तस्यात्मजानामयुतं बभूव धर्मात्मनाम् अग्र्यधनुर्धराणाम् तदात्मनः सर्वमवेक्ष्य राजा मुहुर्मुहुर् विस्मयमाससाद सो ऽभ्यागतं वीक्ष्य मुनिप्रवीरं प्राचेतसं वाक्यमिदं बभाषे
He had ten thousand sons, all righteous and foremost among archers. Observing all this, the king was repeatedly amazed. Seeing the eminent sage, the son of Pracetas, who had arrived, he spoke these words:
कस्माद्विभूतिर् अमलामरमर्त्यपूज्या जाता च सर्वविजितामरसुन्दरीणाम् भार्या ममाल्पतपसा परितोषितेन दत्तं ममाम्बुजगृहं च मुनीन्द्र धात्रा
Why has this pure glory arisen, honored by gods and mortals, victorious over all, and why do I, with little austerity, possess as wife the most beautiful among all women, and this lotus-palace given to me by the Creator, O chief of sages?
यस्मिन्प्रविष्टमपि कोटिशतं नृपाणां सामात्यकुञ्जररथौघजनावृतानाम् नो लक्ष्यते क्व गतमम्बरमध्य इन्दुस् तारागणैरिव गतः परितः स्फुरद्भिः
Even if a hundred million kings, with their ministers, elephants, chariots, and hosts of people, enter it, no one knows where they have gone, just as the moon disappears among the stars shining all around in the sky.
तस्मात्किमन्यजननीजठरोद्भवेन धर्मादिकं कृतमशेषफलाप्तिहेतुः भगवन्मयाथ तनयैर् अथवानयापि भद्रं यदेतदखिलं कथय प्रचेतः
Therefore, what is the cause of all this—whether from my own actions, or those of my sons, or of this lady? Tell me, O Pracetas, what is the auspicious reason for all these complete results?
मुनिरभ्यधादथ भवान्तरितं समीक्ष्य पृथ्वीपतेः प्रसभमद्भुतहेतुवृत्तम् जन्माभवत्तव तु लुब्धकुले ऽतिघोरे जातस्त्वमप्यनुदिनं किल पापकारी
Then the sage, observing the extraordinary and wondrous events that had occurred to the king, spoke: In a former birth, you were born in a family of hunters, exceedingly harsh, and you committed sinful acts daily.
वपुरप्यभूत्तव पुनः पुरुषाङ्गसंधिर् दुर्गन्धिसत्त्वभुजगावरणं समन्तात् न च ते सुहृन् न सुतबन्धुजनो न तातस् त्व् आदृक्स्वसा न जननी च तदाभिशस्ता
Your body was then that of a human, but joined with the limbs of animals, surrounded on all sides by foul-smelling serpents. You had no friends, no sons, no relatives, no father, no sister, nor mother—thus you were cursed.
अभिसंगता परमभीष्टतमा विमुखी महीश तव योषिदियम् अभूदनावृष्टिरतीव रौद्रा कदाचिदाहारनिमित्तमस्मिन् क्षुत्पीडितेनाथ तदा न किंचिद् आसादितं धान्यफलामिषाद्यम्
The woman you loved most turned away from you, O king; she became extremely hostile, like a terrible drought. Sometimes, tormented by hunger, you found nothing at all—no grain, fruit, or meat.
अथाभिदृष्टं महदम्बुजाढ्यं सरोवरं पङ्कपरीतरोधः पद्मान्यथादाय ततो बहूनि गतः पुरं वैदिशनामधेयम्
Then you saw a great lake filled with lotuses, though its banks were muddy. Taking many lotuses from there, you went to the city called Vaidiśa.
तन्मौल्यलाभाय पुरं समस्तं भ्रान्तं त्वयाशेषम् अहस् तदासीत् क्रेता न कश्चित्कमलेषु जातः श्रान्तो भृशं क्षुत्परिपीडितश्च
In order to sell those lotuses, you wandered throughout the entire city, but that day, no one was found to buy them. Exhausted and greatly afflicted by hunger, you sat down.
उपविष्टस्त्वमेकस्मिन् सभार्यो भवनाङ्गणे अथ मङ्गलशब्दश्च त्वया रात्रौ महाञ्श्रुतः
You sat with your wife in the courtyard of a house, and then, during the night, you heard a great auspicious sound.
सभार्यस्तत्र गतवान् यत्रासौ मङ्गलध्वनिः तत्र मण्डपमध्यस्था विष्णोरर्चावलोकिता
With his wife, he went there where that auspicious sound was heard; in the center of the pavilion, the image of Vishnu was beheld.
वेश्यानङ्गवती नाम विभूतिद्वादशीव्रतम् समाप्तौ माघमासस्य लवणाचलमुत्तमम्
A courtesan named Anangavati, having completed the Vibhuti Dvadashi vow, at the end of the month of Magha, at the excellent Lavana mountain—
निवेदयन्ती गुरवे शय्यां चोपस्करान्विताम् अलंकृत्य हृषीकेशं सौवर्णामरपादपम्
She informed her teacher, and having adorned a bed with its furnishings, she decorated Hrishikesha (Vishnu) with a golden wish-fulfilling tree.
तां तु दृष्ट्वा ततस्ताभ्याम् इदं च परिचिन्तितम् किमेभिः कमलैः कार्यं वरं विष्णुरलंकृतः
Seeing her, then those two reflected thus: 'What is the use of these lotuses? It is better that Vishnu is adorned.'
इति भक्तिस्तदा जाता दम्पत्योस्तु नराधिप तत्प्रसङ्गात्समभ्यर्च्य केशवं लवणाचलम् शय्या च पुष्पप्रकरैः पूजिता भूश्च सर्वतः
Thus, devotion arose at that time in the royal couple; on that occasion, having worshipped Keshava at Lavana mountain, the bed was honored with heaps of flowers, and the ground everywhere as well.
अथानङ्गवती तुष्टा तयोर्धनशतत्रयम् दीयतामादिदेशाथ कलधौतशतत्रयम्
Then Anangavati, being pleased, ordered that three hundred coins of wealth and three hundred garments washed with alkali be given to them.
न गृहीतं ततस्ताभ्यां बहुसत्त्वावलम्बनात् अनङ्गवत्या च पुनस् तयोरन्नं चतुर्विधम् आनीय व्याहृतं चात्र भुज्यतामिति भूपते
But they did not accept, relying on great virtue; then Anangavati again brought four kinds of food for them and said, 'Please eat this, O king.'
ताभ्यां तु तदपि त्यक्तं भोक्ष्यावो वै वरानने प्रसङ्गादुपवासेन तवाद्य सुखमावयोः
But they too declined that, saying, 'O beautiful one, because of this observance and fasting, today happiness is ours.'
जन्मप्रभृति पापिष्ठौ कुकर्माणौ दृढव्रते तत्प्रसङ्गात्तयोर्मध्ये धर्मलेशस्तु ते ऽनघ
From birth we have been most sinful, engaged in evil deeds with firm resolve; yet, because of this observance, a trace of righteousness has arisen between us, O sinless one.
इति जागरणं ताभ्यां तत्प्रसङ्गादनुष्ठितम् प्रभाते च तदा दत्ता शय्या सलवणाचला
Thus, because of that observance, they kept vigil; and in the morning, the bed with Lavana mountain was given.
ग्रामाश्च गुरवे भक्त्या विप्रेषु द्वादशैव तु वस्त्रालंकारसंयुक्ता गावश्च करकान्विताः
Villages, twelve in number, with devotion to the teacher, and cows with calves, adorned with garments and ornaments, were also given to the Brahmins.
भोजनं च सुहृन्मित्रदीनान्धकृपणैः समम् तच्च लुब्धकदाम्पत्यं पूजयित्वा विसर्जितम्
Food was shared equally with friends, companions, the poor, the blind, and the miserable; and that greedy couple, having worshipped, were then dismissed.
स भवांल् लुब्धको जातः सपत्नीको नृपेश्वरः पुष्करप्रकरात्तस्मात् केशवस्य न पूजनात्
O king of kings, you were that hunter with your wife; because Keshava was not worshipped with heaps of lotuses—
विनष्टाशेषपापस्य तव पुष्करमन्दिरम् तस्य सत्त्वस्य माहात्म्याद् अल्पेन तपसा नृप
Your lotus pavilion, O king, has destroyed all your sins; by the greatness of that virtue, with little austerity—
यथाकामगमं जातं लोकनाथश्चतुर्मुखः संतुष्टस्तव राजेन्द्र ब्रह्मरूपी जनार्दनः
As you wished, the Lord of the worlds, the four-faced one, was manifested; O king, Janardana in the form of Brahma was satisfied with you.
साप्यनङ्गवती वेश्या कामदेवस्य साम्प्रतम् पत्नी सपत्नी संजाता रत्याः प्रीतिरिति श्रुता लोकेष्वानन्दजननी सकलामरपूजिता
That courtesan Anangavati has now become the wife and co-wife of Kamadeva; it is heard in the world that she is the beloved of Rati, the bringer of joy, worshipped by all the gods.
तस्मादुत्सृज्य राजेन्द्र पुष्करं तन्महीतले गङ्गातटं समाश्रित्य विभूतिद्वादशीव्रतम् कुरु राजेन्द्र निर्वाणम् अवश्यं समवाप्स्यसि
Therefore, O king, abandoning that lotus pavilion on earth, resort to the bank of the Ganga and perform the Vibhuti Dvadashi vow; O king, you will surely attain liberation.
इत्युक्त्वा स मुनिर् ब्रह्मंस् तत्रैवान्तरधीयत राजा यथोक्तं च पुनर् अकरोत्पुष्पवाहनः
Having said this, the sage vanished there itself; and the king, as instructed, again performed the worship of Pushpavahana.
इदमाचरतो ब्रह्मन्न् अखण्डव्रतम् आचरेत् यथाकथंचित् कमलैर् द्वादश द्वादशीर् मुने
O Brahmin, one should observe this unbroken vow, practicing it as best as one can, offering lotuses for twelve consecutive Dvādaśī days, O sage.
कर्तव्याः शक्तितो देया विप्रेभ्यो दक्षिणानघ न वित्तशाठ्यं कुर्वीत भक्त्या तुष्यति केशवः
One should give gifts to Brāhmaṇas according to one's ability, O sinless one, and not act with deceit regarding wealth; Keśava is pleased by devotion.