ताभ्यो वाक्यं कृत्तिकाभ्यः कार्त्तिकेयो ऽनुमन्य च गौतमीं यान्तु सर्वाश् च स्नात्वापूज्य महेश्वरम्
Kārttikeya, consenting to the words of the Kṛttikās, said, 'Let all of you go to the Gautamī, bathe, and worship Maheśvara.'
एष्यामि चाहं तत्रैव यास्यामि सुरमन्दिरम् तथेत्य् उक्त्वा कृत्तिकाश् च स्नात्वा गङ्गां च गौतमीम्
'I too will come there and then go to the abode of the gods.' So saying, the Kṛttikās bathed in the Gaṅgā and the Gautamī.
देवेश्वरं च संपूज्य कार्त्तिकेयानुशासनात् देवेश्वरप्रसादेन प्रययुः सुरमन्दिरम्
Having worshipped the Lord of the gods, at Kārttikeya's instruction and by the grace of the Lord of the gods, they proceeded to the abode of the gods.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं कृत्तिकातीर्थम् उच्यते कार्त्तिक्यां कृत्तिकायोगे तत्र यः स्नानम् आचरेत्
From that time, that sacred place is called Kṛttikā-tīrtha; whoever bathes there at the conjunction of Kārttikā and Kṛttikā—
सर्वक्रतुफलं प्राप्य राजा भवति धार्मिकः तत्तीर्थस्मरणं वापि यः करोति शृणोति च सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो दीर्घम् आयुर् अवाप्नुयात्
Obtains the fruit of all sacrifices and becomes a righteous king; even by remembering or hearing of that tīrtha, one is freed from all sins and attains long life.
दशाश्वमेधिकं तीर्थं तच् छृणुष्व महामुने यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण हयमेधफलं लभेत्
Now hear of the Daśāśvamedhika tīrtha, O great sage, by merely hearing of which one obtains the fruit of a horse sacrifice.
विश्वकर्मसुतः श्रीमान् विश्वरूपो महाबलः तस्यापि प्रथमः पुत्रस् तत्पुत्रो भौवनो विभुः
Viśvarūpa, the illustrious and mighty son of Viśvakarman, was his first son; his son was the powerful Bhauvana.
पुरोधाः कश्यपस् तस्य सर्वज्ञानविशारदः तम् अपृच्छन् महाबाहुर् भौवनः सार्वभौवनः
Kaśyapa, skilled in all knowledge, was his priest; Bhauvana, the mighty sovereign, questioned him.
यक्ष्ये ऽहं हयमेधैश् च युगपद् दशभिर् मुने इत्य् अपृच्छद् गुरुं विप्रं क्व यक्ष्यामि सुरान् इति
Desiring to perform ten horse sacrifices at once, O sage, he asked his revered teacher, the learned Brahmin, 'Where shall I offer sacrifice to the gods?'
सो ऽवदद् देवयजनं तत्र तत्र नृपोत्तम यत्र यत्र द्विजश्रेष्ठाः प्रावर्तन्त महाक्रतून्
He replied, 'O best of kings, establish the sacrificial ground wherever the foremost Brahmins have commenced great rituals.'
तत्राभवन्न् ऋषिगणा आर्त्विज्ये मखमण्डले युगपद् दशमेधानि प्रवृत्तानि पुरोधसा
There, groups of seers became officiating priests in the sacrificial enclosure, and ten horse sacrifices were begun simultaneously by the chief priest.
पूर्णतां नाययुस् तानि दृष्ट्वा चिन्तापरो नृपः विहाय देवयजनं पुनर् अन्यत्र तान् क्रतून्
They brought those sacrifices to completion, but seeing this, the king became anxious and, leaving that sacrificial ground, began those rituals again elsewhere.
उपाक्रामत् तथा तत्र विघ्नदोषास् तम् आययुः दृष्ट्वापूर्णांस् ततो यज्ञान् राजा गुरुम् अभाषत
In the same way, as he commenced there, obstacles and faults arose; seeing the sacrifices incomplete, the king spoke to his teacher.
देशदोषात् कालदोषान् मम दोषात् तवापि वा पूर्णतां नाप्नुवन्ति स्म दशमेधानि वाजिनः
'Because of faults of place, of time, of myself, or perhaps of you, the ten horse sacrifices did not reach completion.'
ततश् च दुःखितो राजा कश्यपेन पुरोधसा गीष्पतेर् भ्रातरं ज्येष्ठं गत्वा संवर्तम् ऊचतुः
Then, distressed, the king and the chief priest Kaśyapa went to Saṃvarta, the elder brother of the lord of hymns, and spoke to him.
भगवन् युगपत् कार्याण्य् अश्वमेधानि मानद दश संपूर्णतां यान्ति तं देशं तं गुरुं वद
'Venerable one, where do ten horse sacrifices performed at once attain completion? Tell us that place and that teacher, O bestower of honor.'
ततो ध्यात्वा ऋषिश्रेष्ठः संवर्तो भौवनं तदा अब्रवीद् गच्छ ब्रह्माणं गुरुं देशं वदिष्यति
Then, after meditating, the best of seers, Saṃvarta, said, 'Go to Brahmā, the teacher; he will tell you the place.'
भौवनो ऽपि महाप्राज्ञः कश्यपेन महात्मना आगत्य माम् अब्रवीच् च गुरुं देशादिकं च यत्
Bhauvana, the great sage, also came to me with the noble Kaśyapa and told me all that concerned the teacher and the place.
ततो ऽहम् अब्रवं पुत्र भौवनं कश्यपं तथा गौतमीं गच्छ राजेन्द्र स देशः क्रतुपुण्यवान्
Then I said to my son Bhauvana and to Kaśyapa as well, 'Go to the Gautamī; O king of kings, that land is sanctified by sacrifices.'
अयम् एव गुरुः श्रेष्ठः कश्यपो वेदपारगः गुरोर् अस्य प्रसादेन गौतम्याश् च प्रसादतः
'Kaśyapa, master of the Vedas, is the foremost teacher there; by his grace and by the sanctity of the Gautamī, blessings will be attained.'
एकेन हयमेधेन तत्र स्नानेन वा पुनः सेत्स्यन्ति तत्र यज्ञाश् च दशमेधानि वाजिनः
With a single horse sacrifice or by bathing there, the ten horse sacrifices will succeed in that place.
तच् छ्रुत्वा भौवनो राजा गौतमीतीरम् अभ्यगात् कश्यपेन सहायेन हयमेधाय दीक्षितः
Hearing this, King Bhauvana went to the bank of the Gautamī, accompanied by Kaśyapa, and undertook the horse sacrifice.
ततः प्रवृत्ते यज्ञेशे हयमेधे महाक्रतौ संपूर्णे तु तदा राजा पृथिवीं दातुम् उद्यतः
Then, when the great horse sacrifice was begun and completed, the king prepared to give away the earth.
ततो ऽन्तरिक्षे वाग् उच्चैर् उवाच नृपसत्तमम् पूजयित्वा स्थितं विप्रान् ऋत्विजो ऽथ सदस्पतीन्
Then, a voice spoke loudly in the sky to the best of kings, as he honored the Brahmins, the officiating priests, and the masters of the assembly.
पुरोधसे कश्यपाय सशैलवनकाननाम् पृथिवीं दातुकामेन दत्तं सर्वं त्वया नृप
'O king, wishing to give the earth with its mountains, forests, and groves to the priest Kaśyapa, you have already given everything.'
भूमिदानस्पृहां त्यक्त्वा अन्नं देहि महाफलम् नान्नदानसमं पुण्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु विद्यते
Renouncing desire for land-giving, give food, which yields great merit; in all three worlds, there is no virtue equal to the gift of food.'
विशेषतस् तु गङ्गायाः श्रद्धया पुलिने मुने त्वया तु हयमेधो ऽयं कृतः सबहुदक्षिणः कृतकृत्यो ऽसि भद्रं ते नात्र कार्या विचारणा
Especially because this horse sacrifice, with many gifts, has been performed by you, O sage, with faith on the bank of the Ganga, your duty is fulfilled—may good befall you; there is no need for further deliberation here.
तथापि दातुकामं तं मही प्रोवाच भौवनम्
Still, the Earth spoke to Bhauvana, who wished to give.
विश्वकर्मज सार्वभौम मा मां देहि पुनः पुनः निमज्जे ऽहं सलिलस्य मध्ये तस्मान् न दीयताम्
O universal sovereign, son of Vishvakarman, do not give me again and again; I keep sinking into the midst of the waters, therefore I should not be given.
ततश् च भौवनो भीतः किं देयम् इति चाब्रवीत् पुनश् चोवाच सा पृथ्वी भौवनं ब्राह्मणैर् वृतम्
Then Bhauvana, afraid, asked, 'What should be given?' And again, that Earth, surrounded by brahmins, spoke to Bhauvana.