आगम्य पितरं चोचुस्ततः प्राञ्जलयोऽग्रतः
They approached their father and spoke to him, standing before him with joined palms.
ससमुद्रवनद्वीपा सनदीनदकन्दरा। सपर्वतवनोद्देशा निखिलेन मही नृप
O king, the entire earth, with its oceans, forests, islands, rivers, ravines, mountains, and wooded regions, was thoroughly searched.
अस्माभिर्विचिता राजञ्शासनात्तव पार्थिव। न चाश्वमधिगच्छामो नाश्वहर्तारमेव च
O king, by your command, we have searched everywhere, but we cannot find the horse nor the one who took it.
श्रुत्वा तु वचनं तेषां स राजा क्रोधमूर्चितः। उवाच वचनं सर्वांस्तदा दैववशान्नृप
Hearing their words, the king, overcome by anger, spoke to them, O king, under the sway of fate.
अनागमाय गच्छध्वं भूयो मार्गत वाजिनम्। याज्ञीयं तं विनाह्यश्वं नागन्तव्यं हि पुत्रकाः
Go again and search for the horse; without finding the sacrificial horse, you must not return, my sons.
प्रतिगृह्य तु संदेशं पितुस्ते सगरात्मजाः। भूय एव महीं कृत्स्नां विचेतुमुपचक्रमुः
Receiving their father's command, the sons of Sagara once more began to search the entire earth.
अथापश्यन्त ते वीराः पृथिवीमवदारिताम्। `समुद्रे पृथिवीपाल पदं मार्गं च वाजिनः
Then those heroes saw the earth split open, O protector of the earth, and found the tracks and path of the horse in the ocean.
समासाद्य बिलं तच्चाप्यखनन्सगरात्मजाः। कुद्दालैर्मुसलैश्चैव समुद्रं यत्नमास्थिताः
Reaching that hole, the sons of Sagara dug it further with spades and clubs, striving with effort in the ocean.
स खन्यमानः सहितैः सागरैर्वरुणालयः। अगच्छत्परमामार्तिं दीर्यमाणः समन्ततः
As the abode of Varuṇa was being dug up along with the oceans, it was torn apart on all sides and fell into extreme distress.
असुरोरगरक्षांसि सत्वानि विविधानि च। आर्तनादमकुर्वन्त वध्यमानानि सागरैः
Asuras, nāgas, rākṣasas, and various other beings, being slain by the sons of Sagara, cried out in agony.
छिन्नशीर्षा विदेहाश्च भिन्नजान्वस्थिमस्तकाः। प्राणिनः समदृश्यन्त शतशोथ सहस्रशः
Creatures with severed heads, headless bodies, and limbs, joints, and skulls broken, were seen by the hundreds and thousands.
एवं हि खनतां तेषां समुद्रं वरुणालयम्। व्यतीतः सुमहान्कालो न चाश्वः समदृश्यत
In this way, as they dug through the ocean, the abode of Varuṇa, a very long time passed, yet the horse was not seen.
ततः पूर्वोत्तरे देशे समुद्रस्य महीपते। विदार्य पातालमथ संक्रुद्धाः सगरात्मजाः
Then, in the northeastern region of the ocean, O king, the sons of Sagara, enraged, broke open the underworld.
अपश्यन्त हयं यत्र विचरन्तं महीतले। कपिलं च महात्मानं तेजोराशिमनुत्तमम्
There they saw the horse wandering on the earth, and Kapila, the great soul, a supreme mass of energy.
तेजसा दीप्यमानं तु ज्वालाभिरिव पावकम्। `दृष्ट्वा हि विस्मिताः सर्वे बभूवुः सगरात्मजाः
Blazing with radiance like fire with flames, when they saw him, all the sons of Sagara were astonished.
*तेतं दृष्ट्वा हयं राजन्संप्रहृष्टतनूरुहाः। अनादृत् महात्मानं कपिलं कालचोदिताः
Seeing the horse, O king, their bodies thrilled with joy; disregarding the great-souled Kapila, driven by fate.
संफुद्धाः संप्रधावन्त वाजिग्रहणकाङ्क्षिणः। ततः क्रुद्धो महाराज कपिलो मुनिसत्तमः
Excited, they rushed forward, eager to seize the horse; then, O king, Kapila, the best of sages, became angry.
वासुदेवेति यं प्राहुः कपिलं मुनिपुङ्गवम्। स चक्षुर्विकतं कृत्वा तेजस्तेषु समुत्सृजन्
He whom they call Vāsudeva, Kapila, the foremost sage, fixing his gaze, released his energy upon them.
ददाह सुमहातेजा मन्दबुद्धीन्स सागरान्। षष्टिं रतानि सहस्राणि युगपन्मुनिसत्तमः
That great and powerful sage Kapila, burning with energy, incinerated the sixty thousand sons of Sagara, all at once, for their lack of understanding.
तान्दृष्ट्वा भस्मसाद्भूतान्नारदः सुमहातपाः। सगरान्तिकमागत्य तच्च तस्मै न्यवेदयत्
Seeing them reduced to ashes, Nārada, of great austerity, went to Sagara and reported all this to him.
स तच्छ्रुत्वा वचो घोरं राजा मुनिमुखोद्गतम्। महूर्तं विमना भूत्वा स्थाणोर्वाक्यमचिन्तयत्
Hearing that dreadful news from the mouth of the sage, the king became despondent for a moment and pondered the words of the steadfast one.
स पुत्रनिधनोत्थेन दुःखेन समभिप्लुतः। आत्मानमात्मनाऽऽश्वास्य हयमेवान्वचिन्तयत्
Overwhelmed by the grief arising from the death of his sons, he composed himself and then turned his thoughts to the horse.
अशुमन्तं समाहूय असमञ्जसुतं तदा। पौत्रं भरतशार्दूल इदं वचनमब्रवीत्
Then, summoning Aṃśumat, son of Asamañjas, his grandson, O tiger among the Bharatas, he spoke these words:
षष्टिस्तात सहस्राणि पुत्राणाममितौजसाम्। कापिलं तेज आसाद्य मत्कृतेनिधनं गताः
Sixty thousand sons of mine, endowed with immense strength, have met their end by Kapila's energy, on my account.
तव चापि पिता तात परित्यक्तो मयाऽनघ। धर्मं संरक्षमाणेन पौराणां हितमिच्छता
And your father too, dear child, was abandoned by me, blameless one, as I sought to uphold dharma and the welfare of the people of old.
किमर्थं राजशार्दूलः सगरः पुत्रमात्मजम्। त्यक्तवान्दुस्त्यजं वीरं तन्मे ब्रूहि तपोधन
Why did Sagara, the tiger among kings, abandon his own son, the valiant one who was so hard to forsake? Tell me this, O possessor of austerity.
असमञ्ज इति ख्यातः सगरस्य सुतो ह्यभूत्। यं शैव्या जनयामास पौराणां स हि दारकान्
Asamanja, so named, was indeed the son of Sagara, whom Shaivya bore; he was notorious among the citizens for his deeds.
क्रीडतः सहसाऽऽसाद्य तत्रतत्र महीपते'। चूडासु क्रोशतो गृह्यनद्यां चिक्षेप दुर्बलान्
While playing, he would suddenly seize the children here and there, O King, and, grabbing them by their hair as they cried out, he would throw the weak ones into the river.
ततः पौराः समाजग्मुर्भयशोकपरिप्लुताः। सगरं चाभ्यभाषन्त सर्वे प्राञ्जलयः स्थिताः
Then the citizens gathered, overwhelmed by fear and sorrow, and all approached Sagara, standing before him with joined palms.
त्वं नस्त्राता महाराज परचक्रादिभिर्भयात्। असमञ्जभयाद्धोरात्ततो नस्त्रातुनर्हसि
You are our protector, O great king, from the threat of enemy armies; but from the dreadful danger of Asamanja, you ought not to protect us.