विद्यावंतं यशस्वंतं करोति च नरं हरिः । शृणु राजन्प्रवक्ष्यामि कथां पापहरां पराम्
Hari makes a man learned and renowned; listen, O King, I will tell you a supreme story that removes sin.
भद्रावत्यां पुरा ह्यासीत्पुर्यां राजा सुकेतुमान् । तस्य राज्ञस्तथाराज्ञी चंपका नाम वर्त्तते
Long ago, in the city of Bhadravati, there lived a king named Suketuman; his queen was known as Campaka.
पुत्रहीनेन राज्ञा च काले नीतो मनोरथैः । नैवात्मजं नृपो लेभे वंशकर्त्तारमेव च
The king, lacking a son, was carried along by his desires over time; yet he did not obtain a son, nor a maker of his lineage.
तेनैव राज्ञा धर्मेण चिंतितं बहुकालतः । किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि सुतप्राप्तिः कथं भवेत्
That king, with righteousness, pondered for a long time: 'What shall I do? Where shall I go? How might I obtain a son?'
न राष्ट्रे न पुरे सौख्यं लेभे राजा सुकेतुमान् । साध्व्य स्वकांतया सार्द्धं प्रत्यहं दुःखितोऽभवत्
King Suketuman found no happiness in his kingdom or city; every day he became sorrowful together with his virtuous wife.
तावुभौ दंपती नित्यं चिंताशोकपरायणौ । पितरोऽस्य जलं दत्तं कवोष्णमुपभुंजते
Both husband and wife were always absorbed in anxiety and grief; his parents, having given him water, partook of it warm.
राज्ञः पश्चान्न पश्यामो योऽस्मान्संतर्पयिष्यति । इत्येवं संस्मरंतोऽस्य दुःखिताः पितरोऽभवन्
'We do not see, after the king, who will satisfy us,' thus remembering this, his parents became distressed.
न बांधवा न मित्राणि नामात्याः सुहृदस्तथा । रोचयंत्यस्य भूपस्य न गजाश्वाः पदातयः
Neither relatives nor friends nor ministers nor companions, nor elephants, horses, or foot soldiers pleased the king.
नैराश्यं भूपतेस्तस्य नित्यं मनसि वर्त्तते । नरस्य पुत्रहीनस्य नास्ति वै जन्मनः फलम्
Despair always dwelled in the mind of that king; for a man without a son, there is truly no fruit of birth.
अपुत्रस्य गृहं शून्यं हृदयं दुःखितं सदा । पितृदेवमनुष्याणां नानृणत्वं सुतं विना
The house of one without a son is empty, the heart is always sorrowful; without a son, there is no freedom from debt to ancestors, gods, and men.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन सुतमुत्पादयेन्नरः । इह लोके यशस्तेषां परलोके शुभा गतिः
Therefore, by every effort, a man should produce a son; in this world, they gain fame, and in the next, an auspicious path.
येषां तु पुण्यकर्तॄणां पुत्रजन्मगृहे भवेत् । आयुरारोग्यसंपत्तिस्तेषां गेहे प्रवर्तते
For those whose house has the birth of a son from doers of merit, long life, health, and prosperity prevail in their home.
पुत्रजन्म गृहे येषां लोकानां पुण्यकारिणाम् । पुण्यं विना न च प्राप्तिर्विष्णुभक्तिं विना नृप
For those in whose house a son is born among the virtuous, attainment is not possible without merit, nor without devotion to Vishnu, O King.
पुत्राश्च संपदो वापि निश्चयादिति मे मतिः । एवं विचिंत्यमानोऽसौ न शर्म लभते नृपः
Sons or wealth, indeed, are certain—this is my thought; thus pondering, that king finds no happiness.
प्रत्यूषे चिंतयद्राजा निशीथे चिंतयत्ततः । स्वयमात्मविनाशं च चिंतयामास केतुमान्
At dawn the king pondered, and again at midnight; Ketuman himself began to contemplate self-destruction.
आत्मघाते दुर्गतिं च चिंतयित्वा तदा नृपः । दृष्ट्वात्मदेहं पतितमपुत्रत्वं तथैव च
Having considered self-harm and misfortune, the king saw his own body fallen, and his childlessness likewise.
पुनर्विचार्यात्मबुद्ध्या आत्मनो हितकारणम् । अश्वारूढस्ततो राजा जगाम गहनं वनम्
Reflecting again with his own mind for the sake of his welfare, the king mounted a horse and went to a dense forest.
पुरोहितादयः सर्वे न जानंति गतं नृपम् । गंभीरे विपिने राजा मृगपक्षिनिषेविते
All the priests and others did not know the king had departed; in the deep forest, frequented by beasts and birds, the king wandered.
विचचार तदा राजा वनवृक्षान्विलोकयन् । वटानश्वत्थबिल्वांश्च खर्जूरान्पनसांस्तथा
Then the king wandered, gazing at the forest trees—banyans, sacred fig trees, bilva trees, as well as date palms and jackfruit trees.
बकुलान्सप्तपर्णांश्च तिंदुकांस्तिलकानपि । शालांस्तालांस्तमालांश्च ददर्श सरलान्नृपः
He saw bakula trees, saptaparna trees, tinduka trees, tilaka trees, as well as sala, palmyra, tamala, and pine trees.
इंगुदी ककुभांश्चैव श्लेष्मातकनगांस्तथा । शल्लकान्करमर्दांश्च पाटलान्बदरानपि
He also saw ingudi and kakubha trees, shleshmātaka trees, shallaki and karamarda trees, patala and jujube trees.
अशोकांश्च पलाशांश्च शृगालाञ्शशकानपि । वनमार्जारमहिषान्शल्लकांश्चमरानपि
He saw ashoka and palasha trees, jackals and hares, wild cats, buffaloes, shallaki antelopes, and also chauris.
ददर्श भुजगान्राजा वल्मीकादर्द्धनिःसृतान् । तथा वनगजान् मत्तान् कलभैः सह संगतान्
The king saw serpents emerging halfway from their anthills, and wild elephants, intoxicated, gathered together with young elephants.
यूथपांश्च चतुर्दंतान्करिणीयूथमध्यगान् । तान्दृष्ट्वा चिंतयामास आत्मनः स गजान्नृपः
He saw leaders of herds, four-tusked elephants, and elephants surrounded by their groups; seeing them, the king thought of his own elephants.
तेषां स विचरन्मध्ये राजा शोभामवाप ह । महदाश्चर्यसंयुक्तं ददृशे विपिनं नृपः
As he moved among them, the king gained splendor; the forest appeared to him filled with great and wondrous sights.
मार्गे शिवारुतान्शृण्वन्नुलूकविरुतं तथा । तांस्तानृक्षमृगान्पश्यन्बभ्राम वनमध्यतः
On the path, hearing the howls of jackals and the cries of owls, seeing various bears and deer, he wandered through the heart of the forest.
एवं ददर्श गहनं नृपो मध्यगते रवौ । क्षुत्तृड्भ्यां पीडितो राजा इतश्चेतश्च धावति
Thus the king saw the dense forest as the sun reached its zenith; afflicted by hunger and thirst, he ran here and there.
नृपतिश्चिंतयामास संशुष्कगलकंधरः । मया तु किं कृतं कर्म प्राप्तं दुःखं यदीदृशम्
The king, his throat and neck parched, began to ponder: 'What deed have I done that I have come to such suffering?'
मया वै तोषिता देवा यज्ञैः पूजाभिरेव च । तथैव ब्राह्मणा दानैस्तोषिता मिष्टभोजनैः
'I have satisfied the gods with sacrifices and worship, and likewise the Brahmins with gifts and delicious food.'
प्रजाश्चैव सदा कालं पुत्रवत्पालिता भृशम् । कस्माद्दुःखं मया प्राप्तमीदृशं दारुणं महत्
'I have always protected my subjects, like sons, at all times; why then has such great and terrible suffering come to me?'