The Legend of Manu and Danda

Shloka 1 (uttara.79.1)

तदद्भुततमं वाक्यं श्रुत्वागस्त्यस्य राघवः । गौरवाद्विस्मयाच्चैव पुनः प्रष्टुं प्रचक्रमे ।। ७.७९.१ ।।

tadadbhutatamaṃ vākyaṃ śrutvāgastyasya rāghavaḥ | gauravādvismayāccaiva punaḥ praṣṭuṃ pracakrame || 7.79.1 ||

Having heard that most wondrous speech of Agastya, Raghava, out of reverence and astonishment, began to ask further.

Shloka 2 (uttara.79.2)

भगवंस्तद्वनं घोरं तपस्तप्यति यत्र सः । श्वेतो वैदर्भको राजा कथं स्यादमृगद्विजम् ।। ७.७९.२ ।।

bhagavaṃstadvanaṃ ghoraṃ tapastapyati yatra saḥ | śveto vaidarbhako rājā kathaṃ syādamṛgadvijam || 7.79.2 ||

"Holy one, that terrible forest, where King Sveta of Vidarbha practiced austerity — how did it come to be without deer or birds?"

Shloka 3 (uttara.79.3)

तद्वनं स कथ राजा शून्यं मनुजवर्जितम् । तपश्चर्तुं प्रविष्टः स श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ।। ७.७९.३ ।।

tadvanaṃ sa katha rājā śūnyaṃ manujavarjitam | tapaścartuṃ praviṣṭaḥ sa śrotumicchāmi tattvataḥ || 7.79.3 ||

"How did that king come to enter that empty forest, void of people, to practice austerity there? I wish to hear the truth of it."

Shloka 4 (uttara.79.4)

रामस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा कौतूहलसमन्वितम् । वाक्यं परमतेजस्वी वक्तुमेवोपचक्रमे ।। ७.७९.४ ।।

rāmasya vacanaṃ śrutvā kautūhalasamanvitam | vākyaṃ paramatejasvī vaktumevopacakrame || 7.79.4 ||

Having heard Rama's curiosity-filled words, the most radiant sage began to speak these words:

Shloka 5 (uttara.79.5)

पुरा कृतयुगे राम मनुर्दण्डधरः प्रभुः । तस्य पुत्रो महानासीदिक्ष्वाकुः कुलनन्दनः ।। ७.७९.५ ।।

purā kṛtayuge rāma manurdaṇḍadharaḥ prabhuḥ | tasya putro mahānāsīdikṣvākuḥ kulanandanaḥ || 7.79.5 ||

"Long ago, in the Krita age, Rama, lord Manu was the wielder of the rod of justice; his great son was Ikshvaku, the delight of the lineage."

Shloka 6 (uttara.79.6)

तं पुत्रं पूर्वंकं राज्ये निक्षिप्य भुवि दुर्जयम् । पृथिव्यां राजवंशानां भव कर्तेत्युवाच ह ।। ७.७९.६ ।।

taṃ putraṃ pūrvaṃkaṃ rājye nikṣipya bhuvi durjayam | pṛthivyāṃ rājavaṃśānāṃ bhava kartetyuvāca ha || 7.79.6 ||

Having installed that unconquerable eldest son in the kingdom upon the earth, Manu said to him: "Become the founder of royal lineages on this earth."

Shloka 7 (uttara.79.7)

तथैवेति प्रतिज्ञातं पितुः पुत्रेण राघव । ततः परमसन्तुष्टो मनुः पुत्रमुवाच ह ।। ७.७९.७ ।।

tathaiveti pratijñātaṃ pituḥ putreṇa rāghava | tataḥ paramasantuṣṭo manuḥ putramuvāca ha || 7.79.7 ||

"So be it," the son promised the father, Raghava. Then Manu, greatly pleased, said to his son:

Shloka 8 (uttara.79.8)

प्रीतो ऽस्मि परमोदार त्वं कर्ता ऽसि न संशयः । दण्डेन च प्रजा रक्ष मा च दण्डमकारणे ।। ७.७९.८ ।।

prīto 'smi paramodāra tvaṃ kartā 'si na saṃśayaḥ | daṇḍena ca prajā rakṣa mā ca daṇḍamakāraṇe || 7.79.8 ||

"I am pleased, most noble one; you shall indeed be the founder, without doubt. Protect the people with the rod, but never wield it without cause."

Shloka 9 (uttara.79.9)

अपराधिषु यो दण्डः पात्यते मानवेषु वै । स दण्डो विधिवन्मुक्तः स्वर्गं नयति पार्थिवम् ।। ७.७९.९ ।।

aparādhiṣu yo daṇḍaḥ pātyate mānaveṣu vai | sa daṇḍo vidhivanmuktaḥ svargaṃ nayati pārthivam || 7.79.9 ||

"The rod that is duly laid upon men who have offended, when justly applied, leads the king to heaven."

Shloka 10 (uttara.79.10)

तस्माद्दण्डे महाबाहो यत्नवान्भव पुत्रक । धर्मो हि परमो लोके कुर्वतस्ते भविष्यति ।। ७.७९.१० ।।

tasmāddaṇḍe mahābāho yatnavānbhava putraka | dharmo hi paramo loke kurvataste bhaviṣyati || 7.79.10 ||

"Therefore, mighty-armed one, be diligent in the just use of the rod, my son; for that shall be, in doing so, the highest dharma for you in this world."

Shloka 11 (uttara.79.11)

इति तं बहु सन्दिश्य मनुः पुत्रं समाधिना । जगाम त्रिदिवं हृष्टो ब्रह्मलोकं सनातनम् ।। ७.७९.११ ।।

iti taṃ bahu sandiśya manuḥ putraṃ samādhinā | jagāma tridivaṃ hṛṣṭo brahmalokaṃ sanātanam || 7.79.11 ||

Having thus counseled his son at length, with focused mind, Manu, joyful, went to the heavenly world, the eternal realm of Brahma.

Shloka 12 (uttara.79.12)

प्रयाते त्रिदिवं तस्मिन्निक्ष्वाकुरमितप्रभः । जनयिष्ये कथं पुत्रानिति चिन्तापरो ऽभवत् ।। ७.७९.१२ ।।

prayāte tridivaṃ tasminnikṣvākuramitaprabhaḥ | janayiṣye kathaṃ putrāniti cintāparo 'bhavat || 7.79.12 ||

When he had gone to the heavenly world, Ikshvaku, of boundless splendor, fell to wondering, "How shall I beget sons?"

Shloka 13 (uttara.79.13)

कर्मभिर्बहुरूपैश्च तैस्तैर्मनुसुतस्सुतान् । जनयामास धर्मात्मा शतं देवसुतोपमान् ।। ७.७९.१३ ।।

karmabhirbahurūpaiśca taistairmanusutassutān | janayāmāsa dharmātmā śataṃ devasutopamān || 7.79.13 ||

By manifold rites of various kinds, that righteous son of Manu begot a hundred sons, comparable to the sons of the gods.

Shloka 14 (uttara.79.14)

तेषामवरजस्तात सर्वेषां रघुनन्दन । मूढश्चाकृतविद्यश्च न शुश्रूषति पूर्वजान् ।। ७.७९.१४ ।।

teṣāmavarajastāta sarveṣāṃ raghunandana | mūḍhaścākṛtavidyaśca na śuśrūṣati pūrvajān || 7.79.14 ||

The youngest of them all, dear one, Raghunandana, was foolish and unlearned, and would not obey his elder brothers.

Shloka 15 (uttara.79.15)

नाम तस्य च दण्डेति पिता चक्रे ऽल्पमेधसः । अवश्यं दण्डपतनं शरीरे ऽस्य भविष्यति ।। ७.७९.१५ ।।

nāma tasya ca daṇḍeti pitā cakre 'lpamedhasaḥ | avaśyaṃ daṇḍapatanaṃ śarīre 'sya bhaviṣyati || 7.79.15 ||

His father gave that dull-witted son the name Danda, thinking: "The fall of the rod upon his body shall surely come."

Shloka 16 (uttara.79.16)

अपश्यमानस्तं देशं घोरं पुत्रस्य राघव । विन्ध्यशैवलयोर्मध्ये राज्यं प्रादादरिन्दम ।। ७.७९.१६ ।।

apaśyamānastaṃ deśaṃ ghoraṃ putrasya rāghava | vindhyaśaivalayormadhye rājyaṃ prādādarindama || 7.79.16 ||

Not foreseeing the outcome for his son, Raghava, tamer of foes, he gave him a kingdom in that terrible region between the Vindhya and Shaivala mountains.

Shloka 17 (uttara.79.17)

स दण्डस्तत्र राजाभूद्रम्ये पर्वतरोधसि । पुरं चाप्रतिमं राम न्यवेशयदनुत्तमम् ।। ७.७९.१७ ।।

sa daṇḍastatra rājābhūdramye parvatarodhasi | puraṃ cāpratimaṃ rāma nyaveśayadanuttamam || 7.79.17 ||

Danda became king there, on a delightful mountain slope, and, Rama, he founded a matchless, supreme city.

Shloka 18 (uttara.79.18)

पुरस्य चाकरोन्नाम मधुमन्तमिति प्रभो । पुरोहितं तूशनसं वरयामास सुव्रतम् ।। ७.७९.१८ ।।

purasya cākaronnāma madhumantamiti prabho | purohitaṃ tūśanasaṃ varayāmāsa suvratam || 7.79.18 ||

And, lord, he gave the city the name Madhumanta, and chose the virtuous Ushanas as his royal priest.

Shloka 19 (uttara.79.19)

एवं स राजा तद्राज्यमकरोत्सपुरोहितः । प्रहृष्टमनुजाकीर्णं देवराजं यथा वृषा ।। ७.७९.१९ ।।

evaṃ sa rājā tadrājyamakarotsapurohitaḥ | prahṛṣṭamanujākīrṇaṃ devarājaṃ yathā vṛṣā || 7.79.19 ||

Thus that king, with his priest, governed that kingdom, thronged with joyful people, as the bull-like Indra rules as king of the gods.

Shloka 20 (uttara.79.20)

ततः स राजा मनुजेन्द्रपुत्रः सार्धं च तेनोशनसा तदानीम् । चकार राज्यं सुमहान्महात्मा शक्रो दिवीवोशनसा समेतः ।। ७.७९.२० ।।

tataḥ sa rājā manujendraputraḥ sārdhaṃ ca tenośanasā tadānīm | cakāra rājyaṃ sumahānmahātmā śakro divīvośanasā sametaḥ || 7.79.20 ||

Then that king, son of a lord of men, greatly powerful and great of soul, ruled his kingdom together with Ushanas at that time — just as mighty Shakra, joined with Ushanas, rules in heaven.