तदा मे मनसि क्षिप्रं संशयः सुमहानभूत् । चतुर्भुजाः किमेते वै धनुर्बाणधरा नराः
Then, a great doubt quickly arose in my mind: are these four-armed, bow-bearing men truly human?
वैकुंठवासिनां रूपं दृश्यते विजितात्मनाम् । कथमेतैरुपालब्धं ब्रह्माद्यैरपि दुर्ल्लभम्
The form of those dwelling in Vaikuṇṭha is seen among those who have mastered themselves; how have these attained what is hard to obtain even for Brahmā and the others?
शंखचक्रगदाशार्ङ्गपद्मोल्लसितपाणयः । वनमालापरीतांगा विष्णुभक्ता इवांतिके
With hands shining with conch, discus, mace, bow, and lotus, their bodies adorned with garlands of forest flowers, they seemed like devotees of Viṣṇu nearby.
संशयाविष्टचित्तेन मया पृष्टं तदा नृप । यूयं के बत युष्माभिर्लब्धं चातुर्भुजं कथम्
With my mind seized by doubt, I asked them then, O king: Who are you? How have you all obtained this four-armed form?
तदा तैर्बहु हास्यं तु कृत्वा मां प्रतिभाषितम् । ब्राह्मणोऽयं न जानाति पिंडमाहात्म्यमद्भुतम्
Then, after much laughter, they replied to me: 'This brāhmaṇa does not know the wondrous greatness of the piṇḍa-offering.'
इति श्रुत्वाऽवदं चाहं कः पिंडः कस्य दीयते । तन्मम ब्रूत धर्मिष्ठाश्चतुर्भुजशरीरिणः
Hearing this, I said: 'What is the piṇḍa? To whom is it given? Tell me, O righteous four-armed ones.'
तदा मद्वाक्यमाकर्ण्य कथितं तैर्महात्मभिः । सर्वं तत्र तु यद्वृत्तं चतुर्भुजभवादिकम्
Then, hearing my words, those great souls told me everything that had happened there, including the origin of their four-armed forms.
किराता ऊचुः। शृणु ब्राह्मण वृत्तांतमस्माकं पृथुकः शिशुः । नित्यं जंबूफलादीनि भक्षयन्क्रीडया चरन्
The Kirātas said: 'Listen, brāhmaṇa, to our story. Pṛthuka, a child among us, would always eat jambu fruits and wander about in play.'
एकदा रममाणस्तु गिरिशृंगं मनोरमम् । समारुरोह शिशुभिः समंतात्परिवारितः
One day, while playing, he climbed a delightful mountain peak, surrounded on all sides by other children.
तदा तत्र ददर्शाहं देवायतनमद्भुतम् । गारुत्मतादिमणिभिः खचितं स्वर्णभित्तिकम्
Then, there I saw a wondrous temple of the gods, set with gems from Garuḍa's mountain and walls of gold.
स्वकांत्यातिमिरश्रेणीं दारयद्रविवद्भृशम् । दृष्ट्वा विस्मयमापेदे किमिदं कस्य वै गृहम्
Its own radiance pierced the dense darkness like flowing liquid; seeing it, I was amazed: 'What is this? Whose house could it be?'
गत्वा विलोकयामीति किमिदं महतां पदम् । इति संचिंत्य गेहांतर्जगाम बहुभाग्यतः
Thinking, 'Let me go and see—what is this great abode?' he entered the house, blessed by great fortune.
ददर्श तत्र देवेशं सुरासुरनमस्कृतम् । किरीटहारकेयूरग्रैवेयाद्यैर्विराजितम्
There he beheld the Lord of the gods, honored by both gods and demons, radiant with crown, necklace, armlets, chest ornaments, and other adornments.
मनोहरावतंसौ च धारयंतं सुनिर्मलौ । पादपद्मे तुलसिका गंधमत्तषडंघ्रिके
He wore two beautiful, spotless ear ornaments, and on his lotus feet were fragrant tulasi leaves, with bees intoxicated by their scent.
शंखचक्रगदाशार्ङ्ग पद्माद्यैर्मूर्तिसंयुतैः । उपासितांघ्रिं श्रीमूर्तिं नारदाद्यैः सुसेवितम्
He was accompanied by forms bearing conch, discus, mace, bow, lotus, and other emblems; his glorious feet were worshipped by Narada and others, who served him devotedly.
केचिद्गायंति नृत्यंति हसंति परमाद्भुतम् । प्रीणयंति महाराजं सर्वलोकैकवंदितम्
Some sang, some danced, some laughed in supreme wonder, delighting the great king who is revered by all worlds.
हरिं वीक्ष्य मदीयोर्भस्तत्र संजग्मिवान्मुने । देवास्तत्र विधायोच्चैः पूजां धूपादिसंयताम्
Upon seeing Hari, my heart was overwhelmed there, O sage; the gods then performed worship with incense and other offerings, loudly and with devotion.
नैवेद्यं श्रीप्रियस्यार्थे कृत्वा नीराजनं ततः । जग्मुः स्वं स्वं गृहं राजन्कृपां पश्यंत आदरात्
For the sake of the beloved of Shri, they prepared offerings and then performed the waving of lights; afterward, O king, they returned to their own homes, observing his grace with reverence.
महाभाग्यवशात्तेन प्राप्तं नैवेद्यसिक्थकम् । पतितं ब्रह्मदेवाद्यैर्दुर्ल्लभं सुरमानुषैः
By great fortune, the offering of sweet food was obtained there, fallen from the gods led by Brahma, a delicacy rare for gods and humans alike.
तद्भक्षणं च कृत्वाथो श्रीमूर्तिमवलोक्य च । चतुर्भुजत्वमाप्तं वै पृथुकेन सुशोभिना
After eating that, and beholding the glorious form, he attained four arms, beautifully adorned and splendid.
तदास्माभिर्गृहं प्राप्तो बालको वीक्षितो मुहुः । चतुर्भुजत्वं संप्राप्तः शंखचक्रादिधारकः
Then, when we reached home, the boy was observed repeatedly; he had gained four arms and was bearing the conch, discus, and other emblems.
अस्माभिः पृष्टमेतस्य किमेतज्जातमद्भुतम् । तदा प्रोवाच नः सर्वान्बालकः परमाद्भुतम्
We asked him about this, how such a marvelous thing had occurred; then the boy spoke to us all, most wondrously.
शिखराग्रे गतः पूर्वं तत्र दृष्टः सुरेश्वरः । तत्र नैवेद्यसिक्थं तु मया प्राप्तं मनोहरम्
Earlier, I went to the mountain peak and saw the Lord of the gods there; I obtained the delightful offering of sweet food at that place.
तस्य भक्षणमात्रेण कारणेन तु सांप्रतम् । चतुर्भुजत्वं संप्राप्तो विस्मयेन समन्वितः
By the very act of eating it, for that reason, I have now attained four arms, filled with astonishment.
तच्छ्रुत्वा तु वचस्तस्य सद्यः संप्राप्तविस्मयैः । अस्माभिरप्यसौ दृष्टो देवः परमदुर्ल्लभः
Hearing his words, we too were immediately struck with wonder; we also saw that god, exceedingly rare to behold.
अन्नादिकं तत्र भुक्तं सर्वस्वादसमन्वितम् । वयं चतुर्भुजा जाता देवस्य कृपया पुनः । गत्वा त्वमपि देवस्य दर्शनं कुरु सत्तम
There we ate food and other offerings, all imbued with supreme taste; we became four-armed by the god's grace once more. Go, you too, and seek the vision of the god, O noble one.
भुक्त्वा तत्रान्नसिक्थं तु भव विप्र चतुर्भुजः । त्वया पृष्टं यदाश्चर्यं तदुक्तं वाडवर्षभ
Eat the sweet food offering there, O brahmin, and become four-armed; what you asked as a wonder, O best among the Vada people, has thus been told.
ब्राह्मण उवाच। इति श्रुत्वा तु तद्वाक्यं भिल्लानामहमद्भुतम् । अत्याश्चर्यमिदं मत्वा प्रहृष्टोऽभवमित्युत
The Brahmin said: Hearing those words of the Bhillas, so marvelous, I considered this exceedingly astonishing and became filled with joy.
गंगासागरसंयोगे स्नात्वा पुण्यकलेवरः । शृंगमारुरुहे तत्र मणिमाणिक्यचित्रितम्
At the confluence of the Ganga and the ocean, I bathed, my body purified; then I climbed the peak adorned with jewels and rubies.
तत्रापश्यं महाराज देवं देवादिवंदितम् । नमस्कृत्वा कृतार्थोऽहं जातोन्नप्राशनेन च
There, O king, I saw the god, revered by gods and others; after bowing, I was fulfilled, having partaken of the sacred food.