हृते पशौ तदा देवास्तमूचुर्भरतर्षभ। मा परस्वमभिद्रोग्धा माधर्म्यान्नीनशः पथः
When the animal was taken, the gods said to him, O best of the Bharatas: 'Do not covet the property of others, nor stray from the path of righteousness.'
स्वयं यज्ञेश्वरो भूत्वा कर्मणां फलदायकः। यज्ञं विहन्तुं भगवान्नार्हसे जगदीश्वर
'You yourself are the lord of sacrifice, the giver of the fruits of actions; O lord of the universe, you should not destroy the sacrifice.'
इतिकल्याणरूपाभिर्वाग्भिस्ते रुद्रमस्तुवन्। इष्ट्या चैनं तर्पयित्वा मानयांचक्रिरे तदा
Thus, with words of auspicious form, they praised Rudra; having satisfied him with the offering, they honored him at that time.
ततः स पशुमुत्सृज्य देवयानेन जग्मिवान्। तत्रानुवंशो रुद्रस्यतं निबोध युधिष्ठिर
Then, releasing the animal, he departed by the path of the gods; here is the tradition of Rudra—listen to it, O Yudhishthira.
अयातयामं सर्वेभ्यो भागेभ्यो भागमुत्तमम्। देवाः संकल्पयामासुर्भयाद्रुद्रस्य शाश्वतम्
Out of fear of Rudra, the gods assigned to him the best and eternal share from all the portions.
इमां गाथामत्र गायन्नपः स्पृशति यो नरः। देवयानोऽस्य पन्थाश्च चक्षुषाऽभिप्रकाशते
Whoever, singing this verse here, touches the waters, for him the path of the gods becomes clearly visible to his eyes.
ततो वैतरणीं सर्वे पाण्डवा द्रौपदी तथा। अवतीर्य महाभागास्तर्पयांचक्रिरे पितृन्
Then all the blessed Pāṇḍavas, together with Draupadī, descended to the Vaitaraṇī river and offered libations to their ancestors.
उपस्पृश्येह विधिवदस्यां नद्यां तपोबलात्। मानुषादस्मि विषयादपेतः पश्य लोमश
Having ritually purified myself in this river by the power of austerity, I am now beyond the realm of mortals—see this, O Lomaśa.
सर्वाल्लोँकान्प्रपश्यामि प्रसादात्तव सुव्रत। वैखानसानां जपतामेष शब्दो महात्मनाम्
By your grace, O steadfast one, I behold all the worlds; this is the sound of the great-souled Vaikhānasas reciting their mantras.
त्रिशतं वै सहस्राणि योजनानां युधिष्ठिर। यत्रध्वनिं शृणोष्येनं तूष्णीमास्स्व विशांपते
O Yudhiṣṭhira, for three hundred thousand yojanas, wherever you hear this sound, remain silent, O lord of men.
एतत्स्वयंभुवो राजन्वनं दिव्यं प्रकाशते। यत्रायजत राजेन्द्र विश्वकर्मा प्रतापवान्
O king, this is the divine forest of Svayambhū that shines forth, where the mighty Viśvakarmā performed a sacrifice, O ruler of kings.
यस्मिन्यज्ञे हि भूर्दत्ता कश्यपाय महात्मने। सपर्वतवनोद्देशा दक्षिणार्थे स्वयंभुवा
In that sacrifice, the earth, along with its mountains and forests, was given as a gift by Svayambhū to the great-souled Kaśyapa.
अवासीदच्च कौन्तेय दत्तमात्रा मही तदा। उवाच चापि कुपिता लोकश्वरमिदं प्रभुम्
O son of Kuntī, when the earth was thus given, she became dejected and spoke in anger to the lord of the worlds.
न मां मर्त्याय भगवन्कस्मैचिद्दातुमर्हसि। प्रदानं मोघमेतत्ते यास्याम्येषा रसातलम्
"O blessed one, you should not give me to any mortal; this gift of yours is in vain—I shall descend to the netherworld."
विषीदन्तीं तु तां दृष्ट्वा कश्यपो भगवानृषिः। प्रसादयांबभूवाथ ततो भूमिं विशांपते
Seeing her thus distressed, the venerable sage Kaśyapa sought to appease the earth, O lord of men.
ततः प्रसन्ना पृथिवी तपसा तस्य पाण्डव। पुनरुन्नह्य सलिलाद्देदीरूपास्थिता बभौ
Then, O Pāṇḍava, the earth, pleased by his austerity, rose again from the waters, resplendent in form.
सैषा प्रकाशते राजन्वेदीसंस्थानलक्षणा। आरुह्यात्र महाराज वीर्यवान्वै भविष्यसि
This is that place, O king, marked by the sacrificial altar; ascend here, O great king, and you will become powerful.
सैषा सागरमास्राद्य राजन्वेदी समाश्रिता। एतामारुह्य भद्रं ते त्वमेकस्तर सागरम्
This altar, O king, having reached the ocean, stands firm; ascend it, and may good fortune be yours—cross the ocean alone.
अहं च ते स्वस्त्ययनं प्रयोक्ष्ये यथा त्वमेनामधिरोहसेऽद्य। स्पृष्टा हि मर्त्येन ततः समुद्र- मेषा वेदी प्रविशत्याजमीढ
And I shall perform a rite of blessing for you, so that you may ascend this altar today; for when touched by a mortal, this altar enters the ocean, O sinless one.
ओंनमो विश्वगुप्ताय नमो विश्वपराय ते। सान्निध्यं कुरु देवेश सागरे लवणाम्भसि
"Om, homage to the protector of the universe, homage to you who transcend all! O lord of gods, be present in the salty waters of the ocean."
अग्निर्मित्रो योनिरापोऽथ देव्यो विष्णो रेतस्त्वममृतस्य नाभिः। एवं ब्रुवन्पाण्डव सत्यवाक्यं वेदीमिमां त्वं तरसाऽधिरोह
"Agni is the friend, the womb is water, the goddesses are present, O Viṣṇu, you are the seed, the navel of immortality. Thus speaking truthfully, O Pāṇḍava, ascend this altar with force."
अग्निश्च ते योनिरिडा च देहो रेतोधा विष्णोरमृतस्य नाभिः। एवं ब्रुवन्पाण्डव सत्यवाक्यं ततोऽवगाहेत पतिं नदीनाम्
"Agni is your womb, Iḍā is your body, Viṣṇu is the seed, the navel of immortality. Thus speaking truthfully, O Pāṇḍava, then enter the lord of rivers."
अन्यथा हि कुरुश्रेष्ठ देवयोनिरपांपतिः। कुशाग्रेणापि कौन्तेय न स्प्रष्टव्यो महोदधिः
Otherwise, O best of the Kurus, the ocean, lord of waters and of divine origin, should not be touched even with the tip of a blade of grass, O son of Kuntī.
ततः कृतस्वस्त्ययनो महात्मा युधिष्ठिरः सागरमभ्यगच्छत्। कृत्वा च तच्छासनमस्य सर्वं महेन्द्रमासाद्य निशामुवास
Then the great-souled Yudhiṣṭhira, having performed the rite of blessing and obeyed all his instructions, approached the ocean and, reaching Mahendra, spent the night there.
स तत्र तामुषित्वैकां रजनीं पृथिवीपतिः। तापसानां परं चक्रे सत्कारं भ्रातृभिः सह
There, the lord of the earth spent a single night, and together with his brothers, he rendered the ascetics the highest honor.
लोमशस्तस्य तान्सर्वानाचख्यौ तत्र तापसान्। भृगूनङ्गिरसश्चैव वसिष्ठानथ काश्यपान्
There, Lomaśa introduced all those ascetics to him: the Bhṛgus, the Aṅgirasas, the Vasiṣṭhas, and the Kāśyapas.
तान्समेत्य सा राजर्षिरभिवाद्य कृताञ्जलिः। रामस्यानुचरं वीरमपृच्छदकृतव्रणम्
Approaching them, that royal sage greeted them with joined palms, and asked the heroic follower of Rāma, Akṛtavraṇa.
कदा नु रामो भगवांस्तापसो दर्शयिष्यति। तमहं तपसा युक्तं द्रष्टुमिच्छामि भार्गवम्
"When will the venerable ascetic Rāma show himself? I wish to see Bhārgava Rāma, devoted to austerity."
आयानेवासि विदितो रामस्य विदितात्मनः। प्रीतिस्त्वयि च रामस्य क्षिप्रं त्वां दर्शयिष्यति
"Your arrival is already known to Rāma, who knows himself. Rāma is pleased with you, and will soon grant you an audience."
चतुर्दशीमष्टमीं च रामं पश्यन्ति तापसाः। अस्यां रात्र्यां व्यतीतायां भवित्री श्वश्चतुर्दशी
"On the fourteenth and the eighth days, the ascetics see Rāma. When this night has passed, tomorrow will be the fourteenth."