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गालवचरित (gAlavacarita)

 
Mahabharata
English
[Gālavacarita(ṃ)]
(“the history of Gālava”
cf. Gālavasya caritaṃ). § 565 (Bhagavady.): In ancient times, in order to try Viśvāmitra, who was then engaged in ascetic austerities, Dharma in the form of the Ṛshi Vasishṭha, and feigning himself hungry, came to his hermitage. Viśvāmitra cooked caru, but could not approach Dharma before his guest had dined with the other hermits. Dharma said, “I have already dined
wait here, ” and went away. Viśvāmitra, bearing that food on his head and himself subsisting on air, waited a hundred years, while the ascetic Gālava waited on him. Then Dharma accepted that food, which was still warm and fresh, and called Viśvāmitra a viprarshi, whereby he became a brahman. Gālava repeatedly asked Viśvāmitra to take a gift from him as his preceptor, and at last Viśvāmitra, seeing his persistency, requested him to give 800 white steeds each with one black ear (V, 106). Gālava got troubled and was gradually reduced to a skeleton. He thought of repairing to Vishṇu (or Kṛshṇa), when his friend Garuḍa came, and said he had spoken to Vishṇu in his behalf, and that he would bear him (V, 107). Garuḍa described the East: here Savitṛ first rises, and the tapas of the Sādhyas is performed at eve
…the two eyes of Dharma
…here the daughters of Daksha in primeval times gave birth to their children, and here the sons of Kaśyapa first multiplied
here Śakra was first anointed as king of the gods
here is the tapas of Indra and the gods, all their religious ceremonies
here the Creator (bhagavān Lokabhāvanaḥ) first sang the Vedas
here Sāvitrī was first said by Savitṛ to the reciters of the Vedas (brahmavādishu), and here the Yajurveda (yajūṃshi) was given by Sūrya
here the Soma juice was first drunk by the gods, etc.
it was here that Varuṇa, repairing to Pātāla, obtained prosperity (śriyaṃ)
here the birth, growth, and death of the ancient Vasishṭha took place
here first grew the hundred branches (sṛtayaḥ) of oṃ
here the Munis called dhūmapāḥ first imbibed the smoke of the havis
here the thousand-rayed Sun slays, rising, the wicked and ungrateful men and Asuras
here is the gate of the three worlds and the path to heaven and to felicity (V, 108). Garuḍa menṭioned the remarkable subjects in the South (dakshiṇā diś, so called because Vivasvat gave it away as a dakshiṇā): Pitṛpakshas trailokasya
Ūshmapāḥ devāḥ
the Viśvedevas with the Pitṛs, with whom they equally share the sacrifices in all the worlds
the second door of Dharma…
the Devarshis, Pitṛlokarshis, and Rājarshis, who dwell here in great happiness…
it is the region whither all must repair
…there are Nairṛtāḥ to be seen by the sinful
the Gandharvas chanting on Mandara and in the abodes of the viprarshis
Raivata who, hearing the Sāmans, retired to the woods, leaving wife and friends and kingdom
Sāvarṇi and Yāvakrīta setting a limit to Sūrya (the southern tropical circle, PCR.)
Rāvaṇa soliciting immortality from the gods
Vṛtra incurring the enmity of Śakra
Vaitaraṇī filled with the bodies of persons condemned to hell…
reaching this region the sun drops sweet water (i.e. the beginning of the rainy season, Nīl.), and thence, proceeding again to the Vāsishtha direction (Vāsishṭhīṃ kāshṭhāṃ = the quarter of the seven Ṛshis, i.e. the North, Nīl), once more drops dew (himaṃ)
there is Garuḍa obtaining for food an enormous elephant and tortoise
the great Ṛshi Cakradhanus birth from Sūrya took place here (he was afterwards known as Kapila who burned Sagara's sons)
the perfect (siddhāḥ) brahmans, named Śivāḥ, who fully had mastered the Vedas, here obtained liberation (moksha)
here is Bhogavatī, ruled by Vāsuki, Takshaka, and Airāvata. Those that have to journey hither encounter here a thick gloom, so that it cannot be penetrated by either the Sun or by Agni
“even thou shalt have to pass this road” (V, 109). Garuḍa mentioned the remarkable subjects and occurrences of the West: Varuṇa's origin
his instalment by Kaśyapa
the Moon, quaffing all the six juices of Varuṇa, becomes young again in the beginning of the bright fortnight
the Daityas being routed and bound fast by Vāyu
the mountain Asta
Night and Sleep
Śakra beholding the goddess (devīṃ) Diti asleep, and cutting off her fœtus, whence sprang the Maruts
the roots of Himavat stretching towards the eternal Mandara (sunk in the Ocean, Nīl.), the end of which is not to be reached by journeying for even 1, 000 years
Surabhi milking on the shores of the lake with golden lotuses
in the midst of the Ocean the headless trunk of Svarbhānu
the chanting of the Vedas by Suvarṇaśiras (invisible, and whose hair is eternally yellow)
Dhvajavatī, the daughter of the muni Harimedhas, remaining in the air in consequence of Sūrya's injunction, ‘stay’
…the sources of the rivers
here, in the abode of Varuṇa, are the waters of the three worlds
the abode of Ananta, and of Vishṇu, and of Pavana (the friend of Agni), and of the Maharshi Kaśyapa Mārīca (V, 110). The North (uttara) has its name from saving (uttāraṇa) from sin
it is also called madhyama, i.e. between the East and the West. None can live there that is unamiable, etc. Garuḍa mentioned its remarkable subjects and places: Badarī, the asylum of Nārāyaṇa, Kṛshṇa, Jishṇu, and Brahmán
Maheśvara with the effulgence of the yugānta fire
Purusha dwelling with Prakṛti, invisible to munis, D. with I., G., Y., and Si., except Nara and Nārāyaṇa
there Vishṇu appears alone, having 1, 000 heads and 1, 000 legs
there Candramas (the Moon) was installed in the sovereignty over the brahmans
Mahādeva receiving Gaṅgā on his head
Devī practising austerities for obtaining Maheśvara
Kāma
the wrath (of Śiva, PCR.)
here took place Kubera's instalment, on the breast of Kailāsa, in the sovereignty of Rā., Y., and G.
Caitraratha
here is the asylum of the Vaikhānasas
Mandākinī
Mandara
Saugandhikavana, guarded by Nairṛtas
the plantain forest (kadalī-skandhaṃ), etc.
the Siddhas
the seven Ṛshis with Arundhatī
Svāti
Brahmán near Yajña… the munis named Dhāmā (? so B.) (whose origin, etc., are not known) guarding Gāyantikādvāra (B. Gaṅgāmahādvāraṃ)
the man who passes beyond them will certainly meet with destruction, except Nārāyaṇa and Nara or Jishṇu
here is Kailāsa, the abode of Ailavila
the origin of the ten Apsarases Vidyutprabhāḥ
Vishṇupada, made by Vishṇu, when he, in his covering the worlds with three steps, stepped on the northern region
here took place king Marutta's sacrifice at Uśīrabīja, by the side of the golden lake
here was Himavat's gold-mine, that exhibited itself to the viprarshi Jīmūta, who gave away the whole wealth to the brahmans, and had it called after his name (Jaimūta)
here morning and evening the Lokapālas (diśāṃ pālaṇ proclaim “what business of what person shall we do?’ it is called uttara (North) because it is superior (uttara) to all (V. 111). At the request of Gālava, Garuḍa carried him (description) to the East, and laughed at his foolish thoughts of casting away his life. At the mountain Ṛshabha they rested for some time (V, 112). On the peak of the Ṛshabha they met with a brahman lady, Śāṇḍilī, engaged in penances
she gave them cooked food
they fell asleep. As Garuḍa awoke, his wings had fallen off. It was because he had, out of pity, thought of carrying the lady to the place where Mahādeva, Vishṇu, etc. (), live together. She gave him his wings back, having warned him not to contemn women, and they set out, but failed to find the steeds. Viśvāmitra met them, and said the time had already passed, but promised to wait for some time more (V, 113). Garuḍa explained the etymology of hiraṇya (gold) and dhana (wealth), and why gold is not easily obtainable (see the note of PCR. from Nīl.)
it is guarded by the AjaikapādAhirbradhnāḥ and by Dhanada (i.e. Kubera). They went to Garuḍa's friend, the Rājarshi Yayāti Nāhusha (of the Lunar race), in Pratishṭhāna, and told him the matter, and that Gālava, when he had paid off his debt, would devote himself to severe ascetic penances and give Yayāti a portion of his wealth of asceticism
“as many hairs as there are in a horse's body, so many regions of bliss are attained by him that gives away a horse” (V, 114). Yayāti, the performer of 1000 sacrifices, the liberal ruler of all the Kāśis, in view of the fact that they had come to him, passing over all the kings of the Solar race, not having the steeds, gave to Gālava his daughter Mādhavī, always solicited by gods, men, and Asuras. Garuḍa went away to his own abode, and Gālava offered Mādhavī to king Haryaśva of Ikshvāku's race at Ayodhyā, who was desirous of offspring (V, 115), on the condition that he gave as her dower the 800 steeds of the kind wanted. Haryaśva had but 200 steeds of this kind
he therefore got the maiden--who by a brahman had been granted the boon that after each delivery she would be a maiden again--in order to beget only one son upon her, for his 200 steeds. This son was Vasumanas. Then Gālava offered her to king Divodāsa (V, 116), the Kāśi king, son of Bhīmasena. The same arrangement was made as with Haryaśva. She bore him Pratardana (V, 117). Then Gālava came to king Uśīnara in the city of the Bhojas, with whom the same arrangement was made. To him she bore Śibi Then Gālava took the maiden and went to see Garuḍa (V, 118). Garuḍa said that the remaining 200 steeds were unobtainable. For in days of yore Ṛcīka sought at Kānyakubja Gādhi's daughter Satyavatī in marriage, and was requested by Gādhi to give 1000 steeds of this kind. Ṛcīka obtained them at Aśvatīrtha, and gave them to the king. Performing the sacrifice Puṇḍarīka, the king gave them away to the brahmans. The three kings had each purchased 200 of them from the brahmans, but the remaining 400, while being transported over the Vitastā, were taken by the river (so B.). Viśvāmitra, instead of obtaining the 200 steeds wanting, begot Ashṭaka upon Mādhavī, and gave him the steeds
Ashṭaka then went to a certain city (puraṃ prāyāt tadā Somapuraprabhaṃ) and Kauśika (i.e. Viśvāmitra) to the woods. Gālava dismissed Garuḍa, and returning the maiden to her father, he went into the woods (V, 119). Yayāti went to a hermitage on the confluence of the Gangā and Yamunā, taking Mādhavī, Pūru, and Yadu with him, desirous of again disposing of his daughter in a svayaṃvara. There was assembled a vast concourse of N., Y., G., men, etc., and numerous Ṛshis resembling Brahmán himself. Mādhavī selected the forest as her lord, practised tapas, and adopted a deer's mode of life (mṛgacāriṇī). King Yayāti died after having lived for many thousands of years. The progeny of Pūru and Yadu multiplied greatly. Yayāti, resembling a maharshi, enjoyed the highest bliss in heaven for many thousands of years. On one occasion, while seated among the Rājarshis and Maharshis, king Yayāti mentally disregarded all the gods and Ṛshis and men. Indra at once read his heart
the dwellers of heaven did not longer know him, and he was soon divested of his splendour (V. 120). For continuation v. Yayāti (§ 566).