| YouTube Channel

सुवर्णोत्पत्ति (suvarNotpatti)

 
Mahabharata
English
[Suvarṇotpatti]
(“the origin of gold”). § 747b (Anuśāsanik.). Vasishṭha told to Rāma Jāmadagnya (and again Bhīshma to Yudhishṭhira): After the wedding of Rudra and Devī on Himavat, all the gods, fearing that Rudra's offspring would consume the worlds, prevailed upon him to withdraw his vital seed (whence he is called Ūrdhvaretas)
Umā cursed the gods, saying that they should become sonless
but Agni was not present. A small quantity of Rudra's seed, however, leaped into fire and began to develop
mean while, the gods, with Indra, were scorched by As. Tāraka
Ā., V., R., M., A., and Sā. all became afflicted
all the regions of the deities, etc., and the retreats of Ṛ. were snatched away by As.
D. and Ṛ. repaired to Brahmán (XIII, 84), who had granted Tāraka the boon that he should not be killed by D., As., or Rā., and Umā had cursed D.
Brahmán said that Agni was not there
therefore his offspring, transcending D., Dā., Rā., even G., N., and birds, will with his dart destroy Tāraka
Kāma is eternal, and in order to slay the enemies of the gods Agni will throw Rudra's seed into the Gaṅgā. The gods failed to find out Agni
a frog, having been scorched by the energy of Agni, appeared on the surface of the water, and said to the gods that Agni was now under the water
Agni, leaving the spot, cursed the frogs, saying that they should be without taste
the gods granted them boons (enumeration). An elephant revealed to the gods that Agni was now residing within a certain aśvattha tree
Agni, entering the heart of the śamī tree, cursed all the elephants, saying that their tongues should be bent back
the gods granted that they should be able to eat everything and utter indistinct cries. Agni was then revealed by a parrot, and cursed the parrots, saying that they should be deprived of the power of speech
the gods granted them to speak the letter k, and made śamī-wood a sacred resting-place of fire. The waters in the nethermost regions had come into contact with Agni, and those heated waters are vomited forth by the mountain springs. The gods asked Agni to rescue D., Prajāpatis, and Ṛ. from Tāraka by begetting a heroic son. Agni united himself spiritually with Gaṅgā
an Asura uttered a frightful roar
Gaṅgā became agitated and unable to bear the seed, and threw it off on Meru
the fœtus had the complexion of gold, etc.
therefore Ṛ. and D. called Agni by the name of Hiraṇyaretas (“having gold for his vital seed”), and the earth Vasumatī (“endued with wealth”). That fœtus, having fallen in a thicket of reeds, assumed a wonderful form
the Kṛttikāḥ reared it as their son, whence it came to be called Kārttikeya
he was also called Skanda and Guha (etymology). It was in this way that gold came into existence as the offspring of Agni (Jātavedas), and hence gold was called jātarūpa
gold is truly the illustrious Agni, the lord of all things, and the foremost of all Prajāpatis
the most sacred of all sacred things is gold
it has for its essence Agni and Soma.-Vasishṭha continued: This tale (Brahmadarśana) was also heard by me in days of yore about Brahmán Paramātman (“the Supreme Soul”): In days of yore (lokādau, v. 4163), Rudra, who is Brahmán, etc. (), having assumed the form of Varuṇa (cf. v. 4133, Varuṇaḥ Pāvanātmakaḥ), performed a sacrifice, to which came the munis and all the deities with Agni, etc. ().
Śiva (i.e. Rudra) then himself poured libations into his own self. At the sight of the celestial damsels the seed (endued with sattva, rajas, and tamas) of Brahmán fell upon the Earth
Pūshan took it up, and it was taken with the sacrificial ladle and poured as an oblation into the fire
thence Brahmán caused the orders of beings to spring into existence
further Bhṛgu, etc. ()
for this reason Agni is said to be all the deities. Bhṛgu was reckoned the offspring of Varuṇa, Aṅgiras that of Agni, Kavi that of Brahmán
Bhṛgu, Aṅgiras, and Kavi were all of them prajānāṃ patayaḥ
their offspring (v. 4144--4152) (Bhṛgu's:
Aṅgiras':
Kavi's: ) are called Vāruṇāḥ, and Kavi and Bhṛgu Vāruṇau. Agni is Brahmán, Paśupati, etc. ()
gold is the offspring of Agni (v. 4146)
when fire is not obtainable gold is used as a substitute, oh Jāmadagnya! (B. and C. wrongly read Jāmadagnyaḥ, which PCR. translates “one that knows the identity of gold with fire”) by one who is conversant with the vedic authorities (v. 4165), etc. (v. 4166--7)
Agni sprang from Brahmán, and from Agni sprang gold (v. 4168)
those persons observant of righteousness who make gifts of gold are regarded as giving away all the deities (v. 4169), etc.
he who makes a gift of gold at the second twilight succeeds in attaining to residence with (sālokyaṃ) Brahmán, Vāyu, Agni, and Soma (v. 4173), and to the regions of Indra (v. 4174), etc.
he has never to fall down from the regions to which he attains (v. 4176). After a long time Kārttikeya grew up, and was chosen as generalissimo by all the gods with Indra
he slew Dai. Tāraka and many other Asuras. Bhīshma continued: “Thus addressed by Vasishṭha [Rāma]
Jāmadagnya made gifts of gold to the brahmans and became cleansed of his sins” (XIII, 85). [For continuation v. Tārakavadhopākhyāna (§ 748).]