Nimi

Created by Jijith Nadumuri at 24 Jul 2011 15:07 and updated at 24 Jul 2011 15:07

VISHNU PURANA NOUN

vp.4.2	Ikshwaku was born from the nostril of the Manu, as he happened to sneeze 7. He had a hundred sons, of whom the three most distinguished were Vikukshi, Nimi, and Danda. Fifty of the rest, under Sakuni, were the protectors of the northern countries. Forty eight were the princes of the south 8.
vp.4.5	Kings of Mithila. Legend of Nimi, the son of Ikshwaku. Birth of Janaka. Sacrifice of Siradhwaja. Origin of Sita. Descendants of Kusadhwaja. Kriti the last of the Maithila princes.
vp.4.5	THE son of Ikshwaku, who was named Nimi 1, instituted a sacrifice that was to endure for a thousand years, and applied to Vasishtha to offer the oblations. Vasishtha in answer said, that he had been preengaged by Indra for five hundred years, but that if the Raja, would wait for some time, he would come and officiate as superintending priest. The king made no answer, and Vasishtha went away, supposing that he had assented. When the sage had completed the performance of the ceremonies he had conducted for Indra, he returned with all speed to Nimi, purposing to render him the like office. When he arrived, however, and found that Nimi had retained Gautama and other priests to minister at his sacrifice, he was much displeased, and pronounced upon the king, who was then asleep, a curse to this effect, that since he had not intimated his intention, but transferred to Gautama the duty he had first entrusted to himself, Vasishtha, Nimi should thenceforth cease to exist in a corporeal form. When Nimi woke, and knew what had happened, he in return denounced as an imprecation upon his unjust preceptor, that he also should lose his bodily existence, as the punishment of uttering a curse upon him without previously communicating with him. Nimi then abandoned his bodily condition. The spirit of Vasishtha also leaving his body, was united with the spirits of Mitra and Varuna for a season, until, through their passion for the nymph Urvasi, the sage was born again in a different shape. The
vp.4.5	orpse of Nimi was preserved from decay by being embalmed with fragrant oils and resins, and it remained as entire as if it were immortal 2. When the sacrifice
vp.4.5	was concluded, the priests applied to the gods, who had come to receive their portions, that they would confer a blessing upon the author of the sacrifice. The gods were willing to restore him to bodily life, but Nimi declined its acceptance, saying, "O deities, who are the alleviators of all worldly suffering, there is not in the world a deeper cause of distress than the separation of soul and body: it is therefore my wish to dwell in the eyes of all beings, but never more to resume a corporeal shape!" To this desire the gods assented, and Nimi was placed by them in the eyes of all living creatures; in consequence of which their eyelids are ever opening and shutting.
vp.4.5	As Nimi left no successor, the Munis, apprehensive of the consequences of the earth being without a ruler, agitated the body of the prince, and produced from it a prince who was called Janaka, from being born without a progenitor. In consequence of his father being without a body (videha), he was termed also Vaideha, the son of the bodiless; and the further received the name of Mithi, from having been produced by agitation (mathana) 3. The son of Janaka was Udavasu;
vp.4.13	THE sons of Satwata were Bhajina, Bhajamana, Divya, Andhaka, Devavriddha, Mahabhoja, and Vrishni 1. Bhajamana had three sons, Nimi 2, Krikana 3, and Vrishni 4, by one wife, and as many by another, satajit, Sahasrajit, and Ayutajit 5. The son of Devavriddha was Babhru of whom this verse is recited; "We hear when afar, and we behold when nigh, that Babhru is the first of men, and Devavriddha is equal to the gods: sixty six persons following the precepts of one, and six thousand and eight who were disciples of the other, obtained immortality." Mahabhoja was a pious prince; his descendants were the Bhojas, the princes of Mrittikavati 6, thence called Marttikavatas 7. Vrishni had two sons, Sumitra and Yudhajit 8; from the former Anamitra and sini were
vp.6.7	"Then," said Khandikya, "do you, who are the chief of those versed in contemplative devotion, explain to me what that is; for in the race of the descendants of Nimi 2 you are best acquainted with the sacred writings in which it is taught." "Hear," replied Kesidhwaja, "the account of, the nature of contemplative devotion 3, which I impart to you, and by perfection in which the sage attains resolution into Brahma, and never suffers birth again. The mind of man is the cause both of his bondage and his liberation: its addiction to the objects of sense is the means of his bondage; its separation from objects of sense is the means of his freedom. The sage who is capable of discriminative knowledge must therefore restrain his mind from all the objects of sense, and therewith meditate upon the supreme being, who is one with spirit, in order to attain liberation; for that supreme spirit attracts to itself him who meditates upon it, and who is of the same nature, as the loadstone attracts the iron by the virtue which is common to itself and to its products 4.

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