इत्येवं प्रविचार्यैव विपुला क्रोधमूर्च्छिता । मेकलां तु समाहूय सैरंध्रीं वाक्यमब्रवीत्
Thus, having considered in this way, the ample one, overcome with anger, summoned Mekala and spoke these words to the maidservant.
जह्येनं बालकं दुष्टं मेकलेऽद्य महानसे । सूदहस्ते प्रदेहि त्वं हुण्डभोजनहेतवे
Today, Mekala, abandon this wicked boy in the kitchen; hand him over to the cook for the purpose of being food for the Huṇḍa.
मेकला बालकं गृह्य सूदमाहूय चाब्रवीत् । राजादेशं कुरुष्वाद्य पचस्वैनं हि बालकम्
Mekala, taking the boy, summoned the cook and said: 'Carry out the king's command today—cook this boy.'
एवमाकर्णितं तेन सूदेनापि महात्मना । आदाय बालकं हस्ताच्छस्त्रमुद्यम्य चोद्यतः
Hearing this, the great-souled cook took the boy in his hand, raised a knife, and prepared to act.
एष वै देवदेवस्य दत्तात्रेयस्य तेजसा । रक्षितस्त्वायुपुत्रश्च स जहास पुनः पुनः
By the power of Dattatreya, the god of gods, this son of Ayu was protected, and he laughed again and again.
हसंतं तं समालोक्य स सूदः कृपयान्वितः । सैरंध्री च कृपायुक्ता सूदं तं प्रत्यभाषत
Seeing him laughing, the cook was filled with compassion, and the maidservant, also moved by pity, spoke to the cook.
नैष वध्यस्त्वया सूद शिशुरेव महामते । दिव्यलक्षणसंपन्नः कस्य जातः सुसत्कुले
O wise cook, you must not kill this child; he is endowed with divine marks—of what noble family was he born?
सूद उवाच- सत्यमुक्तं त्वया भद्रे वाक्यं वै कृपयान्वितम् । राजलक्षणसंपन्नो रूपवान्कस्य बालकः
The cook said: 'O good lady, what you have said out of compassion is true; this boy, possessing royal marks and beauty, to whom does he belong?'
कस्माद्भोक्ष्यति दुष्टात्मा हुंडोऽयं दानवाधमः । येन वै रक्षितो वंशः पूर्वमेव सुकर्मणा
Why should this wicked Huṇḍa, the lowest of Dānavas, eat him, by whom the lineage was formerly protected through good deeds?
आपत्स्वपि स जीवेत दुर्गेषु नान्यथा भवेत् । सिंधुवेगेन नीतस्तु वह्निमध्ये गतोऽथवा
Even in calamities he would live, not otherwise in difficulties; whether carried away by the force of a river or entering into fire.
जीवतेनात्र संदेहो यश्च कर्मसहायवान् । तस्माद्धि क्रियते कर्म धर्मपुण्यसमन्वितम्
There is no doubt that he would live, and whoever is accompanied by good deeds; therefore, actions endowed with righteousness and merit are performed.
आयुष्मंतो नरास्तेन प्रवदंति सुखं ततः । तारकं पालकं कर्म रक्षते जाग्रते हि तत्
Because of that, people with long life speak of happiness; protective and sustaining action guards one who is vigilant.
मुक्तिदं जायते नित्यं मैत्रस्थानप्रदायकम् । दानपुण्यान्वितं कर्म प्रियवाक्यसमन्वितम्
Such action always brings liberation, grants a place among friends, is endowed with the merit of giving, and is accompanied by kind words.
उपकारयुतं यश्च करोति शुभकृत्तदा । तमेव रक्षते कर्म सर्वदैव न संशयः
And whoever performs good deeds filled with helpfulness, that very action always protects him—there is no doubt.
अन्ययोनिं प्रयाति स्म प्रेरितः स्वेन कर्मणा । किं करोति पिता माता अन्ये स्वजनबान्धवाः
Driven by his own action, one goes to another birth; what can father, mother, or other relatives do?
कर्मणा निहतो यस्तु न स्युस्तस्य च रक्षणे । सूत उवाच- येनैव कर्मणा चैव रक्षितश्चायुनंदनः
He who is struck down by his own action has no one to protect him; the cook said: 'By that very action, Ayu's son was protected.'
तस्मात्कृपान्वितो जातः सूदः कर्मवशानुगः । सैरंध्री च तथा जाता प्रेरिता तस्य कर्मणा
Therefore, the cook became filled with compassion, following the power of action; likewise, the maidservant was moved, impelled by his action.
द्वाभ्यामेव सुतश्चायो रक्षितश्चारुलक्षणः । रात्रावेव प्रणीतोऽसौ तस्माद्गेहान्महाश्रमे
By these two, the son Ayu, possessing beautiful marks, was protected; at night, he was taken from that house to the great hermitage.
वशिष्ठस्याश्रमे पुण्ये सैरंध्र्या पुण्यकर्मणा । शुभे पर्णकुटीद्वारे तस्मिन्नेव महाश्रमे
At the holy hermitage of Vasiṣṭha, by the virtuous deeds of Sairandhrī, at the auspicious entrance of the leafy hut, in that very great hermitage,
गता सा स्वगृहं पश्चान्निक्षिप्य बालकोत्तमम् । एणं निपात्य सूदेन पाचितं मांसमेव हि
She later went to her own home, having left the excellent child there; the cook slaughtered a deer and indeed prepared only its meat.
भोजयित्वा सुदैत्येंद्रो हुंडो हृष्टोभवत्तदा । शापमशोकसुंदर्या मोघं मेने तदासुरः
After feeding the demon king Huṃḍa with the meat of the deer, he became delighted; the demon considered the curse of Aśokasundarī to be ineffective.
हर्षेण महताविष्टः स हुंडो दानवेश्वरः । कुंजल उवाच- प्रभाते विमले जाते वशिष्ठो मुनिसत्तमः
Filled with great joy, that lord of the Dānavas, Huṃḍa, spoke— Kuñjala said: When the pure morning arrived, the eminent sage Vasiṣṭha,
बहिर्गतो हि धर्मात्मा कुटीद्वारात्प्रपश्यति । संपूर्णं बालकं दृष्ट्वा दिव्यलक्षणसंयुतम्
The righteous sage went outside from the hut’s doorway; seeing a complete child endowed with divine marks,
संपूर्णेंदुप्रतीकाशं सुंदरं चारुलोचनम् । वशिष्ठ उवाच- पश्यंतु मुनयः सर्वे यूयमागत्य बालकम्
Resembling the full moon, beautiful, with lovely eyes— Vasiṣṭha said: Let all the sages come and see this child.
कस्य केन समानीतं रात्रौ द्वारांगणे मम । देवगंधर्वगर्भाभं राजलक्षणसंयुतम्
Whose is this, and by whom was it brought here at my doorway during the night? Resembling the offspring of gods and gandharvas, endowed with royal marks.
कंदर्पकोटिसंकाशं पश्यंतु मुनयोऽमलम् । महाकौतुकसंयुक्ता हृष्टा द्विजवरास्ततः
Let the sages see this child, shining like ten million Cupids, spotless; then the best of the twice-born, filled with great wonder and joy,
समपश्यन्सुतं ते तु आयोश्चैव महात्मनः । वशिष्ठः स तु धर्मात्मा ज्ञानेनालोक्य बालकम्
They beheld the son of that great soul, Āyu; and Vasiṣṭha, righteous in soul, perceived by knowledge the child,
आयुपुत्रं समाज्ञातं चरित्रेण समन्वितम् । वृत्तांतं तस्य दुष्टस्य हुण्डस्यापि दुरात्मनः
He recognized him as the son of Āyu, endowed with noble character, and also learned of the wicked deeds of that evil-minded Huṇḍa.
कृपया ब्रह्मपुत्रस्तु समुत्थाय सुबालकम् । कराभ्यामथ गृह्णाति यावद्द्विजो वरोत्तमः
Then, out of compassion, the son of Brahmā rose and took up the beautiful child with his hands, that best of the twice-born sage.
तावत्पुष्पसुवृष्टिं च चक्रुर्देवाः सुतोपरि । ललितं सुस्वरं गीतं जगुर्गंधर्वकिन्नराः
At that moment, the gods showered a rain of flowers upon the child; the Gandharvas and Kinnaras sang sweet and melodious songs.