एवं ज्ञात्वा जगामाथ सत्वरेण द्विजोत्तमः । तया दृष्टस्तथा पृष्टः क्व यास्यसि महामते
Knowing this, the best of brāhmaṇas went quickly. When she saw him, she asked: 'Where are you going, wise one?''
विष्णुशर्मा तदोवाच मेनिकां कामचारिणीम् । इंद्रलोकं प्रयास्यामि पितुरर्थे त्वरान्वितः
Viṣṇuśarman then spoke to Menikā, the free-roaming one: 'I am going to Indra's world, in haste, for my father's sake.'
मेनिका विष्णुशर्माणं प्रत्युवाच प्रियं पुनः । कामबाणैः प्रभिन्नाहं त्वामद्य शरणं गता
Menaka spoke again to Vishnu Sharma with affection: I am pierced by the arrows of desire and today I have come to you for refuge.
रक्षस्व द्विजशार्दूल यदि धर्ममिहेच्छसि । यावद्धि त्वं मया दृष्टः कामाकुलितचेतसा
Protect me, O foremost among twice-born, if you desire righteousness here; for ever since I saw you, my mind has been overwhelmed by passion.
कामानलेन संदग्धा तावदेव न संशयः । संभ्रांता कामसंतप्ता प्रसादसुमुखो भव
Burned by the fire of desire, there is no doubt about it; I am agitated and scorched by passion—be gracious and gentle-faced.
विष्णुशर्मोवाच- चरित्रं देवदेवस्य विदितं मे वरानने । भवत्याश्चप्रजानामिनाहंचैतादृशःशुभे
Vishnu Sharma said: The conduct of the Lord of gods is known to me, O beautiful-faced one; I am aware of your intentions, and I am such as you see, O auspicious lady.
भवत्यास्तेजसा रूपैरन्ये मुह्यंति शोभने । विश्वामित्रादयो देवि पुत्रोहं शिवशर्मणः
By your radiance and beauty, others are bewildered, O lovely one; O goddess, I am the son of Shiva Sharma, like Vishvamitra and others.
योगसिद्धिं गतस्यापि तपः सिद्धस्य चाबले । कामादयो महादोषा आदावेव विनिर्जिताः
Even after attaining yogic powers and perfection in austerity, O girl, great faults like desire and others were conquered right at the beginning.
अन्यं भज विशालाक्षि इंद्रलोकं व्रजाम्यहम् । एवमुक्त्वा जगामाथ त्वरितो द्विजसत्तमः
Seek another, O wide-eyed one; I am going to Indra's world. Having spoken thus, the excellent twice-born departed swiftly.
निष्फला मेनका जाता पृष्टा देवेन वज्रिणा । विभीषां दर्शयामास नानारूपां पुनः पुनः
Menaka became fruitless; questioned by the god with the thunderbolt, she repeatedly displayed various forms of terror.
यथानलेन संदग्धास्तृणानां संचया द्विजाः । भस्मीभूता भवंत्येव तथा तास्ता विभीषिकाः
Just as heaps of grass burned by fire become ashes, O twice-born, so too did those terrors.
विप्रस्य तेजसा तस्य पितृभक्तस्य सत्तमाः । प्रलयं गतास्तु घोरास्ता दारुणा भीषिका द्विजाः
By the radiance of that devoted Brahmin, O excellent ones, those fierce and dreadful terrors met their destruction.
स विघ्नान्दर्शयामास सहस्राक्षः पुनः पुनः । तेजसाऽनाशयद्विप्रः स्वकीयेन महायशाः
The thousand-eyed one repeatedly showed obstacles; but the illustrious Brahmin destroyed them with his own radiance.
एवं विघ्नान्बहूंस्तस्य इंद्रस्यापि महात्मनः । नाशयामास मेधावी तपसस्तेजसापि वा
Thus, the wise one destroyed many obstacles of even the great-souled Indra, by the power of his austerity and radiance.
नष्टेषु तेषु विघ्नेषु दारुणेषु महत्सु च । ज्ञात्वा तस्य कृतान्विघ्नान्दारुणान्भीषणाकृतीन्
When those great and dreadful obstacles were destroyed, knowing that Indra had created such terrifying impediments,
अथ क्रुद्धो महातेजा विष्णुशर्मा द्विजोत्तमः । इंद्रं प्रति महाभागो रागरक्तांतलोचनः
Then, enraged and radiant, Vishnu Sharma, the foremost Brahmin, turned toward Indra, his eyes reddened with passion.
इंद्र लोकादहं चेंद्रं पातयिष्यामि नान्यथा । निजधर्मे रतस्याद्य यो विघ्नं तु समाचरेत्
I will cast Indra down from his world; there is no other way. Whoever creates an obstacle for one devoted to his own duty today,
तस्य दंडं प्रदास्यामि यो वै हन्यात्स हन्यते । एवमन्यं करिष्यामि देवानां पालकं पुनः
I will inflict punishment upon whoever does so; whoever kills, is killed. In this way, I will appoint another protector of the gods.
एवं समुद्यतो विप्र इंद्रनाशाय सत्तमः । तावदेव समायातो देवेंद्रः पाकशासनः
Thus, the excellent Brahmin, intent on destroying Indra, was about to act; at that moment, the lord of gods, wielder of the thunderbolt, arrived.
भो भो विप्र महाप्राज्ञ तपसा नियमेन च । दमेन सत्यशौचाभ्यां त्वत्समो नास्ति चापरः
O Brahmin, O great wise one, by austerity and discipline, by restraint, truth, and purity, there is none equal to you, nor any other.
अनया पितृभक्त्या ते जितोहं दैवतैः सह । ममापराधं त्वं सर्वं क्षंतुमर्हसि सत्तम
By your devotion to your father, you have conquered me along with the gods. O noble one, you ought to forgive all my offenses.
वरं वरय भद्रं ते दुर्लभं च ददाम्यहम् । विष्णुशर्मा तदोवाच देवराजं तथागतम्
Choose a boon, may auspiciousness be yours; I will grant you even what is difficult to obtain. Then Viṣṇuśarmā spoke to the king of the gods who had thus arrived.
विप्रतेजो महेंद्रेद्रं असह्यं देवदैवतैः । पितृभक्तस्य देवेश दुःसहं सर्वथा विभो
The power of a brāhmin is unbearable even for Indra and the divine gods; O lord of the gods, the devotion of one to his father is utterly insurmountable, O mighty one.
तेजोभंगो न कर्त्तव्यो ब्राह्मणानां महात्मनाम् । पुत्रपौत्रैः समस्तैस्तु ब्रह्मविष्णुहरान्पुनः
The brilliance of great-souled brāhmins must never be diminished; with their sons and grandsons, they again destroy Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Hara.
नाशयंते न संदेहो यदि रुष्टा द्विजोत्तमाः । नागच्छेद्यद्भवानद्य तदा राज्यमनुत्तमम्
There is no doubt that if the best of twice-born are angered, they bring destruction; if you do not come today, then your unrivaled kingdom will not endure.
आत्मतपः प्रभावेण अन्यस्मै त्वं महात्मने । दातुकामस्तु संजातो रोषपूर्णेन चक्षुषा
By the power of his own austerity, he has become eager to grant a boon to another great soul, his eyes filled with wrath.
भवानद्य समायातो वरं दातुमिहेच्छसि । अमृतं देहि देवेंद्र पितृभक्तिं तथाचलाम्
You have come here today wishing to grant a boon; O Indra, give me immortality and unwavering devotion to my father.
एवंविधं वरं देहि यदि तुष्टोसि शत्रुहन् । एवं ददामि पुण्यं ते वरं चामृतसंयुतम्
Grant such a boon, O destroyer of enemies, if you are pleased; thus I give you a blessed boon, accompanied by immortality.
एवमाभाष्य तं विप्रममृतं दत्तवान्स्वयम् । सकुंभं दत्तवांस्तस्मै प्रीयमाणेन चात्मना
Having spoken thus, he personally gave the brāhmin immortality; he gave him a full vessel, pleased in his own heart.
अचला ते भवेद्विप्र भक्तिः पितरि सर्वदा । एवमाभाष्य तं विप्रं विसृज्य च सहस्रदृक्
O brāhmin, your devotion to your father will always remain steadfast; having spoken thus to the brāhmin, the thousand-eyed one departed.