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.
वध्यमानास्तदा लोकाः सागरैर्मन्दबुद्धिभिः। ब्रह्माणं शरणं जग्मुः सहिताः सर्वदैवतैः
At that time, the people, being oppressed by the Sagaras of dull intellect, sought refuge in Brahma, together with all the gods.
तानुवाच महाभागः सर्वलोकपितामहः। गच्छध्वं त्रिदशाः सर्वे लोकैः सार्धं यथागतम्
The illustrious grandsire of all worlds addressed them, saying: 'Go, O gods, all of you, along with the people, as you have come.'
नातिदीर्घेण कालेन सागराणां क्षयो महान्। विष्यति महाघोरः स्वकृतैः कर्मभिः सुराः
Within a short time, a great destruction of the Sagaras will occur; the terrible calamity will befall them because of their own deeds, O gods.
एवमुक्तास्तु ते देवा लोकाश् मनुजेश्वर। पितामहमनुज्ञाप्य विप्रजग्मुर्यथागतम्
Thus addressed, O lord of men, the gods and the people, having received the grandsire's permission, departed as they had come.
ततः काले बहुतिथे व्यतीते भरतर्षभ। दीक्षितः सगरो राजा हयमेधेन वीर्यवान्
Then, after much time had passed, O bull among Bharatas, King Sagara, powerful and consecrated, undertook the horse sacrifice.
तस्याश्वो व्यचरद्भूमिं पुत्रैः सुपरिरक्षितः। `सर्वैरेव महोत्साहैः स्वच्छन्दप्रचरो नृप
His horse wandered the earth, well guarded by his sons, all of them highly enthusiastic, roaming freely, O king.
समुद्रं स समासाद्य निस्तोयं भीमदर्शनम्। रक्ष्यमाणः प्रयत्नेन तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
Upon reaching the ocean, dreadful to behold and devoid of water, the horse, though carefully protected, disappeared there.
ततस्ते सागरास्तात हृतं मत्वा हयोत्तमम्। आगम्य पितुराचख्युरदृश्यं तुरगं हृतम्। तेनोक्ता दिक्षु सर्वासु पुत्रा मार्गत वाजिनम्
Then, O father, the Sagaras, thinking the excellent horse had been stolen, returned and reported to their father that the horse was missing and unseen. He told his sons: 'Search for the horse in all directions.'
ततस्ते पितुराज्ञाय दिक्षु सर्वासु तं हयम्। अमार्गन्त महाराज सर्वंच पृथिवीतलम्
Then, obeying their father's command, O great king, the Sagaras searched for the horse in all directions and throughout the earth.
ततस्ते सागराः सर्वे समुपेत्य परस्परम्। नाध्यगच्छन्त तुरगमश्वहर्तारमेव च
All the Sagaras gathered together, but they did not find the horse nor the one who had taken it.