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.
ततः प्रीतो महाराज कपिलोंऽशुमतोऽभवत्। उवाच चैनं धर्मात्मा वरदोस्मीति भारत
Then, pleased, O king, Kapila became favorable to Aṃśumān and, righteous, said to him, 'I grant you a boon.'
स वव्रे तुरगं तत्र प्रथमं यज्ञकारणात्। द्वितीयमुदकं वव्रे पितॄणां पावनेच्छया
He first asked for the horse there, for the sake of the sacrifice; secondly, he requested water, wishing to purify his ancestors.
तमुवाच महातेजाः कपिलो मुनिपुङ्गवः। ददानि तव भद्रं ते यद्यत्प्रार्थयसेऽनघ
The great and radiant Kapila, foremost among sages, said to him, 'I will grant you whatever you desire, O sinless one.'
त्वयि क्षमा च धर्मश्च सत्यं चापि प्रतिष्ठितम्। त्वया कृतार्थः सगरः पुत्रवांश्च त्वया पिता
In you are established patience, righteousness, and truth; through you, Sagara has achieved his purpose, and through you, your father has sons.
तव चैव प्रभावेन स्वर्गं यास्यन्ति सागराः। `शलभत्वं गता ये ते मम क्रोधहुताशने
And by your power, those oceans that became moths and were consumed by the fire of my wrath shall attain heaven.
पौत्रश्च ते त्रिपथगां त्रिदिवादानयिष्यति। पावनार्थं सागराणां तोषयित्वा महेश्वरम्
And your grandson will bring the river of three paths from heaven, having pleased Maheshvara, for the purification of the oceans.
हयं नयस्व भद्रं ते याज्ञिं नरपुङ्गव। यज्ञः समाप्यतां तात सगरस्य महात्मनः
Take the horse, O best of men, and complete the sacrifice of the great-souled Sagara; may all be well with you.
अंशुमानेवमुक्तस्तु कपिलेन महात्मना। आजगाम हयं गृह्य यज्ञवाटं महात्मनः
Thus addressed by the great-souled Kapila, Aṃśumān took the horse and went to the sacrificial ground of the great-souled king.
सोभिवाद्य ततः पादौ सगरस्य महात्मनः। मूर्ध्नि तनाप्युपाघ्रातस्तस्मै सर्वंनय्वेदयत्
Then, after bowing and touching the feet of the great-souled Sagara, and being embraced on the head, he reported everything to him.
यथा दृष्टं श्रुतं चापि सागराणां क्षयं तथा। तं चास्मै हयमाचष्ट यज्ञवाटमुपागतम्
He described to him, as he had seen and heard, the destruction of the sons of Sagara, and also told him of the horse brought to the sacrificial ground.