आत्मनो यद्धि कथितम् अप्यर्धमिति पण्डितैः तदप्यत्र मृषा ह्यासीद् गतः शक्तिरहं स्थिता
Even what has been spoken by the wise about the self is only half true; even that proved false here, for Śakti is gone and I remain.
अहो ममात्र काठिन्यं मनसो मुनिपुङ्गव पतिं प्राणसमं त्यक्त्वा स्थिता यत्र क्षणं यतः
Ah, how hard is my mind, O foremost sage, that I remain here for a moment, having abandoned my husband, who is as dear as life.
वसिष्ठाश्वत्थमाश्रित्य ह्य् अमृता तु यथा लता निर्मूलाप्यमृता भर्त्रा त्यक्ता दीना स्थिताप्यहम्
Relying on Vasiṣṭha, like a creeper on a tree, I am immortal even though uprooted; abandoned by my husband, I remain miserable.
स्नुषावाक्यं निशम्यैव वसिष्ठो भार्यया सह तदा चक्रे मतिं धीमान् यातुं स्वाश्रममाश्रमी
Hearing the words of their daughter-in-law, Vasiṣṭha, together with his wife, then resolved, being wise, to return to his own hermitage.
कृच्छ्रात्सभार्यो भगवान् वसिष्ठः स्वाश्रमं क्षणात् अदृश्यन्त्या च पुण्यात्मा संविवेश स चिन्तयन्
With difficulty, the blessed Vasiṣṭha, along with his wife, quickly went to his own hermitage; the virtuous one entered, unseen, reflecting.
सा गर्भं पालयामास कथंचिन्मुनिपुङ्गवाः कुलसंधारणार्थाय शक्तिपत्नी पतिव्रता
The wife of Śakti, devoted to her husband, somehow preserved her pregnancy, O foremost sages, for the sake of maintaining the lineage.
ततः सासूत तनयं दशमे मासि सुप्रभम् शक्तिपत्नी यथा शक्तिं शक्तिमन्तमरुन्धती
Then, in the tenth month, Śakti's wife gave birth to a radiant son, just as Arundhatī gave birth to a powerful son according to her ability.
असूत सा दितिर्विष्णुं यथा स्वाहा गुहं सुतम् अग्निं यथारणिः पत्नी शक्तेः साक्षात्पराशरम्
She gave birth as Diti bore Viṣṇu, as Svāhā bore Guha, as the wife of Agni bore a son from the fire-stick, and as Śakti's wife bore Parāśara himself.
यदा तदा शक्तिसूनुर् अवतीर्णो महीतले शक्तिस्त्यक्त्वा तदा दुःखं पितॄणां समतां ययौ
At that time, when Śakti's son descended to earth, Śakti was freed from his suffering and attained equality with the ancestors.
भ्रातृभिः सह पुण्यात्मा आदित्यैर् इव भास्करः रराज पितृलोकस्थो वासिष्ठो मुनिपुङ्गवाः
Dwelling among the ancestors, the illustrious Vāsiṣṭha shone with his brothers, like the sun among the Ādityas, foremost among sages.
जगुस्तदा च पितरो ननृतुश् च पितामहाः प्रपितामहाश् च विप्रेन्द्रा ह्य् अवतीर्णे पराशरे
Then the ancestors sang, the grandfathers and great-grandfathers danced, and the best of Brāhmaṇas rejoiced at Parāśara's descent.
ये ब्रह्मवादिनो भूमौ ननृतुर् दिवि देवताः पुष्कराद्याश् च ससृजुः पुष्पवर्षं च खेचराः
Those who speak of Brahman danced on earth, the gods danced in heaven, and the celestial beings beginning with Puṣkara showered flowers from the sky.
पुरेषु राक्षसानां च प्रणादं विषमं द्विजाः आश्रमस्थाश् च मुनयः समूहुर्हर्षसंततिम्
The twice-born in the cities of the Rākṣasas raised a tumultuous sound, and the sages dwelling in their hermitages experienced a surge of joy.
अवतीर्णो यथा ह्यण्डाद् भानुः सो ऽपि पराशरः अदृश्यन्त्याश्चतुर्वक्त्रो मेघजालाद्दिवाकरः
Just as the sun emerges from the egg, so too did Parāśara appear, like the four-faced one arising from a mass of clouds, as the sun from the sky.
सुखं च दुःखमभवद् अदृश्यन्त्यास्तथा द्विजाः दृष्ट्वा पुत्रं पतिं स्मृत्वा अरुन्धत्या मुनेस्तथा
Both happiness and sorrow came to the unseen one, O twice-born, seeing her son and remembering her husband, as it was for Arundhatī, wife of the sage.
दृष्ट्वा च तनयं बाला पराशरमतिद्युतिम् ललाप विह्वला बाला सन्नकण्ठी पपात च
Seeing her radiant son Parāśara, the young woman, overwhelmed and her throat choked, wept and fell to the ground.
सा पराशरमहो महामतिं देवदानवगणैश् च पूजितम् जातमात्रम् अनघं शुचिस्मिता बुध्य साश्रुनयना ललाप च
She, pure-smiling and tear-eyed, praised Parāśara—great in wisdom, sinless, honored by hosts of gods and demons—even as a newborn.
हा वसिष्ठसुत कुत्रचिद्गतः पश्य पुत्रमनघं तवात्मजम् त्यज्य दीनवदनां वनान्तरे पुत्रदर्शनपरामिमां प्रभो
"O son of Vasiṣṭha, wherever you are, see your sinless son, your own child! Abandoning me, sorrowful-faced and longing to see our son in the forest, O lord!"
शक्ते स्वं च सुतं पश्य भ्रातृभिः सह षण्मुखम् यथा महेश्वरो ऽपश्यत् सगणो हृषिताननः
"O Śakti, see your own six-faced son together with his brothers, just as Maheśvara saw his own, surrounded by his attendants, his face beaming with joy."
अथ तस्यास्तदालापं वसिष्ठो मुनिसत्तमः श्रुत्वा स्नुषामुवाचेदं मा रोदीर् इति दुःखितः
Then Vasiṣṭha, the best of sages, hearing her lament, spoke to his daughter-in-law, sorrowful, saying, "Do not weep."
आज्ञया तस्य सा शोकं वसिष्ठस्य कुलाङ्गना त्यक्त्वा ह्यपालयद्बालं बाला बालमृगेक्षणा
By his command, the noble lady of Vasiṣṭha's line abandoned her grief and cared for the child, herself young, with eyes like a fawn.
दृष्ट्वा तामबलां प्राह मङ्गलाभरणैर् विना आसीनामाकुलां साध्वीं बाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणाम्
Seeing the young woman seated, without auspicious ornaments, distressed, virtuous, and her eyes filled with tears, he spoke to her.
अम्ब मङ्गलविभूषणैर् विना देहयष्टिरनघे न शोभते वक्तुमर्हसि तवाद्य कारणं चन्द्रबिंबरहितेव शर्वरी
"Mother, without auspicious ornaments, your sinless body does not shine. You should tell me today the reason, as night without the moon's disk is dark."
मातर्मातः कथं त्यक्त्वा मङ्गलाभरणानि वै आसीना भर्तृहीनेव वक्तुमर्हसि शोभने
"Mother, why are you seated, having abandoned your auspicious ornaments, as if bereft of your husband? O beautiful one, you should tell me."
अदृश्यन्ती तदा वाक्यं श्रुत्वा तस्य सुतस्य सा न किंचिद् अब्रवीत् पुत्रं शुभं वा यदि वेतरत्
Hearing the words of her son, Adṛśyantī did not say anything to him, whether auspicious or otherwise.
अदृश्यन्तीं पुनः प्राह शाक्तेयो भगवान्मम मातः कुत्र महातेजाः पिता वद वदेति ताम्
Then the illustrious son of Śakti again addressed Adṛśyantī: 'Mother, tell me, where is my mighty father? Speak, speak!'
श्रुत्वा रुरोद सा वाक्यं पुत्रस्यातीव विह्वला भक्षितो रक्षसा तातस् तवेति निपपात च
Hearing her son's words, she became extremely distressed and wept, saying, 'Your father was devoured by a Rākṣasa,' and she collapsed.
श्रुत्वा वसिष्ठो ऽपि पपात भूमौ पौत्रस्य वाक्यं स रुदन्दयालुः अरुन्धती चाश्रमवासिनस्तदा मुनेर्वसिष्ठस्य मुनीश्वराश् च
Hearing the words of his grandson, Vasiṣṭha too fell to the ground, weeping compassionately, as did Arundhatī, the ascetics of the hermitage, and the great sages with Vasiṣṭha.
भक्षितो रक्षसा मातुः पिता तव मुखादिति श्रुत्वा पराशरो धीमान् प्राह चास्राविलेक्षणः
Hearing from his mother's mouth that his father was devoured by a Rākṣasa, the wise Parāśara, his eyes filled with tears, spoke.
अभ्यर्च्य देवदेवेशं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् क्षणेन मातः पितरं दर्शयामीति मे मतिः
'Having worshipped the Lord of gods, the ruler of the three worlds with all that moves and does not move, I will, in a moment, show you our father, mother—this is my resolve.'