सारस्वतं ततो बीजं जजाप विधिपूर्वकम् । पण्डितश्चातिविख्यातो द्विजोऽसौ धरणीतले
Then, performing the proper rites, he recited the Sārasvata seed-mantra; that learned twice-born became exceedingly famous on earth.
प्रतिपर्वसु गायन्ति ब्राह्मणा यद्यशः सदा । आख्यानं चातिविस्तीर्ण स्तुवन्ति मुनयः किल
At every festival, brāhmaṇas always sing his fame; and the sages indeed praise his extensive narrative.
तच्छ्रुत्वा सदनं तस्य समागम्य तदाश्रमे । येन त्यक्तः पुरा तेन गृहं नीतोऽतिमानितः
Hearing this, people gathered at his dwelling and ashram; he who was once abandoned was now brought home with great honor.
तस्माद्राजन्सदा सेव्या पूजनीया च भक्तितः । आदिशक्तिः परा देवी जगतां कारणं हि सा
Therefore, O King, the supreme Goddess, the primal power, the cause of the worlds, should always be served and worshipped with devotion.
तस्या यज्ञं महाराज कुरु वेदविधानतः । सर्वकामप्रदं नित्यं निश्चयं कथितं पुरा
O great King, perform her sacrifice according to Vedic injunction; it is always said to grant all desires.
स्मृता सम्पूजिता भक्त्या ध्याता चोच्चारिता स्तुता । ददाति वाञ्छितानर्थान्कार्यदा तेन कीर्त्यते
Remembered, worshipped with devotion, meditated upon, uttered, or praised, she grants the desired objects; thus she is called the fulfiller of purposes.
अनुभावमिदं राजन् कर्तव्यं सर्वथा बुधैः । दृष्ट्वा रोगयुतान्दीनान्क्षुधितान्निर्धनाञ्छठान्
O King, this effect must always be accomplished by the wise, seeing those afflicted with disease, misery, hunger, poverty, and deceit.
जनानार्तांस्तथा मूर्खान्पीडितान्वैरिभिः सदा । दासानाज्ञाकरान्क्षुद्रान्विकलान्विह्वलानथ
And seeing people who are distressed, ignorant, always tormented by enemies, servants who obey commands, the lowly, the disabled, and the agitated.
अतृप्तान्भोजने भोगे सदार्तानजितेन्द्रियान् । तृष्णाधिकानशक्तांश्च सदाधिपरिपीडितान्
Those unsatisfied in food and enjoyment, always suffering, unable to control their senses, overwhelmed by desire, powerless, and constantly oppressed by others.
तथा विभवसम्पन्नान् पुत्रपौत्रविवर्धनान् । पुष्टदेहांश्च सम्भोगैः संयुतान्वेदवादिनः
Likewise, those endowed with wealth, increasing sons and grandsons, those with strong bodies, enjoying pleasures, and versed in the Vedas.
राजलक्ष्म्या युताञ्छूरान्वशीकृतजनानथ । स्वजनैरवियुक्तांश्च सर्वलक्षणलक्षितान्
Those adorned with royal fortune, heroes, those who have subdued others, those not separated from their own people, and marked by all auspicious qualities.
व्यतिरेकान्वयाभ्यां च विचेतव्यं विचक्षणैः । एभिर्न पूजिता देवी सर्वार्थफलदा शिवा
The discerning should reflect through both distinction and association; the auspicious Goddess, bestower of all results, is not worshipped by these.
समाराधिता च तथा नृभिरेभिः सदाम्बिका । यतोऽमी सुखिनः सर्वे संसारेऽस्मिन्न संशयः
And thus, always worshipped by these people, Ambika grants happiness to all of them in this world—of this there is no doubt.
व्यास उवाच इति राजञ्छ्रुतं तत्र मया मुनिसमागमे । लोमशस्य मुखात्कामं देवीमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम्
Vyasa said: O King, thus, in that gathering of sages, I have heard at length from the mouth of Lomasha the supreme glory of the Goddess.
इति सञ्चिन्त्य राजेन्द्र कर्तव्यं च सदार्चनम् । भक्त्या परमया देव्याः प्रीत्या च पुरुषर्षभ
Thinking thus, O best of kings, one should always perform worship with utmost devotion and love for the Goddess.
अम्बायज्ञविधिवर्णनम् राजोवाच वद यज्ञविधिं सम्यग्देव्यास्तस्याः समन्ततः । श्रुत्वा करोम्यहं स्वामिन्यथाशक्ति ह्यतन्द्रितः
Description of the procedure for Ambika's sacrifice. The king said: Tell me in full the proper method of sacrifice to the Goddess; having heard, I will perform it, O Lord, to the best of my ability and without negligence.
पूजाविधिं च मन्त्रांश्च होमद्रव्यमसंशयम् । ब्राह्मणाः कतिसंख्याश्च दक्षिणाश्चतथा पुनः
Also explain the procedure of worship, the mantras, the offerings for the fire ritual, the number of Brahmins, and the gifts to be given.
व्यास उवाच शृणु राजन् प्रवक्ष्यामि देव्या यज्ञं विधानतः । त्रिविधं तु सदा ज्ञेयं विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा
Vyasa said: Listen, O King, I will properly explain the sacrifice to the Goddess; it should always be known as threefold, according to the prescribed rules.
सात्त्विकं राजसं चैव तामसं च तथापरम् । मुनीनां सात्त्विकं प्रोक्तं नृपाणां राजसं स्मृतम्
It is said to be of three kinds: sattvic, rajasic, and also tamasic; the sattvic is prescribed for sages, the rajasic is remembered for kings.
तामसं राक्षसानां वै ज्ञानिनां तु गुणोज्झितम् । विमुक्तानां ज्ञानमयं विस्तरात्प्रब्रवीमि ते
The tamasic is for the rakshasas, and for the wise, it is beyond all qualities; for the liberated, it is of the nature of knowledge—I will explain this to you in detail.
देशः कालस्तथा द्रव्यं मन्त्राश्च ब्राह्मणास्तथा । श्रद्धा च सात्वकी यत्र तं यज्ञं सात्त्विकं विदुः
That sacrifice is known as sattvic in which the place, time, materials, mantras, Brahmins, and faith are all pure.
द्रव्यशुद्धिः क्रियाशुद्धिर्मन्त्रशुद्धिश्च भूमिप । भवेद्यदि तदा पूर्णं फलं भवति नान्यथा
If there is purity of materials, purity of actions, and purity of mantras, O King, then the result is complete; otherwise, it is not.
अन्यायोपार्जितेनैव कर्तव्यं सुकृतं कृतम् । न कीर्तिरिह लोके च परलोके न तत्फलम्
If a good deed is performed with wealth obtained unjustly, it brings neither fame in this world nor fruit in the next.
तस्मान्न्यायार्जितेनैव कर्तव्यं सुकृतं सदा । यशसे परलोकाय भवत्येव सुखाय च
Therefore, a good deed should always be performed only with wealth obtained justly; it brings fame, happiness, and benefit in the next world.
प्रत्यक्षं तव राजेन्द्र पाण्डवैस्तु मखः कृतः । राजसूयः क्रतुवरः समाप्तवरदक्षिणः
You have seen directly, O King, the sacrifice performed by the Pandavas—the great Rajasuya, completed with excellent gifts.
यत्र साक्षाद्धरिः कृष्णो यादवेन्द्रो महामनाः । ब्राह्मणाः पूर्णविद्याश्च भारद्वाजादयस्तथा
There, Hari himself—Krishna, the noble lord of the Yadavas—was present, along with Brahmins of perfect knowledge such as Bharadvaja and others.
कृत्वा यज्ञं सुसम्पूर्णं मासमात्रेण पाण्डवैः । प्राप्तं महत्तरं कष्टं वनवासश्च दारुणः
Having performed the sacrifice perfectly, the Pandavas, within a single month, encountered great hardship and a terrible exile to the forest.
पीडनञ्चैव पाञ्चाल्यास्तथा द्यूते पराजयः । वनवासो महत्कष्टं क्व गतं मखजं फलम्
There was the suffering of Draupadi, defeat in the game of dice, and the great hardship of forest exile—where did the fruit of the sacrifice go?
दासत्वञ्च विराटस्य कृतं सर्वमहात्मभिः । कीचकेन परिक्लिष्टा द्रौपदी च प्रमद्वरा
All the great souls became servants in the house of Virata; Draupadi, the best of women, was tormented by Kichaka.
आशीर्वादा द्विजातीनां क्व गताः शुद्धचेतसाम् । भक्तिर्वा वासुदेवस्य क्व गता तत्र संकटे
Where did the blessings of the pure-hearted twice-born go? Where did the devotion to Vasudeva go in that time of distress?