स्वप्ने गत्वा तदा देवी प्राह ताः प्रमदोत्तमाः । युष्मासु मध्ये कस्याश्चिद्भविता चोरुजः पुमान्
Then, in a dream, the Goddess spoke to those noble women: 'Among you, one will bear a son with great energy.'
मदंशशक्तिसम्भिन्नः स वः कार्यं विधास्यति । इत्यादिश्य पराम्बा सा पश्चादन्तर्हिताभवत्
'Endowed with a portion of my power, he will accomplish your purpose.' Having thus instructed them, the supreme Mother then disappeared.
जागृतास्तु ततः सर्वा मुदमापुर्वराङ्गनाः । काचित्तासां भयोद्विग्ना कामिनी चतुरा भृशम्
When they awoke, all those noble women were filled with joy; but one among them, deeply anxious with fear and desire, remained.
दधार चोरुणैकेन गर्भं सा कुलवृद्धये । पलायनपरा दृष्टा क्षत्रियैर्ब्राह्मणी यदा
For the sake of preserving her lineage, she bore a child by a powerful man; when the Kshatriyas saw the Brahmin woman fleeing, they pursued her.
विह्वला तेजसा युक्ता तदा ते दुद्रुवुर्भृशम् । गृह्यतां वध्यतां नारी सगर्भा याति सत्वरा
Overwhelmed by radiance, she fled swiftly; the Kshatriyas cried out, 'Seize her! Kill her! The pregnant woman is escaping quickly!'
इति ब्रुवन्तः सम्प्राप्ताः कामिनीं खड्गपाणयः । सा भयार्ता तु तान्दृष्ट्वा रुरोद समुपागतान्
Thus shouting, sword in hand, they approached the desirous woman; seeing them come near, she, stricken with fear, began to weep.
गर्भस्य रक्षणार्थं सा चुक्रोशातिभयातुरा । रुदतीं मातरं श्रुत्वा दीनां प्राणविवर्जिताम्
She cried out, greatly distressed, to protect the unborn child; hearing her mother weeping, helpless and deprived of life.
निराधारां क्रन्दमानां क्षत्रियैर्भृशतापिताम् । गृहीतामिव सिंहेन सगर्भां हरिणीं यथा
Without support, wailing, tormented severely by the Kshatriyas, she was seized as if by a lion, like a pregnant deer.
साश्रुनेत्रां वेपमानां सङ्क्रुध्य बालकस्तदा । भित्त्वोरुं निर्जगामाशु गर्भः सूर्य इवापरः
With tearful eyes, trembling, the child grew angry; then, bursting through her thigh, the embryo swiftly emerged, like another sun.
मुष्णन्दृष्टीः क्षत्रियाणां तेजसा बालकः शुभः । दर्शनाद्बालकस्याशु सर्वे जाता विलोचनाः
The auspicious child, with his radiance, blinded the Kshatriyas; at the sight of the boy, all instantly became blind.
बभ्रमुर्गिरिदुर्गेषु जन्मान्धा इव क्षत्रियाः । चिन्तितं मनसा सर्वैः किमेतदिति साम्प्रतम्
The Kshatriyas wandered in mountain fortresses, as if born blind; all wondered in their minds, 'What is this happening now?'
सर्वे चक्षुर्विहीना यज्जाता स्म बालदर्शनात् । ब्राह्मण्यास्तु प्रभावोऽयं सतीव्रतबलं महत्
All became deprived of sight from seeing the boy; this is the power of the Brahmin woman, the great strength of her chastity.
क्षणाद्वामोघसङ्कल्पाः किं करिष्यन्तिदुःखिताः । इति सञ्चिन्त्य मनसा नेत्रहीना निराश्रयाः
In a moment, their intentions proved fruitless; what will the suffering ones do? Thinking thus in their minds, blind and without refuge.
ब्राह्मणीं शरणं जग्मुर्हैहया गतचेतसः । प्रणेमुस्तां भयत्रस्तां कृताञ्जलिपुटाश्च ते
The Haihayas, their minds lost, went for refuge to the Brahmin woman; terrified by fear, they bowed to her with hands joined.
ऊचुश्चैनां भयोद्विग्नां दृष्ट्यर्थं क्षत्रियर्षभाः । प्रसीद सुभगे मातः सेवकास्ते वयं किल
The Kshatriya chiefs, anxious from fear, spoke to her for the sake of sight: 'Be gracious, O blessed mother, we are your servants indeed.'
कृतापराधा रम्भोरु क्षत्रियाः पापबुद्धयः । दर्शनात्तव तन्वङ्गि जाताः सर्वे विलोचनाः
O Rambhoru, the Kshatriyas, with sinful minds, have committed offense; because of seeing you, O slender-waisted, all have become blind.
मुखं ते नैव पश्यामो जन्मान्धा इव भामिनि । अद्भुतं ते तपो वीर्यं किं कुर्मः पापकारिणः
O beautiful one, we cannot see your face, as if born blind; your ascetic power is wondrous—what can we, the wrongdoers, do?
शरणं ते प्रपन्नाः स्मो देहि चक्षूंषि मानदे । अन्धत्वं मरणादुग्रं कृपां कर्तुं त्वमर्हसि
We have sought refuge in you; grant us sight, O honored one. This harsh blindness is worse than death; you ought to show mercy.
पुनर्दृष्टिप्रदानेन सेवकान्क्षत्रियान्कुरु । उपरम्य च गच्छेम सहिताः पापकर्मणः
By restoring sight, make us Kshatriyas your servants; let us cease our evil deeds and depart together.
अतः परं न कर्तव्यमीदृशं कर्म कर्हिचित् । भार्गवाणां तु सर्वेषां सेवकाः स्मो वयं किल
Henceforth, such actions must never be done; we are all servants of the Bhargavas, indeed.
अज्ञानाद्यत्कृतं पापं क्षन्तव्यं तत्त्वयाधुना । वैरं नातः परं क्वापि भृगुभिः क्षत्रियैः सह
The sin committed out of ignorance should now be forgiven by you; from now on, there will be no enmity anywhere between Bhargavas and Kshatriyas.
कर्तव्यं शपथैः सम्यग्वर्तितव्यं तु हैहयैः । सपुत्रा भव सुश्रोणि प्रणताः स्मो वयं च ते
Let oaths be properly taken, and the Haihayas must act rightly; be with your son, O lovely-hipped, we are all bowed before you.
प्रसादं कुरु कल्याणि न द्विष्यामः कदाचन । व्यास उवाच इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा ब्राह्मणी विस्मयान्विता
Show favor, O auspicious one, we shall never bear hatred; Vyasa said: Hearing their words, the Brahmin woman was filled with wonder.
तानाह प्रणतान्दुःस्थानाश्वास्य गतलोचनान् । गृहीता न मया दृष्टिर्युष्माकं क्षत्रियाः किल
She spoke to them, bowed and suffering, comforting those who had lost their sight: 'I have not taken away your vision, O Kshatriyas.'
नाहं रुषान्विता सत्यं कारणं शृणुताद्य यत् । अयं च भार्गवो नूनमूरुजः कुपितोऽद्य वः
Truly, I am not angry; listen today to the reason for this. This descendant of Bhrigu is certainly born of my thigh and is enraged with you today.
चक्षूंषि तेन युष्माकं स्तम्भितानि रुषावता । स्वबन्धून्निहताञ्ज्ञात्वा गर्भस्थानपि क्षत्रियैः
By him, your eyes have been paralyzed with wrath, for, knowing that even their unborn kin were slain by Kshatriyas, his own relatives were killed.
अनागसो धर्मपरांस्तापसान्धनकाम्यया । गर्भानपि यदा यूयं भृगूनघ्नंस्तु पुत्रकाः
O sons, though innocent and devoted to righteousness, you killed the ascetics and even the unborn children of the Bhrigus, out of desire for their wealth.
तदायमूरुणा गर्भो मया वर्षशतं धृतः । षडङ्गश्चाखिलो वेदो गृहीतोऽनेन चाञ्जसा
Then, with my thigh, I bore this child in my womb for a hundred years; and by him, the entire Veda with its six branches was directly mastered.
गर्भस्थेनापि बालेन भृगुवंशविवृद्धये । सोऽपि पितृवधान्नूनं क्रोथेद्धो हन्तुमिच्छति
Even as a child in the womb, for the increase of the Bhrigu lineage, he, too, now incited by anger over his father's killing, wishes to destroy.
भगवत्याः प्रसादेन जातोऽयं मम बालकः । तेजसा यस्य दिव्येन चक्षूंषि मुषितानि वः
By the grace of the Goddess, this boy was born to me, whose divine energy has deprived you of your sight.