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.
तस्मादौर्वं सुतं मेऽद्य याचध्वं विनयान्विताः । प्रणिपातेन तुष्टोऽसौ दृष्टिं वः प्रतिमोक्ष्यति
Therefore, today, humbly beg my son Aurva; if you appease him with reverence, he will restore your sight.
व्यास उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्या हैहयास्तुष्टुवुश्च तम् । प्रणेमुर्विनयोपेता ऊरुजं मुनिसत्तमम्
Vyasa said: Hearing her words, the Haihayas praised him and, filled with humility, bowed to Aurva, the best of sages.
स सन्तुष्टो बभूवाथ तानुवाच विचक्षुषः । गच्छध्वं स्वगृहान्भूपा ममाख्यानकृतं वचः
He, being satisfied, spoke to them, endowed with vision: 'Return to your homes, O kings, remembering my words.'
अवश्यम्भाविभावास्ते भवन्ति देवनिर्मिताः । नात्र शोकस्तु कर्तव्यः पुरुषेण विजानता
Those events that must happen are indeed ordained by the gods; therefore, a wise person should not grieve over them.
पूर्ववदृषयः सर्वे प्राप्नुवन्तु यथासुखम् । व्रजन्तु विगतक्रोधा भवनानि यथासुखम्
Let all the sages, as before, attain happiness; let them return to their homes, free from anger, as they wish.
इति तेन समादिष्टा हैहयाः प्राप्तलोचनाः । और्वमामन्त्र्य जग्मुस्ते सदनानि यथारुचि
Thus instructed by him, the Haihayas regained their sight, took leave of Aurva, and departed to their abodes as they pleased.
ब्राह्मणी तं सुतं दिव्यं गृहीत्वा स्वाश्रमं गता । पालयामास भूपाल तेजस्विनमतन्द्रिता
The Brahmani, taking her divine son, returned to her hermitage and diligently cared for the radiant child, O king.
एवं ते कथितं राजन् भृगूणां तु विनाशनम् । लोभाविष्टैः क्षत्रियैश्च यत्कृतं पातकं किल
Thus, O king, the destruction of the Bhrigus has been narrated to you, and the sin committed by the Kshatriyas, seized by greed.
जनमेजय उवाच श्रुतं मया महत्कर्म क्षत्रियाणाञ्च दारुणम् । कारणं लोभ एवात्र दुःखदश्चोभयोस्तु सः
Janamejaya said: I have heard of the great deed and the dreadful act of the Kshatriyas; here, greed alone is the cause, and it brought sorrow to both sides.
किञ्चित्प्रष्टुमिहेच्छामि संशयं वासवीसुत । हैहयास्ते कथं नाम्ना ख्याता भुवि नृपात्मजाः
I wish to ask something, O son of Vasavi, to clear my doubt: How did the Haihayas, the sons of kings, become known by that name on earth?