गोदानं भूमिदानं तु अन्नोदके च वै त्वया । जीवमानेन राजेंद्र न दत्तं ब्राह्मणाय वै
The gift of a cow, the gift of land, and food with water—you did not give these to a Brahmin while living, O king.
मृत्युकालेपि नो दत्तं तस्मात्क्षुधा प्रवर्तते । एतत्ते कारणं प्रोक्तं जातं कर्मवशानुगम्
Nor did you give them at the time of death; therefore, hunger arises. This cause has been told to you, arising from the force of your actions.
यादृशं तु कृतं कर्म तादृशं परिभुज्यते । सुबाहुरुवाच- कथं क्षुधा प्रशांतिं मे प्रयाति मुनिसत्तम
As is the action performed, so is its enjoyment. Subahu said: How, O best of sages, will my hunger be appeased?
अनया शोषितः कायो ह्यतीव परिदूयते । क्षुधां प्रति द्विजश्रेष्ठ प्रायश्चित्तं वदस्व नौः
My body, dried up by this, is exceedingly tormented. O best of twice-born, tell us the expiation for this hunger.
कर्मणश्चास्यघोरस्य यथा शांतिर्भवेन्मम । वामदेव उवाच- प्रायश्चित्तं न चैवास्ति ऋतेभोगान्नृपोत्तम
How may there be peace for me from this terrible deed? Vāmadeva said: There is no expiation except through experiencing its results, O best of kings.
कर्मणोस्य फलं सर्वं भवान्स्वस्थः प्रभोक्ष्यति । यत्र ते पतितः कायः प्रियायाश्चैव भूपते
You yourself, in full awareness, will experience all the results of this action, O king, wherever your body and your beloved have fallen.
युवाभ्यां हि प्रगंतव्यमितश्चैव न संशयः । उभाभ्यामपि भोक्तव्यं कायमक्षयमेव तत्
Indeed, both of you must proceed from here—of this there is no doubt; and both must endure the inexhaustible body as your due.
स्वंस्वं राजन्न संदेहस्त्वया वै प्रियया सह । राजोवाच- कियत्कालं प्रभोक्तव्यं मयैवं प्रियया सह
There is no doubt, O king, that you and your beloved must each endure your own; The king said: For how long must I experience this with my beloved?
तदादिश महाभाग प्रमाणं तद्वचो मम । वामदेव उवाच- वासुदेव महास्तोत्रं महापातकनाशनम्
Tell me, O greatly fortunate one, the measure of that time—let your word be my authority. Vāmadeva said: The great hymn to Vāsudeva destroys even great sins.
यदा त्वं श्रोष्यसे पुण्यं तदा मोक्षं प्रयास्यसि । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं गच्छ राजन्प्रभुंक्ष्वहि
When you hear that holy hymn, then you will attain liberation. All this has been told to you; go now, O king, and endure.
एवं श्रुत्वा ततो राजा भार्यया सह वै पुनः । स्वशरीरस्य वै मांसं भक्षते प्रियया सह
Having heard thus, the king, together with his wife, again ate the flesh of his own body with his beloved.
नित्यमेव महाप्राज्ञ तद्वत्पूर्णं भवेद्वपुः । नित्यं प्रभक्षते राजा राज्ञी तस्य च पुत्रक
Yet, O wise one, his body always became whole again in the same way; the king and the queen continually ate of it, O child.
यथायथा च राजा च भक्षते च कलेवरम् । हसेते वै सदा नार्यौ तयोर्भावं वदाम्यहम्
And as the king ate his own body, the two women would always laugh; I shall tell you the reason for their laughter.
प्रज्ञा सार्द्धं महासाध्वी चरित्रं तस्य भूपतेः । हास्यं हि कुरुते नित्यं तस्य श्रद्धानपायिनी
Wisdom, together with the virtuous wife, and the king’s character—his faithless wife would always mock these.
प्रज्ञया प्रेर्यमाणेन न दत्तं श्रद्धयान्वितम् । ब्राह्मणेभ्यः सुसंकल्प्य अन्नमुद्दिश्य वैष्णवे
What was not given, prompted by wisdom but lacking in faith, to the Brahmins, with proper resolve, as food dedicated to Viṣṇu—
एवं स भक्षते मांसं स्वस्य कायस्य नित्यदा । योषिदप्यात्मकायं च रसैश्चामृतसन्निभैः
Thus, he always eats the flesh of his own body; and the woman too eats her own body, with juices like nectar.
ततो वर्षशतांते तु वामदेवं महामुनिम् । स्मृत्वा स गर्हयामास आत्मानं प्रति सुव्रत
Then, at the end of a hundred years, remembering the great sage Vāmadeva, he reproached himself, O virtuous one.
न दत्तं पितृदेवेभ्यो ब्राह्मणेभ्यः कदा मया । न दत्तमतिथिभ्यो हि वृद्धेभ्यश्च विशेषतः
Never did I give to the ancestors, the gods, or the Brahmins; nor did I give to guests, especially to the elderly.
दीनेभ्यो हि न दत्तं च कृपया चातुराय च । एवं स भुंक्ते स्वं मांसं गर्हयन्स्वीय कर्म च
Nor did I give to the poor, out of compassion or cleverness; thus he eats his own flesh, reproaching his own deeds.
एवं स्वमांसं भुंजानं सुबाहुं प्रियया सह । हसेते च तदा दृष्ट्वा प्रज्ञा श्रद्धा च द्वे स्त्रियौ
Thus, as Subāhu eats his own flesh with his beloved, wisdom and faith, those two women, laugh upon seeing him.
तस्य कर्मविपाकस्य शुभात्मा हसते नृप । मम संगप्रसंगेन न दत्तं पापचेतन
Because of the result of his actions, his virtuous soul laughs, O king; O evil-minded one, because of my association, nothing was given.
प्रज्ञा च वचनैस्तैस्तु राजानं हसते पुनः । क्वगतोसौ महामोहो येन त्वं मोहितो नृप
Wisdom, with those words, again laughs at the king: Where has that great delusion gone, by which you were deluded, O king?
लोभेन मोहयुक्तेन तमोगर्ते निपात्यते । तत्रापतित्वा मामैव पतितं दुःखसंकटे
Driven by greed and delusion, one falls into the pit of darkness; having fallen there, one sees oneself alone, cast down into a distress of suffering.
दानमार्गं परित्यज्य लोभमार्गं गतो नृप । भार्यया सह भुंक्ष्व त्वं व्यापितः क्षुधया भृशम्
Abandoning the path of charity, the king has taken the path of greed; now, together with your wife, you must endure the torment of intense hunger.
एवं तं हसते प्रज्ञा सुबाहुं प्रिययान्वितम् । एतद्धि कारणं सर्वं तयोर्हासस्य पुत्रक
Thus, wisdom laughs at Subahu, who is accompanied by his beloved; this, my son, is the entire reason for their laughter.
भक्ष्यमाणस्य भूपस्य देहं स्वं दुःखिते तदा । ऊचतुर्देहिदेहीति याच्यमानः सदैव हि
As the king, in misery, was about to be devoured, they kept asking him, 'Give us your body, give us your body,' always demanding it.
क्षुधातृष्णामहाप्राज्ञ भीमरूपे भयानके । पयसा मिश्रितं भक्षं याचेते नृपतीश्वरम्
Those great and terrible forms of hunger and thirst, frightening to behold, begged the king for food mixed with water.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्त्वया परिपृच्छितम् । अन्यत्किं ते प्रवक्ष्यामि तद्वदस्व महामते
All that you have asked has been told to you; what else shall I explain to you? Speak, O wise one.
विज्वल उवाच- वासुदेवाभिधानं तत्स्तोत्रं कथय मे पितः । येन मोक्षं व्रजेद्राजा तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम्
Vijvala said: Father, tell me that hymn named after Vāsudeva, by which a king may attain liberation—the supreme abode of Viṣṇu.
सूत उवाच- एवमुक्ते शुभे वाक्ये विज्वलेन महात्मना ।। कुंजलो वदतां श्रेष्ठः स्तोत्रं पुण्यमुदैरयत्
Sūta said: When these auspicious words were spoken by the great-souled Vijvala, Kuñjala, best of speakers, began to recite the sacred hymn.