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.
ऋषयो वेदमंत्रैस्तु स्तुवंति नृपनंदनम् । वशिष्ठस्तं समालोक्य वरं वै दत्तवांस्तदा
The sages praised the delight of the king with Vedic mantras; seeing him, Vasiṣṭha then granted a boon.
नहुषेत्येव ते नाम ख्यातं लोके भविष्यति । हुषितो नैव तेनापि बालभावैर्नराधिप
Your name will be renowned in the world as Nahuṣa; O ruler of men, you will not be harmed by him even in your childhood.
तस्मान्नहुष ते नाम देवपूज्यो भविष्यसि। जातकर्मादिकं कर्म तस्य चक्रे द्विजोत्तमः
Therefore, your name will be Nahuṣa, and you will be worshipped by the gods; the best of the twice-born performed his birth rites and other ceremonies.
व्रतदानं विसर्गं च गुरुशिष्यादिलक्षणम्। वेदं चाधीत्य संपूर्णं षडंगं सपदक्रमम्
He performed vows, gifts, investiture, and all the marks of a teacher and student; he studied the complete Veda with its six limbs and the Pada and Krama methods.
सर्वाण्येव च शास्त्राणि अधीत्य द्विजसत्तमात्। वशिष्ठाच्च धनुर्वेदं सरहस्यं महामतिः
Having studied all the scriptures, O best of the twice-born, and from Vasiṣṭha he learned the Dhanurveda, including all its secrets, being of great intelligence.
शस्त्राण्यस्त्राणि दिव्यानि ग्राहमोक्षयुतानि च। ज्ञानशास्त्रादिकं न्याय राजनीतिगुणादिकान्
He learned divine weapons and missiles, including those for seizing and releasing; also the treatises on knowledge, logic, royal policy, and other virtues.
वशिष्ठादायुपुत्रश्च शिष्यरूपेण भक्तिमान्। एवं स सर्वनिष्पन्नो नाहुषश्चातिसुंदरः
Ayu's son, devoted in the form of a disciple to Vasiṣṭha, thus became fully accomplished—Nāhuṣa, exceedingly handsome.
वशिष्ठस्य प्रसादाच्च चापबाणधरोभवत्
And by the grace of Vasiṣṭha, he became one who bore bow and arrows.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्ये च्यवनचरित्रे पंचोत्तरशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one hundred and fifth chapter in the story of Cyavana, concerning the greatness of the Guru Tīrtha, in the Vena narrative of the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
कुंजल उवाच- आयुभार्या महाभागा स्वर्भानोस्तनया सुतम् । अपश्यंती सुबालं तं देवोपममनौपमम्
Kuñjala said: The noble wife of Ayu, daughter of Svarbhānu, saw her son, still a child, godlike and without equal.