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.
एवं साधयते धर्मं पालयेच्च पुनःपुनः । पुत्रस्य जातकर्मादि कर्माणि द्विजसत्तमः
Thus he accomplished righteousness and repeatedly observed the rites, performing the birth and other ceremonies for his son, O best of Brahmins.
विवाहं कारयामास हर्षेण महता किल । पुत्रस्य पुत्राः संजाताः सगुणा लक्षणान्विताः
With great joy, he arranged his son's marriage, and his son had sons endowed with virtues and auspicious marks.
सत्यधर्मतपोपेता दानधर्मरताः सदा । स तेषां पुण्यकर्माणि सोमशर्मा चकार ह
They were always devoted to truth, righteousness, and austerity, delighting in charity and virtue; Somaśarman performed meritorious acts for them.
पौत्राणां तु महाभागस्तेषां सुखेन मोदते । सर्वं सौख्यं च संभुज्य जरारोगविवर्जितः
He, most fortunate among grandfathers, enjoyed happiness with his grandsons, experiencing every joy, free from old age and disease.
पंचविंशाब्दिको यद्वत्तद्वत्कायं तु तस्य हि । सूर्यतेजः प्रतीकाशः सोमशर्मा महामतिः
Just as a man of twenty-five years, so was his body—Somaśarman, of great intellect, shone with the radiance of the sun.
सा चापि शुशुभे देवी सुमना पुण्यमंगलैः । पुत्रपौत्रैर्महाभागा दानव्रतैश्च संयमैः
And she, the blessed lady, shone as well, joyful with auspicious merits, with sons and grandsons, devoted to charity, vows, and self-restraint.
अतिभाति विशालाक्षी पुण्यैः पतिव्रतादिभिः । तारुण्येन समायुक्ता यथा षोडशवार्षिकी
The wide-eyed lady shone exceedingly with her virtues, foremost among faithful wives, endowed with youth as if she were sixteen years old.
मोदमानौ महात्मानौ दंपती चारुमंगलौ । हर्षेण च समायुक्तौ पुण्यात्मानौ महोदयौ
The great-souled couple, beautiful and auspicious, rejoiced together, filled with happiness, blessed with virtue and great prosperity.
एवं तयोस्तु वृत्तांतं पुण्याचारसमन्वितम् । सुव्रतस्य प्रवक्ष्यामि व्रतचर्यां द्विजोत्तमाः
Thus, I shall now relate to you the story of their virtuous conduct, and the observance of vows by Suvrata, O best of Brahmins.
यथा तेन समाराध्य नारायणमनामयम्
How he worshipped the faultless Nārāyaṇa—