तस्मात् पार्थ न संतापस् त्वया कार्यः पराभवात् भवन्ति भवकालेषु पुरुषाणां पराक्रमाः
Therefore, Partha, you should not grieve over defeat; in the course of existence, the valor of men rises and falls.
यतस् त्वयैकेन हता भीष्मद्रोणादयो नृपाः तेषाम् अर्जुन कालोत्थः किं न्यूनाभिभवो न सः
For by you alone, Bhishma, Drona, and other kings were slain; O Arjuna, their defeat too arose from time—how is your own defeat any less?
विष्णोस् तस्यानुभावेन यथा तेषां पराभवः त्वत्तस् तथैव भवतो दस्युभ्यो ऽन्ते तदुद्भवः
Just as, by the power of Viṣṇu, their defeat occurred, so too, by your own power, defeat at the hands of the Dasyus will arise for you in the end.
स देवो ऽन्यशरीराणि समाविश्य जगत्स्थितिम् करोति सर्वभूतानां नाशं चान्ते जगत्पतिः
That Lord, entering other bodies, sustains the world and, at the end, brings about the destruction of all beings, O Lord of the world.
भवोद्भवे च कौन्तेय सहायस् ते जनार्दनः भवान्ते त्वद्विपक्षास् ते केशवेनावलोकिताः
In creation and dissolution, O son of Kuntī, Janārdana is your ally; at the end of your life, your enemies will be regarded by Keśava.
कः श्रद्दध्यात् सगाङ्गेयान् हन्यास् त्वं सर्वकौरवान् आभीरेभ्यश् च भवतः कः श्रद्दध्यात् पराभवम्
Who would believe that you, slayer of Gāṅgeya, destroyed all the Kauravas? And who would believe that you were defeated by the Ābhīras?
पार्थैतत् सर्वभूतेषु हरेर् लीलाविचेष्टितम् त्वया यत् कौरवा ध्वस्ता यद् आभीरैर् भवाञ् जितः
O Pārtha, all this is the sportive action of Hari among all beings: that you destroyed the Kauravas, and that you were conquered by the Ābhīras.
गृहीता दस्युभिर् यच् च रक्षिता भवता स्त्रियः तद् अप्य् अहं यथावृत्तं कथयामि तवार्जुन
And when you were seized by the Dasyus and your wives were protected by you, I shall also recount that, O Arjuna, just as it happened.
अष्टावक्रः पुरा विप्र उदवासरतो ऽभवत् बहून् वर्षगणान् पार्थ गृणन् ब्रह्म सनातनम्
Once, long ago, the sage Aṣṭāvakra, devoted to vows, spent many years, O Pārtha, reciting the eternal Brahman.
जितेष्व् असुरसंघेषु मेरुपृष्ठे महोत्सवः बभूव तत्र गच्छन्त्यो ददृशुस् तं सुरस्त्रियः
When the hosts of Asuras were defeated, there was a great festival on the summit of Meru; as the divine women went there, they saw him.
रम्भातिलोत्तमाद्याश् च शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः तुष्टुवुस् तं महात्मानं प्रशशंसुश् च पाण्डव
Rambhā, Tilottamā, and others by the hundreds and thousands praised and extolled that great-souled one, O Pāṇḍava.
आकण्ठमग्नं सलिले जटाभारधरं मुनिम् विनयावनताश् चैव प्रणेमुः स्तोत्रतत्पराः
Immersed up to his neck in water, bearing matted locks, the sage was bowed to with reverence by those devoted to praise, who offered their salutations.
यथा यथा प्रसन्नो ऽभूत् तुष्टुवुस् तं तथा तथा सर्वास् ताः कौरवश्रेष्ठ वरिष्ठं तं द्विजन्मनाम्
As he became more and more pleased, so did all those women, O best of the Kauravas, praise that foremost of twice-born ones.
प्रसन्नो ऽहं महाभागा भवतीनां यद् इष्यते मत्तस् तद् व्रियतां सर्वं प्रदास्याम्य् अपि दुर्लभम्
"I am pleased, O greatly fortunate ones; whatever is desired by you, ask it of me. I shall grant all, even that which is difficult to obtain."
रम्भातिलोत्तमाद्याश् च दिव्याश् चाप्सरसो ऽब्रुवन्
Then Rambhā, Tilottamā, and the other divine Apsarases spoke.
प्रसन्ने त्वय्य् असंप्राप्तं किम् अस्माकम् इति द्विजाः
"If you are pleased, O twice-born one, what is unattainable for us?"
इतरास् त्व् अब्रुवन् विप्र प्रसन्नो भगवन् यदि तद् इच्छामः पतिं प्राप्तुं विप्रेन्द्र पुरुषोत्तमम्
But the others said, "O sage, if you are pleased, O blessed one, we desire to obtain as a husband, O best of Brāhmaṇas, the supreme man."
एवं भविष्यतीत्य् उक्त्वा उत्ततार जलान् मुनिः तम् उत्तीर्णं च ददृशुर् विरूपं वक्रम् अष्टधा
Saying, "So it shall be," the sage rose from the water; and as he emerged, they saw him deformed, crooked in eight ways.
तं दृष्ट्वा गूहमानानां यासां हासः स्फुटो ऽभवत् ताः शशाप मुनिः कोपम् अवाप्य कुरुनन्दन
Seeing him, some of them, trying to conceal their laughter, burst out; the sage, becoming angry, cursed them, O joy of the Kurus.
यस्माद् विरूपरूपं मां मत्वा हासावमानना भवतीभिः कृता तस्माद् एष शापं ददामि वः
"Because, seeing me in this deformed form, you laughed and showed me disrespect, therefore I pronounce this curse upon you."
मत्प्रसादेन भर्तारं लब्ध्वा तु पुरुषोत्तमम् मच्छापोपहताः सर्वा दस्युहस्तं गमिष्यथ
By my grace, after obtaining as husband the Supreme Person, all of you, afflicted by my curse, will go into the hands of robbers.
इत्य् उदीरितम् आकर्ण्य मुनिस् ताभिः प्रसादितः पुनः सुरेन्द्रलोकं वै प्राह भूयो गमिष्यथ
Hearing these words, the sage, being propitiated by them, again said: 'You shall return once more to the world of the gods.'
एवं तस्य मुनेः शापाद् अष्टावक्रस्य केशवम् भर्तारं प्राप्य ताः प्राप्ता दस्युहस्तं वराङ्गनाः
Thus, by the curse of that sage, after attaining Keśava as husband, those noble women came into the hands of robbers.
तत् त्वया नात्र कर्तव्यः शोको ऽल्पो ऽपि हि पाण्डव तेनैवाखिलनाथेन सर्वं तद् उपसंहृतम्
Therefore, O Pāṇḍava, you should not grieve here, not even a little, for by that Lord of all, everything has been brought to its end.
भवतां चोपसंहारम् आसन्नं तेन कुर्वता बलं तेजस् तथा वीर्यं माहात्म्यं चोपसंहृतम्
The end of your line is also near, for by Him your strength, energy, heroism, and greatness have been withdrawn.
जातस्य नियतो मृत्युः पतनं च तथोन्नतेः विप्रयोगावसानं तु संयोगः संचयः क्षयः
For one who is born, death is certain, and so too is decline after rise; separation ends union, and accumulation ends in loss.
विज्ञाय न बुधाः शोकं न हर्षम् उपयान्ति ये तेषाम् एवेतरे चेष्टां शिक्षन्तः सन्ति तादृशाः
Knowing this, the wise do not fall into sorrow or joy; those who learn from their actions are of such kind.
तस्मात् त्वया नरश्रेष्ठ ज्ञात्वैतद् भ्रातृभिः सह परित्यज्याखिलं राज्यं गन्तव्यं तपसे वनम्
Therefore, O best of men, knowing this, you and your brothers should renounce the entire kingdom and go to the forest for asceticism.
तद् गच्छ धर्मराजाय निवेद्यैतद् वचो मम परश्वो भ्रातृभिः सार्धं गतिं वीर यथा कुरु
Go, report these my words to Dharmarāja, and the day after tomorrow, O hero, depart with your brothers as is fitting.
इत्य् उक्तो धर्मराजं तु समभ्येत्य तथोक्तवान् दृष्टं चैवानुभूतं वा कथितं तद् अशेषतः
Thus addressed, he approached Dharmarāja and spoke as instructed, relating everything he had seen and experienced, without omission.