इन्द्राणीहृतचित्तोऽसौ सर्पेति प्रब्रुवन्मुनिम् । तं शशाप मुनिः क्रुद्धः कशाघातमनुस्मरन्
His mind stolen by Indrani, he kept urging the sage to go quickly; recalling the blow of the whip, the sage angrily cursed him.
सर्पो भव दुराचार वने घोरवपुर्महान् । बहुवर्षसहस्राणि यत्र क्लेशो महान्भवेत्
Become a serpent, O wicked one, in the forest, with a terrible and immense form; for many thousands of years you shall endure great suffering there.
विचरिष्यसि वीर्येण पुनः स्वर्गमवाप्स्यसि । दृष्ट्वा युधिष्ठिरं नाम तव मोक्षो भविष्यति
You will wander by your strength, and then attain heaven again; when you see Yudhishthira by name, your liberation will occur.
प्रश्नानामुत्तरं श्रुत्वा धर्मपुत्रमुखात्ततः । व्यास उवाच एवं शप्तः स राजर्षिः स्तुत्वा तं मुनिसत्तमम्
Hearing the answer to his questions from the mouth of the son of Dharma, Vyasa said: Thus cursed, the royal sage praised the eminent sage.
स्वर्गात्पपात सहसा सर्परूपधरोऽभवत् । बृहस्पतिस्ततो गत्वा तरसा मानसं प्रति
He fell suddenly from heaven, assuming the form of a serpent; then Brihaspati swiftly went to Manasa.
इन्द्राय सर्ववृत्तान्तं कथयामास विस्तरात् । तच्छ्रुत्वा मघवा राज्ञः स्वर्गात्प्रच्यवनादिकम्
He narrated in detail to Indra all the events; hearing of the king's expulsion from heaven and related matters,
मुदितोऽभून्महाराज स्थितस्तत्रैव वासवः । देवाश्च मुनयो दृष्ट्वा नहुषं पतितं भुवि
The great king Vasava became joyful and remained there; the gods and sages, seeing Nahusha fallen to earth,
जग्मुः सर्वेऽपि तत्रैव यत्रेन्द्रः सरसि स्थितः । तमाश्वास्य सुराः सर्वे मुनिभिः सहितास्तदा
All went there to the place where Indra was standing by the lake; then, together with the sages, all the gods comforted him.
स्वर्गे समानयामासुर्मानपूर्वं शचीपतिम् । समागतं ततः शक्रं सर्वे ते मुनयः सुराः
With honor, they brought the lord of Shachi back to heaven; then all the sages and gods assembled around Shakra.
स्थापयित्वाऽऽसने पश्चादभिषेकं दधुः शिवम् । इन्द्रोऽपि स्वासनं प्राप्य शच्या सह सुरालये
After seating him on the throne, they performed the auspicious consecration; Indra, having regained his seat, dwelt with Shachi in the abode of the gods.
चिक्रीड नन्दने रम्ये कानने प्रेमयुक्तया । व्यास उवाच एवमिन्द्रेण सम्प्राप्तं दुःखं परमदारुणम्
He sported in the delightful Nandana grove, in the forest, united with love; Vyasa said: Thus, Indra endured the most dreadful suffering.
हत्वासुरं कामरूपं विश्वरूपं महामुनिम् । पुनर्देव्याः प्रसादेन स्वस्थानं प्राप्तवान्नृप
Having slain the asura who could assume any form, Vishvarupa, the great sage, he regained his own place, O king, by the grace of the goddess.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं वृत्रासुरवधाश्रयम् । यत्पृष्टोऽहं त्वया राजन् कथानकमनुत्तमम्
All this has been told to you, based on the killing of Vritra the asura, as you asked me, O king, for the supreme narrative.
यादृशं कुरुते कर्म तादृशं फलमाप्नुयात् । अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं कृतं कर्म शुभाशुभम्
Whatever action one performs, such is the result one obtains; one must inevitably experience the consequences of deeds, whether auspicious or inauspicious.
कर्मणां गहनगतिवर्णनम् जनमेजय उवाच कथितं चरितं ब्रह्मञ्छक्रस्याद्भुतकर्मणः । स्थानभ्रंशस्तथा दुःखप्राप्तिरुक्ता विशेषतः
Janamejaya said: O Brahmin, you have described the wondrous deeds of Indra, his fall from position, and the suffering he endured in detail.
यत्र देवाधिदेव्याश्च महिमातीव वर्णितः । सन्देहोऽत्र ममाप्यस्ति यच्छक्रोऽपि महातपाः
There, the great glory of the Goddess and the gods was especially recounted; yet I too have a doubt—how did even Indra, the great ascetic,
देवाधिपत्यमासाद्य दुःसहं दुःखमन्वभूत् । मखानां तु शतं कृत्वा प्राप्तं स्थानमनुत्तमम्
having attained lordship over the gods, experience unbearable suffering? After performing a hundred sacrifices, he regained his supreme position.
देवेशत्वं च सम्प्राप्य भ्रष्टः स्थानादसौ कथम् । एतत्सर्वं समाचक्ष्व कारणं करुणानिधे
Having attained the status of king of the gods, how was he then cast down from his place? O ocean of compassion, please tell me the entire reason for this.
सर्वज्ञोऽसि मुनिश्रेष्ठ पुराणानां प्रवर्तकः । नावाच्यं महतां किञ्चिच्छिष्ये च श्रद्धयान्विते
You are all-knowing, O best of sages, originator of the Purāṇas; nothing is unworthy to be spoken to a devoted disciple.
तस्मात्कुरु महाभाग मत्सन्देहापनोदनम् । सूत उवाच इति पृष्टः स राज्ञा वै तदा सत्यवतीसुतः
Therefore, O most fortunate one, dispel my doubts. Sūta said: Thus questioned by the king, the son of Satyavatī,
तमाहातिप्रसन्नात्मा यथानुक्रममुत्तरम् । व्यास उवाच निबोध नृपतिश्रेष्ठ कारणं परमाद्भुतम्
with a heart full of great joy, replied to him in due order. Vyāsa said: Hear, O best of kings, the most wondrous reason.
कर्मणस्तु त्रिधा प्रोक्ता गतिस्तत्त्वविदां वरैः । सञ्चितं वर्तमानं च प्रारब्धमिति भेदतः
The wise declare that the course of karma is threefold: accumulated, current, and commenced—thus they are distinguished.
अनेकजन्मसञ्जातं प्राक्तनं सञ्चितं स्मृतम् । सात्त्विकं राजसं कर्म तामसं त्रिविधं पुनः
That which is produced over many births is called accumulated karma; and karma is again of three kinds: sāttvika, rājasika, and tāmasika.
शुभं वाप्यशुभं भूप सञ्चितं बहुकालिकम् । अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं सुकृतं दुष्कृतं तथा
Whether auspicious or inauspicious, O king, accumulated karma endures for a long time; both good and bad deeds must surely be experienced.
जन्मजन्मनि जीवानां सञ्चितानां च कर्मणाम् । निःशेषस्तु क्षयो नाभूत्कल्पकोटिशतैरपि
Of the accumulated karmas of beings, birth after birth, there is never complete exhaustion, even in hundreds of millions of aeons.
क्रियमाणं च यत्कर्म वर्तमानं तदुच्यते । देहं प्राप्य शुभं वापि ह्यशुभं वा समाचरेत्
And the karma that is being performed is called current; upon obtaining a body, one acts, whether in auspicious or inauspicious ways.
सञ्चितानां पुनर्मध्यात्समाहृत्य कियान्किल । देहारम्भे च समये कालः प्रेरयतीव तत्
Again, from among the accumulated karmas, a certain portion is gathered; at the time of the beginning of a body, time, as it were, impels it.
प्रारब्धं कर्म विज्ञेयं भोगात्तस्य क्षयः स्मृतः । प्राणिभिः खलु भोक्तव्यं प्रारब्धं नात्र संशयः
That which is commenced is known as prārabdha karma; its exhaustion is said to come through experience. Indeed, prārabdha must be experienced by living beings—there is no doubt of this.
पुरा कृतानि राजेन्द्र ह्यशुभानि शुभानि च । अवश्यमेव कर्माणि भोक्तव्यानीति निश्चयः
O king, both inauspicious and auspicious deeds done in the past must certainly be experienced—this is the settled conclusion.
देवैर्मनुष्यैरसुरैर्यक्षगन्धर्वकिन्नरैः । कर्मैव हि महाराज देहारम्भस्य कारणम्
By gods, humans, asuras, yakṣas, gandharvas, and kinnaras, O great king, karma alone is the cause of embodiment.