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.'
कालेन महता वेदाः शक्या गुरुमुखाद्विभो। प्राप्तुं तस्मादयं यत्नः परमो मे समास्थितः
'The Vedas, O mighty one, can be obtained from the mouth of a teacher only after a long time; therefore I have undertaken this supreme effort.'
अमार्ग एष विप्रर्षे येन त्वं यातुमिच्छसि। किं विघातेन ते विप्र गच्छाधीहि गुरोर्मुखात्
'This is not the right path, O best of Brahmins, by which you wish to proceed; why trouble yourself in vain? Go and study from the mouth of a teacher.'
एवमुक्त्वा गतः शक्रो यवक्रीरपि भारत। भूय एवाकरोद्यत्नं तपस्यमितविक्रमः
Having spoken thus, Śakra departed, but Yavakrīta, steadfast in his resolve, again exerted himself in austerity.
घोरेण तपसा राजंस्तप्यमानो महत्तपः। संतापयामास भृशं देवेन्द्रमिति नः श्रुतम्
Performing fierce austerity, O king, that great ascetic caused great distress to Indra, as we have heard.
तं तथा तप्यमानं तु तपस्तीव्रं महामुनिम्। उपेत्य बलभिद्देवो वारयामास वै पुनः
As that great sage was thus engaged in severe austerity, the god who shatters strength approached him again and tried to restrain him.
अशक्योऽर्थः समारब्धो नैतद्बुद्धिकृतं तव। प्रतिभास्यन्ति वै वेदास्तव चैव पितुश्च ते
You have undertaken an impossible task; this is not the result of sound judgment on your part. The Vedas will indeed become manifest to you and to your father as well.
न चैतदेवं क्रियते देवराजसमीप्सितम्। महता नियमेनाहं तप्स्ये घोरतरं तपः
But if what the king of the gods desires is not done in this way, then with great discipline I will perform an even more terrible austerity.
समिद्धेऽग्नावुपकृत्याङ्गमङ्गं होष्यामि वा मघवंस्तन्निबोध। यद्येतदेवं न करोषि कामं ममेप्सितं देवराजेह सर्वम्
When the fire is blazing, I will offer my limbs one by one as an oblation—know this, O Maghavan. If you do not fulfill my wish here, O king of the gods, I will do this.
निश्चयं तमभिज्ञाय मुनेस्तस्य महात्मनः। प्रतिवारणहेत्वर्थं बुद्ध्या संचिन्त्य बुद्धिमान्
Recognizing the firm resolve of that great-souled sage, the wise one considered with his mind a way to deter him.
तत इन्द्रोऽकरोद्रूपं ब्राह्मणस्य तपस्विनः। अनेकशतवर्षस्य दुर्बलस्य सयक्ष्मणः
Then Indra assumed the form of a Brahmin ascetic, weak and afflicted, as if aged by hundreds of years.