एवं कुर्वन्सदाऽभ्यासं जातो द्वादशवार्षिकः । न वेद विधिवत्कर्तुं सन्ध्यावन्दनकं विधिम्
Despite constant practice, when he reached twelve years of age, he could not properly perform the prescribed Vedic rituals or the Sandhya prayers.
मूर्खोऽभूदिति लोकेषु गता वार्ताऽतिविस्तरा । ब्राह्मणेषु च सर्वेषु तापसेष्वितरेषु च
News spread widely among the people that he had become foolish; among all Brahmins and other ascetics as well.
जहास लोकस्तं विप्रं यत्र तत्र गतं मुने । पिता माता निनिन्दाथ मूर्खं तमतिभर्त्सयन्
Wherever the sage went, people laughed at him; his father and mother reproached him, harshly scolding their foolish son.
निन्दितोऽथ जनैः कामं पितृभ्यामथ बान्धवैः । वैराग्यमगमद्विप्रो जगाम वनमप्यसौ
Criticized by people, by his parents, and by relatives, the Brahmin developed dispassion and even went to the forest.
अन्धो वरस्तथा पङ्गुर्न मूर्खस्तु वरः सुतः । इत्युक्तोऽसौ पितृभ्यां वै विवेश काननं प्रति
His parents said, 'A blind or lame son is preferable, but a foolish son is not a blessing'; thus, he entered the forest.
गंगातीरे शुभे स्थाने कृत्वोटजमनुत्तमम् । वन्यां वृत्तिं च सङ्कल्प्य स्थितस्तत्र समाहितः
On the bank of the Ganges, at a beautiful spot, he built a fine hut; resolving to live on forest produce, he stayed there with focused mind.
नियमं च परं कृत्वा नासत्यं प्रब्रवीम्यहम् । स्थितस्तत्राश्रमे रम्ये ब्रह्मचर्यव्रतो हि सः
Having undertaken strict discipline, he declared, 'I will not speak untruth'; he remained in that pleasant hermitage, observing the vow of celibacy.
सत्यव्रताख्यानवर्णनम् लोमश उवाच न वेदाध्ययनं किञ्चिज्जानाति न जपं तथा । ध्यानं न देवतानाञ्च न चैवाराधनं तथा
The narration of Satyavrata begins. Lomasha said: He knows nothing of Vedic study, nor of recitation; neither meditation on deities nor their worship.
नासनं वेद विप्रोऽसो प्राणायामं तथा पुनः । प्रत्याहारं तु नो वेद भूतशुद्धिञ्च कारणम्
That Brahmin did not know the posture for worship, nor the practice of breath control; he also did not know withdrawal of the senses or the rite of elemental purification.
न मन्त्रकीलकं जाप्यं गायत्रीञ्च न वेद सः । शौचं स्नानविधिञ्चैव तथाचमनकं पुनः
He did not know the mantra's seal, nor the recitation, nor the Gāyatrī; he also did not know the rules for purity, bathing, or sipping water.
प्राणाग्निहोत्रं नो वेद बलिदानं न चातिथिम् । न सन्ध्यां समिधो होमं विवेद च तथा मुनिः
He did not know the fire-offering with breath, nor the giving of offerings, nor hospitality to guests; nor did the sage know the twilight worship, the kindling of sacred sticks, or the fire ritual.
सोऽकरोत्प्रातरुत्थाय यत्किञ्चिद्दन्तधावनम् । स्नानं च शूद्रवत्तत्र गंगायां मन्त्रवर्जितम्
Rising in the morning, he would clean his teeth in some manner, and bathe in the Gaṅgā like a Śūdra, without reciting any mantras.
फलान्यादाय वन्यानि मध्यान्हेऽपि यदृच्छया । भक्ष्याभक्ष्यपरिज्ञानं न जानाति शठस्तथा
He would gather wild fruits and, even at midday, eat as he pleased; the deceitful one did not know the distinction between what should or should not be eaten.
सत्यं ब्रूते स्थितस्तत्र नानृतं वदते पुनः । जनैः सत्यतपा नाम कृतमस्य द्विजस्य वै
He spoke the truth while staying there, and never uttered falsehood; people called this twice-born one 'truthful and austere.'
नाहितं कस्यचित्कुर्यान्न तथाऽविहितं क्वचित् । सुखं स्वपिति तत्रैव निर्भयश्चिन्तयन्निति
He would not harm anyone, nor do anything forbidden anywhere; he slept peacefully there, without fear, reflecting thus.
कदा मे मरणं भावि दुःखं जीवामि कानने । जीवितं धिक्च मूर्खस्य तरसा मरणं ध्रुवम्
"When will my death come? I live in misery in this forest; shame on the life of a fool—death is certainly better."
दैवेनाहं कृतो मूर्खो नान्योऽत्र कारणं मम । प्राप्य चैवोत्तमं जन्म वृथा जातं ममाधुना
"By fate I have become a fool; there is no other cause for me. Having attained this excellent birth, now it has become wasted."
यथा वन्ध्या सुरूपा च यथा वा निष्फलो द्रुमः । अदुग्धदोहा धेनुश्च तथाऽहं निष्फलः कृतः
"Just as a beautiful barren woman, or a fruitless tree, or a cow that gives no milk, so I have become useless."
किं नु निन्दाम्यहं दैवं नूनं कर्म ममेदृशम् । न दत्तं पुस्तकं कृत्वा ब्राह्मणाय महात्मने
"Why should I blame fate? Surely my actions are like this. I did not give a book, having made it, to a great-souled Brahmin."
न वै विद्या मया दत्ता पूर्वजन्मनि निर्मला । तेनाहं कर्मयोगेन शठोऽस्मि च द्विजाधमः
"In a previous life I did not give pure knowledge; therefore, by the force of karma, I am now a deceitful and lowly twice-born."
न च तीर्थे तपस्तप्तं सेविता न च साधवः । न द्विजाः पूजिता द्रव्यैस्तेन जातोऽस्मि दुष्टधीः
"I did not perform austerities at holy places, nor did I serve the good; I did not honor Brahmins with wealth—therefore I have become wicked-minded."
वर्तन्ते मुनिपुत्राश्च वेदशास्त्रार्थपारगाः । अहं सुमूढः सञ्जातो दैवयोगेन केनचित्
"The sons of sages are present, accomplished in the meaning of the Vedas and scriptures; but I have become utterly deluded by some fate."
न जानामि तपस्तप्तुं किं करोमि सुसाधनम् । मिथ्यायं मेऽत्र सङ्कल्पो न मे भाग्यं शुभं किल
"I do not know how to perform austerity—what good thing can I do? My resolve here is false; surely I have no good fortune."
दैवमेव परं मन्ये धिक्पौरुषमनर्थकम् । वृथा श्रमकृतं कार्यं दैवाद्भवति सर्वथा
"I consider fate supreme; shame on human effort, which is fruitless. Action done with effort is in vain; everything happens only by fate."
ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च शक्राद्याः किल देवताः । कालस्य वशगाः सर्वे कालो हि दुरतिक्रमः
"Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, and the gods beginning with Indra—all are subject to Time, for Time is indeed insurmountable."
एवंविधान्वितर्कांस्तु कुर्वाणोऽहर्निशं द्विजः । स्थितस्तत्राश्रमे तीरे जान्हव्याः पावने स्थले
Thus, constantly entertaining such thoughts day and night, the twice-born remained there in the hermitage, on the pure bank of the Jāhnavī.
विरक्तः स तु सञ्जातः स्थितस्तत्राश्रमे द्विजः । कालातिवाहनं शान्तश्चकार विजने वने
That twice-born one, having become detached, remained in that hermitage, calmly passing the time in the lonely forest.
एवं स्थितस्य तु वने विमलोदके वै वर्षाणि तत्र नवपञ्च गतानि कामम् । नाराधनं न च जपं न विवेद मन्त्रं कालातिवाहनमसौ कृतवान् वने वै
Thus residing in the forest with pure water, fifteen years passed there as he wished; he did not engage in worship, nor recitation, nor did he know any mantra—he simply passed the time in the forest.
जानाति तस्य विततं व्रतमेव लोकः सत्यं वदत्यपि मुनिः किल नामजातम् । जातं यशश्च सकलेषु जनेषु कामं सत्यव्रतोऽयमनिशं न मृषाभिभाषी
People knew only of his extensive vow; even the sage truly spoke only his name and lineage. His fame had indeed arisen among all people: 'This Satyavrata never utters a false word, day or night.'
तत्रैकदा तु मृगयां रममाण एव प्राप्तो निषादनिशठो धृतचापबाणः । क्रीडन् वनेऽतिविपुले यमतुल्यदेहः क्रूराकृतिर्हननकर्मणि चातिदक्षः
Once, while enjoying the hunt there, a Nishada—skilled with bow and arrow, fierce in form, with a body like Yama, and highly adept at killing—arrived, playing in the vast forest.