ततस्ता मातरः सर्वाः प्राक्रोशन्भृशदुःखिताः। प्रवार्य जनतुं सहसा स शब्दस्तुमुलोऽभवत्
Then all the mothers, deeply distressed, began to weep, wailing loudly for Jantu, and a tumultuous sound arose.
तमार्तनादं सहसा शुश्राव स महीपतिः। अमात्यपर्षदो मध्ये उपविष्टः सहर्त्विजा
Suddenly, the king heard that cry of distress as he sat among his ministers and priests.
ततः प्रस्थापयामास किमेतदिति पार्थिवः। तस्मै क्षत्ता यथावृत्तमाचचक्षे सुतं प्रति
Then the king sent someone to find out what had happened, and the attendant reported to him exactly what had occurred with his son.
त्वरमाणः स चोत्थाय सोमकः सह मन्त्रिभिः। प्रविश्यान्तःपुरं पुत्रमाश्वासयदरिंदमः
Hastily rising, Somaka, along with his counselors, entered the inner chambers and comforted his son, the subduer of foes.
सान्त्वयित्वा तु तं पुत्रं निष्क्रम्यान्तःपुरान्नृपः। ऋत्विजा सहितो राजन्सहामात्य उपाविशत्
After consoling his son, the king departed from the inner chambers and, together with the priests and ministers, sat down.
धिगस्त्विहैकपुत्रत्वमपुत्रत्वं वरं भवेत्। नित्यातुरत्वाद्भूतानां शोक एवैकपुत्रता
Alas, to have only one son is lamentable; it is better to have none. The constant anxiety of living beings arises solely from having a single son.
इदं भार्याशतं ब्रह्मन्परीक्ष्यसदृशं प्रभो। पुत्रार्थिना मया वोढं न तासां विद्यते प्रजा
O Brahman, I have examined this hundred wives, O lord, and married them in pursuit of a son; yet none of them has borne offspring.
एकः कथंचिदुत्पन्नः पुत्रो जन्तुरयं मम। यतमानासु सर्वासु किंनु दुःखमतः परम्
Somehow, this living being, my son, was born from among all of them despite my efforts; what greater sorrow could there be than this?
वयश्च समतीतं मे सभार्यस्यं द्विजोत्तम। आसां प्राणाः समायत्ता मम चात्रैकपुत्रके
My youth has passed, O best of twice-born, along with my wives; their lives and mine are now bound up in this single son.
स्यात्तु कर्म तथा युक्तं येन पुत्रशतं भवेत्। महता लघुना वाऽपि कर्मणा दुष्करेण वा
Is there any rite or action, whether great or small, difficult or easy, by which one might obtain a hundred sons?
अस्ति चैतादृशं कर्म येन पुत्रशतं भवेत्। यदि शक्नोषि तत्कर्तुमथ वक्ष्यामि सोमक
There does exist such a rite by which one may obtain a hundred sons. If you are able to perform it, O Somaka, I will tell you.
कार्यं वा यदि वाऽकार्यं येन पुत्रशतं भवेत्। कृतमेवेति तद्विद्धि भगवान्प्रब्रवीतु मे
Whether it is proper or improper, whatever brings about a hundred sons, let it be considered as already done; let the revered one declare it to me.
यजस्व जन्तुना राजंस्त्वं मया वितते क्रतौ। ततः पुत्रशतं श्रीमद्भविष्यत्यचिरेण ते
Sacrifice your son, O king, in the ritual I will arrange; then, before long, you will have a hundred illustrious sons.
वपार्या हूयमानायां धूममाघ्राय मातरः। ततस्ताः सुमहावीर्याञ्जनयिष्यन्ति ते सुतान्
When the offering of the entrails is made and the mothers inhale the smoke, then those women, endowed with great vigor, will bear sons for you.
तस्यामेव तु ते जन्तुर्भविता पुनरात्मजः। उत्तरे चास्य सौवर्णं लक्ष्म पार्श्वे भविष्यति
In that very woman, your son will be born again; and on his side there will be a golden mark.
ब्रह्मन्यद्यद्यथा कार्यं तत्कुरुष्व तथातथा। पुत्रकामतया सर्वंकरिष्यामि वचस्तव
Whatever is to be done according to the Brahman's instruction, do it accordingly; out of desire for sons, I will carry out all your words.
ततः स याजयामास सोमकं तेन जन्तुना। मातरस्तु बलातपुत्रमपाकार्षुः कृपान्विताः
Then, with that son, Somaka was made to perform the sacrifice; but the mothers, overcome with compassion, forcibly pulled their son away.
हा हताः स्मेति वाशन्त्यस्तीव्रशोकसमाहताः। तं मातरः प्त्यकर्षन्गृहीत्वा दक्षिणे करे
Crying out, 'We are ruined!' and overwhelmed by intense grief, the mothers seized him by his right hand and dragged him.
सव्ये पाणौ गृहीत्वा तु याजकोपि स्म कर्षति। कुररीणामिवार्तानामपाकृष्य तु तं सुतम्
The officiating priest, taking hold of his left hand, also pulled him, as distressed as the cries of grieving curlews, dragging the son away.
विशस्य चैनं विधिवद्वपामस्य जुहाव सः। वपायां हूयमानायां गन्धमाघ्राय मातरः
Then, according to the rite, he killed him and offered his entrails; as the offering was made, the mothers inhaled the fragrance.
आर्ता निपेतुः सहसा पृथिव्यां कुरुनन्दन। सर्वाश्च गर्भानलबंस्ततस्ताः पार्थिवाङ्गनाः
Afflicted, they suddenly fell to the ground, O descendant of Kuru; and all those royal women conceived from the fire of pregnancy.
ततो दशसु मासेषु सोमकस्य विशांपते। जज्ञे पुत्रशतं पूर्णं तासु सर्वासु भारत
Then, after ten months, O lord of the people, a full hundred sons were born to Somaka from all those women, O Bharata.
जन्तुर्ज्येष्ठः समभवज्जनित्र्यामेव पूर्ववत्। स तासामिष्ट एवासीन्न तथाऽन्ये निजाः सुताः
The eldest offspring was born from the mother, just as before; he alone was cherished among them, not so the other sons.
तच्च लक्षणमस्यासीत्सौवर्णं पार्श्व उत्तरे। तस्मिन्पुत्रशते चाग्र्यः स बभूव गुणैरपि
He bore a golden mark on his northern side; among the hundred sons, he excelled in virtues as well.
ततः स लोकमगमत्सोमकस्य गुरुः परम्। अन्वक्षमेव पश्चात्तु सोमकोप्यगमत्परम्
Then, the revered teacher of Somaka departed to the other world; soon after, Somaka too went to the highest realm.
अथ तं नरके घोरे पच्यमानं ददर्श सः। तमपृच्छत्किमर्थं त्वं नरके पच्यसे द्विज
There, he saw his teacher suffering in a dreadful hell; he asked him, 'For what reason are you being tormented in hell, O twice-born?'
तमब्रवीद्गुरुः सोऽथ पच्यमानोऽग्निना भृशम्। त्वं मया याजितो राजंस्तस्येदं कर्मणः फलम्
While being intensely burned by fire, the teacher replied, 'You had me perform a sacrifice, O king; this is the result of that act.'
एतच्छ्रुत्वा स राजर्षिर्धर्मराजमथाब्रवीत्। अहमत्र प्रवेक्ष्यामि मुच्यतां मम याजकः
Hearing this, the royal sage addressed the Lord of Justice: 'I will enter here; let my priest be released.'
मत्कृते हि महाभागः पच्यते नरकाग्निना। `सोहमात्मानमाधास्ये नरके मुच्यतां गुरुः
For my sake, O illustrious one, he is being burned by the fire of hell; therefore, I shall place myself in hell—let the teacher be freed.
नान्य कर्तुः फलं राजन्नुपभुङ्क्ते कदाचन। इमानि तव दृश्यन्ते फलानि वदतांवर
No one else ever partakes of the fruit of another's action, O king; these are your own results, best of speakers.