CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The Dynasty of Maharaja Nimi

This chapter describes the dynasty in which the great and learned scholar
Janaka was born. This is the dynasty of Maharaja Nimi, who is said to
have been the son of Iksvaku.

When Maharaja Nimi began performing great sacrifices, he appointed
Vasistha to be chief priest, but Vasistha refused, for he had already
agreed to be priest in performing a yajfia for Lord Indra. Vasistha
therefore requested Maharaja Nimi to wait until Lord Indra’s sacrifice
was finished, but Maharaja Nimi did not wait. He thought, “Life is very
short, so there is no need to wait.” He therefore appointed another priest
to perform the yajfa. Vasistha was very angry at King Nimi and cursed
him, saying, “May your body fall down.” Cursed in that way, Maharaja
Nimi also became very angry, and he retaliated by saying, “May your
body also fall down.” As a result of this cursing and countercursing,
both of them died. After this incident, Vasistha took birth again, be-
gotten by Mitra and Varuna, who were agitated by Urvagi.

The priests who were engaged in the sacrifice for King Nimi preserved
Nimi’s body in fragrant chemicals. When the sacrifice was over, the
priests prayed for Nimi’s life to all the demigods who had come to the
arena of yajfia, but Maharaja Nimi refused to take birth again in a ma-
terial body because he considered the material body obnoxious. The great
sages then churned Nimi’s body, and as a result of this churning, Janaka
was born.

The son of Janaka was Udavasu, and the son of Udavasu was
Nandivardhana. The son of Nandivardhana was Suketu, and his descen-
dants continued as follows: Devarata, Brhadratha, Mahavirya, Sudhrti,
Dhrstaketu, Haryaéva, Maru, Pratipaka, Krtaratha, Devamidha, Viéruta,
Mahdadhrti, Krtiraéta, Maharoma, Svarnaromé, Hrasvaroma and
Siradhvaja. All these sons appeared in the dynasty one after another.
From Siradhvaja, mother Sitadevi was born. Siradhvaja’ $s son was
Kusadhvaja, and the son of Kusadhvaja was Dharmadhvaja. The sons of
Dharmadhvaja were Krtadhvaja and Mitadhvaja. The son of Krtadhvaja

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