क्षम्यतां मुनिवर्यास्मिन्क्रियतां शापमोक्षणम् । इति संप्रार्थितो विप्रो महेंद्रेणाह हृष्टधीः
'Forgive him, O excellent sage, and release him from the curse.' Thus entreated by Mahendra, the brahmin, his mind gladdened, spoke.
पुलस्त्य उवाच- वचनात्तव देवेश क्षंतव्यं च मयापि हि । भविष्यति महाराज मनुपुत्रो महाबलः
Pulastya said: 'By your words, O lord of the gods, I too must forgive; there will be born a mighty son of Manu, O great king.'
इक्ष्वाकुर्नाम धर्मात्मा सर्वधर्मानुपालकः । तस्य हस्ताद्यदा मृत्युरस्यैव च भविष्यति
'His name will be Ikṣvāku, righteous and upholder of all dharmas; when death comes from his hand, then this one will be released.'
तदैष वै स्वकं देहं प्राप्स्यते नात्र संशयः । एतत्ते सर्ववृत्तांतं शूकरस्य निवेदितम्
'Then he will regain his own body—of this there is no doubt; thus I have told you the entire story of the boar.'
आत्मनश्च प्रवक्ष्यामि पत्या सार्धं शृणुष्व हि । मया च पातकं घोरं कृतं यत्पापया पुरा
I will tell you also about myself, together with my husband; listen, for I once committed a terrible sin through wickedness.
सप्तचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः सुकलोवाच- सुदेवा चारुसर्वांगी तामुवाचाथ सूकरीम् । पशुयोनिं गता त्वं हि कथं वदसि संस्कृतम्
Chapter Forty-Seven Sukala said: Then Sudeva, beautiful in every limb, spoke to that sow: 'You have taken birth in an animal womb—how is it that you speak Sanskrit?'
एवंविधं महाज्ञानं कस्माद्भूतं वदस्व मे । कथं जानासि वै भर्तुश्चरित्रमात्मनः शुभे
'How has such great knowledge arisen in you? Tell me. And how do you know the deeds of your husband and yourself, O auspicious one?'
शूकर्युवाच- पशोर्भावेन मोहेन मुष्टाहं वरवर्णिनि । निहता खड्गबाणैश्च पतिता रणमूर्धनि
The sow said: 'By the delusion of an animal's nature, O lovely one, I was seized and struck down by sword and arrow, falling on the battlefield.'
मूर्च्छयाभिपरिक्लिन्ना ज्ञानहीना वरानने । त्वयाभिषिक्ता येनाहं पुण्यहस्तेन सुंदरि
Overcome by faintness, deprived of knowledge, O beautiful-faced one, I was anointed by you with your virtuous hand, O lovely woman.
पुण्योदकेन शीतेन तव हस्तगतेन वै । अभिषिक्ते हि मे काये मोहो नष्टो विहाय माम्
With holy, cool water held in your hand, when my body was anointed, my delusion left me and abandoned me.
यथा विनाशं तेजोभिरंधकारः प्रयाति सः । तथा तवाभिषेकेण मम पापं गतं शुभे
Just as darkness departs when struck by light, so, O auspicious one, by your anointing, my sin has vanished.
प्रसादात्तव चार्वंगि लब्धं ज्ञानं पुरातनम् । पुण्यां गतिं प्रयास्यामि इति ज्ञातं मया शुभे
By your grace, O lovely-limbed one, I have regained my former knowledge; I know that I will attain a blessed state, O auspicious one.
श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि पूर्वं वृत्तांतमात्मनः । यत्कृतं तु मया भद्रे पापया दुष्कृतं बहु
'Listen, I will recount the events of my past—many evil deeds were done by me, O good lady, through wickedness.'
कलिंगाख्ये महादेशे श्रीपुरंनाम पत्तनम् । सर्वसिद्धिसमाकीर्णं चतुर्वर्णनिषेवितम्
In the great land called Kalinga, there is a city named Shripura, filled with all perfections and served by the four castes.
वसति स्म द्विजः कोपि वसुदत्त इति श्रुतः । ब्रह्माचारपरोनित्यं सत्यधर्मपरायणः
There lived a certain Brahmin named Vasudatta, renowned for his constant devotion to Vedic conduct and truth and righteousness.
वेदवेत्ता ज्ञानवेत्ता शुचिमान्गुणवान्धनी । धनधान्यसमाकीर्णः पुत्रपौत्रैरलंकृतः
He was learned in the Vedas and in knowledge, pure, virtuous, and wealthy, rich in grain, adorned with sons and grandsons.
तस्याहं तनया भद्रे सोदरैः स्वजनबांधवैः । अलंकारैस्तु शृंगारैर्भूषितास्मि वरानने
I was his daughter, O good lady, among brothers and relatives, adorned with ornaments and decorations, O beautiful-faced one.
सुदेवानाम मे तातश्चकार स महामतिः । तस्याहं दयिता नित्यं पितुश्चापि महामते
My father, of great wisdom, was named Sudeva; I was always dear to him, and he was a man of great understanding.
रूपेणाप्रतिमा जाता संसारे नास्ति तादृशी । रूपयौवनगर्वेण मत्ताहं चारुहासिनी
I was born incomparable in beauty—there was no one like me in the world; intoxicated with pride in my beauty and youth, O lovely-smiling one.
अहं कन्या सुरूपा वै सर्वालंकारशोभिता । मां च दृष्ट्वा ततो लोकाः सर्वे स्वजनवर्गकाः
I was a maiden of exquisite form, adorned with every ornament; seeing me, all the people and my relatives—
मामेवं याचमानास्ते विवाहार्थे वरानने । याचिताहं द्विजैः सर्वैर्न ददाति पिता मम
—all of them, O beautiful-faced one, begged for me in marriage; I was sought by all the Brahmins, but my father did not give me away.
स्नेहाच्चैव महाभागे मुमोह स महामतिः । न दत्ताहं तदा तेन पित्रा चैव महात्मना
Out of affection, O highly fortunate one, that wise man was deluded; at that time, I was not given by my great-souled father.
संप्राप्तं यौवनं बाले मयि भावसमन्वितम् । रूपं मे तादृशं दृष्ट्वा मम माता सुदुःखिता
When I was a young girl and had reached the age of youth, with feelings arising within me, my mother became deeply distressed upon seeing my appearance.
पितरं मे उवाचाथ कस्मात्कन्या न दीयते । त्वं कस्मै सुद्विजायैव ब्राह्मणाय महात्मने
Then my mother said to my father, 'Why is our daughter not being given in marriage? You should give her to a worthy and noble Brahmin, a great soul.'
देहि कन्यां महाभाग संप्राप्ता यौवनं त्वियम् । वसुदत्तो द्विजश्रेष्ठः प्रत्युवाच द्विजोत्तमः
'Give your daughter, O most fortunate one, for she has come of age.' Thus spoke Vasudatta, the best of Brahmins, to my father, the foremost among the twice-born.
मातरं मे महाभागे श्रूयतां वचनं मम । महामोहेनमुग्धोऽस्मि सुताया वरवर्णिनि
'O most fortunate lady, my mother, listen to my words: I am utterly deluded by great attachment to our beautiful daughter.'
यो मे गृहस्थो विप्रो वै भविष्यति शुभे शृणु । तस्मै कन्यां प्रदास्यामि जामात्रे तु न संशयः
'Hear, O auspicious one, who will be the householder Brahmin that becomes my son-in-law. To him I will give my daughter—there is no doubt about the groom.'
मम प्राणप्रिया चैषा सुदेवा नात्र संशयः । एवमूचे मदर्थे स वसुदत्तः पिता मम
'She, Sudeva, is dearer to me than life itself—there is no doubt of this.' Thus, for my sake, my father Vasudatta spoke.
कौशिकस्य कुले जातः सर्वविद्याविशारदः । ब्राह्मणानां गुणैर्युक्तः शीलवान्गुणवाञ्छुचिः
Born in the lineage of Kaushika, skilled in all branches of knowledge, endowed with the virtues of Brahmins, possessing good conduct, virtues, and purity.
वेदाध्ययनसंपन्नं पठमानं हि सुस्वरम् । भिक्षार्थं द्वारमायांतं पितृमातृविवर्जितम्
He was accomplished in Vedic study, reciting with a melodious voice, coming to the door for alms, bereft of both father and mother.