श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । सुपर्ण शृणु वक्ष्यामि यथा राज्ञा क्रिया कृता । आसीत्कृतयुगे राजा वाङ्गो वै बभ्रुवाहनः ॥ २,९.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O Suparṇa, listen, I will tell you how the rite was performed by a king; in the Krita age, there was a king named Vanga, son of Babhruvāhana.
पृथिव्याश्चतुरन्ताया गोप्ता पक्षीन्द्र धर्मतः । चतुर्भागां भुवं कृत्स्नां स भुङ्के वसुधाधिपः ॥ २,९.
He was the protector of the earth with its four boundaries, O king of birds, by righteousness; as lord of the land, he enjoyed the entire earth divided into four parts.
न पापकृत्कश्चिदासीत्तस्मिन्राज्यं प्रशासति । नासीच्चौरभयं तार्क्ष्य न क्षुद्रभयमेव हि ॥ २,९.
No one committing evil existed while he ruled the kingdom; there was no fear of thieves, O Tārkṣya, nor any fear of the lowly.
नासीद्व्याधिभयञ्चापि तस्मिञ्जनपदेश्वरे । स्वधर्मे रेमिरे चासीत्तेजसा भास्करोपमः ॥ २,९.
There was not even fear of disease in that land ruled by him; they delighted in their own duties, and he was radiant like the sun.
अक्षुब्धत्वेर्ऽचलसमः सहिष्णुत्वे धरासमः । स कदाचिन्महाबाहुः प्रभूतबलवाहनः ॥ २,९.
Unshaken, like a mountain in composure; enduring, like the earth in patience; that mighty-armed one, with abundant strength and steeds, at times set forth.
वनं जगाम गहनं हयानाञ्च शतैर्वृतः । सिंहनादैश्च योधानां शङ्खदुन्दुभिनिः स्वनैः ॥ २,९.
He entered the dense forest, surrounded by hundreds of horses, accompanied by the lion-roars of warriors and the resounding blasts of conches and drums.
आसीत्किलकिलाशब्दस्तस्मिन् गच्छती पार्थिवे । तत्रतत्र च विप्रेन्द्रैः स्तूयमानः समन्ततः ॥ २,९.
As the king proceeded, there arose a clattering sound; and everywhere, he was praised by eminent Brahmins all around.
निर्ययौ परया प्रीत्या वनं मृगजिघांसया । स गच्छन्ददृशे धीमान्नन्दनप्रतिमं वनम् ॥ २,९.
He departed with great delight, intent on hunting animals; as he journeyed, the wise one beheld a forest resembling Nandana.
बिल्वार्कखदिराकीर्णं कपित्थध्वजसंयुतम् । विषमैः पर्वतैश्चैव सर्वतश्च समन्वितम् ॥ २,९.
Filled with bilva, arka, and khadira trees, adorned with kapittha and dhvaja, and encompassed on all sides by rugged mountains.
निर्जलं निर्मनुष्यञ्च बहुयोजनमायतम् । मृगसिंहैर्महाघोरैन्यैश्चापि वनेचरैः ॥ २,९.
Waterless, devoid of people, stretching for many yojanas; inhabited by fierce beasts, lions, and terrifying forest-dwellers.
तद्वनं मनुज व्याघ्रः सभृत्यबलवाहनः । लीलया लोडयामास सूदयन्विविधान्मृगान् ॥ २,९.
That forest, O man, the tiger among men, with his retinue and steeds, playfully traversed, slaying various animals.
मृगस्य कस्यचित्कुक्षिं ततो विव्याध भूमिपः । राजा मृगप्रसङ्गेन तमनु प्राविशद्वनम् ॥ २,९.
The king pierced the belly of a certain animal; and, drawn by the pursuit, entered further into the forest.
एकाकी वै हृतबलः क्षुत्प्रिपासासमन्वितः । स वनस्यान्तमासाद्य महच्चारण्यमासदत् ॥ २,९.
Alone, his strength exhausted, afflicted by hunger and thirst, he reached the depths of the forest and entered a vast wilderness.
तृषया परयाविष्टोऽन्विष्यज्जलमितस्ततः । स दूरात्पूरचक्राह्वं हंससारसनादितैः ॥ २,९.
Overcome by intense thirst, he searched for water here and there; from afar, he heard the cries of cranes and swans at a lake called Pūracakra.
सूचितं सर आगत्य साश्व एव व्यगाहत । पद्मानाञ्च परागेण उत्पलानां रजेन च ॥ २,९.
Guided by those sounds, he approached the lake and entered it with his horse; the pollen of lotuses and the dust of blue lilies covered him.
सुगन्धममलं शीतं पीत्वाम्भो निर्जगाम ह । मार्गश्रमपरिश्रान्तस्तडागतटमण्डपम् ॥ २,९.
He drank the fragrant, pure, cool water and emerged, weary from his journey, to the pavilion on the lake's bank.
न्यग्रोधं वीक्ष्य तस्याशु जटास्वश्वं बबन्ध ह । स तत्रास्तरमास्तीर्य खेटकानुपधाय च ॥ २,९.
Seeing a banyan tree, he quickly tied his horse to its roots; spreading a mat and placing his shield beneath, he lay down there.
सूष्वाप वायुना तत्र सेव्यामातस्तदा क्षणम् । क्षणं सुप्ते नृपे तत्र प्रेतो वै प्रेतवाहनः ॥ २,९.
He slept there for a moment, attended by the gentle breeze; as the king slept for a while, a preta, with its vehicle, arrived.
कश्चिदत्राजगामाथ युक्तः प्रेतशतेन च । अस्थिचर्मशिराशेषशरीरः परिविभ्रमन् ॥ २,९.
Then someone came there, accompanied by a hundred pretas; his body was composed only of bones, skin, and head, wandering about.
भक्ष्यंपेयं मार्गमाणो न बध्नाति धृतिं क्वचित् । तमपूर्वं नृपो दृष्ट्वाकरोदस्त्रं शरासने ॥ २,९.
Seeking food and drink, he could not find satisfaction anywhere; seeing this strange being, the king readied his bow and arrows.
दृष्ट्वा सोऽपि चिरं भूपं तस्थौ स्थाणुपिवाग्रतः । तमवस्थितमालोक्य राजा प्राप्तकुतूहलः ॥ २,९.
Seeing the king for a long time, he stood motionless before him like a statue; observing him thus, the king became curious.
पप्रच्छ तञ्च कोऽसीति कुतो वा विकृतिं गतः । प्रेत उवाच । प्रेतभावो मया त्यक्तो गतिं प्राप्तोऽस्म्यहं पराम् ॥ २,९.
He asked him, 'Who are you? From where have you come, and why are you so deformed?' The preta spoke: 'I have abandoned my preta state and attained a higher path.'
त्वत्संयोगान्महाबाहो नास्ति धन्यतरो मया । बभ्रुवाहन उवाच । किमेतद्विपिने घोरे सर्वत्रातिभयानके ॥ २,९.
O mighty-armed one, there is no one more fortunate than I because of this meeting with you. Babruvahana said: What is this, in this dreadful forest, terrifying in every direction?
दोधूयमाने वातेन वात्यारूपेण कोणप । पतङ्गा मशकाः क्षुद्राः कवन्धाश्च शिरांसि च ॥ २,९.
As the wind blows violently like a storm, corpses are tossed about; insects, mosquitoes, small creatures, headless bodies, and severed heads are seen.
मत्स्याः कूर्माः कृकलासा वृश्चिका भ्रमराहयः । अधोमुखोर्ध्वपादास्ते क्रन्दमानाः सुदारुणम् ॥ २,९.
Fish, turtles, skeletons, scorpions, bees, and horses—these, with faces downward and feet upward, are crying out terribly.
प्रवान्ति वायवो रूक्षा ज्वलन्तो विद्युदग्नयः । इतस्ततो भ्रमन्तीव वायुना तृणसन्ततिः ॥ २,९.
Harsh winds blow, blazing with lightning and fire; the grass seems to whirl here and there, driven by the wind.
दृश्यन्ते विविधा जीवा नागाश्च शलभव्रजाः । श्रूयन्ते बहुधा रावा न दृश्यन्ते क्वचित्क्वचित् ॥ २,९.
Various living beings are seen, as well as snakes and swarms of locusts; many cries are heard, but nothing is clearly visible anywhere.
दृष्ट्वेदं विकृतं सर्वं वेपते हृदयंमम । प्रते उवाच । येषां नैवाग्निसंस्कारो न श्राद्धं नोदकक्रियाः ॥ २,९.
Seeing all this horror, my heart trembles. Prata said: Those for whom there has been no fire-rite, no śrāddha, nor offering of water—
षट्पिण्डा दश गात्राणि सपिण्डीकरणं न हि । विश्वासघातिनो ये च सुरापाः स्वर्णहारिणः ॥ २,९.
No offering of six rice-balls, no ten limbs, no ancestral rites—those who betray trust, drink liquor, or steal gold—
मृता दुर्मरणाद्ये च ये चासूयापरा जनाः । प्रायश्चित्तविहीना ये अगम्यागमने रताः ॥ २,९.
Those who die unnatural deaths, those who are given to jealousy, those who lack expiation, and those who delight in forbidden unions—