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.
तं मुनिं कृच्छ्रसन्तप्तश्चिंतयामि दिवानिशम्। कदा वै दर्शनं मह्यं स मुनिर्दास्यते वने
Tormented by hardship, I think of that sage day and night; when will he grant me his vision in the forest?
एवं मे चिंतयानस्य गतं वर्षशतन्त्विह। सोगस्त्यो हि गतिर्ब्रह्मन्मुनिर्मे भविता ध्रुवं
Thus, as I was thinking, a hundred years passed here; Agastya is indeed my refuge, O Brahman, my sage will surely come.
न गतिर्भविता मह्यं कुंभयोनिमृते द्विजम्। श्रुत्वेत्थं भाषितं राम दृष्ट्वाहारं च कुत्सितम्
There will be no deliverance for me except through Kumbhayoni, O twice-born; hearing this speech, O Rāma, and seeing the contemptible food—
कृपया परया युक्तस्तं नृपं स्वर्गगामिनम्। करोम्यहं सुधाभोज्यं नाशयामि च कुत्सितम्
Filled with supreme compassion, I make that king, destined for heaven, partake of nectar and destroy the contemptible food.
चिन्तयन्नित्यवोचं तमगस्त्यः किं करिष्यति। अहमेतत्कुत्सितं ते नाशयामि महामते
Thinking constantly, I said: What will Agastya do? I, O wise one, will destroy this contemptible food of yours.
ईप्सितं प्रार्थयस्वास्मान्मनः प्रीतिकरं परम्। स स्वर्गी मां ततः प्राह कथं ब्रह्मवचोन्यथा
Ask from me whatever you desire, something that brings supreme delight to your mind; then, the one destined for heaven spoke to me: How could the words of Brahmā be otherwise?
कर्तुं मुने मया शक्यं न चान्यस्तारयिष्यति। ॠते वै कुंभयोनिं तं मैत्रावरुणसंभवम्
O sage, it can be accomplished by me, and no other will deliver; except for Kumbhayoni, born of Maitrāvaruṇa.
अपृष्टोपि मया ब्रह्मन्नेवमूचे पितामहः। एवं ब्रुवाणं तं श्वेतमुक्तवानहमस्मि सः
Even though I had not asked, O Brahman, Pitāmaha spoke thus to me; to the one speaking thus, to Śveta, I replied: 'I am he.'
आगतस्तव भाग्येन दृष्टोहं नात्र संशयः। ततः स्वर्गी स मां ज्ञात्वा दंडवत्पतितो भुवि
By your fortune, I have come and been seen—there is no doubt of this; therefore, knowing me to be destined for heaven, he fell to the ground in prostration.
तमुत्थाप्य ततो रामाब्रवं किं ते करोम्यहम्। राजोवाच। आहारात्कुत्सिताद्ब्रह्मंस्तारयस्वाद्य दुष्कृतात्
Lifting him up, I then said, 'Rama, what shall I do for you?' The king replied: 'O Brahman, deliver me today from the sin of taking impure food.'
येन लोकोऽक्षयः स्वर्गो भविता त्वत्कृतेन मे। ततः प्रतिग्रहो दत्तो जगद्वंद्य नृपेण हि
By your action, an imperishable world and heaven will be attained by me; thus, the king, honored by the world, gave the offering.
भवान्मामनुगृह्णातु प्रतीच्छस्व प्रतिग्रहम्
May you show me favor; accept this gift from me.
कृता मतिस्तारणाय न लोभाद्रघुनंदन। गृहीते भूषणे राम मम हस्तगते तदा
My intention was for deliverance, not out of greed, O descendant of Raghu; when I took the ornament, O Rama, it then came into my hand.
मानुषः पौर्विको देहस्तदा नष्टोस्य भूपते। प्रणष्टे तु शरीरे च राजर्षिः परया मुदा
At that moment, O king, his former human body was lost; when the body was gone, the royal sage rejoiced greatly.
मयोक्तोसौ विमानेन जगाम त्रिदिवं पुनः। तेन मे शक्रतुल्येन दत्तमाभरणं शुभं
I told him, and he departed again to heaven in a celestial chariot; by him, equal to Indra, the auspicious ornament was given to me.
तस्मिन्निमित्ते काकुत्स्थ दत्तमद्भुतकर्मणा। श्वेतो वैदर्भको राजा तदाभूद्गतकल्मषः
For this reason, O descendant of Kakutstha, through this wondrous deed, King Sveta of Vidarbha became free from sin.
पुलस्त्य उवाच। तदद्भुततमं वाक्यं श्रुत्वा च रघुनंदनः। गौरवाद्विस्मयाच्चापि भूयः प्रष्टुं प्रचक्रमे
Pulastya said: Hearing that most marvelous account, Raghunandana, out of respect and wonder, began to question further.
राम उवाच। भगवंस्तद्वनं घोरं यत्रासौ तप्तवांस्तपः। श्वेतो वैदर्भको राजा तदद्भुतमभूत्कथं
Rama said: Reverend sir, that dreadful forest where King Sveta of Vidarbha performed austerities—how did that marvel come to be?
विषमं तद्वनं राजा शून्यं मृगविवर्जितं। प्रविष्टस्तप आस्थातुं कथं वद महामुने
That forest was harsh, deserted, devoid of animals; how did the king enter it to undertake austerity? Tell me, great sage.
समंताद्योजनशतं निर्मनुष्यमभूत्कथं। भवान्कथं प्रविष्टस्तद्येन कार्येण तद्वद
How did that region, a hundred yojanas all around, become devoid of people? How did you enter it, and for what purpose? Tell me that.