धुन्धुर्नामा हतो दैत्यस्तेनासौ पृथिवीतले । धुन्धुमारेति विख्यातं नाम प्रापातिविश्रुतम्
A demon named Dhundhu was slain by him on the earth; thus, he became widely known by the celebrated name Dhundhumāra.
पुत्रस्तस्य दृढाश्वस्तु पालयामास मेदिनीम् । दृढाश्वस्य सुतः श्रीमान्हर्यश्व इति कीर्तितः
His son Dṛḍhāśva ruled the land; Dṛḍhāśva's illustrious son is known as Haryaśva.
निकुम्भस्तत्सुतः प्रोक्तो बभूव पृथिवीपतिः । बर्हणाश्वो निकुम्भस्य कुशाश्वस्तस्य वै सुतः
His son was Nikumbha, who became lord of the earth; Barhaṇāśva was the son of Nikumbha, and Kuśāśva was his son.
प्रसेनजित्कृशाश्वस्य बलवान्सत्यविक्रमः । तस्य पुत्रो महाभागो यौवनाश्वेति विश्रुतः
Prasenajit, son of Kṛśāśva, was powerful and truly heroic; his greatly fortunate son was renowned as Yauvanāśva.
यौवनाश्वसुतः श्रीमान्मान्धातेति महीपतिः । अष्टोत्तरसहस्रं तु प्रासादा येन निर्मिताः
Yauvanāśva's illustrious son was the king Māndhātṛ; he built one thousand and eight palaces.
भगवत्यास्तु तुष्ट्यर्थं महातीर्थेषु मानद । मातृगर्भे न जातोऽसावुत्पन्नो जनकोदरे
O bestower of honor, for the satisfaction of the Goddess, he constructed them at great sacred places; he was not born from his mother's womb but emerged from his father's belly.
निःसारितस्ततः पुत्रः कुक्षिं भित्त्वा पितुः पुनः । राजोवाच - न श्रुतं न च दृष्टं वा भवता तदुदाहृतम्
Then the son was expelled, breaking through his father's abdomen; the king said: 'Such a thing has neither been heard nor seen by you as you have described.'
असंभाव्यं महाभाग तस्य जन्म यथोदितम् । विस्तरेण वदस्वाद्य मान्धातुर्जन्मकारणम्
'O greatly fortunate one, the birth as you described is inconceivable; now tell in detail the cause of Māndhātṛ's birth.'
राजोदरे यथोत्पन्नः पुत्रः सर्वाङ्गसुन्दरः । व्यास उवाच - यौवनाश्वोऽनपत्योऽभूद्राजा परमधार्मिकः
A son, beautiful in every limb, was born from the king's belly; Vyāsa said: 'Yauvanāśva, though a king supremely righteous, was childless.'
भार्याणां च शतं तस्य बभूव नृपतेर्नृप । राजा चिन्तापरः प्रायश्चिन्तयामास नित्यशः
That king had a hundred wives; the king, absorbed in worry, constantly pondered.
अपत्यार्थे यौवनाश्वो दुःखितस्तु वनं गतः । ऋषीणामाश्रमे पुण्ये निर्विण्णः स च पार्थिवः
Distressed for the sake of offspring, Yauvanāśva went to the forest; the despondent king stayed at the holy hermitage of the sages.
मुमोच दुःखितः श्वासांस्तापसानां च पश्यताम् । दृष्ट्वा तु दुःखितं विप्रा बभूवुश्च कृपालवः
Sorrowful, he sighed deeply in the presence of the ascetics; seeing him in distress, the sages became compassionate.
तमूचुर्ब्राह्मणा राजन्कस्माच्छोचसि पार्थिव । किं ते दुःखं महाराज ब्रूहि सत्यं मनोगतम्
The Brahmins said to him, 'O King, why are you grieving, O ruler? What sorrow afflicts you, great king? Tell us truly what is on your mind.'
प्रतीकारं करिष्यामो दुःखस्य तव सर्वथा । यौवनाश्व उवाच - राज्यं धनं सदश्वाश्च वर्तन्ते मुनयो मम
'We will certainly find a remedy for your sorrow,' they said. Yuvanashva replied: 'I have a kingdom, wealth, and fine horses, O sages.'
भार्याणां च शतं शुद्धं वर्तते विशदप्रभम् । नारातिस्त्रिषु लोकेषु कोऽप्यस्ति बलवान्मम
'I have a hundred pure wives, shining with beauty. Nowhere in the three worlds is there any enemy stronger than I.'
आज्ञाकरास्तु सामन्ता वर्तन्ते मन्त्रिणस्तथा । एकं सन्तानजं दुःखं नान्यत्पश्यामि तापसाः
'My vassals and ministers are obedient. I see no other sorrow, O ascetics, except for one: the sorrow of not having a child.'
अपुत्रस्य गतिर्नास्ति स्वर्गो नैव च नैव च । तस्माच्छोचामि विप्रेन्द्राः सन्तानार्थं भृशं ततः
'A man without a son has no destiny, no heaven, none at all. Therefore, O best of Brahmins, I grieve deeply for the sake of offspring.'
वेदशास्त्रार्थतत्त्वज्ञास्तापसाश्च कृतश्रमाः । इष्टिं सन्तानकामस्य युक्तां ज्ञात्वा दिशन्तु मे
'O ascetics, who know the true meaning of the Vedas and scriptures and have performed austerities, please prescribe for me the proper rite for one who desires a child.'
कुर्वन्तु मम कार्यं वै कृपा चेदस्ति तापसाः । व्यास उवाच - तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं राज्ञः कृपया पूर्णमानसाः
'If you have any compassion, O ascetics, please perform this act for me.' Vyasa said: 'Hearing the king's words, their hearts were filled with compassion.'
कारयामासुरव्यग्रास्तस्येष्टिमिन्द्रदेवताम् । कलशः स्थापितस्तत्र जलपूर्णस्तु वाडवैः
They promptly began to perform for him a sacrifice to Indra. There, a water-filled vessel was placed, purified by ritual.
मन्त्रितो वेदमन्त्रैश्च पुत्रार्थं तस्य भूपतेः । राजा तद्यज्ञसदनं प्रविष्टस्तृषितो निशि
That vessel was consecrated with Vedic mantras for the king's desire for a son. At night, the king, thirsty, entered the sacrificial hall.
विप्रान्दृष्ट्वा शयानान्स पपौ मन्त्रजलं स्वयम् । भार्यार्थं संस्कृतं विप्रैर्मन्त्रितं विधिनोद्धृतम्
Seeing the Brahmins asleep, he drank the mantra-infused water himself, which had been prepared by the Brahmins for his wife, and ritually drawn.
पीतं राज्ञा तृषार्तेन तदज्ञानान्नृपोत्तम । व्युदकं कलशं दृष्ट्वा तदा विप्रा विशङ्किताः
The king, overcome by thirst, drank it unknowingly, O best of kings. When the Brahmins saw the vessel empty, they became anxious.
पप्रच्छुस्ते नृपं केन पीतं जलमिति द्विजाः । राज्ञा पीतं विदित्वा ते ज्ञात्वा दैवबलं महत्
The Brahmins asked the king, 'Who drank the water?' Realizing that the king had drunk it, they understood the great power of fate.
इष्टिं समापयामासुर्गतास्ते मुनयो गृहान् । गर्भं दधार नृपतिस्ततो मन्त्रबलादथ
They completed the sacrifice and the sages returned to their homes. By the power of the mantras, the king then conceived.
ततः काले स उत्पन्नः कुक्षिं भित्त्वाऽस्य दक्षिणाम् । पुत्रं निष्कासमायासुर्मन्त्रिणस्तस्य भूपतेः
In due time, a son was born, breaking forth from his right side. The ministers sought to extract the prince from the king's body.
देवानां कृपया तत्र न ममार महीपतिः । कं धास्यति कुमारोऽयं मन्त्रिणश्चुक्रुशुर्भृशम्
By the grace of the gods, the king did not die there. The ministers cried out in distress, 'Who will care for this boy?'
तदेन्द्रो देशिनीं प्रादान्मां धातेत्यवदद्वचः । सोऽभवद्बलवान् राजा मान्धाता पृथिवीपतिः । तदुत्पत्तिस्तु भूपाल कथिता तव विस्तरात्
Then Indra gave him the name 'Mam Dhata' (I will sustain), saying these words. He became the mighty king Mandhata, lord of the earth. Thus, O king, his birth has been described to you in detail.
सत्यव्रताख्यानवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच मांधाता पृथिवीं सर्वामजयन्नृपतीश्वरः
The Story of Satyavrata. Vyasa said: Mandhata, lord of kings, conquered the entire earth.
दस्यवोऽस्य भयत्रस्ता ययुर्गिरिगुहासु च
His enemies, terrified with fear, fled into mountain caves.