योगभ्रष्टास्त्रयस्तेषां बभ्रमुश् चाल्पचेतनाः दृष्ट्वा विभ्राजमानं तम् उद्याने स्त्रीभिरन्वितम्
Of them, three fell from yoga and wandered with little awareness, seeing that one shining forth in the garden, surrounded by women.
क्रीडन्तं विविधैर्भावैर् महाबलपराक्रमम् पञ्चालान्वयसम्भूतं प्रभूतबलवाहनम्
Playing in various ways, possessing great strength and valor, born in the lineage of the Pāñcālas, with abundant power and vehicles.
राज्यकामो ऽभवच्चैकस् तेषां मध्ये जलौकसाम् पितृवर्ती च यो विप्रः श्राद्धकृत् पितृवत्सलः
Among those aquatic beings, one became desirous of kingship; and the brāhmaṇa, devoted to his father, who performed the śrāddha, was loving like a son to his father.
अपरौ मन्त्रिणौ दृष्ट्वा प्रभूतबलवाहनौ मन्त्रित्वे चक्रतुश्चेच्छाम् अस्मिन्मर्त्ये द्विजोत्तमाः
The other two, seeing the one with abundant power and vehicles, became ministers by their own wish among mortals, O best of brāhmaṇas.
तन्मध्ये ये तु निष्कामास् ते बभूवुर् द्विजोत्तमाः विभ्राजपुत्रस्त्वेको ऽभूद् ब्रह्मदत्त इति स्मृतः
Among them, those who were desireless became the best of brāhmaṇas; but one, the son of Vibhrāja, became known as Brahmadatta.
मन्त्रिपुत्रौ तथा चोभौ कण्डरीकसुबालकौ ब्रह्मदत्तो ऽभिषिक्तः सन् पुरोहितविपश्चिता
The two sons of ministers were Kaṇḍarīka and Subālaka; Brahmadatta was anointed king, with a learned priest as his advisor.
पञ्चालराजो विक्रान्तः सर्वशास्त्रविशारदः योगवित्सर्वजन्तूनां रुतवेत्ताभवत्तदा
The king of Panchala was valiant, expert in all scriptures, knowledgeable in yoga among all creatures, and skilled in understanding their sounds.
तस्य राज्ञो ऽभवद्भार्या देवलस्यात्मजा शुभा संनतिर्नाम विख्याता कपिला याभवत्पुरा
That king's wife was the auspicious daughter of Devala, renowned as Samnati, who was once called Kapila.
पितृकार्ये नियुक्तत्वाद् अभवद्ब्रह्मवादिनी तया चकार सहितः स राज्यं राजनन्दनः
Because she was engaged in ancestral rites, she became a speaker of Brahman; together with her, the king's son ruled the kingdom.
कदाचिदुद्यानगतस् तया सह स पार्थिवः ददर्श कीटमिथुनम् अनङ्गकलहाकुलम्
Once, while the king was in the garden with her, he saw a pair of insects, agitated by the quarrel of love.
पिपीलिकामनुनयन् परितः कीटकामुकः पञ्चबाणाभितप्ताङ्गः सगद्गदमुवाच ह
The male insect, following the ant all around, his body scorched by the five arrows, spoke with faltering words.
न त्वया सदृशी लोके कामिनी विद्यते क्वचित् मध्यक्षामातिजघना बृहद्वक्षो ऽभिगामिनी
Nowhere in the world is there a lover like you; slender in the middle, with ample hips, broad-chested, and approaching.
सुवर्णवर्णा सुश्रोणी मञ्जूक्ता चारुहासिनी सुलक्ष्यनेत्ररसना गुडशर्करवत्सला
Golden-hued, beautiful-hipped, adorned with lovely garlands, charmingly smiling, with well-marked eyes and tongue, fond of sweet things like sugar and molasses.
भोक्ष्यसे मयि भुक्ते त्वं स्नासि स्नाते तथा मयि प्रोषिते सति दीना त्वं क्रुद्धे ऽपि भयचञ्चला
You eat when I eat, you bathe when I bathe; when I am away, you are sorrowful, and even when I am angry, you are fearful and restless.
किमर्थं वद कल्याणि सरोषवदना स्थिता सा तमाह सकोपा तु किम् आलपसि मां शठ
Tell me, O beautiful one, why do you stand with an angry face? She replied to him, with wrath: Why do you speak to me, O deceitful one?
त्वया मोदकचूर्णं तु मां विहाय विनेष्यता प्रदत्तं समतिक्रान्ते दिने ऽन्यस्याः समन्मथ
You gave me modaka powder, then abandoned me, and spent the day with another, inflamed by passion.
त्वत्सादृश्यान्मया दत्तम् अन्यस्यै वरवर्णिनि तदेकमपराधं मे क्षन्तुमर्हसि भामिनि
Because she resembled you, O beautiful one, I gave it to another; forgive me this one offense, O radiant lady.
नैतदेवं करिष्यामि पुनः क्वापीह सुव्रते स्पृशामि पादौ सत्येन प्रसीद प्रणतस्य मे
I will not do this again anywhere, O virtuous one; I touch your feet in truth—be gracious to me as I bow before you.
इति तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा सा प्रसन्नाभवत्ततः आत्मानम् अर्पयामास मोहनाय पिपीलिका
Hearing those words, she became pleased, and then the ant offered herself for enchantment.
ब्रह्मदत्तो ऽप्यशेषं तं ज्ञात्वा विस्मयम् आगमत् सर्वसत्त्वरुतज्ञत्वात् प्रसादाच् चक्रपाणिनः
Brahmadatta, knowing all this, was amazed, because of his knowledge of the sounds of all beings, granted by the grace of the wielder of the discus.
कथं सत्त्वरुतज्ञो ऽभूद् ब्रह्मदत्तो धरातले तच्चाभवत्कस्य कुले चक्रवाकचतुष्टयम्
How did Brahmadatta become one who knows the sounds of beings on earth? In whose lineage did the four chakravaka birds arise?
तस्मिन्नेव पुरे जातास् ते च चक्राह्वयास्तदा वृद्धद्विजस्य दायादा विप्रा जातिस्मराः पुरा
In that same city, they were born, called by the name 'chakra'; heirs of an aged twice-born, they were ancient brahmins who remembered their past lives.
धृतिमांस्तत्त्वदर्शी च विद्याचण्डस् तपोत्सुकः नामतः कर्मतश्चैते सुदरिद्रस्य ते सुताः
Steadfast, perceivers of truth, learned in the Vedas, eager for austerity; by name and by deed, they were sons of a very poor man.
तपसे बुद्धिरभवत् तदा तेषां द्विजन्मनाम् यास्यामः परमां सिद्धिम् इत्य् ऊचुस् ते द्विजोत्तमाः
Then, among those twice-born, the thought arose for austerity: 'We shall attain the highest perfection,' so spoke those excellent brahmins.
ततस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा सुदरिद्रो महातपाः उवाच दीनया वाचा किमेतदिति पुत्रकाः
Then, having heard those words, Sudaridra, the great ascetic, spoke in a pitiable voice: 'What is this, my children?'
अधर्म एष इति वः पिता तान् अभ्यवारयत् वृद्धं पितरमुत्सृज्य दरिद्रं वनवासिनः
This is unrighteousness, your father said, and forbade them; abandoning their aged father, the poor ones went to dwell in the forest.
को नु धर्मो ऽत्र भविता मत्त्यागाद्गतिरेव वा ऊचुस्ते कल्पिता वृत्तिस् तव तात वदस्व तत्
'What indeed is righteousness here? Is there any path from abandoning the living? Tell us, father, what livelihood you have devised.'
वित्तमेतत्पुरो राज्ञः स ते दास्यति पुष्कलम् धनं ग्रामसहस्राणि प्रभाते पठतस्तव
This wealth before you belongs to the king; he will give you abundant riches, thousands of villages, when you recite in the morning.
ये विप्रमुख्याः कुरुजाङ्गलेषु दाशास्तथा दाशपुरे मृगाश्च कालञ्जरे सप्त च चक्रवाका ये मानसे ते वयमत्र सिद्धाः
Those foremost Brahmins in Kurujāṅgala, and the servants in Dāśapura, and the deer in Kālañjara, and the seven chakravāka birds in Mānasā—here we are accomplished.
इत्युक्त्वा पितरं जग्मुस् ते वनं तपसे पुनः वृद्धो ऽपि राजभवनं जगामात्मार्थसिद्धये
Having said this to their father, they went again to the forest for austerity; even the old man went to the royal palace to achieve his own purpose.