वदस्व मुनिशार्दूल करिष्यामि तवाज्ञया । येषां नृणां नास्ति सुतो जीवनं हि निरर्थकम्
'Tell me, O best of sages, I will act according to your command; for the life of those men who have no son is truly without meaning.'
गालव उवाच- राजन्शृणुष्वावहितो यत्पृष्टोऽस्मि तवाग्रतः । कथयामि समासेन पुत्रस्योद्भवकारणम्
Gālava said: 'O king, listen attentively to what you have asked in my presence; I will briefly tell you the cause of a son's birth.'
क्रतुं च नरमेधाख्यं कुरुष्व राजसत्तम । तदा ते संततिः स्याद्वै सर्वलक्षणसंयुता
'Perform a sacrifice called Naramedha, O best of kings; then you will have offspring endowed with all auspicious marks.'
राजोवाच- नरमेधं महायज्ञं यज्ञानां प्रवरं द्विज । कीदृशं नरमानीय करिष्यामि गुरो वद
The king said: 'The Naramedha is a great sacrifice, the foremost of all sacrifices, O brahmin; tell me, teacher, what kind of man should be brought for it?'
गालव उवाच- सुंदरांगः सुवदनः समस्तशास्त्रविद्भवेत् । सत्कुले यदि जातः स तदा यज्ञाय कल्पते
Gālava said: 'He should be handsome in form, with a pleasant face, learned in all the scriptures; if he is born in a noble family, then he is fit for the sacrifice.'
अंगहीनः कृष्णवर्णो मूर्खो योग्यो भवेन्नहि । इत्युक्ते गालवे विप्र स राजा मनुजेश्वरः
'One who is deformed, dark-skinned, or ignorant is not suitable.' When Gālava said this, O brahmin, that king, lord of men—
प्रेषयामास दूतांश्च कथयित्वा मुनेर्वचः । द्रविणं बहु दत्वा च गालवप्रमुखान्द्विजान्
Sent messengers after telling them the sage's words, and, giving much wealth, honored the brahmins led by Gālava.
यज्ञार्थे वरयामास समस्तशास्त्रपारगान् । ततो राजाज्ञया दूताः देशं देशं मुदा गताः
For the sake of the sacrifice, he selected those who had mastered all the scriptures; then, by the king's command, the messengers joyfully went to every land.
ग्रामे ग्रामे द्विजश्रेष्ठ पत्तनेऽपि समाहिताः । कुत्रापि न प्राप्तवंतो गता जनपदं ततः
In every village and city, the best of brahmins searched attentively, but nowhere did they find such a person, so they went to another region.
नाम्ना दशपुरं विप्र प्रकीर्णं गुणिभिर्द्विजैः । यत्र नारीः सुकेशीश्च मृगशावक चक्षुषः
O brahmin, there was a city named Daśapura, renowned for its virtuous brahmins, where the women had beautiful hair and eyes like fawns.
दृष्ट्वा मुह्यंति पुरुषाश्चंद्रमुख्यश्च ता यतः । तस्मिन्पुरे मनोरम्ये कृष्णदेव इति द्विजः
Seeing them, men and moon-faced women are bewildered; in that delightful city lived a twice-born named Krishna-deva.
आसीत्पुत्रैस्त्रिभिः सार्द्धं भार्यया च सुशीलया । वैष्णवः प्रियवादी च विष्णुपूजारतः सदा
He lived with three sons and a virtuous wife; he was a devotee of Vishnu, gentle in speech, and always engaged in worship of Vishnu.
साग्निकः पितृभक्तश्च वैष्णवानां प्रियंकरः । प्रार्थनां चक्रुरथ ते राज्ञो दूता द्विजोत्तमम्
He performed fire rituals, was devoted to his ancestors, and brought joy to the Vaishnavas; then the king’s messengers approached that eminent Brahmin with a request.
पुत्रं देहीति देहीति वद ब्राह्मणसत्तम । नास्ति राज्ञो द्विजश्रेष्ठ पुत्रः संतापनाशनः
‘Give your son, give your son,’ they said to the foremost of Brahmins; ‘The king has no son, O best of twice-born, to dispel his sorrow.’
तदर्थं नरमेधाख्ये यज्ञेभव स दीक्षितः । नेष्यामस्तव पुत्रं वै बलिं दातुं महाक्रतौ
For that purpose, in a sacrifice called Naramedha, he must be initiated; we will take your son to offer as a gift in the great ritual.
सुवर्णानां चतुर्लक्षं ब्रह्मन्नय समाहितः । सुखेन यदि दातव्यो नो पुत्रः पुत्रलालसात्
O Brahmin, bring four hundred thousand gold coins, if you wish, with resolve; if you desire your son, give them gladly, for your longing for him.
तदा बलेन नेष्यामो राजाज्ञाकारिणो वयम् । दूतानां वचनं श्रुत्वा ब्राह्मणौ शोकविह्वलौ
Otherwise, we will take him by force, for we obey the king’s command; hearing the messengers’ words, the Brahmin couple was overcome with grief.
अभूतां विगतप्राणाविव संशयमानसौ । किं धनेन सुवर्णेन जीवनेनापि सद्मना । प्रोवाचेदं वचः सोऽपि ब्राह्मणो राजपूरुषान्
They became as if lifeless, doubting; ‘What use is wealth, gold, life, or even home?’ Then the Brahmin spoke these words to the king’s men.
ब्राह्मण उवाच- यदि दूताः समानेतुं पुत्रं शोकतमोपहम् । आगता निश्चितं यूयं शृणुध्वं वचनं मम
The Brahmin said: ‘If you messengers have come to take my son, remover of sorrow’s darkness, then listen carefully to my words.’
स्थित्वा पृथिव्यां को भ्रष्टां राजाज्ञां कर्तुमिच्छति । पुत्रं हित्वा किंतु यूयं वृद्धं मां नयत द्विजम्
Who, standing on earth, would wish to violate the king’s command? But instead of my son, take me, the old Brahmin.
इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा दूताः क्रोधसमन्विताः । बलात्कारेण तद्गेहे सुवर्णानि च तत्यजुः
Hearing his words, the messengers became angry; by force, they left the gold in his house.
यदा नेतुं मनश्चक्रुस्तत्पुत्रं किल ते क्रुधा । बद्धांजलिपुटोभूत्वा रुदन्प्रोवोच स द्विजः
When they resolved to take his son in anger, the Brahmin, with folded hands, weeping, spoke.
पुत्राणां ज्येष्ठपुत्रं मे हित्वान्यं पुत्रमुत्तमम् । नयतेति वचो वक्तुं वक्त्रेनायाति हे जनाः
‘After my eldest son, take another excellent son, but to speak such words my mouth cannot utter, O people.’
द्विजस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा ब्राह्मणीं रुदतीं सतीम् । प्रोचुर्दूताः कनीयांसं पुत्रं देहीति सत्तम
Hearing the Brahmin’s words, the messengers said to the virtuous, weeping Brahmin woman: ‘Give the youngest son, O noble lady.’
तेषामिति वचः श्रुत्वा ब्राह्मणी भूमितस्तदा । पपात वात्यया सार्द्धं रंभेव भृशदुःखिनी
Hearing their words, the Brahmin woman then fell to the ground, overwhelmed with grief, like Rambha struck by a storm.
मुद्गरं सा समादाय मौलौ चाताडयद्बलात् । कनिष्ठं मत्सुतं दूता नापि दास्यामि सर्वथा
She seized a mallet and struck her own head by force; ‘I will never give my youngest son to the messengers, under any circumstances.’
एतस्मिन्समये विप्र विप्रस्य मध्यमः सुतः । प्रोवाच विनयाविष्टः प्रणम्य पितरौ रुदन्
At that moment, O Brahmin, the middle son of the Brahmin, filled with humility, bowed to his parents and spoke, weeping.
माता यदि विषं दद्यात्पित्रा विक्रीयते सुतः । राजा हरति सर्वस्वं कस्तत्र पालको भवेत्
If the mother gives poison, the father sells his son, and the king seizes everything—who then will be the protector?
इत्युक्त्वा तत्सुतो मूर्ध्ना प्रणम्य पितरौ सह । दूतैर्जगाम त्वरितै राज्ञोऽस्य दीक्षितस्य च
Having spoken thus, that son, together with his parents, bowed his head to them and departed swiftly with the messengers to the king who was undergoing initiation.
अथ तौ ब्राह्मणौ पुत्रविच्छेदक्लिष्टमानसौ । रुदित्वा च रुदित्वा च अंधभावं प्रजग्मतुः
Then those two Brahmins, their minds tormented by the loss of their son, wept and wept until they became blind.