एवमस्त्विति ते प्रोचुर्द्विजश्रेष्ठं सुरास्तदा । दत्वा वरं महाभाग जग्मुस्तस्मै महात्मने
‘So be it,’ said the gods to the best of twice-born, and granting the boon, departed from that great-souled one.
गतेषु तेषु देवेषु पिप्पलो द्विजसत्तमः । ब्रह्मण्यं साधयेन्नित्यं विश्ववश्यं प्रचिंतयेत्
When the gods had departed, Pippala, best of Brahmins, always practiced righteousness and contemplated dominion over the universe.
तदाप्रभृति राजेंद्र पिप्पलो द्विजसत्तमः । विद्याधरपदं लब्ध्वा कामगामी महीयते
From that time onward, O king, Pippala, best of Brahmins, having attained the status of Vidyadhara, moved as he wished and was honored.
एवं स पिप्पलो विप्रो विद्याधरपदं गतः । संजातो देवलोकेशः सर्वशास्त्रविशारदः
Thus, Pippala the sage attained the position of Vidyadhara, becoming lord among the gods and expert in all scriptures.
एकदा तु महातेजाः पिप्पलः पर्यचिंतयत् । विश्ववश्यं भवेत्सर्वं मम दत्तो वरोत्तमः
Once, the mighty Pippala reflected: 'Everything is to be under my control, for the supreme boon has been granted to me.'
तदर्थं प्रत्ययं कर्तुमुद्यतो द्विजपुंगवः । यं यं चिंतयते कर्तुं तं तं हि वशमानयेत्
For that purpose, the eminent Brahmin set out to establish certainty; whatever he thought to accomplish, he brought under his control.
एवं स प्रत्यये जाते मनसा पर्यकल्पयत् । द्वितीयो नास्ति वै लोके मत्समः पुरुषोत्तमः
Thus, when this conviction arose, he reflected in his mind: 'There is no one else in the world, O best of men, who is my equal.'
सूत उवाच- एवं हि कल्पमानस्य पिप्पलस्य महात्मनः । ज्ञात्वा मानसिकं भावं सारसस्तमुवाच ह
Sūta said: As Pippala, the great-souled one, was thus thinking, Sārasa, knowing his mental state, spoke to him.
सरस्तीरगतो राजन्सुस्वरं व्यंजनान्वितम् । स्वनं सौष्ठवसंयुक्तमुक्तवान्पिप्पलं प्रति
O King, standing on the bank of the lake, Sārasa addressed Pippala with a sweet, articulate, and well-modulated voice.
कस्मादुद्वहसे गर्वमेवं त्वं परमात्मकम् । सर्ववश्यात्मिकीं सिद्धिं नाहं मन्ये तवैव हि
Why do you bear such supreme pride, thinking yourself the highest? I do not consider that you alone possess the power to subdue all.
वश्यावश्यमिदं कर्म अर्वाचीनं प्रशस्यते । पराचीनं न जानासि पिप्पल त्वं हि मूढधीः
The ability to control is praised only in what is near at hand; you do not know what is distant, O Pippala, for your understanding is deluded.
वर्षाणां तु सहस्राणि यावत्त्रीणि त्वया तपः । समाचीर्णं ततो गर्वं कुरुषे किं मुधा द्विज
For three thousand years you have performed austerities; after that, why do you take pride in vain, O twice-born one?
कुंडलस्य सुतो धीरः सुकर्मानाम यः सुधीः । वश्यावश्यं जगत्सर्वं तस्यासीच्छृणु सांप्रतम्
Hear now of the son of Kuṇḍala, steadfast and wise in good deeds; for him, the whole world was under his control.
अर्वाचीनं पराचीनं स वै जानाति बुद्धिमान् । लोके नास्ति महाज्ञानी तत्समः शृणु पिप्पल
He, intelligent, knows both what is near and what is far; there is no great knower in the world equal to him—listen, O Pippala.
न कुंडलस्य पुत्रेण सदृशस्त्वं सुकर्मणा । न दत्तं तेन वै दानं न ज्ञानं परिचिंतितम्
You are not equal in good deeds to the son of Kuṇḍala; he has not given gifts, nor has he reflected on knowledge.
हुतयज्ञादिकं कर्म न कृतं तेन वै कदा । न गतस्तीर्थयात्रायां न च वह्नेरुपासनम्
He has never performed acts like sacrifices or fire-offerings; he has not gone on pilgrimages, nor worshipped the fire.
स कदा कृतवान्विप्र धर्मसेवार्थमुत्तमम् । स्वच्छंदचारी ज्ञानात्मा पितृमातृसुहृत्सदा
O brāhmaṇa, when did he ever perform the highest service to dharma? He acts as he wishes, is wise, and always devoted to his parents and friends.
वेदाध्ययनसंपन्नः सर्वशास्त्रार्थकोविदः । यादृशं तस्य वै ज्ञानं बालस्यापि सुकर्मणः
He is accomplished in Vedic study, and knows the meaning of all scriptures; such is the knowledge of that virtuous boy.
तादृशं नास्ति ते ज्ञानं वृथा त्वं गर्वमुद्वहेः । पिप्पल उवाच- को भवान्पक्षिरूपेण मामेवं परिकुत्सयेत्
You do not possess such knowledge; your pride is in vain.' Pippala said: 'Who are you, in the form of a bird, to reproach me thus?'
कस्मान्निंदसि मे ज्ञानं पराचीनं तु कीदृशम् । तन्मे विस्तरतो ब्रूहि त्वयि ज्ञानं कथं भवेत्
Why do you disparage my knowledge, and what is this distant knowledge? Tell me that in detail—how is knowledge found in you?
अर्वाचीनगतिं सर्वां पराचीनस्य सांप्रतम् । वद त्वमंडजश्रेष्ठ ज्ञानपूर्वं सुविस्तरम्
O best of birds, tell me in detail, with knowledge, the entire course of what is near and what is far for that one.
किं वा ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च किं वा रुद्रो भविष्यसि । सारस उवाच- नास्ति ते तपसो भावः फलं नास्ति च तस्य तु
Will you become Brahmā, or Viṣṇu, or perhaps Rudra? Sārasa said: 'You have no true spirit of austerity, nor does it bear fruit.'
त्वया न परितप्तस्य तपसः सांप्रतं शृणु । कुंडलस्यापि पुत्रस्य बालस्यापि यथा गुणः
You have not properly performed austerity; now listen to the merit of Kuṇḍala's son, even as a boy.
तथा ते नास्ति वै ज्ञानं परिज्ञातं न तत्पदम् । इतो गत्वापि पृच्छ त्वं मम रूपं द्विजोत्तम
You do not have such knowledge, nor have you realized that state; go from here and ask, O best of twice-born, about my form.
स वदिष्यति धर्मात्मा सर्वं ज्ञानं तवैव हि । विष्णुरुवाच- एवमाकर्ण्य तत्सर्वं सारसेन प्रभाषितम्
He, righteous in nature, will speak all knowledge to you alone. Vishnu said: Thus, having heard all that spoken by Sarasena—
निर्जगाम स वेगेन दशारण्यं महाश्रमम्
He departed swiftly to the great hermitage in the ten forests.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने एकषष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the sixty-first chapter, the story of Vena, in the Bhumi section of the glorious Padma Purana.
विष्णुरुवाच- कुंडलस्याश्रमं गत्वा सत्यधर्म समाकुलम् । सुकर्माणं ततो दृष्ट्वा पितृमातृपरायणम्
Vishnu said: Having gone to the hermitage of Kundala, filled with truth and righteousness, he saw Sukarma, devoted to his father and mother.
शुश्रूषंतं महात्मानं गुरूसत्यपराक्रमम् । महारूपं महातेजं महाज्ञानसमाकुलम्
He saw him serving the great souls, heroic in truth, of great form, great brilliance, and filled with vast knowledge.
मातापित्रोः पदांते तमुपविष्टं ददर्श सः । महाभक्त्यान्वितं शांतं सर्वज्ञानमहानिधिम्
He saw him seated at the feet of his parents, endowed with great devotion, peaceful, and a vast repository of all knowledge.