Verses 1-100

3. Janamejaya (said): "Kings of various countries - the great heroes - came to the great Bharata war of my forefathers.

4-5. Say, why did not the king of Kas'mira come there ? Why was that king not chosen by the sons of Pandu and Dhrtarastra? The region of Kas'mira, of course, occupies an important place in the world.

6. Vaisampayana (said): "Accompanied by his four-fold armies (the king of Kas'mira) went to the Svayamvara to fight with Madhava, the son of Vasudeva.

7. A fight between him and the wise Vasudeva took place there as had taken place between Naraka and Vasudeva.

8-9. Consequently he was thrown down by Vasudeva in that good combat. Out of respect for that country, Vasudeva coronated his pregnant queen, so that the posthumous son might rule.

10. Afterwards, she gave birth to a male child who was named Gonanda. Being a child, he was brought neither by the Pandavas nor by the Kauravas."

11. Janamejaya (spoke): "O best among the twice-born, why did the high-minded Vasudeva honour (so much) the country that he himself coronated a woman ?"

12- 13. Vaisampayana (said): "O best amongst the kings, the goddess Uma is the same as Kas'mira. What was formerly, an enjoyable, heart-enrapturing lake for six Manvantaras since the beginning of the Kalpa, became a beautiful territory in this Manvantara.

14-16. Filled with rows of rice-fields, fully thriving and endowed with good fruits etc., inhabited by the people who perform sacrifices and are engaged in self-study and contemplation - virtuous ascetics well-versed in the Vedas and the Vedangas - by highly prosperous Ksatriyas adept in (the use of) all the arms and weapons, by Vaisyas engaged in (earning) the means of livelihood, and by gudras serving the twice-born, it is bedecked with the temples of the gods and all the holy places, and is auspicious.

17. 0 protector of men ! all the sacred places, which are on the earth, are there. Thronged with the hermitages of the sages ( it is ) pleasant in heat and cold and is auspicious.

18. Unconquerable by the enemy-kingdoms, ignorant of the fears born of them, rich in cows, horses. elephants etc. it is devoid of the fear of famines.

19. Not dependent on rains, enjoyable, holy, beneficial for living beings, endowed with the qualities (of producing) all grains, it is devoid of dangers and is thickly populated.

20. Possessed of the grace like that of a temple due to the (presence of) tender ladies, it is devoid of evil serpents, tigers, buffaloes and bears.

21. Always full of festivals, twangings of the bows and the sounds of the Vedic recitals, it is crowded with ever- sportive men and is surrounded by ever happy persons.

22. Full of gardens and pleasure-groves and resounding with the sounds of drums and lutes, it is always crowded with people fond of drinks and is dear to the hearts of good men.

23. Laden with various types of flowers, fruits, trees, creepers and medicinal herbs, it is full of hosts of wild beasts and is enjoyed by the Siddhas and the Caranas.

24-25. O controller of the enemies, the holy region of Kas'mira is possessed of all the sacred places. There are sacred lakes of the Nagas and the holy mountains; there are holy rivers and also the holy lakes; there are highly sacred temples and also the hermitages attached to them. .

26. In the center flows, making as it were the parting of the hair, the Vitasta - the highest goddess visibly born of the Himalaya."

27. Janamejaya (asked): "O Twice-born, how did that which was a pure lake in former Manvantaras, become a province in Vaivasvata (Manvantara) ?"

28-29. Vaisampayana (replied): "O best of the kings, once in olden days, the excellent king Gonanda enquired the same point from Brhadasva after worshipping him who had reached there in the course of a pilgrim's journey".

30. Gonanda (asked): 'There did not exist, in the previous Manvantaras, this country named Kas'mira How did it come into being in Vaivasvata Period ?'

31-33. Brhadasva(spoke): 'The passage of the sun through one sign of the zodiac is called a solar month. Two months should be known as a season and three seasons as an Ayana. Similarly, two Ayanas make one year and O king, the years, numbering four lacs and thirty two thousands, make Kaliyuga. Twice as much as this, O king, is Dvapara. Thrice-multiplied is Treta and four times multiplied should be known as Krta.

34. Of seventy one Caturyugas is called one Manvantara here.

35. At the end of that Manvantard, all the movable, and immovable creations on the earth are destroyed completely.

36-38. 0 lord of the carth, this whole world then turns into a sea. The mountains Himavat, Hemakuta, Nisadha, Nila, gveta, Srngavat, Meru, Malyavat, Gandhamadana, Mahendra, Malaya, Sahya, guktimat, Rksavat, Vindhya and Pariyatra are not destroyed. The whole of the rest of Jambudvipa is effaced completely.

39. Then, after the destruction of this world, the lord Mahadeva himself, in the form of water, stays all around this world.

40-41. At that time, the goddess Sati assumes the form of a boat and the future Manu, through magical power, places all the seeds in that (boat). Having assumed the form of a fish, Visnu - the father of the world - drags off that boat by means of (His) horn.

42. 0 protector of the earth, the God, having drawn off the boat, fastens that to the top of that mountain and goes to an unknown state.

43. 0 king, see in this western region, this mountain-peak called Naubandhana, holy and destroyer of sins and fears.

44. 0 controller of the enemies, when the period equal to hat of Krta passes away, then Manu brings about the reation of beings as before.

45-46. The goddess Sati, with the body in the form of the boat, becomes the earth and on that earth comes into being a lake of clear water, known as Satidesa, six Yojanas long and half of that in breadth, enjoyable, heart-enrapturing, and the sporting-place of the gods.

47. Deep like the sky, bright with lotuses containing cool and clear water, it is the most charming (lake) on the whole earth.

48-49. 0 king, at the approach of this Vaivasvata Manvantara, Daksa gave his thirteen daughters to Kasyapa, the son of Marica.

O best of the kings, listen to their names from me. The sons of Aditi are the gods and those of Diti are the Daityas.

50. (The son) of Danayusa is Vrtra and (the sons) of Surabhi are the Bhadras. The Yaksas and the Raksasas are regarded to be the sons of Khasa.

51. Airavana is the son of Ira; ten Gayanas are ( the sons) of Prava and the celestial host of the Apsaras is born of Muni.

52. The Kalakalpas and the Kalakeyas are regarded to be the sons of Kala. The Danavas are the sons of Danu, and of Krodha are born ten daughters.

53. 0 king, the Nagas are the sons of Kadru, and Garuda and Aruna - the best among the birds - are the two sons of Vinata.

54. Kadru and Vinata, jealous of each other were, as was destined, always at daggers drawn.

55-57. Once, seeing the horse Uccaihs'ravas born of the water, Vinata pronounced that to be white, while Kadru, bent on doing mischief, said to Vinata "I, by all means regard that horse as possessed of black hair." O lord of the earth, then both of them betted complete slavery of each other with reference to that horse. Persuaded thus by Kadru (her) sons did the same.

58. Afterwards both of them saw that excellent horse as black-haired, and Kadru said to beautiful Vinata, "You have been won over".

59. Highly glorious and highly strong Garuda rescued Vinata who had been won over as a slave, by bringing Soma from Indra.

60. From Indra he obtained the boon of eating the Nagas. He ate up the Pannagas as a consequence of their enemity to his mother.

61. While the Nagas were being eaten by the high-minded Garuda, Vasuki sought the protection of Janardana, the god of the gods.

62. Vasuki said: "Salutation to you, O unfathomable supreme god ! Salutation to you, O holder of bow, mace and sword in your hands ! Salutation to you, the destroyer of the Danavas ! Salutation to you praised by the lotus-born (Brahma) !

63. Salutation to you engaged in good of the world ! Salutation to you, the pleaser of Indra ! Salutation to you, the giver of boons to the devotees ! Salutation to you, the demonstrator of the right path.

64-65. I have approached the god possessed of a beautiful colour like the lustre of the fully bloomed blue lotus, clad in two garments lihe the glowing gold, sinless, worthy of being solicited, having lotus-like feet placed in (the lap of) the daughter of the sea, highest, earliest and eternal. I prostrate myself with devotion to that first god.

66. You lie on Sesa's pure hood variegated with thousand jewels of rows of the heads. Thinking about the good and evil of the whole world, O god, protect me today.

67. O infinite, the lord of the birds, possessed of highly fierce and dreadful speed, is destroying my family rapidly. O praised by the excellent sages, you check that Tarksya whose strength is like that of the wind. Protect me today".

68-69. Brhadasva (said): The venerable god said to Vasuki who was agitated with fear: "O possessed of unparalleled strength, you along with the pious Nagas may dwell in the country of Sati, in the sky-like lake of holy water.

70. The enemy of the serpents shall not kill those serpents who will make their abode in that lake.

71. O lord of the Nagas, my mount - the enemy of the Nagas - shall not kill him who, with his abode in the country of Sati, dwells unthreatened from all sides.

72. O highly fortunate one, coronate Nila in the kingdom of those highly strong Nagas who shall dwell in the country of Sati."

73. Vasuki did as was stated by the god of gods. Then there remained no fear of Garuda for the Nagas who stayed there.

74. O best among the kings, the lotus-eyed Indra accompanied by Paulomi was sporting once on the bank of that lake.

75. Induced by Time (i.e. Death) a Daitya-chief named Sangrha who was exceedingly difficult of being conquered, came there while Indra was sporting.

76. The semen of that (demon) who had seen Saci, was discharged in that reservoir of water. Mad, due to being subject to passion and desirous of carrying away Saci ....

77. Thereafter, the year was over in that fight against Indra. The fight between both of them - Indra and Sangraha - continued for one year.

78. Having killed him at the end of the year, the god Indra received honour from the gods and went to heaven while being worshipped by those who have their abodes in heaven.

79. A child was born in the waters out of that evil-minded Sam. graha's discharged semen which had fallen in that lake.

80. Due to compassion, the Nagas brought up that child in the waters. As he was born in the water so he was called Jalodbhava (water-born ).

81. Having propitiated the god Pitamaha with penance, he obtained from him a (triple) boon, viz, immortality in the water, magical power and unparalleled prowess.

82-83 Having obtained the magical power, that Daitya- chief devoured the human beings who lived in various countries near that lake, viz., the inhabitants of Darvabhisara, Gandhara and Juhundara, the Sakas, the Khasas, the Tanganas, the Mandavas, the Madras and the inhabitants of Antargiri and Bahirgiri.

84. Harassed by that sinner, they fled away in fear from the country and he roamed fearlessly in those desolate lands.

85. At this very time, the venerable sage Kas'yapa travelled over the whole earth in connection with holy pilgrimage.

86-97. In this holy Bharatavarsa - the giver of the reward of good and evil - (he visited ) auspicious Puskara, difficult of access and giver of the world of Brahma, Prayaga, teeming with sacrifices and destroyer of all sins, Kuruksetra, the field of piety, Naimisa, the destroyer of sins, Hayasirsa, the holy abode of high souled Fathers, the celestial Carankata, the remover of all sins, the holy Varaha mountain, the holy Pancanada, Kalanjana along with Gokarna, Kedara along with Mahalaya, Badhirasrama, the holy abode of Narayana, Sugandha, Satakumbha, Kalikasrama, Sakambhari, Lalitika, Saligrama, Prthudaka, Suvarnaksa, Rudrakoti, Prabhasa, Sagarodaka, Indramarga, Matanga-vapi, the destroyer of sins, the holy Agastyasrama, Tandulikas'rama, the holy Jambumarga, the holy Varanasi, the holy goddess Ganga, daughter of Jahnu and girdle of the sky, Yamuna, the destroyer of the noose of Yama, the swift-flowing gatadru, the Sarayu, possessed of the sacrificial posts, the goddess Sarasvati, the Godavari, the Vaitarani, the Gomati, the Bahuda, the Vedasmrti, the Asi along with the Varna, the Tamravarnotpalavati, the Sipra along with the Narmada, the gona, the great river Parosni, the Iksumati, the Saratta, the Durga, the gatasila, the Kaveri, the Brahmani, the Gauri, the Kampana the Tamasa, Gangasagara Sandhi and Sindhu sagarasangama.

98-99. 0 king, (he visited also) the Bhrgutunga, the Visala, Kubjamra, the Raivataka, Kus'avarta at Gangadvara, Bilvaka, the mountain Nila, the holy place Kanakhala and other sacred places.

100. Having heard that Kas'yapa was on a religious tour, Nila - the king of the serpents - went to the sacred place Kanakhala for seeing him.