-NARAYANEEYAM DASAKAM - 18 - STORY OF VENAN AND INCARNATION OF PRITHU

Dasakam - 18 - Story of Venan and Incarnation of Prithu

In the dynasty of Dhruva, came the King Anga who was married to Suneethai. Venan was their son, but unlike his father, he was very wicked and cruel. He gave lot of troubles to the people of the kingdom and declared that Lord does not exist. He considered himself as the supreme power in the universe. Dejected by venan's actions, King Anga left to forest to perform penance and attained mukthi. 

Venan neglected the kingdom and welfare of the people, destroyed sacrificial rites and yagnas conducted by Sages and this infuriated them. The flame which rose from the sages Kundalini burnt Venan down. 

Fearing that the absence of a ruler would lead to the tyranny of wicked people, Sages took the body of Venan from his mother who was preserving it for a long time and churned the thighs of his body.  Thus his body became sinless. 

Then when his arms were churned, from there Lord appeared in the form of Prithu. Due to the misdoings of Venan like stopping of Sacrifices by him, Earth retracted and hid all its resources. King Prithu attacked Earth with his bow and arrow asking her to yield back resources.

Mother Earth obliged to yield back and made the earth green and prosperous as before. King Prithu did aswamedha yagnas and when he was to complete the 100th, Lord Indra feeling jealous, came in disguise and stole the horse. King Prithu's son went and defeated Indra and brought back the horse. 

Indra repeatedly tried to abduct the yagna horse, when King Prithu went to fight with Indra. Brahma intervened and requested Indra to be spared. Once the yagna was completed, Lord manifested in Vishnu Form and wanted to grant boon to the King. King Prithu asked for only one boon of being devoted to Lord as always.

Settled in the banks of Ganga, one day when Prithu was explaining about dharma to sages assembled there, Sanaka with divine sages appeared there and advised King Prithu to go to forest and do penance. King Prithu following their advice, attained salvation and merged with the Lord. 

Bhattathiri requested Lord, who came in avatar of King Prithu to restore resources on the earth destroyed by Venan, to remove his afflictions. Lord acknowledged his request immediately by nodding his head.

Lyrics of Dasakam 18

जातस्य ध्रुवकुल एव तुङ्गकीर्ते:

अङ्गस्य व्यजनि सुत: स वेन नामा ।

यद्दोष व्यथितमति: स राजवर्य:

त्वत्पादे निहितमना वनं गतोऽभूत् ॥१॥

jaatasya dhruvakula eva tungakiirte:

angasya vyajani suta: sa vena naamaa |

yaddOSha vyathitamati: sa raajavarya:

tvatpaade nihitamanaa vanaM gatO(a)bhuut || 1 ||

पापोऽपि क्षितितल पालनाय वेन:

पौराद्यै: उपनिहित: कठोरवीर्य: ।

सर्वेभ्यो निजबलमेव सम्प्रशंसन्

भूचक्रे तव यजनानि अयं न्यरौत्सीत् ॥२॥

paapO(a)pi kshititala paalanaaya vena:

pauraardyai: upanihita: kaTOraviirya: |

sarvebhyO nijabalameva samprashamsan

bhuuchakre tava yajanaani ayaM nyarautsiit || 2 ||

सम्प्राप्ते हितकथनाय तापसौघे

मत्तोऽन्यो भुवनपति: न कश्चनेति ।

त्वन्निन्दा वचनपरो मुनीश्वरै:-तै:

शापाग्नौ शलभदशाम् अनायि वेन: ॥३॥

sampraapte hitakathanaaya taapasaughe

mattO(a)nyO bhuvanapati: na kashchaneti |

tvannindaa vachanaparO muniishvarai: tai:

shaapaagnau shalabhadashaam anaayi vena: || 3 ||

तन्नाशात् खलजन भीरुकै: मुनीन्द्रै:

तन्मात्रा चिर परिरक्षिते तदङ्गे ।

त्यक्ताघे परिमथिताद-थोरुदण्डात्

द्दोर्दण्डे परिमथिते त्वमाविरासी: ॥४॥

tannaashaat khalajana bhiirukai: muniindrai: 

tanmaatraa chira parirakshite tadange |

tyaktaaghe parimathitaada-thOrudaNDaat

dOrdaNDe parimathite tvamaaviraasiiH || 4 ||

विख्यात: पृथुरिति तापसोपदिष्टै:

सूताद्यै: परिणुतभावि भूरिवीर्य: ।

वेनार्त्या कबलित सम्पदं धरित्रीं

आक्रान्तां निजधनुषा समामकार्षी: ॥५॥

vikhyaata: pR^ithuriti taapasOpadiShTai:

suutaadyaiH pariNutabhaavi bhuuriviirya: |

venaartyaa kabalita sampadaM dharitriim

aakraantaaM nijadhanuShaa samaamakaarShii: || 5 ||

भूयस्तां निजकुल मुख्य वत्सयुक्तै:

र्देवाद्यै: समुचित चारु भाजनेषु ।

अन्नादीनि-अभिलषितानि यानि तानि

स्वच्छन्दं सुरभितनूं अदूदुहस्त्वम् ॥६॥

bhuuyastaaM nijakula mukhya vatsayuktai:

devaadyai: samuchita chaaru bhaajaneShu |

annaadiini abhilaShitaani yaani taani

svachChandaM surabhitanuum aduuduhastvam || 6 ||

आत्मानं यजति मखैस्त्वयि त्रिधामन्

आरब्धे शततमवाजिमेध यागे ।

स्पर्धालु: शतमख एत्य नीचवेषो

हृत्वाऽश्वं तव तनयात् पराजितोऽभूत् ॥७॥

aatmaanaM yajati makhaistvayi tridhaamann

aarabdhe shatatamavaajimedha yaage |

spardhaalu: shatamakha etya niichaveShO

hR^itvaa(a)shvaM tava tanayaat paraajitO(a)bhuut || 7 ||

देवेन्द्रं मुहुरिति वाजिनं हरन्तं

वह्नौ तं मुनिवर मण्डले जुहूषौ ।

रुन्धाने कमलभवे क्रतो: समाप्तौ

साक्षात्त्वं मधुरिपुं-ऐक्षथा: स्वयं स्वम् ॥८॥

devendraM muhuriti vaajinaM harantaM

vahnau taM munivaramaNDale juhuuShau |

rundhaane kamalabhave kratO: samaaptau

saakshaattvaM madhuripum-aikshathaa: svayaM svam || 8 ||

तत्-दत्तं वरमुपलभ्य भक्तिमेकां

गङ्गान्ते विहितपद: कदापि देव ।

सत्रस्थं मुनिनिवहं हितानि शंसन्

ऐक्षिष्ठा: सनकमुखान् मुनीन् पुरस्तात् ॥९॥

tad-dattaM varamupalabhya bhaktimekaaM

gangaante vihitapada: kadaapi deva |

satrasthaM muninivahaM hitaani shamsann

aikshiShThaa: sanakamukhaan muniin purastaat || 9 ||

विज्ञानं सनकमुखोदितं दधान:

स्वात्मानं स्वयमगमो वनान्तसेवी ।

तत्-तादृक् पृथुवपुरीश सत्वरं मे

रोगौघं प्रशमय वातगेह वासिन् ॥१०॥

vij~naanaM sanakamukhOditaM dadhaana:

svaatmaanaM svayamagamO vanaantasevii |

tat-taadR^ik pR^ithuvapuriisha satvaraM me

rOgaughaM prashamaya vaatageha vaasin ||10 ||

-------Sri Krishnarpanam------