अमोघरेतास्त्वं चापि न मां भजितुमर्हसि अस्मिन्न् एवं गते काले यथा वा मन्यसे प्रभो
'You, whose seed is never in vain, ought not to approach me. In this situation, act as you think proper, lord.'
एवमुक्तस्तथा सम्यग् बृहत्तेजा बृहस्पतिः कामात्मा स महात्मापि न मनः सो ऽभ्यवारयत्
Thus addressed, the radiant Brihaspati, though a great soul, driven by desire, did not restrain his mind.
संबभूवैव धर्मात्मा तया सार्धमकामया उत्सृजन्तं तु तद्रेतोवाचं गर्भो ऽभ्यभाषत
With her, though unwilling, that righteous one united; but as he released his seed, the child in the womb spoke.
भो तात वाचामधिप द्वयोर्नास्तीह संस्थितिः अमोघरेतास्त्वं चापि पूर्वं चाहमिहागतः
'O father, lord of speech, there is no place here for two; you whose seed is never in vain, and I, who have come first.'
सो ऽशपत्तं ततः क्रुद्ध एवमुक्तो बृहस्पतिः पुत्रं ज्येष्ठस्य वै भ्रातुर् गर्भस्थं भगवानृषिः
Then, angered by these words, Brihaspati, the revered sage, cursed the child in the womb of his elder brother’s wife.
यस्मात्त्वमीदृशे काले गर्भस्थो ऽपि निषेधसि मामेवमुक्तवांस्तस्मात् तमो दीर्घं प्रवेक्ष्यसि
'Because, though in the womb, you have opposed me at such a time and spoken thus, therefore you shall enter deep darkness for a long time.'
ततो दीर्घतमा नाम शापादृषिरजायत अतो ऽंशजो बृहत्कीर्तिर् बृहस्पतिरिवौजसा
Then a seer named Dīrghatamas was born as a result of a curse; from him was born Bṛhatkīrti, endowed with power like Bṛhaspati.
ऊर्ध्वरेतास्ततो ऽसौ वै वसते भ्रातुराश्रमे स धर्मान्सौरभेयांस्तु वृषभाच्छ्रुतवांस्ततः
He, practicing celibacy, dwelled in his brother’s hermitage, and there he learned the righteous duties and the Saurabheya teachings from the bull.
तस्य भ्राता पितृव्यो यश् चकार भरणं तदा तस्मिन्निवसतस्तस्य यदृच्छातस्तु वै वृषः
His paternal uncle, who was his brother, provided for him at that time; while he was living there, a bull happened to come by.
यज्ञार्थमाहृतान्दर्भांश् चचार सुरभीसुतः जग्राह तं दीर्घतमाः शृङ्गयोस्तु चतुष्पदम्
For the sake of sacrifice, the son of Surabhi gathered darbha grass; Dīrghatamas seized the bull by its horns and held the four-footed creature.
तेनासौ निगृहीतश्च न चचाल पदात्पदम् ततो ऽब्रवीद्वृषस्तं वै मुञ्च मां बलिनां वर
Thus restrained, the bull could not move even a single step; then the bull spoke to him, 'Release me, O best of the strong.'
न मयासादितस्तात बलवांस्त्वत्समः क्वचित् मम चान्यः समो वापि न हि मे बलसंख्यया मुञ्च तातेति च पुनः प्रीतस्ते ऽहं वरं वृणु
'O father, I have never encountered anyone as strong as you, nor is there anyone equal to me in strength; release me, father, and since I am pleased with you, choose a boon.'
एवमुक्तो ऽब्रवीदेनं जीवन्मे त्वं क्व यास्यसि एष त्वां न विमोक्ष्यामि परस्वादं चतुष्पदम्
Thus addressed, he replied, 'As long as I live, where will you go? I will not release you, nor the four-footed one that belongs to another.'
नास्माकं विद्यते तात पातकं स्तेयमेव च भक्ष्याभक्ष्यं तथा चैव पेयापेयं तथैव च
'O father, for us there is neither sin nor theft; likewise, there is no distinction between what may or may not be eaten or drunk.'
द्विपदां बहवो ह्य् एते धर्म एष गवां स्मृतः कार्याकार्ये न वागम्यागमनं च तथैव च
'Among bipeds, there are many such rules, but this is the law remembered for cows: in matters of what should or should not be done, there is no restriction on coming or going.'
गवां धर्मं तु वै श्रुत्वा संभ्रान्तस्तु विसृज्य तम् शक्त्यान्नपानदानात्तु गोपतिं संप्रसादयत्
Hearing the law of cows, he became anxious, released him, and then, by giving food and drink as he was able, he sought to please the lord of cows.
प्रसादिते गते तस्मिन् गोधर्मं भक्तितस्तु सः मनसैव समादध्यौ तन्निष्ठस्तत्परो हि सः
When he was pleased and had departed, he devoted himself with faith to the law of cows, fixing his mind on it, for he was steadfast and intent upon it.
ततो यवीयसः पत्नीं गौतमस्याभ्यपद्यत कृतावलेपां तां मत्वा सो ऽनड्वानिव न क्षमः
Then he approached the younger wife of Gautama, who was proud; considering her like a barren cow, he was unable to tolerate her.
गोधर्मं तु परं मत्वा स्नुषां तामभ्यपद्यत निर्भर्त्स्य चैनं रुद्ध्वा च बाहुभ्यां सम्प्रगृह्य च
Considering the law of cows to be supreme, he approached his daughter-in-law, rebuked her, restrained her, and seized her with his arms.
भाव्यमर्थं तु तं ज्ञात्वा माहात्म्यात्तमुवाच सा विपर्ययं तु त्वं लब्ध्वा अनड्वानिव वर्तसे
Understanding the destined event by her own greatness, she said to him, 'Having encountered this reversal, you behave like a barren bull.'
गम्यागम्यं न जानीषे गोधर्मात्प्रार्थयन्सुताम् दुर्वृत्तं त्वां त्यजाम्यद्य गच्छ त्वं स्वेन कर्मणा
'You do not know what is proper or improper; desiring a daughter from the law of cows, I now abandon you, wicked one—go your own way according to your actions.'
काष्ठे समुद्गे प्रक्षिप्य गङ्गाम्भसि समुत्सृजत् यस्मात्त्वमन्धो वृद्धश्च भर्तव्यो दुरधिष्ठितः
Placing him on a raft of wood, she cast him into the waters of the Ganges, saying, 'Because you are blind, old, and difficult to support, you must be abandoned.'
तमुह्यमानं वेगेन स्रोतसो ऽभ्याशमागतः जग्राह तं स धर्मात्मा बलिर् वैरोचनिस्तदा
As he was being carried away swiftly by the current, the righteous Bali, son of Virocana, approached and seized him.
अन्तःपुरे जुगोपैनं भक्ष्यभोज्यैश्च तर्पयन् प्रीतश्चैव वरेणैव च्छन्दयामास वै बलिम्
Within his inner apartments, he protected him, satisfying him with food and delicacies, and, being pleased, Bali offered him a boon of his choosing.
तस्माच्च स वरं वव्रे पुत्रार्थे दानवर्षभः संतानार्थं महाभागभार्यायां मम मानद पुत्रान्धर्मार्थतत्त्वज्ञान् उत्पादयितुमर्हसि
Therefore, O best of the Dānavas, he chose that boon for the sake of offspring: 'Grant that my illustrious wife may bear sons for me, O giver of honor, who possess knowledge of righteousness, purpose, and truth.'
एवमुक्तो ऽथ देवर्षिस् तथास्त्वित्युक्तवान् प्रभुः स तस्य राजा स्वां भार्यां सुदेष्णां नाम प्राहिणोत् अन्धं वृद्धं च तं ज्ञात्वा न सा देवी जगाम ह
Thus addressed, the divine sage replied, 'So be it.' Then the king, knowing him to be blind and aged, sent his own wife named Sudeṣṇā; but the queen did not go.
शूद्रां धात्रेयिकां तस्माव् अन्धाय प्राहिणोत्तदा तस्यां कक्षीवदादींश्च शूद्रयोनाव् ऋषिर् वशी
Instead, she sent a Śūdra maidservant as a nurse to him; and in her, the self-controlled sage begot sons such as Kakṣīvat and others, born in the Śūdra caste.
जनयामास धर्मात्मा शूद्रान् इत्येवमादिकम् उवाच तं बली राजा दृष्ट्वा कक्षीवदादिकान्
The righteous sage begot Śūdra sons in her; seeing Kakṣīvat and the others, the mighty king spoke thus to him.
प्रवीणान् ऋषिधर्मस्य चेश्वरान् ब्रह्मवादिनः विद्वान् प्रत्यक्षधर्माणां बुद्धिमान् वृत्तिमाञ्छुचीन्
They were skilled in the duties of sages, masters of sacred speech, learned in manifest righteousness, intelligent, virtuous, and pure.
ममैव चेति होवाच तं दीर्घतमसं बलिः नत्युवाच मुनिस्तं वै ममैवमिति चाब्रवीत्
Bali said to him, 'They are indeed mine.' The sage replied with a bow, 'They are indeed mine.'