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.
अनुगृह्णंतु मां सर्वे विप्रा यूयं कृपालवः । तदा तैरनुगृहीतो यदा रामहयं भवान्
'Have mercy on me, all of you compassionate brahmins!' he said. Then, granted their favor, they declared, 'When you become Rāma’s horse—'
स्तंभयिष्यति वेगेन ततो रामकथाश्रुतिः । पश्चान्मुक्तिर्भवित्री ते शापादस्मात्सुदारुणात्
'—and are forcefully restrained, then, upon hearing the story of Rāma, you will later be freed from this most terrible curse.'
स प्रोक्तो मुनिभिर्देवो राक्षसत्वमितः प्रभो । स्तंभयामास रामाश्वं मोचयानघकीर्तनैः
Thus addressed by the sages, the god took on the form of a demon; he immobilized Rāma’s horse, but was released by the chanting of sin-destroying hymns.
शेष उवाच। इति प्रोक्तं तु मुनिना संश्रुत्य परवीरहा । विस्मयं मानयामास हृदि शौनकमब्रवीत्
Śeṣa said: Thus, having heard the sage’s words, the destroyer of enemies was filled with wonder and, honoring him in his heart, spoke to Śaunaka.
शत्रुघ्न उवाच। कर्मणो गहना वार्ता यया सात्वकनामधृत् । दिवं प्राप्तोऽपि महता कर्मणा राक्षसीकृतः
Śatrughna said: The ways of karma are deep indeed—how Sātvaka, even after attaining heaven through great deeds, was made a demon.
स्वामिन्वद महर्षे त्वं कर्मणां स्वगतिर्यथा । येन कर्मविपाकेन यादृशं नरकं भवेत्
Master, tell me, O great sage, how the course of actions leads to their results, and by what fruits of karma one attains which kind of hell.
शौनक उवाच। धन्योसि राघवश्रेष्ठ यत्ते मतिरियं शुभा । जानन्नपि हितार्थाय लोकानां त्वं ब्रवीषि भोः
Śaunaka said: Fortunate are you, best of the Raghus, whose mind is thus auspicious; though you know, you speak for the welfare of the world, O noble one.
कथयामि विचित्राणां कर्मणां विविधा गतीः । ताः शृणुष्व महाराज यच्छ्रुत्वा मोक्षमाप्नुयात्
I shall describe the various destinies of diverse actions; listen to them, O great king, by hearing which one may attain liberation.
परवित्तं परापत्यं कलत्रं पारकं च यः । बलात्कारेण गृह्णाति भोगबुद्ध्या च दुर्मतिः
Whoever, with evil intent, forcibly takes another's wealth, property, wife, or anything belonging to another for enjoyment—
कालपाशेन संबद्धो यमदूतैर्महाबलैः । तामिस्रे पात्यते तावद्यावद्वर्षसहस्रकम्
Bound by the noose of Time, seized by the mighty messengers of Yama, he is cast into Tāmīsra and remains there for a thousand years.