तस्या वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य कालकृष्टो बभाष ताम् । रे रे दुष्ट दुराचार मम कर्मप्रदूषक
Hearing her words, Kālakṛṣṭa spoke to her: 'Hey, you wicked, evil-doer, corrupter of my deeds—'
हन्मि त्वामिह खड्गेन अनेनापि न संशयः । इत्युक्त्वा ब्राह्मणं तं स निशितं खड्गमाददे
'I will kill you here with this sword—there is no doubt.' Saying this, he took up the sharp sword to slay that brāhmaṇa.
हंतुकामः स दुष्टात्मा अभ्यधावत दानवः । सा देवी विप्ररूपेण संक्रुद्धा परमेश्वरी
Desiring to kill, that evil-minded Dānava rushed forward; but that goddess, Parameśvarī, enraged and in the form of a brāhmaṇa—
हन्मि त्वामिह खड्गेन अनेनापि न संशयः । स्वस्थानमागतं दृष्ट्वा हुंकारं विससर्ज ह । तेन हुंकारनादेन पतितो दानवाधमः
'I will kill you here with this sword—there is no doubt.' Seeing him come to his own place, she uttered a roar; by the sound of that roar, the vile Dānava fell.
निश्चेष्टः कामरूपेण वज्राहत इवाचलः । पतिते दानवे तस्मिन्सर्वलोकविनाशके
Motionless in his desired form, like a mountain struck by a thunderbolt, he lay fallen—the Dānava who threatened all the worlds.
लोकाः स्वास्थ्यं गताः सर्वे दुःखतापविवर्जिताः । एतस्मात्कारणाद्वत्स सा स्त्री वै परिदेवति
With the fall of that Dānava, destroyer of all worlds, all beings became peaceful, free from sorrow and pain. For this reason, dear one, that woman laments—
गंगातीरे वरारोहा दुःखव्याकुलमानसा । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्त्वया परिपृच्छितम्
On the bank of the Ganges, that beautiful woman, her mind overwhelmed by grief. All this I have told you, as you have asked.
विष्णुरुवाच- एवमुक्त्वा सुपुत्रं तं कुंजलो अंडजेश्वरः । विरराम महाप्राज्ञः किञ्चिन्नोवाच भूपते
Viṣṇu said: Having thus spoken, Kuñjala, lord of birds, wise and learned, ceased and said nothing more, O king.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्ये च्यवनचरित्रे कामोदाख्याने एकविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one hundred and twenty-first chapter, called the story of Kāmoda, in the account of Cyavana, in the greatness of Gurutīrtha, in the tale of Vena, in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
विष्णुरुवाच- कुंजलो धर्मपक्षी स इत्युक्त्वा तान्सुतान्प्रति । विरराम महाप्राज्ञः किंचिन्नोवाच तान्प्रति
Viṣṇu said: Having said thus, Kuñjala, who is on the side of dharma, ceased speaking to his sons, the wise one said nothing more to them.
वटाधःस्थो द्विजश्रेष्ठस्तमुवाच महाशुकम् । को भवान्धर्मवक्ता हि पक्षिरूपेण वर्तते
Beneath the banyan tree, the best of brāhmaṇas spoke to Mahāśuka: 'Who are you, speaker of dharma, dwelling in the form of a bird?'
किं वा देवोऽथ गंधर्वः किं वा विद्याधरो भवान् । कस्य शापादिमां प्राप्तो योनिं कीरस्य पातकीम्
'Are you a god, or a gandharva, or perhaps a vidyādhara? By whose curse have you obtained this sinful birth as a parrot?'
कस्मात्ते ईदृशं ज्ञानं वर्ततेऽतीद्रियं शुक । सुपुण्यस्य तु कस्यापि कस्य वै तपसः फलम्
Why do you possess such extraordinary knowledge, O Śuka, beyond the senses? Whose great merit or austerity has yielded this fruit?
किं वा च्छन्नेन रूपेण अनेनापि महामते । कस्त्वं सिद्धोऽसि देवो वा तन्मे कथय कारणम्
What is the purpose of this concealed form, O wise one? Who are you—are you perfected, or a deity? Tell me the reason for this.
कुंजल उवाच- भोः सिद्ध त्वामहं जाने कुलं ते गोत्रमुत्तमम् । विद्यां तपःप्रभावं च यस्माद्भ्रमसि मेदिनीम्
Kuñjala said: O perfected one, I know you; your lineage and noble ancestry, your knowledge and the power of your austerity, by which you wander the earth.
सर्वं विप्र प्रवक्ष्यामि स्वागतं तव सुव्रत । उपविश्यासने पुण्ये छायामाश्रयशीतलाम्
I will tell you everything, O virtuous brāhmaṇa; welcome to you. Sit upon this auspicious seat and rest in the cool shade.
अव्यक्तप्रभवो ब्रह्मा तस्माज्जज्ञे प्रजापतिः । ब्राह्मणस्तु गुणैर्युक्तो भृगुर्ब्रह्मसमो द्विजः
Brahmā, whose origin is unmanifest, was born, and from him came Prajāpati. The brāhmaṇa endowed with virtues is Bhṛgu, equal to Brahmā, O twice-born.
भार्गवो नाम तस्यासीत्सर्वधर्मार्थतत्ववित् । तस्यान्वये भवान्विप्र च्यवनः ख्यातिमान्भुवि
His descendant was named Bhārgava, knower of all dharma and truth. In his lineage, you are known, O brāhmaṇa, as Cyavana, famed upon the earth.
नाहं देवो न गंधर्वो नाहं विद्याधरः पुनः । योहं विप्र प्रवक्ष्यामि तन्मे निगदतः शृणु
I am not a god, nor a gandharva, nor again a vidyādhara. I will tell you who I am, O brāhmaṇa; listen as I speak.
कश्यपस्य कुले जातः कश्चिद्ब्राह्मणसत्तमः । वेदवेदांगतत्त्वज्ञः सर्वकर्मप्रकाशकः
Born in the lineage of Kaśyapa, a certain foremost brāhmaṇa, expert in the Vedas and their branches, illuminating all actions.
विद्याधरेति विख्यातः कुलशीलगुणैर्युतः । राजमानः श्रिया विप्र आचारैस्तपसा तदा
He was renowned as a vidyādhara, endowed with noble lineage, character, and virtues, shining with splendor, O brāhmaṇa, through conduct and austerity.
संबभूवुः सुतास्तस्य विद्याधरस्य ते त्रयः । वसुशर्मा नामशर्मा धर्मशर्मा च ते त्रयः
Three sons were born to that vidyādhara: Vasuśarmā, Nāmaśarmā, and Dharmaśarmā—those three.
तेषामहं धर्मशर्मा कनिष्ठो गुणवर्जितः । वसुशर्मा मम भ्राता वेदशास्त्रार्थकोविदः
Of them, I am Dharmaśarmā, the youngest, lacking in virtues. Vasuśarmā, my brother, is skilled in the meaning of the Vedas and śāstras.
आचारेण सुसंपन्नो विद्यादिसुगुणैः पुनः । नामशर्मा महाप्राज्ञस्तद्वच्चासीद्गुणाधिकः
Nāmaśarmā, endowed with excellent conduct and many virtues, is very wise; likewise, he was superior in qualities.
अहमेको महामूर्खः संजातः शृणु सत्तम । विद्यानामुत्तमं विप्र भावमर्थं शुभं कदा
I alone became a great fool, listen, O noble one. When will I attain the highest state of knowledge, its meaning, and auspiciousness, O brāhmaṇa?
न शृणोमि न वै यामि गुरुगेहमनुत्तमम् । ततस्तु जनको मे तु मामेवं परिचिंतयेत्
I neither listen nor go to the excellent house of the teacher. Therefore, my father would think of me thus.
धर्मशर्मेति पुत्रस्य नामास्य तु निरर्थकम् । संजातः क्षितिमध्ये तु न विद्वान्मे गुणाकरः
The name Dharmaśarmā for his son was meaningless; born upon the earth, I was not learned, nor a repository of virtues.
इति संचिंत्य धर्मात्मा मामुवाच सुदुःखितः । व्रज पुत्र गुरोर्गेहं विद्यार्थं परिसाधय
Thinking thus, the righteous one, greatly distressed, spoke to me: 'Go, son, to the house of the teacher and acquire knowledge.'
एवमाकर्ण्य तत्तस्य पितुर्वाक्यं मयाशुभम् । नाहं तात गमिष्यामि गुरोर्गेहं सुदुःखदम्
Hearing those words of my father, I replied unfavorably: 'Father, I will not go to the teacher's house, which is full of sorrow.'
यत्र वै ताडनं नित्यं भ्रूभंगादि च क्रोशनम् । अन्नं न दृश्यते तत्र कर्मणा शृणुसत्तम
Where there is constant beating, frowning, and shouting, and food is not seen there—such is the work, listen, O noble one.