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—
सूत उवाच- एकदा व्यास देवोऽसौ ब्रह्माणं जगतः पतिम् । सुव्रताख्यानकं सर्वं पप्रच्छातीव विस्मितः
Sūta said: Once, the divine Vyāsa, greatly astonished, asked Brahmā, the lord of the world, about the entire story of Suvrata.
व्यास उवाच- लोकात्मँल्लोकविन्यास देवदेव महाप्रभो । सुव्रतस्याथ चरितं श्रोतुमिच्छामि सांप्रतम्
Vyāsa said: O soul of the world, arranger of the worlds, great lord of gods, I now wish to hear the story of Suvrata.
ब्रह्मोवाच- पाराशर्यमहाभाग श्रूयतां पुण्यमुत्तमम् । सुव्रतस्य सुविप्रस्य तपश्चर्यासमन्वितम्
Brahmā said: O highly fortunate son of Parāśara, listen to the supreme merit, the austerity-filled story of the excellent Brahmin Suvrata.
सुव्रतो नाम मेधावी बाल्यादपि स चिंतयन् । गर्भे नारायणं देवं दृष्टवान्पुरुषोत्तमम्
There was a wise man named Suvrata, who, even from childhood, contemplated and, while still in the womb, beheld the supreme person, Nārāyaṇa.
स पूर्वकर्माभ्यासेन हरेर्ध्यानं गतस्तदा । शंखचक्रधरं देवं पद्मनाभं सुपुण्यदम्
Then, by the force of previous actions, he entered into meditation on Hari, beholding the god Padmanabha, bearer of the conch and discus, bestower of great merit.
ध्यायते चिंतयेत्सो हि गीते ज्ञाने प्रपाठने । एवं देवं हरिं ध्यायन्सदैव द्विजसत्तमः
He meditates, he contemplates, whether in song, in knowledge, or in recitation; thus, O best of twice-born, he is always meditating on Hari, the god.
क्रीडत्येवं सदा डिंभैः सार्द्धं च बालकोत्तमः । बालकानां स्वकं नाम हरेश्चैव महात्मनः
In this way, the excellent boy always plays with other children, using both his own name and the great soul Hari's name.
चकार स हि मेधावी पुण्यात्मा पुण्यवत्सलः । समाह्वयति वै मित्रं हरेर्नाम्ना महामतिः
That intelligent, virtuous, and pious-minded boy, fond of merit, would call his friend by the name of Hari, the great-minded one.
भोभोः केशव एह्येहि एहि माधवचक्रधृक् । क्रीडस्व च मया सार्धं त्वमेव पुरुषोत्तम
"O Keshava, come, come! Come, Madhava, wielder of the discus! Come play with me, O supreme among men!"
सममेवं प्रगंतव्यमावाभ्यां मधुसूदन । एवमेव समाह्वानं नामभिश्च हरेर्द्विजः
"Let us go together, O Madhusudana!" In this way, the twice-born would call out to his friend using the names of Hari.