ततस्तस्यां समुत्पन्ने गर्भे स मुनिसत्तमः। राज्ञाभिवादितस्तेन जगाम मुनिराश्रमम्
When she had conceived, that best of sages, having been respectfully greeted by the king, departed to his hermitage.
दीर्घकालेन सा गर्भं सुषुवे न तु तं यदा। तदा देव्यश्मना कुक्षिं निर्बिभेद यशस्विनी
After a long time, though she bore the child, she did not give birth; then the illustrious queen split her womb with a stone.
ततो द्वादशमे वर्षे स जज्ञे पुरषर्षभः। अश्मको नाम राजर्षिः पौदन्यं यो न्यवेशयत्
Then, in the twelfth year, was born the foremost among princes, a royal sage named Ashmaka, who established Paudanya.
आश्रमस्था ततः पुत्रमदृश्यन्ती व्यजायत। शक्तेः कुलकरं राजन् द्वितीयमिव शक्तिनम्
Then, living in the hermitage, Adrushyanti gave birth to a son, the upholder of Shakti's line, like a second Shakti himself, O king.
जातकर्मादिकास्तस्य क्रियाः स मुनिसत्तमः। पौत्रस्य भरतश्रेष्ठ चकार भगवान्स्वयम्
That best of sages himself performed all the rites for his grandson, O best of the Bharatas, beginning with the birth ceremony.
परासुः स यतस्तेन वसिष्ठः स्थापितो मुनिः। गर्भस्थेन ततो लोके पराशर इति स्मृतः
Because his father had departed, the sage Vasiṣṭha was established as his guardian; and since he was in the womb when this happened, he became known in the world as Parāśara.
अमन्यत स धर्मात्मा वसिष्ठं पितरं मुनिः। जन्मप्रभृति तस्मिंस्तु पितरीवान्ववर्तत
That righteous sage regarded Vasiṣṭha as his father, and from birth onward, he behaved toward him as a son would toward his own father.
स तात इति विप्रर्षिं वसिष्ठं प्रत्यभाषत। मातुः समक्षं कौन्तेय अदृश्यन्त्याः परन्तप
He addressed the sage Vasiṣṭha as 'Father,' O son of Kuntī, in the presence of his mother Adṛśyantī, who was unseen.
तातेति परिपूर्णार्थं तस्य तन्मधुरं वचः। अदृश्यन्त्यश्रुपूर्णाक्षी शृण्वती तमुवाच ह
When he said 'Father' with full meaning, Adṛśyantī, her eyes filled with tears, heard those sweet words and spoke to him.
मा तात ताततातेति ब्रूह्येनं पितरं पितुः। रक्षसा भक्षितस्तात तव तातो वनान्तरे
'Do not call him father, my child; do not address him as your father. Your father was devoured by a Rākṣasa in the forest, my son.'
मन्यसे यं तु तातेति नैष तातस्तवानघ। आर्य एष पिता तस्य पितुस्तव यशस्विनः
'The one whom you call father is not your father, O sinless one. He is a noble man, the father of your illustrious father.'
स एवमुक्तो दुःखार्तः सत्यवागृषिसत्तमः। सर्वलोकविनाशाय मतिं चक्रे महामनाः
Thus addressed, that truthful and eminent sage, overwhelmed by grief, resolved in his mind to destroy all the worlds.
तं तथा निश्चितात्मानं स महात्मा महातपाः। ऋषिर्ब्रह्मविदां श्रष्ठो मैत्रावरुणिरन्त्यधीः
Seeing him thus determined, that great-souled and mighty ascetic, foremost among knowers of Brahman, Maitrāvaruṇi, who was wise, intervened.
वसिष्ठो वारयामास हेतुना येन तच्छृणु
Vasiṣṭha restrained him with reasoning; hear now by what means.
याज्यो वेदविदां लोके भृगूणां पार्थिवर्षभः। स तानग्रभुजस्तात धान्येन च धनेन च
O bull among kings, in the world, the Bhṛgus are foremost among those who know the Vedas and are worthy of sacrifice; they were honored, my child, with grain and wealth.
सोमान्ते तर्पयामास विपुलेन विशांपतिः। तस्मिन्नृपतिशार्दूले स्वर्यातेऽथ कथंचन
At the end of the Soma sacrifice, the lord of the people satisfied them with abundant gifts; and when that king ascended to heaven—somehow—
बभूव तत्कुलेयानां द्रव्यकार्यमुपस्थितम्। भृगूणां तु धनं ज्ञात्वा राजानः सर्व एव ते
Then, in that lineage, a need for wealth arose; and knowing of the Bhṛgus' riches, all the kings—
याचिष्णवोऽभिजग्मुस्तांस्ततो भार्गवसत्तमान्। भूमौ तु निददुः केचिद्भृगवो धनमक्षयम्
—came as supplicants to those best of Bhṛgus; some of the Bhṛgus hid their inexhaustible wealth in the earth.
ददुः केचिद्द्विजातिभ्यो ज्ञात्वा क्षत्रियतो भयम्। भृहवस्तु ददुः केचित्तेषां वित्तं यथेप्सितम्
Some gave it to other twice-born, fearing danger from the kṣatriyas; and some Bhṛgus gave away their wealth as they wished.
क्षत्रियाणां तदा तात कारणान्तरदर्शनात्। ततो महीतलं तात क्षत्रियेण यदृच्छया
Then, O child, because of another reason concerning the kṣatriyas, the wealth that had been hidden in the earth by a kṣatriya—
खनताऽधिगतं वित्तं केनच्चिद्धृगुवेश्मनि। तद्वित्तं ददृशुः सर्वे समेताः क्षत्रियर्षभाः
—was discovered by someone while digging in the house of a Bhṛgu; and all the assembled kṣatriya chiefs saw that wealth.
अवमन्य ततः क्रोधाद्भृगूंस्ताञ्छरणगतान्। निजघ्नुः परमेष्वासाः सर्वांस्तान्निशितैः शरैः
Then, scorning those Bhṛgus who had taken refuge with them, the mighty archers, out of anger, slew them all with sharp arrows.
आगर्भादवकृन्तन्तश्चेरुः सर्वां वसुन्धराम्। तत उच्छिद्यमानेषु भृगुष्वेवं भयात्तदा
They cut the Bhargavas from the womb and roamed over the entire earth; thus, when the Bhargavas were being destroyed in this way out of fear—
भृगुपत्न्यो गिरिं दुर्गं हिमवन्तं प्रपेदिरे। तासामन्यतमा गर्भं भयाद्दध्रे महौजसम्
The wives of the Bhargavas fled to the inaccessible mountain Himavat; one among them, out of fear, bore a mighty child in her womb.
ऊरुणैकेन वाभोरूर्भर्तुः कुलविवृद्धये। तं गर्भमुपलभ्याशु ब्राह्मण्येका भयार्दिता
She concealed the child in her thigh for the sake of her husband's lineage; perceiving that pregnancy, one Brahmin woman, terrified, quickly—
गत्वा वै कथयामास क्षत्रियाणामुपह्वरे। ततस्ते क्षत्रिया जग्मुस्तं गर्भं हन्तुमुद्यताः
Went and reported it to the Kshatriyas in a secluded place; then those Kshatriyas set out, intent on killing that unborn child.
ददृशुर्ब्राह्मणीं तेऽथ दीप्यमानां स्वतेजसा। अथ गर्भः स भित्त्वोरुं ब्राह्मण्या निर्जगाम ह
They saw the Brahmin woman, blazing with her own radiance; then the child broke through her thigh and emerged.
मुष्णन्दृष्टीः क्षत्रियाणां मध्याह्न इव भास्करः। ततश्चक्षुर्विहीनास्ते गिरिदुर्गेषु बभ्रमुः
He robbed the Kshatriyas of their sight, like the midday sun; thus deprived of vision, they wandered in the mountain fastnesses.
ततस्ते मोघसङ्कल्पा भयार्ताः क्षत्रियाः पुनः। ब्राह्मणीं शरमं जग्मुर्दृष्ट्यर्थं तामनिन्दिताम्
Then those Kshatriyas, their efforts fruitless and stricken by fear, again approached the blameless Brahmin woman, seeking the return of their sight.
ऊचुश्चैनां महाभागां क्षत्रियास्ते विचेतसः। ज्योतिःप्रहीणा दुःखार्ताः शान्तार्चिष इवाग्नयः
Those Kshatriyas, bewildered and deprived of light, spoke to her, the illustrious one, as fires whose flames have died down speak in distress.