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.
आहूता वैदिकैर् मन्त्रैर् ऋत्विग्भिश् च यथाक्रमम् भोक्ष्यामहे हविर्भागान् न स्वतन्त्रा द्विजोत्तम
Summoned by the priests with Vedic mantras in due order, we shall enjoy the shares of the oblation, O best of twice-born, but we are not independent.
तस्माद् वेदानुगा नित्यं वयं वेदेन चोदिताः परतन्त्रास् ततो विप्र वेदेभ्यस् तन् निवेदय
Therefore, always following the Veda and impelled by the Veda, we are dependent; so, O Brahmin, report this to the Vedas.
स देवापिः शुचिर् भूत्वा वेदान् आहूय यत्नतः ध्यानेन तपसा युक्तो वेदाश् चापि पुरो ऽभवन्
Then Devāpi, having purified himself, diligently invoked the Vedas; endowed with meditation and austerity, the Vedas appeared before him.
वेदान् उवाच देवापिर् नमस्य तु पुनः पुनः ऋत्विग्वाक्यं चाग्निवाक्यं देववाक्यं न्यवेदयत्
Devāpi, bowing again and again, addressed the Vedas, and conveyed the words of the priests, the words of Agni, and the words of the gods.
परतन्त्रा वयं तात ईश्वरस्य वशानुगाः अशेषजगदाधारो निराधारो निरञ्जनः
We, O dear one, are dependent, subject to the will of the Lord; He is the unfailing support of the entire universe, Himself unsupported and untouched.
सर्वशक्त्यैकसदनं निधानं सर्वसंपदाम् स तु कर्ता महादेवः संहर्ता स महेश्वरः
He is the sole abode of all powers, the treasury of every wealth; that Great God is the creator, the destroyer, the Supreme Lord.
वयं शब्दमया ब्रह्मन् वदामो विद्म एव च अस्माकम् एतत् कृत्यं स्याद् वदामो यत् तु पृच्छसि
We, O Brahman, are composed of sound; we speak and we know, and this is our duty—to speak what you ask of us.
केन नीतास् तस्य नाम तत्पुरं तद्बलं तथा भक्षिताः किं तु नो नष्टा एतज् जानीमहे वयम्
By whom were they led away, what is his name, his city, and his strength? Who devoured them, or are they lost? This much we know.
यथा च तव सामर्थ्यं यम् आराध्य च यत्र च स्याद् इत्य् एतच् च जानीमो यथा प्राप्स्यसि तान् पुरः
We also know your capacity, whom you should worship, and where; and in this way, you will obtain them before you.
एतच् छ्रुत्वावदद् वेदान् विचार्य सुचिरं हृदि
Hearing this, he pondered the Vedas for a long time in his heart.