अग्नेर् आपस् तथा योनिर् अद्भिः शौचम् अवाप्यते अग्नेश् च पूजका ये च विनाद्भिः पूजनं कथम्
Water is the source of fire, and by water, purity is attained; how can there be worship of Agni without water, for both the worshippers of Agni and those engaged in the worship of water?
अप्सु जातासु सर्वत्र कर्मण्य् अधिकृतो भवेत् तावत् कर्मण्य् अनर्हो ऽयम् अशुचिर् मलिनो नरः
Wherever water is born, there one becomes qualified for action; until then, a man who is impure and unclean is unfit for action.
न मग्नः श्रद्धया यावद् अप्सु शीतासु वेदवित् तस्माद् आपो वरिष्ठाः स्युर् मातृभूता यतः स्मृताः तस्माज् ज्यैष्ठ्यम् अपाम् एव जनन्यो ऽग्नेर् विशेषतः
Until one who knows the Veda bathes with faith in cold waters, he is not purified; therefore, water is considered supreme, remembered as the mother. Hence, the superiority of water over fire, especially as mothers.
एतद् वचः शुश्रुवुस् ते ऋषयो वेदवादिनः निश्चयं च ततश् चक्रुर् भवेज् ज्यैष्ठ्यम् अपाम् इति
Hearing these words, the Veda-knowing sages made their decision: 'Let the superiority belong to water.'
यत्र तीर्थे वृत्तम् इदम् ऋषिसत्त्रे च नारद तपस्तीर्थं तु तत् प्रोक्तं सत्त्रतीर्थं तद् उच्यते
Where this event occurred at the sages' gathering, O Nārada, that place is called a holy site of austerity, and is also known as the site of the sages' assembly.
अग्नितीर्थं च तत् प्रोक्तं तथा सारस्वतं विदुः तेषु स्नानं च दानं च सर्वकामप्रदं शुभम्
That is also called the holy site of Agni, and known as Sārasvata; bathing and giving gifts there bestows all desires and is auspicious.
चतुर्दश शतान्य् अत्र तीर्थानां पुण्यदायिनाम् तेषु स्नानं च दानं च स्वर्गमोक्षप्रदायकम्
There are fourteen hundred holy sites there that bestow merit; bathing and giving gifts at those places grant heaven and liberation.
कृतं संदेहहरणम् ऋषीणां यत्र भाषया सरस्वत्य् अभवत् तत्र गङ्गया संगता नदी माहात्म्यं तस्य को वक्तुं संगमस्य क्षमो नरः
There, where Sarasvatī removed the sages' doubts by her speech, the river Gaṅgā also joined; who is able to describe the greatness of that confluence?
देवतीर्थम् इति ख्यातं गङ्गाया उत्तरे तटे तस्य प्रभावं वक्ष्यामि सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्
On the northern bank of the Ganga is a place renowned as Devatirtha; I shall now describe its power, which destroys all sins.
आर्ष्टिषेण इति ख्यातो राजा सर्वगुणान्वितः तस्य भार्या जया नाम साक्षाल् लक्ष्मीर् इवापरा
There was a king named Arṣṭiṣeṇa, famed for all virtues; his wife was named Jaya, who was like another Lakshmi herself.
तस्य पुत्रो भरो नाम मतिमान् पितृवत्सलः धनुर्वेदे च वेदे च निष्णातो दक्ष एव च
He had a son named Bhara, intelligent and devoted to his father, skilled in the science of archery and the Vedas, and accomplished in all arts.
तस्य भार्या रूपवती सुप्रभेत्य् अभिविश्रुता आर्ष्टिषेणस् ततो राजा पुत्रे राज्यं निवेश्य सः
His wife, renowned as the beautiful Suprabha, was well known; then King Arṣṭiṣeṇa entrusted the kingdom to his son.
पुरोधसा च मुख्येन दीक्षां चक्रे नरेश्वरः सरस्वत्यास् ततस् तीरे हयमेधाय यत्नवान्
With the chief priest, the lord of men undertook initiation; then, on the bank of the Sarasvati, he diligently prepared for a horse sacrifice.
ऋत्विग्भिर् ऋषिमुख्यैश् च वेदशास्त्रपरायणैः दीक्षितं तं नृपश्रेष्ठं ब्राह्मणाग्निसमीपतः
With officiating priests and foremost sages devoted to the Vedas and scriptures, that best of kings was consecrated near the Brahmins' sacred fire.
मिथुर् दानवराट् शूरः पापबुद्धिः प्रतापवान् मखं विध्वस्य नृपतिं सभार्यं सपुरोहितम्
Mithur, the mighty lord of the Danavas, powerful but wicked in intent, seized the king along with his wife and priest, disrupting the sacrifice.
आदाय वेगात् स प्रागाद् रसातलतलं मुने नीते तस्मिन् नृपवरे यज्ञे नष्टे ततो ऽमराः
Swiftly carrying them off, he went to the lowest region of the underworld, O sage; when that noble king was taken and the sacrifice lost, the gods—
ऋत्विजश् च ययुः सर्वे स्वं स्वं स्थानं मखात् ततः पुरोहितसुतो राज्ञो देवापिर् इति विश्रुतः
—and all the officiating priests departed each to their own place from the sacrifice; then the priest's son, famed as Devapi, remained with the king.
बालस् तां मातरं दृष्ट्वा आत्मनः पितरं न च दृष्ट्वा सविस्मयो भूत्वा दुःखितो ऽतीव चाभवत्
Seeing his mother but not his father, the boy was filled with wonder and became deeply distressed.
स मातरं तु पप्रच्छ पिता मे क्व गतो ऽम्बिके पितृहीनो न जीवेयं मातः सत्यं वदस्व मे
He asked his mother, 'Mother, where has my father gone? I cannot live without my father; tell me the truth.'
धिग् धिक् पितृविहीनानां जीवितं पापकर्मणाम् न वक्षि यदि मे मातर् जलम् अग्निम् अथाविशे
'Fie, fie on the life of those deprived of their father, or those who act wickedly! If you do not tell me, mother, I will enter water or fire.'
पुत्रं प्रोवाच सा माता राज्ञो भार्या पुरोधसः दानवेन तलं नीतो राज्ञा सह पिता तव
Then his mother, the king's wife and the priest's spouse, said to her son, 'Your father was taken to the underworld by a Danava, along with the king.'
क्व नीतः केन वा नीतः कथं नीतः क्व कर्मणि केषु पश्यत्सु किं स्थानं दानवस्य वदस्व मे
'Where was he taken, by whom, how was he taken, and for what reason? Who witnessed it? Tell me the place of the Danava.'
दीक्षितं यज्ञसदसि सभार्यं सपुरोधसम् राजानं तं मिथुर् दैत्यो नीतवान् स रसातलम् पश्यत्सु देवसंघेषु वह्निब्राह्मणसंनिधौ
'In the sacrificial hall, while the king was consecrated with his wife and priest, the Daitya Mithur took them to the underworld, in the sight of the assembly of gods and in the presence of fire and Brahmins.'
तन् मातृवचनं श्रुत्वा देवापिः कृत्यम् अस्मरत् देवान् पश्ये ऽथवाग्निं वा ऋत्विजो वासुरांस् तथा
Hearing his mother's words, Devapi considered what should be done: 'Shall I seek the gods, or fire, or the officiating priests, or the Asuras?'
एतेष्व् एव पितान्वेष्यो नान्यत्रेति मतिर् मम इति निश्चित्य देवापिर् भरं प्राह नृपात्मजम्
'Among these alone should I seek my father, nowhere else—this is my resolve.' Thus deciding, Devapi spoke to Bhara, the king's son.
तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण व्रतेन नियमेन च आनेतव्या मया सर्वे नीता ये च रसातलम्
'By austerity, celibacy, vows, and discipline, I must bring back all those who have been taken to the underworld.'
जाते पराभवे घोरे यो न कुर्यात् प्रतिक्रियाम् नराधमेन किं तेन जीवता वा मृतेन वा
When a terrible defeat has occurred, if one does not make any effort to counter it, what is the use of such a wretched person's life, whether living or dead?
त्वं प्रशाधि महीं कृत्स्नाम् आर्ष्टिषेणः पिता यथा माता मम त्वया पाल्या राजन् यावन् ममागतिः भवेच् च कृतकार्यस्य अनुजानीहि मां भर
You should rule the entire earth, O Arṣṭiṣeṇa, just as a father does; my mother is to be protected by you, O king, until I return, and when my task is accomplished, permit me to depart, O Bhara.
भरेणोक्तः स देवापिः सर्वं निश्चित्य यत्नतः
Thus addressed by Bhara, Devāpi carefully considered everything with great attention.
सिद्धिं कुरु सुखं याहि मा चिन्ताम् अल्पिकां भज
Achieve success, go happily, do not indulge even a little in worry.