नीतं च तद्धनं भूरि यद्युक्तं तद्विधीयताम् । त्वमस्माकं प्रजानां हि रक्षकः शासकोऽसताम्
He has taken much wealth; if it is proper, let it be restored. You are the protector of our people and the ruler over the wicked.
नारद उवाच- इत्याकर्ण्य स भूपालो मंत्रिणं पार्श्ववर्तिनम् । उवाच कोपरक्ताक्षः किमेभिः कथ्यते शृणु
Nārada said: Hearing this, the king, his eyes reddened with anger, addressed his minister who stood nearby: What is being said by these people? Listen.
शीघ्रमानयतं पापं नोचेत्त्वां घातयाम्यहम् । उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ पापिष्ठ साधूनां शं विधीयताम्
Quickly bring the wicked one; otherwise, I will have you killed. Arise, arise, O most sinful one; let the welfare of the virtuous be ensured.
पीड्यंते विषये यस्य प्रजा दस्युभिरुल्बणैः । स नृपो नरकं याति तेभ्यस्ताश्चेन्न रक्षति
In whose realm the subjects are oppressed by fierce robbers, that king goes to hell if he does not protect them.
नारद उवाच- निशम्येति वचो राज्ञः सचिवः स शिवे नृपः । वेगेन हयमारुह्य पदातिशतसंयुतः
Nārada said: Hearing the king’s command, the minister, together with the king, swiftly mounted a horse, accompanied by hundreds of foot soldiers.
ययौ गृहे मुकुंदस्य तस्य बंधूनपृच्छत । मुकुंदः केन निहतः सत्यं ब्रूत ममाग्रतः
He went to Mukunda’s house and questioned his relatives: ‘By whom was Mukunda killed? Tell me the truth before me.’
तं पापं निहनिष्यामि शासनाद्भूपतेरहम् । नारद उवाच- श्रुत्वेति मंत्रिणो वाक्यं प्रत्यूचुर्विप्रबांधवाः
I will destroy that wicked one by the king’s order. Nārada said: Hearing these words of the minister, the relatives of the brāhmaṇa replied.
विप्रबांधवा ऊचुः - चंडकेन हतो मंत्रिन्मुकुंदो नापितेन हि । इदं पलायमानस्य तस्योष्णीषं पपात वै
The brāhmaṇa’s relatives said: Mukunda was killed by the fierce barber. As he was fleeing, his turban fell off.
दृष्टः स्वचक्षुषा वध्वा मुकुंदस्यैव सोघकृत् । किं कुर्मस्तेन पापेन मज्जिताः शोकसागरे
He was seen with her own eyes by Mukunda’s wife, committing the crime. What can we do with that sinner, drowned in the ocean of grief?
नारद उवाच - इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तेषां बंधूनां ब्राह्मणस्य हि । स मंत्री तस्य पापस्य नापितस्य गृहं ययौ
Nārada said: Hearing those words of the brāhmaṇa’s relatives, the minister went to the house of that wicked barber.
अश्वादुत्तीर्य तरसा तद्गृहं स्वयमाविशत् । कतिभिः पत्तिभिः सार्द्धं शयानं च ददर्श ह
Dismounting quickly from his horse, he entered the house himself, together with a few soldiers, and saw the barber lying there.
पत्तयस्तु तदाज्ञप्ताः केशेष्वाकृष्य तत्क्षणात् । तल्पादुत्थापयामासुस्तं पापं नापिताधमम्
The soldiers, commanded at that moment, dragged him by the hair and lifted that wicked, vile barber from his bed.
किं किमित्येव संजल्पन्नेत्रे उन्मीलयत्यसौ । यावत्स नापितः पापस्तावत्तं ददृशे पुरः
Muttering ‘What, what?’ he opened his eyes, and as soon as the sinful barber saw them before him,
संस्मरंतं निजं कर्म रात्रौ यत्कृतवानघम् । अधोमुखः क्षणं तस्थौ पश्यन्मूर्ध्नि स्थितं यमम्
Remembering his own deed, the sin he committed at night, he stood for a moment with his head bowed, seeing Yama standing above his head.
ग्राहयित्वा च सचिवस्तं पापं च स्वपत्तिभिः । निनाय नृपतेः पार्श्वमिति चोवाच भूपतिम्
The minister, having seized that wicked one with his soldiers, brought him before the king and spoke to the ruler.
आनीतो ब्रह्महा राजन्नयं चंडक नापितः । यदाज्ञापयसि स्वामिंस्तरसा तत्करोम्यहम्
He said: ‘O king, here is the murderer of a brāhmaṇa, the fierce barber. Whatever you command, master, I will do at once.’
राजोवाच- धर्मज्ञ सचिवश्रेष्ठ शृणु त्वं वचनं मम । इयं सरिद्वरा युष्मंश्चंद्रभागात्र निर्मलाः
The king said: ‘O wise minister, listen to my words. This river, Candrabhāgā, is pure and excellent among rivers.’
त्यजंति येऽत्र वै प्राणाल्लँभंते ते सुरास्पदम् । अत एष न हंतव्यः पापात्मा ह्यत्र नापितः
Those who give up their lives here attain the abode of the gods. Therefore, this sinful barber must not be killed here.
पंचकोशांतरे ह्यस्या मर्यादाया बहिर्यदि । नरकान्दारुणान्ह्येष ब्रह्महा यातु मा चिरम्
If, outside the boundary of this river, in the region of Pañcakośa, he crosses the limit, let this murderer of a brāhmaṇa quickly go to the dreadful hells.
नारदोवाच- इत्युक्तस्तेन वै राज्ञा स राजन्मंत्रिसत्तमः । श्वपचान्प्रेरयामास हंतुं तं भूपशासनात्
Nārada said: Thus instructed by the king, the excellent minister sent the outcaste men to kill him by the king’s order.
श्वपचास्ते तमुन्नीय चंद्रभागापरे तटे । योजनद्वयभूभागं चिच्छिदुस्तस्य मस्तकम्
Those outcastes, taking him to the far bank of the Candrabhāgā, at a distance of two yojanas, severed his head.
स पापो मारवे देशे सर्पोऽभूत्कालविग्रहः । धवकोटरमध्यस्थो विषज्वालाकराननः
That sinner became a serpent in the region of Māra, with the form of Time, dwelling in the hollow of a dhava tree, his mouth blazing with poison flames.
स शुष्को धववृक्षस्तु तस्य फूत्कारवह्निना । तथा तपनतापेन सरसोऽपि यथा ह्रदः
Just as a dry dhava tree is consumed by the blast of fire, or as a pond dries up from the heat of the sun,
गमनात्तस्य पापस्य सर्वतो वृक्षमूषरम् । उच्छिद्य तृणजातादि जातं पश्वहितं तदा
so, because of that sinner's passage, the entire grove became barren, all grasses and plants useful for cattle were destroyed.
तत्र जातु समायातः सार्थो दक्षिणदेशतः । नारायणाश्रमं गच्छन्बदर्याख्यं शिवे नृप
Once, a caravan arrived there from the southern region, O king, traveling toward the holy hermitage of Nārāyaṇa, called Badarī.
तत्रैको ब्राह्मणः कश्चित्सार्थेसंमीलितः पथि । निश्छिद्रां काष्ठमंजूषां पितृमात्रस्थिसंयुताम्
There, a certain brāhmaṇa from the caravan, having stopped on the path, was carrying a wooden box without any holes, containing the bones of his father and mother.
स्कंधेन धारयन्याति तानि पातयितुं नृप । गंगांभसि महाभाग पापिनामपि कामदे
He carried it on his shoulder, O blessed one, intending to immerse those remains in the waters of the Gaṅgā, which fulfills the wishes even of sinners.
सोऽप्यागतस्तत्र वने यत्रास्ति स भुजंगमः । विविक्ते क्षिप्य मंजूषां शलाकालोहनिर्मिताम्
He too arrived in that forest where the serpent resided, and in a secluded spot he set down the box, which was made with iron rods.
अथागत्य भुजंगोऽसौ शलाकां फणयाघटत् । किंचिदुद्धाटितायां स मंजूषायां समाविशत्
Then the serpent came there, struck the rod with his hood, and, as the box was slightly opened, he entered inside.
पुनः शलाका स्वंस्थानमागताथ स कुंडली । तत्रैव तस्थौ निश्चेष्टो मंजूषायां विषोल्बणः
The rod returned to its place, and the coiled serpent remained there, motionless and full of venom, inside the box.