Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9: “Liberation”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Two

SB9.2.21

TEXT 21

tato ’gnivesyo bhagavan

agnih svayam abhut sutah

kanina iti vikhyato

jatukarnyo mahan rsih

SYNONYMS

tatah—from Devadatta; agnivesyah—a son named Agnivesya; bhagavan—the most powerful; agnih—the fire-god; svayam—personally; abhut—became; sutah—the son; kaninah—Kanina; iti—thus; vikhyatah—was celebrated; jatukarnyah—Jatukarnya; mahan rsih—the great saintly person.

TRANSLATION

From Devadatta came a son known as Agnivesya, who was the fire-god Agni himself. This son, who was a celebrated saint, was well known as Kanina and Jatukarnya.

PURPORT

Agnivesya was also known as Kanina and Jatukarnya.

SB9.2.22

TEXT 22

tato brahma-kulam jatam

agnivesyayanam nrpa

narisyantanvayah prokto

dista-vamsam atah srnu

SYNONYMS

tatah—from Agnivesya; brahma-kulam—a dynasty of brahmanas; jatam—was generated; agnivesyayanam—known as Agnivesyayana; nrpa—O King Pariksit; narisyanta—of Narisyanta; anvayah—descendants; proktah—have been explained; dista-vamsam—the dynasty of Dista; atah—hereafter; srnu—hear.

TRANSLATION

O King, from Agnivesya came a brahminical dynasty known as Agnivesyayana. Now that I have described the descendants of Narisyanta, let me describe the descendants of Dista. Please hear from me.

SB9.2.23-24

TEXTS 23–24

nabhago dista-putro ’nyah

karmana vaisyatam gatah

bhalandanah sutas tasya

vatsapritir bhalandanat

vatsapriteh sutah pramsus

tat-sutam pramatim viduh

khanitrah pramates tasmac

caksuso ’tha vivimsatih

SYNONYMS

nabhagah—by the name Nabhaga; dista-putrah—the son of Dista; anyah—another; karmana—by occupation; vaisyatam—the order of the vaisyas; gatah—achieved; bhalandanah—by the name Bhalandana; sutah—son; tasya—of him (Nabhaga); vatsapritih—by the name Vatsapriti; bhalandanat—from Bhalandana; vatsapriteh—from Vatsapriti; sutah—the son; pramsuh—was named Pramsu; tat-sutam—the son of him (Pramsu); pramatim—was named Pramati; viduh—you should understand; khanitrah—was named Khanitra; pramateh—from Pramati; tasmat—from him (Khanitra); caksusah—was named Caksusa; atha—thus (from Caksusa); vivimsatih—the son named Vivimsati.

TRANSLATION

Dista had a son by the name Nabhaga. This Nabhaga, who was different from the Nabhaga described later, became a vaisya by occupational duty. The son of Nabhaga was known as Bhalandana, the son of Bhalandana was Vatsapriti, and his son was Pramsu. Pramsu’s son was Pramati, Pramati’s son was Khanitra, Khanitra’s son was Caksusa, and his son was Vivimsati.

PURPORT

From Manu, one son became a ksatriya, another a brahmana, and another a vaisya. This confirms the statement by Narada Muni, yasya yal laksanam proktam pumso varnabhivyanjakam (Bhag. 7.11.35). One should always remember that brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas should never be regarded as members of a caste by birth. A brahmana may be changed into a ksatriya, and a ksatriya into a brahmana. Similarly, a brahmana or ksatriya may be changed into a vaisya, and a vaisya into a brahmana or ksatriya. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]). So one is a brahmana, ksatriya or vaisya never by birth, but by quality. There is a great need of brahmanas. Therefore, in the Krsna consciousness movement, we are trying to train some brahmanas to guide human society. Because at present there is a scarcity of brahmanas, the brain of human society is lost. Because practically everyone is a sudra, no one at the present moment can guide the members of society to the proper path by which to achieve perfection in life.

SB9.2.25

TEXT 25

vivimsateh suto rambhah

khaninetro ’sya dharmikah

karandhamo maharaja

tasyasid atmajo nrpa

SYNONYMS

vivimsateh—from Vivimsati; sutah—the son; rambhah—named Rambha; khaninetrah—named Khaninetra; asya—of Rambha; dharmikah—very religious; karandhamah—named Karandhama; maharaja—O King; tasya—of him (Khaninetra); asit—was; atmajah—the son; nrpa—O King.

TRANSLATION

The son of Vivimsati was Rambha, whose son was the great and religious King Khaninetra. O King, the son of Khaninetra was King Karandhama.

SB9.2.26

TEXT 26

tasyaviksit suto yasya

maruttas cakravarty abhut

samvarto ’yajayad yam vai

maha-yogy angirah-sutah

SYNONYMS

tasya—of him (Karandhama); aviksit—named Aviksit; sutah—the son; yasya—of whom (Aviksit); maruttah—(the son) named Marutta; cakravarti—the emperor; abhut—became; samvartah—Samvarta; ayajayat—engaged in performing sacrifice; yam—unto whom (Marutta); vai—indeed; maha-yogi—the great mystic; angirah-sutah—the son of Angira.

TRANSLATION

From Karandhama came a son named Aviksit, and from Aviksit a son named Marutta, who was the emperor. The great mystic Samvarta, the son of Angira, engaged Marutta in performing a sacrifice [yajna].

SB9.2.27

TEXT 27

maruttasya yatha yajno

na tathanyo ’sti kascana

sarvam hiranmayam tv asid

yat kincic casya sobhanam

SYNONYMS

maruttasya—of Marutta; yatha—as; yajnah—performance of sacrifice; na—not; tatha—like that; anyah—any other; asti—there is; kascana—anything; sarvam—everything; hiran-mayam—made of gold; tu—indeed; asit—there was; yat kincit—whatever he had; ca—and; asya—of Marutta; sobhanam—extremely beautiful.

TRANSLATION

The sacrificial paraphernalia of King Marutta was extremely beautiful, for everything was made of gold. Indeed, no other sacrifice could compare to his.

SB9.2.28

TEXT 28

amadyad indrah somena

daksinabhir dvijatayah

marutah parivestaro

visvedevah sabha-sadah

SYNONYMS

amadyat—became intoxicated; indrah—the King of heaven, Lord Indra; somena—by drinking the intoxicant soma-rasa; daksinabhih—by receiving sufficient contributions; dvijatayah—the brahminical group; marutah—the airs; parivestarah—offering the foodstuffs; visvedevah—universal demigods; sabha-sadah—members of the assembly.

TRANSLATION

In that sacrifice, King Indra became intoxicated by drinking a large quantity of soma-rasa. The brahmanas received ample contributions, and therefore they were satisfied. For that sacrifice, the various demigods who control the winds offered foodstuffs, and the Visvedevas were members of the assembly.

PURPORT

Because of the yajna performed by Marutta, everyone was pleased, especially the brahmanas and ksatriyas. Brahmanas are interested in receiving contributions as priests, and ksatriyas are interested in drinking. All of them, therefore, were satisfied with their different engagements.

SB9.2.29

TEXT 29

maruttasya damah putras

tasyasid rajyavardhanah

sudhrtis tat-suto jajne

saudhrteyo narah sutah

SYNONYMS

maruttasya—of Marutta; damah—(was named) Dama; putrah—the son; tasya—of him (Dama); asit—there was; rajya-vardhanah—named Rajyavardhana, or one who can expand the kingdom; sudhrtih—was named Sudhrti; tat-sutah—the son of him (Rajyavardhana); jajne—was born; saudhrteyah—from Sudhrti; narah—named Nara; sutah—the son.

TRANSLATION

Marutta’s son was Dama, Dama’s son was Rajyavardhana, Rajyavardhana’s son was Sudhrti, and his son was Nara.

SB9.2.30

TEXT 30

tat-sutah kevalas tasmad

dhundhuman vegavams tatah

budhas tasyabhavad yasya

trnabindur mahipatih

SYNONYMS

tat-sutah—the son of him (Nara); kevalah—was named Kevala; tasmat—from him (Kevala); dhundhuman—a son was born named Dhundhuman; vegavan—named Vegavan; tatah—from him (Dhundhuman); budhah—named Budha; tasya—of him (Vegavan); abhavat—there was; yasya—of whom (Budha); trnabinduh—a son named Trnabindu; mahipatih—the king.

TRANSLATION

The son of Nara was Kevala, and his son was Dhundhuman, whose son was Vegavan. Vegavan’s son was Budha, and Budha’s son was Trnabindu, who became the king of this earth.

SB9.2.31

TEXT 31

tam bheje ’lambusa devi

bhajaniya-gunalayam

varapsara yatah putrah

kanya celavilabhavat

SYNONYMS

tam—him (Trnabindu); bheje—accepted as husband; alambusa—the girl Alambusa; devi—goddess; bhajaniya—worthy of accepting; guna-alayam—the reservoir of all good qualities; vara-apsarah—the best of the Apsaras; yatah—from whom (Trnabindu); putrah—some sons; kanya—a daughter; ca—and; ilavila—named Ilavila; abhavat—was born.

TRANSLATION

The best of the Apsaras, the highly qualified girl named Alambusa, accepted the similarly qualified Trnabindu as her husband. She gave birth to a few sons and a daughter known as Ilavila.

SB9.2.32

TEXT 32

yasyam utpadayam asa

visrava dhanadam sutam

pradaya vidyam paramam

rsir yogesvarah pituh

SYNONYMS

yasyam—in whom (Ilavila); utpadayam asa—gave birth; visravah—Visrava; dhana-dam—Kuvera, or one who gives money; sutam—to a son; pradaya—after receiving; vidyam—absolute knowledge; paramam—supreme; rsih—the great saintly person; yoga-isvarah—master of mystic yoga; pituh—from his father.

TRANSLATION

After the great saint Visrava, the master of mystic yoga, received absolute knowledge from his father, he begot in the womb of Ilavila the greatly celebrated son known as Kuvera, the giver of money.

SB9.2.33

TEXT 33

visalah sunyabandhus ca

dhumraketus ca tat-sutah

visalo vamsa-krd raja

vaisalim nirmame purim

SYNONYMS

visalah—named Visala; sunyabandhuh—named Sunyabandhu; ca—also; dhumraketuh—named Dhumraketu; ca—also; tat-sutah—the sons of Trnabindu; visalah—among the three, King Visala; vamsa-krt—made a dynasty; raja—the king; vaisalim—by the name Vaisali; nirmame—constructed; purim—a palace.

TRANSLATION

Trnabindu had three sons, named Visala, Sunyabandhu and Dhumraketu. Among these three, Visala created a dynasty and constructed a palace called Vaisali.

SB9.2.34

TEXT 34

hemacandrah sutas tasya

dhumraksas tasya catmajah

tat-putrat samyamad asit

krsasvah saha-devajah

SYNONYMS

hemacandrah—was named Hemacandra; sutah—the son; tasya—of him (Visala); dhumraksah—was named Dhumraksa; tasya—of him (Hemacandra); ca—also; atmajah—the son; tat-putrat—from the son of him (Dhumraksa); samyamat—from he who was named Samyama; asit—there was; krsasvah—Krsasva; saha—along with; devajah—Devaja.

TRANSLATION

The son of Visala was known as Hemacandra, his son was Dhumraksa, and his son was Samyama, whose sons were Devaja and Krsasva.

SB9.2.35-36

TEXTS 35–36

krsasvat somadatto ’bhud

yo ’svamedhair idaspatim

istva purusam apagryam

gatim yogesvarasritam

saumadattis tu sumatis

tat-putro janamejayah

ete vaisala-bhupalas

trnabindor yasodharah

SYNONYMS

krsasvat—from Krsasva; somadattah—a son named Somadatta; abhut—there was; yah—he who (Somadatta); asvamedhaih—by the performance of asvamedha sacrifices; idaspatim—unto Lord Visnu; istva—after worshiping; purusam—Lord Visnu; apa—achieved; agryam—the best of all; gatim—the destination; yogesvara-asritam—the place occupied by great mystic yogis; saumadattih—the son of Somadatta; tu—but; sumatih—a son named Sumati; tat-putrah—the son of him (Sumati); janamejayah—was named Janamejaya; ete—all of them; vaisala-bhupalah—the kings in the dynasty of Vaisala; trnabindoh yasah-dharah—continued the fame of King Trnabindu.

TRANSLATION

The son of Krsasva was Somadatta, who performed asvamedha sacrifices and thus satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu. By worshiping the Supreme Lord, he achieved the most exalted post, a residence on the planet to which great mystic yogis are elevated. The son of Somadatta was Sumati, whose son was Janamejaya. All these kings appearing in the dynasty of Visala properly maintained the celebrated position of King Trnabindu.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Ninth Canto, Second Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “The Dynasties of the Sons of Manu.”

Next chapter (SB 9.3)