अजकस्य तु दायादो बलाकाश्वो महीपतिः बभूव मृगयाशीलः कुशस् तस्यात्मजो ऽभवत्
Ajaka’s heir was Balākāśva, a king fond of hunting; Kuśa, his son, was born to him.
कुशपुत्रा बभूवुर् हि चत्वारो देववर्चसः कुशिकः कुशनाभश् च कुशाम्बो मूर्तिमांस् तथा
Kuśa had four sons endowed with divine splendor: Kuśika, Kuśanābha, Kuśāmba, and Mūrtimān.
बल्लवैः सह संवृद्धो राजा वनचरः सदा कुशिकस् तु तपस् तेपे पुत्रम् इन्द्रसमं प्रभुः
Kuśika, always dwelling in the forest and raised among cowherds, practiced austerities, desiring a son equal to Indra in power.
लभेयम् इति तं शक्रस् त्रासाद् अभ्येत्य जज्ञिवान् पूर्णे वर्षसहस्रे वै ततः शक्रो ह्य् अपश्यत
Thinking, 'May I obtain such a son,' Indra, out of fear, approached him; when a thousand years were completed, then Indra beheld him.
अत्युग्रतपसं दृष्ट्वा सहस्राक्षः पुरंदरः समर्थः पुत्रजनने स्वयम् एवास्य शाश्वतः
Seeing him engaged in extremely severe austerities, Indra, the thousand-eyed lord, himself, capable of granting a son, became his eternal benefactor.
पुत्रार्थं कल्पयाम् आस देवेन्द्रः सुरसत्तमः स गाधिर् अभवद् राजा मघवान् कौशिकः स्वयम्
For the sake of a son, the best of gods, Indra, arranged that he himself would be born as the son; thus, Maghavan himself became King Gādhi, the son of Kuśika.
पौरा यस्याभवद् भार्या गाधिस् तस्याम् अजायत गाधेः कन्या महाभागा नाम्ना सत्यवती शुभा
Gādhi’s wife was Paurā; from her, Gādhi was born. Gādhi’s highly fortunate daughter, named Satyavatī, was auspicious.
तां गाधिः काव्यपुत्राय ऋचीकाय ददौ प्रभुः तस्याः प्रीतः स वै भर्ता भार्गवो भृगुनन्दनः
Gādhi gave that Satyavatī to Ṛcīka, the son of Kavya, as his wife; pleased, her husband, the Bhārgava and descendant of Bhṛgu, accepted her.
पुत्रार्थं साधयाम् आस चरुं गाधेस् तथैव च उवाचाहूय तां भार्याम् ऋचीको भार्गवस् तदा
Desiring a son, Ṛcīka prepared a sacrificial oblation for Gādhi as well; then, calling his wife, the Bhārgava Ṛcīka spoke to her.
उपयोज्यश् चरुर् अयं त्वया मात्रा स्वयं शुभे तस्यां जनिष्यते पुत्रो दीप्तिमान् क्षत्रियर्षभः
'O auspicious one, you must use this oblation yourself and with your mother; from you will be born a radiant son, a foremost Kshatriya.'
अजेयः क्षत्रियैर् लोके क्षत्रियर्षभसूदनः तवापि पुत्रं कल्याणि धृतिमन्तं तपोधनम्
'He will be unconquered by Kshatriyas in the world, a destroyer of foremost Kshatriyas. And to you, O blessed one, will be born a steadfast son, rich in austerity.'
शमात्मकं द्विजश्रेष्ठं चरुर् एष विधास्यति एवम् उक्त्वा तु तां भार्याम् ऋचीको भृगुनन्दनः
'This oblation will produce a tranquil, excellent Brahmin.' Thus, having spoken to his wife, Ṛcīka, the descendant of Bhṛgu—
तपस्य् अभिरतो नित्यम् अरण्यं प्रविवेश ह गाधिः सदारस् तु तदा ऋचीकाश्रमम् अभ्यगात्
Always devoted to austerity, he entered the forest; Gādhi, along with his wife, then went to the hermitage of Ṛcīka.
तीर्थयात्राप्रसङ्गेन सुतां द्रष्टुं नरेश्वरः चरुद्वयं गृहीत्वा सा ऋषेः सत्यवती तदा
On the occasion of a pilgrimage, the king went to see his daughter; then Satyavatī took the two oblations from the sage.
चरुम् आदाय यत्नेन सा तु मात्रे न्यवेदयत् माता तु तस्या दैवेन दुहित्रे स्वं चरुं ददौ
Taking the oblation with care, she gave it to her mother; but her mother, by divine influence, gave her own oblation to her daughter.
तस्याश् चरुम् अथाज्ञानाद् आत्मसंस्थं चकार ह अथ सत्यवती सर्वं क्षत्रियान्तकरं तदा
Unaware, she made her own oblation reside within herself; thus Satyavatī then took in all that was meant to destroy Kshatriyas.
धारयाम् आस दीप्तेन वपुषा घोरदर्शना ताम् ऋचीकस् ततो दृष्ट्वा योगेनाभ्युपसृत्य च
She bore it with her blazing, terrible form; seeing her thus, Ṛcīka approached by the power of yoga.
ततो ऽब्रवीद् द्विजश्रेष्ठः स्वां भार्यां वरवर्णिनीम् मात्रासि वञ्चिता भद्रे चरुव्यत्यासहेतुना
Then the best of twice-born spoke to his beautiful wife: 'O blessed one, you have been deceived by your mother, through the exchange of the offerings.'
जनयिष्यति हि पुत्रस् ते क्रूरकर्मातिदारुणः भ्राता जनिष्यते चापि ब्रह्मभूतस् तपोधनः
For your son will be of cruel deeds, exceedingly fierce; but his brother will be born as a sage, endowed with the nature of Brahman.
विश्वं हि ब्रह्म तपसा मया तस्मिन् समर्पितम् एवम् उक्ता महाभागा भर्त्रा सत्यवती तदा
Indeed, by my austerity, I have entrusted the entire Brahman into him.' Thus addressed by her husband, Satyavatī, the noble lady,
प्रसादयाम् आस पतिं पुत्रो मे नेदृशो भवेत् ब्राह्मणापसदस् त्वत्त इत्य् उक्तो मुनिर् अब्रवीत्
Began to appease her husband: 'Let my son not be such, a degenerate among Brahmins, from you.' Thus addressed, the sage replied:
नैष संकल्पितः कामो मया भद्रे तथास्त्व् इति उग्रकर्मा भवेत् पुत्रः पितुर् मातुश् च कारणात्
'This was not my intention, O blessed one, but so be it. The son will be fierce in action, due to both father and mother.'
पुनः सत्यवती वाक्यम् एवम् उक्त्वाब्रवीद् इदम् इच्छंल् लोकान् अपि मुने सृजेथाः किं पुनः सुतम्
Again Satyavatī, having spoken thus, said: 'O sage, if you wish, you could create even worlds—what then of a son?'
शमात्मकम् ऋजुं त्वं मे पुत्रं दातुम् इहार्हसि कामम् एवंविधः पौत्रो मम स्यात् तव च प्रभो
'You ought to grant me a son who is peaceful and upright; let such a grandson be mine and yours, O lord.'
यद्य् अन्यथा न शक्यं वै कर्तुम् एतद् द्विजोत्तम ततः प्रसादम् अकरोत् स तस्यास् तपसो बलात्
'If otherwise it cannot be done, O best of twice-born, then he granted her favor by the power of her austerity.'
पुत्रे नास्ति विशेषो मे पौत्रे वा वरवर्णिनि त्वया यथोक्तं वचनं तथा भद्रे भविष्यति
'There is no distinction for me between son and grandson, O beautiful one. As you have spoken, so shall it be, O blessed one.'
ततः सत्यवती पुत्रं जनयाम् आस भार्गवम् तपस्य् अभिरतं दान्तं जमदग्निं समात्मकम्
Then Satyavatī gave birth to a son of the Bhṛgu line, devoted to austerity, self-controlled, Jamadagni, possessing a peaceful nature.
भृगोर् जगत्यां वंशे ऽस्मिञ् जमदग्निर् अजायत सा हि सत्यवती पुण्या सत्यधर्मपरायणा
In the lineage of Bhṛgu, Jamadagni was born on earth; Satyavatī, virtuous and devoted to truth and righteousness, was his mother.
कौशिकीति समाख्याता प्रवृत्तेयं महानदी इक्ष्वाकुवंशप्रभवो रेणुर् नाम नराधिपः
She became known as Kauśikī, the great river; and there was a king named Reṇu, descendant of the Ikṣvāku line.
तस्य कन्या महाभागा कामली नाम रेणुका रेणुकायां तु कामल्यां तपोविद्यासमन्वितः
His illustrious daughter was named Kāmalī, also called Reṇukā; and in Reṇukā, endowed with austerity and knowledge,