mṛgāñ chukla-dataḥ kṛṣṇān
mṛgāñ chukla-dataḥ kṛṣṇān
hiraṇyena parīvṛtān
adāt karmaṇi maṣṇāre
niyutāni caturdaśa
When Mahārāja Bharata performed the sacrifice known as Maṣṇāra (or a sacrifice in the place known as Maṣṇāra), he gave in charity 1,400,000 excellent elephants with white tusks and black bodies, completely covered with golden ornaments.
Mṛgān means the best elephants. Bhadra, mantra, and mṛga are species of elephants. Maṣnāra refers a holy place or a particular ritual according to some. Śruti says:
hiraṇyena parivṛtān kṛṣṇān śukla-dato mṛgān maṣṇāre bharato ’ddācchataṁ baddhāni sapta ca
Bharata gave a hundred and seven baddhas of black elephants with white tusks, covered with gold at Maṣnāra. Ṛg Veda, Aitareya Brāhmaṇa 8.23.3
107 baddhas is 1,400,000 which is what Śukadeva says. Dividing 1,400,00 by 107 one gets 13,084 (approximately).
|| 9.20.29 ||
bharatasya mahat karma
na pūrve nāpare nṛpāḥ
naivāpur naiva prāpsyanti
bāhubhyāṁ tridivaṁ yathā
No kings in the past or after his time could perform the great actions of Bharata, just as, by the power of their arms, they could not attain Svarga.
|| 9.20.30 ||
kirāta-hūṇān yavanān
pauṇḍrān kaṅkān khaśāñ chakān
abrahmaṇya-nṛpāṁś cāhan
mlecchān dig-vijaye 'khilān
\When Mahārāja Bharata was conquering the directions, he defeated all the Kirātas, Hūṇas, Yavanas, Pauṇḍras, Kaṅkas, Khaśas, Śakas and the kings who were opposed to brahminical culture.
|| 9.20.31 ||
jitvā purāsurā devān
ye rasaukāṁsi bhejire
deva-striyo rasāṁ nītāḥ
prāṇibhiḥ punar āharat
Formerly, after conquering the devatās, the demons had taken shelter of Rasātala, taking the women of Svarga with them. Mahārāja Bharata, however, brought them back along with their associates.
The demons after defeating the devatās when to Rasātala, and brought the women of Svarga there. Bharata took the women along with their friends from the demons and brought them back to the devatās in Svarga. Another version has paṇibhiḥ (from the demons) instead of prāṇibhiḥ.
|| 9.20.32 ||
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