शर्यातिरपि सन्तुष्टो ह्यभवत्तेन कर्मणा । यज्ञं समाप्य नगरे जगाम सचिवैर्वृतः
Śaryāti too was pleased by this deed; having completed the sacrifice in the city, he departed surrounded by his ministers.
राज्यं चकार धर्मज्ञो मनुपुत्रः प्रतापवान् । आनर्तस्तस्य पुत्रोऽभूदानर्ताद्रेवतोऽभवत्
The righteous and mighty son of Manu ruled the kingdom; his son was Ānarta, and from Ānarta was born Revata.
सोऽन्तःसमुद्रे नगरीं विनिर्माय कुशस्थलीम् । आस्थितोऽभुङ्क्त विषयानानर्तादीनरिन्दमः
He built the city of Kuśasthalī in the midst of the sea, and, established there, enjoyed the territories of Ānarta and others, O subduer of enemies.
तस्य पुत्रशतं जज्ञे ककुद्मिज्येष्ठमुत्तमम् । पुत्री च रेवती नाम्ना सुन्दरी शुभलक्षणा
He had a hundred sons, the eldest and most excellent being Kakudmi, and a daughter named Revatī, beautiful and auspicious.
वरयोग्या यदा जाता तदा राजा च रेवतः । चिन्तयामास राजेन्द्रो राजपुत्रान्कुलोद्भवान्
When his daughter became eligible for marriage, King Revata, the foremost among kings, began to consider the princes born in noble families.
रैवतं नाम च गिरिमाश्रितः पृथिवीपतिः । चकार राज्यं बलवानानर्तेषु नराधिपः
The powerful lord of men, ruling over the Anartas, made his capital at the mountain called Raivata.
विचिन्त्य मनसा राजा कस्मै देया मया सुता । गत्वा पृच्छामि ब्रह्माणं सर्वज्ञं सुरपूजितम्
The king pondered in his mind, 'To whom should I give my daughter?' Then he thought, 'I will go and ask Brahma, the all-knowing one, honored by the gods.'
इति सञ्चिन्त्य भूपालः सुतामादाय रेवतीम् । ब्रह्मलोकं जगामाशु प्रष्टुकामः पितामहम्
Having thus resolved, the king took his daughter Revati and quickly went to Brahmaloka, desiring to question the Grandfather of all.
यत्र देवाश्च यज्ञाश्च छन्दांसि पर्वतास्तथा । अब्धयः सिद्धगन्धर्वाः दिव्यरूपधराः स्थिताः
There, the gods, the sacrifices, the Vedas, the mountains, the oceans, the perfected beings, and the Gandharvas, all adorned with divine forms, were present.
ऋषयः सिद्धगन्धर्वाः पन्नगाश्चारणास्तथा । तस्थुः प्राञ्जलयः सर्वे स्तुवन्तश्च पुरातनाः
The sages, perfected beings, Gandharvas, serpents, and celestial bards all stood there with joined palms, praising the Ancient One.
इक्ष्वाकुवंशवर्णनम् जनमेजय उवाच - संशयोऽयं महान् ब्रह्मन् वर्तते मम मानसे । ब्रह्मलोकं गतो राजा रेवतीसंयुतः स्वयम्
Janamejaya said: A great doubt arises in my mind, O Brahmin: the king went to Brahmaloka together with Revati by his own will.
मया पूर्वं श्रुतं कृत्स्नं ब्राह्मणेभ्यः कथान्तरे । ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मविच्छान्तो ब्रह्मलोकमवाप्नुयात्
I have previously heard in other stories from Brahmins that a Brahmin, having realized Brahman, attains Brahmaloka.
राजा कथं गतस्तत्र रेवतीसंयुतः स्वयम् । सत्यलोकेऽतिदुष्प्रापे भूर्लोकादिति संशयः
How did the king himself, together with Revati, go there—to Satyaloka, which is extremely difficult to reach from the world of mortals? This is my doubt.
मृतः स्वर्गमवाप्नोति सर्वशास्त्रेषु निर्णयः । (मानुषेण तु देहेन ब्रह्मलोके गतिः कथम् । ) स्वर्गात्पुनः कथं लोके मानुषे जायते गतिः
It is established in all scriptures that one who dies attains heaven; but how can one reach Brahmaloka with a human body? And how does one return from heaven to be born again among humans?
एतन्मे संस्ययं विद्वंश्छेत्तुमर्हसि साम्प्रतम् । यथा राजा गतस्तत्र प्रष्टुकामः प्रजापतिम्
O learned one, you should now resolve this doubt of mine: how did the king go there, desiring to question the Lord of Creatures?
व्यास उवाच - मेरोस्तु शिखरे राजन् सर्वे लोकाः प्रतिष्ठिताः । इन्द्रलोको वह्निलोको या च संयमिनी पुरी
Vyasa said: O king, on the summit of Meru are established all the worlds: the world of Indra, the world of Agni, and the city called Samyamini.
तथैव सत्यलोकश्च कैलासश्च तथा पुनः । वैकुण्ठश्च पुनस्तत्र वैष्णवं पदमुच्यते
Likewise, Satyaloka, Kailasa, and again Vaikuntha are there; that place is called the Vaishnava abode.
यथार्जुनः शक्रलोके गतः पार्थो धनुर्धरः । पञ्चवर्षाणि कौन्तेयः स्थितस्तत्र सुरालये
Just as Arjuna, the son of Kunti and wielder of the bow, went to the world of Indra and stayed there for five years in the abode of the gods,
मानुषेणैव देहेन वासवस्य च सन्निधौ । तथैवान्येऽपि भूपालाः ककुत्स्थप्रमुखाः किल
with his human body, in the presence of Vasava—so too did other kings, headed by Kakutstha, indeed.
स्वर्लोकगतयः पश्चाद्दैत्याश्चापि महाबलाः । जित्वेन्द्रसदनं प्राप्य संस्थितास्तत्र कामतः
After going to the heavenly worlds, the mighty Daityas, having conquered the abode of Indra, also remained there as they wished.
महाभिषः पुरा राजा ब्रह्मलोकं गतः स्वराट् । आगच्छन्तीं नृपो गङ्गामपश्यच्चातिसुन्दरीम्
Long ago, King Mahabhisha, sovereign of the earth, went to Brahmaloka and saw the exceedingly beautiful Ganga as she was coming.
वायुनाम्बरमस्यास्तु दैवादपहृतं नृप । किञ्चिन्नग्ना नृपेणाथ दृष्टा सा सुन्दरी तथा
By fate, the wind removed her garment, and the king saw that beautiful lady, Ganga, almost naked.
स्मितं चकार कामार्तः सा च किञ्चिज्जहास वै । ब्रह्मणा तौ तदा दृष्टौ शप्तौ जातौ वसुन्धराम्
Desire-stricken, he smiled; she too laughed a little. Brahmā saw them both and cursed them, so they were born upon the earth.
वैकुण्ठेऽपि सुराः सर्वे पीडिता दैत्यदानवैः । गत्वा हरिं जगन्नाथमस्तुवन्कमलापतिम्
Even in Vaikuṇṭha, all the gods were afflicted by the demons and giants; they went to Hari, Lord of the Universe, and praised the Lotus-eyed One.
सन्देहो नात्र कर्तव्यः सर्वथा नृपसत्तम । गम्याः सर्वेऽपि लोकाः स्युर्मानवानां नराधिप
O best of kings, there should be no doubt about this: all worlds are accessible to humans, O ruler of men.
अवश्यं कृतपुण्यानां तापसानां नराधिप । पुण्यसद्भाव एवात्र गमने कारणं नृप
Certainly, O king, for those who have performed virtuous deeds and ascetics, the presence of merit is the cause for attaining those worlds.
तथैव यजमानानां यज्ञेन भावितात्मनाम् । जनमेजय उवाच - रेवतो रेवतीं कन्यां गृहीत्वा चारुलोचनाम्
Likewise, for those who perform sacrifices and whose minds are purified by yajña. Janamejaya said: Revata took Revati, his daughter with beautiful eyes.
ब्रह्मलोकं गतः पश्चात्किं कृतं तेने भूभुजा । ब्रह्मणा किं समादिष्टं कस्मै दत्ता सुता पुनः
Afterwards, he went to Brahmaloka; what did that king do there? What did Brahmā command, and to whom was the daughter given again?
तत्सर्वं विस्तराद्बह्मन् कथय त्वं ममाधुना । व्यास उवाच - निशामय महीपाल राजा रेवतकः किल
Tell me all this in detail now, O Brahman. Vyāsa said: Listen, O king, Revataka was the ruler.
पुत्र्या वरं परिप्रष्टुं ब्रह्मलोकं गतो यदा । आवर्तमाने गान्धर्वे स्थितो लब्धक्षणः क्षणम्
When he went to Brahmaloka to ask for a husband for his daughter, he remained for a moment, waiting for an opportunity, as the Gandharva music was playing.