संत्युत्तमगुणैर्युक्ता नृपस्यापि परीक्षकाः
Those endowed with excellent qualities are also examiners of the king.
ऋषयस्त्वेकतः सर्वे याज्ञवल्क्यस्तथैकतः
All the sages were on one side, and Yājñavalkya on the other.
एकैकशस्ततः पृष्टा नैवोत्तरमथाब्रुवन्
Then, each was questioned individually, but none gave an answer.
शाकल्यमिति होवाच वादकर्त्तारमञ्जसा
He said, 'Śākalya,' directly addressing the disputant.
पणस्तु यजमानेन बद्धो नीतो यथा धृतः
The wager was bound by the sacrificer and taken as agreed.
प्रोवाच याज्ञवल्क्यं सपुरुषं मुनिसन्निधौ
Yājñavalkya spoke in the presence of the sages, along with his attendants.
विद्याधनं महासारं स्वयङ्ग्राहं जिघृक्षसि
You wish to seize for yourself the great wealth of knowledge.
ब्रह्मिष्ठानां बलं विद्धि विद्यातत्त्वार्थदर्शनम्
Know that the strength of those devoted to Brahman is the vision of the essence of knowledge.
कामप्रर्श्नधना विप्राः कामप्रश्नं वदामहे
O Brahmins, whose wealth is questions of desire, let us speak the question of desire.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य शाकल्यः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः
Hearing these words, Śākalya became enraged and faint with anger.
ब्रूहीदानीं मयोद्दिष्टान्कामप्रश्नान्यथार्थतः
Now, speak forth the questions of desire that I have set before you, just as they are.
साग्रं प्रश्नसहस्रं तु शाकल्यः सो ऽकरोत्तदा
Then Śākalya put forth a thousand questions, complete in every respect.
शाकल्यस्त्वास निर्वादो याज्ञवल्क्यस्तमब्रवीत्
Śākalya was without dispute, and Yājñavalkya spoke to him.
पणप्राप्यस्य वादस्य ब्रुवतोर्मृत्युरत्र वै
In a debate for a wager, truly, death comes to whichever of the two speakers is defeated.
अध्यात्मस्य गतिं मुख्यां ध्यानमार्गमथापि वा
Whether it be the principal path of the inner self, or the way of meditation—
शाकल्यस्तमविज्ञाय तथा मृत्युमवाप्तवान्
Śākalya, not understanding that, thus met his death.
एवं विवादः सुमहानासीत्तेषां धनार्थिनाम्
In this way, a great debate arose among those seekers of wealth.
जगाम वै गृहं स्वच्छं शिष्यैः परिवृतो वशी
The self-controlled one went to his own pure home, surrounded by his disciples.
चकार संहिताः पञ्च बुद्धिमान्वेदवित्तमः
The wise knower of the Veda composed five collections.
खलीयान्सुतपा वत्सः शैशिरेयश्च पञ्चमः
Khalīya, Sutapā, Vatsa, and Śaiśireya were the fifth.
निरुक्तं च पुनश्चक्रे चतुर्थं द्विजसत्तमः
And the best of twice-born made Nirukta as the fourth.
धीमाञ्छ तबलाकश्च गजश्चैव द्विजोत्तमाः
Dhīmān, Tabalāka, and Gaja—these were excellent Brāhmaṇas.
त्रयस्तस्याभवञ्च्छिष्या महात्मानो गुणान्विताः
Three noble disciples of his were endowed with great qualities.
तृतीयश्चार्जवस्ते च तपसा शंसितव्रताः
The third was Ārjava; they were steadfast in austerity and firm in their vows.
इत्येते बहूवृचाः प्रोक्ताः संहिता यैः प्रवर्तिताः
Thus, these many-versed collections were declared, which were set forth by them.
षडशीतिस्तु तेनोक्ताः संहिता यजुषां शुभाः
He proclaimed eighty-six auspicious collections of the Yajur Veda.
एकस्तत्र परित्यक्तो या५वल्क्यो महातपाः
Among them, one was abandoned—Yājñavalkya, the great ascetic.
सर्वेषामेव तेषां वै त्रिधा भेदाः प्रकीर्त्तिताः
Among all of them, threefold divisions are described.
उदीच्या मध्यदेश्याश्च प्राच्यश्चैव पृथग्विधाः
Those from the north, the central region, and the east are of different kinds.
मध्यदेशप्रतिष्ठाता चासुरिः प्रथमः स्मृतः
Asuri is remembered as the foremost founder of the tradition in the central region.