नलौ द्वाव् एव विख्यातौ पुराणे मुनिसत्तमाः वीरसेनात्मजश् चैव यश् चेक्ष्वाकुकुलोद्वहः
There are two Nalas renowned in the ancient tradition, O best of sages: one the son of Vīrasena, and one the illustrious scion of the Ikṣvāku line.
इक्ष्वाकुवंशप्रभवाः प्राधान्येन प्रकीर्तिताः एते विवस्वतो वंशे राजानो भूरितेजसः
These kings, foremost among those born in the Ikṣvāku dynasty, are chiefly proclaimed as belonging to the radiant lineage of Vivasvat.
पठन् सम्यग् इमां सृष्टिम् आदित्यस्य विवस्वतः श्राद्धदेवस्य देवस्य प्रजानां पुष्टिदस्य च प्रजावान् एति सायुज्यम् आदित्यस्य विवस्वतः
Whoever recites properly this creation of Vivasvat, the sun, the god honored in ancestral rites, the nourisher of beings, attains union with Vivasvat, rich in offspring.
पिता सोमस्य भो विप्रा जज्ञे ऽत्रिर् भगवान् ऋषिः ब्रह्मणो मानसात् पूर्वं प्रजासर्गं विधित्सतः
O learned ones, the father of Soma was the venerable sage Atri, who was first born from the mind of Brahmā when he intended to create beings.
अनुत्तरं नाम तपो येन तप्तं हि तत् पुरा त्रीणि वर्षसहस्राणि दिव्यानीति हि नः श्रुतम्
It is said that, in ancient times, he performed the supreme austerity called Anuttara for three thousand divine years.
ऊर्ध्वम् आचक्रमे तस्य रेतः सोमत्वम् ईयिवत् नेत्राभ्यां वारि सुस्राव दशधा द्योतयन् दिशः
From him, his seed rose upward and became Soma; water flowed from his eyes in ten streams, illuminating the directions.
तं गर्भं विधिनादिष्टा दश देव्यो दधुस् ततः समेत्य धारयाम् आसुर् न च ताः समशक्नुवन्
Then, by order of the ritual, ten goddesses together took up that embryo and began to bear it, but they were unable to sustain it.
यदा न धारणे शक्तास् तस्य गर्भस्य ता दिशः ततस् ताभिः स त्यक्तस् तु निपपात वसुंधराम्
When those goddesses could not hold his embryo, they abandoned it, and it fell to the earth in all directions.
पतितं सोमम् आलोक्य ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः रथम् आरोपयाम् आस लोकानां हितकाम्यया
Seeing Soma fallen, Brahma, the Grandfather of the worlds, placed him on a chariot for the welfare of all beings.
तस्मिन् निपतिते देवाः पुत्रे ऽत्रेः परमात्मनि तुष्टुवुर् ब्रह्मणः पुत्रास् तथान्ये मुनिसत्तमाः
When he had fallen, the gods, the sons of Brahma, and other eminent sages praised Atri's son, the supreme self.
तस्य संस्तूयमानस्य तेजः सोमस्य भास्वतः आप्यायनाय लोकानां भावयाम् आस सर्वतः
As he was being praised, the radiant energy of Soma nourished all the worlds in every direction.
स तेन रथमुख्येन सागरान्तां वसुंधराम् त्रिःसप्तकृत्वो ऽतियशाश् चकाराभिप्रदक्षिणाम्
With that foremost chariot, he thrice seven times circled the earth, bounded by the ocean, making auspicious circumambulations.
तस्य यच् चरितं तेजः पृथिवीम् अन्वपद्यत ओषध्यस् ताः समुद्भूता याभिः संधार्यते जगत्
The energy he displayed entered the earth, and from it arose the herbs by which the world is sustained.
स लब्धतेजा भगवान् संस्तवैश् च स्वकर्मभिः तपस् तेपे महाभागः पद्मानां दर्शनाय सः
Having regained his energy and through praises and his own deeds, the blessed one performed austerity, desiring the vision of the Lotuses.
ततस् तस्मै ददौ राज्यं ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मविदां वरः बीजौषधीनां विप्राणाम् अपां च मुनिसत्तमाः
Then Brahma, the best among knowers of Brahman, granted him sovereignty over seeds, herbs, the Brahmins, and the waters, O best of sages.
स तत् प्राप्य महाराज्यं सोमः सौम्यवतां वरः समाजह्रे राजसूयं सहस्रशतदक्षिणम्
Having obtained that great sovereignty, Soma, the foremost among gentle beings, performed the Rājasūya sacrifice, giving a hundred thousand gifts.
दक्षिणाम् अददात् सोमस् त्रींल् लोकान् इति नः श्रुतम् तेभ्यो ब्रह्मर्षिमुख्येभ्यः सदस्येभ्यश् च भो द्विजाः
Soma gave the three worlds as gifts, as we have heard, to those chief Brahmarshis and to the officiating priests, O twice-born ones.
हिरण्यगर्भो ब्रह्मात्रिर् भृगुश् च ऋत्विजो ऽभवत् सदस्यो ऽभूद् धरिस् तत्र मुनिभिर् बहुभिर् वृतः
Hiranyagarbha, Brahma, and Bhrigu became the officiating priests; Hari was a member of the assembly there, surrounded by many sages.
तं सिनीश् च कुहूश् चैव द्युतिः पुष्टिः प्रभा वसुः कीर्तिर् धृतिश् च लक्ष्मीश् च नव देव्यः सिषेविरे
Sinī, Kuhū, Dyuti, Puṣṭi, Prabhā, Vasu, Kīrti, Dhṛti, and Lakṣmī—these nine goddesses served him.
प्राप्यावभृथम् अप्य् अग्र्यं सर्वदेवर्षिपूजितः विरराजाधिराजेन्द्रो दशधा भासयन् दिशः
Having performed the foremost Avabhṛtha rite, honored by all gods and sages, he shone as the king of kings, illuminating the directions in ten ways.
तस्य तत् प्राप्य दुष्प्राप्यम् ऐश्वर्यम् ऋषिसत्कृतम् विबभ्राम मतिस् ताताविनयाद् अनयाहृता
Having attained that difficult-to-attain sovereignty, honored by the sages, his mind was carried away by pride and lack of humility.
बृहस्पतेः स वै भार्याम् ऐश्वर्यमदमोहितः जहार तरसा सोमो विमत्याङ्गिरसः सुतम्
Intoxicated by the pride of sovereignty, Soma forcibly took the wife of Bṛhaspati, the son of Angiras, in his folly.
स याच्यमानो देवैश् च तथा देवर्षिभिर् मुहुः नैव व्यसर्जयत् तारां तस्माय् अङ्गिरसे तदा
Though repeatedly entreated by the gods and the divine sages, he did not give Tārā to Aṅgiras at that time.
उशना तस्य जग्राह पार्ष्णिम् अङ्गिरसस् तदा रुद्रश् च पार्ष्णिं जग्राह गृहीत्वाजगवं धनुः
Then Uśanas seized the heel of Aṅgiras, and Rudra also grasped his heel, having taken up his goat-horn bow.
तेन ब्रह्मशिरो नाम परमास्त्रं महात्मना उद्दिश्य देवान् उत्सृष्टं येनैषां नाशितं यशः
By that great soul, the supreme weapon called Brahmaśiras was invoked against the gods, by which their fame was destroyed.
तत्र तद् युद्धम् अभवत् प्रख्यातं तारकामयम् देवानां दानवानां च लोकक्षयकरं महत्
There arose then that renowned battle for Tārā, between the gods and the demons, vast and destructive to the worlds.
तत्र शिष्टास् तु ये देवास् तुषिताश् चैव ये द्विजाः ब्रह्माणं शरणं जग्मुर् आदिदेवं सनातनम्
There, the remaining gods and the Tuṣita deities, as well as the twice-born sages, sought refuge with Brahmā, the primeval and eternal god.
तदा निवार्योशनसं तं वै रुद्रं च शंकरम् ददाव् अङ्गिरसे तारां स्वयम् एव पितामहः
Then, restraining Uśanas and Rudra Śaṅkara, the Grandfather himself gave Tārā to Aṅgiras.
ताम् अन्तःप्रसवां दृष्ट्वा क्रुद्धः प्राह बृहस्पतिः मदीयायां न ते योनौ गर्भो धार्यः कथंचन
Seeing her pregnant, Bṛhaspati, enraged, said: 'In my wife, your seed shall not be carried under any circumstances.'
इषीकास्तम्बम् आसाद्य गर्भं सा चोत्ससर्ज ह जातमात्रः स भगवान् देवानाम् आक्षिपद् वपुः
Approaching a reed stalk, she expelled the embryo; and as soon as he was born, that blessed one shone with the form of the gods.