Haris’chandra was riding in a
forest and there, at midday, on the banks of the river Kaus’ik, when he
desired to kill a boar, Vis’vâmitra in the garb of an old Brâhmin asked from
him everything that he had, including his dominion and thus cunningly took
away everything from the King. The Maharsi Vas’istha, seeing his Yajamâna
Haris’chandra suffering much, became wounded and felt pain in his mind. One
day when he met casually with Vis’vâmitra in a forest, he said :-- “O wicked
Ksattriya! A disgrace to your family! You have in vain put on the garb of a
Brâhmin; your religion is like a crane; you ate full of vanity; you boast
for nothing. The best of kings, Haris’chandra is my client; be is faultless;
still, O Fool! Why are you giving him so much trouble. As you are religious
as a crane is religious, so take your birth as a crane.” Vis’vâmitra, thus
cursed by Vas’istha, cursed Vas’istha in return, and said :-- “O Vas’istha!
As long as I will remain a crane, so long you also remain as S’arâli or Âdi
bird.”
37-42. Vyâsa said :-- O King! The two angry Munis thus cursed each other and
the two were born as Crane and S’arâli or Âdi bird. The crane Vis’vâmitra
built its nest on the top of a tree on the Mânasarovara lake and began to
live there. Vas’istha, too, assumed the form of an Âdi bird, and built his
nest on the top of another tree and lived there. Thus the two Risis spent
their days in full enmity towards each other. These two birds used to shriek
so terribly loud that they became a nuisance to all; they fought daily with
each other. They used to strike each other with beaks and wings and nails
and thus they were covered all over their bodies with cuts and wounds and
they were smeared with blood. They began to look like Kims’uka trees. Thus
the two Risis, in the shape of birds, in their states of bondage, due to
each other’s curse, passed many years there.
43. Janamejaya said :-- “O Brâhmana! Kindly tell me how Vas’istha and
Kaus’ika, the two Risis, became free from their curses; I am very curious to
hear this.”
44-54. Vyâsa said :-- Brahmâ, the Grandsire of his subjects, came there with
all the Devas, filled with mercy, on seeing those two Risis at war against
each other. Brahmâ, the Lotus-seated, made them desist from such a fight,
consoled them and freed both of them from each other’s curses. Then the
Devas went back to their own abodes and the illustrious lotus-seated Brahmâ
went to the Satyaloka, seated on his Swan. Maharsi Vas’istha and Vis’vâmitra
became then friends and were tied with bonds of affection at the advice of
Brahmâ; they went back to their own Âs’ramas. O King! Now see, that the
Maharsi Vas’istha, the son of Mitrâ-Varuna, fought for nothing with
Vis’vâmitra, so painful to both the parties. Who, then, amongst the human
beings, the Dânavas or the Devas can conquer his Ahamkâra (egoism) and be
always happy? Therefore the Chitta-S’uddhi, the purity of the heart (that
purity which imparts to man the blessedness of God-vision) is very difficult
even for the high-souled persons; with the greatest caution and utmost
effort one has to practise for that. To those persons, that are void of this
Chitta S’uddhi, it is all vain to go to places of pilgrimage, to make
charities, to practise tapasyâ, to be truthful; in fact, anything, which is
the means to attain Dharma, becomes useless. O King! S’raddhâ (Faith) is of
three kinds :-- (1) Sâttvikî, (2) Râjasikî and (3) Tâmasikî to all persons
in all their religious matters. The Sâttvik faith is the only one of the
three that yields entire results; and it is very rare in this world. The
Râjasik faith, done according to due rules, yields half the results thereof
and the Tâmasik faith is fruitless and inglorious; the Tâmasik faith arises
with those persons that are overwhelmed with lust, anger, greed, etc.
Therefore, O King! Keep to the company of the good and hear the S’âstras,
Vedânta, etc., and free the heart of worldly desires and then concentrate it
to the worship of the Devî and live in a sacred place of pilgrimage. Men
afraid and troubled with the defects of the Kâlîyuga, should always take the
name of the Devî, sing praises, and meditate on Her lotus feet. Thus the
Jîvas will not have any fear of Kâlî and the fallen vicious persons will
easily be able to cross this ocean of the world and be free. There is no
doubt in this.
Here ends the Thirteenth Chapter of the Sixth Book on the description of the
battle between Âdi and Baka after the discourse on S’unahs’epha in S’rî Mad
Devî Bhâgavatam, the Mahâpurânam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
Chapter XIV
On the birth of Vas’istha from Mitrâ Varuna
1-2. Janamejaya said :-- “O Bhagavân! Maharsi Vas’istha was the mind-born
son of Brahmâ; how is it then that you have named him as Maitrâ-Vârunî. Is
it that he got this name by some action or by some Gunas? Kindly tell me the
origin of this name, O Best of speakers!”
3-4. Vyâsa said :-- O King! It is quite true that the illustrious Vas’istha
was the noble son of Brahmâ but he had to quit that body due to the curse of
the King Nimi and he had to take a second body from Mitrâ Varuna; hence he
is named in this world as Maitrâ-Vârunî.
5-6. The King said :-- “O Bhagavân! How was it that the religious Vas’istha,
the best of the Munis, the son of Brahmâ was cursed by the King? Oh! The
Munis have to suffer the dreadful curse of Ksattriya kings! This seems very
wonderful to me. O Knower of Dharma! Why did that king curse the innocent
Muni? I am very curious to hear the cause of this; kindly tell me the cause
of the curse.”
7-30. Vyâsa said :-- O King! I told you already in particular all the causes
of these. This Samsâra is pervaded by the three Gunas of Mâyâ, Sâttva, Râja
and Tâma. Whether the kings practise their Dharma or the ascetics practise
their tapas, all their actions are interpenetrated with these Gunas;
therefore they cannot shine so brightly. The Kings, Munis performed very
severe penances and austerities under the influence of lust, anger, greed
and Ahamkâra. O King! All, whether they be the Ksattriyas or the Brâhmanas,
who perform their sacrifices overpowered with this Râjo Guna, really, none
of them performs these actions guided by Sâttva Guna. The King Nimi was
cursed by the Risi and the Risi was cursed again by the King Nimi; thus they
met with greater calamities and painful sufferings, the fruits from the
hands of the powerful Fate. O King! In this world of the three Gunas, it is
very difficult for the beings to get the Dravya S’uddhi, Kriyâ S’uddhi, and
the pure effulgent Chitta S’uddhi, O King! Know this as the influence
wielded by the Highest S’akti, the Mother of this Universe. Nobody is able
to overstep it; but he, whom She favours, can cross in a moment this world,
bounded by the three Gunas. What more can be said than the fact that Hari,
Hara, and Brahmâ and the other Gods cannot free themselves without Her
grace. Moreover, the sinners like Satyavrata and others become free when Her
Grace comes upon them. Nobody in these three worlds can know what reigns in
Her mind; again, this is also a certain fact that She gets Herself bound by
Her own will to Her devotees. Therefore it is extremely desirable that one
should have recourse to Sâttvikî devotion for the complete removal of faults
and sins. And as the devotion with attachment and vanity is always injurious
to men, therefore it is highly beneficial to quit it; there is no doubt in
this. O King! There was a king named Nimi, born of the family of Iksâku. He
was beautiful, well qualified, virtuous, truthful, charitable, endearing to
his people, a sacrificer, of pure conduct and manners, ready to govern his
subjects, intelligent and endowed with knowledge. For the benefit of the
Brâhmanas, that high-souled king established a city named Jayantupur in
close vicinity to the hermitage of Gautama. Thus some time passed when this
Râjasik idea arose in his mind that “I will perform a sacrifice extending
for a good many years when I will give exhorbitant Daksinâs (remunerations
to the priests and Brâhmins).” Getting permission from his own father Iksâku,
he began to collect all the ingredients necessary for the sacrifice, as
advised by the high-souled persons. He invited the all-knowing Munis and
ascetics, versed in the Vedas and in conducting sacrifices, e.g., Bhrigu,
Angirâ, Vâmadeva, Gautama, Vas’istha, Pulastya, Richika, Pulaha, Kratu and
others, all well-versed in the Vedas. Then that religious King Nimi,
collecting all the materials necessary for sacrifice worshipped his own Guru
Vas’istha and then spoke to him (the Guru) with great humility. O Best of
Munis! I will perform a sacrifice; kindly perform this my sacrificial act;
you are my Guru and therefore you know everything; so do this sacrifice for
me. All the articles for this purpose are brought and cleansed. O Guru! Know
that for five thousand years I mean to be engaged in this sacrifice, this is
my Sankalpa (will). I will worship the Goddess Ambikâ in this sacrifice and
for Her satisfaction I am arranging for it according to the prescribed
rules. Hearing the King Nimi’s words, Vas’istha said :-- “O best of Kings!
Indra, the King of the Devas, has already selected me for his sacrificial
ceremony. Now Indra is ready to do the sacrifice for the propitiation of the
Highest S’akti and I have initiated him for five hundred years. Therefore, O
King! You will have to wait till I complete the Indra’s Yajñâ. After fully
completing all his works, I will come here. Therefore, O King! Wait till
then.”
31-42. The King said :-- “O Best of Munis! I have already invited other
Munis for this sacrifice and have collected all the materials; how, then,
can I wait for you? O Brâhmana! You are the foremost of those versed in the
Vedas and you are the family Guru of the noble Iksâku. How is it, then,
avoiding my work you are ready to go elsewhere O Best of Brâhmins! Under the
uncontrollable greed of wealth you have lost all senses and you are ready to
go away without doing my work. This does not behove you.” O King! Though
thus tempted by the King Nimi, the Risi Vas’istha went to the Indra’s
sacrifice. The King, too, became absent-minded and selected for the
sacrifice the Risi Gautama. He then commenced his sacrificial ceremony close
to the ocean by the side of the Himâlayân range and gave profusely the
Daksinâs. The King Nimi was engaged in this sacrificial act for five
thousand years. In this the Rittviks (priests) were worshipped with
sufficient wealth and cows; they were extremely glad. Then, when the five
hundred years extending sacrifice of Indra was completed, the Risi Vas’istha
came to see the King Nimi’s sacrifice and waited there to see the King. The
king was then asleep; so the servants did not awake him from his sleep; and
the King did not come to the Risi. Feeling insult at this, the Maharsi
Vas’istha became infuriated with rage. Not seeing the King, he became very
angry; and, subject to this, he cursed the King, When I am your lifelong
Guru, especially when I prohibited you and you have forsaken me and selected
another Guru and by your sheer force you are initiated, then be devoid of
your body. Let your body fall off today.
43-50. Vyâsa said :-- The King’s attendants, hearing thus the curse given by
Vas’istha to the King, instantly awoke him from his sleep and informed him
that the Risi Vas’istha not seeing you, became very angry. The King Nimi,
quite sinless, went then to the angry Vas’istha and humbly spoke to him the
following reasonable words, pregnant with meaning. O Knower of Dharma! I am
your Yajamâna; though I repeatedly requested you to perform my sacrifice,
yet you quitted me out of the covetousness and went somewhere else. I cannot
be charged with any fault. You are the foremost of Brâhmins; and knowing
that contentment is the substance of your Dharma, you did not feel ashamed
to do this blameable act. You are the son of Brahmâ; and, being versed in
the Vedas and Vedângas, you are yet unaware of the subtle and very difficult
nature of the Brâhminic religion. Now you want to cast your own fault on my
shoulders and you are trying in vain to curse me. Anger is more to be blamed
than Chândâla! The wise men should overcome it by all means. When you,
infuriated with rage, have been able to curse me for nothing, then I now
curse you, “Let your this body, inflamed with anger, drop off.” O King! Thus
the King cursed the Muni and the Muni cursed the King; and both of them
were, therefore, very sorry.
51-52. Vas’istha then became troubled with cares and took shelter with
Brahmâ and informing him about the great curse given by the King Nimi said
:-- Father! The King has cursed me saying, “Let your body fall off today.
Now the great trouble due to the falling off of the body has arisen. What am
to do now?
53-69. O Father! Kindly tell me from whom shall I take my birth and take
such means as I can get a body like what I have now. Also by Your unbounded
power, do so that I can retain the knowledge in that body as I have at
present; You are fully competent to do this.” O King! Hearing thus the words
of Vas’istha, Brahmâ spoke thus to his dear son :-- Go and enter into the
Tejas (essence) of Mitrâ Varuna and remain contented; then you will get, in
due time, a body not born of any womb and you will be again religious,
truthful, knower of the Vedas, all-knowing and worshipped by all; there is
no doubt in this. When Brahmâ said this, the Maharsi Vas’istha bowed down to
the Grand Sire, and circumambulating him, went to the abode of Varuna. Then
he quitted his excellent body; and, with his subtle body, the part of his
Jîva, entered into the body of Mitrâ Varuna. Then once on a time Urvas’î,
exquisitely beautiful and lovely, surrounded by her comrades, went wilfully
into the abode of Varuna. Mitrâ-Varuna, the two Devas became very passionate
to see that Apsarâ (the celestial nymph) endowed with youth and beauty and
being enchanted with the arrows of cupid, and, being senseless, addressed to
the Deva Kanyâ Urvas’î, beautiful in all her parts, thus :-- “O Lovely One!
Seeing you, we are very much troubled with the arrows of cupid; O Beautiful
One! Select us and remain and enjoy here at your pleasure.” When they said
thus, Urvas’î became attached to them; and, under their control, began to
stay in the house of Mitrâ Varuna. When Urvas’î began to remain there,
strongly attached to them, the semen of Mitrâ Varuna dropped in an uncovered
jar. And the two beautiful sons of the Risis were born out of that; Agasti
was the first child and Vas’istha the second. Thus, out of the semen of
Mitrâ Varuna, the two ascetics were born. The first Agasti turned out a
great ascetic in his childhood and resorted to forest; Iksâku the best of
Kings, selected Vas’istha as his family priest. O King! Iksâku, the best of
Kings, nursed him for the welfare of his own line; the more so, because to
know that he was the Muni Vas’istha; and thus he was very pleased with him.
Janamejaya! Thus I have described to you about the getting of another body
by Vas’istha, due to the curse of Nimi, and have also described his re-birth
in Mitrâ-Varuna’s family.
Here ends the Fourteenth Chapter of the Sixth Book on the birth of Vas’istha
from Mitrâ Varuna in S’rî Mad Devi Bhâgavatam, the Mahâ Purânam of 18,000
verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
Chapter XV
On the Nimi’s getting of another body and the beginning of the story of
Haihayas
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. Vyâsa 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
Vâyu (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 Devî, 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 Devî. The Devî 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 Devî
Bhagavatî pleased, the King asked this boon from her :-- “O Devî! 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 Devî,
the Lord of the Devas, the Mother of the World being highly pleased, said
thus :-- “O King! At the expiry of this your Prârabdha Karma, you will
acquire pure knowledge and you will reside on the tops of the eyes in the
shape of Vâyu, 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 Bhagavatî, the Highest Deity, disappeared. When
the Devî 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 Bhagavân! 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 Brahmâ and the best of the
Brâhmins; 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 Brâhmin? Why he became angry, when he performed such a great,
auspicious sacrifice? He was born of the family of Iksâku and he knew well
the truths of the religion; then how was it that he became subject to anger
and cursed his own Guru Brâhmin.”
36-46. Vyâsa 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 Ahamkâra, 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 Brahmâ or in Vaikuntha, even in Kailâsa, that has conquered
completely his passions! What can be said in regard to the ordinary mortals
of this earth when the sons of Brahmâ, the Maharsis, ascetics, Risis are all
pierced by the Sâttva, Râjas, or Tâmo Gunas. Behold! The Kapila was the
Knower of S’ankhyâ 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 Ahamkâra,
these three worlds are created; therefore this world and Ahamkâra are
related to each other as effect and cause; how then the Jîvas that are born
of this Samsâra can extricate themselves from this Ahamkâra? Brahmâ, 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 Sâttva 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 Sâttva preponderates; sometimes the Râjas and sometimes the
Tâmas 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 Brahmâ, is also Nirguna (void
of attributes). Paramâtmâ (the Highest Soul) and the Highest Force are also
One; their Forms are not different. When such a knowledge arises, then the
Jîvas can be free from all sins and faults and blemishes. From that
knowledge comes the liberation, this is sounded in the Vedânta S’âstra 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 Jñâna. 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 Jñâna. From the sound knowledge, no successful results
can issue; and, therefore it cannot give Aparoksa Jñâna. Hence great effort
is to be made for getting this Aparoksa Jñâna. 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 Jîvas 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 Yayâti forgave when S’ukrâchârya did
wrong before. The King Nimi could not forgive Vas’istha in the same way.
Yayâti; the best of kings, though cursed by S’ukrâchârya, 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 Brâhmin
priests of the family of Bhrigu. What more than this that those Ksattriyas
did not consider the sin Brahmahattyâ; rather out of their dire anger, they
cut to pieces the sons of those Brâhmanas, that were in embryos in their
mother’s wombs.
Here ends the Fifteenth Chapter in the Sixth Book on the Nimi’s
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