Datta Vaṁśa Mālā – Part 1

(1)
yadicchā kāraṇaṁ sākṣān
nṛṇāṁ vaṁśa-vivarddhane
dattānāṁ vaṁśa-vistāraṁ
smṛtvā taṁ varṇayāmyaham

“By whose will the human race increases in population, remembering that Supreme Lord, I will now describe the Datta dynasty.”

(2)
sarvāyādvibhorjātau
dharmeṇa saha yaḥ pumān
kāyasthaḥ sa parijñeyaḥ
sarva-varṇādhikāra-dhṛk

“Originating from the different limbs of Brahmā, the kāyasthas received the eligibility to perform the various occupational duties of all the varṇas.”

(3)
dharmeṣu sarva-varṇānām
adhikārau yatastataḥ
śreṣṭhatvaṁ sarva-varṇebhyaḥ
kāyasthasya prakīrtitam

“Since the kāyasthas have rights to perform the different occupational duties of all varṇas, the brāhmaṇas glorify the superiority of the kāyastha over all other varṇas.”

(4)
śīlatā vaśataḥ so’pi
brāhmaṇānāṁ prapūjakaḥ
rāṣṭrasya kuśalārthañca
viduṣāṁ brahmavādinām

“However, for the sake of respect, and for the betterment of the country, the respected kāyasthas worship the learned brāhmaṇas who are fixed in the Absolute.”

(5-6)
baṅga-deśa-hitārthāya
kānyakubja pradeśataḥ
āhūtāścādiśureṇa
kāyasthāḥ pañca-saṁkhyakaḥ

datta-ghoṣa-guhā-mitra
vasveti pañca nāyakaḥ
samāgatāsta gauḍeṣu
brāhmaṇaiḥ parivāritāḥ

“Due to lack of rain in Bengal, it was the prayer of the king, Ādiśura, to complete the annual yajña. The lord of Kanyākubja, Rāja Vīra Siṅgha sent five kāyastha chieftains – Datta, Ghoṣa, Guhā, Mitra and Vasu, along with five sāgnika-brāhmaṇas to the kingdom of Gauḍa which was polluted by Buddhists.”

(7)
teṣāṁ goṣṭhī-patiḥ śrīmāṇ
dattaḥ śrī-puruṣottamaḥ
sukhaṁ bahu-vidhaṁ lebhe
baṅga-rāja prasādataḥ

“Out of those five people, the group leader Śrī Puruṣottama Datta attained great happiness by the grace of Mahārāja Ādiśura.”

(8)
tasauvya vaṁśa-jātānāṁ
dattānāṁ sumahān yaśaḥ
vyāptaṁ vabhura rāṣṭreṣu
rāṭe baṅge ca nirmalam

“The great and immaculate prestige of his honourable descendants, the Dattas, spread throughout Bengal.”

(9)
teṣāṁ sammān-nārthāya
gaṅga-tīre manorame
samājaṁ dattavān rājā
bāli-grāme vichārataḥ

“In their honour, Manohara, the king of Bengal, judiciously granted them the community of Bāligrāma on the banks of the Gaṅgā. From then on, Datta Mahāśaya, the descendant of Puruṣottama, became known as Bāli Datta.”

(10)
datta-vaṁśasya māhātmyaṁ
śruttvā ballāl-kasthataḥ
svakīya-doṣa mālocya
dveṣamāpa duratyayam

“When Ballāl Sena became the ruler, hearing the greatness of the Datta dynasty, and observing the faults of his own family, he became extremely envious. Datta Mahāśaya could not stem his envy by means of humility and showing respect to the king.”

(11)
nānā kutarka-yogena
kaulīnyaṁ sa narādhipaḥ
na dadau data-vaṁśāya
yathā dakṣaḥ purārine

“At first, he referred to the kāyasthas as śūdras, then he tricked Ghoṣa, Basu and Mitra by giving them a noble status, but the Dattas were not given any nobility. Just as in the past, Prajāpati Dakṣa did not give any respect to Tripurāri Mahādeva out of envy, so Ballāl referred to the Datta dynasty as akulīna (low-class).”

(12)
tathāpi kula-dharme sa
stiṣṭhan dattaḥ subuddhimān
lebhe goṣṭhī-patitvaṁ vai
prabhutvaṁ śivo yathā

“However, being established in his sva–dharma, the wise Datta Mahāśaya, remained leader of the kāyasthas. Even though Mahādeva, the husband of Satī, was insulted by Dakṣa, he still maintained his supremacy.”

(13)
kānyakubjād-bharadvājaḥ
kanyāyāṁ puruṣottamaḥ
gauḍe samāgataḥ śāke
savedāṣta-śatābdake

“Now the genealogy will be narrated. Puruṣottama Datta Mahāśaya of the Bhāradvāja gotra came to Gauḍa from Kānyakubja in the month of Āśvina in 804 Śakābda”.

(14-17)
govardhanasta tat putras
tato nīlāmbaro bhavat
nīlāmbara-sutaḥ sākṣāt
govinda-candra dhārmikaḥ

divākaras tu govindat
tasya putro mahīpatiḥ
vināyakas tataḥ śrīmans
tato nārāyaṇo bhavat

dattān-nārāyaṇāt sākṣāt
kāyasthaḥ śrī-gadādharaḥ
kānus tu tat suto datto
viśvāsa iti nāma-dhṛk

murāristat suto vidvān
tekaḍis tasya putrakaḥ
āndūla-nagare so’pi
nivāsaṁ kṛtavān purā

“Puruṣottama’s son was Govardhana, whose son was Nīlāmbara, whose son was Govinda, whose son was Divakara, whose son was Mahīpati, whose son was Vināyaka, whose son was Nārāyaṇa, whose son was Gadādhara, whose son was Kānu Datta, whose son was Murāri, and whose son was Tekaḍi. It was he who moved from Bāli to Muzaḥfarā, or the town of Āndūl. By the grace of the ruler of Delhi, he became famous and attained the position of chieftain with substantial land in the four directions (caturaṅga), and became known as ‘Datta Chaudhurī.’

(18)
ratnākaras tu tat putro
lebhe ratnaṁ manoharam
jāhnavī kṛpayā sākṣāt
durlabhaṁ bhārate kila

“On the bank of the Gaṅgā at twilight, Tekaḍi’s son, Ratnākara turned his kośā-kuśī * into gold when it came in contact with a touchstone. He then threw the kośā-kuśī into the Gaṅgā, thinking it to be someone else’s property and took another kośā-kuśī. When that too turned into gold, he looked around and discovering the touchstone, accepted it as the prasāda of Jāhnavī. He attained unparalleled wealth, but the ruler of Delhi wanted to take the touchstone, so Ratnakāra took a boat near the village of Guptapāḍā considering that a yavana should not get the prasādam of the goddess. He left his body in the waters of the Gaṅgā, taking the touchstone with him. This has been written in books.”

*A kośa-kuśi is a ritual implement used for the worship of Dūrgā.

(19-21)
kāmadevaḥ sutas tasya
kṛṣṇānandas tataḥ pumān
mādhavas tasya vai putro
govinda-śaraṇas tataḥ

govinda-caraṇaṁ dhyātvā
govinda-śaraṇaḥ suddhiḥ
kṛtavān jāhnavī-tīre
govindapura pattanam

caturaṅga dalaṁ tyktvā
cāndūla-nagare gṛham
samrājo niṣkaraṁ lebhe
grāmaṁ bhrātṛ-virodhataḥ

“Ratnākara’s son was Kāmadeva, and his son was Kṛṣṇānanda. His son was Mādhava, and Mādhava’s son was Govinda-śaraṇa. Due to a feud with his brother, Govinda-śaraṇa gave up his house and property in the city of Āndūla. After meditating upon the lotus feet of Govinda, he obtained tax-free land from the ruler of Delhi and established the village of Govindapura on the banks of the Gaṅgā. Later, this village was known by the name, Gaḍh-Govindapura. Recently the British rulers built a magnificent fort at this place.”

(22-23)
vāṇeśvaras tu tat putro
rāmacandras tataḥ pumān
kṛṣṇa-candras tato vidvān
dharmikaḥ priyavāk sadā

abhavat tasya putras tu
śrīmān madana-mohanaḥ
mahā-puṇya prabhāvāt sa
kalau sākṣāt yudhiṣṭhiraḥ

“Govinda-śaraṇa’s son was Vaṇeśvara, and his son was Rāmacandra; his son was Kṛṣṇacandra, and Kṛṣṇacandra’s son was Madana-mohana. In the age of Kali, he was as virtuous as Yudhiṣṭhira.”

(24)
gayāyāṁ kṛtavān kīrtiṁ
sopānāṁ parvvate mahat
pretānāṁ muktaye’nytre
devaliṅgāni bhagyavān

“He attained everlasting fame in Gayā-tīrtha, by constructing a large staircase on Pretaśilā Hill at great cost. In Kāśī, Kilakilā (Kolkata) and many holy places, he established śiva–liṅgas and deities of Devas.”

(25)
tasya vai havya-kavyāni
gṛhīttvā ca caturbhujaḥ
kalau kila-kilāṁ sākṣāt
kṛtavān mokṣa-dāyikām

“Madana-mohana fed the brāhmaṇas, worshipped the Devas, performed homas etc. with faith, and satisfied with his sacrifices and prayers, Bhagavān ordained that the land of his residence, Kilakilā, would be the place of his attaining mokṣa in this age of Kali.”

(26)
ayodhyādyā yathā pūrvaṁ
sevyā āsan mumukṣubhiḥ
tathā kilakilā sākṣāṭ
data-vaṁśa-supuṇyataḥ

“Previously the Sapta-purīs of Ayodhyā, Mathurā, Māyā, Kāśī, Kāñcī, Avantī and Dvārakā were the residences for those persons desiring mokṣa. Similarly, for those in the Datta dynasty who wish to attain virtue, the city of Kalikata has now become suitable for those desiring liberation.”

(27)
snātvā gaṅga-jale vipraḥ
pūjayitvā ca kālikām
dṛṣṭvā kilakilāṁ sadyo
labhante paramaṁ sukham

“Brāhmaṇas that were devoted to karma-kāṇḍa, bathed in the Ganges, washed away their sins, worshiped Kālikā Devī, saw Kilakilā and attained great happiness.”

(28)
jñāna-mārgaṁ samāśritya
ye tatra brahmavādinaḥ
labhante durlabhaṁ mokṣaṁ
yathā kāśyāṁ tathaiva te

“Those persons devoted to jñāna have attained that liberation which is difficult to achieve, in Kalikata – just like those residents of Kāśī who desire mokṣa through dint of brahma-jñāna.”

(29)
bhaktānāṁ samacittānāṁ
mārgamāśritya yaḥ pumān
tiṣṭheta kilakilā-dhāmne
labhate sa parāṁ gatim

“One who attains the position of a mentally equipoised devotee, attains a higher destination in Kolkata-dhāma than the karmī and the jñānī. Therefore, at present, residence in Kolkata is desirable even by the Devas. This is seen from the previous three ślokas.”

(30-31)
rāma-tanus tasya putro
madanena samo-guṇaiḥ
raja-vallabha-saṁjño’sya
sutas tasyāmalaḥ sudhīḥ

ānanda-candra datto’sau
kedāras tasya putrakaḥ
daṇḍake rāmavat pūrvaṁ
rāṇāghāṭe vastyaho

“Madana-mohana’s son was Rāma-tanu; his son was Rāja Vallabha, and his son was Ānandacandra, and his son was Kedāranātha, who has recently constructed a house in the village of Rāṇāghāṭa in the district of Navadvīpa, just like the residence or Rāmacandra in Daṇḍakāraṇya.”

(32)
pañca-viṁśati paryāyaḥ
kedāro datta-vaṁśa-jaḥ
hāṭkholāstha dattānāṁ
vaṁśa-mālāṁ tanotyasau

“This Kedāra of Hātkholā, of the twenty-fifth generation of the Bhāradvāja Datta dynasty, has composed this Vaṁśa Mālā.”

– Śrī Kedāranātha Dattaḥ