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.
कुंडलस्यापि पुत्रेण सुकर्मणा महात्मना । आगतं पिप्पलं दृष्ट्वा द्वारदेशे महामतिम्
When the great-souled Sukarma, son of Kundala, saw Pippala, the wise one, arriving at the doorway—
आसनात्तूर्णमुत्थाय अभ्युत्थानं कृतं पुनः । आगच्छ त्वं महाभाग विद्याधर महामते
He quickly rose from his seat, performed the proper greeting again, and said: 'Come, O greatly fortunate, O wise Vidyadhara.'
आसनं पाद्यमर्घं च ददौ तस्मै महामतिः । निर्विघ्नोऽसि महाप्राज्ञ कुशलेन प्रवर्त्तसे
The wise one gave him a seat, water for the feet, and an offering; 'You are unobstructed, O great sage, you act skillfully.'
निरामयं च पप्रच्छ पिप्पलं तं समागतम् । यस्मादागमनं तेद्य तत्सर्वं प्रवदाम्यहम्
He asked Pippala, who had arrived, about his well-being; 'For whatever reason you have come today, I will tell you all.'
वर्षाणां च सहस्राणि त्रीणि यावत्त्वया तपः । तप्तमेव महाभाग सुरेभ्यः प्राप्तवान्वरम्
For three thousand years you have performed austerity, O greatly fortunate one, and have obtained a boon from the gods.
वश्यत्वं च त्वया प्राप्तं कामचारस्तथैव च । तेन मत्तो न जानासि गर्वमुद्वहसे वृथा
You have attained mastery and freedom of movement at will; because of this, you do not know me and bear pride in vain.
दृष्ट्वा ते चेष्टितं सर्वं सारसेन महात्मना । ममाभिधानं कथितं मम ज्ञानमनुत्तमम्
Having seen all your actions, O great-souled Sarasena, my name was spoken, and my supreme knowledge imparted.
पिप्पल उवाच- योसौ मां सारसो विप्र सरित्तीरे प्रयुक्तवान् । सर्वं ज्ञानं वदेन्मां हि स तु कः प्रभुरीश्वरः
Pippala said: That Sarasena, the Brahmin, who engaged me at the riverbank, said he would impart all knowledge to me—who is that lord, that master?
सुकर्मोवाच- भवंतमुक्तवान्यो वै सरित्तीरे तु सारसः । ब्रह्माणं त्वं महाज्ञानं तं विद्धि परमेश्वरम्
Sukarma said: That Sarasena who spoke to you at the riverbank is Brahma; know him as the supreme lord, the possessor of great knowledge.
अन्यत्किं पृच्छसे ब्रूहि तमेवं प्रवदाम्यहम् । विष्णुरुवाच- एवमुक्तः स धर्मात्मा सुकर्मा नृपनंदन
If you wish to ask anything else, speak; I will answer you thus. Vishnu said: Thus addressed, the righteous Sukarma, delight of kings—
पिप्पल उवाच- त्वयि वश्यं जगत्सर्वमिति शुश्रुम भूतले । तन्मे त्वं कौतुकं विप्र दर्शयस्व प्रयत्नतः
Pippala said: I have heard on earth that the whole world is subject to your control; O Brahmin, show me this wonder with effort.
पश्य कौतुकमेवाद्य त्वं वश्यावश्यकारणम् । तमुवाच स धर्मात्मा सुकर्मा पिप्पलं प्रति
Behold the wonder today, the cause of mastery and non-mastery. The righteous Sukarma spoke thus to Pippala.
अथ सस्मार वै देवान्सुकर्मा प्रत्ययाय वै । इंद्राद्या लोकपालाश्च देवाश्चाग्निपुरोगमाः
Then Sukarma remembered the gods for confirmation; Indra and the other guardians of the worlds, and the gods led by Agni.
समागताः समाहूता नाना विद्याधरास्तथा । सुकर्माणं ततः प्रोचुर्देवाश्चाग्निपुरोगमाः
Summoned, they all assembled, as did various Vidyādharas; then the gods led by Agni spoke to Sukarma.
कस्मात्स्मृतास्त्वया विप्र ततोर्थकारणं वद । सुकर्मोवाच- अयमेष सुसंप्राप्तो विद्याधरो हि पिप्पलः
"Why have you remembered us, O brāhmaṇa? Tell us the reason for this matter." Sukarma said: "This Vidyādhara named Pippala has now arrived here."
मामेवं भाषते विप्र वश्यावश्यत्वकारणम् । प्रत्ययार्थं समाहूता अस्यैव च महात्मनः
"He speaks to me in this way, O brāhmaṇa, because of the matter of control and subjugation; these have been summoned for the sake of confirmation, and for this great soul alone."
स्वंस्वं स्थानं प्रगच्छध्वमित्युवाच सुरान्प्रति । तमूचुस्ते ततो देवाः सुकर्माणं महामतिम्
He said to the gods, "Return each to your own place." Then the gods, possessing great wisdom, spoke to Sukarma.
अस्माकं दर्शनं व्रिप्र न मोघं जायते वरम् । वरं वरय भद्रं ते मनसा यद्धिरोचते
"Our appearance before you, O brāhmaṇa, shall not be in vain. Choose a boon, good fortune to you, whatever pleases your mind."
तत्ते दद्मो न संदेहस्त्वेवमूचुः सुरोत्तमाः । भक्त्या प्रणम्य तान्देवान्ययाचे स द्विजोत्तमः
"We will grant you that, have no doubt," thus spoke the best of the gods. With devotion, bowing to those gods, that best of twice-born requested:
अचलां दत्त देवेंद्रा सुःभक्तिं भावसंयुताम् । मातापित्रोश्च मे नित्यं तद्वै वरमनुत्तमम्
"Grant me unwavering devotion, filled with feeling, to the gods, O Indra and others; and always to my mother and father—this is the supreme boon."