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.
पौराणां वचनं श्रुत्वा घोरं नृपतिसत्तमः। मुहूर्तं विमना भूत्वासचिवानिदमब्रवीत्
Hearing the citizens' terrible words, the illustrious king became troubled for a moment, then spoke to his ministers.
असमञ्ज पुरादद्य सुतो मे विप्रवास्यताम्। यदि वो मत्प्रियं कार्यमेतच्छीध्रं विधीयताम्
Let Asamanja, my son, be exiled from the city today; if this is pleasing to you, let it be done swiftly.
एवमुक्ता नरेन्द्रेण सचिवास्ते नराधिप। यथोक्तं त्वरिताश्चक्रुर्यथाऽऽज्ञापितवान्नृपः
Thus addressed by the king, the ministers, O ruler of men, quickly carried out his command as he had ordered.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यथा पुत्रो महात्मना। पौराणां हितकामेन सगरेण विवासितः
All this has been told to you: how Sagara, desiring the welfare of the citizens, exiled his own son.
अंशुमांस्तु महेष्वासो यदुक्तः सगरेण हि। तत्ते सर्वंप्रवक्ष्यामि कीर्त्यमानं निबोध मे
And now, regarding Aṃśumān, the mighty archer, as spoken of by Sagara, I will tell you everything; listen to my account.
पितुश् तेऽहंत्यागेन पुत्राणां निधनेन च। अलाभेन तथाऽश्वस् परितप्यामि पुत्रक
Because of your father's abandonment, the death of the sons, and the lack of the horse, I am tormented, O child.
तस्माद्दुःखाभिसंतप्तं यज्ञविघ्नाच्च मोहितम्। हयस्यानयनात्पौत्र नरकान्मां समुद्धर
Therefore, afflicted by sorrow and bewildered by the interruption of the sacrifice, rescue me, grandson, from hell by bringing back the horse.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि। एवं स सागरो राजन्पूरितोऽगस्त्यदूपितः ।। जगाम दुःखात्तं देशं यत्रवै दारिता मही
All this has been told to you, as you have asked me; thus, Sagara, filled with grief and urged by Agastya, went to that place where the earth had been split.
स तु तेनैव मार्गेण समुद्रं प्रविवेश ह। अपश्यच्च महात्मानं कपिलं तुरगं च तम्
He entered the ocean by that very path, and there he saw the great-souled Kapila and the horse.
स दृष्ट्वा तेजसो राशिं पुराणमृपिसत्तमम्। प्रणम्य शिरसा भूमौ कार्यमस्मै न्यवेदयत्
Seeing the ancient, supreme sage, a mass of brilliance, he bowed his head to the ground and presented his request.