Srimad Bhagavatam – day 534
Krishnāya namah
Ninth Canto Chapter Twenty
In this chapter, the story of Shakuntala-Duśyanta is explained. The method in which Bharata ruled is narrated.
Maharishi Śuka continued, “O descendant of the Bharata lineage! O Parikshit! I shall now narrate the lineage of Pūru, in which you are born. In this lineage there were many saintly-kings and sages who caused this lineage to flourish.
Pūru’s son was Janmējaya. His son was Pracinvān whose son was Pravīra. His son was Manusyu. Manusyu’s son was Chārusampada whose son was Sudya. Sudya’s son was Bahugava. His son was Samyāti. His son was Ahamyāti whose son was Roudrāśva.
Roudrāśva married a celestial apsara Ghṛtāci. From her ten sons were born. They were Rtēyu, Kukṣēyu, Sthanḍīleyu, Kṛtēyu, Jaleyu, Santaleyu, Dharmeyu, Satyeyu, Vrateyu and Vaneyu. The eldest son Rteyu had a son called Rantināva. He had three sons Sumati, Dhruva and Apratiratha.
Apratiratha was the father of Kanva. Kanva’s son was Medhātithi. Prāskarma and other Brahmins were born from Methātithi.
Sumati, the second son of Rantināva, had a son called Raibhya. His son was Duṣyanta. Once, Duṣyanta, along with his attendants went into the forests for hunting. There he visited the hermitage of Maharishi Kanva. Here he saw beautiful maiden, glowing like Goddess Lakshmi. With her infinite beauty she appeared to be decorating the hermitage. Duṣyanta was attracted to this female and was filled with bliss seeing this beautiful lady so much so that his fatigue was totally driven away. His mind that was fixed upon her began to suffer from the pangs of separation.
Sweetly and lovingly Duṣyanta said to her, “O lotus-eyed beauty! Who are you? You have stolen my heart. Why are you here in this isolated forest? It is evident that you are a Kṣatriya woman because being a descendant of the Pūru lineage, my mind will never allow me to walk on the unrighteous path”.
Śakuntala said, “O valourous one! What you have spoken is absolutely true. I am the daughter of Kṣatriya Vishwamitra. My mother Menaka abandoned me in these forests. Maharishi Kanva is aware of this fact. Now please tell me, how could I serve you?
O lotus-eyed king! Unhesitatingly sit here. Please accept the hospitality that we provide here. Food preparations made from Nivvara rice are available in this hermitage. Please accept them. If you desire, you may stay here”.
Duṣyanta replied, “You belong to the Kuṣika lineage. The hospitality that you offer befits the wonderful lineage into which you are born. Kṣatriya women always choose their husbands”.
Emperor Duṣyanta was well versed in the knowledge of the shastras and the laws as applicable to the time and situations. When Śakuntala expressed her willingness to marry him, he married her in accordance to the laws of the land. Without transgressing the rules of righteousness, he married her per the Gandharva-marriage system.
Duṣyanta was a saintly king. He was a mighty emperor. He impregnated his wife Śakuntala that night. The next morning he returned to his kingdom. In course of time Śakuntala gave birth to a son. Maharishi Kanva completed the naming and other stipulated rituals for the infant. The boy became so powerful that he would catch lions and play with them.
harer aṁśāṁśa-sambhūtaṁ bhartur antikam āgamat
This boy was a partial incarnation of Lord Srihari. For this reason he was of irrefutable prowess.
One day Śakuntala took this boy and arrived at the capital city. Emperor Duṣyanta refused to accept them. At that moment a celestial voice was heard from the skies, “O King! A mother is only a maintainer of the son. In reality, the son belongs only to the father. The son is in no way different from the father, from whom he was born. Therefore O King, accept your son. Do not insult Śakuntala.
It is the son, who by continuing his lineage, prevents his father from reaching the abode of Yama. You are this boy’s father. Śakuntala is speaking the truth”.
Duṣyanta happily accepted his wife and his son Bharata. After some period of time with Duṣyanta’s demise, Bharata became the emperor. He earned great renown. As he was a partial incarnation of the Supreme Lord Srihari, his extra-ordinary deeds are eternally glorified by the inhabitants of earth.
King Bharata held a discus in his right hand. On both his feet were the sign of the lotus. This ever-competent king became the powerful emperor after his coronation. He performed 55 Ashwamedha-yāgas on the banks of River Ganga and through them worshipped the Supreme Lord. Under the directions of chief-priest Deerghatamas, the son of Mamata, Bharata performed 78 Ashwamedha-yāgas on the banks of River Yamuna and gave away all his wealth in charity. In an auspicious place Bharata established the sacrificial fire and conducted the Yagna. In that auspicious place, thousand Brahmins received from Bharata 13,084 cows each.
Bharata’s opulence far surpassed that of the Devatas. By successfully completing 133 Ashwamedha-yāgas, he caused astonishment to all other kings. He destroyed his spiritual ignorance and ultimately merged into the Supreme Lord.
In the Yagna ritual known as Maṣna, he gifted away 14 lakh excellent black elephants each of which had lovely white tusks and was totally decorated in golden ornaments.
It is impossible to touch the heavens with the raised hands, isn’t it? Neither has anyone been able to touch the heavens in the past, nor will anyone be able to achieve this feat in the future. Likewise, the the extra-ordinary deeds of Bharata are unparalled. No king in the past has performed such extra-ordinary deeds nor will there be any king in the future who will ever be able to perform them.
Emperor Bharata proceeded on a tour to conquer the world. During this tour he killed all the Yavanas, Kirātas, Hūnās, Andrās, Kankās, Khaśās, Sakhas, Mlecchas and all other kings who opposed the Vedic way of life”.
Nārayana.