तथा सत्यं समाख्याहि जिहीर्षाम्याश्रमादिमाम्। स मन्युस्तत्र हृदयं प्रदहन्निव तिष्ठति
'Then declare the truth, for I wish to take her from the hermitage. Anger burns my heart here, as if consuming it.'
मत्पूर्वभार्यां यदिमां भृगुराप सुमध्यमाम्। `असंमतमिदं मेऽद्य हरिष्याम्याश्रमादिमाम्
'If Bhrigu has taken my former wife, the fair-waisted one, without my consent, today I will carry her away from the hermitage.'
एवं रक्षस्तमामन्त्र्य ज्वलितं जातवेदसम्। शङ्कमानं भृगोर्भार्यां पुनःपुनरपृच्छत
Thus, the demon repeatedly questioned the blazing Jātavedas, doubting whether she was Bhrigu's wife.
त्वमग्ने सर्वभूतानामन्तश्चरसि नित्यदा। साक्षिवत्पुण्यपापेषु सत्यं ब्रूहि कवे वचः
'O Agni, you always dwell within all beings; as a witness to virtue and vice, speak the truth, O wise one.'
मत्पूर्वभार्याऽपहृता भृगुणाऽनृतकारिणा। सेयं यदि तथा मे त्वं सत्यमाख्यातुमर्हसि
'My former wife was taken by Bhrigu, who acted falsely. If this is so, you must declare the truth to me.'
श्रुत्वा त्वत्तो भृगोर्भार्यां हरिष्याम्याश्रमादिमाम्। जातवेदः पश्यतस्ते वद सत्यां गिरं मम
'Having heard from you that she is Bhrigu's wife, I will take her from the hermitage. O Jātavedas, speak a truthful word to me, as you see fit.'
तस्यैतद्वचनं श्रुत्वा सप्तार्चिर्दुःखितोऽभवत्। `सत्यं वदामि यदि मे शापः स्याद्ब्रह्मवित्तमात्
Hearing these words, the seven-flamed Agni became distressed: 'If I speak the truth, I may be cursed by the knower of Brahman.'
असत्यं चेदहं ब्रूयां पतिष्ये नरकान्ध्रुवम्।' भीतोऽनृताच्च शापाच्च भृगोरित्यब्रवीच्छनैः
'If I speak falsely, I will surely fall into hell.' Fearing both falsehood and curse, he quietly replied, 'She is Bhrigu's.'
त्वया वृता पुलोमेयं पूर्वं दानवनन्दन। किं त्वियं विधिना पूर्वं मन्त्रवन्न वृता त्वया
You had previously chosen Puloma's daughter, O child of the Dānavas; but was she chosen by you before, according to the prescribed rite and with proper mantras?
पित्रा तु भृगवे दत्ता पुलोमेयं यशस्विनी। ददाति न पिता तुभ्यं वरलोभान्महायशाः
But Puloma's illustrious daughter was given by her father to Bhṛgu; her father, renowned and noble, did not give her to you, moved by desire for a better match.
अथेमां वेददृष्टेन कर्मणा विधिपूर्वकम्। भार्यामृषिर्भृगुः प्राप मां पुरस्कृत्य दानव
Then, following the ritual prescribed by the Vedas, Bhṛgu the sage obtained her as his wife, with all due ceremony, O Dānava, with me as witness.
सेयमित्यवगच्छामि नानृतं वक्तुमुत्सहे। नानृतं हि सदा लोके पूज्यते दानवोत्तम
This is the truth as I understand it; I cannot bring myself to speak falsehood, for in this world, O best of Dānavas, truth is always honored.
अग्नेरथ वचः श्रुत्वा तद्रक्षः प्रजहार ताम्। ब्रह्मन्वराहरूपेण मनोमारुतरंहसा
Hearing Agni's words, that Rākṣasa abandoned her, assuming the form of a brāhmaṇa and moving with the speed of thought and wind.
ततः स गर्भो निवसन्कुक्षौ भृगुकुलोद्वह। रोषान्मातुश्च्युतः कुक्षेश्च्यवनस्तेन सोऽभवत्
Then that embryo, dwelling in the womb of the noble Bhṛgu's wife, fell out from his mother's womb in anger, and thus became known as Cyavana.
तं दृष्ट्वा मातुरुदराच्च्युतमादित्यवर्चसम्। तद्रक्षो भस्मसाद्भूतं पपात परिमुच्य ताम्
Seeing him, radiant as the sun, fallen from his mother's womb, that Rākṣasa was reduced to ashes and fell down, releasing her.
सा तमादाय सुश्रोणी ससार भृगुनन्दनम्। च्यवनं भार्गवं पुत्रं पुलोमा दुःखमूर्च्छिता
She, of lovely hips, took up her son Cyavana, descendant of Bhṛgu, and fled, Pulomā overcome with grief.
तां ददर्श स्वयं ब्रह्मा सर्वलोकपितामहः। रुदतीं बाष्पपूर्णाक्षीं भृगोर्भार्यामनिन्दिताम्
Brahmā himself, the grandsire of all worlds, saw her—Bhṛgu's blameless wife—crying, her eyes filled with tears.
सान्त्वयामास भगवान्वधूं ब्रह्मा पितामहः। अश्रुबिन्दूद्भवा तस्याः प्रावर्तत महानदी
The blessed grandsire Brahmā comforted the bride, and from her tear-drops a great river began to flow.
आवर्तन्ती सृतिं तस्या भृगोः पत्न्यास्तपस्विनः। तस्या मार्गं सृतवतीं दृष्ट्वा तु सरितं तदा
That river, following the path of the ascetic wife of Bhṛgu, began to flow; seeing her course, the river was thus established.
नाम तस्यास्तदा नद्याश्चक्रे लोकपितामहः। वधूसरेति भगवांश्च्यवनस्याश्रमं प्रति
Then the grandsire of the worlds gave that river her name: Vadhūsarā, as she flowed toward Cyavana's hermitage.
स एवं च्यवनो जज्ञे भृगोः पुत्रः प्रतापवान्। तं ददर्श पिता तत्र च्यवनं तां च भामिनीम्। स पुलोमां ततो भार्यां पप्रच्छ कुपितो भृगुः
Thus Cyavana, the mighty son of Bhṛgu, was born; there his father saw Cyavana and the radiant lady, and Bhṛgu, angered, questioned his wife Pulomā.
केनासि रक्षसे तस्मै कथिता त्वं जिहीर्षवे। न हि त्वा वेद तद्रक्षो मद्भार्यां चारुहासिनीम्
By whom were you revealed to that Rākṣasa, who wished to seize you? For that Rākṣasa did not know you were my wife, O lovely-smiling one.
तत्त्वमाख्याहि तं ह्यद्य शप्तुमिच्छाम्यहं रुषा। बिभेति को न शापान्मे कस्य चायं व्यतिक्रमः
Tell me the truth, for today I wish to curse him in my wrath; who does not fear my curses, and whose is this transgression?
अग्निना भगवंस्तस्मै रक्षसेऽहं निवेदिता। ततो मामनयद्रक्षः क्रोशन्तीं कुररीमिव
O blessed one, I was revealed to that Rākṣasa by Agni; then that Rākṣasa carried me off as I cried out like a curlew.
साऽहं तव सुतस्यास्य तेजसा परिमोक्षिता। भस्मीभूतं च तद्रक्षो मामुत्सृज्य पपात वै
I was freed by the radiance of your son; that Rākṣasa, reduced to ashes, released me and fell.
इति श्रुत्वा पुलोमाया भृगुः परममन्युमान्। शशापाग्निमतिक्रुद्धः सर्वभक्षो भविष्यसि
Hearing Pulomā's words, Bhṛgu, filled with intense anger, cursed Agni in his fury: 'You shall become the devourer of all.'
शप्तस्तु भृगुणा वह्निः क्रुद्धो वाक्यमथाब्रवीत्। किमिदं साहसं ब्रह्मन्कृतवानसि मां प्रति
Having been cursed by Bhrigu, Agni, angered, then spoke these words: 'O Brahman, what is this rash act you have committed against me?'
धर्मे प्रयतमानस्य सत्यं च वदतः समम्। पृष्टो यदब्रवं सत्यं व्यभिचारोऽत्र को मम
I strive in righteousness and always speak the truth; when questioned, I replied truthfully—what fault is there in me here?
पृष्टो हिसाक्षीयः साक्ष्यं जानानोऽप्यन्यथा वदेत्। स पूर्वानात्मनः सप्त कुले हन्यात्तथाऽपरान्
If a witness, knowing the truth, speaks otherwise when questioned, he destroys seven generations of his ancestors and descendants.
यश्च कार्यार्थतत्त्वज्ञो जानानोऽपि न भाषते। सोऽपि तेनैव पापेन लिप्यते नात्र संशयः
And he who knows the truth of the matter but does not speak for the sake of justice, is also tainted by the same sin—there is no doubt about this.