मार्कण्डेय उवाच इक्ष्वाको संस्थिते राजन् शशादः पृथिवीमिमाम्। प्राप्तः परमधर्मात्मा सोऽयोध्यायां नृपोऽभवत्॥
Markandeya said : O king, when Ikshvaku died, the greatly virtuous Shashada, becoming the king of Ayodhya began to rule over this earth.
शशादस्य तु दायादः ककुत्स्थो नाम वीर्यवान्। अनेनाश्चापि काकुत्स्थः पृथुश्चानेनसः सुतः॥
Shashada had a powerful son, named Kakutstha. Kakutstha had a son named Anenas. Anenas had a son named Prithu.
विष्वगश्वः पृथोः पुत्रस्तस्मादद्रिश्च जज्ञिवान्। अद्रेश्च युवनाश्वस्तु श्रावस्तस्यात्मजोऽभवत्॥
Prithu had a son named Vishvagashva and Vishvagashva begot a son, named Adri. Adri had a son called Yuvanashva and Yuvanashva begot Shravasta.
तस्य श्रावस्तको ज्ञेयः श्रावस्ती येन निर्मिता। श्रावस्तकस्य दायादो बृहदश्वो महाबलः॥
From this Shravasta, the city called Shravasti was founded. The son of Shravasta was the greatly powerful Brihadashva.
बृहदश्वस्य दायादः कुवलाश्व इति स्मृतः। कुवलाश्वस्य पुत्राणां सहस्राण्येकविंशतिः॥
The son of Brihadashva was known by the name Kuvalashva; Kuvalashva had twenty one thousand sons.
सर्वे विद्यासु निष्णाता बलवन्तो दुरासदाः। कुवलाश्वश्च पितृतो गुणैरभ्यधिकोऽभवत्॥
All these sons were powerful and fierce, but they were learned. Kuvalashva became superior to his father in all qualifications.
समये तं पिता राज्ये बृहदश्वोऽभ्यषेचयत्। कुवलाश्वं महाराज शूरमुत्तमधार्मिकम्॥
O great king, in due time his father Brihadashva installed that foremost of heroes and virtuous men, Kuvalashva, on the throne.
पुत्रसंक्रामितश्रीस्तु बृहदश्वो महीपतिः। जगाम तपसे धीमांस्तपोवनममित्रहा॥
Having thus made over the royal dignity to his son, that ruler of earth, that chastiser of foes and the greatly intelligent Brihadashva retired into a forest to perform asceticism.
अथ शुश्राव राजर्षि तमुत्तको नराधिप। वनं सम्प्रस्थितं राजन् बृहदश्वं द्विजोत्तमः॥
O rulers of men, O king, when the royal sage Brihadashva was about to go away into the forest, that best of Brahmanas, Uttanka, heard of it.
तमुत्तको महातेजाः सर्वास्त्रविदुषां वरम्। न्यवारयदमेयात्मा समासाद्य नरोत्तमम्॥
The greatly effulgent and the high-souled Uttanka came to that foremost of all wielder of arms, that best of men, (Brihadashva) and asked him not to do it.
उत्तङ्क उवाच भवता रक्षणं कार्यं तत् तावत् कर्तुमर्हसि। निरुद्विग्ना वयं राजंस्त्वत्प्रसादाद् भवेमहि॥
Uttanka said: O king, your duty is to protect men. You should perform your that duty. Let us be freed from all anxieties through your favour.
त्वया हि पृथिवी राजन् रक्ष्यमाणा महात्मना। भविष्यति निरुद्विग्ना नारण्यं गन्तुमर्हसि॥
O king, the earth, being protected by your august self, will be freed from all anxieties. Therefore you should not retire into the forest.
पालने हि महान् धर्मः प्रजानामिह दृश्यते। न तथा दृश्यतेऽरण्ये माभूत् ते बुद्धिरीदृशी॥
Great merit is the fruit of protecting men in this world. Such merit can never be acquired in a forest. Therefore, let not your heart have such an inclination
ईदृशो न हि राजेन्द्र धर्मः क्वचन दृश्यते। प्रजानां पालने यो वै पुरा राजर्षिभिः कृतः॥
O king of kings, such a (great) merit is not seen in anything else as it is seen in the protection of men as done by the royal sages in the days of yore.
रक्षितव्याः प्रजा राज्ञा तास्त्वं रक्षितुमर्हसि। निरुद्विग्नस्तपश्चर्तुं न हि शक्नोमि पार्थिव॥
O ruler of earth, the subjects should (always) be protected by the kings; you should therefore protect your people. I shall not be able to perform asceticism in peace.
ममाश्रमसमीपे वै समेषु मरुधन्वसु। समुद्रो बालुकापूर्ण उज्जालक इति स्मृतः॥
Near my hermitage there is a large desert, a sea of sand, known by the name of Ujjalaka. It occupies a level country and it has no water.
बहुयोजनविस्तीर्णो बहुयोजनमायतः। तत्र रौद्रो दानवेन्द्रो महावीर्यपराक्रमः॥ मधुकैटभयोः पुत्रो धुन्धुर्नाम सुदारुणः। अन्तर्भूमिगतो राजन् वसत्यमितविक्रमः॥
It extends many yojanas in length and breadth. There lives a fearful and greatly powerful Danava chief. He is the fearful son of Madhukaitabha and his name is Dhundhu. O king, this immeasurably powerful one lives underneath the ground.
तं निहत्य महाराज वनं त्वं गन्तुमर्हसि। शेते लोकविनाशाय तप आस्थाय दारुणम्॥ त्रिदशानां विनाशाय लोकानां चापि पार्थिव।
O great king, kill him and then retire into the forest. He is now engaged in the severe penances with the intention of destroying the world and as well as the celestials.
अवध्यो दैवतानां हि दैत्यानामथ रक्षसाम्॥ नागानामथ यक्षाणां गन्धर्वाणां च सर्वशः। अवाप्य स वरं राजन् सर्वलोकपितामहात्॥
O king, he has become incapable of being killed by the celestials, the Daityas, the Rakshasas, the Nagas, the Yakshas and the Gandharvas for his obtaining. O king, a boon from the Grandsire of all creatures.
तं विनाशय भद्रं ते मा ते बुद्धिरतोऽन्यथा। प्राप्स्यसे महतीं कीर्ति शाश्वतीमव्ययां ध्रुवाम्॥
Kill him and be blessed. Let not your heart be led away to any other course. By killing him you will certainly achieve a great thing and also eternal and undying fame.
क्रूरस्य तस्य स्वपतो बालुकान्तर्हितस्य च। संवत्सरस्य पर्यन्ते निःश्वासः सम्प्रवर्तते।॥ यदा तदा भूश्चलति सशैलवनकानना। तस्य निःश्वासवातेन रज उद्भूयते महत्॥ आदित्यपथमाश्रित्य सप्ताहं भूमिकम्पनम्। सविस्फुलिङ्गं सज्वालं धूममिश्रं सुदारुणम्॥ तेन राजन् न शक्नोमि तस्मिन् स्थातुं स्व आश्रमे तं विनाशय राजेन्द्र लोकानां हितकाम्यया॥
O king, when at the end of every year that wicked Asura, lying covered with sands, wakes up and begins to breathe, then the whole earth with her mountains, forests and woods begins to tremble. His breath raises up clouds of sands and covers the very sun. For seven days continually the earth trembles and sparks and flames of fire mixed with smoke spread all over the ground. For all this, O king, I cannot enjoy peace in my hermitage. O king of kings, kill him therefore for the good of the world.
लोकाः स्वस्था भविष्यन्ति तस्मिन् विनिहतेऽसुरे त्वं हि तस्य विनाशाय पर्याप्त इति मे मतिः॥
When this Asura will be killed, the three worlds will be in peace and happiness. My opinion is that you are quite competent to kill him.
तेजसा तव तेजश्च विष्णुराप्याययिष्यति। विष्णुना च वरो दत्तः पूर्वं मम महीपते॥ यस्तं महासुरं रौद्रं वधिष्यति महीपतिः। तेजस्तं वैष्णवमिति प्रवेक्ष्यति दुरासदम्॥
Your energy will be increased by that of Vishnu, the ruler of earth. A boon was granted by Vishnu in the days of yore. Namely that he who will kill this fearful and great Asura would be pervaded by the matchless energy of Vishnu himself.
तत् तेजस्त्वं समाधाय राजेन्द्र भुवि दुःसहम्। तं निषूदय राजेन्द्र दैत्यं रौद्रपराक्रमम्॥
O king of kings, bearing that (Vishnu) energy which is hardly to be borne by any other on earth, kill this Daitya of fearful power.
न हि धुन्धुर्महातेजास्तेजसाल्पेन शक्यते। निर्दग्धुं पृथिवीपाल स हि वर्षशतैरपि॥
The greatly powerful Dhundhu, O ruler of earth, is incapable of being killed by any other man, even if that man tries for one hundred years to kill him.