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.
अनघो नाम वैभ्राजः पाञ्चालाधिपतिः पुरा पुत्रार्थी देवदेवेशं हरिं नारायणं प्रभुम्
Once, there was a king named Anagha Vaibhraja, lord of the Pāñcālas, who, desiring a son, worshipped Hari, Nārāyaṇa, the lord of gods.
आराधयामास विभुं तीव्रव्रतपरायणः ततः कालेन महता तुष्टस्तस्य जनार्दनः
He worshipped the mighty one, devoted to severe vows; then, after a long time, Janārdana was pleased with him.
वरं वृणीष्व भद्रं ते हृदयेनेप्सितं नृप एवमुक्तस्तु देवेन वव्रे स वरमुत्तमम्
'Choose a boon, good king, whatever your heart desires.' Thus addressed by the god, the king chose the highest boon.
पुत्रं मे देहि देवेश महाबलपराक्रमम् पारगं सर्वशास्त्राणां धार्मिकं योगिनां परम्
'Give me a son, lord of gods, of great strength and valor, accomplished in all scriptures, righteous, and supreme among yogis.'
सर्वसत्त्वरुतज्ञं मे देहि योगिनमात्मजम् एवमस्त्विति विश्वात्मा तमाह परमेश्वरः
'Give me a son who understands the speech of all beings, a yogi as his own child.' 'So be it,' said the universal soul, the supreme lord.
पश्यतां सर्वदेवानां तत्रैवान्तरधीयत ततः स तस्य पुत्रो ऽभूद् ब्रह्मदत्तः प्रतापवान्
Before all the gods, he vanished right there; then, his son was born—Brahmadatta, full of splendor.
सर्वसत्त्वानुकम्पी च सर्वसत्त्वबलाधिकः सर्वसत्त्वरुतज्ञश्च सर्वसत्त्वेश्वरेश्वरः
He was compassionate to all beings, superior in strength to all beings, understanding the speech of all beings, and lord of all beings and lords.
अहसत्तेन योगात्मा स पिपीलिकरागतः यत्र तत्कीटमिथुनं रममाणमवस्थितम्
One day, that yogic soul entered the form of an ant, where a pair of insects was found enjoying themselves.
ततः सा संनतिर्दृष्ट्वा तं हसन्तं सुविस्मिता किमप्याशङ्क्य मनसा तमपृच्छन्नरेश्वरम्
Then, seeing him laughing, that ant was greatly astonished; suspecting something in her mind, she questioned the king.
अकस्मादतिहासस्ते किमर्थमभवन्नृप हास्यहेतुं न जानामि यदकाले कृतं त्वया
'O king, why did this laughter arise suddenly? I do not know the cause for laughter, nor why you did this at such a time.'
अवदद्राजपुत्रो ऽपि स पिपीलिकभाषितम् रागवाग्भिः समुत्पन्नम् एतद्धास्यं वरानने
The prince replied, 'This laughter arose, O beautiful one, from the speech of the ant, which was produced by words of passion.'
न चान्यत्कारणं किंचिद् धास्यहेतौ शुचिस्मिते न सामन्यत् तदा देवी प्राहालीकमिदं वचः
There was no other reason at all for the laughter, O pure-smiling one; it was not ordinary. Then the queen spoke these false words.
अहमेवाद्य हसिता न जीविष्ये त्वयाधुना कथं पिपीलिकालापं मर्त्यो वेत्ति विना सुरान्
Today I alone have laughed; now, because of you, I will not live. How could a mortal know the speech of ants without the gods?
तस्मात्त्वयाहम् एवेह हसिता किमतः परम् ततो निरुत्तरो राजा जिज्ञासुस्तत्पुरो हरेः
Therefore, it is only by you that I have been laughed at here—what more is there to say? Then the king, left without an answer, wished to inquire of Hari.
आस्थाय नियमं तस्थौ सप्तरात्रमकल्मषः स्वप्ने प्राह हृषीकेशः प्रभाते पर्यटन्पुरम्
Observing a vow, he remained pure for seven nights; in a dream, Hṛṣīkeśa spoke to him, and in the morning he wandered through the city.
वृद्धद्विजो यस्तद्वाक्यात् सर्वं ज्ञास्यस्यशेषतः इत्युक्त्वान्तर्दधे विष्णुः प्रभाते ऽथ नृपः पुरात्
The aged brāhmaṇa, who by that instruction would know everything completely—having said this, Viṣṇu disappeared; then, in the morning, the king left the city.
निर्गच्छन्मन्त्रिसहितः सभार्यो वृद्धमग्रतः गदन्तं विप्रम् आयान्तं तं वृद्धं संददर्श ह
Departing with his ministers and wife, the king saw ahead an aged brāhmaṇa approaching, speaking as he came.
ये विप्रमुख्याः कुरुजाङ्गलेषु दाशास्तथा दाशपुरे मृगाश्च कालञ्जरे सप्त च चक्रवाका ये मानसे ते वयमत्र सिद्धाः
We are those foremost brāhmaṇas among the Kurus in Jāṅgala, the servants in Dāśapura, the deer in Kālañjara, and the seven cakravāka birds in Mānasasaras; here we have attained perfection.
इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्ताभ्यां स पपात शुचा ततः जातिस्मरत्वमगमत् तौ च मन्त्रिवराव् उभौ
Hearing these words from them, he fell down in grief; then both chief ministers attained remembrance of their past births.
कामशास्त्रप्रणेता च बाभ्रव्यस्तु सुबालकः पाञ्चाल इति लोकेषु विश्रुतः सर्वशास्त्रवित्
And Bābhravya, the author of the science of love, known among people as the learned Pañcāla, was skilled in all the sciences, though still a youth.