पतत्विदं शरीरं ते विदेहो भव भूपते । व्यास उवाच इति तद्व्याहृतं श्रुत्वा राज्ञस्तु परिचारकाः
'Let this body of yours fall, O king; become bodiless.' Vyāsa said: Hearing these words, the king's attendants
सद्यः प्रबोधयामासुर्मुनिमाहुः प्रकोपितम् । कुपितं तं समागत्य राजा विगतकल्मषः
Immediately awakened him and informed him that the sage was enraged; coming together to the angry sage, the king, freed from impurity,
उवाच वचनं श्लक्ष्णं हेतुगर्भं च युक्तिमत् । . मम दोषो न धर्मज्ञ गतस्त्वं तृष्णयाऽऽकुलः
Spoke gentle words, filled with reason and appropriateness: 'The fault is not mine, O knower of dharma; you were overcome by thirst and agitation.'
हित्वा मां यजमानं वै प्रार्थितोऽपि मया भृशम् । न लज्जसे द्विजश्रेष्ठ कृत्वा कर्म जुगुप्सितम्
'You abandoned me, the sacrificer, though I earnestly requested you; you feel no shame, O best of twice-born, having performed a blameworthy act.'
सन्तोषे ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ जानन्धर्मस्य निश्चयम् । पुत्रोऽसि ब्रह्मणः साक्षाद्वेदवेदाङ्गवित्तमः
'In contentment, O best of Brāhmaṇas, knowing the certainty of dharma, you are the son of Brahmā himself, most learned in the Vedas and their branches.'
न वेत्सि विप्रधर्मस्य गतिं सूक्ष्मां दुरत्ययाम् । आत्मदोषं मयि ज्ञात्वा मृषा मां शस्तुमिच्छसि
'You do not know the subtle, difficult path of a Brāhmaṇa's dharma; recognizing your own fault in me, you wish to reproach me falsely.'
त्याज्यस्तु सुजनैः क्रोधश्चण्डालादधिको यतः । वृथा क्रोधपरीतेन मयि शापः प्रपातितः
'Anger should be abandoned by good people, for it is worse than a caṇḍāla; in vain, under the sway of anger, you have cast a curse upon me.'
तवापि च पतत्वद्य देहोऽयं क्रोधसंयुतः । एवं शप्तो मुनी राज्ञा राजा च मुनिना तथा
'Your body too shall fall today, filled with anger; thus the sage was cursed by the king, and the king likewise by the sage.'
परस्परं प्राप्य शापं दुःखितौ तौ बभूवतुः । वसिष्ठस्त्वतिचिन्तार्तो ब्रह्माणं शरणं गतः
Having received curses from each other, both became distressed; Vasiṣṭha, overwhelmed by anxiety, sought refuge in Brahmā.
निवेदयामास तथा शापं भूपकृतं महत् । वसिष्ट उवाच राज्ञा शप्तोऽस्मि देहोऽयं पतत्वद्य तवेति वै
He reported the great curse inflicted by the king in this way: Vasiṣṭha said, 'I have been cursed by the king: "Let your body fall today."'
किं करोमि पितः प्राप्यं कष्टं कायप्रपातजम् । अन्यदेहसमुत्पत्तौ जनकं वद साम्प्रतम्
'Father, what shall I do, having received this hardship of bodily fall? Tell me now, at the arising of another body, who will be my father.'
तथा मे देहसंयोगः पूर्ववत्समपद्यताम् । यादृशं ज्ञानमेतस्मिन्देहे तत्रास्तु तत्पितः
'Let my union with the body be as before; and whatever knowledge is in this body, let it be there, O father.'
समर्थोऽसि महाराज प्रसादं कर्तुमर्हसि । वसिष्ठस्य वचः श्रुत्वा ब्रह्मा प्रोवाच तं सुतम्
O great king, you are capable; you ought to show your favor. Hearing the words of Vasiṣṭha, Brahmā spoke to his son:
मित्रावरुणयोस्तेजस्त्वं प्रविश्य स्थिरो भव । तस्मादयोनिजः काले भविता त्वं न संशयः
Enter into the energy of Mitra and Varuṇa and become steadfast. Therefore, in due time, you will be born without a womb—of this there is no doubt.
पुनर्देहं समासाद्य धर्मयुक्तो भविष्यसि । भूतात्मा वेदवित्कामं सर्वज्ञः सर्वपूजितः
Having obtained a body again, you will be righteous, possessed of the essence of beings, a knower of the Veda, fulfilling desires, all-knowing, and honored by all.
एवमुक्तस्तदा पित्रा प्रययौ वरुणालयम् । कृत्वा प्रदक्षिणं प्रीत्या प्रणम्य च पितामहम्
Thus addressed by his father, he then went to the abode of Varuṇa, having joyfully circumambulated and bowed to the Grandfather.
विवेश स तयोर्देहे मित्रावरुणयोः किल । जीवांशेन वसिष्ठोऽथ त्यक्त्वा देहमनुत्तमम्
He entered, it is said, into the bodies of Mitra and Varuṇa; then Vasiṣṭha, with a portion of his life, abandoned his excellent body.
कदाचित्तूर्वशी राजन्नागता वरुणालयम् । यदृच्छया वरारोहा सखीगणसमावृता
Once, O king, Urvaśī, of excellent form, happened to come to the abode of Varuṇa, surrounded by her group of companions.
दृष्ट्वा तामप्सरां दिव्यां रूपयौवनसंयुताम् । जातौ कामातुरौ देवौ तदा तामूचतुर्नृप
Seeing that divine apsaras, endowed with beauty and youth, the two gods became overcome with desire and then spoke to her, O king.
विवशौ चारुसर्वाङ्गीं देवकन्यां मनोरमाम् । आवां त्वमनवद्याङ्गि वरयस्व समाकुलौ
Helpless, the two addressed the lovely, charming daughter of the gods: 'O faultless one, choose us both, for we are agitated because of you.'
विहरस्व यथाकामं स्थानेऽस्मिन्वरवर्णिनि । तथोक्ता सा ततो देवी ताभ्यां तत्र स्थितावशा
'Enjoy as you wish in this place, O one of excellent complexion.' Thus addressed, the goddess then remained there, compelled by them.
कृत्वा भावं स्थिरं देवी मित्रावरुणयोर्गृहे । सा गृहीत्वा तयोर्भावं संस्थिता चारुदर्शना
The goddess, having fixed her mind in the house of Mitra and Varuṇa, accepted their intention and remained, beautiful to behold.
तयोस्तु पतितं वीर्यं कुम्भे दैवादनावृते । तस्माज्जातौ मुनी राजन्द्वावेवातिमनोहरौ
By divine will, the semen of the two fell into an uncovered jar; from that, O king, two exceedingly charming sages were born.
अगस्तिः प्रथमस्तत्र वसिष्ठश्चापरस्तथा । मित्रावरुणयोर्वीर्यात्तापसावृषिसत्तमौ
Agastya was the first there, and Vasiṣṭha the other; from the energy of Mitra and Varuṇa, these two ascetics became the best of sages.
प्रथमस्तु वनं प्राप्तो बाल एव महातपाः । इक्ष्वाकुस्तु वसिष्ठं तं बालं वव्रे पुरोहितम्
The first, though still a child, went to the forest, a great ascetic; Ikṣvāku chose that child Vasiṣṭha as his priest.
वंशस्यास्य सुखार्थं ते पालयामास पार्थिव । विशेषेण मुनिं ज्ञात्वा प्रीत्या युक्तो बभूव ह
For the happiness of his lineage, the king cared for him; recognizing him especially as a sage, he became devoted with affection.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं वसिष्ठस्य च कारणम् । शापाद्देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्मित्रावरुणयोः कुले
All this has been told to you, including the reason for Vasiṣṭha's birth in another body due to the curse, in the family of Mitra and Varuṇa.
देवीमहिम्नि नानाभाववर्णनम् जनमेजय उवाच देहप्राप्तिर्वसिष्ठस्य कथिता भवता किल । निमिः कथं पुनर्देहं प्राप्तवानिति मे वद
On the greatness of the goddess: various manifestations described. Janamejaya said: The attainment of a body by Vasiṣṭha has been told by you; tell me how Nimi again obtained a body.
व्यास उवाच वसिष्ठेन च सम्प्राप्तः पुनर्देहो नराधिप । निमिना न तथा प्राप्तो देहः शापादनन्तरम्
Vyāsa said: Vasiṣṭha indeed obtained another body, O king, but Nimi did not obtain a body in the same way after the curse.
यदा शप्तो वसिष्ठेन तदा ते ब्राह्मणाः क्रतौ ऋत्विजो ये वृता राज्ञा ते सर्वे समचिन्तयन्
When he was cursed by Vasiṣṭha, then those brāhmaṇas who had been appointed as priests by the king all deliberated together.