उक्तं नाम यथा पूर्वं सर्वं तच्छ्रुतवानहम्। यथा तु जातो ह्यास्तीक एतदिच्छामि वेदितुम्। तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य सौतिः प्रोवाच शास्त्रतः
I have heard all that was previously spoken; but I wish to know how Āstīka was born. Hearing this request, Sauti replied according to the tradition.
संदिश्य पन्नगान्सर्वान्वासुकिः सुसमाहितः। स्वसारमुद्यम्य तदा जरत्कारुमृषिं प्रति
Vāsuki, having summoned all the serpents, earnestly raised his sister and presented her to the sage Jaratkāru.
अथ कालस्य महतः स मुनिः संशितव्रतः। तपस्यभिरतो धीमान्स दारान्नाभ्यकाङ्क्षत
Then, after a long time, that sage, steadfast in his vows and devoted to austerities, did not desire a wife.
स तूर्ध्वरेतास्तपसि प्रसक्तः स्वाध्यायवान्वीतभयः कृतात्मा। चचार सर्वां पृथिवीं महात्मा न चापि दारान्मनसाध्यकाङ्क्षत्
He, whose seed was held upward, absorbed in ascetic practice, learned in the scriptures, fearless, and self-controlled, wandered across the whole earth, and did not even mentally desire a wife.
ततोऽपरस्मिन्संप्राप्ते काले कस्मिंश्चिदेव तु। परिक्षिन्नाम राजासीद्ब्रह्मन्कौरववंशजः
Then, at another time, a king named Parikṣit, descendant of the Kauravas, became exhausted, O Brāhmaṇa.
यथा पाण्डुर्महाबाहुर्धनुर्धरवरो युधि। बभूव मृगयाशीलः पुरास्य प्रपितामहः
Just as mighty-armed Pāṇḍu, the foremost archer in battle, was fond of hunting, so was his ancestor in former times.
तथा विख्यातवाँल्लोके परीक्षिदभिमन्युजः।' मृगान्विध्यन्वराहांश्च तरक्षून्महिषांस्तथा। अन्यांश्च विविधान्वन्यांश्चचार पृथिवीपतिः
Similarly, Parikṣit, son of Abhimanyu, became renowned in the world; striking deer, boars, tigers, buffaloes, and various other wild animals, the king roamed the earth.
स कदाचिन्मृगं विद्ध्वा बाणेनानतपर्वणा। पृष्ठतो धनुरादाय ससार गहने वने
Once, after striking a deer with a barbless arrow, he took up his bow and pursued it into the dense forest.
यथैव भगवान्रुद्रो विद्ध्वा यज्ञमृगं दिवि। अन्वगच्छद्धनुष्पाणिः पर्यन्वेष्टुमितस्ततः
Just as the revered Rudra, after striking the sacrificial beast in heaven, pursued it with bow in hand, searching all around, so did he.
न हि तेन मृगो विद्धो जीवन्गच्छति वै वने। पूर्वरूपं तु तत्तूर्णं तस्यासीत्स्वर्गतिं प्रति
But the deer, though struck, did not die in the forest; its previous form quickly moved toward heaven.
परिक्षितो नरेन्द्रस्य विद्धो यन्नष्टवान्मृगः। दूरं चापहृतस्तेन मृगेण स महीपतिः
The deer struck by King Parikṣit escaped and carried his bow far away; thus the king was led off by the animal.
परिश्रान्तः पिपासार्त आससाद मुनिं वने। गवां प्रचारेष्वासीनं वत्सानां मुखनिःसृतम्
Weary and tormented by thirst, he came upon a sage in the forest, who was seated among grazing cows, with calves sucking at their mothers.
भूयिष्ठमुपयुञ्जानं फेनमापिबतां पयः। तमभिद्रुत्य वेगेन स राजा संशितव्रतम्
The sage was mostly drinking the froth from the milk, and as the king, steadfast in his vows, rushed toward him with speed—
अपृच्छद्धनुरुद्यम्य तं मुनिं क्षुच्छ्रमान्वितः। भोभो ब्रह्मन्नहं राजा परीक्षिदभिमन्युजः
He, raising his bow, questioned the sage, afflicted by hunger and fatigue: 'O Brāhmaṇa, I am King Parikṣit, son of Abhimanyu.'
मया विद्धो मृगो नष्टः कच्चित्तं दृष्टवानसि। स मुनिस्तं तु नोवाच किंचिन्मौनव्रते स्थितः
'A deer struck by me has escaped; perhaps you have seen it?' But the sage, observing a vow of silence, did not reply.
तस्य स्कन्धे मृतं सर्पं क्रुद्धो राजा समासजत्। समुत्क्षिप्य धनुष्कोट्या स चैनं समुपैक्षत
Angry, the king placed a dead snake upon the sage's shoulder, lifting it with the tip of his bow, and watched him.
न स किंचिदुवाचैनं शुभं वा यदि वाऽशुभम्। स राजा क्रोधमुत्सृज्य व्यथितस्तं तथागतम्। दृष्ट्वा जगाम नगरमृषिस्त्वासीत्तथैव सः
The sage spoke nothing to him, neither auspicious nor inauspicious; the king, releasing his anger and disturbed by what had happened, departed for the city, while the sage remained as before.
न हि तं राजशार्दूलं क्षमाशीलो महामुनिः। स्वधर्मनिरतं भूपं समाक्षिप्तोऽप्यधर्षयत्
For the great sage, patient by nature, did not retaliate against the tiger among kings, devoted to his own duty, even though insulted.
न हि तं राजशार्दूलस्तथा धर्मपरायणम्। जानाति भरतश्रेष्ठस्तत एनमधर्षयत्
Indeed, the tiger among kings did not recognize him as so devoted to righteousness, O best of the Bharatas; thus he insulted him.
तरुणस्तस्य पुत्रोऽभूत्तिग्मतेजा महातपाः। शृङ्गी नाम महाक्रोधो दुष्पसादोमहाव्रतः
His son was young, fierce in energy, great in austerity; named Śṛṅgī, possessed of immense wrath, difficult to approach, and steadfast in great vows.
स देवं परमासीनं सर्वभूतहिते रतम्। ब्रह्माणमुपतस्थे वै काले काले सुंसयतः
He would approach the supreme god, Brahmā, who was seated for the welfare of all beings, at various times, seeking his favor.
सतेन समनुज्ञातो ब्रह्मणा गृहमेयिवान्। सख्योक्तः क्रीडमानेन स तत्र हसता किल
Having been permitted by Brahmā, he returned home, as instructed by his friend who was playing and laughing there.
संरम्भात्कोपनोऽतीव विषकल्पो मुनेः सुतः। उद्दिश्य पितरं तस्य यच्छ्रुत्वा रोषमाहरत्। ऋषिपुत्रेण नर्मार्थे कृशेन द्विजसत्तम
Angered and exceedingly wrathful, the sage's son, with poison in his mind, upon hearing from the best of twice-born, Kṛśa, a jest about his father, became enraged.
तेजस्विनस्तव पिता तथैव च तपस्विनः। शवं स्कन्धेन वहति मा शृङ्गिन्गर्वितो भव
Your father, powerful and ascetic, carries a corpse on his shoulder; do not be proud, Śṛṅgī.
व्याहरत्स्वृषिपुत्रेषु मा स्म किंचिद्वचो वद। अस्मद्विधेषु सिद्धेषु ब्रह्मवित्सु तपस्विषु
Do not utter any words among the sage's sons; among those accomplished, learned in Brahman, and ascetic like us.
क्व ते पुरुषमानित्वं क्व ते वाचस्तथाविधाः। दर्पजाः पितरं द्रष्टा यस्त्वं शवधरं तथा
Where is your manliness, and where are such words born of arrogance, seeing your father carrying a corpse?
पित्रा च तव तत्कर्म नानुरूपमिवात्मनः। कृतं मुनिजनश्रेष्ठ येनाहं भृशदुःखितः
And your father's act is not fitting for himself, O best among sages; by which I am greatly distressed.
एवमुक्तः स तेजस्वी शृङ्गी कोपसमन्वितः। मृतधारं गुरुं श्रुत्वा पर्यतप्यत मन्युना
Thus addressed, Śṛṅgī, radiant and filled with anger, upon hearing that his revered father was carrying a dead thing, was consumed by wrath.
स त कृशमक्षिप्रेक्ष्य सूनृतां वाचमुत्सृजन्। अपृच्छत्तं कथं तातः `सर्वभूतहिते रतः
He looked at the thin one, uttering truthful words, and asked him: 'How is it, father, that one devoted to the welfare of all beings—'
अनन्यचेताः सततं विष्णुं दवेमतोषयत्। वन्यान्नभोजी सततं मुनिर्मौनव्रते स्थितः। एवंभूतः स तेजस्वी' स मेऽद्य मृतधारकः
Always single-minded, the sage pleased Viṣṇu through austerity; subsisting on forest food, always observing silence, such was the radiant one, yet today he bears a dead thing.