in all things. What can I say unto thee? Thou knowest all that is in the heart, O soul of all, sovereign lord of all creatures, origin of all things. Thou, who art all beings, knowest the desires of all creatures. The desire that I cherished has been gratified, lord, by thee. My devotions have been crowned with success, in that I have seen thee."

Vishnu said to Dhruva: "The object of thy devotions has, in truth, been attained, in that thou hast seen me: for the sight of me, young prince, is never unproductive. Ask, therefore, of me what boon thou desirest: for men in whose sight I appear obtain all their wishes." To this, Dhruva answered: "Lord god of all creatures, who abidest in the hearts of all, how should the wish that I cherish be unknown to thee? I will confess unto thee the hope that my presumptuous heart has entertained; a hope that it would be difficult to gratify, but that nothing is difficult, when thou, creator of the world, art pleased. Through thy favour, Indra* reigns over the three worlds. The sister-queen of my mother has said to me, loudly and arrogantly: 'The royal throne is not for one who is not born of me': and I now solicit of the support of the universe an exalted station, superior to all others, and one that shall endure for ever." Vishnu said to him: "The station that thou askest thou shalt obtain: for I was satisfied with thee, of old, in a prior existence. Thou wast, formerly, a Brahman, whose thoughts were ever devoted to me, ever dutiful to thy parents, and observant of thy duties. In course of time, a prince became thy friend, who was

* Maghavat, in the original.

in the period of youth, indulged in all sensual pleasures, and was of handsome appearance and elegant form. Beholding, in consequence of associating with him, his affluence, you formed the desire that you might be subsequently born as the son of a king; and, according to your wish, you obtained a princely birth, in the illustrious mansion of Uttánapáda. But that which would have been thought a great boon by others, birth in the race of Swayambhuva, you have not so considered, and, therefore, have propitiated me. The man who worships me obtains speedy liberation from life. What is heaven to one whose mind is fixed on me? A station shall be assigned to thee, Dhruva, above the three worlds;1 one in which thou shalt sustain the stars and the planets; a station above those of the sun, the moon, Mars, the son of Soma (Mercury), Venus, the son of Súrya (Saturn), and all the other constellations; above the regions of the seven Rishis and the divinities

The station or sphere is that of the north pole, or of the polar star. In the former case, the star is considered to be Suníti, the mother of Dhruva. The legend, although, as it is related in our text, it differs, in its circumstances, from the story told, by Ovid, of Callisto and her son Arcas, whom Jove

Imposuit cælo vicinaque sidera fecit,

suggests some suspicion of an original identity. In neither of the authorities have we, perhaps, the primitive fable. It is evident, from the quotation, that presently follows in the text, of a stanza by Uśanas, that the Purána has not the oldest version of the legend; and Ovid's representation of it is after a fashion of his own. All that has been retained of the original is the conformity of the characters and of the main incident, the translation of a mother and her son to the heavens, as constellations, in which the pole-star is the most conspicuous luminary.

1

who traverse the atmosphere. Some celestial beings endure for four ages; some, for the reign of a Manu. To thee shall be granted the duration of a Kalpa. Thy mother, Suníti, in the orb of a bright star, shall abide near thee for a similar term; and all those who, with minds attentive, shall glorify thee at dawn, or at eventide, shall acquire exceeding religious merit.

Thus, the sage Dhruva, having received a boon from Janárdana, the god of gods, and lord of the world, resides in an exalted station. Beholding his glory, Uśanas, the preceptor of the gods and demons, repeated these verses: "Wonderful is the efficacy of this penance, marvellous is its reward, that the seven Rishis should be preceded by Dhruva. This, too, is the pious Suníti, his parent, who is called Súnŕitá." Who can celebrate her greatness, who, having given birth to Dhruva, has become the asylum of the three worlds, enjoying, to all future time, an elevated station, a station eminent above all? He who shall worthily describe the ascent into the sky of Dhruva, for ever shall be freed from all sin, and enjoy the heaven of Indra. Whatever be his dignity, whether upon earth, or in heaven, he shall never fall from it, but shall long enjoy life, possessed of every blessing."

1 The Vaimánika devas, the deities who travel in Vimánas, 'heavenly ears', or, rather, 'moving spheres.'

± The text says merely : सुनीतिनीम सूनृता । The commentator says: 'Perhaps formerly so called';

remarked, that some Puráńas so denominate her.

We have already

The legend of Dhruva is narrated in the Bhagavata, Padma

* The T, here rendered "perhaps", connects two interpretations, and means "or else".

(Swarga Khańda), Agni, and Náradíya, much to the same purport, and partly in the same words, as our text. The Brahma, and its double, the Hari Vamsa, the Matsya, and Váyu, merely allude to Dhruva's having been transferred, by Brahmá, to the skies, in reward of his austerities. The story of his religious penance and adoration of Vishnu seems to be an embellishment interpolated by the Vaishnava Puráňas; Dhruva being adopted, as a saint, by their sect. The allusion to Súnŕitá, in our text, concurs with the form of the story as it appears elsewhere, to indicate the priority of the more simple legend.

CHAPTER XIII.

Posterity of Dhruva. Legend of Vena: his impiety: he is put to death by the Rishis. Anarchy ensues. The production of Nisháda and Prithu: the latter, the first king. The origin of Súta and Mágadha: they enumerate the duties of kings. Prithu compels Earth to acknowledge his authority: he levels it: introduces cultivation: erects cities. Earth called, after him, Prithiví: typified as a cow.

*

PARÁSARA. The sons of Dhruva, by his wife Sambhu, were Bhavya and Ślishti. Suchchháyá, the wife of the latter, was the mother of five virtuous sons; Ripu, Ripunjaya, Vipra, Vŕikala, and Vŕikatejas. The son of Ripu, by Brihatí, was the illustrious Chakshusha, who begot the Manu Chákshusha on Pushkarińí, of the family of Varuna, the daughter of the venerable patriarch Anaranya. The Manu had, by his wife Nadvalá, the daughter of the patriarch Vairája, ten noble sons: Úru, Puru,† Satadyumna, Tapaswin, Satyavách, Kavi, Agnishtoma, Atirátra, Sudyumna, and Abhimanyu. The wife of Úru, Ágneyí, bore six excellent sons: Anga, Sumanas, Swáti, Kratu, Angiras, and Śiva. Anga had, by his wife Suníthá, only one son, named Vena, whose right arm was rubbed, by the Rishis, for the purpose of producing from it progeny. From the arm of Vena, thus rubbed, sprang a celebrated monarch,

*

Professor Wilson inadvertently put “Navalá”.

† Púru is the older form of this word, as, for instance, in the Rigveda, Śákuntala, &c.