Srimad Bhagavatam Ninth Canto" by His Divine Grace A.C

"Srimad Bhagavatam Ninth Canto" by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

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About the Author

His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the world’s most distinguished teacher of Vedic religion and thought, is the author of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, The Sri Isopanisad and many other English versions of Vedic literature. He is the Founder-Arcarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which has hundreds of centers throughout the world.

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http://www.krishna.com/newsite/main.php?id=7 1. King Sudyumna Becomes a Woman

This chapter describes how Sudyumna became a woman and how the dynasty of Vaivasvata Manu was amalgamated with the Soma-vaàça, the dynasty coming from the moon. By the desire of Mahäräja Parékñit, Çukadeva Gosvämé told about the dynasty of Vaivasvata Manu, who was formerly King Satyavrata, the ruler of Draviòa. While describing this dynasty, he also described how the Supreme Personality of Godhead, while lying down in the waters of devastation, gave birth to Lord Brahmä from a lotus generated from His navel. From the mind of Lord Brahmä, Maréci was generated, and his son was Kaçyapa. From Kaçyapa, through Aditi, Vivasvän was generated, and from Vivasvän came Çräddhadeva Manu, who was born from the womb of Saàjïä. Çräddhadeva's wife, Çraddhä, gave birth to ten sons, such as Ikñväku and Någa. Çräddhadeva, or Vaivasvata Manu, the father of Mahäräja Ikñväku, was sonless before Ikñväku's birth, but by the grace of the great sage Vasiñöha he performed a yajïa to satisfy Mitra and Varuëa. Then, although Vaivasvata Manu wanted a son, by the desire of his wife he got a daughter named Ilä. Manu, however, was not satisfied with the daughter. Consequently, for Manu's satisfaction, the great sage Vasiñöha prayed for Ilä to be transformed into a boy, and his prayer was fulfilled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus Ilä became a beautiful young man named Sudyumna. Once upon a time, Sudyumna went on tour with his ministers. At the foot of the mountain Sumeru there is a forest named Sukumära, and as soon as they entered that forest, they were all transformed into women. When Mahäräja

copyright ©1998 Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, all rights reserved – www.krishna.com Parékñit inquired from Çukadeva Gosvämé about the reason for this transformation, Çukadeva Gosvämé described how Sudyumna, being transformed into a woman, accepted Budha, the son of the moon, as her husband and had a son named Purüravä. By the grace of Lord Çiva, Sudyumna received the benediction that he would live one month as a woman and one month as a man. Thus he regained his kingdom and had three sons, named Utkala, Gaya and Vimala, who were all very religious. Thereafter, he entrusted his kingdom to Purüravä and took the order of vänaprastha life.

TEXT 1

é[qraJaaevac MaNvNTarai

çré-räjoväca manvantaräëi sarväëi tvayoktäni çrutäni me véryäëy ananta-véryasya hares tatra kåtäni ca

SYNONYMS çré-räjä uväca—King Parékñit said; manvantaräëi—all about the periods of the various Manus; sarväëi—all of them; tvayä—by you; uktäni—have been described; çrutäni—have been listened to; me—by me; véryäëi—wonderful activities; ananta-véryasya—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has unlimited potency; hareù—of the Supreme Lord, Hari; tatra—in those manvantara periods; kåtäni—which have been performed; ca—also.

King Parékñit said: My lord, Çukadeva Gosvämé, you have elaborately described all the periods of the various Manus and, within those periods, the wonderful activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has unlimited potency. I am fortunate to have heard all of this from you.

TEXTS 2-3

Yaae_SaaE SaTYav]Taae NaaMa raJaizRd]Riv@eìr" ) jaNa& Yaae_TaqTak-LPaaNTae le/>ae PauåzSaevYaa )) 2 )) Sa vE ivvSvTa" Pau}aae MaNauraSaqidiTa é[uTaMa( ) TvtaSTaSYa SauTaa" Pa[ae¢-a w+vaku-Pa[Mau%a Na*Paa" )) 3 ))

yo 'sau satyavrato näma räjarñir draviòeçvaraù jïänaà yo 'téta-kalpänte lebhe puruña-sevayä sa vai vivasvataù putro manur äséd iti çrutam tvattas tasya sutäù proktä ikñväku-pramukhä nåpäù

SYNONYMS yaù asau—he who was known; satyavrataù—Satyavrata; näma—by the name; räja-åñiù—the saintly king; draviòa-éçvaraù—the ruler of the Draviòa countries; jïänam—knowledge; yaù—one who; atéta-kalpa-ante—at the end of the period of the last Manu, or at the end of the last millennium; lebhe—received; puruña-sevayä—by rendering service to the Supreme

copyright ©1998 Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, all rights reserved – www.krishna.com Personality of Godhead; saù—he; vai—indeed; vivasvataù—of Vivasvän; putraù—son; manuù äsét—became the Vaivasvata Manu; iti—thus; çrutam—I have already heard; tvattaù—from you; tasya—his; sutäù—sons; proktäù—have been explained; ikñväku-pramukhäù—headed by Ikñväku; nåpäù—many kings.

TRANSLATION

Satyavrata, the saintly king of Draviòadeça who received spiritual knowledge at the end of the last millennium by the grace of the Supreme, later became Vaivasvata Manu, the son of Vivasvän, in the next manvantara [period of Manu]. I have received this knowledge from you. I also understand that such kings as Ikñväku were his sons, as you have already explained.

TEXT 4

Taeza& v&Xa& Pa*QaGa( b]øNa( v&XaaNaucirTaaiNa c ) k-ITaRYaSv Maha>aaGa iNaTYa& éué[UzTaa& ih Na" )) 4 ))

teñäà vaàçaà påthag brahman vaàçänucaritäni ca kértayasva mahä-bhäga nityaà çuçrüñatäà hi naù

SYNONYMS teñäm—of all those kings; vaàçam—the dynasties; påthak—separately; brahman—O great brähmaëa (Çukadeva Gosvämé); vaàça-anucaritäni ca—and their dynasties and characteristics; kértayasva—kindly describe; mahä-bhäga—O greatly fortunate one; nityam—eternally; çuçrüñatäm—who are engaged in your service; hi—indeed; naù—of ourselves.

O greatly fortunate Çukadeva Gosvämé, O great brähmaëa, kindly describe to us separately the dynasties and characteristics of all those kings, for we are always eager to hear such topics from you.

TEXT 5

Yae >aUTaa Yae >aivZYaaê >avNTYaÛTaNaaê Yae ) Taeza& Na" Pau

ye bhütä ye bhaviñyäç ca bhavanty adyatanäç ca ye teñäà naù puëya-kérténäà sarveñäà vada vikramän

SYNONYMS ye—all of whom; bhütäù—have already appeared; ye—all of whom; bhaviñyäù—will appear in the future; ca—also; bhavanti—are existing; adyatanäù—at present; ca—also; ye—all of whom; teñäm—of all of them; naù—unto us; puëya-kérténäm—who were all pious and celebrated; sarveñäm—of all of them; vada—kindly explain; vikramän—about the abilities.

TRANSLATION

Kindly tell us about the abilities of all the celebrated kings born in the dynasty of Vaivasvata Manu, including those who have already passed, those who may appear in the future, and those who exist at present.

é[qSaUTa ovac Wv& Parqi+aTaa raja SadiSa b]øvaidNaaMa( ) Pa*í" Pa[aevac >aGavaH^uk-" ParMaDaMaRivTa( )) 6 ))

çré-süta uväca evaà parékñitä räjïä sadasi brahma-vädinäm påñöaù proväca bhagaväï chukaù parama-dharma-vit

SYNONYMS çré-sütaù uväca—Çré Süta Gosvämé said; evam—in this way; parékñitä—by Mahäräja Parékñit; räjïä—by the King; sadasi—in the assembly; brahma-vädinäm—of all the great saintly experts in Vedic knowledge; påñöaù—having been asked; proväca—answered; bhagavän—the most powerful; çukaù—Çuka Gosvämé; parama-dharma-vit—the most learned scholar in religious principles.

TRANSLATION

Süta Gosvämé said: When Çukadeva Gosvämé, the greatest knower of religious principles, was thus requested by Mahäräja Parékñit in the assembly of all the scholars learned in Vedic knowledge, he then proceeded to speak.

TEXT 7

é[qéuk- ovac é[UYaTaa& MaaNavae v&Xa" Pa[acuYaeR

çré-çuka uväca çrüyatäà mänavo vaàçaù präcuryeëa parantapa na çakyate vistarato vaktuà varña-çatair api

SYNONYMS çré-çukaù uväca—Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé said; çrüyatäm—just hear from me; mänavaù vaàçaù—the dynasty of Manu; präcuryeëa—as expansive as possible; parantapa—O King, who can subdue your enemies; na—not; çakyate—one is able; vistarataù—very broadly; vaktum—to speak; varña-çataiù api—even if he does so for hundreds of years.