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AUTTAMA MANU JANMA KATH-BHRY PRAAMS-MRKADEYA PURA

Our astras do not provide any scope for forsaking of this husband-wife link by either of them,
whatever happens in the course of their evolution. In fact they explicitly prohibit such an act. This is
illustrated in the lives of

King Uttama (son of Uttnapada and Suruchi) and his wife Bahul (daughter of Babhru) and
Suarma, a Brhmaa that helps him by transforming the divergent and ever-spurning nature
of Bahul ( 69-13: In this way, she was not favourably
disposed towards that high-souled one who was always favourably disposed to her; and yet
the lord of the earth would love her more than ever.) by performing Mitravindeshti seven
times for that purpose. Ultimately, she loves Uttama so much in her heart that their son
becomes the third Manu, known as Auttama:

Their biographies are told in chapters 69 to 72 of Mrkadeya Pura.

Uttamas mind was always full of affection towards his wife Bahul - and he placed his heart's stay on
her, even as that of the Moon was towards Rohini. (6-7) His mind never was moved by attachment to
any other object. The mind of that supporter of the earth rested on her even in dream. (8) That king,
immediately on seeing her of exceedingly lovely limbs, would embrace her body, and immediately on
touching her body would become Tanmaya, ie., lose his consciousness in her (That state of the mind,
when it loses its individual and personal consciousness in that of the object of its love or thought; sees
only that object, hears, smells, only that object, is called Tanmaya.) (9) Her words that caused pain to
the ear were also very pleasant to Uttama, and even insults from her he regarded as great honour. (10)
She would despise the garland and even most lovely ornaments when given by him; and would get up
(i.e. leave his company unceremoniously) causing bodily pain to him, when he would be drinking most
superior wine. (11) In this way she was not favourably disposed towards that high-souled one who was
always favourably disposed to her; and yet he would love her more than ever. (12) If held by the hand
even for a moment by him, she, not being sufficiently pleased, would eat but little food. (13) Then, once,
the king, while engaged in drinking, with great respect offered her, the intelligent one, a drinking cup
filled with wine. (14) She, looked upon by the assembled princes and the courtesans who were singing
most sweet tunes, turned her face from it, and did not wish to accept that cup, in the presence of the
princes. Then that king repulsed by that lady so loved by him, - her husband not loved by her, - being
angry, said, called the keeper of the gate, and breathing even like a serpent (15-17) told him to take that
bad-hearted lady to a lonely forest soon and leave her therein without delaying to judge this order of its
propriety.

Thus taken by him, the Queen also regarded that banishment in the forest, being put out of sight of
Uttama, as even a great favour done to her. (20) Uttama also with his mind burning with the pain of his
love for her did not take a second wife. (21)
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To him, governing his subjects even as father his own sons, came a Brahmana, Suarma by name, son of
Vila, in a painful state of the mind, and said My wife has been stolen by some one when I was asleep
at night, with the door of my house not bolted. Thou shouldst bring her back to me. (25)

The King said: - Thy wife has not been seen by me; of what form is she physically, what also is her age,
tell me, as also what is the character of thy Brahmani. (29) Brahmana: - Of hard eyes is she, and
exceedingly tall, and of short arm, and shrunken face; she is very ugly, O lord of the earth, I don't speak
ill of her, she is really such. (30) In words she is, O king, exceedingly harsh, and by character she is not
amiable. Thus is my wife described by me, she is in form exceedingly unpleasing to the sight. (31) O
king, her first youth has jused passed, - of such a description is my wife; this is the truth spoken by me.
(32)

The king then inquires of the Brahmana why he cant forsake her if she is so, and take a fresh lovelier
wife. Suarma justifies to king Uttama as follows, why it is his duty to look after, protect and rescue his
wife stolen by Balka, a Rkshasa, even if she is so ugly in form as to be unpleasing to the sight,
exceedingly harsh in her speech, not of amiable character and her youth has passed:

-69th Adhyya

The Brhmaa said: - Is it not a good injunction of the scriptures, that the wife is to be protected, for on
the wife of being protected the children are protected. (35) On her is the self begotten, therefore, O lord
of men, she is to be protected; on the children being protected, self is protected. (36) If she is not
protected inter-Varna connections arise, and that brings down the ancient forefathers from
heaven to hell.(37) Of me deprived of my wife, there will be daily violation of the sacrificial rites, and
owing to the violation of daily sacrificial duties it will be for my fall. (38) My children will be born of
her; and she will thus become the giver of the sixth part of the produce, and the cause of the maintenance
of the Law.(39)

Hearing these words of his, the king, being somewhat displeased-wandered in the forest and saw an
excellent hermitage wherein he saw there the Muni sitting on the seat made of the kusa grass, which
imparts vigour and energy, and as if burning by his effulgence. The Muni was checked by his disciple
from offering him respects due to a Dharmic king, The King inquired from the Muni why that offering,
which on seeing him at first approach the hermitage, the Muni was on the point of making, why was that
offering withheld. (51)
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The king is politely but firmly rebuked by the Rshi for forsaking Bahula, in spite of her unfavourable
disposition towards Uttama thus:

-69th Adhyya named Uttama Manvantara

The King said: - O Brahman! what has been done by me either consciously or unconsciously, for which
although coming here after a long time, I am not thought deserving of receiving due offerings from
thee?(56)

The shi said: - Has it been forgotten by thee that thy wife has been sent by thee to the forest? With
her, O king, have also all the sacrificial rites been forsaken by thee. (57) Man becomes unworthy of
being touched, by violation or neglect of the sacrificial rites for a fortnight, and the violation of thy daily
sacrificial duties has extended over a year. (58) As the wife must be favourably disposed towards the
husband if he be of bad character, similarly is the wife of bad character to be supported (by the
husband), O lord of men. (59) That wife of that Brahmana who has been stolen, is against her husband,
still that (Brahmana), O king, desirous of merit, is anxious to regain her. (60) O lord of the world, thou
dost re-establish those that are fallen from their duties, in their respective functions, who else shall
establish thee when thou art shaken from the law. (61)

Mrkandeya said: - That lord of the earth thus spoken to by that wise one, being ashamed, and saying
"it is as thou sayest," asked of that twice-born one, about the stolen wife. (62)

The Rshi informed him of her being stolen by Rkshasa Balka, son of Adri, and his place of residence.
The king meets the Rkshasa who informs him that he belongs to a special group among Rkshasas:
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(p124/201)The Rakshasa said: - We are not cannibals, O king, they are other Rkshasas. We eat the
fruit of your merit. (16) We eat the character of men and women when insulted or honoured (by
them), but are not eaters of animals. (17) Therefore when men's power of forbearance is eaten by
us they become subject to anger; and on their bad disposition being eaten up, they become full of
good qualities. (18)

-70th Adhyya named Dwija-Bhry-nayana in Auttama

Manvantara.

He tells the reason for stealing Suarmas wife. As Suarma drives the Rkshasa away from all Yajas
by Rakshoghna Mantras, so that he is continuously deprived of his food, therefore has this
disqualification of him been worked by us; in the absence of their wives, men become unfitted for the
performance of sacrificial rites. (23)

Then that king, on the fact of the disqualification of the high-souled Brhmana, being related to him,
became exceedingly sad. (24) By speaking of the disqualification of the Brhmana, he is condemning
even me; that most superior Muni also said that I was not competent to receive offering due to a guest of
my position. (25) The disqualification of that Brhmana, as also of mine, is spoken of by the Rkshasa.
Such am I, who owing to want of wife, have come to this great difficulty. (26)

Then that Rkshasa, by force of his own occult powers having entered into that woman, ate up her evil
disposition by his own powers, in accordance with the command of the king. (32) That wife, of that
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twice-born one thus relieved of her exceedingly fierce evil disposition, told that lord of the world. (33)
"By virtue of my own works have I been separated from that great-souled one, my lord, this
Rakshasa was only an instrument in the hands of Providence. (34) This is not the fault of this one
i.e. the Rakshasa; nor of him, my high-souled husband; it is my fault, not of others. People always
enjoy the fruits of their actions. (35) In a previous birth separation of some woman from her
husband had been worked by me. That has come to me also. What fault is there for this, of this high-
souled one. (36)

-71st Adhyya named Dwija-Bhry-nayana in Auttama

Manvantara.

Rshi said: The wife is the most powerful incentive of men to the observance of the law and the

attainment of merit; especially is the law forsaken on her being forsaken. (9) The wifeless

man is not entitled to perform his sacrificial duties, be he, a Brhmana, Kshatriya or Vaisya. In forsaking
thy wife thou hast not done a graceful act; for even as wives cannot desert their husbands, so too men
cannot forsake their wives. (11)

The King said:- O thou possesser of six great qualities the Bhagas, what shall I do? This is

the result of my actions. She has been forsaken by me as she was not favourably disposed towards me in
spite of my being lovingly inclined towards her always. (12) I forbore all that she did with a burning
heart, with my mind always afraid of the pain of her separation. And inquired the Rshi of her
whereabout. The Rshi replied: -that she is presently in Rastala
Loka blemishless in her character, having been taken there by the king of serpents, Kapotaka by name.
Nand, his daughter, has artfully concealed her in the female apartment of her house, to avoid
(Bahuls) becoming her own mothers co-wife. And for this, her father cursed her to be dumb.
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Then the king inquired from the Muni, the cause of his misfortune as to why she is ill-disposed towards
him although he has great love towards her.

The Rishi said:- At the time of taking her hand (i.e. thy marriage) thou wert looked upon by

the Sun, the Venus, and the Saturn, and thy wife by the Mercury, and the Jupiter. (26) At that

moment the moon became hers, while similarly the son of the moon became yours, these

two are mutually opposed; therefore, O king, is thy misfortune. (27) Therefore go and govern

the earth according to the injunctions of thy order and class; taking thy wife as thy helpmate

perform all sacrificial and other religious duties. (28)

-72nd Adhyya
named Auttama Manvantara.

The King told the Brahmana: - My love has not been devoured by wild animals; she lives, in truth, with
unblemished character. What shall I do now? (5) The Brahmana said: - If thy wife lives and is not
attached to any other person then why is the sin, caused by the absence of the wife, committed by thee.
(6) The King said: - Even if brought she will always, O Brahmana, be opposed to me, she is only for my
sorrow and not for my happiness - she has no love for me. Do thou so try that she may be subject to me.
(7)
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The Brahmana said: - For her love towards thee, I shall perform that sacrifice, called

Mitravinda, which great and beneficial sacrifice is performed by those who desire love. (8)

That sacrifice is the worker of superior love among husband and wife who are not loved by

each other. For thy benefit I shall perform that sacrifice. (9) With a view to work up the wife of that
king, that superior person among the twice-born, again and again performed that sacrifice seven times.
(12) When that great Muni felt that the love of her (the queen) had been fully established on her own
husband, then that Brahmana told the lord of men. (13) "O thou most superior among men, bring her,
who is the object of thy love, near thee; and enjoy the objects of pleasure with her, and perform
sacrifices likewise being honoured (by her). (14)

Thus brought she beheld then her lord with great love, and said again and again, being full of delight -
"Be gracious". (18) Then that king embracing that honoured one with great eagerness exclaimed - "I am
always gracious to thee, my love, why then dost thou say so again". (19).

The Wife said: - For my sake by that serpent has his daughter, my friend, been cursed -

saying, - "thou shalt be dumb," and she too has come by dumbness. (22) If thou canst effect a

remedy of her, for the removal of her dumbness, moved by thy love for me, what great good

wilt thou then do unto me. (23)

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The Brahmana said: - In obedience to thy order, O lord of the earth, I shall perform the

Saraswati sacrifice and owing to the setting in of the power of speech of Nanda this thy wife

shall be released of her debt (of gratitude). (25)

Markandeya said: - That most superior, among twice-born persons for that object, performed

the sacrifice called Saraswati and with concentrated mind repeated the Saraswati Suktas. (26)

Then Garga told her, whose power of speech had began to work, in the nether world, "this good, very
hard to work, has been done thee, by the husband of thy friend". (27) Coming by

this knowledge, Nanda, the self begotten daughter of the serpent, having quickly found that

city and then having embraced her friend the queen, and having also done honour to that

ruler of the earth, and having repeatedly uttered, benedictions (on them), - the serpent

woman taking her seat spoke (thus) sweetly. (28-29) "By the good that has just been done to

me by thee, O brave one, my heart has been drawn to thee. Hear what I speak. (30) O thou
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lord of men, thou shalt have a son endowed with great energy, on this earth; his arms shall

be invincible. (31) He shall know the meaning and significance of all scriptures and shall be

devoted to the law and the sacrifices; that intelligent one shall be a Manu, the lord of

Manwantara". (32) Thus having uttered this blessing on him, the daughter of the king of

serpents, O Muni, after embracing her friend duly went away to the nether regions. (33)

Then a son was born of that high-souled king unto her, just as the full-diced and

beautiful moon appears on the full moon night. (35)

Munis, having come (to see him) and seeing the loveliness of his limbs, and his

future character, gave him the name - Auttama. (37) 'This one is born in a good family,

similarly in a good time, and unto Uttama, and is of a good form, therefore he shall be

Auttama'. (38)

Markandeya said: - Then this one, the son of Uttama, and similarly known by the name of

Auttama, became Manu; hear of his prowess from me. (39) Whoever, that hears daily the

whole of the story of Uttama, and that of birth of Auttama, shall never become the object of

men's ill-will. (40) Of him who shall hear or read these, there shall never be any separation

with objects of his desires or wives, or sons, or friends. (41)- P128/201-MN Dutt