कुवलाश्वस् पुत्रैश्च तस्मिन्वै वालुकार्णवे। सप्तभिर्दिवसैः स्वात्वा दृष्टो धुन्धुर्महाबलः
There, in that sandy ocean, Kuvalāśva and his sons, after digging for seven days, saw the mighty Dhundhu.
आसीद्धोरं वपुस्तस्य वालुकान्तर्हितं महत्। दीप्यमानं यथा सूर्यस्तेजसा भरतर्षभ
His terrible form, vast and hidden in the sand, appeared, blazing with radiance like the sun, O best of Bharatas.
ततो धुन्धुर्महाराज दिशमावृत्य पश्चिमाम्। सुप्तोऽभूद्राजशार्दूल कालानलसमद्युतिः
Then, O great king, Dhundhu turned toward the western direction and lay down, his radiance equal to the fire of destruction.
कुवलाश्वस्य पुत्रैस्तु सर्वतः परिवारितः। अभिद्रुतः शरैस्तीक्ष्णैर्गदाभिर्मुसलैरपि
Surrounded on all sides by the sons of Kuvalāśva, he was assailed with sharp arrows, maces, and even clubs.
प्टसैः परिधैः प्रासैः खङ्गैश् विमलैः शितैः। सवध्यमानः संक्रुद्धः समुत्तस्थौ महाबलः
Struck with darts, firebrands, spears, and swords—pure and keen—the mighty one, enraged, rose up while being attacked.
क्रुद्धश्चाभक्षयत्तेषां शस्त्राणि विविधानि च। आस्याद्वमन्पावकं स संवर्तकसमं तदा
Angry, he devoured their various weapons, and from his mouth he vomited fire, equal to the fire of dissolution.
तान्सर्वान्नृपतेः पुत्रानदहत्स्वेन तेजसा। मुखजेनाग्निना क्रुद्धो लोकानुद्वर्तयन्निव
Enraged, he burned all the king’s sons with his own energy, with fire issuing from his mouth, as if overturning the worlds.
क्षणेन राजशार्दूल पुरेव कपिलः प्रभुः। सगरस्यात्मजान्क्रुद्धस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्
In a moment, O tiger among kings, just as Kapila once did in the city, he angrily burned Sagara’s sons—such was the marvel.
तेषु क्रोधाग्निदग्धेषु तदा भरतसत्तम। तं प्रबुद्धं महात्मानं कुम्भकर्णमिवापरम्। आससाद महातेजाः कुवलाश्वो महीपतिः
When those sons were burned by the fire of wrath, O best of Bharatas, the mighty Kuvalāśva, like another Kumbhakarṇa awakened, approached him.
तस्य वारिमहाराज सुस्राव बहु देहतः। तत्तदापीयतेतेजो राज्ञा वारिमयं नृप
From his body, O great king, much water flowed forth, and the king, whose energy was absorbed by that water, drank it up.
योगी योगेन सृष्टं स समयित्वा च वारिणा। ब्रह्मास्त्रेण ततो राजा दैत्यंक्रूरपराक्रमम्। ददाह भरतश्रेष्ठ सर्वलोकभवाय वै
The yogi, having created water by yoga and subdued him with it, then, O best of Bharatas, the king burned the fierce demon with the Brahma weapon, for the welfare of all worlds.
सोऽस्त्रेण दग्ध्वा राजर्षिः कुवलाश्वो महासुरम्। सुरशत्रुममित्रघ्नस्त्रैलोक्येश इवापरः
Having burned the great demon with the weapon, the royal sage Kuvalāśva, destroyer of enemies and foe of the gods, became like another lord of the three worlds.
धुन्धोर्वधात्तदा राजा कुवलाश्वो महामनाः। धुन्धुमार इतिख्यातो नाम्ना समभवत्ततः
From the slaying of Dhundhu, the high-minded king Kuvalāśva then became known by the name Dhundhumāra.
प्रीतैश्च त्रेदशैः सर्वैर्महर्षिमसितैस्तदा। परं वृणीष्वत्युक्तः स प्राञ्जलिः प्रणतस्तदा। अतीव मुदितो राजन्निदंवचनमब्रवीत्
Then, all the delighted gods and the great sages with dark robes addressed him: 'Choose a boon,' and he, with joined palms and bowed head, spoke these words, exceedingly joyful.
दद्यां वित्तं द्विजाग्र्येभ्यः शत्रूणां चापि दुर्जयः। सख्यं च विष्णुना मे स्याद्भूतेष्वद्रोह एव च। धर्मे रतिश् सततं स्वर्गे वासस्तथाऽक्षयः
May I give wealth to the foremost twice-born, be unconquerable by enemies, have friendship with Viṣṇu, bear no enmity toward beings, always delight in righteousness, and dwell eternally in heaven.
तथाऽस्त्विति ततो देवैः प्रीतैरुक्तः स पार्थिवः। ऋषिभिश्च सगन्धर्वैरुदङ्केन च धीमता
Thus, the delighted gods, along with sages, Gandharvas, and the wise Udanka, said, 'So be it,' to the king.
संभाष्य चैनं विविधैराशीर्वादैस्ततो नृषम्। देवा महर्षयश्चापि स्वानि स्तानानि भेजिरे
Then, after addressing him with various blessings, the gods and the great sages returned to their own abodes.
तस्य पुत्रास्त्रयः शिष्टा युधिष्ठिर तदाऽभवन्। दृढाश्वः कपिलाश्वश्च भद्राश्वश्चैव भारत
At that time, O Yudhiṣṭhira, three sons of his survived: Dṛḍhāśva, Kapilāśva, and Bhadrāśva, O Bhārata.
तेभ्यः परम्परा राजन्निक्ष्वाकूणां महात्मनाम्। [वंशस्य सुमहाभाग राज्ञाममिततेजसाम्]
From them, O king, descended the lineage of the great-souled Ikṣvākus, the illustrious dynasty of kings of immeasurable splendor.
एवंसं निहतस्तेन कुवलाश्वेन सत्तम। धुन्धुर्नाम महादैत्यो मधुकैटभयोः सुतः
Thus, O noble one, the great demon named Dhundhu, son of Madhu and Kaitabha, was slain by Kuvalāśva.
कुवलाश्वश्च नृपतिर्धुन्धुमार इति स्मृतः। नाम्ना च गुणयुक्तेन तदाप्रभृति सोऽभवत्
And the king Kuvalāśva became known as Dhundhumāra; from that time onward, he bore this name, endowed with virtue.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि। धौन्धुमारमुपाख्यानं प्रथितं यस्य कर्मणा
All this I have told you, as you asked me—the renowned story of Dhundhumāra, whose deeds are celebrated.
इदं तु पुण्यमाख्यानं विष्णोः समनुकीर्तनम्। शृणुयाद्यः स धर्मात्मा पुत्रवांश्च भवेन्नरः
This sacred tale, recounting the praise of Viṣṇu—whoever hears it, that righteous man will have sons.
आयुष्मान्भूतिमांश्चैव श्रुत्वा भवति पर्वसु। न च व्याधिभंयकिंचित्प्राप्नोति विगतज्वरः
Hearing it at the proper times, a man becomes long-lived and prosperous, and he does not suffer from any disease or fever.
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा मार्कण्डेयं महाद्युतिम्। प्रपच्छ भरतश्रेष्ठ धर्मप्रश्नं स दुर्वचम्
Then King Yudhiṣṭhira, radiant among the Bharatas, questioned the illustrious Mārkaṇḍeya on a difficult matter of dharma.
श्रोतुमिच्छामि भगवन्स्त्रीणां माहातम्यमुत्तमम्। कथ्यमानं त्वया विप्र सूक्ष्मं धर्म्यं च तत्त्वतः
O venerable one, I wish to hear from you, O sage, the supreme greatness of women—subtle and righteous, as it truly is.
प्रत्यक्षमिह विप्रर्षे देवा दृश्यन्ति सत्तम। सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ वायुः पृथिवी वह्निरेव च
Here, O best of sages, the gods are seen directly—Sun, Moon, Wind, Earth, and Fire.
पिता माता च भगवान्गाव एव च सत्तम। यच्चान्यदेव विहितं तच्चापि भृगुनन्दन
Father, mother, O revered one, and cows as well, O noble one, and whatever else is ordained, O descendant of Bhṛgu.
मन्येऽहं गुरुवत्सर्वमेकपत्न्यस्तथा स्त्रियः। पतिव्रतानां शुश्रूषा दुष्करा प्रतिभाति मे। पतिव्रतानां महात्म्यं वक्तुमर्हसि नः प्रभो
I consider all as worthy of reverence, and likewise women who are devoted to one husband; service to the husband by faithful wives seems most difficult to me. You ought to tell us, O lord, the greatness of devoted wives.
निरुध्य चेन्द्रियग्रामं मनः संरुध्य चानघ। पतिं दैवतवच्चापि चिन्तयन्त्य स्थिता हि या
She who, restraining her senses and mind, stands thinking of her husband as a deity—such is her state, O sinless one.