एष नागं मनुष्येषु माहिष्मत्यां महाद्युतिः कर्कोटकसुतं जित्वा पुर्यां तत्र न्यवेशयत्
This illustrious one, having conquered the serpent Karkoṭaka’s son among men at Māhiṣmatī, settled him in that city.
एष वेगं समुद्रस्य प्रावृट्काले भजेत वै क्रीडन्नेव सुखोद्भिन्नः प्रतिस्रोतो महीपतिः
This king, in the rainy season, would playfully cross the rushing current of the ocean, delighting in the opposing stream.
ललता क्रीडता तेन प्रतिस्रग्दाममालिनी ऊर्मिभ्रुकुटिसंत्रासाच् चकिताभ्येति नर्मदा
As he sported on the shore, adorned with a garland of rival flowers, the Narmadā, frightened by the frown of his waves, approached timidly.
एको बाहुसहस्रेण वगाहे स महार्णवम् करोत्युद्वृत्तवेगां तु नर्मदां प्रावृडुद्धताम्
He alone, with a thousand arms, plunges into the great ocean and makes the Narmadā, swollen by the rains, surge with force.
तस्य बाहुसहस्रेण क्षोभ्यमाणे महोदधौ भवन्त्यतीव निश्चेष्टाः पातालस्था महासुराः
When the great ocean is agitated by his thousand arms, the mighty demons dwelling in the netherworld become utterly motionless.
चूर्णीकृतमहावीचिलीनमीनमहातिमिम् मारुताविद्धफेनौघम् आवर्ताक्षिप्तदुःसहम्
He churns the ocean with his thousand arms, scattering great waves, submerging fish and whales, and tossing up masses of foam struck by the wind, making it impassable.
करोत्यालोडयन्नेव दोःसहस्रेण सागरम् मन्दरक्षोभचकिता ह्य् अमृतोत्पादशङ्किताः
He stirs the ocean as if churning it with his thousand arms, so that the gods, startled like at the churning of Mandara, suspect the birth of nectar.
तदा निश्चलमूर्धानो भवन्ति च महोरगाः सायाह्ने कदलीखण्डा निर्वातस्तिमिता इव
Then the great serpents become motionless, their heads still, like banana trunks at sunset, stilled by the wind.
एवं बद्ध्वा धनुर्ज्यायाम् उत्सिक्तं पञ्चभिः शरैः लङ्कायां मोहयित्वा तु सबलं रावणं बलात्
Thus, having strung his bow and set it with five arrows, he bewildered Ravana and his army in Lanka by force.
निर्जित्य बद्ध्वा चानीय माहिष्मत्यां बबन्ध च ततो गत्वा पुलस्त्यस्तु ह्य् अर्जुनं संप्रसादयन्
Having conquered and bound him, he brought him to Mahishmati and imprisoned him; then Pulastya went to Arjuna, seeking to appease him.
मुमोच रक्षः पौलस्त्यं पुलस्त्येनेह सान्त्वितम् तस्य बाहुसहस्रेण बभूव ज्यातलस्वनः
Pulastya, having soothed Arjuna, released the Rakshasa; from his thousand arms arose the sound of the bowstring.
युगान्ताभ्रसहस्रस्य आस्फोटस्त्वशनेरिव अहो बत विधेर्वीर्यं भार्गवो ऽयं यदाछिनत्
It was like the thunderclap of a thousand clouds at the end of an age, or the crash of Indra’s bolt; alas, such is the power of fate, that Bhargava struck him down.
तद्वै सहस्रं बाहूनां हेमतालवनं यथा यत्रापवस्तु संक्रुद्धो ह्य् अर्जुनं शप्तवान्प्रभुः
That thousand arms, shining like golden palm trees, were severed there; enraged, the lord cursed Arjuna.
यस्माद्वनं प्रदग्धं वै विश्रुतं मम हैहय तस्मात्ते दुष्करं कर्म कृतमन्यो हरिष्यति
Because you, Haihaya, burned my renowned forest, therefore another will accomplish this difficult deed and take it from you.
छित्त्वा बाहुसहस्रं ते प्रथमं तरसा बली तपस्वी ब्राह्मणश्च त्वां स वधिष्यति भार्गव
Having first cut off your thousand arms with force, a powerful and ascetic Brahmin of the Bhargava line will slay you.
तस्य रामस्तदा त्व् आसीन् मृत्युः शापेन धीमतः वरश्चैव तु राजर्षेः स्वयमेव वृतः पुरा
At that time, Rama became his death by the curse of the wise, and this boon was formerly chosen by the royal sage himself.
तस्य पुत्रशतं त्व् आसीत् पञ्च तत्र महारथाः कृतास्त्रा बलिनः शूरा धर्मात्मानो महाबलाः
He had a hundred sons, among whom five were great chariot-warriors, skilled in weapons, strong, valiant, righteous, and mighty.
शूरसेनश्च शूरश्च धृष्टः क्रोष्टुस्तथैव च जयध्वजश्च वैकर्ता अवन्तिश्च विशांपते
O lord of men, Shurasena, Shura, Dhrishta, Kroshtri, Jayadhvaja, Vaikarta, and Avanti were among them.
जयध्वजस्य पुत्रस्तु तालजङ्घो महाबलः तस्य पुत्रशतान्येव तालजङ्घा इति श्रुताः
Jayadhvaja’s son was the mighty Talajangha; his own sons, known as the Talajanghas, numbered a hundred.
तेषां पञ्च कुलाः ख्याता हैहयानां महात्मनाम् वीतिहोत्राश्च शार्यातो भोजाश्चावन्तयस्तथा
Among those great Haihayas, five clans are renowned: the Vitihotras, Sharyatas, Bhojas, Avantis, and Vritihotras.
कुण्डिकेराश्च विक्रान्तास् तालजङ्घास् तथैव च वीतिहोत्रसुतश्चापि आनर्तो नाम वीर्यवान् दुर्जेयस्तस्य पुत्रस्तु बभूव मित्रकर्शनः
There were also the valiant Kundikeras and Talajanghas; and Vitihotra’s son was the powerful and unconquerable Anarta, whose son was Mitrakarshana.
सद्भावेन महाराज प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन् कार्तवीर्यार्जुनो नाम राजा बाहुसहस्रवान्
With true intent, O great king, Kartavirya Arjuna, the thousand-armed king, protected his subjects with righteousness.
येन सागरपर्यन्ता धनुषा निर्जिता मही यस्तस्य कीर्तयेन्नाम कल्यमुत्थाय मानवः
By whom the earth, up to the ocean’s edge, was conquered with his bow; whoever recites his name upon rising, O mortal, attains good fortune.
न तस्य वित्तनाशः स्यान् नष्टं च लभते पुनः कार्तवीर्यस्य यो जन्म कथयेदिह धीमतः यथावत्स्विष्टपूतात्मा स्वर्गलोके महीयते
He will not suffer loss of wealth, and what is lost will be regained; whoever tells here the birth of wise Kartavirya, with a pure and devoted heart, is honored in heaven.
किमर्थं तद्वनं दग्धम् आपवस्य महात्मनः कार्तवीर्येण विक्रम्य सूत प्रब्रूहि तत्त्वतः
For what reason did Kartavirya, having displayed his might, burn the forest of the great-souled Apava? Tell me the truth, O Suta.
रक्षिता स तु राजर्षिः प्रजानामिति नः श्रुतम् स कथं रक्षिता भूत्वा अदहत्तत्तपोवनम्
We have heard that this royal sage was the protector of the people; how, being their protector, did he burn that sacred forest?
आदित्यो द्विजरूपेण कार्तवीर्यमुपस्थितः तृप्तिमेकां प्रयच्छस्व आदित्यो ऽहं नरेश्वर
The Sun, taking the form of a twice-born, approached Kārtavīrya and said: 'Grant me a single satisfaction; I am the Sun, O lord of men.'
भगवन्केन तृप्तिस्ते भवत्येव दिवाकर कीदृशं भोजनं दद्मि हुत्वा तु विदधाम्यहम्
The king said: 'O blessed one, by what means do you find satisfaction, O illuminator? What kind of food shall I give? Having offered it, I will provide.'
स्थावरं देहि मे सर्वम् आहारं ददतां वर तेन तृप्तो भवेयं वै सा मे तृप्तिर्हि पार्थिव
'Give me all that is immovable as food, O bestower of boons. By that I would be satisfied; that is my satisfaction, O king.'
न शक्याः स्थावराः सर्वे तेजसा च बलेन च निर्दग्धुं तपतां श्रेष्ठ तेन त्वां प्रणमाम्यहम्
'All the immovable things cannot be burned up by your energy and power, O best among those who burn. Therefore, I bow to you.'