श्रुत्वाऽक्षरं कोलमुखात्समुच्चार्य स्वयं ततः । बिन्दुहीनं प्रसंगेन जातोऽसौ विबुधोत्तमः
Having heard the syllable from the mouth of a Kolan, he then pronounced it himself; due to the omission of the dot, he became, by circumstance, a foremost among the wise.
ऐकारोच्चारणाद्देवी तुष्टा भगवती तदा । चकार कविराजं तं दयार्द्रा परमेश्वरी
By uttering the vowel 'ai', the goddess was pleased at that time; the supreme Lady, moved by compassion, made him king of poets.
सत्यव्रताख्यानवर्णनम् जनमेजय उवाच कोऽसौ सत्यव्रतो नाम ब्राह्मणो द्विजसत्तमः । कस्मिन्देशे समुत्पन्नः कीदृशश्च वदस्व मे
Janamejaya said: Who is this Brahmin named Satyavrata, O best of twice-born? In which land was he born, and what was he like? Tell me.
कथं तेन श्रुतः शब्दः कथमुच्चारितः पुनः । सिद्धिश्च कीदृशी जाता तस्य विप्रस्य तत्क्षणात्
How did he hear the word, and how did he utter it again? What kind of attainment arose for that Brahmin at that very moment?
कथं तुष्टा भवानी सा सर्वज्ञा सर्वसंस्थिता । विस्तरेण वदस्वाद्य कथामेतां मनोरमाम्
How was Bhavani, the all-knowing, all-pervading, pleased? Please narrate this delightful story to me in detail today.
सूत उवाच इति पृष्टस्तदा राज्ञा व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः । उवाच परमोदारं वचनं रसवच्छुचि
Suta said: Thus questioned by the king, Vyasa, son of Satyavati, spoke words most noble, full of flavor and purity.
व्यास उवाच शृणु राजन् प्रवक्ष्यामि कथां पौराणिकीं शुभाम् । श्रुता मुनिसमाजेषु मया पूर्वं कुरूद्वह
Vyasa said: Listen, O king, I shall relate a sacred ancient tale, which I heard before in an assembly of sages, O descendant of the Kurus.
एकदाऽहं कुरुश्रेष्ठ कुर्वंस्तीर्थाटनं शुचि । सम्प्राप्तो नैमिषारण्यं पावनं मुनिसेवितम्
Once, O best of Kurus, while I was undertaking pilgrimage to holy places, I arrived at Naimisha forest, sanctified and frequented by sages.
प्रणम्याहं मुनीन्सर्वान् स्थितस्तत्र वराश्रमे । विधिपुत्रास्तु यत्रासञ्जीवन्मुक्ता महाव्रताः
Having bowed to all the sages, I remained there in the excellent hermitage, where the sons of Brahma, liberated while living, observed great vows.
कथाप्रसंग एवासीत्तत्र विप्रसमागमे । जमदग्निस्तु पप्रच्छ मुनीनेवं समास्थितः
There, in the gathering of Brahmins, a conversation arose; Jamadagni then questioned the sages, having taken his seat.
जमदग्निरुवाच सन्देहोऽस्ति महाभागा मम चेतसि तापसाः । समाजेषु मुनीनां वै निःसन्देहो भवाम्यहम्
Jamadagni said: O blessed ascetics, a doubt exists in my mind; among assemblies of sages, I wish to become free from uncertainty.
ब्रह्मा विष्णुस्तथा रुद्रो मघवा वरुणोऽनलः । कुबेरः पवनस्त्वष्टा सेनानीश्च गणाधिपः
Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Maghavan, Varuna, Agni, Kubera, Vayu, Tvashta, the commander, and the lord of hosts,
सूर्योऽश्विनौ भगः पूषा निशानाथो ग्रहास्तथा । आराधनीयतमः कोऽत्र वाञ्छितार्थफलप्रदः
Surya, the Ashvins, Bhaga, Pushan, the lord of night, and the planets as well—among them, who is most worthy of worship, bestower of desired fruits?
सुखसेव्यश्च सततं चाशुतोषश्च मानदाः । ब्रुवन्तु मुनयः शीघ्रं सर्वज्ञाः संशितव्रताः
Who is always easy to serve, quickly pleased, and bestows honor? Let the sages, all-knowing and firm in vows, declare swiftly.
एवं प्रश्ने कृते तत्र लोमशो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । जमदग्ने शृणुष्वैतद्यत्पृष्टं वै त्वयाऽधुना
When this question was asked there, Lomasha spoke these words: 'O Jamadagni, listen now to what you have just inquired.'
सेवनीयतमा शक्तिः सर्वेषां शुभमिच्छताम् । परा प्रकृतिराद्या च सर्वगा सर्वदा शिवा
The most worthy power to be served by all who desire auspiciousness is the Supreme Prakriti, the primordial, all-pervading, ever-auspicious one.
देवानां जननी सैव ब्रह्मादीनां महात्मनाम् । आदिप्रकृतिमूलं सा संसारपादपस्य वै
She alone is the mother of the gods, including the great souls like Brahma; she is the root of the primordial nature, the very source of the tree of worldly existence.
स्मृता चोच्चारिता देवी ददाति किल वाञ्छितम् । सर्वदैवार्द्रचित्ता सा वरदानाय सेविता
It is said that when the Goddess is remembered or her name is uttered, she indeed grants what is desired; she is always compassionate and, when worshipped, bestows boons.
इतिहासं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृण्वन्तु मुनयः शुभम् । अक्षरोच्चारणादेव यथा प्राप्तं द्विजेन वै
I will now recount a story; let the sages listen to this auspicious tale, as it was received by a twice-born simply by uttering the sacred syllables.
कोसलेषु द्विजः कश्चिद्देवदत्तेति विश्रुतः । अनपत्यश्चकारेष्टिं पुत्राय विधिपूर्वकम्
In the land of Kosala, there was a certain Brahmin known as Devadatta, who, being childless, performed a ritual sacrifice for the sake of obtaining a son, according to prescribed rules.
तमसातीरमास्थाय कृत्वा मण्डपमुत्तमम् । द्विजानाहूय वेदज्ञान्सत्रकर्मविशारदान्
He went to the bank of the Tamasa river, erected an excellent pavilion, and invited Brahmins learned in the Vedas and skilled in sacrificial rites.
कृत्वा वेदीं विधानेन स्थापयित्वा विभावसून् । पुत्रेष्टिं विधिवत्तत्र चकार द्विजसत्तमः
He properly constructed the altar, installed the sacred fire, and that best of Brahmins performed the putreshti sacrifice there according to the proper method.
ब्रह्माणं कल्पयामास सुहोत्रं मुनिसत्तमम् । अध्वर्युं याज्ञवल्क्यं च होतारं च बृहस्पतिम्
He appointed Suhotra, the foremost sage, as the Brahma priest, Yajnavalkya as the Adhvaryu, and Brihaspati as the Hotar.
प्रस्तोतारं तथा पैलमुद्गातारं च गोभिलम् । सभ्यानन्यान्मुनीन्कृत्वा विधिवत्प्रददौ वसु
He also appointed Paila as the Prastotar, Gobhila as the Udgatar, and other sages as members of the assembly, and duly gave them wealth.
उद्गाता सामगः श्रेष्ठः सप्तस्वरसमन्वितम् । रथन्तरमगायत्तु स्वरितेन समन्वितम्
The Udgatar, the best among singers of the Sama Veda, sang the Rathantara hymn, composed of the seven notes, with proper intonation.
तदाऽस्य स्वरभङ्गोऽभूत्कृते श्वासे मुहुर्मुहुः । देवदत्तश्चुकोपाशु गोभिलं प्रत्युवाच ह
Then, due to repeated breathing, his voice broke again and again; Devadatta became angry and immediately spoke to Gobhila.
मूर्खोऽसि मुनिमुख्याद्य स्वरभङ्गस्त्वया कृतः । काम्यकर्मणि सञ्जाते पुत्रार्थं यजतश्च मे
'You are a fool, O foremost of sages! Because of you, the intonation has been spoiled in this ritual performed for the desire of a son.'
गोभिलस्तु तदोवाच देवदत्तं सुकोपितः । मूर्खस्ते भविता पुत्रः शठः शब्दविवर्जितः
Gobhila, greatly enraged, then said to Devadatta: 'Your son will be a fool, deceitful, and devoid of speech.'
सर्वप्राणिशरीरे तु श्वासोच्छ्वासः सुदुर्ग्रहः । न मेऽत्र दूषणं किंचित्स्वरभङ्गे महामते
'In all living bodies, the process of inhalation and exhalation is very difficult to control; I am not at fault in this matter of intonation, O wise one.'
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य गोभिलस्य महात्मनः । शापाद्भीतो देवदत्तस्तमुवाचातिदुःखितः
Hearing these words of the great-souled Gobhila, Devadatta, frightened by the curse, spoke to him in great distress.