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?"
नेतुं त्वां पलितं प्राज्ञ नेष्यामो हि कथं वयम् । एवमुक्त्वा च ते दूता जग्मू राज्ञः पुरीं तदा
"Having spoken thus, the messengers departed at that time for the king's city."
स मुनिर्दूतसंघैश्च गतवान्यज्ञमंदिरम् । राजानं कथयामासुर्दूता विप्रस्य चेष्टितम्
The sage, along with the group of messengers, went to the sacrificial hall. The messengers told the king all that the Brahmin had done.
तच्छ्रुत्वाशंकितमनाः प्रोवाचेदं वचः स तम् । मुने यद्यपि मे यज्ञे कृते पुत्रो भविष्यति
Hearing this, the king, his mind filled with doubt, spoke these words to him: "O sage, even if I perform this sacrifice, will I truly have a son?"
बलिं विनापि भो ब्रह्मन्तदा विप्रसुतं नय
"O Brahmin, even without the offering, bring the Brahmin's son here."
मुनिरुवाच- यज्ञे त्वया कृते राजन्महापुत्रो भविष्यति । अत्र ते संशयो मा भूदमोघमपि दर्शनम्
The sage said: "O king, by your sacrifice you will indeed have a great son. Let there be no doubt in this; even the mere sight will not be fruitless."
इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा राजात्यंतसहर्षकः । चक्रे पूर्णाहुतिं यज्ञे समस्तैर्मुनिभिः सह
Hearing these words, the king, filled with great joy, performed the final oblation in the sacrifice together with all the sages.
अथातः स मुनिः श्रेष्ठो ब्राह्मणस्य सुतं च तम् । गृह्य दशपुरं नाम नगरं गतवांस्तदा
Then that eminent sage took the son of the brāhmaṇa and went to the city called Daśapura.
भवनं तस्य गत्वा च उक्तवान्वचनं मुनिः । गृहे त्वं तिष्ठसे विप्र तिष्ठामि मृतवन्मुने
Having entered his house, the sage spoke these words: 'O brāhmaṇa, you remain in your home as if you were dead, O sage.'
राजा बलेन मे पुत्रं नीतवान्किं करोम्यहम् । पुत्रे गते च भो विप्र दंपत्योरावयोः पुनः
'The king has taken my son by force—what am I to do? O brāhmaṇa, with my son gone, both my wife and I—'
गतानि चांधभावं वै क्रंदनैर्लोचनान्यपि । अथासौ मुनिशार्दूलः पुत्रं पश्य नयेति च
'—have lost our sight from weeping, and our eyes have become blind. Then that tiger among sages said, "See your son, let us go."'
उक्तवांस्तौ यदा विप्र ब्राह्मणौ जातहर्षकौ । पुत्रायाकारणं कृत्वा गतावेतौ बहिः क्षणात्
When the sage had spoken thus, the two brāhmaṇas, filled with joy, immediately went outside to see their son.
मुनेर्वचनसिद्धित्वात्तत्क्षणं लोचनं तयोः । आलोकं तु गतं तूर्णं पुत्रस्य दर्शनादपि
By the power of the sage's words, at that very moment, their sight returned swiftly, even before seeing their son.
पुत्रस्य मुखपद्मं तौ लोचनैरलिसंनिभैः । पीत्वा मुनिं चिरंतं च नमस्कृत्य पुनः पुनः
With eyes like bees, they drank in the lotus-face of their son; and again and again, they bowed deeply to the sage.
प्रोचतुर्वचनं विप्रा ब्राह्मणौ प्रियवादिनौ । अहो मुने जीवदानमावयोः सुकृतं किल
The two brāhmaṇas, speaking kindly, said: 'O sage, you have truly restored our lives—this is our great good fortune.'
तयोरेव वचः श्रुत्वा स मुनिः करुणार्णवः । दत्वाशिषं च तौ विप्र जगाम निजमाश्रमम्
Hearing their words, the sage, ocean of compassion, gave them his blessing and returned to his own hermitage.
मुनिः करगतं चैव कृत्वा विष्णोः परं पदम् । तपस्तेपे महाभागो दैवतैरपि दुर्ल्लभम्
The sage, holding in his hand the supreme abode of Viṣṇu, performed austerities—so great that even the gods find them hard to attain.
किंचित्काले गते विप्र तस्य राज्ञोऽभवत्सुतः । सुंदरो राजयोग्यश्च इंदुःक्षीरनिधाविव । पुत्रोत्सवे सोऽपि विप्र राजा दत्वा धनानि वै
After some time, O brāhmaṇa, that king had a son—handsome and fit to rule, like the moon in the ocean of milk. At the festival for his son, the king gave away much wealth.
बुभुजे देववद्भूम्यां विशोको जातकौतुकः । विप्रान्पालयते यस्तु प्राणान्दत्वा धनान्यपि
He enjoyed the earth like a god, free from sorrow and filled with joy. He protected the brāhmaṇas, giving them even his life and wealth.
स याति विष्णुभवनं पुनरावृत्तिदुर्ल्लभम् । पठंति येऽत्र भक्त्या च शृण्वंति विप्रतः कथाम्
He attains the abode of Viṣṇu, which is rarely returned from. Those who recite or listen with devotion to this story from a brāhmaṇa—
आख्यानं श्लोकमेकं वा गच्छंति विष्णुमंदिरम्
—even a single verse of this tale—go to the temple of Viṣṇu.