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

Chapter Two

The Dynasties of the Sons of Manu

SB9.2Summary

This Second Chapter describes the dynasties of the sons of Manu, headed by Karusa.

After Sudyumna accepted the order of vanaprastha and departed for the forest, Vaivasvata Manu, being desirous of sons, worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead and consequently begot ten sons like Maharaja Iksvaku, all of whom were like their father. One of these sons, Prsadhra, was engaged in the duty of protecting cows at night with a sword in his hand. Following the order of his spiritual master, he would stand in this way for the entire night. Once, in the darkness of night, a tiger seized a cow from the cowshed, and when Prsadhra came to know this, he took a sword in his hand and followed the tiger. Unfortunately, when he finally approached the tiger, he could not distinguish between the cow and the tiger in the dark, and thus he killed the cow. Because of this, his spiritual master cursed him to take birth in a sudra family, but Prsadhra practiced mystic yoga, and in bhakti-yoga he worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then he voluntarily entered a blazing forest fire, thus relinquishing his material body and going back home, back to Godhead.

Kavi, the youngest son of Manu, was a great devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from his very childhood. From Manu’s son known as Karusa, a sect of ksatriyas known as Karusas was generated. Manu also had a son known as Dhrsta, from whom another sect of ksatriyas was generated, but although they were born of one who had the qualities of a ksatriya, they became brahmanas. From Nrga, another son of Manu, came the sons and grandsons known as Sumati, Bhutajyoti and Vasu. From Vasu, in succession, came Pratika, and from him came Oghavan. Descending in order from the seminal dynasty of Narisyanta, another son of Manu, were Citrasena, Rksa, Midhvan, Purna, Indrasena, Vitihotra, Satyasrava, Urusrava, Devadatta and Agnivesya. From the ksatriya known as Agnivesya came the celebrated brahmana dynasty known as Agnivesyayana. From the seminal dynasty of Dista, another son of Manu, came Nabhaga, and from him in succession came Bhalandana, Vatsapriti, Pramsu, Pramati, Khanitra, Caksusa, Vivimsati, Rambha, Khaninetra, Karandhama, Aviksit, Marutta, Dama, Rajyavardhana, Sudhrti, Nara, Kevala, Dhundhuman, Vegavan, Budha and Trnabindu. In this way, many sons and grandsons were born in this dynasty. From Trnabindu came a daughter named Ilavila, from whom Kuvera took birth. Trnabindu also had three sons, named Visala, Sunyabandhu and Dhumraketu. The son of Visala was Hemacandra, his son was Dhumraksa, and his son was Samyama. The sons of Samyama were Devaja and Krsasva. Krsasva’s son, Somadatta, performed an Asvamedha sacrifice, and by worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, he achieved the supreme perfection of going back home, back to Godhead.

SB9.2.1

TEXT 1

sri-suka uvaca

evam gate ’tha sudyumne

manur vaivasvatah sute

putra-kamas tapas tepe

yamunayam satam samah

SYNONYMS

sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; evam—thus; gate—had accepted the order of vanaprastha; atha—thereafter; sudyumne—when Sudyumna; manuh vaivasvatah—Vaivasvata Manu, known as Sraddhadeva; sute—his son; putra-kamah—desiring to get sons; tapah tepe—executed severe austerities; yamunayam—on the bank of the Yamuna; satam samah—for one hundred years.

TRANSLATION

Sukadeva Gosvami said: Thereafter, when his son Sudyumna had thus gone to the forest to accept the order of vanaprastha, Vaivasvata Manu [Sraddhadeva], being desirous of getting more sons, performed severe austerities on the bank of the Yamuna for one hundred years.

SB9.2.2

TEXT 2

tato ’yajan manur devam

apatyartham harim prabhum

iksvaku-purvajan putran

lebhe sva-sadrsan dasa

SYNONYMS

tatah—thereafter; ayajat—worshiped; manuh—Vaivasvata Manu; devam—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; apatya-artham—with a desire to get sons; harim—unto Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; prabhum—the Lord; iksvaku-purva-jan—of whom the eldest was named Iksvaku; putran—sons; lebhe—got; sva-sadrsan—exactly like himself; dasa—ten.

TRANSLATION

Then, because of this desire for sons, the Manu known as Sraddhadeva worshiped the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, the Lord of the demigods. Thus he got ten sons exactly like himself. Among them all, Iksvaku was the eldest.

SB9.2.3

TEXT 3

prsadhras tu manoh putro

go-palo guruna krtah

palayam asa ga yatto

ratryam virasana-vratah

SYNONYMS

prsadhrah tu—among them, Prsadhra; manoh—of Manu; putrah—the son; go-palah—herding cows; guruna—by the order of his spiritual master; krtah—having been engaged; palayam asa—he protected; gah—cows; yattah—so engaged; ratryam—at night; virasana-vratah—taking the vow of virasana, standing with a sword.

TRANSLATION

Among these sons, Prsadhra, following the order of his spiritual master, was engaged as a protector of cows. He would stand all night with a sword to give the cows protection.

PURPORT

One who becomes virasana takes the vow to stand all night with a sword to give protection to the cows. Because Prsadhra was engaged in this way, it is to be understood that he had no dynasty. We can further understand from this vow accepted by Prsadhra how essential it is to protect the cows. Some son of a ksatriya would take this vow to protect the cows from ferocious animals, even at night. What then is to be said of sending cows to slaughterhouses? This is the most sinful activity in human society.

SB9.2.4

TEXT 4

ekada pravisad gostham

sardulo nisi varsati

sayana gava utthaya

bhitas ta babhramur vraje

SYNONYMS

ekada—once upon a time; pravisat—entered; gostham—the land of the cowshed; sardulah—a tiger; nisi—at night; varsati—while it was raining; sayanah—lying down; gavah—cows; utthaya—getting up; bhitah—fearing; tah—all of them; babhramuh—scattered here and there; vraje—in the land surrounding the cowshed.

TRANSLATION

Once at night, while it was raining, a tiger entered the land of the cowshed. Upon seeing the tiger, all the cows, who were lying down, got up in fear and scattered here and there on the land.

SB9.2.5-6

TEXTS 5–6

ekam jagraha balavan

sa cukrosa bhayatura

tasyas tu kranditam srutva

prsadhro ’nusasara ha

khadgam adaya tarasa

pralinodu-gane nisi

ajanann acchinod babhroh

sirah sardula-sankaya

SYNONYMS

ekam—one of the cows; jagraha—seized; balavan—the strong tiger; sa—that cow; cukrosa—began to cry; bhaya-atura—in distress and fear; tasyah—of her; tu—but; kranditam—the screaming; srutva—hearing; prsadhrah—Prsadhra; anusasara ha—followed; khadgam—sword; adaya—taking; tarasa—very hastily; pralina-udu-gane—when the stars were covered by clouds; nisi—at night; ajanan—without knowledge; acchinot—cut off; babhroh—of the cow; sirah—the head; sardula-sankaya—mistaking it for the head of the tiger.

TRANSLATION

When the very strong tiger seized the cow, the cow screamed in distress and fear, and Prsadhra, hearing the screaming, immediately followed the sound. He took up his sword, but because the stars were covered by clouds, he mistook the cow for the tiger and mistakenly cut off the cows’ head with great force.

SB9.2.7

TEXT 7

vyaghro ’pi vrkna-sravano

nistrimsagrahatas tatah

niscakrama bhrsam bhito

raktam pathi samutsrjan

SYNONYMS

vyaghrah—the tiger; api—also; vrkna-sravanah—its ear being cut off; nistrimsa-agra-ahatah—because of being cut by the tip of the sword; tatah—thereafter; niscakrama—fled (from that place); bhrsam—very much; bhitah—being afraid; raktam—blood; pathi—on the road; samutsrjan—discharging.

TRANSLATION

Because the tiger’s ear had been cut by the edge of the sword, the tiger was very afraid, and it fled from that place, while bleeding on the street.

SB9.2.8

TEXT 8

manyamano hatam vyaghram

prsadhrah para-vira-ha

adraksit sva-hatam babhrum

vyustayam nisi duhkhitah

SYNONYMS

manyamanah—thinking that; hatam—has been killed; vyaghram—the tiger; prsadhrah—Manu’s son Prsadhra; para-vira-ha—although quite able to punish the enemy; adraksit—saw; sva-hatam—had been killed by him; babhrum—the cow; vyustayam nisi—when the night had passed (in the morning); duhkhitah—became very much unhappy.

TRANSLATION

In the morning, when Prsadhra, who was quite able to subdue his enemy, saw that he had killed the cow although at night he thought he had killed the tiger, he was very unhappy.

SB9.2.9

TEXT 9

tam sasapa kulacaryah

krtagasam akamatah

na ksatra-bandhuh sudras tvam

karmana bhavitamuna

SYNONYMS

tam—him (Prsadhra); sasapa—cursed; kula-acaryah—the family priest, Vasistha; krta-agasam—because of committing the great sin of killing a cow; akamatah—although he did not want to do it; na—not; ksatra-bandhuh—the family member of a ksatriya; sudrah tvam—you have behaved like a sudra; karmana—therefore by your fruitive reaction; bhavita—you shall become a sudra; amuna—because of killing the cow.

TRANSLATION

Although Prsadhra had committed the sin unknowingly, his family priest, Vasistha, cursed him, saying, “In your next life you shall not be able to become a ksatriya. Instead, you shall take birth as a sudra because of killing the cow.”

PURPORT

It appears that Vasistha was not free from tamo-guna, the mode of ignorance. As the family priest or spiritual master of Prsadhra, Vasistha should have taken Prsadhra’s offense very lightly, but instead Vasistha cursed him to become a sudra. It is the duty of a family priest not to curse a disciple but to give him relief through the performance of some sort of atonement. Vasistha, however, did just the opposite. Therefore Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that he was durmati; in other words, his intelligence was not very good.

SB9.2.10

TEXT 10

evam saptas tu guruna

pratyagrhnat krtanjalih

adharayad vratam vira

urdhva-reta muni-priyam

SYNONYMS

evam—in this way; saptah—having been cursed; tu—but; guruna—by his spiritual master; pratyagrhnat—he (Prsadhra) accepted; krta-anjalih—with folded hands; adharayat—took up, assumed; vratam—the vow of brahmacarya; virah—that hero; urdhva-retah—having controlled his senses; muni-priyam—which is approved by the great sages.

TRANSLATION

When the hero Prsadhra was thus cursed by his spiritual master, he accepted the curse with folded hands. Then, having controlled his senses, he took the vow of brahmacarya, which is approved by all great sages.

SB9.2.11-13

TEXTS 11–13

vasudeve bhagavati

sarvatmani pare ’male

ekantitvam gato bhaktya

sarva-bhuta-suhrt samah

vimukta-sangah santatma

samyatakso ’parigrahah

yad-rcchayopapannena

kalpayan vrttim atmanah

atmany atmanam adhaya

jnana-trptah samahitah

vicacara mahim etam

jadandha-badhirakrtih

SYNONYMS

vasudeve—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhagavati—unto the Lord; sarva-atmani—unto the Supersoul; pare—unto the Transcendence; amale—unto the Supreme person, who is without material contamination; ekantitvam—rendering devotional service without diversion; gatah—being situated in that position; bhaktya—because of pure devotion; sarva-bhuta-suhrt samah—because of being a devotee, friendly and equal to everyone; vimukta-sangah—without material contamination; santa-atma—a peaceful attitude; samyata—self-controlled; aksah—the vision of whom; aparigrahah—without accepting any charity from anyone else; yat-rcchaya—by the grace of the Lord; upapannena—by whatever was available for bodily necessities; kalpayan—in this way arranging; vrttim—the necessities of the body; atmanah—for the benefit of the soul; atmani—within the mind; atmanam—the Supreme Soul, the Personality of Godhead; adhaya—keeping always; jnana-trptah—fully satisfied in transcendental knowledge; samahitah—always in trance; vicacara—traveled all over; mahim—the earth; etam—this; jada—dumb; andha—blind; badhira—deaf; akrtih—appearing as if.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, Prsadhra gained relief from all responsibilities, became peaceful in mind, and established control over all his senses. Being unaffected by material conditions, being pleased with whatever was available by the grace of the Lord to maintain body and soul together, and being equal toward everyone, he gave full attention to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, who is the transcendental Supersoul, free from material contamination. Thus Prsadhra, fully satisfied in pure knowledge, always keeping his mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, achieved pure devotional service to the Lord and began traveling all over the world, without affection for material activities, as if he were deaf, dumb and blind.

SB9.2.14

TEXT 14

evam vrtto vanam gatva

drstva davagnim utthitam

tenopayukta-karano

brahma prapa param munih

SYNONYMS

evam vrttah—being situated in such an order of life; vanam—to the forest; gatva—after going; drstva—when he saw; dava-agnim—a forest fire; utthitam—existing there; tena—by that (fire); upayukta-karanah—engaging all the senses of the body by burning; brahma—transcendence; prapa—he achieved; param—the ultimate goal; munih—as a great saintly person.

TRANSLATION

With this attitude, Prsadhra became a great saint, and when he entered the forest and saw a blazing forest fire, he took this opportunity to burn his body in the fire. Thus he achieved the transcendental, spiritual world.

PURPORT

The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (4.9):

janma karma ca me divyam
evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti so ’rjuna

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” Prsadhra, because of his karma, was cursed to take his next birth as a sudra, but because he took to saintly life, specifically concentrating his mind always upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he became a pure devotee. Immediately after giving up his body in the fire, he reached the spiritual world, as mentioned in Bhagavad-gita (mam eti), as a result of his devotional situation. Devotional service performed by thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so powerful that although Prsadhra was cursed he avoided the terrible consequence of becoming a sudra and instead returned home, back to Godhead. As stated in Brahma-samhita (5.54):

yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-
bandhanurupa-phala-bhajanam atanoti
karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Those who engage in devotional service are unaffected by the results of their material activities. Otherwise, everyone, from the smallest microbe up to the King of heaven, Indra, is subject to the laws of karma. A pure devotee, being always engaged in the service of the Lord, is exempt from these laws.

SB9.2.15

TEXT 15

kavih kaniyan visayesu nihsprho

visrjya rajyam saha bandhubhir vanam

nivesya citte purusam sva-rocisam

vivesa kaisora-vayah param gatah

SYNONYMS

kavih—another son, known as Kavi; kaniyan—who was the youngest; visayesu—in material enjoyments; nihsprhah—being without attachment; visrjya—after giving up; rajyam—his father’s property, the kingdom; saha bandhubhih—accompanied by friends; vanam—the forest; nivesya—keeping always; citte—within the core of the heart; purusam—the Supreme Person; sva-rocisam—self-effulgent; vivesa—entered; kaisora-vayah—a young man not fully in youth; param—the transcendental world; gatah—entered.

TRANSLATION

Being reluctant to accept material enjoyment, Manu’s youngest son, whose name was Kavi, gave up the kingdom before attaining full youth. Accompanied by his friends, he went to the forest, always thinking of the self-effulgent Supreme Personality of Godhead within the core of his heart. Thus he attained perfection.

SB9.2.16

TEXT 16

karusan manavad asan

karusah ksatra-jatayah

uttara-patha-goptaro

brahmanya dharma-vatsalah

SYNONYMS

karusat—from Karusa; manavat—from the son of Manu; asan—there was; karusah—called the Karusas; ksatra-jatayah—a group of ksatriyas; uttara—northern; patha—of the direction; goptarah—kings; brahmanyah—celebrated protectors of the brahminical culture; dharma-vatsalah—extremely religious.

TRANSLATION

From Karusa, another son of Manu, came the Karusa dynasty, a family of ksatriyas. The Karusa ksatriyas were the kings of the northern direction. They were celebrated protectors of brahminical culture and were all firmly religious.

SB9.2.17

TEXT 17

dhrstad dharstam abhut ksatram

brahma-bhuyam gatam ksitau

nrgasya vamsah sumatir

bhutajyotis tato vasuh

SYNONYMS

dhrstat—from Dhrsta, another son of Manu; dharstam—a caste of the name Dharsta; abhut—was produced; ksatram—belonging to the ksatriya group; brahma-bhuyam—the position of brahmanas; gatam—had achieved; ksitau—on the surface of the world; nrgasya—of Nrga, another son of Manu; vamsah—the dynasty; sumatih—of the name Sumati; bhutajyotih—of the name Bhutajyoti; tatah—thereafter; vasuh—by the name Vasu.

TRANSLATION

From the son of Manu named Dhrsta came a ksatriya caste called Dharsta, whose members achieved the position of brahmanas in this world. Then, from the son of Manu named Nrga came Sumati. From Sumati came Bhutajyoti, and from Bhutajyoti came Vasu.

PURPORT

Here it is said, ksatram brahma-bhuyam gatam ksitau: although the Dharstas belonged to the ksatriya caste, they were able to convert themselves into brahmanas. This gives clear evidence supporting the following statement by Narada (Bhag. 7.11.35):

yasya yal laksanam proktam
pumso varnabhivyanjakam
yad anyatrapi drsyeta
tat tenaiva vinirdiset

If the qualities of one group are found in the men of another, those men should be recognized by their qualities, by their symptoms, not by the caste of the family in which they were born. Birth is not at all important; it is one’s qualities that are stressed in all Vedic literature.

SB9.2.18

TEXT 18

vasoh pratikas tat-putra

oghavan oghavat-pita

kanya caughavati nama

sudarsana uvaha tam

SYNONYMS

vasoh—of Vasu; pratikah—named Pratika; tat-putrah—his son; oghavan—named Oghavan; oghavat-pita—who was the father of Oghavan; kanya—his daughter; ca—also; oghavati—Oghavati; nama—by the name; sudarsanah—Sudarsana; uvaha—married; tam—that daughter (Oghavati).

TRANSLATION

The son of Vasu was Pratika, whose son was Oghavan. Oghavan’s son was also known as Oghavan, and his daughter was Oghavati. Sudarsana married that daughter.

SB9.2.19

TEXT 19

citraseno narisyantad

rksas tasya suto ’bhavat

tasya midhvams tatah purna

indrasenas tu tat-sutah

SYNONYMS

citrasenah—one named Citrasena; narisyantat—from Narisyanta, another son of Manu; rksah—Rksa; tasya—of Citrasena; sutah—the son; abhavat—became; tasya—of him (Rksa); midhvan—Midhvan; tatah—from him (Midhvan); purnah—Purna; indrasenah—Indrasena; tu—but; tat-sutah—the son of him (Purna).

TRANSLATION

From Narisyanta came a son named Citrasena and from him a son named Rksa. From Rksa came Midhvan, from Midhvan came Purna, and from Purna came Indrasena.

SB9.2.20

TEXT 20

vitihotras tv indrasenat

tasya satyasrava abhut

urusravah sutas tasya

devadattas tato ’bhavat

SYNONYMS

vitihotrah—Vitihotra; tu—but; indrasenat—from Indrasena; tasya—of Vitihotra; satyasravah—known by the name Satyasrava; abhut—there was; urusravah—Urusrava; sutah—was the son; tasya—of him (Satyasrava); devadattah—Devadatta; tatah—from Urusrava; abhavat—there was.

TRANSLATION

From Indrasena came Vitihotra, from Vitihotra came Satyasrava, from Satyasrava came the son named Urusrava, and from Urusrava came Devadatta.

Next verse (SB9.2.21)