यैस्तु व्याप्तास्त्रयो लोकाः सूर्यस्येव गभस्तिभिः
By them, the three worlds have been pervaded, just as the sun pervades with its rays.
कथं हि रक्षसा शक्तिर् भक्षितः सो ऽनुजैः सह वासिष्ठो वदतां श्रेष्ठ सूत वक्तुमिहार्हसि
How was Śakti, along with his brothers, devoured by the Rākṣasa? O best of speakers, Sūta, you ought to tell this here.
राक्षसो रुधिरो नाम वसिष्ठस्य सुतं पुरा शक्तिं स भक्षयामास शक्तेः शापात्सहानुजैः
A Rākṣasa named Rudhira once devoured Vasiṣṭha's son Śakti, along with his brothers, due to Śakti's curse.
वसिष्ठयाज्यं विप्रेन्द्रास् तदादिश्यैव भूपतिम् कल्माषपादं रुधिरो विश्वामित्रेण चोदितः
Prompted by Viśvāmitra, Rudhira, having received the king Kalmāṣapāda's command, consumed the offering of Vasiṣṭha.
भक्षितः स इति श्रुत्वा वसिष्ठस्तेन रक्षसा शक्तिः शक्तिमतां श्रेष्ठो भ्रातृभिः सह धर्मवित्
Hearing that Śakti, the best among the powerful and knower of dharma, had been devoured by that Rākṣasa along with his brothers, Vasiṣṭha was overcome.
हा पुत्र पुत्र पुत्रेति क्रन्दमानो मुहुर्मुहुः अरुन्धत्या सह मुनिः पपात भुवि दुःखितः
Crying out again and again, 'O son, O son, O son,' the sage, together with Arundhatī, fell to the ground in grief.
नष्टं कुलमिति श्रुत्वा मर्तुं चक्रे मतिं तदा स्मरन्पुत्रशतं चैव शक्तिज्येष्ठं च शक्तिमान्
Hearing that his lineage was lost, he resolved to die, remembering his hundred sons and Śakti, the eldest and most powerful.
न तं विनाहं जीविष्ये इति निश्चित्य दुःखितः
Grieving, he decided, 'I will not live without him.'
आरुह्य मूर्धानम् अजात्मजो ऽसौ तयात्मवान् सर्वविद् आत्मविच्च धराधरस्यैव तदा धरायां पपात पत्न्या सह साश्रुदृष्टिः
Climbing to the summit, that son of the unborn, wise in all and knower of the self, together with his wife, fell to the earth with tearful eyes.
धराधरात्तं पतितं धरा तदा दधार तत्रापि विचित्रकण्ठी करांबुजाभ्यां करिखेलगामिनी रुदन्तमादाय रुरोद सा च
As he fell from the mountain, the earth then supported him; even there, the one with a wondrously adorned neck, moving like an elephant, took him in her lotus hands and wept as she carried the crying sage.
तदा तस्य स्नुषा प्राह पत्नी शक्तेर्महामुनिम् वसिष्ठं वदतां श्रेष्ठं रुदन्ती भयविह्वला
Then, the wife of Shakti, his daughter-in-law, spoke to the great sage Vasiṣṭha, foremost among speakers, weeping and overcome by fear.
भगवन्ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ तव देहम् इदं शुभम् पालयस्व विभो द्रष्टुं तव पौत्रं ममात्मजम्
O revered one, best of Brāhmaṇas, preserve this blessed body of yours, O lord, so that you may see your grandson, my own son.
न त्याज्यं तव विप्रेन्द्र देहमेतत्सुशोभनम् गर्भस्थो मम सर्वार्थसाधकः शक्तिजो यतः
O foremost of Brāhmaṇas, you must not abandon this splendid body, for my child, the son of Shakti, who fulfills all purposes, is still in the womb.
एवमुक्त्वाथ धर्मज्ञा कराभ्यां कमलेक्षणा उत्थाप्य श्वशुरं नत्वा नेत्रे संमृज्य वारिणा
Having spoken thus, the righteous, lotus-eyed woman raised her father-in-law with her hands, bowed to him, and wiped his eyes with water.
दुःखितापि परित्रातुं श्वशुरं दुःखितं तदा अरुन्धतीं च कल्याणीं प्रार्थयामास दुःखिताम्
Though afflicted with sorrow, she then sought to comfort her grieving father-in-law, and she also appealed to the virtuous Arundhatī, who was herself distressed.
स्नुषावाक्यं ततः श्रुत्वा वसिष्ठ उत्थाय भूतलात् संज्ञामवाप्य चालिङ्ग्य सा पपात सुदुःखिता
Hearing the words of his daughter-in-law, Vasiṣṭha rose from the ground, regained consciousness, embraced her, and she, overwhelmed with grief, collapsed.
अरुन्धती कराभ्यां तां संस्पृश्यास्राकुलेक्षणाम् रुरोद मुनिशार्दूलो भार्यया सुतवत्सलः
Arundhatī, her eyes filled with tears, touched her, and the tiger among sages, loving his wife as a son, wept.
अथ नाभ्यंबुजे विष्णोर् यथा तस्याश्चतुर्मुखः आसीनो गर्भशय्यायां कुमार ऋचमाह सः
Then, just as the four-faced one sits in Viṣṇu’s navel-lotus, the boy, lying in the womb, recited a Ṛc (Vedic verse).
ततो निशम्य भगवान् वसिष्ठ ऋचमादरात् केनोक्तमिति संचिन्त्य तदातिष्ठत्समाहितः
Hearing this, the venerable Vasiṣṭha, with reverence, wondered who had spoken it, and concentrated his mind upon it.
व्योमाङ्गणस्थो ऽथ हरिः पुण्डरीकनिभेक्षणः वसिष्ठमाह विश्वात्मा घृणया स घृणानिधिः
Then Hari, standing in the sky, his eyes like lotuses, the soul of the universe and repository of compassion, spoke to Vasiṣṭha with kindness.
भो वत्स वत्स विप्रेन्द्र वसिष्ठ सुतवत्सल तव पौत्रमुखाम्भोजाद् ऋग् एषाद्य विनिःसृता
O dear child, dear child, O foremost of Brāhmaṇas, Vasiṣṭha, lover of your son, from the lotus-face of your grandson, this Ṛc has now emerged.
मत्समस्तव पौत्रो ऽसौ शक्तिजः शक्तिमान्मुने तस्मादुत्तिष्ठ संत्यज्य शोकं ब्रह्मसुतोत्तम
O sage, this son of Shakti, your grandson, is mine as well as yours, and he is powerful; therefore, arise, O best of Brahmā’s sons, abandoning your grief.
रुद्रभक्तश् च गर्भस्थो रुद्रपूजापरायणः रुद्रदेवप्रभावेण कुलं ते संतरिष्यति
He, while still in the womb, is a devotee of Rudra, intent on worshipping Rudra; by the power of Rudra, your lineage will be preserved.
एवमुक्त्वा घृणी विप्रं भगवान् पुरुषोत्तमः वसिष्ठं मुनिशार्दूलं तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
Having spoken thus, the compassionate Supreme Person vanished there itself from the sight of the sage Vasiṣṭha, the tiger among sages.
ततः प्रणम्य शिरसा वसिष्ठो वारिजेक्षणम् अदृश्यन्त्या महातेजाः पस्पर्शोदरमादरात्
Then Vasiṣṭha, of great splendor, bowed his head to the lotus-eyed Lord, and, though he had become invisible, reverently touched the womb.
हा पुत्र पुत्र पुत्रेति पपात च सुदुःखितः ललापारुन्धती प्रेक्ष्य तदासौ रुदतीं द्विजाः
Alas, son, son, he cried, and fell down, overwhelmed with grief; seeing Arundhatī wailing, the Brāhmaṇas comforted her.
स्वपुत्रं च स्मरन् दुःखात् पुनरेह्येहि पुत्रक तव पुत्रमिमं दृष्ट्वा भो शक्ते कुलधारणम्
Remembering his own son in his sorrow, he called out again, 'Come, come, my child! Behold, O Shakti, your son, the upholder of the lineage.'
तवान्तिकं गमिष्यामि तव मात्रा न संशयः एवमुक्त्वा रुदन्विप्र आलिङ्ग्यारुन्धतीं तदा
'I will go to you, together with your mother, without doubt.' Having spoken thus, the Brāhmaṇa, weeping, embraced Arundhatī at that time.
पपात ताडयन्तीव स्वस्य कुक्षी करेण वै अदृश्यन्ती जघानाथ शक्तिजस्यालयं शुभा
She fell, striking her own belly with her hand as if in pain, and the noble wife of Śakti vanished, destroying the abode of Śakti.
स्वोदरं दुःखिता भूमौ ललाप च पपात च अरुन्धति तदा भीता वसिष्ठश् च महामतिः
Distressed, she lamented on the ground, and fell down; at that moment, Arundhatī was afraid, and Vasiṣṭha, the great-minded sage, too.