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.
यवक्रीतस्य यत्तीर्थमुचितं शैचकर्मणि। भागीरथ्यां तत्र सेतुं वालुकाभिश्चकार सः
At the bathing place of Yavakrīta, appropriate for the ritual, he began to build a bridge of sand across the Bhāgīrathī.
यदाऽस्य वदतो वाक्यं न स चक्रे द्विजोत्तमः। वालुकाभिस्ततः शक्रो गङ्गां समभिपूरयन्
When, despite being spoken to, the best of Brahmins did not act, then Indra began to fill the Gaṅgā with sand.
वालुकामुष्टिमनिशं भागीरथ्यां व्यसर्जयत्। स्नातुमभ्यागतं शक्रो यवक्रीतमदर्शयत्
All night he cast handfuls of sand into the Bhāgīrathī, and when Yavakrīta came to bathe, Indra showed himself.
तं ददर्श यवक्रीतो यत्नवन्तं निबन्धने। प्रहसंश्चाब्रवीद्वाक्यमिदं स मुनिपुङ्गवः
Yavakrīta saw him striving to build the barrier and, laughing, that foremost of sages spoke these words:
किमिदं वर्तते ब्रह्मन्किंच ते ह चिकीर्षितम्। अतीव हि महान्यत्नः क्रियतेऽयं निरर्थकः
What is this, Brahmin? What are you trying to do? You are making a great effort, but it is entirely futile.
बन्धिष्ये सेतुना गङ्गां सुखः पन्था भविष्यति। क्लिश्यते हि जनस्तात तरमाणः पुनःपुनः
I will dam the Gaṅgā with a bridge, so that the path will be easy; for people, father, suffer greatly crossing again and again.
नायं शक्यस्त्वया बद्धुं महानोघस्तपोधन। अशक्याद्विनिवर्तस्व शक्यमर्थं समारभ
O possessor of austerity, you cannot dam this mighty current. Turn away from the impossible and undertake what can be accomplished.
यथैव भवता चेद तपो वेदार्थमुद्यतम्। अशक्यं तद्वदस्माभिरयं भारः समाहितः
Just as you have undertaken austerities for the sake of the Vedas, which is impossible, so too is this task I have set myself.
यथा तव निरर्थोऽयमारम्भस्त्रिदशेश्वर। तथा यदि ममापीदं मन्यसे पाकशासन
As your endeavor, lord of the gods, is fruitless, so too, O slayer of Vṛtra, if you think the same of mine.
क्रियतां यद्भवेच्छक्यं त्वया सुरगणेश्वर। वरांश्च मे प्रयच्छान्यासन्यैर्विद्वान्भवितास्म्यहम्
Let that be done by you, O lord of the gods, which is possible; grant me other boons, and I will become learned.