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.
तस्मै प्रादाद्वरानिन्द्र उक्तवान्यान्महातपाः। प्रतिभास्यन्ति ते वेदाः पित्रा सह यथेप्सिताः
Then Indra, the great ascetic, granted him boons, saying: 'The Vedas will become manifest to you as you desire, together with your father.'
यच्चान्यत्काङ्क्षसे कामं यवक्रीर्गम्यतामिति। स लब्धकाम पितरं समेत्याथेदमब्रवीत्
And whatever else you desire, Yavakrīta, let it be so. Having obtained his wish, he then approached his father and spoke these words.
प्रतिभास्यन्ति वै वेदा मम तातस्य चोभयोः। अपि चान्यान्भविष्यावो वरा लब्धास्तथा मया
The Vedas will indeed appear to both myself and my father; moreover, I have obtained other boons as well.
दर्पस्ते भविता तात वराँल्लब्ध्वा यथेप्सितान्। स दर्पपर्णः कृपणः क्षिप्रमेव विनङ्क्ष्यसि
When you, father, receive the desired boons, pride will arise in you; but with that pride, you will soon perish, wretched and miserable.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीमा गाथा देवैरुदाहृताः। मुनिरासीत्पुरा पुत्र बालधिर्नाम विश्रुतः
Here, too, are cited these verses spoken by the gods: There was once a sage, O son, renowned by the name Bāladhī.
स पुत्रशोकादुद्विग्रस्तपस्तेपे सुदुष्करम्। भवेन्मम सुतोऽमर्त्य इतितं लब्धवांश्च सः
Distressed by grief for his son, he undertook severe austerities, wishing, 'May my son become immortal,' and thus obtained that boon.
तस्य प्रसादो वै देवैः कृतो न त्वमरैः समः। नामर्त्यो विद्यते मर्त्यो निमित्तायुर्भविष्यति
The gods granted him their favor, but not equality with the immortals; a mortal cannot become immortal, for his lifespan is determined by fate.
यथेमे पर्वताः शश्वत्तिष्ठन्ति सुरसत्तमाः। तावज्जीवेन्मम् सुतो निर्वाणमुत मे मतः
As long as these mountains stand, O best of gods, so long shall my son live; this is my conviction regarding liberation.
तस्य पुत्रस्तदा जत्रे मेधावी क्रोधनस्तदा। स तु लब्धवरो दर्पादृषींश्चैवावमन्यत
At that time, his son was intelligent and irascible; having obtained the boon, he, out of pride, disrespected the sages.
विकुर्वाणो मुनीनां च व्यचरत्स महीमिमाम्। आससाद महावीर्यं धनुषाक्षं मनीषिणम्
Behaving arrogantly toward the sages, he wandered across this earth, and encountered the mighty, wise Dhanuṣākṣa.