इयाडज सो ऽपि सुबहून यज्ञाञ्ज्ञानव्यपाश्रयः
He too performed many sacrifices, relying on knowledge.
एकदा वर्तमानस्य यागे योगविदां वर
Once, while a sacrifice was underway, O best of knowers of yoga—
ततो राजा हतां ज्ञात्वा धेनुं व्याघ्रेण चर्त्विजः
Then the king learned that a cow, the sacrificial animal, had been killed by a tiger.
ते चोचुर्नवयंविद्मः कशेरुः पृच्छ्यतामिति
And they said, 'We do not know; let someone ask who did this.'
शुनकं पृच्छ राजेन्द्र वेद स वेत्स्यति
O King, ask Śunaka; he knows the Veda.
न कशेरुर्नचैवाहं न चान्यः सांप्रतं भुवि
Neither Kaśeru, nor I, nor anyone else on earth at present knows.
स चाह तं व्रजाम्येष प्रष्टुमात्मरिपुं मुने
He said to him: 'I am going now, O sage, to question my enemy.'
प्रायश्चित्तं स चेत्पृष्टो वदिष्यति रिपुर्मम
If my enemy is asked, he will declare the expiation.
इत्युक्त्वा रथमारुह्य कृष्णाजिनधरो नृपः
Having said this, the king, wearing a black antelope skin, mounted his chariot.
तमायान्तं समालोक्य खाञ्जडिक्यो रिपुमात्मनः
Seeing him approaching, Khāṇḍikya, the enemy of his soul, said—
कृष्णाजिनत्वक्कवचभावेनास्मान्हनिष्यसि
With the black antelope skin as armor, you intend to kill us.
मृगानां वद पृष्टेषु मूढ कृष्णाजिनं न किम्
Fool, tell me: among animals with backs, is the black antelope skin not theirs?
स त्वामहं हनिष्यामि न मे जीवन्विमोक्ष्यसे
I will kill you; I will not let you go alive.
खाण्डिक्य संशयं प्रष्टुं भवन्तमहमागतः
Khāṇḍikya, I have come to you to ask a question.
ततः स मन्त्रिभिः सार्द्धमेकान्ते सपुरोहितः
Then, together with his ministers and the chief priest, he withdrew to a secluded place.
तमूर्मन्त्रिणो वध्यो रिपुरेष वशङ्गतः
The ministers said: 'This enemy, now under your power, should be executed.'
खाण्डिक्यश्चाह तान्सर्वानेव मेव न संशयः
Khāṇḍikya said to them all: 'There is no doubt about this for me.'
परलोकजयस्तस्य पृथिवी सकला मम
If he wins the next world, the whole earth will be mine.
परलोकजयो ऽनन्तः स्वल्पकालो महीजयः
Victory in the next world is endless; victory on earth is brief.
ततस्तमभ्युपेत्याह खाण्डिक्यो जनको रिपुम्
Then Khāṇḍikya approached his enemy Janaka and spoke to him.
ततः प्राह यथावृत्तं होमधेनुवधं मुने
Then he told the sage exactly how the sacrificial cow had been killed.
स चाचष्ट यथान्यायं मुने केशिध्वजाय तत्
And he explained everything properly to Keśidhvaja, O sage.
विदितार्थः स तेनैवमनुज्ञातो महात्मना
Having understood the matter, he was thus permitted by that great soul.
क्रमेण विधिवद्यागं नीत्वा सो ऽवभृथाप्लुतः
He duly performed the sacrifice step by step, and, having bathed at its conclusion,
पूजिता ऋत्विजः सर्वे सदस्या मानिता मया
All the officiating priests were honored, and the members of the assembly were respected by me.
यथाहं मर्त्यलोकस्य मया सर्वं विचष्टितम्
Just as I have recounted everything concerning the world of mortals,
इत्थं तु चिन्तयन्नेव संमार स महीपतिः
Thus, while reflecting in this way, that king prepared for departure.
स जगाम ततो भूयो रथमारुह्य पार्थिवः
Then the king mounted his chariot and proceeded further.
खाण्डिक्यो ऽपि पुनर्द्दष्ट्वा तमायान्तं धृतायुधः
Khāṇḍikya, seeing him approaching again, with weapon in hand,
अहं तु नापकाराय प्राप्तः खाण्डिक्य मा क्रुधः
But I have not come, Khāṇḍikya, to do you harm—do not be angry.