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.
ततो देवापिर् अमरराजाङ्घ्रिध्यानतत्परः ऋत्विजो ऽन्वेष्य यत्नेन नत्वा तान् ऋत्विजः पृथक् कृताञ्जलिपुटो बालो देवापिर् वाक्यम् अब्रवीत्
Then Devāpi, intent on meditating upon the feet of the king of the immortals, diligently sought out the officiating priests, and, after bowing to them individually with hands joined, the boy Devāpi spoke these words.
भवद्भिश् च मखो रक्ष्यो यजमानश् च दीक्षितः पुरोधाश् च तथा रक्ष्यः पत्नी या दीक्षितस्य तु
By you all, the sacrifice must be protected, as well as the initiated sacrificer, and likewise the chief priest; and the wife of the initiated sacrificer must also be guarded.
भवत्सु तत्र पश्यत्सु यज्ञं विध्वस्य दैत्यराट् राजादयस् तेन नीतास् तन् न युक्ततमं भवेत्
If, while you are present and watching, the king of the Daityas destroys the sacrifice and carries off the kings, that would not be proper at all.
अथाप्य् एतद् अहं मन्ये भवन्तस् तान् अरोगिणः दातुम् अर्हन्ति तान् सर्वान् अन्यथा शापम् अर्हथ
Nevertheless, I think you should restore all of them unharmed; otherwise, you would be subject to a curse.
मखे ऽग्निः प्रथमं पूज्यो ह्य् अग्निर् एवात्र दैवतम् तस्माद् वयं न जानीमो ह्य् अग्नीनां परिचारकाः
In the sacrifice, Agni is to be worshipped first, for Agni alone is the deity here; therefore, we, as attendants of the fires, do not know.
स एव दाता भोक्ता च हर्ता कर्ता च हव्यवाट्
He alone is the giver, the enjoyer, the taker, the doer, and the carrier of the oblation.
ऋत्विजः पृष्ठतः कृत्वा देवापिर् जातवेदसम् पूजयित्वा यथान्यायम् अग्नये तन् न्यवेदयत्
Having placed the priests behind him, Devāpi worshipped Jātavedas as prescribed, and then reported this to Agni.
यथर्त्विजस् तथा चाहं देवानां परिचारकः हव्यं वहामि देवानां भोक्तारो रक्षकाश् च ते
Just as the priests, so am I an attendant of the gods; I carry the oblation for the gods, and they are the enjoyers and protectors.
देवान् आहूय यत्नेन हविर्भागान् पृथक् पृथक् दास्ये ऽहम् एष दोषो मे तस्माद् याहि सुरान् प्रति
Having diligently invoked the gods, I will give the shares of the oblation to each separately; this is my fault, so go to the gods.
देवापिः स सुरान् प्राप्य नत्वा तेभ्यः पृथक् पृथक् ऋत्विग्वाक्यं चाग्निवाक्यं शापं चापि न्यवेदयत्
Devāpi, having reached the gods, bowed to them and separately conveyed the words of the priests, the words of Agni, and also the curse.