गच्छध्वं विबुधाः सर्वे यथाकामं यथेप्सितम्। महता कालयोगेन प्रकृतिं यास्यतेऽर्णवः
Go, all you gods, as you desire, as you wish; in due time, by the force of destiny, the ocean will return to its natural state.
ज्ञातींश्च कारणं कृत्वा महाराजो भगीथः। `पूरयिष्यति तोयौघैः समुद्रं निधिमम्भसाम्
King Bhagiratha, having made his kinsmen the cause, will fill the ocean with streams of water, the repository of waters.
पितामहवचः श्रुत्वा सर्वे विबुधसत्तमाः। कालयोगं प्रतीक्षन्तो जग्मुश्चापि यथागतम्
Hearing the words of the grandsire, all the foremost gods departed as they had come, awaiting the destined time.
कथं वै ज्ञातयोब्रह्मन्कारणं चात्र किं मुने। कथं समुद्रः पूर्णश्च भगीरथपरिश्रमात्
O Brahman, how were the kinsmen involved, and what was the cause here, O sage? How was the ocean filled by Bhagiratha's effort?
एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं विस्तरेण तपोधन। कथ्यमानं त्वया विप्र राज्ञां चरितमुत्तमम्
I wish to hear this in detail, O possessor of austerity, as you recount the excellent deeds of the kings.
एवमुक्तस्तु विप्रेन्द्रो धर्मराज्ञा महात्मना। कथयामास माहात्म्यं सगरस्य महात्मनः
Thus addressed by the great-souled Dharmaraja, the foremost Brahmin began to narrate the greatness of Sagara, the illustrious one.
इक्ष्वाकूणां कुले जातः सगरो नाम पार्थिवः। रूपसत्वबलोपेतः स चापुत्रः प्रतापवान्
Born in the lineage of the Ikshvakus was a king named Sagara, endowed with beauty, strength, and valor, yet childless and mighty.
स हैहयान्समुत्साद्य तालजङ्घांश्च भारत। वशे च कृत्वा राजन्यान्स्वराज्यमनुशिष्टवान्
He, O Bharata, after subduing the Haihayas and the Talajanghas, and bringing the royal clans under his control, established his own sovereignty.
तस्य भार्ये त्वभवतां रूपयौवनदर्पिते। वैदर्भी भरतश्रेष्ठ शैव्या च भरतर्षभ
His wives, O best of Bharatas, were Vaidehi, proud of their beauty and youth, and Shaivya, O bull among Bharatas.
सपुत्रकामो नृपतिस्तप्यते स्म महत्तपः। पत्नीभ्यां सह राजेन्द्र कैलासं गिरिमाश्रितः
Desiring a son, the king performed great austerity together with his wives, O king, taking refuge on Mount Kailasa.
स तप्यमानः सुमहत्तपोयोगसमन्वितः। आससाद महात्मानं त्र्यक्षं त्रिपुरमर्दनम्
Engaged in intense austerity, endowed with great ascetic power, he approached the great-souled three-eyed destroyer of Tripura.
शंकरं भवमीशानं पिनाकिं शूलपाणिनम्। त्र्यम्बकं शिवमुग्रेशं बहुरूपमुमापतिम्
Shankara, Bhava, Ishana, Pinaki, wielder of the trident, Tryambaka, Shiva, Ugrasha, of many forms, the consort of Uma.
स तं दृष्ट्वैव वरदं पत्नीभ्यां सहितो नृपः। प्रणिपत्य महाबाहुः पुत्रार्थे समयाचत
Seeing that bestower of boons together with his wives, the king, mighty-armed, bowed down and asked for a son.
तं प्रीतिमान्हरः प्राह सभार्यं नृपसत्तमम्। यस्मिन्वृतो मुहूर्तेऽहं त्वयेह नृपते वरम्
Pleased, Hara said to the king, who was with his wives: 'In whatever moment you choose, O king, I will grant you a boon here.'
षष्टिः पुत्रसहस्राणि शूराः परमदर्पिताः। एकस्यां संभविष्यन्ति पत्न्यां नरवरोत्तम
Sixty thousand sons, valiant and exceedingly proud, will be born from one wife of yours, O best of kings.
ते चैवसर्वे सहिताः क्षयं यास्यन्ति पार्थिव। एको वंशधरः शूर एकस्यां संभविष्यति
And all of them together, O king, will meet their end; but one heroic son, a bearer of the lineage, will be born from the other.
एवमुक्त्वा तु तं रुद्रस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत। स चापि सगरो राजा जगाम स्वं निवेशनम्
Having spoken thus, Rudra vanished right there; and King Sagara returned to his own abode.
पत्नीभ्यां सहितस्तत्र होऽतिहृष्टमनास्तदा। `कालं शंभुवरप्राप्तं प्रतीक्षन्सगरोऽनयत्
There, together with his wives, Sagara, his mind exceedingly delighted, awaited the time for the boon from Shambhu to be fulfilled.
तस्य तेमनुजश्रेष्ठ भार्ये कललोचने। वैदर्भी चैव शैब्या च गर्भिण्यौ संबभूवतुः
Then, O best of the Bharatas, his two wide-eyed wives—Vaidarbhi and Shaibya—became pregnant.
ततः कालेन वैदर्भी गर्भालाबुं व्यजायत। शैव्या च सुषुवे पुत्रं कुमारं देवरूपिणम्
In due time, Vaidarbhi gave birth to a gourd-like embryo, and Shaibya bore a son, a boy with the form of a god.
तदाऽलाबुं समुत्स्रष्टुं मनश्चक्रे स पार्थिवः। अथान्तरिक्षाच्छुश्राव वाचं गंभीरनिःस्वनाम्
Then the king resolved to cast away the gourd; but from the sky he heard a voice, deep in tone.
राजन्मा साहसंकार्षीः पुत्रान्न त्यक्तुमर्हसि। अलाबुमध्यान्निष्कृष्य वीजं यत्नेन गोप्यताम्
'O king, do not act rashly, you must not abandon your sons; carefully extract the seed from the gourd and keep it safe.'
सोपस्वेदेषु पात्रेषु घृतपूर्णेषु भागशः। ततः पुत्रसहस्राणि षष्टिं प्राप्स्यसि पार्थिव
'In vessels filled with ghee, divided portion by portion, you will then, O king, obtain sixty thousand sons.'
महादेवेन दिष्टं ते पुत्रजन्म नराधिप। अनेन क्रमयोगेन मा ते बुद्धिरतोऽन्यथा
'The birth of sons has been ordained for you by Mahadeva, O lord of men; by this method alone, let not your mind stray otherwise.'
एतच्छ्रुत्वान्तरिक्षाच्च स राजा राजसत्तमः। यथोक्तं तच्चराकाथ श्रद्दधद्भरतर्षभ
Hearing this from the sky, the king, best among kings, faithfully carried out all as instructed, O bull among the Bharatas.
[एकैकशस्ततः कृत्वा बीजं बीजं नराधिपः। घृतपूर्णेषु कुम्भेषु तान्भागान्विदधे ततः
Then, taking each seed separately, the king placed them in pots filled with ghee, dividing them accordingly.
धात्रीश्चैकैकशः प्रादात्पुत्ररक्षणतत्परः। ततः कालेन महता समुत्तस्थुर्महाबलाः ।।]
He gave each to a nurse, intent on the protection of his sons; then, after a long time, mighty sons arose.
षष्टिः पुत्रसहस्रणि तस्याप्रतिमतेजसः। रुद्रप्रसादाद्राजर्षेः समजायन्त पार्थिव
Sixty thousand sons of incomparable brilliance were born to that royal sage by the grace of Rudra, O king.
ते घोराः क्रूरकर्माण आकाशपरिसर्पिणः। बहुत्वाच्चावजानन्तः सर्वाल्लोँकान्सहामरान्
They were fierce, cruel in their deeds, moving about the sky; because of their multitude, they scorned all the worlds, including the gods.
त्रिदशांश्चाप्यबाधन्त तथा गन्धर्वराक्षसान्। सर्वाणि चैव भूतानि शूरा समरशालिनः
They even oppressed the gods, as well as the Gandharvas and Rakshasas; all beings, too, these valiant warriors harassed.