दश मे मानसाः पुत्राः स्रष्टारो जगताम् अपि अन्तं जिज्ञासवस् ते वै पृथिव्या जग्मुर् ओजसा
I had ten mind-born sons, creators even of the worlds; desiring to know the end, they went forth across the earth with their energy.
पुनः सृष्टाः पुनस् ते ऽपि यातास् तान् समवेक्षितुम् नैव ते ऽपि समायाता ये गतास् ते गता गताः
Again they were created, and again they departed; when I looked for them, they did not return—those who have gone are truly gone.
तदोत्पन्ना महाप्राज्ञा दिव्या आङ्गिरसो मुने वेदवेदाङ्गतत्त्वज्ञाः सर्वशास्त्रविशारदाः
Then were born those great sages, the divine descendants of Angiras, O sage, who knew the essence of the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, and were accomplished in all branches of knowledge.
ते ऽनुज्ञाता अङ्गिरसा गुरुं नत्वा तपोधनाः तपसे निश्चिताः सर्वे नैव पृष्ट्वा तु मातरम्
Having received permission from Angiras, their teacher, and bowing to him, all those ascetics, resolute in their austerities, departed without asking their mother.
सर्वेभ्यो ह्य् अधिका माता गुरुभ्यो गौरवेण हि तदा नारद कोपेन सा शशाप तदात्मजान्
For the mother is to be honored above all, even more than teachers; then, out of anger, Nārada's mother cursed her own sons.
माम् अनादृत्य ये पुत्राः प्रवृत्ताश् चरितुं तपः सर्वैर् अपि प्रकारैस् तन् न तेषां सिद्धिम् एष्यति
"Those sons who, disregarding me, have set out to practice austerities in every possible way—none of them shall attain success."
नानादेशांश् च चिन्वानास् तपःसिद्धिं न यान्ति च विघ्नम् अन्वेति तान् सर्वान् इतश् चेतश् च धावतः
Though searching in various regions, they did not attain perfection in their austerities; obstacles pursued them all as they wandered here and there.
क्वापि तद् राक्षसैर् विघ्नं क्वापि तन् मानुषैर् अभूत् प्रमदाभिः क्वचिच् चापि क्वापि तद्देहदोषतः
In some places, obstacles arose from demons; in others, from humans, from women, or even from defects of their own bodies.
एवं तु भ्रममाणास् ते ययुः सर्वे तपोनिधिम् अगस्त्यं तपतां श्रेष्ठं कुम्भयोनिं जगद्गुरुम्
Thus, wandering in this way, they all came to Agastya, the treasury of austerity, best among ascetics, born from a jar, the teacher of the world.
नमस्कृत्वा ह्य् आङ्गिरसा ह्य् अग्निवंशसमुद्भवाः दक्षिणाशापतिं शान्तं विनीताः प्रष्टुम् उद्यताः
The descendants of Angiras, born of the fire lineage, bowed to the lord of the southern quarter, tranquil and humble, and prepared to ask him.
भगवन् केन दोषेण तपो ऽस्माकं न सिध्यति नानाविधैर् अप्य् उपायैः कुर्वतां च पुनः पुनः
"O venerable one, by what fault does our austerity not succeed, though we perform it again and again by various means?"
किं कुर्मः कः प्रकारो ऽत्र तपस्य् एव भवाम किम् उपायं ब्रूहि विप्रेन्द्र ज्येष्ठो ऽसि तपसा ध्रुवम्
"What should we do? What method is there for austerity here? Tell us the means, O best of Brahmins; you are certainly foremost in austerity."
ज्ञातासि ज्ञानिनां ब्रह्मन् वक्तासि वदतां वरः शान्तो ऽसि यमिनां नित्यं दयावान् प्रियकृत् तथा
"You are known among the wise, O Brahmin, and foremost among speakers; you are always tranquil among the self-controlled, compassionate, and a doer of good."
अक्रोधनश् च न द्वेष्टा तस्माद् ब्रूहि विवक्षितम् साहंकारा दयाहीना गुरुसेवाविवर्जिताः असत्यवादिनः क्रूरा न ते तत्त्वं विजानते
"Free from anger and hatred, therefore speak what you wish. Those who are proud, devoid of compassion, neglectful of service to their teacher, untruthful, and cruel—they do not know the truth."
अगस्त्यः प्राह तान् सर्वान् क्षणं ध्यात्वा शनैः शनैः
Agastya, after meditating for a moment, slowly spoke to them all.
शान्तात्मानो भवन्तो वै स्रष्टारो ब्रह्मणा कृताः न पर्याप्तं तपश् चाभूत् स्मरध्वं स्मयकारणम्
"You possess tranquil minds and were created by Brahmā as progenitors; yet your austerity was not sufficient—remember the cause of your downfall."
ब्रह्मणा निर्मिताः पूर्वं ये गताः सुखम् एधते ये गताः पुनर् अन्वेष्टुं ते च त्व् आङ्गिरसो ऽभवन्
"Those who were formerly created by Brahmā and attained happiness, and those who went forth again to seek, they too became the descendants of Angiras."
ते यूयं च पुनः काले याता याताः शनैः शनैः प्रजापतेर् अप्य् अधिका भवितारो न संशयः
"You too, in due course, have gone forth again and again; you will certainly become greater even than the progenitor himself, without doubt."
इतो यान्तु तपस् तप्तुं गङ्गां त्रैलोक्यपावनीम् नोपायो ऽन्यो ऽस्ति संसारे विना गङ्गां शिवप्रियाम्
"Go now to perform austerity at the Gaṅgā, purifier of the three worlds; there is no other means in this world except the Gaṅgā, beloved of Śiva."
तत्राश्रमे पुण्यदेशे ज्ञानदं पूजयिष्यथ स च्छेदयिष्यत्य् अखिलं संशयं वो महामतिः न सिद्धिः क्वापि केषांचिद् विना सद्गुरुणा यतः
"There, in the holy place, you shall worship the giver of knowledge in the hermitage; that great soul will dispel all your doubts, for without a true teacher, no one attains perfection anywhere."
ते तम् ऊचुर् मुनिवरं ज्ञानदः को ऽभिधीयते ब्रह्मा विष्णुर् महेशो वा आदित्यो वापि चन्द्रमाः
They asked that eminent sage, 'Who is called the giver of knowledge—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśa, Āditya, or the Moon?'
अग्निश् च वरुणः कः स्याज् ज्ञानदो मुनिसत्तम अगस्त्यः पुनर् अप्य् आह ज्ञानदः श्रूयताम् अयम्
'Or is it Agni, or Varuṇa, O best of sages? Who is the giver of knowledge?' Again Agastya spoke: 'Hear who the giver of knowledge is.'
या आपः सो ऽग्निर् इत्य् उक्तो यो ऽग्निः सूर्यः स उच्यते यश् च सूर्यः स वै विष्णुर् यश् च विष्णुः स भास्करः
'That which is water is said to be Agni; that which is Agni is called Sūrya; that which is Sūrya is truly Viṣṇu; and that which is Viṣṇu is Bhāskara.'
यश् च ब्रह्मा स वै रुद्रो यो रुद्रः सर्वम् एव तत् यस्य सर्वं तु तज् ज्ञानं ज्ञानदः सो ऽत्र कीर्त्यते
'That which is Brahmā is indeed Rudra; that which is Rudra is all this. That in whom all exists, that knowledge—he is called the giver of knowledge here.'
देशिकप्रेरकव्याख्याकृदुपाध्यायदेहदाः गुरवः सन्ति बहवस् तेषां ज्ञानप्रदो महान्
There are many teachers—preceptors, inspirers, commentators, expounders, and givers of the body—but among them, the giver of knowledge is supreme.
तद् एव ज्ञानम् अत्रोक्तं येन भेदो विहन्यते एक एवाद्वयः शंभुर् इन्द्रमित्राग्निनामभिः वदन्ति बहुधा विप्रा भ्रान्तोपकृतिहेतवे
That alone is knowledge here, by which division is destroyed. The one, non-dual Śambhu is spoken of by the wise in many ways—with the names Indra, Mitra, Agni—due to the delusion caused by differences.
एतच् छ्रुत्वा मुनेर् वाक्यं गाथा गायन्त एव ते जग्मुः पञ्चोत्तरां गङ्गां पञ्च जग्मुश् च दक्षिणाम्
Hearing these words of the sage, they went on singing verses; five went to the northern Gaṅgā, and five went to the southern.
अगस्त्येनोदितान् देवान् पूजयन्तो यथाविधि आसनेषु विशेषेण ह्य् आसीनास् तत्त्वचिन्तकाः
Worshipping the deities as instructed by Agastya, they sat properly in their seats, absorbed in contemplation of the truth.
तेषां सर्वे सुरगणाः प्रीतिमन्तो ऽभवन् मुने स्रष्टृत्वं तु युगादौ यत् कल्पितं विश्वयोनिना
All the hosts of gods became pleased with them, O sage, for the role of creator was established at the beginning of the age by the source of the universe.
अधर्माणां निवृत्त्यर्थं वेदानां स्थापनाय च लोकानाम् उपकारार्थं धर्मकामार्थसिद्धये
For the removal of unrighteousness, for the establishment of the Vedas, for the benefit of the worlds, and for the attainment of dharma, kāma, and artha.