कुरुष्व चेत्य् आहुर् अदीनसत्त्वं दधीचिम् इत्य् उत्तरम् अग्निकल्पम् तदा तु तस्य प्रियम् ईरयन्ती न सांनिध्ये प्रातिथेयी मुनीश
They said, 'Do so,' to Dadhichi, whose spirit was unwavering. At that moment, his beloved wife, like fire, expressing her affection, was not present, O lord of sages.
ते चापि देवास् ताम् अदृष्ट्वैव शीघ्रं तस्या भीता विप्रम् ऊचुः कुरुष्व तत्याज जीवान् दुस्त्यजान् प्रीतियुक्तो यथासुखं देहम् इमं जुषध्वम्
And the gods, not seeing her, quickly and fearfully said to the sage: 'Do it.' He, full of affection, abandoned his difficult-to-renounce life, saying, 'Enjoy this body as you wish.'
इत्य् उक्त्वासौ बद्धपद्मासनस्थो नासाग्रदत्ताक्षिप्रकाशप्रसन्नः वायुं सवह्निं मध्यमोद्घाटयोगान् नीत्वा शनैर् दहराकाशगर्भम्
Having spoken thus, he sat in the lotus posture, his gaze fixed at the tip of his nose, serene and radiant. Through the practice of controlling the breath, fire, and the middle channel, he gradually led his vital air into the space of the heart.
यद् अप्रमेयं परमं पदं यद् यद् ब्रह्मरूपं यद् उपासितव्यम् तत्रैव विन्यस्य धियं महात्मा सायुज्यतां ब्रह्मणो ऽसौ जगाम
Fixing his mind on that immeasurable, supreme state, that which is the form of Brahman and worthy of meditation, the great soul attained union with Brahman.
निर्जीवतां प्राप्तम् अभीक्ष्य देवाः कलेवरं तस्य सुराश् च सम्यक् त्वष्टारम् अप्य् ऊचुर् अतित्वरन्तः कुरुष्व चास्त्राणि बहूनि सद्यः
Seeing his body lifeless, the gods and the immortals, in great haste, said to Tvaṣṭṛ: 'Quickly make many weapons now.'
स चापि तान् आह कथं नु कार्यं कलेवरं ब्राह्मणस्येह देवाः बिभेमि कर्तुं दारुणं चाक्षमो ऽहं विदारितान्य् आयुधान्य् उत्तमानि
He said to them: 'How should this be done, O gods? I fear to act cruelly toward the body of a brahmin, and I am unable to do so. Yet, the excellent weapons must be fashioned.'
वज्रं मुखं वः क्रियते हितार्थं गावो देवैर् आयुधार्थं क्षणेन दधीचिदेहं तु विदार्य यूयम् अस्थीनि शुद्धानि प्रयच्छताद्य
For your benefit, the thunderbolt's head will be made. The cows, along with the gods, will provide weapons. In an instant, the body of Dadhichi was split open, and today you shall receive his pure bones.
ता देववाक्याच् च तथैव चक्रुः संलिह्य चास्थीनि ददुः सुराणाम् सुरास् त्वरा जग्मुर् अदीनसत्त्वाः स्वम् आलयं चापि तथैव गावः
At the gods' command, they did just so, gathering and giving the bones to the gods. The gods, full of vigor, quickly departed, and the cows likewise returned to their own abode.
कृत्वा तथास्त्राणि च देवतानां त्वष्टा जगामाथ सुराज्ञया तदा ततश् चिराच् छीलवती सुभद्रा भर्तुः प्रिया बालगर्भा त्वरन्ती
Having made the weapons for the gods, Tvaṣṭṛ then departed at the command of the gods. After a long time, Śīlavatī, the virtuous and fortunate wife, pregnant, hastened toward her husband's hermitage.
करे गृहीत्वा कलशं वारिपूर्णम् उमां नत्वा फलपुष्पैः समेत्य अग्निं च भर्तारम् अथाश्रमं च संद्रष्टुकामा ह्य् आजगामाथ शीघ्रम्
Taking a water-filled pot in her hand, bowing to Umā with fruits and flowers, she came quickly, desiring to see the fire, her husband, and the hermitage.
आगच्छन्तीं तां प्रातिथेयीं तदानीं निवारयाम् आस तदोल्कपातः सा संभ्रमाद् आगता चाश्रमं स्वं नैवापश्यत् तत्र भर्तारम् अग्रे
As she was coming, Prātitheyī was stopped at that moment by a meteor's fall. Alarmed, she reached her own hermitage but did not see her husband there.
क्व वा गतश् चेति सविस्मया सा पप्रच्छ चाग्निं प्रातिथेयी तदानीम् अग्निस् तदोवाच सविस्तरं तां देवागमं याचनं वै शरीरे
Astonished, she asked Agni, 'Where has he gone?' Then Agni explained in detail to her the coming of the gods and their request concerning his body.
अस्थ्नाम् उपादानम् अथ प्रयाणं श्रुत्वा सर्वं दुःखिता सा बभूव दुःखोद्वेगात् सा पपाताथ पृथ्व्यां मन्दं मन्दं वह्निनाश्वासिता च
Hearing of the taking of the bones and his departure, she became deeply distressed. Overcome by grief and anxiety, she slowly fell to the ground, comforted only by the fire.
उत्पद्यते यत् तु विनाशि सर्वं न शोच्यम् अस्तीति मनुष्यलोके गोविप्रदेवार्थम् इह त्यजन्ति प्राणान् प्रियान् पुण्यभाजो मनुष्याः
In the world of men, it is not sorrowful that all which is born perishes. For the sake of cows, brahmins, and gods, virtuous people here give up even their beloved lives.
संसारचक्रे परिवर्तमाने देहं समर्थं धर्मयुक्तं त्व् अवाप्य प्रियान् प्राणान् देवविप्रार्थहेतोस् ते वै धन्याः प्राणिनो ये त्यजन्ति
Those living beings are truly blessed who, having obtained a capable body endowed with righteousness while revolving in the cycle of worldly existence, give up their dear lives for the sake of gods or brahmins.
प्राणाः सर्वे ऽस्यापि देहान्वितस्य यातारो वै नात्र संदेहलेशः एवं ज्ञात्वा विप्रगोदेवदीनाद्य् अर्थं चैनान् उत्सृजन्तीश्वरास् ते
All the life-breaths of one who is embodied must surely depart—of this there is not the slightest doubt; knowing this, those who relinquish them for the sake of brahmins, cows, gods, or the destitute are indeed lords.
निवार्यमाणो ऽपि मया प्रपन्नया चकार देवास्त्रपरिग्रहं सः मनोगतं वेत्त्य् अथवा विधातुः को मर्त्यलोकातिगचेष्टितस्य
Even though I tried to restrain her, she who had taken refuge with me accepted the divine weapon; who can know the mind of another, or the intent of the Creator, regarding the extraordinary actions of mortals?
इत्य् एवम् उक्त्वापूज्य चाग्नीन् यथावद् भर्तुस् त्वचा लोमभिः सा विवेश गर्भस्थितं बालकं प्रातिथेयी कुक्षिं विदार्याथ करे गृहीत्वा
Having spoken thus, and after duly worshipping the fires, she entered, with her husband's skin and hair, the womb where the child lay, tore open Pratithi's belly, and took the child in her hand.
पित्रा हीनो बन्धुभिर् गोत्रजैश् च मात्रा हीनो बालकः सर्व एव रक्षन्तु सर्वे ऽपि च भूतसंघास् तथौषध्यो बालकं लोकपालाः
The child, deprived of his father, relatives, and kinsmen, and also bereft of his mother—let all beings, all the hosts of creatures, as well as the medicinal herbs and the guardians of the world, protect the child.
ये बालकं मातृपितृप्रहीणं सनिर्विशेषं स्वतनुप्ररूढैः पश्यन्ति रक्षन्ति त एव नूनं ब्रह्मादिकानाम् अपि वन्दनीयाः
Those who see and protect a child who is utterly bereft of both mother and father, and who has grown only by his own body, are indeed worthy of veneration even by Brahma and the other gods.
इत्य् उक्त्वा चात्यजद् बालं भर्तृचित्तपरायणा पिप्पलानां समीपे तु न्यस्य बालं नमस्य च
Having said this, she, devoted to her husband's will, placed the child near the pippala trees, offered her respects, and abandoned the child.
अग्निं प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य यज्ञपात्रसमन्विता विवेशाग्निं प्रातिथेयी भर्त्रा सह दिवं ययौ
Circumambulating the fire, carrying the sacrificial vessels, Pratitheyi entered the fire and, together with her husband, ascended to heaven.
रुरुदुश् चाश्रमस्था ये वृक्षाश् च वनवासिनः पुत्रवत् पोषिता येन ऋषिणा च दधीचिना
Those who dwelled in the hermitage, as well as the trees and forest-dwellers, all wept, for they had been nurtured like sons by the sage Dadhichi.
विना तेन न जीवामस् तया मात्रा विना तथा मृगाश् च पक्षिणः सर्वे वृक्षाः प्रोचुः परस्परम्
Without him, and likewise without her, we cannot live—the animals, the birds, and all the trees said this to one another.
स्वर्गम् आसेदुषोः पित्रोस् तदपत्येष्व् अकृत्रिमम् ये कुर्वन्त्य् अनिशं स्नेहं त एव कृतिनो नराः
Those people who constantly show genuine affection for the children of parents who have attained heaven—those alone are truly accomplished.
दधीचिः प्रातिथेयी वा वीक्षते ऽस्मान् यथा पुरा तथा पिता न माता वा धिग् अस्मान् पापिनो वयम्
Neither Dadhichi nor Pratitheyi looks upon us as before, neither father nor mother—shame on us, we are sinful.
अस्माकम् अपि सर्वेषाम् अतः प्रभृति निश्चितम् बालो दधीचिः प्रातिथेयी बालो धर्मः सनातनः
From this time onward, it is certain for all of us: the child Dadhichi Pratitheyi is the eternal dharma-child.
एवम् उक्त्वा तदौषध्यो वनस्पतिसमन्विताः सोमं राजानम् अभ्येत्य याचिरे ऽमृतम् उत्तमम्
Having spoken thus, all the medicinal herbs along with the trees approached King Soma and requested the supreme nectar.
स चापि दत्तवांस् तेभ्यः सोमो ऽमृतम् अनुत्तमम् ददुर् बालाय ते चापि अमृतं सुरवल्लभम्
And Soma gave them the unsurpassed nectar; they, in turn, gave that nectar, beloved of the gods, to the child.
स तेन तृप्तो ववृधे शुक्लपक्षे यथा शशी पिप्पलैः पालितो यस्मात् पिप्पलादः स बालकः प्रवृद्धः पिप्पलान् एवम् उवाच त्व् अतिविस्मितः
Satisfied by that, he grew as the moon waxes in the bright fortnight; nurtured by the pippala trees, that child, Pippalada, greatly increased and, filled with wonder, spoke to the pippala trees.