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.
हाहाकारं महत्कृत्वा रुरोद वरवर्णिनी । केन मे लक्षणोपेतो हृतो बालः सुलक्षणः
Uttering a great cry of distress, the beautiful woman wept: 'By whom has my auspicious, well-marked, virtuous child been taken?'
तपसा दानयज्ञैश्च नियमैर्दुष्करैः सुतः । संप्राप्तो हि मया वत्स कष्टैश्च दारुणैः पुनः
'Through austerity, gifts, sacrifices, and difficult vows, O dear one, I obtained this son by great and harsh efforts.'
दत्तात्रेयेण पुण्येन संतुष्टेन महात्मना । दत्तः पुत्रो हृतः केन रुरोद करुणान्विता
'Given by the virtuous and satisfied great-souled Dattātreya, my son—who has taken him away?' she wept, filled with compassion.
हा पुत्र वत्स मे तात हा बालगुणमंदिर । क्वासि केनापनीतोसि मम शब्दः प्रदीयताम्
'Alas, my son, my dear, my child, O treasure-house of boyish virtues! Where are you? By whom have you been taken? Let my voice reach you.'
सोमवंशस्य सर्वस्य भूषणोसि न संशयः । केन त्वमपनीतोसि मम प्राणैः समन्वितः
'You are the ornament of the entire Soma dynasty, without doubt. By whom have you been taken, you who are as dear to me as my own life?'
राजसुलक्षणैर्दिव्यैः संपूर्णः कमलेक्षणः । केनाद्यापहृतो वत्सः किं करोमि क्व याम्यहम्
'Endowed with all royal and divine marks, lotus-eyed one, by whom have you been taken today, O child? What shall I do? Where shall I go?'
स्फुटं जानाम्यहं कर्म ह्यन्यजन्मनि यत्कृतम् । न्यासनाशः कृतः कस्य तस्मात्पुत्रो हृतो मम
'I clearly know this is the result of some deed done in another birth. Whose trust did I violate, that my son has been taken from me?'
किं वा छलं कृतं कस्य पूर्वजन्मनि पापया । कर्मणस्तस्य वै दुःखमनुभुंजामि नान्यथा
'Or what deceit did I commit against someone in a previous life? Surely I am now experiencing the suffering from that deed—there is no other reason.'
रत्नापहारिणी जाता पुत्ररत्नं हृतं मम । तस्माद्दैवेन मे दिव्य अनौपम्य गुणाकरः
'Having become a thief of jewels, my jewel of a son has been taken from me. Therefore, by fate, my divine, incomparable treasure of virtues is lost.'
किं वा वितर्कितो विप्रः कर्मणस्तस्य वै फलम् । प्राप्तं मया न संदेहः पुत्रशोकान्वितं भृशम्
'Or perhaps a brāhmaṇa was wronged—this is the fruit of that deed. I have surely received it, overwhelmed as I am by grief for my son.'