श्रुत्वा च भाषितं तत्र मम राम सतां वर। प्रांजलिः प्रत्युवाचेदं स स्वर्गी रघुनंदन
Hearing my words there, O Rama, best of the virtuous, that heavenly being, with joined palms, replied to me, descendant of Raghu.
शृणुष्वाद्य यथावृत्तं ममेदं सुखदुःखजम्। कामो हि दुरितक्रम्यः शृणु यत्पृच्छसे द्विज
"Listen now to the true account of my joys and sorrows; for desire, when pursued wrongly, brings misfortune—hear what you ask, O twice-born one."
पुरा वैदर्भको राजा पिता मे हि महायशाः। वासुदेव इति ख्यातस्त्रिषु लोकेषु धार्मिकः
Long ago, my father was the illustrious king of Vidarbha, known as Vāsudeva, righteous among the three worlds.
तस्य पुत्रद्वयं ब्रह्मन्द्वाभ्यां स्त्रीभ्यामजायत। अहं श्वेत इति ख्यातो यवीयान्सुरथोऽभवत्
He had two sons, born from two women; I am known as Śveta, and the younger was Suratha.
पितर्युपरते तस्मिन्पौरा मामभ्यषेचयन्। तत्राहंकारयन्राज्यं धर्मे चासं समाहितः
When my father passed away, the citizens anointed me as king; but in ruling, I became proud and was not steadfast in righteousness.
एवं वर्षसहस्राणि बहूनि समुपाव्रजन्। मम राज्यं कारयतः परिपालयतः प्रजाः
Thus, many thousands of years passed as I governed the kingdom and protected the people.
सोहं निमित्ते कस्मिंश्चिद्वैराग्येण द्विजोत्तम। मरणं हृदये कृत्वा तपोवनमुपागमम्
Then, O best of twice-born, at some point, through detachment, I fixed my mind on death and went to the forest of ascetics.
सोहं वनमिदं रम्यं भृशं पक्षिविवर्जितम्। प्रविष्टस्तप आस्थातुमस्यैव सरसोंतिके
I entered this delightful forest, free from birds, to undertake austerity beside this very lake.
राज्येऽभिषिच्य सुरथं भ्रातरं तं नराधिपम्। इदं सरः समासाद्य तपस्तप्तं सुदारुणम्
Having installed my brother Suratha as king, I reached this lake and performed severe austerity.
दशवर्षसहस्राणि तपस्तप्त्वा महावने। शुभं तु भवनं प्राप्तो ब्रह्मलोकमनामयम्
After practicing austerity for ten thousand years in the great forest, I attained a splendid abode, the flawless world of Brahmā.
स्वर्गस्थमपि मां ब्रह्मन्क्षुत्पिपासे द्विजोत्तम। अबाधेतां भृशं चाहमभवं व्यथितेंद्रियः
Yet, O brāhmin, even in heaven, hunger and thirst afflicted me greatly, and my senses became tormented.
ततस्त्रिभुवनश्रेष्ठमवोचं वै पितामहम्। भगवन्स्वर्गलोकोऽयं क्षुत्पिपासा विवर्जितः
Then I spoke to the Grandfather, the best in the three worlds: 'Lord, this heavenly realm is said to be free from hunger and thirst.'
कस्येयं कर्मणः पक्तिः क्षुत्पिपासे यतो हि मे। आहारः कश्च मे देव ब्रूहि त्वं श्रीपितामह
'For what action is this result, that I still feel hunger and thirst? O revered Grandfather, tell me what my food is.'
ततः पितामहः सम्यक्चिरं ध्यात्वा महामुने। मामुवाच ततो वाक्यं नास्ति भोज्यं स्वदेहजम्
Then the Grandfather, having meditated for a long time, spoke to me: 'There is no food here that is not of your own body.'
ॠते ते स्वानि मांसानि भक्षय त्वं तु हि नित्यशः। स्वशरीरं त्वया पुष्टं कुर्वता तप उत्तमम्
'Except for your own flesh, you must always eat that; by nourishing your own body, you will perform supreme austerity.'
नादत्तं जायते तात श्वेत पश्य महीतले। आग्रहाद्भिक्षमाणाय भिक्षापि प्राणिने पुरा
'O Śveta, see on earth: nothing arises from what is not given; even alms for a supplicant once came only through insistence.'
न हि दत्ता गृहे भ्रांत्या मोहादतिथये तदा। तेन स्वर्गगतस्यापि क्षुत्पिपासे तवाधुना
'If, through confusion or delusion, one does not give to a guest at home, then, even in heaven, hunger and thirst afflict you now.'
स त्वं प्रपुष्टमाहारैः स्वशरीरमनुत्तमम्। भक्षयस्व च राजेंद्र सा ते तृप्तिर्भविष्यति1.36.
'Therefore, O king, eat your own excellent body, well-nourished by food; thus you will find satisfaction.'
एवमुक्तस्ततो देवं ब्रह्माणमहमुक्तवान्। भक्षिते च स्वके देहे पुनरन्यन्न मे विभो
Thus addressed, I said to Lord Brahmā: 'Having eaten my own body, O Lord, I have no other food.'
क्षुधानिवारणं नैव देहस्यास्य विनौदनं। खादामि ह्यक्षयं देव प्रियं मे न हि जायते
'There is no relief from hunger without food for this body; I eat my own inexhaustible flesh, but I find no pleasure in it.'
ततोब्रवीत्पुनर्ब्रह्मा तव देहोऽक्षयः कृतः। दिनेदिने ते पुष्टात्मा शवः श्वेत भविष्यति
Then Brahmā spoke again: Your body has been made imperishable; day by day, your vital self will be nourished, and your corpse will become white.
यावद्वर्षशतं पूर्णं स्वमांसं खाद भो नृप। यदागच्छति चागस्त्यः श्वेतारण्यं महातपाः
For a full hundred years, O king, eat your own flesh; when Agastya, the great ascetic, arrives at the white forest—
भगवानतिदुर्धर्षस्तदा कृच्छ्राद्विमोक्ष्यसे। स हि तारयितुं शक्तः सेंद्रानपि सुरासुरान्
At that time, the exceedingly formidable Lord will release you from hardship; for he is able to deliver even the gods and demons together with Indra.
आहारं कुत्सितं चेमं राजर्षे किं पुनस्तव। सुरकार्यं महत्तेन सुकृतं तु महात्मना
This food is contemptible, O royal sage, but what of it for you? By him, a great work for the gods was accomplished, a noble deed by the great-souled one.
उदधिं निर्जलं कृत्वा दानवाश्च निपातिताः। विंध्यश्चादित्यविद्वेषाद्वर्धमानो निवारितः
He made the ocean dry, and the demons were struck down; Vindhya, growing out of enmity with the sun, was restrained.
लंबमाना मही चैषा गुरुत्वेनाधिवासिता। दक्षिणा दिग्दिवं याता त्रैलाक्यं विषमस्थितम्
This earth, hanging and weighed down by heaviness, had gone to the southern quarter, and the three worlds were in a precarious state.
मया गत्वा सुरैः सार्द्धं प्रेषितो दक्षिणां दिशम्। समां कुरु महाभाग गुरुत्वेन जगत्समम्
Having gone with the gods, I sent him to the southern direction; O most fortunate one, make the world equal in weight, balanced with the universe.
एवं च तेन मुनिना स्थित्वा सर्वा धरा समा। कृता राजेंद्र मुनिना एवमद्यापि दृश्यते
And thus, by that sage, the whole earth was made level; O king, by the sage it was accomplished, and even today it is seen so.
सोहं भगवत श्रुत्वा देवदेवस्य भाषितम्। भुंजे च कुत्सिताहारं स्वशरीरमनुत्तमम्
Thus, having heard the words of the Lord, the god of gods, I eat contemptible food—my own body, unsurpassed.
पूर्णं वर्षशतं चाद्य भोजनं कुत्सितं च मे। क्षयं नाभ्येति तद्विप्र तृप्तिश्चापि ममोत्तमा
For a full hundred years now, this contemptible food has been my sustenance; yet, O sage, my body does not diminish, and my satisfaction is supreme.