सुमतिरुवाच। स्वामिन्कश्चिन्मुनिर्मृग्योऽखिलज्ञानविचक्षणः । देशोद्भवमहं जाने प्रत्यक्षं न परोक्षजम्
Sumati said: O Lord, there is a certain sage, skilled in all branches of knowledge, whom I seek. I know his place of origin directly, not by hearsay.
शेष उवाच। इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य सुमतेर्धर्मकोविदः । अन्वेषयामास मुनिं सेवकैः सह शोभनम्
Śeṣa said: Hearing these words of Sumati, who was learned in dharma, the king began to search for the sage, together with his attendants, in a fitting manner.
ते सर्वे सर्वतो गत्वा मुनिं धर्मविदं भटाः । व्यालोकयंतः सर्वत्र न चापश्यन्मुनीश्वरम्
All those warriors went everywhere, seeking the sage who knew righteousness, looking in all directions, but they did not see the lord among sages.
एकस्त्वनुचरो विप्र गतो योजनमात्रतः । पूर्वस्यां दिशि चोद्युक्तः पश्यति स्म महाश्रमम्
But one attendant, a brahmin, went about a yojana's distance to the east, and, being diligent, he saw a great hermitage.
यत्र निर्वैरिणः सर्वे पशवो जनतास्तथा । गंगास्नानहताशेषकिल्बिषाः सुमनोहराः
There, all the animals and people were without enmity, their sins washed away by bathing in the Ganges, delightful to behold.
यत्र केचित्तपः श्रेष्ठं कुर्वंति स्म हुताशनैः । धूमैरधोमुखाः पत्रैर्वायुभिः स्वोदरंभराः
There, some were performing supreme austerities with fire offerings, their faces blackened by smoke, sustaining themselves on leaves and air.
यत्राग्निहोत्रजो धूमः पवित्रयति सर्वदा । अनेकमुनिसंहृष्टो मुक्तपत्रलतोत्तमः
There, the smoke arising from the fire sacrifices always purified the place, where many joyful sages dwelled, adorned with the finest vines and leaves.
तमाश्रमं मुनेर्ज्ञात्वा शौनकस्य मनोहरम् । न्यवेदयन्नृपायासौ विस्मयाविष्टचेतसे
Recognizing that charming hermitage as belonging to the sage Śaunaka, he reported it to the king, whose mind was filled with wonder.
तच्छ्रुत्वा हर्षितोऽत्यंतं शत्रुघ्नः सह सेवकैः । हनूमत्पुष्कलाद्यैश्च सयुतोऽगात्तदाश्रमम्
Hearing this, Śatrughna was exceedingly delighted, and, together with his attendants, Hanuman, Puṣkala, and others, he went to that hermitage.
तत्र वीक्ष्य मुनिश्रेष्ठं सम्यग्घुतहुताशनम् । प्रणम्य दंडवत्तस्य चरणौ पापहारिणौ
There, seeing the foremost sage properly tending the sacred fire, he bowed down like a staff, touching the sage’s sin-destroying feet.
तमागतं नृपं ज्ञात्वा शत्रुघ्नं बलिनां वरम् । अर्घ्यपाद्यादिकं चक्रे प्रीतस्तद्दर्शनादभूत्
Knowing that the king, Śatrughna, best among the strong, had arrived, the sage, pleased by his visit, offered him water for washing the feet and other honors.
सुखोपविष्टं विश्रान्तं नृपं प्राह मुनीश्वरः । किमर्थमटनं देव महत्पर्यटनं तव
When the king was comfortably seated and rested, the lord of sages spoke: 'For what purpose, O lord, have you undertaken this great journey?'
त्वादृशाः पृथिवीं सर्वां नृपा वै न भ्रमंति चेत् । तदा दुष्टजनाः साधून्बाधंते विगतज्वरान्
'If kings like you do not roam the whole earth, then wicked people will trouble the virtuous, who are free from anxiety.'
कथयस्व महीपाल शत्रुघ्न बलिनां वर । सर्वं शुभायनो भूयात्तव पर्यटनादिकम्
'Tell me everything, O protector of the earth, Śatrughna, best of the strong; may all your wanderings bring you auspiciousness.'
शेष उवाच। इत्युक्तवंतं भूदेवं प्रत्युवाच महीश्वरः । गद्गद स्वरया वाण्या हर्षित स्वीयविग्रहः
Śeṣa said: Thus addressed, the lord of the earth replied to the sage, his voice choked with emotion, his body filled with joy.
शत्रुघ्न उवाच। अकस्मादभवच्चित्रं रामाश्वस्य मनोहृतः । नातिदूरे त्वदावासात्तच्छृणुष्व विदांवर
Śatrughna said: 'Suddenly, a wondrous event occurred near the place where Rāma’s horse was kept, not far from your hermitage; listen, O best of the wise.'
उद्याने तव शोभाढ्ये यदृच्छातो हयो गतः । तत्प्रांते तस्य वाहस्य गात्रस्तंभोऽभवत्क्षणात्
'In your splendid garden, the horse wandered by chance; at the edge of that horse’s path, its body became paralyzed in an instant.'
तदा मे बलिनो वीराः पुष्कलाद्या मदोत्कटाः । बलादाचकृषुर्वाहं न चचाल तथाप्यसौ
'Then my strong warriors, Puṣkala and the rest, eager and powerful, tried to drag the horse by force, but still it did not move.'
अस्मानपारदुःखाब्धौ मग्नान्प्रतितरिः स्मृतः । दैवाद्दृष्टः सुभाग्यैस्त्वं कथयस्व निदानकम्
We, sunk in the ocean of others’ suffering, remember you as our savior; you, seen by the fortunate through divine grace—tell us the cause of this.
शेष उवाच। एवं पृष्टो मुनिवरः क्षणं दध्यौ महामतिः । ततः कारणसंयुक्तं विचारेण दधद्धयम्
Śeṣa said: Thus questioned, the great-minded sage paused for a moment in thought, then, reflecting with reason, considered the matter with care.
क्षणात्तज्ज्ञानतां प्राप्य विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः । जगाद स महीपालं दुःखितं संशयान्वितम्
In a moment, attaining knowledge of the matter, his eyes wide with wonder, he spoke to the sorrowful, doubtful king.
शौनक उवाच। शृणु राजन्प्रवक्ष्यामि हयस्तंभस्य कारणम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा मुच्यते दुःखादतिचित्रकथानकम्
Śaunaka said: Listen, O King, I will tell you the cause of the horse’s immobility; hearing this most astonishing tale, one is freed from sorrow.
गौडदेशे महारण्ये कावेरीतीरभूषिते । वाडवः सात्वको नाम्ना चचार परमं तपः
In the land of Gauḍa, in a great forest adorned by the banks of the Kaveri, there lived an ascetic named Sātvaka, who practiced supreme austerity.
एकाहं पयसः प्राशी दिनैकं वायुभक्षकः । दिनैकं तु निराहार एवं त्रिदिनमुन्नयेत्
For one day he subsisted on milk, for another day he lived on air alone, and for a third day he fasted entirely—thus he spent three days in this vow.
एवं व्रते प्रवृत्तस्य कालः सर्वक्षयंकरः । जग्राह स्वस्य दंष्ट्रायां मृतिं प्राप महाव्रती
While engaged in this vow, time, the destroyer of all, seized him in its jaws, and the great ascetic met his death.
विमाने सर्वशोभाढ्ये सर्वरत्नविभूषिते । अप्सरोभिः सह क्रीडन्ययौ मेरोः शिखास्थितौ
In a celestial chariot adorned with every splendor and all kinds of jewels, he played with apsarases and went to the summit of Mount Meru.
जंबूनाममहावृक्षस्तत्र सेव्यरसोऽभवत् । नदी जांबवती संज्ञा स्वर्णद्रवसमन्विता
There, a great Jambu tree yielded delightful sap, and the river called Jāmbavatī, filled with liquid gold, flowed nearby.
तस्यां मुनयइच्छाभिः क्रीडंते कुतुकान्विताः । अनेकतपसा पुण्याः सर्वसौख्यसमन्विताः
In that place, sages, by their own wish and full of curiosity, played; purified by many austerities, they enjoyed every happiness.
तत्रासौ स्वेच्छया क्रीडन्नप्सरोभिर्मुदान्वितः । प्रतीपमाचरत्तेषां स्वाभिमानमदोद्धतः
There, he, delighted, played freely with the apsarases, but, puffed up with pride, he behaved arrogantly toward them.
ततः शप्तः स मुनिभी राक्षसो भव दुर्मुखः । ततोऽतिदुःखितः प्राह मुनीन्विद्यातपोधनान्
Then, cursed by the sages, he was told, 'Become a demon, O foul-mouthed one!' Greatly distressed, he addressed those sages, rich in knowledge and austerity.