सहस्रजिह्वं भास्वंतं सहस्रमुकुटं प्रभुम्
He who has a thousand faces, a thousand eyes, a thousand rays,
सवनं भवनं चैव हव्यं होतारमेव च
A thousand tongues, shining, a thousand crowns, the Lord—
श्रोत्रियं शूर्पमुसलं प्रोक्षणं दक्षिणायनम्
The libation, the dwelling, the offering, the priest himself,
यूपं समित्स्रुवं दर्वीं मुसलोलूखलानि च
The learned, the winnowing basket, the pestle, the sprinkling, the southern course,
रहस्यानि प्रमाणानि स्थावराणि चराणि च
The sacrificial post, the kindling stick, the ladle, the pestle and mortars as well—
मंत्रयज्ञवहं वह्निभागं भार्गवमेव च
The share of fire that carries the mantras and sacrifices, and that which belongs to Bhargava,
आयुर्वेदविदो विप्रा यजंते शाश्वतं विभुम् 1.158.
The Brahmins who know Ayurveda worship the eternal, all-pervading Lord.
प्राहुर्भावसहस्राणि समतीतान्यनेकशः
They say that thousands of existences have passed, in countless ways.
यत्पृच्छसि महाराज पुण्यां दिव्यां कथां शुभाम्
O great king, the holy, divine, and auspicious story you ask about,
तामहं त्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु सर्वमशेषतः
That I shall tell you; listen to everything in its entirety.
बहुशः सर्वभूतात्मा स्वयं समभिजायते
Again and again, the Self of all beings is born by its own will.
तुष्टो दत्त्वा वरं वीर विरञ्चस्य महात्मनः
When pleased, the mighty Virancha grants a boon, O hero.
स स याति विनाशं वै तत्क्षणादेव भारत
But that is destroyed at once, O Bharata.
जगाम कश्यपाभ्याशे शोकव्याकुलितेक्षणा
She went to Kasyapa, her eyes filled with grief and distress.
आद्यं देवगुरुं विप्रं दिव्यं त्रिषवणांबुभिः
To the primeval sage, the divine preceptor of the gods, radiant with the waters of the three ablutions,
न्यस्तदण्डश्रिया युक्तं बद्धकृष्णाजिनांबरम्
Endowed with the splendor of a renouncer's staff, clad in a black antelope skin garment,
हुताशमिव दीव्यन्तं तपन्तमिव भास्करम् 1.158.
Shining like sacrificial fire, blazing like the sun.
शोकगद्गदया वाचा इदं वचनमब्रवीत्
With a voice choked by sorrow, she spoke these words:
जातोजातो हि मे पुत्रः सद्य एव विनश्यति
Each time a son is born to me, he perishes immediately.
चकार गमने बुद्धिं ब्रह्मलोकं प्रति प्रभो
He resolved to go to the world of Brahma, O Lord.
तद्वाक्य मुक्तं तं सर्वं यदुक्तं तस्य जायया
All those words spoken by his wife were conveyed.
पुत्र गच्छाम सदनं भानोः परमदुर्लभम्
Son, let us go to the abode of the Sun, which is extremely difficult to attain.
वेधा जगाम भवनमादित्यस्य महात्मनः
The Creator went to the abode of the great-souled Sun.
ते मुहूर्तेन संप्राप्ताः सूर्यलोकं सुवर्चसम्
They arrived in a moment at the radiant world of the Sun.
आदित्यं प्रष्टुमिच्छंति तेजसां राशिमुत्तमम्
They wished to question the Sun, the supreme mass of brilliance.
षट्पदोद्गीतनिनदां साभगैस्तु समीरिताम्
There, the fortunate ones heard the humming of bees and the chanting of the Sāman.
तुष्टुवुः पुरुषव्याघ्रं विततेषु च कर्मसु 1.158.
They praised the tiger among men as he performed the prescribed rites.
घोषेण परमर्षीणां सर्वं तत्र निनादितम्
With the sound of the great sages, everything there resounded.
अष्टादशपुराणज्ञैः सर्वविद्याविशारदैः
There were those who knew the eighteen Purāṇas, experts in all knowledge.
लोकायतिकमुख्यैश्च तुष्टुवुः सूर्यमीरितम्
And the foremost among the Lokāyatikas also praised the Sun as declared.