ततस्ते पूजिता विप्रा वरुणेन महात्मना। उदतिष्ठंस्ततः सर्वे जनकस्य समीपतः
Then those revered Brahmins, honored by the great-souled Varuna, all rose and went to the presence of Janaka.
इत्यर्थमिच्छन्ति सुताञ्जना जननकर्मणा। यदहं नाशकं कर्तुं तत्पुत्रः कृतवान्मम
Thus people desire sons for the sake of performing the duties of parenthood; what I could not accomplish, my son has done for me.
उताबलस्य क्लवानुत बालस्य पण्डितः। उत वाऽविदुषो विद्वान्पुत्रो जनक जायते
Sometimes a coward is born to a brave man, sometimes a wise son to a child, or a learned son to an ignorant father, O Janaka.
शितेन ते परशुना स्वयमेवान्तको नृप। शिरांस्यपाहरन्नाजौ रिपूणां भद्रमस्तु ते
With your sharp axe, O king, you yourself struck off the heads of your enemies in battle; may good fortune be yours.
महदैक्थ्यं गीयते साम चाग्र्यं सम्यक्सोमः पीयते चात्र सत्रे। शुचीन्भागान्प्रतिजगृहुश्च हृष्टाः साक्षाद्देवा जनकस्येह राज्ञः
Great unity is sung here, and the foremost Sama hymns; the Soma is properly consumed in this sacrifice, and the delighted gods themselves received pure shares from King Janaka.
समुत्थितेष्वथ सर्वेषु राजन् विप्रेषु तेष्वधिकं सुप्रभेषु। अनुज्ञातो जनकेनाथ राज्ञा विवेश तोयं सागरस्योत वन्दी
When all the Brahmins had arisen, O king, radiant and splendid, and were permitted by Janaka, then the bard entered the waters of the ocean.
अष्टावक्रः पितरं पूजयित्वा संपूजितो ब्राह्मणैस्तैर्यथावत्। प्रत्याजगामाश्रममेव चाग्र्यं जित्वा वन्दिं सहितो मातुलेन
Ashtavakra, having honored his father and been duly honored by those Brahmins, returned to the foremost hermitage, having defeated the bard and accompanied by his uncle.
ततोऽष्टावक्रं मातुरथान्तिके पिता नदीं समङ्गां शीघ्रमिमां विशस्व। प्रोवाच चैनं स तथा विवेश समैरङ्गैश्चापि बभूव पुण्या
Then Ashtavakra's father, near his mother, said to him: 'Quickly enter this river Samaṅgā.' He spoke thus, and Ashtavakra entered, and his limbs became whole and auspicious.
नदी समङ्गा च बभूव पुण्या यस्यां स्नातो मुच्यते किल्बिषाद्धि। त्वमप्येनां स्नानपानावगाहैः सभ्रातृकः सहभार्यो विशश्व
The river Samaṅgā became auspicious; one who bathes in it is freed from sin. You too, with your brothers and wife, should enter it for bathing and drinking.
अत्र कौन्तेय सहितो भ्रातृभिस्त्वं सुखोषितः सह विप्रैः प्रतीतः। पुण्यान्यन्यानि शुचिकर्मैकभक्ति- र्मया सार्धं चरितास्याजमीढ
Here, O son of Kunti, together with your brothers, you have dwelt happily with the Brahmins, well pleased. Other auspicious deeds, pure and devoted, have been performed here with me, O Ajamīḍha.
एषा मधुविला नाम समङ्गा संप्रकाशते। एतत्कर्दमिलं नाम भरतस्याभिषेचनम्
This river is called Madhuvilā, and Samaṅgā shines forth; this is Kardamila, the consecration place of Bharata.
अलक्ष्म्या किल संयुक्तो वृत्रं हत्वा शचीपतिः। आप्लुतः सर्वपापेभ्यः समङ्गायां व्यमुच्यत
Having been afflicted by misfortune, Indra, after slaying Vṛtra, bathed in Samaṅgā and was freed from all sins.
एतद्विनशनं कुक्षौ मैनाकस्य नरर्षभ। अदितिर्यत्रपुत्रार्थं तदन्नमपचत्पुरा
This is the place of destruction in the womb of Mainaka, O best of men; here Aditi once cooked food for the sake of her son.
एनं पर्वतराजानमारुह्य भरतर्षभाः। अयशस्यामसंशब्द्यामलक्ष्मीं व्यपनोत्स्यथ
Ascending this king of mountains, O Bharata's descendant, you will dispel ill fame and misfortune that cannot be spoken.
एते कनखला राजन्नृषीणां दयिता नगाः। एषा प्रकाशते गङ्गा युधिष्ठिर यशस्विनी
These Kanakhala mountains, O king, are beloved by the sages; here the renowned Ganga shines forth, O Yudhishthira.
सनत्कुमारो भगवानत्र सिद्धिमगात्पुरा। आजमीढावगाह्यैनां सर्वपापैः प्रमोक्ष्यसे
Here, the venerable Sanatkumara once attained perfection; by bathing in this river, O Ajamīḍha, you will be freed from all sins.
अपां ह्रदं च पुण्याख्यं भृगुतुन्दं च पर्वतम्। तूष्णीं गङ्गां च कौन्तेय सानुजः समुपस्पृश
O son of Kunti, together with your brothers, you silently touched the sacred pond, the mountain called Bhṛgutunda, and the Ganges.
आश्रमः स्थूलशिरसो रमणीयः प्रकाशते। अत्र मानं च कौन्तेय क्रोधं चैव विवर्जय
Here shines the beautiful hermitage of Sthūlaśiras; O son of Kunti, in this place, abandon pride and anger.
एष रैभ्याश्रमः श्रीमान्पाण्डवेय प्रकाशते। भारद्वाजो यत्रकविर्यवक्रीतो व्यनश्यत
Here appears the splendid hermitage of Raibhya, O son of Pandu, where the sage Bhāradvāja, deceived by Yavakrīta, perished.
कथं युक्तोऽभवदृषिर्भरद्वाजः प्रतापवान्। किमर्थं च यवक्रीतः पुत्रोऽनश्यत वै मुनेः
How did the powerful sage Bhāradvāja become so afflicted, and for what reason did Yavakrīta, his son, perish, O sage?
एतत्सर्वं यथावृत्तं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः। कर्मभिर्देवकल्पानां कीर्त्यमानैर्भृशं रमे
I wish to hear all this exactly as it happened; I delight greatly in the deeds of those who are like the gods, as they are recounted.
भरद्वाजश्च रैभ्यश्च सखायौ संबभूवतुः। तावूषतुरिहात्यन्तं प्रीयमाणौ वनान्तरे
Bhāradvāja and Raibhya became friends; the two of them lived here in the forest, greatly pleased with each other.
रैभ्यस्य तु सुतावास्तामर्वावसुपरावसू। आसीद्यवक्रीः पुत्रस्तु भरद्वाजस्य भारत
Raibhya had two sons, Arvāvā and Parāvasu; Yavakrīta was the son of Bhāradvāja, O descendant of Bharata.
रैभ्यो विद्वान्सहापत्यस्तपस्वी चेतरोऽभवत्। तयोश्चाप्यतुला प्रीतिरभवद्भरतर्षभ
Among them, Arvāvā, the learned and ascetic son of Raibhya, was especially virtuous; and between the two, there was a matchless affection, O best of the Bharatas.
यवक्रीः पितरं दृष्ट्वा तपस्विनमसत्कृतम्। दृष्ट्वा च सत्कृतं विप्रै रैभ्यं पुत्रैः सहानघः
Yavakrīta, seeing his ascetic father not honored, and seeing Raibhya honored by the Brahmins along with his sons, O sinless one,
पर्यतप्यत तेजस्वी मन्युनाऽभिपरिप्लुतः। तपस्तेपे ततो घोरं वेदज्ञानाय पाण्डव
was tormented, filled with anger, and, O Pāṇḍava, undertook severe austerities to obtain knowledge of the Vedas.
सुसमिद्धे महत्यग्नौ शरीरमुपतापयन्। जनयामास संतापमिन्द्रस्य सुमहातपाः
With a great fire blazing, tormenting his own body, the exceedingly austere Yavakrīta caused distress even to Indra.
तत इन्द्रो यवक्रीतमुपगम्य युधिष्ठिर। अब्रवीत्कस्य हेतोस्त्वमास्थितस्तप उत्तमम्
Then Indra approached Yavakrīta, O Yudhiṣṭhira, and asked, 'For what reason have you undertaken this supreme austerity?'
द्विजानामनधीता वै वेदाः सुरगणार्चित। प्रतिभान्त्विति तप्येहमिदं परमकं तपः
'The Vedas, revered by the hosts of gods, do not appear to those Brahmins who have not studied; therefore I perform this supreme austerity.'
स्वाध्यायार्थं समारम्भो ममायं पाकशासन। तपसा ज्ञातुमिच्छामि सर्वज्ञानानि कौशिक
'This effort of mine, O wielder of the thunderbolt, is for the sake of self-study; by austerity I wish to know all knowledge, O Kauśika.'