तं तदा सुसमिद्धोऽपि न ददाह हुताशनः। दीप्यमानोऽप्यमित्रघ्न शीतोऽग्निरभवत्ततः
Then, though the fire blazed brightly, it did not burn him; O destroyer of foes, though kindled, the fire became cool.
स समुद्रमभिप्रेक्ष्य शोकाविष्टो महामुनिः। बद्ध्वा कण्ठे शिलां गुर्वीं निपपात तदाम्भसि
The great sage, overwhelmed by grief, looked toward the ocean, tied a heavy stone to his neck, and plunged into those waters.
स समुद्रोर्मिवेगेन स्थले न्यस्तो महामुनिः। न ममार यदा विप्रः कथंचित्संशितव्रतः। जगाम स ततः खिन्नः पुनरेवाश्रमं प्रति
By the force of the ocean's waves, the great sage was cast onto the shore; though his vow was firm, the Brahmin did not die, and so, distressed, he returned again to his hermitage.
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Vasiṣṭha said:
ततो दृष्ट्वाश्रमपदं रहितं तैः सुतैर्मुनिः। निर्जगाम सुदुःखार्तः पुनरप्याश्रमात्ततः
Then, seeing his hermitage empty of his sons, the sage, tormented by deep sorrow, left the hermitage once more.
सोऽपश्यत्सरितं पूर्णां प्रावृट्काले नवाम्भसा। वृक्षान्बहुविधान्पार्थ हरन्तीं तीरजान्बहून्
He saw a river, full with fresh rainwater of the monsoon season, carrying away many kinds of trees and numerous plants from its banks, O Pārtha.
अथ चिन्तां समापेदे पुनः कौरवनन्दन। अम्भस्यस्या निमज्जेयमिति दुःखसमन्वितः
Then, O joy of the Kurus, overwhelmed by sorrow, he thought again, 'I will drown myself in these waters.'
ततः पाशैस्तदात्मानं गाढं बद्ध्वा महामुनिः। तस्या जले महानद्या निममज्ज सुदुःखितः
Thereupon, the great sage, deeply distressed, tightly bound himself with cords and plunged into the water of that great river.
अथ च्छित्त्वा नदी पाशांस्तस्यारिबलसूदन। स्थलस्थं तमृषिं कृत्वा विपाशं समवासृजत्
But the river, breaking those cords, set the sage upon dry land and flowed on, O slayer of hostile forces, thus earning the name Vipāśā.
उत्ततार ततः पाशैर्विमुक्तः स महानृषिः। विपाशेति च नामास्या नद्याश्चक्रे महानृषिः
Freed from the cords, the great sage rose up from the water, and he gave that river the name Vipāśā.
सा विपाशेति विख्याता नदी लोकेषु भारत। ऋषेस्तस्य नरव्याघ्र वचनात्सत्यवादिनः। उत्तीर्य च तदा राजन्दुःखितो भगवानृषिः
That river is renowned among people as Vipāśā, O Bhārata, because of the words of that truthful sage; and having crossed it, the blessed sage, still sorrowful, continued on, O king.
शोके बुद्धिं तदा चक्रे न चैकत्र व्यतिष्ठत। सोऽगच्छत्पर्वतांश्चैव सरितश्च सरांसि च
Then, in his grief, he resolved in his mind but did not remain in one place; he wandered among mountains, rivers, and lakes.
दृष्ट्वा स पुनरेवर्षिर्नदीं हैमवतीं तदा। चण्डग्राहवतीं भीमां तस्याः स्रोतस्यपातयत्
Again, the sage saw the Himalayan river, fierce and filled with dangerous crocodiles, and cast himself into its current.
सा तमग्निसं विप्रमनुचिन्त्य सरिद्वरा। शतधा विद्रुता तस्माच्छतद्रुरिति विश्रुता
But that excellent river, thinking of the Brahmin as fire, split into a hundred streams and fled, and thus became known as the Śatadru.
ततः स्थलगतं दृष्ट्वा तत्राप्यात्मानमात्मना। मर्तुं न शक्यमित्युक्त्वा पुवरेवाश्रमं ययौ
Then, seeing himself again on dry land, he said to himself that it was not possible to die there, and so he returned once more to his hermitage.
स गत्वा विविधाञ्शैलान्देशान्बहुविधांस्तथा। अदृशन्त्याख्यया वध्वाथाश्रमेनुसृतोऽभवत्
He went to various mountains and many different regions, and was followed by his wife Adṛśyantī, who was called by that name.
अथ शुश्राव संगत्या वेदाध्ययननिःस्वनम्। पृष्ठतः परिपूर्णार्थं षड्मिरङ्गैरलङ्कृतम्
Then, gathering together, he heard the sound of Vedic recitation from behind, complete in meaning and adorned with the six limbs.
अनुव्रजति कोन्वेष मामित्येवाथ सोऽब्रवीत्। अदृश्यन्त्येवमुक्ता वै तं स्नुषा प्रत्यभाषत
As he was being followed, he said, 'Who is this following me?' Thus addressed, Adṛśyantī, his daughter-in-law, replied to him.
शक्तोभार्या महाभाग तपोयुक्ता तपस्विनम्। अहमेकाकिनी चापि त्वया गच्छामि नापरः
O blessed one, your wife is endowed with great austerity and is fit for an ascetic; I too, though alone, will go with you—there is no other way.
पुत्रि कस्यैष साङ्गस्य वेदस्याध्ययनस्वनः। पुरा साङ्गस्य वेदस्य शक्तेरिव मया श्रुतः
Daughter, whose is this sound of Vedic recitation with its limbs? Long ago, I heard such a sound of the Veda with its branches, as if it were Śakti's.
अयं कुक्षौ समुत्पन्नः शक्तेर्गर्भः सुतस्य ते। समा द्वादश तस्येह वेदानभ्यस्यतो मुने
This child, conceived in the womb, is the son of Śakti, your son; for twelve years here, he has been practicing the Vedas, O sage.
एवमुक्तस्तया हृष्टो वसिष्ठः श्रेष्ठभागृषिः। अस्ति सन्तानमित्युक्त्वा मृत्योः पार्थ न्यवर्तत
Thus addressed by her, the illustrious sage Vasiṣṭha rejoiced; saying, 'There is progeny,' he turned back from death, O Pārtha.
ततः प्रतिनिवृत्तः स तया वध्वा सहानघ। कल्माषपादमासीनं ददर्श विजने वने
Then, having turned back with his wife, O sinless one, he saw Kalmāṣapāda seated in a lonely forest.
स तु दृष्ट्वैव तं राजा क्रुद्ध उत्थाय भारत। आविष्टो रक्षसोग्रेण इयेषात्तुं तदा मुनिम्
But when the king saw him, O Bhārata, he rose in anger, possessed by a fierce demon, and sought to devour the sage.
अदृश्यन्ती तु तं दृष्ट्वा क्रूरकर्माणमग्रतः। भयसंविग्नया वाचा वसिष्ठमिदमब्रवीत्
Seeing him, cruel in his deeds, approaching in front, she, invisible, spoke to Vasiṣṭha with a voice trembling in fear.
असौ मृत्युरिवोग्रेण दण्डेन भगवन्नितः। प्रगृहीतेन काष्ठेन राक्षसोऽभ्येति दारुणः
O blessed one, like Death himself with a terrible staff, this dreadful demon approaches here, brandishing a piece of wood.
तं निवारयितुं शक्तो नान्योऽस्ति भुवि कश्चन। स्वदृतेऽद्य महाभाग सर्ववेदविदां वर
No one on earth but you, O blessed one, best of those who know all the Vedas, is able today to restrain him.
पाहि मां भगवन्पापादस्माद्दारुणदर्शनात्। राक्षसोऽयमिहात्तुं वै नूनमावां समीहते
Protect me, O blessed one, from this sinful, dreadful-looking being; this demon surely intends to devour us here.
माभैः पुत्रि न भेतव्यं राक्षसात्तु कथंचन। नैतद्रक्षो भयं यस्मात्पश्यसि त्वमुपस्थितम्
Do not fear, daughter; you need not be afraid of the demon in any way. This is not a demon from whom you see danger approaching.
राजा कल्माषपादोऽयं वीर्यवान्प्रथितो भुवि। स एषोऽस्मिन्वनोद्देशे निवसत्यतिभीषणः
This is King Kalmāṣapāda, renowned for his might on earth; he dwells in this part of the forest, exceedingly terrifying.