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.
अथ ते पथ्यगच्छंत विश्वामित्रमुनेः किल । आश्रमं शिष्ययुक्तं च सेवितं मृगशावकैः
As they journeyed along the path, they came to the hermitage of the sage Vishvamitra, which was filled with disciples and attended by young deer.
स मुनी राजपुरुषान्दृष्ट्वा पप्रच्छ सादरम् । के यूयं हो कुत्र गता यथाका वृत्तिरुच्यताम्
Seeing the king's men, the sage respectfully asked, "Who are you? Where have you come from? What is your purpose? Please tell me truly."
राजदूता ऊचुः- शृणुष्वावहितो विप्र राज्ञः पुत्रो न जायते । तदर्थं नरमेधाख्ये यज्ञे राजा सुदीक्षितः
The royal messengers said: "Listen attentively, O Brahmin. The king has no son. For that reason, the king has undertaken a great sacrifice called the Naramedha."
नयामस्तत्र बल्यर्थमिमं ब्राह्मणपुत्रकम् । इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा स विप्रः सदयोऽभवत्
"We are taking this Brahmin boy there as an offering." Hearing their words, the sage was filled with compassion.
प्राणा ममापि गच्छंतु सुखी भवतु बालकः । बालकार्थे द्विजार्थे च स्वाम्यर्थे ये जना इह
"Let my own life depart as well; may the boy be happy. Those who, for the sake of a child, a Brahmin, or their master, give up their lives here—"
त्यजन्ति तृणवत्प्राणांस्तेषां लोकाः सनातनाः । विमृश्येति मुनिः स्वांते स प्रोवाच द्विजर्षभः
"—for them, the eternal worlds are attained. Having considered this, the sage spoke thus in his heart to the best of Brahmins."
यज्ञे बलिं समादातुमिमं ब्राह्मणबालकम् । हित्वा मां नयथाथाशु ह्ययं बालक उत्तमः
"If you must take a Brahmin boy as an offering in the sacrifice, then leave me and quickly take this excellent boy instead."
संसारे जन्मसंप्राप्य न लब्धं सुखमत्र च । अनेन बालकेनापि मरिष्यति कथं त्वयम्
"In this world, after obtaining birth, no happiness is found here. Even this boy will die—how can he escape it?"
आगतेऽस्मिन्गृहाद्दूताः पितरावस्य दुःखितौ । हतभाग्यौ गतो नूनं यमस्येव गृहं प्रति
"Now that the messengers have come to this house, his parents, stricken with grief and bereft of fortune, have surely gone as if to the house of Yama."
एवं तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा दूताः प्रोचुरथ द्विजम् । भूपालस्य विनाज्ञां वै दीननाथस्य भूसुर
Hearing these words, the messengers then said to the Brahmin, "O lord of the afflicted, without the king's command, how can we take you, who are old and wise?"