इह ते वै चरून्प्राश्नन्नृषयश्च विशांपते। यमुना चाक्षयस्रोताः कृष्णश्चेह तपोरतः
Here, O lord of men, the sages partook of offerings; the Yamunā, with inexhaustible flow, and Kṛṣṇa, devoted to austerity, are here.
यमौ च भीमसेनश्च कृष्णा चामित्रकर्शन। सर्वे चात्र गमिष्यामस्त्वयैव सह पाण्डव
Yama, Bhīmasena, and Kṛṣṇā, O subduer of foes, and all of us will go here together with you, O Pāṇḍava.
एतत्प्रस्रवणं पुण्यमिन्द्रस्य मनुजेश्वर। यत्रधाता विधाता च वपरुणश्चोर्ध्वमागताः
This is the sacred spring of Indra, O lord of men, where Dhātā, Vidhātā, and Vāruṇa ascended upwards.
इह तेऽप्यवसन्राजञ्शान्ताः परमधर्मिणः। मैत्राणामृजुबुद्धीनामयं गिरिवरः शुभः
Here, O king, dwelt those peaceful and supremely righteous ones; this beautiful mountain is for those friendly and straight-minded.
एषा सा यमुना राजन्महर्षिगणसेविता। नानायज्ञचिता राजन्पुण्या पापभयापहा
This is the Yamunā, O king, served by hosts of great sages, sanctified by various sacrifices, holy and remover of the fear of sin.
अत्रराजा महेष्वासो मांधाताऽयजत स्वयम्। साहदेविश्च कौन्तेय सोमको ददतांवरः
Here, the great archer king Māndhātṛ himself performed sacrifices; so too, O son of Kuntī, did Sahadeva and Somaka, the foremost of givers.
मान्धाता राजशार्दूलस्त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतः। कथं जातो महाब्रह्मन्यौवनाश्वो नृपोत्तमः
How was Māndhātṛ, the tiger among kings, renowned in the three worlds, born, O best of kings, and how did Yauvanāśva, devoted to the great Brahman, come to be?
कथं चैनां परां ख्यातिं प्राप्तवानमितद्युतिः। यस्य लोकास्त्रयो वश्या विष्णोरिव महात्मनः
And how did that radiant one attain such supreme fame, whose three worlds were under his control, like the great soul Viṣṇu?
एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं चरितं तस्य धीमतः। `सत्यकीर्तेर्हि मान्धातुः कथ्यमानं त्वयाऽनघ
I wish to hear this story of that wise Māndhātṛ from you, O sinless one, for you are able to recount the deeds of Māndhātṛ, famed for truth.
यथा मान्धातृशब्दश्च तस्य शक्रसमद्युते। जन्म चाप्रतिवीर्यस् कुशलो ह्यसि भाषितुम्
How did the name Māndhātṛ come to him, who was equal in brilliance to Indra? And his birth, unrivalled in might—you are skilled to speak of it.
शृणुष्वावहितो राजन्राज्ञस्तस्य महात्मनः। यथा मान्धातृशब्दो वै लोकेषु परिगीयते
Listen attentively, O King, to how the name of Mandhata, that great soul, is celebrated among people.
इक्ष्वाकुवंशप्रभवो युवनाश्वो महीपतिः। सोऽयजत्पृथिवीपालः क्रतुभिर्भूरिदक्षिणैः
Yuvanashva, the king descended from the Ikshvaku lineage, performed many sacrifices, O ruler of the earth, giving abundant gifts.
अश्वमेधसहस्रं च प्राप्य धर्मभृतांवरः। अन्यैश्च क्रतुभिर्मुख्यैरयजत्स्वाप्तदक्षिणैः
That foremost among the righteous performed a thousand horse sacrifices, and other principal rites, all with proper gifts.
अनपत्यस्तु राजर्षिः स महात्मा महाव्रतः। मन्त्रिष्वाधाय तद्राज्यं वनित्यो बभूव ह। शास्त्रदृष्टेन विधिना संयोज्यात्मानमात्मवान्
That great-souled royal sage, though childless and devoted to great vows, entrusted his kingdom to his ministers and lived in humility, joining his self to the self by the method prescribed in the scriptures.
स कदाचिन्नृपो राजन्नुपवासेन दुःखितः। पिपासाशुष्कहृदयः प्रविवेशाश्रमं भृगोः
Once, O King, that ruler, suffering from fasting, his heart parched with thirst, entered the hermitage of Bhrigu.
तामेव रात्रिं राजेन्द्र महात्मा भृगुनन्दनः। इष्टिं चकार सौद्युम्नेर्महर्षिः पुत्रकारणात्
That very night, O lord of kings, the great-souled descendant of Bhrigu, the sage, performed a sacrifice for the sake of obtaining a son.
संभृतो मन्त्रपूतेन वारिणा कलशो महान्। तत्रातिष्ठत राजेन्द्र पूर्वमेव समाहितः
A large vessel filled with water purified by mantras was prepared, and it was placed there beforehand, O King, with full concentration.
यत्प्राश्य प्रसवेत्तस्य पत्नी शक्रसमं सुतम्। `तद्वारि विहितं राजन्यस्मिन्नासीत्सुसंस्कृतम्'। तं न्यस्य वेद्यां कलशं सुषुपुस्ते महर्षयः
By drinking that water, his wife would bear a son equal to Indra; that water was specially prepared, O King, and placed on the altar, and the sages slept.
रात्रिजागरणाच्छ्रान्तान्सौद्युम्निः समतीत्य तान्। शुष्ककण्ठः पिपासार्तः पानीयार्थी भृशं नृपः। तं प्रविश्याश्रमं शान्तः पानीयं सोऽभ्ययाचत
Saudyumni, surpassing them as they lay exhausted from staying awake all night, his throat dry and tormented by thirst, entered the hermitage calmly and earnestly asked for water.
तस्य श्रान्तस्य शुष्केण कण्ठेन क्रोशतस्तदा। नाश्रौषीत्कश्चन तदा शकुनेरिव वाशतः
Though he cried out with a dry throat in his exhaustion, no one heard him then, just as the cry of a bird goes unnoticed.
ततस्तं कलशं दृष्ट्वा जलपूर्णं स पार्थिवः। अभ्यद्रवत वेगेन पीत्वा चाम्भो व्यवासृजत्
Then, seeing the vessel filled with water, the king rushed toward it, drank the water, and emptied it.
स पीत्वा शीतलं तोयं पिपासार्तो महीपतिः। निर्वाणमगमद्धीमान्सुसुखी चाभवत्तदा
Having drunk the cool water, the thirsty king, wise and content, attained relief and happiness at that moment.
ततस्ते प्रत्यबुध्यन्त मुनयः सतपोधनाः। निस्तोयं तं च कलशं ददृशुः सर्व एव ते
Then the ascetics, rich in austerity, awoke and saw that the vessel was empty.
कस्य कर्मेदमिति ते पर्यपृच्छन्समागताः। युवनाश्वो ममेत्येवं सत्यं समभिपद्यत
Gathered together, they asked whose act this was; Yuvanashva admitted, 'It was mine,' and spoke the truth.
न युक्तमिति तं प्राह भगवान्भार्गवस्तदा। सुतार्थं स्थापिता ह्यापस्तपसा चैव संभृताः
Then the venerable descendant of Bhrigu said, 'This was not proper; the water was placed here for the sake of a son and gathered through austerity.'
मया ह्यत्राहितं ब्रह्म तप आस्थाय दारुणम्। पुत्रार्थं तव राजर्षे महाबलपराक्रम
'I placed it here, having undertaken severe austerity, O royal sage, for your sake, for the purpose of a son, O mighty one.'
महाबलो महावीर्यस्तपोबलसमन्वितः। यः शक्रमपि वीर्येण गमयेद्यमसादनम्
He will be mighty, of great strength, endowed with the power of austerity, who could even surpass Indra in might and reach the realm of Yama.
अनेन विधिना राजन्मयैतदुपपादितम्। अब्भक्षणं त्वया राजन्न युक्तं कृतमद्य वै
By this method, O King, I accomplished this; but your drinking the water was not proper today.
न त्वद्य शक्यमस्माभिरेतत्कर्तुमतोऽनय्था। नूनं दैवकृतं ह्येतद्यदेवं कृतवानसि
But today, we are not able to do otherwise; surely, this is the work of fate, for you have acted thus.
पिपासितेन याः पीता विधिमन्त्रपुरस्कृताः। आपस्त्वया महाराज मत्तपोवीर्यसंभृताः
O great king, the waters you drank, consecrated with proper rites and mantras, were imbued with the power of asceticism.