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?'
इति चिंतापरो राजा जगामैवाग्रतो वनम् । सुकृतस्य प्रभावेन सरो दृष्टमनुत्तमम्
Thus absorbed in thought, the king went further into the forest; by the power of his merit, he saw an excellent lake.
मीनसंस्पर्शमानं च पद्मैश्चापरशोभितम् । कारंडैश्चक्रवाकैश्च राजहंसैश्च शोभितम्
It was touched by fish, adorned with lotuses, and graced by ducks, chakravaka birds, and royal swans.
मकरैर्बहुभिर्मत्स्यैरन्यैर्जलचरैर्युतम् । समीपे सरसस्तस्य मुनीनामाश्रमान्बहून्
It was filled with crocodiles, many fish, and other aquatic creatures; near that lake were many hermitages of sages.
ददर्श राजा लक्ष्मीवान्शकुनैः शुभशंसिभिः । दक्षिणं प्रास्फुरन्नेत्रमथ सव्येतरः करः
The prosperous king saw auspicious birds; his right eye throbbed, and then his left hand as well.
प्रास्फुरन्नृपतेस्तस्य कथयञ्शोभनं फलम् । तस्य तीरे मुनीन्दृष्ट्वा कुर्वाणन्नैगमं जपम्
The king’s throbbing foretold a favorable outcome; on the shore, he saw sages engaged in Vedic recitation.
हर्षेण महताविष्टो बभूव नृपनंदनः । अवतीर्य हयात्तस्मान्मुनीनामग्रतः स्थितः
Filled with great joy, the king’s son dismounted from his horse and stood before the sages.
पृथक्पृथग्ववंदेऽसौ मुनींस्तान्शंसितव्रतान् । कृतांजलिपुटो भूत्वा दंडवच्च पुनः पुनः
He then respectfully saluted those sages, each one individually, who were renowned for their vows, joining his palms and bowing down again and again like a staff.
प्रत्यूचुस्तेऽपि मुनयः प्रसन्ना नृपते वयम् । राजोवाच- के भवंतोऽत्र कथ्यंतां का चाख्या भवतामपि । किमर्थं संगता यूयं सत्यं वदत मेऽग्रतः
The sages, pleased, replied: 'O King, we are content.' The king said: 'Who are you, sirs, present here? Please tell me your names as well. For what purpose have you gathered? Speak the truth before me.'
मुनय ऊचुः- विश्वेदेवा वयं राजन्स्नानार्थमिह चागताः । माघो निकटमायात एतस्मात्पंचमेऽहनि
The sages said: 'O King, we are the Viśvedevas, come here for the purpose of bathing. Māgha is approaching; on the fifth day from now—'
अद्य चैकादशी राजन्पुत्रदा नाम नामतः । पुत्रं ददात्यसौ विष्णुः पुत्रदा कारिणां नृणाम्
'And today is the Ekādaśī called Putradā by name, O King. Viṣṇu grants a son to those men who observe Putradā.'