सगजं सुंदरं दृष्ट्वा पुरुषं दिव्यलक्षणम् । व्यतर्कयत्सोमशर्मा विस्मयाविष्टमानसः
Seeing the beautiful elephant and the man with divine marks, Somaśarman, his mind seized by wonder, began to ponder.
कोऽयं प्रयाति दिव्यांगः पंथानं प्राप्य सुव्रतः । एवं चिंतयतस्तस्य यावद्गृहं समाप्तवान्
Who is this person, of divine form, proceeding on the path, so virtuous? While he was thinking thus, he reached his home.
प्रविशंतं गृहद्वारं देवरूपं मनोहरम् । हर्षेण महताविष्टः सोमशर्मा द्विजोत्तमः
As he entered the doorway of his house, Somaśarman, the foremost Brahmin, was overcome with great joy, seeing the charming, godlike figure.
स्वगृहं प्रति धर्मात्मा त्वरमाणः प्रयाति च । गृहद्वारं गतो यावत्तावत्तं तु न पश्यति
The righteous one hurried toward his own house; as he reached the doorway, he did not see him there.
पतितान्येव पुष्पाणि सौहृद्यानि महामतिः । दिव्यानि वासयुक्तानि प्रांगणे द्विजसत्तमः
Only flowers, friendly and divine, fragrant and adorned, had fallen in the courtyard of the excellent Brahmin.
चंदनैः कुंकुमैः पुण्यैः सुगंधैस्तु विलेपितम् । स्वकीयं प्रांगणे दृष्ट्वा दूर्वाक्षतसमन्वितम्
He saw his own courtyard smeared with sandalwood, saffron, and sacred, fragrant substances, together with dūrvā grass and rice grains.
स एवं विस्मयाविष्टश्चिंतयानः पुनः पुनः । ददर्श सुमनां प्राज्ञो दिव्यमंगलसंपदम्
Thus, filled with wonder, he kept pondering again and again; the wise Somaśarman saw auspicious divine prosperity.
सोमशर्मोवाच- केन दत्तानि दिव्यानि एतान्याभरणानि च । शृंगारंरूपसौभाग्यं वस्त्रालंकारभूषणम्
Somaśarman spoke: By whom were these divine ornaments given? This adornment, beauty, and garment-jewel decoration?
तन्मे त्वं कारणं भद्रे कथयस्वाविशंकिता । एवं संभाष्यतां भार्यां विरराम द्विजोत्तमः
O gentle one, tell me the reason for this without hesitation. Thus, having spoken to his wife, the best of twice-born ceased.
सुमनोवाच- शृणु कांत समायातः कश्चिद्देववरोत्तमः । श्वेतनागसमारूढो दिव्याभरणभूषितः
Sumanā said: Listen, beloved, a certain most excellent god arrived, mounted on a white elephant, adorned with divine ornaments.
दिव्यगंधानुलिप्तांगो दिव्याश्चर्यसमन्वितः । न जाने को हि देवोसौ विप्रगंधर्वसेवितः
His body was anointed with divine fragrance, endowed with wondrous qualities; I do not know which god he was, served by brahmins and gandharvas.
स्तूयमानः समायातो देवगंधर्वचारणैः । योषितः पुण्यरूपाढ्या रूपशृंगारसंयुताः
He arrived being praised by gods, gandharvas, and charanas; women of auspicious beauty, endowed with charm and grace, were with him.
सर्वाभरणशोभाढ्याः सर्वाः पूर्णमनोरथाः । ताभिः सह समक्षं मे पुरुषेण महात्मना
All were adorned with every ornament, all their desires fulfilled; together with those women and that great-souled man, before me—
चतुष्कं पूरितं रत्नैः सर्वशोभासमन्वितम् । तत्राहमासने पुण्ये स्थापिता ब्राह्मणैः किल
A seat, four-sided and filled with jewels, endowed with every splendor, was set for me by brahmins, it is said, in that auspicious place.
वस्त्रालंकारभूषां मे ददुस्ते सर्व एव हि । वेदमंगलगीतैस्तु शास्त्रगीतैश्च पुण्यदैः
They all gave me garments and ornaments for adornment, and with auspicious Vedic songs and hymns from the scriptures, bestowing merit—
अभिषिक्तास्मि तैः सर्वैरंतर्धानं पुनर्गताः । मामेवं परितः सर्वे पुनरूचुर्द्विजोत्तम
I was anointed by all of them, and then they disappeared. Surrounding me thus, they all spoke again, O best of twice-born—
तव गेहं वयं सर्वे वसिष्यामः सदैव हि । शुचिर्भव सुकल्याणि भर्त्रा सार्द्धं सदैव हि
We shall always dwell in your house; remain pure, O auspicious one, always together with your husband.
एवमुक्त्वा गताः सर्वे एवं दृष्टं मयैव हि । तया यत्कथितं वृत्तं समाकर्ण्य महामतिः
Having spoken thus, they all departed; thus I myself saw it. Hearing what she had described, the wise one—
पुनश्चिंतां प्रपन्नोऽसौ किमिदं देवनिर्मितम् । विचिन्तयित्वाथ तदा सोमशर्मा महामतिः
Again fell into thought: 'What is this, fashioned by the gods?' Then, having considered, Somaśarman, the wise one—
ब्रह्मकर्मणि संयुक्तः साधर्म्यं धर्ममुत्तमम् । तस्माद्गर्भं महाभागा दधार व्रतशालिनी
Engaged in brahminical rites, in the highest dharma and virtue, therefore, the blessed and vow-observant lady conceived.
तेन गर्भेण सा देवी अधिकं शुशुभे तदा । संदीप्तपुत्रसंयुक्त तेजोज्वालासमन्विता
With that pregnancy, the lady shone even more at that time, joined with the radiance of a blazing son.
सा हि जज्ञे च तपसा तनयं देवसन्निभम् । अंतरिक्षे ततो नेदुर्देवदुंदुभयस्तदा
By her austerity, she gave birth to a son resembling a god; then, in the sky, divine drums resounded.
शंखान्दध्मुर्महादेवा गंधर्वा ललितं जगुः । अप्सरसस्तथा सर्वा ननृतुस्तास्तदा किल
The great gods blew conches, gandharvas sang sweetly, and all the apsarases danced at that time.
अथ ब्रह्मासुरैः सार्द्धं समायातो द्विजोत्तमः । चकार नाम तस्यैव सुव्रतेति समाहितः
Then Brahmā, together with the asuras, arrived, O best of twice-born, and attentively gave him the name Suvrata.
नाम कृत्वा ततो देवा जग्मुः सर्वे महौजसः । गतेषु तेषु देवेषु सोमशर्मासु तस्य च
Having given the name, all the mighty gods departed; when those gods had gone, Somaśarman—
जातकर्मादिकं कर्म चकार द्विजसत्तमः । जाते पुत्रे महाभागे सुव्रते देवनिर्मिते
The best of twice-born performed the birth and other rites for his son, the blessed Suvrata, born by divine design.
तस्य गेहे महालक्ष्मीर्धनधान्यसमाकुला । गजाश्वमहिषी गावः कांचनं रत्नमेव च
In his house, great Lakshmi resided, overflowing with wealth and grain, with elephants, horses, buffaloes, cows, gold, and precious gems.
यथा कुबेरभवनं शुशुभे धनसंचयैः । तत्सोमशर्मणो गेहं तथैव परिराजते
Just as the mansion of Kubera shone with heaps of riches, so too did Somaśarman's house shine in the same way.
ध्यानपुण्यादिकं कर्म चका रद्विजसत्तमः । तीर्थयात्रां गतो विप्रो नानापुण्यसमाकुलः
That excellent Brahmin performed acts of meditation and merit, and, filled with various virtues, the learned one undertook pilgrimages to sacred places.
अन्यानि यानि पुण्यानि दानानि द्विजसत्तमः । चकार तत्र मेधावी ज्ञानपुण्य समन्वितः
There, that wise and virtuous Brahmin performed other meritorious deeds and acts of charity, endowed with the merit of knowledge.