varuṇādīn mahat-kathaḥ
hariścandro mahā-yaśāḥ
muktodaro 'yajad devān
varuṇādīn mahat-kathaḥ
Thereafter, the famous King Hariścandra, whose story is famous among great persons, worshiped the devatās headed by Varuṇa by sacrificing a man. In this way his dropsy created by Varuṇa was cured.
Mahat-kathaḥ means his story is famous among the famous persons.
|| 9.7.22 ||
viśvāmitro 'bhavat tasmin
hotā cādhvaryur ātmavān
jamadagnir abhūd brahmā
vasiṣṭho 'yāsyaḥ sāma-gaḥ
In that great human sacrifice, Viśvāmitra was the chief priest to offer oblations, the perfectly self-realized Jamadagni had the responsibility for chanting the mantras from the Yajur Veda, Vasiṣṭha was the chief brahminical priest, and the sage Ayāsya was the reciter of the hymns of the Sāma Veda.
The sage Ayāsya was the udgātā (sāmagaḥ).
|| 9.7.23 ||
tasmai tuṣṭo dadāv indraḥ
śātakaumbhamayaṁ ratham
śunaḥśephasya māhātmyam
upariṣṭāt pracakṣyate
Indra, pleased with Hariścandra, offered him a gift of a golden chariot. Śunaḥśepha's glories will be presented later.
“Later” means in relation to the story about the son of Viśvāmitra.
|| 9.7.24 ||
satyaṁ sāraṁ dhṛtiṁ dṛṣṭvā
sabhāryasya ca bhūpateḥ
viśvāmitro bhṛśaṁ prīto
dadāv avihatāṁ gatim
The great sage Viśvāmitra, seeing the fortitude and essence of truth in Mahārāja Hariścandra and his wife, gave them imperishable knowledge.
Gatim means knowledge.
|| 9.7.25-26 ||
manaḥ pṛthivyāṁ tām adbhis
tejasāpo 'nilena tat
khe vāyuṁ dhārayaṁs tac ca
bhūtādau taṁ mahātmani
tasmiñ jñāna-kalāṁ dhyātvā
tayājñānaṁ vinirdahan
hitvā tāṁ svena bhāvena
nirvāṇa-sukha-saṁvidā
anirdeśyāpratarkyeṇa
tasthau vidhvasta-bandhanaḥ
Mahārāja Hariścandra merged his mind with the earth. Then he amalgamated the earth with water, the water with fire, the fire with the air, and the air with ether. He amalgamated the ether with the ahaṅkāra and the ahaṅkāra with mahat-tattva. He meditated on vidyā within mahat-tattva and by that vidyā destroyed avidyā. Giving up vidyā, free of bondage, he became situated in his svarūpa endowed with bliss of Brahman, inconceivable and imperceptible.
The knowledge is explained. Śruti says annamayam hi saumya manaḥ: the mind is food. Because the mind is food, and earth is food, he merged his mind into earth. He merged earth into water, and water, in fire. He merged fire into air, and air into ether. He merged ether into ahaṅkāra, and merged ahaṅkāra into mahat-tattva. He meditated on vidyā (jñāna-kalām) in mahat-tattva. He destroyed avidyā by vidyā. Giving up vidyā he remained situated in his svarūpa which was endowed with a wealth of happiness of Brahman.
Thus ends the commentary on the Seventh Chapter of the Ninth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
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