वसिष्ठ उवाच शृणु राजन्नुपायोऽस्ति रोगनाशं प्रति स्तुतः । त्रयोदशविधाः पुत्राः कथिता धर्मसंग्रहे
Vasiṣṭha said: Listen, O king, there is a praised means for the destruction of disease; thirteen kinds of sons are described in the compendium of dharma.
तस्मात्क्रीतं सुतं कृत्वा यजस्व मखमुत्तमम् । द्रव्यं दत्त्वा यथोद्दिष्टमानयस्व द्विजोत्तमम्
Therefore, having acquired a son, perform the excellent sacrifice; give the prescribed wealth and bring a foremost Brāhmaṇa.
एवं कृते मखे भूप रोगनाशो भविष्यति । वरुणोऽपि प्रसन्नात्मा भविष्यति यथासुखम्
O king, when the sacrifice is performed in this way, the destruction of disease will occur, and Varuṇa too will become pleased and content.
व्यास उवाच इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा राजा प्रोवाच मन्त्रिणम् । अन्वेषय महाबुद्धे विषयेष्वतियत्नतः
Vyāsa said: Hearing these words, the king spoke to his minister: 'O wise one, search diligently throughout the realm.'
कदाचित्कोऽपि लोभार्थी ददाति स्वसुतं पिता । समानय धनं दत्त्वा यावत्प्रार्थयतेऽप्यसौ
Sometimes, out of greed, a father may give his own son; bring him, giving wealth, as long as he desires it.
सर्वथैव समानेयो यज्ञार्थे द्विजबालकः । न कार्या कृपणा बुद्धिस्त्वया मत्कार्यहेतवे
By all means, a Brāhmaṇa boy must be brought for the sacrifice; do not let compassion sway your judgment in this matter for my sake.
प्रार्थनीयस्त्वया पुत्रः कस्यचिद्द्विजवादिनः । द्रव्येण देहि यज्ञार्थं कर्तव्योऽसौ पशुः किल
You must request the son of some Brāhmaṇa; give wealth for the purpose of the sacrifice—he is to be made the sacrificial animal.
इति सञ्चोदितस्तेन सचिवः कार्यहेतवे । अन्वेषयामास पुरे ग्रामे ग्रामे गृहे गृहे
Thus urged by him for the task, the minister began searching in the city, in every village, and in every house.
एवमन्वेषतस्तस्य विषये कश्चिदातुरः । निर्धनस्त्रिसुतश्चासीदजीगर्तेति नामतः
While searching in this way throughout the kingdom, he found a certain poor and ailing man named Ajīgarta, who had three sons.
तस्य पुत्रं शुनःशेपं मध्यमं मन्त्रिसत्तमः । आनयामास दत्त्वार्थं प्रार्थितं यद्धनं तदा
The excellent minister brought his middle son, Śunaḥśepa, giving the requested wealth as agreed.
समानीय शुनःशेपं सचिवः कार्यतत्परः । राज्ञे निवेदयामास पशुयोग्यं द्विजात्मजम्
Having brought Śunaḥśepa, the minister devoted to his duty presented the Brāhmaṇa boy, fit for the sacrifice, to the king.
राजातिमुदितस्तेन विप्रानानीय सर्वतः । कारयामास सम्भारान्यज्ञार्थं वेदवित्तमान्
The king, exceedingly pleased, summoned Brāhmaṇas from all sides and arranged all the necessary materials for the sacrifice, with those learned in the Vedas.
प्रारब्धे तु मखे तत्र विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः । बद्धं दृष्ट्वा शुनःशेपं निषिषेध नृपं तदा
When the sacrifice had begun, the great sage Vishvamitra, seeing Shunahshepa bound, forbade the king at that moment.
राजन्मा साहसं कार्षीर्मुञ्चैनं द्विजबालकम् । प्रार्थयाम्यहमायुष्मन् सुखं तेऽद्य भविष्यति
O King, do not commit this rash act; release this young Brahmin. I beseech you, O blessed one, today happiness will be yours.
क्रन्दत्ययं शुनःशेपः करुणा मां दुनोत्यपि । दयावान्भव राजेन्द्र कुरु मे वचनं नृप
Shunahshepa is crying; his sorrow pains me deeply. Be compassionate, O king of kings, heed my words for the child's sake.
परदेहस्य रक्षायै स्वदेहं ये दयापराः । ददति क्षत्रियाः पूर्वं स्वर्गकामाः शुचिव्रताः
For the protection of another's body, those Kshatriyas who are devoted to compassion have formerly given their own bodies, desiring heaven and observing pure vows.
त्वं स्वदेहस्य रक्षार्थं हंसि द्विजसुतं बलात् । पापं मा कुरु राजेन्द्र दयावान् भव बालके
You, for the sake of protecting your own body, are forcibly killing the Brahmin's son. Do not commit this sin, O king of kings; be compassionate to the boy.
सर्वेषां सदृशी प्रीतिर्देहे वेत्सि स्वयं नृप । मुञ्चैनं बालकं तस्मात्प्रमाणं यदि मे वचः
You know yourself that affection for one's own body is equal in all. Therefore, release this boy, if my words hold authority.
व्यास क्त्वच अनादृत्य च तद्वाक्यं राजा दुःखातुरो भृशम् । न मुमोच मुनिस्तस्मै चूकोपातीव तापसः
Disregarding those words, the king, greatly afflicted by sorrow, did not release him; the sage became extremely angry.
उपदेशं ददौ तस्मै शुनःशेपाय कौशिकः । मन्त्रं पाशधरस्याथ दयावान्वेदवित्तमः
Kausika then gave instruction to Shunahshepa, the most compassionate and learned in the Vedas, teaching him the mantra of the one who holds the noose.
शुनःशेपोऽपि तं मन्त्रमसकृद्वधकर्शितः । स्तुतस्वरेण चुक्रोश संस्मरन्वरुणं भृशम्
Shunahshepa, repeatedly tormented by the threat of death, recited that mantra in a melodious voice, remembering Varuna intensely.
स्तुवन्तं मुनिपुत्रं तं ज्ञात्वा वै यादसां पतिः । तत्रागत्य शुनःशेपं मुमोच करुणार्णवः
Knowing the sage's son was praising him, the lord of the waters came there and released Shunahshepa, overflowing with compassion.
रोगहीनं नृपं कृत्वा वरुणः स्वगृहं ययौ । विश्वामित्रस्तु तं पुत्रं कृतवान्मोचितं मृतेः
Making the king free from disease, Varuna returned to his own abode; Vishvamitra then accepted him as his son, freed from death.
न कृतं वचनं राज्ञा कौशिकस्य महात्मनः । रोषं दधार मनसा राजोपरि स गाधिजः
The king did not obey the words of the great-souled Kausika; the son of Gadhi harbored anger in his mind toward the king.
एकस्मिन्समये राजा हयारूढो वनं गतः । सूकरं हन्तुकामस्तु मध्याह्ने कौशिकीतटे
Once, the king, mounted on a horse, went to the forest, wishing to kill a boar at midday on the bank of the Kausiki.
वृद्धब्राह्मणवेषेण विश्वामित्रेण वञ्चितः । सर्वस्वं प्रार्थितं तस्य गृहीतं राज्यमद्भुतम्
Deceived by Vishvamitra in the guise of an old Brahmin, all his possessions were requested and his wondrous kingdom was seized.
पीडितोऽसौ हरिश्चन्द्रो यजमानो यतो भृशम् । वसिष्ठः कौशिकं प्राह वने प्राप्तं यदृच्छया
Harishchandra, the sacrificer, was greatly afflicted; Vashishtha spoke to Kausika, who had arrived in the forest by chance.
क्षत्रियाधम दुर्बुद्धे वृथा ब्राह्मणवेषभृत् । बकधर्म वृथा किं त्वं गर्वं वहसि दाम्भिक
O lowest of Kshatriyas, evil-minded, wearing the garb of a Brahmin in vain, you follow the conduct of a crane; why do you bear pride, hypocrite?
कस्मात्त्वया नृपश्रेष्ठो यजमानो ममाप्यसौ । अपराधं विना जाल्म गमितो दुःखमद्भुतम्
Why has this best of kings, my sacrificer, been led by you, wretch, into such wondrous suffering without any fault?
बकध्यानपरो यस्मात्तस्मात्त्वं वै बको भव । इति शप्तो वसिष्ठेन कौशिकः प्राह तं पुनः
Since you are absorbed in the meditation of a crane, therefore you shall become a crane; thus cursed by Vashishtha, Kausika spoke to him again.