न चान्यत्कारणं किंचिद्धास्यहेतुः शुचिस्मिते। न सामन्यततं देवी प्राहालीकमिदं तव
O bright-smiling one, there is no other reason for this laughter; nor did the queen say anything false to you.
अहमेवेह हसिता न जीविष्ये त्वयाधुना। कथं पिपीलिकालापं मर्त्यो वेत्ति सुरादृते
'I alone have laughed here; now I will not live with you. How can a mortal know the speech of ants unless he is a god?'
तस्मात्त्वयाहमेवाद्य हसिता किमतः परम्। ततो निरुत्तरो राजा जिज्ञासुस्तद्वचो हरेः
Therefore, I alone have been laughed at by you today—what more is there to say? Then the king, speechless, wished to know the meaning of her words.
आस्थाय नियमं तस्थौ सप्तरात्रमकल्मषः। स्वप्नान्ते प्राह तं ब्रह्मा प्रभाते पर्यटन्पुरम्
He observed a vow, remaining pure for seven nights; at the end of his dream, Brahmā spoke to him as he wandered the city at dawn.
वृद्धद्विजोत्तमाद्वाक्यं सर्वं ज्ञास्यति ते प्रिया। इत्युक्त्वांतर्दधे ब्रह्मा प्रभाते च नृपः पुरात्
'Your beloved will learn everything from an aged, excellent brāhmaṇa.' Having said this, Brahmā vanished, and in the morning the king left the city.
निर्गच्छन्मन्त्रिसहितः सभार्यो वृद्धमग्रतः। गदंतं विप्रमायांतं वृद्धं च स ददर्श ह
Departing with his ministers and wife, he saw ahead an old brāhmaṇa, speaking and approaching, and beheld that aged one.
ब्राह्मण उवाच। ये विप्रमुख्याः कुरुजांगलेषु दाशास्तथा दाशपुरे मृगाश्च। कालंजरे सप्त च चक्रवाका ये मानसे तेत्र वसंति सिद्धाः
The brāhmaṇa said: 'Those foremost brāhmaṇas in Kurujāṅgala, the Dāśas in Dāśapura, the deer, the seven cakravāka birds in Kālañjara, and the siddhas dwelling in Mānasasaras—'
इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्य स पपात शुचान्वितः। जातिस्मरत्वमगमत्तौ च मंत्रिवरात्मजौ
Hearing his words, he fell down, overcome with grief; the minister's sons attained remembrance of their past births.
कामशास्त्रप्रणेता तु बाभ्रव्यः स तु बालकः। पंचाल इति लोकेषु विश्रुतः सर्वशास्त्रवित्
Bābhravya, the author of the treatise on love, was that boy, renowned among the people as Pañcāla, knower of all scriptures.
पुंडरीकोपि धर्मात्मा वेदशास्त्रप्रवर्तकः। भूत्वा जातिस्मरौ शोकात्पतितावग्रतस्तथा
Puṇḍarīka also, righteous-souled and promoter of Vedic knowledge, having become one who remembers past births, likewise fell in front from grief.
हा वयं कर्मविभ्रष्टाः कामतः कर्मबंधनात्। एवं विलप्य बहुशस्त्रयस्ते योगपारगाः
'Alas, we are fallen from our duties, bound by karma out of desire!' Lamenting thus, those masters of yoga, versed in many scriptures—
विस्मयाच्छ्राद्धमाहाम्यमभिनंद्य पुनः पुनः। स तु तस्मै धनं दत्त्वा प्रभूतग्रामसंयुतम्
Amazed, they praised the greatness of the śrāddha again and again; and he gave him wealth, together with many villages.
विसृज्य ब्राह्मणं तं च वृद्धं धनमदान्वितम्। आत्मीयं नृपतिः पुत्रं नृपलक्षणसंयुतम्
The king, setting aside that elderly brāhmaṇa who was filled with pride in his wealth, appointed his own son, endowed with the marks of royalty.
विष्वक्सेनाभिधानं च राजाराज्येभ्यषेचयत्। मानसे सलिले सर्वे ततस्ते योगिनां वराः
He anointed his son, named Viṣvaksena, as ruler over the kingdoms; and then all those foremost of yogins, in the waters of the Mānasa lake—
ब्रह्मदत्तादयस्तस्मिन्पितृभक्ता विमत्सराः। सन्नतिश्चाभवद्धृष्टा मयैव तव दर्शितम्
Brahmadatta and the others, devoted to their ancestors and free from envy, became bold in their humility, as I have shown you.
राजन्योगफलं सर्वं यदेतदभिलक्ष्यते। तथेति प्राह राजापि पुरस्तादभिनंदयन्
The king, rejoicing in front of them, said: 'All the fruits of royal yoga that are sought after—so it is, just as you have said.'
त्वत्प्रसादादिदं सर्वं मयैवं प्राप्यते फलम्
'All this fruit has been attained by me through your grace alone.'
ततस्ते योगमास्थाय सर्व एव वनौकसः। ब्रह्मरंध्रेण परमं पदमापुस्तपोबलात्
Then all those forest-dwellers, having taken up yoga, attained the supreme state through the Brahmarandhra by the power of their austerity.
एवमायुर्धनं विद्यां स्वर्गमोक्षसुखानि च। प्रयच्छंति सुतं राज्यं नृणां तुष्टाः पितामहाः
In this way, the grandfathers, when pleased, grant to men long life, wealth, knowledge, the joys of heaven and liberation, as well as sons and kingdoms.
इदं च पितृमाहात्म्यं ब्रह्मदत्तस्य वै नृप। द्विजेभ्यः श्रावयेद्विद्वान्शृणोति पठतेपि वा। कल्पकोटिशतं साग्रं ब्रह्मलोके महीयते
O king, this greatness of the ancestors of Brahmadatta—if a learned man recites or hears it read to the twice-born, he is honored in the world of Brahmā for a full hundred crores of kalpas.
भीष्म उवाच। कस्मिन्वासरभागे तु श्राद्धी श्राद्धं समाचरेत्। तीर्थेषु केषु वै श्राद्धं कृतं बहुफलं द्विज
Bhīṣma said: At what time of day should one perform the śrāddha rite? And at which holy places does performing śrāddha yield the greatest fruit, O twice-born?
पुलस्त्य उवाच। तीर्थं तु पुष्करं नाम यत्तु श्रेष्ठतमं स्मृतम्। सर्वेषां द्विजमुख्यानां मनोरथमिव स्थितम्
Pulastya said: The holy place called Puṣkara is regarded as the most excellent; it stands as the cherished wish of all foremost brāhmaṇas.
तत्र दत्तं हुतं जप्तमनन्तं भवति ध्रुवम्। पितॄणां वल्लभं नित्यमृषीणां परमं मतम्
Whatever is given, offered in sacrifice, or recited there becomes infinite and certain; it is always dear to the ancestors and held as supreme by the sages.
नंदाथ ललिता तद्वत्तीर्थं मायापुरी शुभा। तथा मित्रपदं राजंस्ततः केदारमुत्तमम्
Likewise, the holy places Nandā and Lalitā, and the auspicious city of Māyāpurī; also Mitrapada, and then the most excellent Kedāra.
गंगासागरमित्याहुः सर्वतीर्थमयं शुभम्। तीर्थं ब्रह्मसरस्तद्वच्छतद्रुसलिलं शुभम्
They say that Gaṅgāsāgara is the auspicious holy place made of all tīrthas; also the holy lake of Brahmā, and likewise the auspicious waters of the Śatadru.
तीर्थं तु नैमिषं नाम सर्वतीर्थफलप्रदम्। गंगोद्भेदस्तु गोमत्यां यत्रोद्भूतः सनातनः
There is also the holy place called Naimiṣa, which grants the fruit of all holy places; and where the eternal Gaṅgā emerges in the Gomati.
तथा यज्ञवराहस्तु देवदेवश्च शूलधृक्। यत्र तत्कांचनं दानमष्टादशभुजो हरः
There too is Yajñavarāha, and the god of gods who bears the trident; there, the eighteen-armed Hara receives the gift of gold.
नेमिस्तु धर्मचक्रस्य शीर्णा यत्राभवत्पुरा। तदेतन्नैमिशारण्यं सर्वतीर्थनिषेवितम्
There, in ancient times, the rim of the wheel of dharma was worn away by Nemi; that is the Naimiṣāraṇya, frequented by all holy places.
देवदेवस्य तत्रापि वराहस्य च दर्शनम्। यः प्रयाति स पूतात्मा नारायणपुरं व्रजेत्
There, too, is the vision of the god of gods and of Varāha; whoever goes there, purified in soul, reaches the city of Nārāyaṇa.
कोकामुखं परं तीर्थमिन्द्रमार्गोपि लक्ष्यते। अथापि पितृतीर्थं तु ब्रह्मणोव्यक्तजन्मनः
Kokāmukha is regarded as a supreme holy place, as is Indramārga; and also Pitṛtīrtha, belonging to Brahmā of unmanifest birth.