जरत्कारुः सुमहता कालेन स्वर्गमेयिवान्। एतदाख्यानमास्तीकं यथावत्कथितं मया। प्रब्रूहि भृगुशार्दूल किमन्यत्कथयामि ते
Jaratkaru, after a very long time, went to heaven; thus I have told you the story of Āstīka as it truly happened. Tell me, O tiger among the Bhṛgus, what else shall I narrate to you?
सौते त्वं कथयस्वेमां विस्तरेण कथां पुनः। आस्तीकस्य कवेःसाधोः शुश्रूषा परमा हिनः
O Sauti, please recount this story of Āstīka the sage and poet once again in detail, for our desire to listen is very great.
मधुरं कथ्यते सौम्य श्लक्ष्णाक्षरपदं त्वया। प्रीयामहे भृशं तात पितेवेदं प्रभाषसे
Gentle one, you narrate sweetly, with words and syllables that are smooth; we are greatly delighted, dear one, for you speak as a father would.
अस्मच्छुश्रूषणे नित्यं पिता हि निरतस्तव। आचष्टैतद्यथाऽऽक्यानं पिता तेत्वं तथा वद
Your father was always devoted to serving us with attentive listening; tell this story just as your father recounted it.
आयुष्मन्निदमाख्यानमास्तीकं कथयामि ते। यथाश्रुतं कथयतः सकाशाद्वै पितुर्मया
O long-lived one, I shall tell you this story of Āstīka as I heard it from my father, relating it exactly as it was narrated.
पुरा देवयुगे ब्रह्मन्प्रजापतिसुते शुभे। आस्तां भगिन्यौ रूपेण समुपेतेऽद्भुतेऽनघ
Long ago, in the age of the gods, O Brāhmaṇa, there were two sisters, daughters of Prajāpati, both wondrous and beautiful, O sinless one.
ते भार्ये कश्यपस्यास्तां कद्रूश्च विनता च ह। प्रादात्ताभ्यां वरं प्रीतः प्रजापतिसमः पतिः
Those two, Kadrū and Vinatā, became wives of Kaśyapa; pleased with them, their husband, equal to Prajāpati, granted them a boon.
कश्यपो धर्मपत्नीभ्यां मुदा परमया युतः। वरातिसर्गं श्रुत्वैवं कश्यपादुत्तमं च ते
Kaśyapa, filled with the highest joy together with his virtuous wives, heard their supreme requests for boons and—
हर्षादप्रतिमां प्रीतिं प्रापतुः स्म वरस्त्रियौ। वव्रे कद्रूः सुतान्नागान्सहस्रं तुल्यवर्चसः
The two women, filled with incomparable delight, received their boons; Kadrū chose a thousand sons, all equal in splendor.
द्वौ पुत्रौ विनता वव्रे कद्रूपुत्राधिकौ बले। तेजसा वपुषा चैव विक्रमेणाधिकौ च तौ
Vinatā chose two sons, superior in strength to the sons of Kadrū, and greater than them in energy, beauty, and prowess.
तस्यै भर्ता वरं प्रादादीदृसौ ते भविष्यतः। एवमस्त्विति तं चाह कश्यपं विनता तदा
To her, the husband granted the boon: 'Such sons will be born to you.' Vinatā then said to Kaśyapa, 'So be it.'
यथावत्प्रार्थितं लब्ध्वा वरं तुष्टाभवत्तदा। कृतकृत्या तु विनता लब्ध्वा वीर्याधिकौ सुतौ
Having obtained the boon as she had wished, Vinatā was satisfied; having gained two sons superior in might, she felt accomplished.
कद्रूश्च लब्ध्वा पुत्राणां सहस्रं तुल्यवर्चसाम्। धार्यौ प्रयत्नतो गर्भावित्युक्त्वा स महातपाः
And Kadrū, having obtained a thousand sons equal in splendor, was told by the great ascetic, 'Both of you must carefully bear your pregnancies.'
ते भार्ये वरसंतुष्टे कश्यपो वनमाविशत्
With their wishes fulfilled by the boons, Kaśyapa's two wives entered the forest.
जनयामास विप्रेन्द्र द्वे चाण्डे विनता तदा। तयोरण्डानि निदधुः प्रहृष्टाः परिचारिकाः
At that time, O best of Brāhmaṇas, Vinatā laid two eggs; their attendants, delighted, placed the eggs for safekeeping.
सोपस्वेदेषु भाण्डेषु पञ्चवर्षशतानि च। ततः पञ्चशते काले कद्रूपुत्रा विनिःसृताः
For five hundred years, in vessels kept warm and moist, after that time, the sons of Kadrū emerged.
अण्डाभ्यां विनतायास्तु मिथुनं न व्यदृश्यत। ततः पुत्रार्थिनी देवी व्रीडिता च तपस्विनी
From the two eggs of Vinatā, no offspring appeared; then, the goddess, desiring a son and feeling ashamed, undertook austerities.
अण्डं बिभेद विनता तत्र पुत्रमपश्यत। पूर्वार्धकायसंपन्नमितरेणाप्रकाशता
Vinatā broke open one egg and saw a son within, but his body was only half-formed, while the other part remained unmanifest.
स पुत्रः क्रोधसंरब्धः शशापैनामिति श्रुतिः। योऽहमेवं कृतो मातस्त्वया लोभपरीतया
That son, enraged with anger, cursed her, saying: 'Because you, mother, driven by greed, have done this to me—'
शरीरेणासमग्रेण तस्माद्दासी भविष्यसि। पञ्च वर्षशतान्यस्या यया विस्पर्धसे सह
'Since my body is incomplete, you shall become a slave for five hundred years to her with whom you contend.'
एष च त्वां सुतो मातर्दासीत्वान्मोचयिष्यति। यद्येनमपि मातस्त्वं मामिवाण्डविभेदनात्
'But, mother, this son of yours will release you from slavery, if you do not, as you did with me, break open his egg prematurely.'
न करिष्यस्यनङ्गं वा व्यङ्गं वापि तपस्विनम्। प्रतिपालयितव्यस्ते जन्मकालोऽस्य धीरया
'You must not make him, O ascetic lady, either incomplete or deformed; you must patiently await the time of his birth.'
विशिष्टं बलमीप्सन्त्या पञ्चवर्षशतात्परः। एवं शप्त्वा ततः पुत्रो विनतामन्तरिक्षगः
'Desiring a son of superior strength, you must wait beyond five hundred years.' Having thus cursed her, the son departed into the sky.
अरुणोऽदृश्यत ब्रह्मन्प्रभातसमये तदा। `उद्यन्नथ सहस्रांशुर्दृष्ट्वा तमरुणं प्रभुः
Then Aruṇa appeared, O Brāhmaṇa, at the break of dawn; seeing him, the radiant lord of a thousand rays rose up.
स्वतेजसा प्रज्वलन्तमात्मनः समतेजसम्। सारथ्ये कल्पयामास प्रीयमाणस्तमोनुदः
Blazing with his own brilliance, equal in splendor to himself, the dispeller of darkness, pleased, appointed him as charioteer.
सोऽपि तं रथमारुह्य भानोरमिततेजसः। सर्वलोकप्रदीपस्य ह्यमरोऽप्यरुणोऽभवत्
He too, ascending the chariot of the sun of immeasurable energy, became Aruṇa, the immortal charioteer of the illuminator of all worlds.
गरुडोऽपि यथाकालं जज्ञे पन्नगभोजनः। स जातमात्रो विनतां परित्यज्य खमाविशत्
Garuda too was born in due time, the devourer of serpents; as soon as he was born, he left Vinatā and entered the sky.
आदास्यन्नात्मनो भोज्यमन्नं विहितमस्य यत्। विधात्रा भृगुशार्दूल क्षुधितः पतगेश्वरः
Desiring to obtain the food destined for him by the Creator, O tiger among the Bhṛgus, the hungry lord of birds set out.
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु भगिन्यौ ते तपोधन। अपश्यतां समायान्तमुच्चैः श्रवसमन्तिकात्
At that very time, O possessor of austerities, those two sisters saw Uccaiḥśravas approaching from nearby.
यं तु देवगणाः सर्वे हृष्टरूपमपूजयन्। मथ्यमानेऽमृते जातमश्वरत्नमनुत्तमम्
All the hosts of gods, delighted, worshipped him, the supreme horse-gem, born during the churning of the nectar.