पुरा त्रेतायुगे तात राजासीद्बभ्रुवाहनः । महोदयपुरे रम्ये धर्मनिष्ठो महाबलः ॥ २,२७.
Long ago, in the Tretā Yuga, dear one, there was a king named Babhruvāhana, steadfast in righteousness and great in strength, ruling in the beautiful city of Mahodaya.
यज्वा दानपतिः श्रीमान्ब्रह्मण्यः साधुसंमतः । शीलाचारगुणोपेतो दयादाक्षिण्यसंयुतः ॥ २,२७.
He was a performer of sacrifices, a lord of charity, prosperous, devoted to the Brāhmaṇas, esteemed by the virtuous, endowed with good conduct and character, and full of compassion and generosity.
प्रजाः पालयते नित्यं पुत्रानिव महाबलः । क्षत्त्रधर्मरतो नित्यं स दण्ड्यान्दण्डयन्नृपः ॥ २,२७.
That mighty king always protected his subjects like his own children, ever devoted to the duty of a kṣatriya, punishing those who deserved punishment.
स कदाचिन्महाबाहुः ससैन्योमृगयां गतः । वनं विवेश गहनं नानावृक्षसमन्वितम् ॥ २,२७.
Once, that mighty-armed king, accompanied by his army, went on a hunt and entered a dense forest filled with many kinds of trees.
शार्दूलशतसंजुष्टं नानापक्षिनिनादितम् । वनमध्ये तदा राजा मृगं दूरादपश्यत ॥ २,२७.
The forest was inhabited by hundreds of tigers and resounded with the cries of many birds. There, in the midst of the woods, the king saw a deer from afar.
तेन विद्धो मृगोऽतीव बाणेन सुदृढेन च । बाणमादाय तं तस्य स वनेऽदर्शनं ययौ ॥ २,२७.
Struck by a strong arrow, the deer, taking the arrow with it, disappeared into the forest.
कक्षे तच्छोणितस्त्रावात्स राजानुजगाम तम् । ततो मृगप्रसङ्गेन वनमन्यद्विवेश सः ॥ २,२७.
The king followed the trail of blood left by the deer, and in pursuit of it, entered another part of the forest.
क्षुत्क्षामकण्ठो नृपतिः श्रमसन्तापमूर्छितः । जलस्थानं समासाद्य साश्व एवावगाहत ॥ २,२७.
Parched with hunger and thirst, exhausted and faint, the king reached a water source and, still on horseback, plunged in.
पीत्वा तदु दकं शीतं पद्मगन्धाधिवासितम् । तत उत्तीर्य सलिलाद्विमलाद्बभ्रुवाहनः ॥ २,२७.
Drinking that cool water, fragrant with the scent of lotuses, Babhruvāhana then emerged from the pure water.
न्यग्रोधवृक्षमासाद्य शीतच्छायं मनोहरम् । महाविटपिनं हृद्यं पक्षिसङ्घातनादितम् ॥ २,२७.
He came to a banyan tree, with cool, delightful shade, vast branches, and pleasing, resounding with the calls of flocks of birds.
वनस्य तस्य सर्वस्य केतुभूतमिवोच्छ्रितम् । तं महातरुमासाद्य निषसाद महीपतिः ॥ २,२७.
That great tree, towering like a landmark over the whole forest, was approached by the king, who then sat down beneath it.
अथ प्रेतं ददर्शासौ क्षुत्तृष्णाव्याकुलेन्द्रियम् । उत्कचं मलिनं कुब्जं (रूक्षं) निर्मांसं भीमदर्शनम् ॥ २,२७.
There he saw a preta, senses disturbed by hunger and thirst: disheveled, filthy, hunchbacked, emaciated, and terrifying to behold.
स्नायुबद्धास्थिचरणं धावमानमितस्ततः । अन्यैश्च बहुभिः प्रेतैः समन्तात्परिवारितम् ॥ २,२७.
Its feet were bones bound by sinews, running here and there, and it was surrounded on all sides by many other pretas.
तं दृष्ट्वा विकृतं घोरं विस्मितो बभ्रुवाहनः । प्रेतोऽपि दृष्ट्वा तां घोरामटवीमागतं नृपम् ॥ २,२७.
Seeing that dreadful, misshapen being, Babhruvāhana was astonished. The preta, too, seeing the king enter that fearsome forest, gazed at him.
तदा हृष्टमना भूत्वा तस्यान्तिकमुपागतः । अब्रवीत्स तदा तार्क्ष्य प्रेतराजो नृपं वचः ॥ २,२७.
Then, becoming joyful, the king of pretas approached him and spoke these words to the king, O Tārkṣya.
प्रेतभावो मया त्यक्तः प्राप्तोऽस्मि परमां गतिम् । त्वत्संयोगान्महाबाहो नास्तिधन्यतरो मम ॥ २,२७.
I have abandoned the state of a preta and attained the highest state. Through meeting you, O mighty-armed one, none is more blessed than I.
नृपतिरुवाच । कृष्णवर्णः करालास्यस्त्वं प्रेत इव लक्ष्यसे । कथयस्व मम प्रीत्या यथैवं चासि तत्त्वतः ॥ २,२७.
The King said: You are dark in complexion, with a terrifying face, and you appear like a ghost. Out of affection, tell me truly who you are and why you are thus.
तथा पृष्टः स वै राज्ञा प्रोवाच सकलं स्वकम् ॥ २,२७.
Thus questioned by the king, he told everything about himself.
प्रेत उवाच । कथयामि नृपश्रेष्ठ सर्वमेवादितस्तव । प्रेतत्वे कारणं श्रुत्वा दयां कर्तुं ममार्हसि ॥ २,२७.
The Preta said: O best of kings, I will tell you everything from the beginning. After hearing the cause of my ghosthood, you should show me compassion.
वैदिशं नाम नगरं सर्वसम्पत्समन्वितम् । नानाजनपदाकीर्णं नानारत्नसमाकुलम् । नानापुण्यसमायुक्तं नानावृक्षसमाकुलम् ॥ २,२७.
There is a city named Vaidisha, endowed with all kinds of wealth, crowded with people from various regions, filled with many kinds of jewels, abundant in various merits, and rich with many kinds of trees.
तत्राहं न्यवसं भूयो देवार्चनरतः सदा । वैश्यो जात्या सुदेवोऽहं नाम्ना विदितमस्तु ते ॥ २,२७.
There I lived for a long time, always devoted to worshipping the gods. By birth I am a merchant, and my name is Sudeva—let this be known to you.
हव्येन तर्पिता देवाः कव्येन पितरस्तथा । विविधैर्दानयोगैश्च विप्राः सन्तर्पिता मया ॥ २,२७.
I satisfied the gods with offerings, the ancestors with oblations, and the Brahmins with various acts of charity.
आवाहाश्च विवाहाश्च मया वै सुनिवेशिताः । दीनानाथविशिष्टेभ्यो मया दत्तमनेकधा ॥ २,२७.
I properly performed both invitations and marriages, and I gave many gifts to the poor, the helpless, and the distinguished.
तत्सर्वं विफलं तात मम दैवादुपागतम् । यथा मे निष्फलं जातं सुकृतं तद्वदामि ते ॥ २,२७.
All that, O dear one, has become fruitless for me due to fate. I will tell you how my good deeds have come to nothing.
न मेऽस्ति सन्ततिस्तात न सुहृन्न च बान्धवः । न च मित्रं हि मे तादृग्यः कुर्यादौर्ध्वदैहिकम् ॥ २,२७.
I have no offspring, no friend, nor any relative. I have no companion who would perform the funeral rites for me.
प्रेतत्वं सुस्थिरं तेन मम जातं नृपोत्तम । एकादशं त्रिपक्षं च षाण्मासिकमथाब्दिकम् । प्रतिमास्यानि चान्यानि एवं श्राद्धानि षोडश ॥ २,२७.
Therefore, O best of kings, my state as a ghost has become fixed. The eleventh-day, fortnightly, six-month, yearly, and other monthly rites—thus, there are sixteen funeral offerings.
यस्यैतानि न दीयन्ते प्रेतश्राद्धानि भूपते । प्रेतत्वं सुस्थिरं तस्य दत्तैः श्राद्धशतैरपि ॥ २,२७.
O king, for whom these funeral offerings are not given, his ghosthood remains firm, even if hundreds of offerings are made by others.
एवं ज्ञात्वा महाराज प्रेतत्वादुद्धरस्व माम् । वर्णानां चापि सर्वेषां राजा बन्धुरिहोच्यते ॥ २,२७.
Knowing this, O great king, deliver me from this ghostly state. The king is called the kinsman of all castes here.
तन्मां तारय राजेन्द्र मणिरत्नं ददामि ते । यथा मम शुभावाप्तिर्भवेन्नृपवरोत्तम ॥ २,२७.
Therefore, O king of kings, save me; I will give you a jewel. So that I may attain auspiciousness, O best of kings.
तथा कार्यं महाबाहो कृपा यदि मयीष्यते । आत्मनश्च कुरु क्षिप्रं सर्वमेवौर्ध्वेदैहिकम् ॥ २,२७.
Thus should it be done, O mighty-armed one, if you have compassion for me. And quickly perform all the funeral rites for me yourself.