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.
भगवत्याः प्रसादेन गच्छेत्क्षत्रमनामयम्। उपारम्य च गच्छेम सहिताः पापकर्मणः
By your grace, O blessed one, may the Kshatriyas be restored unharmed; having ceased from evil deeds, may we all depart together.
सपुत्रा त्वं प्रसादं नः कर्तुमर्हसि शोभने। पुनर्दृष्टिप्रदानेन राज्ञः संत्रातुमर्हसि
With your son, you ought to show us favor, O beautiful one; by granting us sight again, you should protect the kings.
गन्धर्व उवाच
The Gandharva said:
तेन चक्षूंषि वस्ताता व्यक्तं कोपान्महात्मना। स्मरता निहतान्बन्धूनादत्तानि न संशयः
It is clear that your sight was taken away by that great soul, out of anger, remembering his slain kin and the wrongs done—there is no doubt.
गर्भानपि यदा यूयं भृगूणां घ्नत पुत्रकाः। तदायमूरुणा गर्भो मया वर्षशतं धृतः
When you, O princes, killed even the unborn children of the Bhargavas, at that time I bore this child in my thigh for a hundred years.
षडङ्गश्चाखिलो वेद इमं गर्भस्थमेव ह। विवेश भृगुवंशस्य भूयः प्रियचिकीर्षया
The entire Veda, with its six branches, entered this child while still in the womb, wishing to do good to the Bhargava lineage.
सोऽयं पितृवधाद्व्यक्तं क्रोधाद्वो हन्तुमिच्छति। तेजसा तस्य दिव्येन चक्षूंषि मुषितानि वः
Because of the slaying of his ancestors, he clearly wishes, out of wrath, to destroy you; by his divine energy, your sight was taken away.
तमेव यूयं याचध्वमौर्वं मम सुतोत्तमम्। अयं वः प्रणिपातेन तुष्टो दृष्टीः प्रदास्यति
You should approach that Aurva, my excellent son; if you bow before him, he will be pleased and restore your sight.
एवमुक्तास्ततः सर्वे राजानस्ते तमूरुजम्। ऊचुः प्रसीदेति तदा प्रसादं च चकार सः
Thus addressed, all those kings then spoke to Aurva, asking for his favor, and he granted them his grace.
अनेनैव च विख्यातो नाम्ना लोकेषु सत्तमः। स और्व इति विप्रर्षिरूरुं भित्त्वा व्यजायत
By this very name he became renowned among the worlds; thus the sage Aurva, bursting from the thigh, was born.