युधिष्ठिर उवाच शुश्रूषे तस्य धर्मज्ञ राजर्षेः परिकीर्तनम्। द्वैपायन मरुत्तस्य कथां प्रबूहि मेऽनघ॥
Yudhishthira said O righteous one, I wish to hear the history of that royal sage Marutta. Do you ( Dvaipayana, describe this to me, O sinless one.
व्यास उवाच आसीत् कृतयुगे तात मनुर्दण्डधरः प्रभुः। तस्य पुत्रो महाबाहुः प्रसन्धिरिति विश्रुतः॥
Vyasa said O child, in the golden age Manu was lord wielding the sceptre. His son was known under the name of Prasandhi.
प्रसन्धेरभवत् पुत्रः क्षुप इत्यभिविश्रुतः। क्षुपस्य पुत्र इक्ष्वाकुर्महीपालोऽभवत् प्रभुः।॥
Prasandhi had a son named Kshupa. Kshupa's son was king Ikshvaku.
तस्य पुत्रशतं राजन्नासीत् परधार्मिकम्। तांस्तु सर्वान् महीपालानिक्ष्वाकुरकरोत् प्रभुः॥
He, O king, had a hundred sons possessed of pre-eminent picty. And all of them were inade monarchs by king Ikshvaku.
तेषां ज्येष्ठस्तु विंशोऽभूत् प्रतिमानं धनुष्मताम्। विंशस्य पुत्रः कल्याणो विविंशो नाम भारत॥
The eldest of them, Vinsha, became an ideal bowman. Vinsha's son, O Bharata, was the auspicious Vivinsha.
विविंशस्य सुता राजन् बभूवुर्दश पञ्च च। सर्वे धनुषि विक्रान्ता ब्रह्मण्याः सत्यवादिनः॥ दानधर्मरताः शान्ताः सततं प्रियवादिनः। तेषां ज्येष्ठः खनीनेत्रः स तान् सर्वानपीडयत्॥
Vivinsha, O king, had fifteen sons; all of them powerful archers, respecting Brahmanas and speaking the truth, gentle and everspeaking fair. The eldest brother Khaninetra, oppressed all his brothers.
खनीनेत्रस्तु विक्रान्तो जित्वा राज्यमकण्टकम्। नाशकद् रक्षितुं राज्यं नान्वरज्यन्त तं प्रजाः॥
And having conquered the entire kingdom shorn of all troubles, Khaninetra, could not retain his supremacy; nor were the people satisfied with him.
तमपास्य च तद्राज्ये तस्य पुत्रं सुवर्चसम्। अभ्यषिञ्चन्त राजेन्द्र मुदिता ह्यभवंस्तदा॥
And dethroning him, they, O foremost of kings invested his son Suvarcha with the rights of sovereignty, and experiences joy.
स पितुर्विक्रियां दृष्ट्वा राज्यान्निरसनं च तत्। नियतो वर्तयामास प्रजाहितचिकीर्षया।॥ ब्रह्मण्यः सत्यवादी च शुचिः शमदमान्वितः। प्रजास्तं चान्वरज्यन्त धर्मनित्यं मनस्विनम्॥
Seeing the reverses of his father and his expulsion from the empire he was ever busy with encompassing the well-being of the people, being devoted to Brahman, speaking the truth, practising purity and controlling his senses and thoughts. And the subjects were well-pleased with that grcat one constant in virtue.
तस्य धर्मप्रवृत्तस्य व्यशीर्यत् कोशवाहनम्। तं क्षीणकोशं सामन्ताः समन्तात् पर्यपीडयन्॥
But he being constantly engaged in virtuous Works, His treasures and vehicles became greatly reduced. And on his treasury having become exhausted, the feudatory princes gathered round him and began to gave him trouble.
स पीड्यमानो बहुभिः क्षीणकोशाश्ववाहनः। आर्तिमाळुत् परां राजा सह भृत्यैः पुरेण च॥
Being thus oppressed by many enemies while his treasury, horses and vehicles were impoverished, the king suffered great tribulation along with his retainers and the citizens.
न चैनमभिहन्तुं ते शक्नुवन्ति बलक्षये। सम्यग्वृत्तो हि राजा स धर्मनित्यो युधिष्ठिर॥
Although his power decreased greatly, yet the enemies could not kill the king, for his power, ( Yudhishthira, was established in virtue.
यदा तु परमामातिं गतोऽसौ सपुरो नृपः। ततः प्रदध्मौ स करं प्रादुरासीत् ततो बलम्॥
And when he had reached the worst point of misery along with the citizens, he blew his hand, and from that there appeared a supply of forces.
ततस्तानजयत् सर्वान् प्रातिसीमान् नराधिपान्। एतस्मात् कारणाद् राजन् विश्रुतः स करन्धमः॥
And then he defeated all the kings living along the borders of his dominions And from this incident, O king, he hath been celebrated as Karandhama.
तस्य कारन्धमः पुत्रस्त्रेतायुगमुखेऽभवत्। इन्द्रादनवरः श्रीमान् देवैरपि सुदुर्जयः॥
His son, Karandhama was born at the commencement of the Treta age, equalling Indra himself, gifted with grace, and invincible even by the immortals.
तस्य सर्वे महीपाला वर्तन्ते स्म वशे तदा। स हि सम्राडभूत् तेषां वृत्तेन च बलेन च॥
At that time all the kings were under his control; and alike by virtue of his riches and of prowess, he became their emperor.
अविक्षिन्नाम धर्मात्मा शौर्येणेन्द्रसमोऽभवत्। यज्ञशीलो धर्मरतिकृतिमान् संयतेन्द्रियः॥
In short, the righteous king Avikshit became like Indra himself in Heroism; and he was given to sacrifices, delighted in virtue and held his senses under control.
तेजसाऽऽदित्यसदृशः क्षमया पृथिवीसमः। बृहस्पतिसमो बुद्ध्या हिमवानिव सुस्थिरः॥
And in energy he resembled the sun and in patience, Earth herself; in intelligence, he was like Brihaspati, and in calmness the mountain Himavan himself.
कर्मणा मनसा वाचा दमेन प्रशमेन च। मनांस्याराधयामास प्रजानां स महीपतिः॥
And that king pleased the hearts of his subjects by act, thought, speech, self control, and forbearance.
य ईजे हयमेधानां शतेन विधिवत् प्रभुः। याजयामास सं विद्वान् स्वयमेवाङ्गिराः प्रभुः॥
The lords who celebrated hundreds of Horse-Sacrifices, and whom the powerful and learned Angira himself served as priest.
तस्य पुत्रोऽतिचक्राम पितरं गुणवत्तया। मरुत्तो नाम धर्मज्ञश्चक्रवर्ती महायशाः॥ नागायुतसमप्राणः साक्षाद् विष्णुरिवापरः।
His son excelled his father in the possession of good qualities; named Marutta, that lord of kings was righteous and of great fame; having the power of ten thousand elephants, and like unto Vishnu's second self.
स यक्ष्यमाणो धर्मात्मा शातकुम्भमयान्युत॥ कारयामास शुभ्राणि भाजनानि सहस्रशः। मेरू पर्वतमासाद्य हिमवत्पार्श्व उत्तरे॥ काञ्चनः सुमहान् पादस्तत्र कर्म चकार सः। ततः कुण्डानि पात्रीश्च पिठराण्यासनानि च।॥ चक्रुः सुवर्णकर्तारो येषां संख्या न विद्यते।
Desirous of celebrating a sacrifice, that virtuous king, coming to Mount Meru on the northern side of Himavat, made thousands of shining golden vessels to be forged. There on a huge golden hill he performed the rites. And goldsmiths made numberless basins and vessels and pans and seats.
तस्यैव च समीपे तु यज्ञवाटो बभूव ह॥ ईजे तत्र स धर्मात्मा विधिवत् पृथिवीपतिः। मरुत्तः सहितैः सर्वैः प्रजापालैनराधिपः॥
And the sacrificial ground was near this place. And that righteous king Marutta, with other princes, celebrated a sacrifice there.