प्रधान उवाच साहसं न हि कर्तव्यं श्रुतं राजन् मुनेर्वचः । विश्वामित्रस्य दृष्टान्तः कथितस्तेन मारिष
The chief said: One should not act rashly; O king, you have heard the sage’s words. The example of Vishvamitra was told by him, O noble one.
पुरा गाधिसुतः श्रीमान्विश्वामित्रोऽतिविश्रुतः । विचरन्स नृपश्रेष्ठो वसिष्ठाश्रममभ्यगात्
Long ago, the illustrious son of Gadhi, Vishvamitra, renowned among kings, while wandering, approached the hermitage of Vashishtha.
नमस्कृत्य च तं राजा विश्वामित्रः प्रतापवान् । उपविष्टो नृपश्रेष्ठो मुनिना दत्तविष्टरः
Having bowed to him, the powerful king Vishvamitra, the foremost among kings, sat down, given a seat by the sage.
निमन्त्रितो वसिष्ठेन भोजनाय महात्मना । ससैन्यश्च स्थितो राजा गाधिपुत्रो महायशाः
Invited by the great-souled Vashishtha for a meal, the king, son of Gadhi, famed among men, stood there with his army.
नन्दिन्याऽऽसादितं सर्वं भक्ष्यभोज्यादिकं च यत् । भुक्त्वा राजा ससैन्यश्च वाञ्छितं तत्र भोजनम्
All kinds of food and delicacies were provided by Nandini; the king and his army ate the desired meal there.
प्रतापं तञ्च नन्दिन्याः परिज्ञाय स पार्थिवः । ययाचे नन्दिनीं राजा वसिष्ठं मुनिसत्तमम्
Recognizing the power of Nandini, the king approached the sage Vashishtha and requested Nandini, the cow.
विश्वामित्र उवाच मुने धेनुसहस्रं ते घटोध्नीनां ददाम्यहम् । नन्दिनीं देहि मे धेनुं प्रार्थयामि परन्तप
Vishvamitra said: O sage, I will give you a thousand milking cows; give me Nandini, the cow—I request you, O scorcher of foes.
वसिष्ठ उवाच होमधेनुरियं राजन्न ददामि कथञ्चन । सहस्रञ्चापि धेनूनां तवेदं तव तिष्ठतु
Vashishtha said: This is my sacrificial cow, O king; I will not give her under any circumstances. Even a thousand cows may remain with you, but this one stays with me.
विश्वामित्र उवाच अयुतं वाथ लक्ष्यं वा ददामि मनसेप्सितम् । द्देहि मे नन्दिनीं साधो ग्रहीष्यामि बलादथ
Vishvamitra said: I will give you ten thousand or a hundred thousand, whatever you desire; give me Nandini, O virtuous one, or else I will seize her by force.
वसिष्ठ उवाच कामं गृहाण नृपते बलादद्य यथारुचि । नाहं ददामि ते राजन्स्वेच्छया नन्दिनीं गृहात्
Vashishtha said: Take her by force today, O king, as you wish; but I will not give Nandini to you willingly from my house.
तच्छ्रुत्वा नृपतिर्भृत्यानादिदेश महाबलान् । नयध्वं नन्दिनीं धेनुं बलदर्पसुसंस्थिताः
Hearing this, the king ordered his mighty servants: 'Take Nandini, the cow, you who are filled with pride in your strength.'
ते भृत्या जगृहुस्तां तु हठादाक्रम्य यन्त्रिताम् । वेपमाना मुनिं प्राह सुरभिः साश्रुलोचना
Those servants seized her by force, restraining her; trembling, Surabhi, with tearful eyes, spoke to the sage.
मुने त्यजसि मां कस्मात्कर्षयन्ति सुयन्त्रिताम् । मुनिस्तां प्रत्युवाचेदं त्यजे नाहं सुदुग्धदे
'O sage, why do you abandon me, as they drag me away so harshly?' The sage replied to her: 'I do not abandon you, O giver of excellent milk.'
बलान्नयति राजाऽसौ पूजितोऽद्य मया शुभे । किं करोमि न चेच्छामि त्यक्तुं त्वां मनसा किल
The king is taking you by force today, O auspicious one, though I have honored him; what can I do? I do not wish to abandon you in my heart.
इत्युक्ता मुनिना धेनुः क्रोधयुक्ता बभूव ह । हम्भारवं चकाराशु क्रूरशब्दं सुदारुणम्
Thus addressed by the sage, the cow became filled with anger; she immediately let out a harsh, dreadful bellow.
उद्गतास्तत्र देहात्तु दैत्या घोरतरास्तदा । सायुधास्तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति ब्रुवन्तः कवचावृताः
From her body then emerged fierce demons, armed and clad in armor, shouting, 'Stop! Stop!'
सैन्यं सर्वं हतं तैस्तु नन्दिनी प्रतिमोचिता । एकाकी निर्गतो राजा विश्वामित्रोऽतिदुःखितः
Those demons destroyed the entire army, and Nandini was freed; King Vishvamitra departed alone, deeply distressed.
हन्त पापोऽतिदीनात्मा निन्दन् क्षात्रबलं महत् । ब्राह्मं बलं दुराराध्यं मत्वा तपसि संस्थितः
Alas! Overwhelmed by sorrow, he reproached the great power of the warrior caste, considering the Brahmin's strength difficult to attain, and resolved to undertake austerities.
तप्त्वा बहूनि वर्षाणि तपो घोरं महावने । ऋषित्वं प्राप गाधेयस्त्यक्त्वा क्षात्रं विधिं पुनः
After performing severe austerities for many years in the great forest, Gādhi's son attained the status of a sage, abandoning the warrior's path.
तस्मात्त्वमपि राजेन्द्र मा कृथा वैरमद्भुतम् । कुलनाशकरं नूनं तापसैः सह संयुगम्
Therefore, O king, you too should not create extraordinary enmity; surely, conflict with ascetics brings destruction to one's lineage.
मुनिवर्यं व्रजाद्य त्वं समाश्वास्य तपोनिधिम् । सुदर्शनोऽपि राजेन्द्र तिष्ठत्वत्र यथासुखम्
Go now to the eminent sage, comfort the treasury of austerity; Sudarshana too, O king, may remain here as he pleases.
बालोऽयं निर्धनः किं ते करिष्यति नृपाहितम् । वृथा ते वैरभावोऽयमनाथे दुर्बले शिशौ
This boy is destitute; what harm can he do to you, O king? Your hostility toward this helpless, weak child is pointless.
दया सर्वत्र कर्तव्या दैवाधीनमिदं जगत् । ईर्ष्यया किं नृपश्रेष्ठ यद्भाव्यं तद्भविष्यति
Compassion must be shown everywhere; this world is subject to fate. What is the use of envy, O foremost of kings? What is destined will certainly happen.
वज्रं तृणायते राजन् दैवयोगान्न संशयः । तृणं वज्रायते क्वापि समये दैवयोगतः
By the workings of fate, O king, a thunderbolt becomes like straw—there is no doubt; and at times, straw becomes like a thunderbolt, through the power of destiny.
शशको हन्ति शार्दूलं मशको वै तथा गजम् । साहसं मुञ्च मेधाविन् कुरु मे वचनं हितम्
A hare kills a tiger, and a mosquito likewise slays an elephant; abandon recklessness, O wise one, and follow my beneficial advice.
व्यास उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य युधाजिन्नृपसत्तमः । प्रणम्य तं मुनिं मूर्घ्ना जगाम स्वपुरं नृपः
Vyasa said: Hearing his words, Yudhajit, the best among kings, bowed his head to the sage and returned to his own city.
मनोरमाऽपि स्वस्थाऽभूदाश्रमे तत्र संस्थिता । पालयामास पुत्रं तं सुदर्शनमृतव्रतम्
Manorama too remained well in the hermitage, caring for her son Sudarshana, who observed vows.
दिने दिने कुमारोऽसौ जगामोपचयं ततः । मुनिबालगतः क्रीडन्निर्भयः सर्वतः शुभः
Day by day, that prince grew in stature; playing among the children of sages, he was fearless and auspicious in every way.
एकस्मिन्समये तत्र विदल्लं समुपागतम् । क्लीबेति मुनिपुत्रस्तमामन्त्रयत्तदन्तिके
On one occasion, a cat approached there; the sage's son addressed it nearby, calling it 'impotent.'
सुदर्शनस्तु तच्छ्रुत्वा दधारैकाक्षरं स्फुटम् । अनुस्वारयुतं तच्च प्रोवाचापि पुनः पुनः
Sudarshana, hearing this, clearly pronounced the single syllable, with its nasal sound, and repeated it again and again.