नाकरोद्वचनं देव्या भयात्सुरसुतोपमा। ततःस्वैर्भूषणैर्दासीं भूषयित्वाऽप्सरोपमाम्
He, equal to the sons of the gods, did not obey the queen's command out of fear; then, adorning a maid with splendid ornaments, making her resemble an apsara,
प्रेषयामास कृष्णाय ततः काशिपतेः सुता। सा तं त्वृषिमनुप्राप्तं प्रत्युद्गम्याभिवाद्य च
he sent that maid, made beautiful, to Kṛṣṇa; then the daughter of the king of Kāśī, approaching the sage as he arrived,
संविवेशाभ्यनुज्ञाता सत्कृत्योपचचार ह। `वाग्भावोपप्रदानेन गात्रसंस्पर्शनेन च
having been permitted to enter, she honored him and served him with gifts of words and gestures, and by touching his limbs.
कामोपभोगेन रहस्तस्यां तुष्टिमगादृषिः। तया सहोषितो राजन्महर्षिः संशितव्रतः
In secret, the sage enjoyed pleasure with her, and was satisfied; O King, the great sage, firm in his vows, dwelled with her.
उत्तिष्ठन्नब्रवीदेनामभुजिष्या भविष्यसि। अयं च ते शुभे गर्भः श्रेयानुदरमागतः। धर्मात्मा भविता लोके सर्वबुद्धिमतां वरः
Rising, he said to her: 'You shall become a mother, and this noble child has entered your womb; he will be righteous in the world, foremost among all the wise.'
स जज्ञे विदुरो नाम कृष्णद्वैपायनात्मजः। धृतराष्ट्रस्य वै भ्राता पाण्डोश्चैव महात्मनः
He was born as Vidura, son of Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, the brother of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the great Pāṇḍu.
धर्मो विदुररूपेण शापात्तस्य महात्मनः। माण्डव्यस्यार्थतत्त्वज्ञः कामक्रोधविवर्जितः
By the curse of the great-souled Māṇḍavya, Dharma was born in the form of Vidura, knowing the essence of right and wrong, free from desire and anger.
कृष्णद्वैपायनोऽप्येतत्सत्यवत्यै न्यवेदयत्। प्रलम्भमात्मनश्चैव शूद्रायाः पुत्रजन्म च
Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana also reported all this to Satyavatī: his own delay and the birth of a son from the maid.
स धर्मस्यानृणो भूत्वा पुनर्मात्रा समेत्य च। तस्यै गर्भं समावेद्य तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
Having fulfilled his duty to Dharma, he again met his mother; having announced the conception to her, he then disappeared there itself.
एते विचित्रवीर्यस्य क्षेत्रे द्वैपायनादपि। जज्ञिरे देवगर्भाभाः कुरुवंशविवर्धनाः
These, born from Dvaipāyana in the field of Vicitravīrya, resembling children of the gods, increased the Kuru lineage.
किं कृतं कर्म धर्मेण येन शापमुपेयिवान्। कस्य शापाच्च ब्रह्मर्षेः शूद्रयोनावजायत
What deed did Dharma perform that he incurred a curse? And by whose curse was the great sage born in a śūdra womb?
बभूव ब्राह्मणः कश्चिन्माण्डव्य इति विश्रुतः। धृतिमान्सर्वधर्मज्ञः सत्ये तपसि च स्थितः
There was a certain brāhmaṇa named Māṇḍavya, renowned, steadfast, knowing all dharma, firm in truth and austerity.
स तीर्थयात्रां विचरन्नाजगाम यदृच्छया। संनिकृष्टानि तीर्थानि ग्रामाणां यानि कानि च। तत्राश्रमपदं कृत्वा वसति स्म महामुनिः
He, wandering on a pilgrimage, came by chance to various holy places near villages; there, establishing his hermitage, the great sage dwelled.
स आश्रमपदद्वारि वृक्षमूले महातपाः। ऊर्ध्वबाहुर्महायोगी तस्थौ मौनव्रतान्वितः
At the entrance of his hermitage, beneath a tree, the great ascetic stood with arms raised, absorbed in great yoga, observing a vow of silence.
तस्य कालेन महता तस्मिंस्तपसि वर्ततः। तमाश्रममनुप्राप्ता दस्यवो लोप्त्रहारिणः
While he was engaged in that great austerity for a long time, robbers who stole plunder came to his hermitage.
अनुसार्यमाणा बहुभी रक्षिभिर्भरतर्षभ। `तामेव वसतिं जग्मुस्ते ग्रामाल्लोप्त्रहारिणः
Pursued by many guards, O bull among the Bharatas, those thieves who had stolen plunder entered that very dwelling.
यस्मिन्नावसथे शेते स मुनिः संशितव्रतः।' ते तस्यावसथे लोप्त्रं दस्यवः कुरुसत्तम
In that dwelling where the sage, firm in his vows, lay, those thieves, O best of Kurus, hid their plunder there.
निधाय च भयाल्लीनास्तत्रैवानागते बले। तेषु लीनेष्वथो शीघ्रं ततस्तद्रक्षिणां बलम्
And, out of fear, they concealed themselves there before the guards arrived; when they had hidden, the guards quickly came to that place.
आजगाम ततोऽपश्यंस्तमृषिं तस्करानुगाः। तमपृच्छंस्ततो राजंस्तथावृत्तं तपोधनम्
Then I arrived and saw that sage, accompanied by the thieves; I questioned that ascetic, O King, about what had happened.
कतरेण पथा याता दस्यवो द्विजसत्तम। तेन गच्छामहे ब्रह्मन्यथा शीघ्रतरं वयम्
By which path did the robbers go, O best of twice-born? We will go that way, O Brahmin, so that we may reach them more quickly.
तथा तु रक्षिमां तेषां ब्रुवतां स तपोधनः। न किंचिद्वचनं राजन्नब्रवीत्साध्वसाधु वा
But as they spoke thus, asking him, that ascetic did not utter any word, O King, neither good nor bad.
ततस्ते राजपुरुषा विचिन्वानास्तमाश्रमम्। ददृशुस्तत्र लीनांस्तांश्चोरांस्तद्द्रव्यमेव च
Then the king’s men, searching his hermitage, saw there the thieves hiding, and the stolen goods as well.
ततः शङ्का समभवद्रक्षिणां तं मुनिं प्रति। संयम्यैनं ततो राज्ञे दस्यूंश्चैव न्यवेदयन्
Then suspicion arose among the guards regarding that sage; restraining him, they reported both him and the thieves to the king.
तं राजा सह तैश्चोरैरन्वशाद्वध्यतामिति। स रक्षिभिस्तैरज्ञातः शूले प्रोतो महातपाः
The king, together with those thieves, condemned him to death; unknown to them, that great ascetic was impaled on a stake by the guards.
ततस्ते शूलमारोप्य तं मुनिं रक्षिणस्तदा। प्रतिजग्मुर्महीपालं धनान्यादाय तान्यथ
Then those guards, having impaled the sage on the stake, returned to the king, taking with them the wealth.
शूलस्थः स तु धर्मात्मा कालेन महता ततः। निराहारोऽपि विप्रर्षिर्मरणं नाभ्यपद्यत
That righteous sage, though impaled on the stake for a long time and without food, did not meet death.
धारयामास च प्राणानृषींश्च समुपानयत्। शूलाग्रे तप्यमानेन तपस्तेन महात्मना
He sustained his life and summoned other sages; enduring the pain at the tip of the stake, that great soul performed austerity.
सन्तापं परमं जग्मुर्मुनयस्तपसाऽन्विताः। ते रात्रौ शकुना भूत्वा सन्निपत्त्य तु भारत। दर्शन्तो यथाशक्ति तमपृच्छन्द्विजोत्तमम्
The sages, endowed with austerity, experienced great distress; at night, O Bharata, they gathered together in the form of birds and questioned that best of Brahmins as best they could.
श्रोतुमिच्छामहे ब्रह्मन्किं पापं कृतवानसि। येनेह समनुप्राप्तं शूले दुःखभयं महत्
We wish to hear, O Brahmin, what sin you have committed, by which you have come to this great suffering and fear on the stake.
ततः स मुनिशार्दूलस्तानुवाच तपोधनान्। दोषतः कं गमिष्यामि न हि मेऽन्योपराध्यति
Then that tiger among sages spoke to those ascetics: 'By my own fault I shall go; no one else has wronged me.'