किं वा शिशुविरोधश्च कृतो जन्मांतरे मया । तस्य पापस्य भुंजामि कर्मणः फलमीदृशम्
'Or perhaps I opposed a child in a former birth—now I suffer the result of that sinful act.'
याचमानस्य चैवाग्रे वैश्वदेवस्य कर्मणः । किं वापि नार्पितं चान्नं व्याहृतीभिर्हुतं द्विजैः
'Or perhaps, when a Vaiśvadeva ritual was performed, I did not offer food to a supplicant, nor was it offered by the brāhmaṇas with the sacred utterances.'
एवं सुदेवमानाच्च स्वर्भानोस्तनया तदा । इंदुमती महाभाग शोकेन करुणाकुला
Thus, from her deep love for her son, the noble Indumatī, daughter of Svarbhānu, was overcome with grief and compassion.
पतिता मूर्च्छिता शोकाद्विह्वलत्वं गता सती । निःश्वासान्मुंचमाना सा वत्सहीना यथा हि गौः
Falling down, fainting from sorrow, she became distraught, sighing deeply, like a cow bereft of her calf.
आयू राजा स शोकेन दुःखेन महतान्वितः । बालं श्रुत्वा हृतं तं तु धैर्यं तत्याज पार्थिवः
King Āyu, overwhelmed by great sorrow and grief, upon hearing that his child had been taken, abandoned his composure.
तपसश्च फलं नास्ति नास्ति दानस्य वै फलम् । यस्मादेवं हृतः पुत्रस्तस्मान्नास्ति न संशयः
There is no fruit from austerity, nor is there any reward from giving; since my son has been taken in this way, there is no doubt about it.
दत्तात्रेयः प्रसादेन वरं मे दत्तवान्पुरा । अजेयं च जयोपेतं पुत्रं सर्वगुणान्वितम्
By the grace of Dattātreya, a boon was once granted to me: a son, unconquerable and endowed with victory, possessing all virtues.
तस्य वरप्रदानस्य कथं विघ्नो ह्यजायत । इति चिंतापरो राजा दुःखितः प्रारुदद्भृशम्
How did an obstacle arise to the granting of that boon? Thus, the king, absorbed in thought and afflicted, lamented intensely.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्ये च्यवनचरित्रे नाहुषाख्याने षडधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one hundred and sixth chapter in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the Padma Purāṇa, in the story of Vena, the greatness of the Guru's holy place, the account of Cyavana, and the tale of Nāhuṣa.
कुंजल उवाच- अथासौ नारदः स्वर्गादायुराजानमागतः । आगत्य कथयामास कस्माद्राजन्प्रशोचसे
Kuñjala said: Then Nārada, coming from heaven, approached King Āyu; having arrived, he asked, 'Why, O king, do you grieve?'
पुत्रापहरणं तेऽद्य क्षेमं जातं महामते । देवादीनां महाराज एवं ज्ञात्वा तु मा शुचः
The abduction of your son today has turned out well, O wise one; O great king, knowing thus, do not grieve.
सर्वज्ञः सगुणो भूत्वा सर्वविज्ञानसंयुतः । सर्वकलाभिसंपूर्ण आगमिष्यति ते सुतः
Your son, becoming all-knowing and possessed of virtues, endowed with all knowledge and complete in every art, will return to you.
येनाप्यपहृतस्तेऽद्य बालो देवगुणोपमः । आत्मगेहे महाराज कालो नीतो न संशयः
Though today your child, equal to the qualities of the gods, has been taken, O king, he has been led to his own home by Time, without doubt.
तस्याप्यंतं स वै कर्त्ता महावीर्यो महाबलः । स त्वामभ्येष्यते भूप शिवस्य सुतया सह
He, of great strength and valor, will accomplish his purpose; he will approach you, O king, together with the daughter of Śiva.
इंद्रोपेंद्रसमः पुत्रो भविष्यति स्वतेजसा । इंद्रत्वं भोक्ष्यते सोऽपि निजैश्च पुण्यकर्मभिः
Your son will, by his own brilliance, become equal to Indra and Upendra; he too will enjoy the position of Indra through his own virtuous deeds.
एवमाभाष्य राजानमायुं देवर्षिसत्तमः । जगाम सहसा तस्य पश्यतः सानुगस्य ह
Having spoken thus to the king Āyu, the eminent sage among the gods departed suddenly, as he watched, along with his attendants.
गते तस्मिन्महाभागे नारदे देवसंमिते । आयुरागत्य तां राज्ञीं तत्सर्वं विन्यवेदयत्
When that illustrious Nārada, esteemed among the gods, had departed, Āyu went and reported everything to the queen.
दत्तात्रेयेण यो दत्तः पुत्रो देववरोत्तमः । स वै राज्ञि कुशल्यास्ते विष्णोश्चैव प्रसादतः
The son granted by Dattātreya, the foremost among divine boons, dwells safely with the queen, by the grace of Viṣṇu.
येनाप्यसौ हृतः पुत्रः सगुणो मे वरानने । शिरस्तस्य गृहीत्वा तु पुनरेवागमिष्यति
Though that virtuous son of mine was taken, O beautiful one, he will return again, bringing the head of the one who took him.
इत्याह नारदो भद्रे मा कृथाः शोकमेव च । त्यज चैनं महामोहं कार्यधर्मविनाशनम्
Thus Nārada said, 'O blessed one, do not indulge in sorrow; abandon this great delusion, which destroys the proper course of duty.'
भर्तुर्वाक्यं निशम्यैवं राज्ञी इंदुमती ततः । हर्षेणापि समाविष्टा पुत्रस्यागमनं प्रति
Hearing her husband's words, Queen Indumatī was filled with joy at the prospect of her son's return.
यथोक्तं देवऋषिणा तत्तथैव भविष्यति । दत्तात्रेयेण मे दत्तस्तनपो ह्यजरामरः
As spoken by the divine sage, so it will be; the son granted to me by Dattātreya is indeed ageless and immortal.
भविष्यति न संदेहः प्रतिभात्येनमेव हि । इत्येवं चिंतयित्वा तु ननाम द्विजपुंगवम्
There will be no doubt about what will happen, for it appears to me just so; having thought thus, he bowed to the foremost of the twice-born.
नमोस्तु तस्मै परिसिद्धिदाय अत्रेः सुपुत्राय महात्मने च । यस्य प्रसादेन मया सुपुत्रः प्राप्तः सुधीरः सुगुणः सुपुण्यः
Salutations to him, the bestower of supreme accomplishment, the noble son of Atri, the great-souled one, by whose grace I have obtained a son—steadfast, virtuous, and supremely meritorious.
एवमुक्त्वा तु सा देवी विरराम सुदुःखिता । आगमिष्यंतमाज्ञाय नहुषं तनयं पुनः
Having spoken thus, that goddess, greatly afflicted, became silent, knowing that her son Nahuṣa would come again.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्ये च्यवनचरित्रे नाहुषाख्याने सप्तोत्तरशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one hundred and seventh chapter, called 'The Story of Nahuṣa' in the narrative of Cyavana, in the account of the holy place of the Guru, in the tale of Vena, in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
कुंजल उवाच- ब्रह्मपुत्रो महातेजा वशिष्ठस्तपतां वरः । नहुषं तं समाहूय इदं वचनमब्रवीत्
Kunjala said: The son of Brahma, the radiant Vasiṣṭha, foremost among ascetics, summoned Nahuṣa and spoke these words.
वनं गच्छ स्वशीघ्रेण वन्यमानय पुष्कलम् । समाकर्ण्य मुनेर्वाक्यं नहुषो वनमाययौ
Go swiftly to the forest and bring abundant forest produce; hearing the sage’s command, Nahuṣa went to the forest.
तत्र किंचित्सुवृत्तांतं शुश्राव नहुषो बलः । अयमेष स धर्मात्मा नहुषो नाम वीर्यवान्
There, Nahuṣa heard a certain remarkable story: 'This is that righteous Nahuṣa by name, powerful and virtuous.'
आयोः पुत्रो महाप्राज्ञो बाल्यान्मात्रा वियोजितः । अस्यैवातिवियोगेन आयुभार्या प्ररोदिति
The wise son of Āyu, separated from his mother since childhood; because of this great separation, Āyu’s wife weeps.