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vaishampAyana uvAcha – vaishampAyana continued

 budhasya tu mahArAja vidvAn putraH purUravAH |
 tejasvI dAna-shIlaH cha yajvA vipula dakShiNaH || 1-26-1
brahma-vAdI parAkrAntaH shatrubhiH yudhi dur-jayaH |
 ahartA cha agnihotrasya yaj~nAnAM cha mahIpatiH || 1-26-2
 satya-vAdI puNya-matiH kAmyaH saMvR^ita-maithunaH |
 atIva triShu lokeShu yashasA apratimaH sadA || 1-26-3

budha’s son is the scholarly purUrava; he is a refulgent and generous king whose vedic rituals are replete with bounties; deigns brahma-theory, a vanquisher, an indomitable one for his enemies in a given battle; one who carried through many vedic rituals, hence an appropriator of ritual-fire for himself, as it were; veracious, considerate, and maintains sexual relations sub rosa; and he remained unparalleled in all the three worlds by his own glory...  

taM brahma-vAdinaM kShAntaM dharma-j~naM satya-vAdinam|
urvashI varayAmAsa hitvA mAnaM yashasvinI || 1-26-4

Urvashi, the glorious celestial coutesan, fell in love with this purUrava, who is the voucher of brahma, equanimous, prudent, more so a forthright person, without priding herself for her stature of not-so-easy nymphet...  

tayA saha avasat rAjA varShANi [1] dasha [2] pa~ncha cha |
 [3] pa~ncha [4] ShaT [5] sapta cha [6] aShTau cha [7] dasha cha [8] aShTau cha bhArata || 1-26-5
vane [1] chaitra-rathe ramye tathA [2] mandAkinI taTe |
[3]  alakAyAM [4] vishAlAyAM [5] nandane cha vana-uttame || 1-26-6
[6] uttarAn sa kurUn prApya manoratha-phala-drumAn |
 [7] gandhamAdana pAdeShu [8] meru pR^iShThe tatha uttare || 1-26-7

The king purUrava spent time with this celestial maid Urvashi like this: [1] in the beautiful chaitra-ratha gardens of kubera -  10 yrs; [2] on the banks of River mandAkini – 5 yrs; [3]  in alakapuri, the city of kubera – 5 yrs; [4] in the city of vishAla [or, badari] – 6 yrs; [5] in the foremost nandana gardens – 7 yrs; [6] in northern-kuru province that is replete with trees yielding whatever fruit desired – 8 yrs; [7] at the foot of Mt. gandhamAdana – 10 yrs; [8] and later on Mt. meru – 8 yrs.

eteShu vana-mukhyeShu suraiH AchariteShu cha |
 urvashyA sahito rAjA reme paramayA mudA || 1-26-8

King purUrava delightedly spent time with Urvashi in these most exalted areas that are highly esteemed even by gods...

deshe puNyatame chaiva maharShibhiH abhiShTute |
rAjyaM cha kArayAmAsa prayAge pR^ithivIpatiH || 1-26-9

He has ruled a merited country as well that has been lauded by great sages from city prayAga, its capital...

tasya putrA babhUvuH te sapta deva-suta-pamAH |
 divi jAtA mahAtmAna AyuH dhImAn amAvasuH || 1-26-10
vishvAyuH chaiva dharmAtmA shrutAyuH cha tathA aparaH |
 dR^iDhAyuH cha vanAyuH cha shatAyuH cha UrvashI sutAH || 1-26-11

He begot seven sons through Urvashi who are just like the sons of gods as they took birth in heavens... the names of those sons are: Ayu, courageous amA-vasu, vishva-Ayu, righteous shruta-Ayu, likewise dR^iDha-Ayu, vana-Ayu and shata-Ayu... Urvashi brought forth these noble sons of purUrava...

janamejaya uvAcha – janamejaya querried

 gAndharvI cha UrvashI devI rAjAnaM mAnuShaM katham |
 devAn utsR^ijya saMprAptA tat naH brUhi bahushruta || 1-26-12

 “Oh, scholiast, how come a celestial hailing from the abode of gandharvA-s fell in love with a human king... please tell something about it...”

 vaishampAyana uvAcha – vaishampAyana replied

 brahma shApa abhibhUtA sA mAnuShaM samapadyata |
 ailaM tu sA varArohA samayAt samupasthitA || 1-26-13
AtmanaH shApa mokSha-arthaM samayaM sA chakAra ha |

“Owing to a curse of brahma she met with a human... she stayed with the son of lady ila, say purUrava, only after making some agreements with him... these agreements are in a way are the leading points for her release from the curse... she detailed her conditions like this:

 a-nagna darshanaM chaiva sa kAmAyAM cha maithunam || 1-26-14
dvau meShau shayana abhyAshe sadA baddhau cha tiShThataH |
 ghR^ita-mAtraH tatha AhAraH kAlam-ekaM tu pArthiva || 1-26-15
yadi eSha samayaH rAjan yAvat kAlaM cha te dR^iDhaH |
 tAvat kAlaM tu vatsyAmi  tvattaH samaya eSha naH || 1-26-16

“Oh, king, you should not show himself to me in nakedness; you should copulate only when I am of a  mind; two goats are always to be stationed in  the vicinity of my bed; and I just take a lick of ghee, clarified butter, as my single-time food per day... and oh, king, my stay with you will come true, so long as these conditions are met with... these are my terms...” Urvashi said so to purUrava.

 tasyAH taM samayaM sarvaM sa rAjA samapAlayat |
 evaM sA vasate tatra purUravasi bhAminI || 1-26-17
varShANi eko-na-ShaShTiH tu tat saktA shApa mohitA |
 urvashyAM mAnuShasthAyAM gandharvAH chintayA anvitAH || 1-26-18

 King purUrava has not only agreed but effectuated every condition of hers, wherefore that beauty had to consorted with this human king for fifty-nine years under the spell of brahma’s execration...  that being so, the celestials, namely gandharvA-s, have been sighing for her absence broached like this:

 gandharvA UchuH – gandharvA-s said among themselves

  chintayadhvaM mahAbhAgA yathA sA tu varA~NganA |
 samAgachChet punar devAn urvashI svarga-bhUShaNam || 1-26-19

“We have to think about the return of that best and blessed Urvashi to the heavens of gods... after all, she is the jewel of heaven...”

 tato vishvAvasuH nAma tatra Aha vadatAM varaH |
 mayA tu samayaH tAbhyAM kriyamANaH shrutaH purA || 1-26-20
vyutkrAnta samayaM sA vai rAjAnaM tyakShyate yathA |
 tat ahaM vedmi asheSheNa yathA bhetsyati asau nR^ipaH || 1-26-21
sa-sahAyo gamiShyAmi yuShmAkaM kArya siddhaye |

Then one gandharva, named vishvAvasu, spoke this way, “I eavesdropped the conversation of those two while they are coming to terms... if the king flouts her terms, she will leave off that king... I know fully well as to how she breaks up with that king, hence I will go there with your assistance to get things done...”

evam uktvA gataH tatra pratiShThAnaM mahAyashAH || 1-26-22
nishAyAm atha cha Agamya meSham ekaM jahAra saH |
 mAtR^ivat vartate sA tu meShayoH chAru-hAsinI || 1-26 23
gandharva AgamanaM shrutvA shApa antaM cha yashasvinI |
 rAjAnam abravit tatra putro me.ahriyata iti sA || 1-26-24

Saying so that gandharva vishvAvasu went to the capital of the king, namely pratiShThAna-puram, sneaked in to the bed-chamber of Urvashi in night time, and stole one of the two goats staked there... and that charmy-smiler Urvashi who tended the goats like a mother understood that the end-time of curse has come, hence some gandharva has come to make her goat to disappear... and then she yelled at the king saying, “my son is stolen...”

evam ukto vinishchitya nagno na eva udatiShThata |
 nagnAM mAM drakShyate devI samayo vitatho bhavet || 1-26-25

The king did not get up from the bed as he had no cloths on him, and thought, “if she sees me naked, the terms of this lady are infringed...” 

 tato bhUyaH tu gandharvA dvitIyaM meSham AdaduH |
 dvitIye tu hR^ite meShe ailaM devi abravIt idam || 1-26-26
putro me apahR^ito rAjan na nAthAyA iva prabho |

Again that gandharva stole another goat... when  the second goat is also stolen then Urvashi carped this way at the son of lady ila, “my son is abducted, my lord, as if none is there to bother for him...

evam uktaH tatha utthAya nagno rAjA pradhAvitaH || 1-26-27
meShayoH padam anvichChan gandharvaiH vidyut api atha |
 utpAditA sumahatI yayau tad bhavanaM mahat || 1-26-28
prakAshitaM vai sahasA tato nagnam avaikShata |

Hearing this cavilling the king got up from the bed and hastened himself to find out the goats... just then the gandharva illuminated the palace-chamber with glaring light with which Urvashi suddenly saw the unclad king...

  nagnaM dR^iShTvA tirobhUtA sA apsarA kAma-rUpiNI || 1-26-29
utsR^iShTAu uraNau dR^iShTvA rAjA gR^ihya Agato gR^ihe |
 apashyann urvashIM tatra vilalApa suduHkhitaH || 1-26-30

On seeing the unrobed king, that apsara, a guise-changer at her will, vanished in to thin air... in the meanwhile that gandharva released those two goats, and the king caught them... but on returning to palace with goats the king did not find Urvashi, for which the he is heartbroken and wailed much...

uraNau= two goats.

chachAra pR^ithivIM sarvAM mArgamANa itaH tataH |
 atha apashyat sa tAM rAjA kurukShetre mahAbalaH || 1-26-31
plakSha-tIrthe puShkariNyAM haimavatyAM samAplutAm |
 krIDantIm apsarobhiH cha pa~nchabhiH saha shobhanAm || 1-26-32
tAM krIDantIM tato dR^iShTvA vilalApa sa duHkhitaH |

purUrava could not find her though he searched for her wandering here and there on whole earth... at last he found her at a lake replete with golden lotuses, called plakSha-tIrtha, in the province of kurukShetra, playing water-sports along with five other celestials, and the king purUrava is heartbroken to see her frolicking, just dismissing his from her thoughts...

haimavatyAM= haimAni, sauvarNAni padmAdInAm... dhArayati - puShkaraNi.

sA cha api tatra taM dR^iShTvA rAjAnam avidUrataH || 1-26-33
 urvashI tAH sakhIH prAha sa eSha puruShottamaH |
 yasmin aham avAtsaM vai darshayAmAsa taM nR^ipam || 1-26-34

She too has seen the king there, not very far from her, and said this to her friends, “He is the great man with whom I have spent some time...” and started showing him to her friends...

samAvignAH tu tAH sarvAH punaH eva narAdhipa |
 jAye ha tiShTha manasA ghore vachasi tiShTha ha || 1-26-35
evam AdIni sUktAni parasparam abhAShata |

With a doubt that Urvashi may again get away from him along with her friends, that king started talking to her, starting from– ha yè jAye manasA tiSTha, ghore, vacAMsi mishrA- kR^iNavAvahai nu – and there occurred a dialogue between them, as is recorded in the Urvashi-purUrava samvAda sUkta of Rig veda...

Ridveda, hymn XCV. Urvashi-purUrava  samvAda sUkta 10-95 – “Ho there, my consort! Stay, thou fierce-souled lady, and let us reason for a while together...”

urvashI cha abravIt ailaM sa-garbhAhaM tvayA prabho || 1-26-36
saMvatsarAt kumArAH te bhaviShyanti na saMshayaH |
 nishAm ekAM cha nR^ipate nivatsyasi mayA saha || 1-26-37

Then Urvashi saiud to purUrava, the son of lady aila, “I am carrying your seed in my womb, my lord, and you can spend one night’s time every year with me, whereby can have sons each year...” so said Urvashi to purUrava, and vanished...

 hR^iShTo jagAma rAja atha sva-puraM tu mahAyashAH |
 gate saMvatsare bhUya urvashI punar Agamat || 1-26-38

Gladdened king returned to his city abnd when one year has paseed Urvashi came to him, as promised...

 uShitaH cha tayA sArdham eka rAtraM mahAyashAH |
 urvashya atha abravIt ailaM gandharvA varadAH tava || 1-26-39
tAn vR^iNIShva mahArAja brUhi cha enAM tvam eva hi |
 vR^iNIShva samatAM rAjan gandharvANAM mahAtmanAm || 1-26-40

Urvashi had been coming and staying with the king for a night per year, and on one occasion she said to the king, “pleased with you, the gandharvA-s would like to grant a boon to you, my lord, hence you may seek it directly from them... but, I would like you to seek a selfsame stature of gandharva-s for yourself...

...So that we can continue our relations in heaven also...” samata = sAlokyam, sArUpyam= coequality.

  tatha iti uktvA varaM vavre gandharvAH cha tatha astu iti |
  pUrayitvA agninA sthAlIM gandharvAH cha tam abruvan || 1-26-41

Saying ‘alright’ to Urvashi king purUrava sought a stature similar to that of gandharvA-s, and saying ‘alright’ to purUrava, the gandharvA-s brought a vessel filled with ritual-fire and said to him...

 anena iShTvA cha lokAn naH prApsyasi tvaM narAdhipa |
  tAn AdAya kumArAM tu nagarAya upachakrame || 1-26-42

“Oh, king, if you worship this fire you will attain our heavens...” and purUrava taking that fire and his sons started return journey to his city...

  nikShipya agnim araNye tu sa putraH tu gR^ihaM yayau |
  sa treta-agniM tu na apashyat ashvatthaM tatra dR^iShTavAn || 1-26-43

Thinking that his entry into city with children in hand and fire-pot in trhe orther would be ridiculous, he securely placed fire-pot on the floor and took the children home... again returned to that place to take the fire-pot, but to his surprise he saw a peeple tree, ashvattha tree, instead of fire-pot...   

shamI jAtaM tu taM dR^iShTvA ashvatthaM vismitaH tadA |
  gandharvebhyaH tada ashaMsad agni nAshaM tatastu saH || 1-26-44

Astonishing to see the fire extinguished to take up the form of a peeple tree, he consulted with the gandharvA-s about it...

  shrutvA tam artham akhilam araNIM tu samAdishat |
  ashvatthAt araNIM kR^itvA mathitvA  agniM yathAvidhi || 1-26-45
mathitvA agniM tridhA kR^itvA ayajatsa narAdhipaH |
  iShTvA yaj~naiH bahu-vidhaiH gataH teShAM salokatAm || 1-26-46

Then the gandharvA-s advised him to take two sticks of that peeple tree, to rub one against the other, for producing fire... the king did so and produced fire from wood... in such a way making fire from sticks, he trifurcated the ritual fire as gArhapatya, AhavanIya, and dAkshintya agni-s and then performed many vedic rituals with that fire...

    gandharvebhyo varaM labdhvA tretAgniM samakArayat |
  ekaH agniH pUrvam eva AsIt ailaH tretAm akArayat || 1-26-47

Originally Ritual fire was one, but purUrava trifurcated it getting a boon from gandharvA-s...

evaM prabhAvo rAja AsIt ailaH tu narasattama |
  deshe puNyatame chaiva maharShibhiH abhiShTute || 1-26-48
rAjyaM sa kArayAmAsa prayAge pR^ithivIpatiH |
  uttare jAhnavI tIre pratiShThAne mahAyashAH || 1-26-49

  Such an efficacious king is that best one among men, namely purUrava, the son of ila, and he ruled from the most merited capital prayAga, which is extolled by great sages, and which is situated on the northern bank of river ganga...

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  iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe harivaMshaparvaNi  aila utpattiH nAma
 [yadvA - Urvashi-purUravasovR^ittam nAma] ShaDviMsho.adhyAyaH  

Thus, this is the twenty-sixth chapter of first canto called harivamsha-parva, in harivamsha-purANa, the sequel of mahAbhArata, narrating the legend of Urvashi and purUrava.

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E&OE - content is subject to revision : dated 30-10-07