राज्यं पुरीं चापहाय भ्रष्टैश्वर्या हतत्विषः
Abandoning their kingdom and city, deprived of power and bereft of splendor,
अभिद्रुत्य नृपांस्तांस्तु द्रवमाणान्महीपतिः
the king pursued those fleeing rulers as they ran away.
ततस्तान्प्रति सक्रोधः सगरः समरे ऽरिहा
Then Sagara, destroyer of enemies, angrily confronted them in battle.
वाय्वस्त्रावृत्तधूमोद्गमपटलतमोमुष्टदृष्टिप्रसारा भ्रेमुर्भूपृष्टलोठद्बहुलतमरजोगूढमात्रा मुहूर्त्तम्
Clouded by the dense smoke rising from the wind-weapon, their vision was obscured; for a moment, the earth was enveloped in a thick mass of swirling dust.
भीताः संत्युक्तवस्त्रायुधकवचविभूषादिका मुक्तकेशा विस्पष्टोन्मत्तभावान्भृश तरमनुकुर्वन्त्यग्रतः शात्रवाणाम्
Terrified, having cast off their garments, weapons, armor, and ornaments, with disheveled hair and clearly maddened in appearance, they hurriedly imitated the enemies before them.
संक्षुब्धसागराकारः कांबोजानभ्यवर्त्तत
With the appearance of an agitated ocean, he advanced upon the Kambojas.
कांबोजास्तालजङ्घाः शकयवनकिरातादयः साकमेते भ्रेमुर्भूर्यस्त्रभीत्या दिशि दिशि रिपवो यस्य पूर्वापराधाः
The Kambojas, Tālas, Śakas, Yavanas, Kirātas, and others, together with their women, fled in all directions out of fear of him, whose past offenses they remembered.
द्विट्सैन्यैः समभिद्रुता वनभुवं संप्राप्य तत्रापि ते ऽस्तैमित्यं समुपागता गिरिगुहासुप्तोत्थितेन द्विषः
Pursued by the armies of their enemies, they reached the forest, but even there they found no safety, as their foes, awakened from the caves of the mountains, overtook them.
क्रमेण नाशयामास तद्राज्यमरिकर्षणः
Gradually, the subduer of enemies destroyed their kingdom.
निजघान रुषाविष्टः पल्हवान्पारदानपि
Overcome with wrath, he struck down the Pahlavas and the Pāradas as well.
दुद्रुवुः संघशो भीता हतशिष्टाः समन्ततः
The remaining survivors, terrified, fled in groups on all sides.
इत्युच्चैः श्रावयाणो युधि निजचरितं वैरिभिर्नागवीर्यः क्षत्रैर्विध्वंसितेजाः सगरनरपतिः स्मारयामास भूपः
Thus, proclaiming his own deeds loudly in battle to his enemies, the king Sagara, whose valor was like that of an elephant and whose adversaries among the kṣatriyas had been destroyed, reminded the assembled kings.
इक्ष्वाकूणां वसिष्ठं कुलगुरुमभितः सप्त राज्ञां कलेषु प्रख्याताः संप्रसूता नृपवररिपवः पारदाः पल्हवाद्याः
The Pāradas, Pahlavas, and others—renowned enemies of the best of kings—were born in the lineages of seven kings around Vasiṣṭha, the family priest of the Ikṣvākus.
उपगम्याब्रुवन्सर्वे कृताञ्जलिपुटा नृपाः
All those kings approached with joined palms and spoke.
सगरास्त्राग्निनिर्दग्धशरीराणां मुमूर्षताम्
Their bodies burned by the weapons of Sagara, and on the verge of death,
तस्माद्भयाद्धि निष्क्रान्ता वयं जीवितकाङ्क्षिणः
out of fear of him, we departed, desiring to preserve our lives.
केवलं प्राणरक्षार्थं त्वां त्वयं शरणं गतः
I have come to you solely for the sake of preserving life.
यस्तं निवर्त्तयित्वास्मान्पालयेन्महतो भयात्
Whoever turns him away and protects us from great danger—
तद्वंशपूर्वजैर्भूपैस्त्वतप्रभावश्च तादृशः
Such is your power, as was that of the kings of your lineage in former times.
भवन्निदेशं नात्येति वेलामिव महोदधिः
He does not transgress your command, like the great ocean does not cross its boundary.
तस्मादस्मान्महाभाग परित्रातुं त्वमर्हसि
Therefore, O illustrious one, you ought to rescue us.
शनैर्विलोकयामास शरणं समुपागतान्
He slowly looked upon those who had come seeking refuge.
दृष्ट्वा त्वतप्यद्भगवान्सर्वभूतानुकंपकः
Seeing them, the blessed one, compassionate toward all beings, was moved.
उज्जीवयञ्छनैर्वाचा मा भैष्टेति महामतिः
With gentle words, the wise one revived them, saying, 'Do not fear.'
समये स्थापयामास राज्ञस्ताञ्जीवितार्थिनः
He established those seekers of life under the king's protection.
गत्वा तं राजवर्यं स्वयमथ शनकैः सांत्वयित्वा यथावत्सप्राणानामरीणामपगमनविधावभ्यनुज्ञां ययाचे
Then, going to that distinguished king himself, he gently comforted him as appropriate, and requested permission for the departure of the living and the dead.
श्रौतस्मार्त्तविभिन्नकर्मनिरतान्विप्रैश्च दूरोञ्झितान्सासून्केवलमत्यजन्मृतसमानेकैकशः पार्थिवान्
He did not abandon the kings, one by one, who were engaged in diverse Vedic and Smriti rites, who had been driven far away by Brahmins along with their sons, and who were equal in birth and death.
यवनान्विगतश्मश्रून्कांबोजांश्चबुकान्वितान्
He did not abandon the Yavanas, who had lost their beards, nor the Kambojas, nor those accompanied by the Shakas.
वेदोक्तकर्मनिर्मुक्तान्विप्रैश्च परिवर्जितान्
He did not abandon those freed from Vedic rites, nor those forsaken by Brahmins.
ततस्ते रिपवस्तस्य त्यक्तस्वाचारलक्षणाः
Then those enemies of his, having abandoned the marks of proper conduct—