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.
कण्डरीको ऽपि धर्मात्मा वेदशास्त्रप्रवर्तकः भूत्वा जातिस्मरौ शोकात् पतिताव् अग्रतस्तदा
Kaṇḍarīka, too, righteous and a promoter of Vedic knowledge, became one who remembered his past lives; out of sorrow, both fell before him.
हा वयं योगविभ्रष्टाः कामतः कर्मबन्धनाः एवं विलप्य बहुशस् त्रयस्ते योगपारगाः
Alas, we have fallen from yoga, bound by desire and action! Lamenting thus again and again, those three, accomplished in yoga—
विस्मयाच्छ्राद्धमाहात्म्यम् अभिनन्द्य पुनः पुनः ततस्तस्मै धनं दत्त्वा प्रभूतग्रामसंयुतम्
Amazed, they repeatedly praised the greatness of the śrāddha; then, giving him wealth along with many villages—
विसृज्य ब्राह्मणं तं च वृद्धं धनमुदान्वितम् आत्मीयं नृपतिः पुत्रं नृपलक्षणसंयुतम्
He released that brāhmaṇa, the aged one, endowed with wealth; the king installed his own son, marked with royal qualities—
विष्वक्सेनाभिधानं तु राजा राज्ये ऽभ्यषेचयत् मानसे मिलिताः सर्वे ततस्ते योगिनां वराः
The king consecrated him as king with the name Viṣvaksena; all those assembled at Mānasasaras were the foremost of yogins.
ब्रह्मदत्तादयस्तस्मिन् पितृसक्ता विमत्सराः संनतिश्चाभवद्भ्रष्टा मयैतत्किल कारितम्
Brahmadatta and the others there, devoted to their ancestors and free from envy, were all present; this, indeed, was caused by me.
राज्यत्यागफलं सर्वं यदेतद् अभिलष्यते तथेति प्राह राजा तु पुनस्तामभिनन्दयन्
Whatever fruits are desired from renouncing the kingdom—all this, the king said, 'So be it,' again expressing his approval.
त्वत्प्रसादादिदं सर्वं मयैतत्प्राप्यते फलम् ततस्ते योगमास्थाय सर्व एव वनौकसः
By your grace, I have obtained all these results; then they all, dwelling in the forest, took up yoga.
ब्रह्मरन्ध्रेण परमं पदमापुस्तपोबलात् एवमायुर्धनं विद्यां स्वर्गं मोक्षं सुखानि च
Through the aperture of Brahman, by the power of asceticism, they attained the supreme state—thus, lifespan, wealth, knowledge, heaven, liberation, and happiness.
प्रयच्छन्ति सुतान्राज्यं नृणां प्रीताः पितामहाः य इदं पितृमाहात्म्यं ब्रह्मदत्तस्य च द्विजाः
Satisfied, the ancestors grant sons and kingdoms to men who, O twice-born, recite this greatness of the ancestors and of Brahmadatta.