येनेमं स्थापयेथास्त्वं कर्मणा पक्षिसत्तम। तदाचक्ष्व करिष्यामि न हि दास्ये कपोतकम्
By whatever act you would keep this bird, O best among birds, tell me that—I shall do it; but I will not give up the pigeon.
उशीनर कपोते ते यदि स्नेहो नराधिप। आत्मनो मांसमुत्कृत्य कपोततुलया धृतम्
O Ushinara, if you have affection for the pigeon, O lord of men, then cut flesh from your own body and weigh it equal to the pigeon.
यदा समं कपोतेन तव मांसं नृपोत्तम। त्वया प्रदेयं तन्मह्यं सा मे तुष्टिर्भविष्यति
When your flesh, O best of kings, is given to me equal in weight to the pigeon, then I shall be satisfied.
अनुग्रहमिमं मन्ये श्येन यन्माभियाचसे। तस्मात्तेऽद्य प्रदास्यामि स्वमांसं तुलया धृतम्
I consider this request of yours, O hawk, as a favor; therefore today I shall give you my own flesh, weighed on the scale.
अथोत्कृत्य स्वमांसं तु राजा परमधर्मवित्। तुलयामास कौन्तेय कपोतेन समं विभो
Then, having cut his own flesh, the king, knower of supreme dharma, weighed it, O son of Kunti, equal to the pigeon.
ध्रियमाणः कपोतस्तु मांसेनात्यतिरिच्यते। पुनश्चोत्कृत्यमांसानि राजा प्रादादुशीनरः
But as the pigeon was weighed, it exceeded the flesh; again the king Ushinara cut more flesh and gave it.
न विद्यते यदा मांसं कपोतेन समं धृतम्। तत उत्कृत्तमांसोऽसावारुरोह स्वयं तुलाम्
When there was no flesh equal in weight to the pigeon, then the king himself climbed onto the scale, having cut his own flesh.
इन्द्रोऽहमस्मि धर्मज्ञ कपोतो हव्यवाडयम्। जिज्ञासमानौ धर्म त्वां यज्ञवाटमुपागतौ
I am Indra, O knower of dharma; the pigeon is Agni, the eater of offerings. We came to you at the sacrificial altar, seeking to test your righteousness.
यत्ते मांसानि गात्रेभ्य उक्तृत्तानि विशांपते। एषा ते शाश्वती कीर्तिर्लोकानभिभविष्यति
The flesh that you have cut from your own limbs, O lord of men, will grant you eternal fame that shall surpass all worlds.
यावल्लोके मनुष्यास्त्वां कथयिष्यन्ति पार्थिव। तावत्कीर्तिश्च लोकाश्च स्थास्यन्ति तव शाश्वताः
As long as people in the world speak of you, O king, so long will your fame and your realms endure, everlasting.
इत्युक्त्वा भूमिपतये तस्मै दत्त्वा यथेप्सितम्। प्रशस्य जग्मतू राजन्निन्द्राग्री तुष्टमानसौ
Having spoken thus to the king, and giving him whatever he desired, praising him, Indra and Agni departed, their minds satisfied.
उशीनरोऽपिधर्मात्मा धर्मेणावृत्यरोदसी। विभ्राजमानो वपुषाऽप्यारुरोह त्रिविष्टपम्
Uśīnara, righteous in soul, having enveloped earth and heaven with virtue, shining with his form, ascended to the abode of the gods.
तदेतत्सदनं राजन्राज्ञस्तस्य महात्मनः। पश्यस्वैतन्मया सार्धं पुण्यं पापप्रमोचनम्
This is the residence, O king, of that great-souled monarch; behold it with me, sacred and freeing from sin.
तत्र वै सततं देवा मुनयश्च सनातनाः। दृश्यन्ते ब्राह्मणै राजन्पुण्यवद्भिर्महात्मभिः
There, always, gods and ancient sages are seen, O king, together with Brahmins who are virtuous and great-hearted.
यः कथ्यते मन्त्रविदग्र्यबुद्धि- रौद्दालकिः श्वेतकेतुः पृथिव्याम्। तस्याश्रमं पश्यत पाण्डवेया सदाफलैरुपपन्नं महीजैः
He who is spoken of as a master of mantras and keen intellect, Uddālaka's son Śvetaketu, on earth—behold his hermitage, O sons of Pandu, ever fruitful and endowed with plants.
साक्षादत्र श्वेतकेतुर्ददर्श सरस्वतीं मानुषदेहरूपाम्। वेत्स्यामि वाणीमिति संप्रवृत्तां सरस्वतीं श्वेतकेतुर्बभाषे
Here Śvetaketu himself saw Sarasvatī in human form; as she began to speak, Śvetaketu addressed Sarasvatī.
अस्मिन्युगे ब्रह्मकृतां वरिष्ठा- वास्तां मुनी मातुलभागिनेयौ। अष्टावक्रश्चैव कहोलसूनु- रौद्दालकिः श्वेतकेतुः पृथिव्याम्
In this age, the most eminent sages born of Brahma reside here: the maternal uncle and nephew, Aṣṭāvakra and Kahola's son, Uddālaka's Śvetaketu, on earth.
विदेहराजस् समीपतस्तौ घीरावुभौ मातुलभागिनेयौ। प्रविश्य यज्ञायतनं विवादे वन्दिं निजग्राहतुरप्रमेयौ
Near the king of Videha, those two, uncle and nephew, entered the sacrificial hall and, in debate, seized the bard, immeasurable in wisdom.
वादे भङ्क्त्वा मज्जयामास नद्याम्
In debate, having defeated him, they immersed him in the river.
कथंप्रभावः स बभूव विप्र- स्तथाभूतं यो निजग्राह वन्दिम्। `किंचाधिकृत्याथ तयोर्विवादो विदेहराजस् समीप आसीत्
How did that Brahmin become so powerful, who seized the bard thus? What was the subject of their debate before the king of Videha?
अष्टावक्रः केन चासौ बभूव तत्सर्वं मे लोमश शंस तत्त्वम्
How did Aṣṭāvakra come to be so? Tell me all this truthfully, Lomasha.
उद्दालकस्य नियतः शिष्य एको नाम्ना कहोळेति बभूव राजन्। शुश्रूषुराचार्यवशानुवर्ती दीर्घ कालं सोऽध्ययनं चकार
Uddālaka had a devoted disciple named Kahola, O king; obedient to his teacher, he studied for a long time.
तं वै विप्राः पर्यभवंस्तु शिखा- स्तं च ज्ञात्वा विप्रकारं गुरुः सः। तस्मै प्रादात्सद्य एव श्रुतं च भार्यां च वै दुहितरं स्वां सुजाताम्
The Brahmins mocked him for his tuft; knowing this insult, the teacher gave him at once both knowledge and his own virtuous daughter as wife.
तस्यां गर्भः समभवदग्निकल्पः सोऽधीयानं पितरमथाभ्युवाच। सर्वां रात्रिमध्ययनं करोषि नेदं पितः सम्यगिवोपवर्तते
In her, a child was conceived, fiery as Agni; while studying, he addressed his father: 'You study all night, but this, father, is not properly conducted.'
उपालब्धः शिष्यमध्ये महर्षिः स तं कोपादुदरस्थं शशाप। यस्माद्वक्रं वर्तमानो ब्रवीषि तस्माद्वक्रो भवितास्यष्टधैव
Rebuked among the disciples, the great sage cursed him in anger, saying: 'Since you speak crookedly while dwelling in the womb, you shall be crooked in eight ways.'
स वै तथा वक्र एवाभ्यजाय- दष्टावक्रः प्रथितो मानवेषु। अस्यासीद्वै मातुलः श्वेतकेतुः स तेन तुल्यो वयसा बभूव
Thus he was born crooked, known as Aṣṭāvakra among men; his maternal uncle was Śvetaketu, and he became equal to him in age.
संपीड्यमाना तु तदा सुजाता विवर्धमानेन सुतेन कुक्षौ। उवाच भर्तारमिदं रहोगता प्रसाद्य हीना वसुना धनार्थिनी
Then Sujata, pressed in her womb by her growing son, sought out her husband in private, and, humbly, being destitute and in need of wealth, spoke to him thus.
कथं करिष्याम्यधुना महर्षे मासश्चायं दशमो वर्तते मे। नैवास्ति मे वसु किंचित्प्रदाता येंनाहमेतामापदं निस्तरेयम्
How shall I manage now, O great sage? This is my tenth month, and I have nothing at all—no wealth, no one to give me anything by which I might escape this hardship.
उक्तस्त्वेवं भार्यया वै कहोळो वित्तस्यार्थे जनकमथाभ्यगच्छत्। स वै तदा वादविदा निगृह्य निमज्जितो वन्दिनेहाप्सु विप्रः
Thus addressed by his wife, Kahola, seeking wealth, went to her father; but there, bested in debate by the learned, the Brahmin was seized by bards and plunged into the water.
उद्दालकस्तं तु तदा निशम्य सूतेन वादेऽप्सु निमज्जितं तथा। उवाच तां तत्रततः सुजात- मष्टवक्रे गूहितव्योऽयमर्थः
Hearing from the charioteer that Kahola had been submerged in debate and water, Uddalaka said to Sujata, 'This matter must be kept secret from Ashtavakra.'