ततो ऽब्रवीन् मुनिर् ध्यात्वा कपिलस् त्व् आगतान् मुनीन्
Then Kapila, having meditated, spoke to the sages who had gathered.
वेनस्योरुर् विमथ्यो ऽभूत् ततः कश्चिद् भविष्यति
By churning Vena’s thigh, someone will arise from it.
तथैव चक्रुर् मुनयो वेनस्योरुं विमथ्य वै तत्रोत्पन्नो महापापः कृष्णो रौद्रपराक्रमः
So the sages did as instructed, churning Vena’s thigh, and from it was born a great sinner, dark in color, fierce in strength.
तं दृष्ट्वा मुनयो भीता निषीदस्वेति चाब्रुवन् निषादः सो ऽभवत् तस्मान् निषादाश् चाभवंस् ततः
Seeing him, the sages, afraid, said, 'Sit down!' Thus he became Niṣāda, and from him the Niṣādas were born.
वेनबाहुं ममन्थुस् ते दक्षिणं धर्मसंहितम् ततः पृथुस्वरश् चैव सर्वलक्षणलक्षितः
They then churned Vena’s right arm, which was endowed with righteousness, and from it arose Pṛthu, possessing a mighty voice and all auspicious marks.
राजाभवत् पृथुः श्रीमान् ब्रह्मसामर्थ्यसंयुतः तम् आगत्य सुराः सर्वे अभिनन्द्य वराञ् शुभान्
Pṛthu became king, glorious and endowed with the power of Brahma. All the gods came to him, honored him, and granted him auspicious boons.
तस्मै ददुस् तथास्त्राणि मन्त्राणि गुणवन्ति च ततो ऽब्रुवन् मुनिगणास् तं पृथुं कपिलेन च
To him they gave weapons and mantras full of virtues. Then the assembly of sages, along with Kapila, spoke to Pṛthu.
आहारं देहि जीवेभ्यो भुवा ग्रस्तौषधीर् अपि
Provide sustenance for living beings, for the herbs of the earth have been consumed.
ततः स धनुर् आदाय भुवम् आह नृपोत्तमः
Then that best of kings took up his bow and addressed the earth.
ओषधीर् देहि या ग्रस्ताः प्रजानां हितकाम्यया
Give back the herbs that have been consumed, for the welfare of the people.
तम् उवाच मही भीता पृथुं तं पृथुलोचनम्
Then the earth, fearful, spoke to Pṛthu, the wide-eyed one.
मयि जीर्णा महौषध्यः कथं दातुम् अहं क्षमा
The great herbs have been consumed within me; how am I able to give them?
ततः सकोपो नृपतिस् ताम् आह पृथिवीं पुनः
Then the king, angry, spoke again to the earth.
नो चेद् ददास्य् अद्य त्वां वै हत्वा दास्ये महौषधीः
If you do not give them today, I will slay you and provide the great herbs myself.
कथं हंसि स्त्रियं राजञ् ज्ञानी भूत्वा नृपोत्तम विना मया कथं चेमाः प्रजाः संधारयिष्यसि
How can you, being wise, kill a woman, O best of kings? Without me, how will you sustain these beings?
यत्रोपकारो ऽनेकानाम् एकनाशे भविष्यति न दोषस् तत्र पृथिवि तपसा धारये प्रजाः
Where the benefit of many comes from the loss of one, there is no fault in that, O Earth. By asceticism, I will sustain the beings.
न दोषम् अत्र पश्यामि नाचक्षे ऽनर्थकं वचः यस्मिन् निपातिते सौख्यं बहूनाम् उपजायते मुनयस् तद्वधं प्राहुर् अश्वमेधशताधिकम्
I see no fault here, nor do I regard these words as meaningless; for when they are enacted, happiness arises for many. The sages have declared that the killing of that one is greater than a hundred horse sacrifices.
ततो देवाश् च ऋषयः सान्त्वयित्वा नृपोत्तमम् महीं च मातरं देवीम् ऊचुः सुरगणास् तदा
Then the gods and sages, having soothed the foremost king, and the earth, the divine mother, spoke to her, the host of gods at that time.
भूमे गोरूपिणी भूत्वा पयोरूपा महौषधीः देहि त्वं पृथवे राज्ञे ततः प्रीतो भवेन् नृपः प्रजासंरक्षणं च स्यात् ततः क्षेमं भविष्यति
O Earth, taking the form of a cow, and as milk and great herbs, give to King Prithu; then the king will be pleased, and the protection of the people will occur, and thus welfare will prevail.
ततो गोरूपम् आस्थाय भूम्य् आसीत् कपिलान्तिके दुदोह च महौषध्यो राजा वेनकरोद्भवः
Then, assuming the form of a cow, the earth sat near Kapila, and the king born of Vena milked the great herbs.
यत्र देवाः सगन्धर्वा ऋषयः कपिलो मुनिः महीं गोरूपम् आपन्नां नर्मदायां महामुने
Where the gods, along with the Gandharvas, the sages, and the sage Kapila, saw the earth in the form of a cow, O great sage, at the Narmada.
सरस्वत्यां भागीरथ्यां गोदावर्यां विशेषतः महानदीषु सर्वासु दुदुहे ऽसौ पयो महत्
On the Sarasvati, Bhagirathi, and especially on the Godavari, and on all the great rivers, he milked that great milk.
सा दुह्यमाना पृथुना पुण्यतोयाभवन् नदी गौतम्या संगता चाभूत् तद् अद्भुतम् इवाभवत्
As she was milked by Prithu, the river became holy and pure, and united with Gautami; it was as if something wondrous occurred.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं कपिलासंगमं विदुः तत्राष्टाशीतिः पूज्यानि सहस्राणि महामते
From that time onward, that sacred place became known as the meeting of Kapila; there, O wise one, eighty-eight thousand revered sites are found.
तीर्थान्य् आहुर् मुनिगणाः स्मरणाद् अपि नारद पावनानि जगत्य् अस्मिंस् तानि सर्वाण्य् अनुक्रमात्
The sages declare, O Narada, that the sacred places, even by remembrance, purify the world; all of them, in succession.
देवस्थानम् इति ख्यातं तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् तस्य प्रभावं वक्ष्यामि शृणु यत्नेन नारद
The place of the gods is renowned as a sacred site, famed throughout the three worlds. I will tell you its power; listen carefully, O Narada.
पुरा कृतयुगस्यादौ देवदानवसंगरे प्रवृत्ते वा सिंहिकेति विख्याता दैत्यसुन्दरी
Long ago, at the beginning of the Krita age, when the battle between gods and demons began, there was a demon maiden known as Simhika.
तस्याः पुत्रो महादैत्यो राहुर् नाम महाबलः अमृते तु समुत्पन्ने सैंहिकेये च भेदिते
Her son was the great demon named Rahu, of immense strength. When the nectar arose and Simhika's son was divided—
तस्य पुत्रो महादैत्यो मेघहास इति श्रुतः पितरं घातितं श्रुत्वा तपस् तेपे ऽतिदुःखितः
His son was the great demon known as Meghahasa. Hearing that his father had been slain, he performed austerities, greatly afflicted.
तपस्यन्तं राहुसुतं गौतमीतीरम् आश्रितम् देवाश् च ऋषयः सर्वे तम् ऊचुर् अतिभीतवत्
While Rahu's son was performing austerities, residing on the bank of the Gautami, all the gods and sages approached him, greatly fearful.