तपश्चकार शीतांशुर्विष्णुध्यानैकतत्परः। ततस्तुष्टश्च भगवांस्तस्मै नारायणो हरिः
The cool-rayed one performed austerities, wholly intent on meditation upon Viṣṇu; then the Blessed Lord Nārāyaṇa, Hari, was pleased with him.
वरं वृणीष्व चोवाच परमात्मा जनार्दनः। ततो वव्रे वरं सोमः शक्रलोके यजाम्यहम्
The Supreme Self, Janārdana, said, 'Choose a boon.' Then Soma chose the boon: 'May I perform sacrifices in the world of Indra.'
प्रत्यक्षमेव भोक्तारो भवंतु मम मंदिरे। राजसूये सुरगणा ब्रह्माद्या ये चतुर्विधाः
'May the gods, Brahmā and the four kinds, be my direct guests in my abode at the Rājasūya sacrifice.'
रक्षपालः सुरोस्माकमास्तां शूलधरो हरः। तथेत्युक्तः समाजह्रे राजसूयं तु विष्णुना
'Let Śiva, the wielder of the trident, be our protector, the guardian of the gods.' Thus addressed, Viṣṇu assembled the Rājasūya sacrifice.
होतात्रिर्भृगुरध्वर्युरुद्गाता च चतुर्मुखः। ब्रह्मत्वमगमत्तस्य उपद्रष्टा हरिः स्वयम्
Atri was the Hotṛ, Bhṛgu the Adhvaryu, and the Four-faced One the Udgātṛ; he attained the status of Brahman, and Hari himself was the overseer.
सदस्याः सर्वदेवास्तु राजसूयविधिः स्मृतः। वसवोध्वर्यवस्तद्वद्विश्वेदेवास्तथैव च
All the gods were members of the assembly; this is remembered as the procedure of the Rājasūya; the Vasus were Adhvaryus, and so too the Viśvedevas.
त्रैलोक्यं दक्षिणा तेन ऋत्विग्भ्यः प्रतिपादिता। सोमः प्राप्याथदुष्प्राप्यमैश्वर्यं सृष्टिसत्कृतं
He gave the three worlds as a fee to the officiating priests; thus Soma attained that sovereignty, difficult to obtain, established by creation.
सप्तलोकैकनाथत्वं प्राप्तस्स्वतपसा तदा। कदाचिदुद्यानगतामपश्यदनेकपुष्पाभरणोपशोभाम्
Then, by his own austerity, he attained lordship over the seven worlds; once, as he was walking in a garden, he saw women adorned with many flowers and ornaments.
बृहन्नितंबस्तनभारखेदां पुष्पावभंगेप्यतिदुर्बलांगीं। भार्यां च तां देवगुरोरनंगबाणाभिरामायत चारुनेत्रां
With broad hips, weighed down by the heaviness of her breasts, her limbs exceedingly weak even at the breaking of flowers, that wife of the preceptor of the gods, with beautiful, wide, charming eyes, was struck by the arrows of Love.
तारां स ताराधिपतिः स्मरार्तः केशेषु जग्राह विविक्तभूमौ। सापि स्मरार्ता सहते न रेमे तद्रूपकांत्याहृतमानसैव
Tormented by desire, the lord of stars seized Tārā by her hair in a secluded place; she too, overcome by love, could not resist nor take pleasure, her mind captivated by his beauty and radiance.
चिरं विहृत्याथ जगाम तारां विधुर्गृहीत्वा स्वगृहं ततोपि। न तृप्तिरासीत्स्वगृहेपि तस्य तारानुरक्तस्य सुखागमेषु
After spending a long time with Tārā, the moon-god took her to his own house; yet, even in his own home, he found no satisfaction in pleasures, being deeply attached to Tārā.
बृहस्पतिस्तद्विरहाग्निदग्धस्तद्ध्याननिष्ठैकमना बभूव। शशाक शापं न च दातुमस्मै न मंत्रशस्त्राग्निविषैरनेकैः
Bṛhaspati, scorched by the fire of separation, became absorbed with a mind fixed solely on meditation upon her; yet he could not cast a curse upon him, nor harm him with mantras, weapons, fire, or poisons of many kinds.
तस्यापकर्तुं विविधैरुपायैर्नैवाभिचारैरपि वागधीशः। स याचयामास ततस्तु देवं सोमं स्वभार्यार्थमनंगतप्तः
Though he tried many means to recover her, even with acts of sorcery, the lord of speech could not succeed; then, burning with the pain of love for his wife, he approached Soma and pleaded.
स याच्यमानोपि ददौ न भार्यां बृहस्पतेः कामवशेन मोहितः। महेश्वरेणाथ चतुर्मुखेन साध्यैर्मरुद्भिः सह लोकपालैः
Even when entreated, Soma did not return the wife of Bṛhaspati, deluded by desire; then, with Maheśvara, the Four-faced One, the Sādhyas, the Maruts, and the guardians of the worlds,
ददौ यदा तां न कथंचिदिंदुस्तदा शिवः क्रोधपरो बभूव। यो वामदेवप्रथितः पृथिव्यामनेकरुद्रार्चितपादपद्मः
When the moon-god still did not give her back in any way, then Śiva, famed as Vāmadeva upon the earth, whose lotus feet are worshipped by countless Rudras, became filled with wrath.
ततः सशिष्यो गिरिशः पिनाकी बृहस्पतेः स्नेहवशानुबद्धः। धनुर्गृहीत्वाजगवं पुरारिर्जगाम भूतेश्वरसिद्धजुष्टः
Then, accompanied by his disciples, the wielder of Pināka, bound by affection for Bṛhaspati, took up his bow and, as the enemy of the cities, set out, attended by the lords of spirits and perfected beings.
युद्धाय सोमेन विशेषदीप्तस्तृतीयनेत्रानलभीमवक्त्रः। सहैव जग्मुश्च गणेश्वराणां विंशाधिका षष्टिरथोग्रमूर्तिः
Blazing especially for battle with Soma, his terrifying face like the fire of his third eye, sixty-six fierce forms of the lords of the Gaṇas went forth together with him.
यक्षेश्वराणां सगणैरनेकैर्युतोन्वगात्स्यंदनसंस्थितानां। वेतालयक्षोरगकिन्नराणां पद्मेन चैकेन तथार्बुदानाम्
The lords of the Yakṣas, with their hosts and many others, followed, mounted on chariots; as did Vetālas, Yakṣas, serpents, Kinnaras, and a hundred million others, along with a single Padma host.
लक्षैस्त्रिभिर्द्वा दशभी रथानां सोमोप्यगात्तत्र विवृद्धमन्युः। शनैश्चरांगारकवृद्धतेजा नक्षत्रदैत्यासुरसैन्ययुक्तः
Soma too, his anger greatly increased, came there with twelve hundred thousand chariots, accompanied by Saturn, Mars, the powerful luminaries, and an army of stars, demons, and Asuras.
जग्मुर्भयं सप्त तथैव लोका धरावनद्वीपसमुद्रगर्भाः। ससोममेवाभ्यगमत्पिनाकी गृहीतदीप्तास्त्रविशालवह्निः
Then the seven worlds, along with the earth, forests, continents, and ocean depths, were seized with fear; Pināka-wielder, blazing with mighty weapons and vast fire, confronted Soma.
अथाभवद्भीषण भीम सोम सैन्यद्वयस्याथ महाहवोसौ। अशेषसत्वक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धस्तीक्ष्णप्रधानो ज्वलनैकरूपः
Then there arose a dreadful, terrible great battle between the two armies of Soma and Śiva; it grew fierce, consuming all beings, sharp and blazing, taking the form of a single fire.
शस्त्रैरथान्योन्यमशेषसैन्यं द्वयोर्जगामक्षयमुग्रतीक्ष्णैः। पतंति शस्त्राणि तथोज्वलानि स्वर्भूमिपातालमलं दहंति
Then, with fierce and sharp weapons, the two sides utterly destroyed each other's armies; blazing weapons fell, burning the heavens, earth, and netherworld completely.
रुद्रः क्रोधाद्ब्रह्मशिरो मुमोच सोमोपि सोमास्त्रममोघवीर्यं। तयोर्निपातेन समुद्रभूम्योरथांतरिक्षस्य च भीतिरासीत्
In anger, Rudra released the Brahmāśira weapon, and Soma, of unfailing power, released the Soma missile; at their descent, fear arose in the ocean, the earth, and the sky.
तदा सुयुद्धं जगतां क्षयाय प्रवृद्धमालोक्य पितामहोपि। ततः प्रविश्याथ कथंचिदेव निवारयामास सुरैः सहैव
Then, seeing that the great battle was raging for the destruction of the worlds, even the Grandfather (Brahmā) entered with the gods and somehow managed to stop it.
अकारणं किं क्षयकृज्जनानां सोम त्वयापीदमकार्यकार्यं। यस्मात्परस्त्रीहरणाय सोम त्वया कृतं युद्धमतीव भीमम्
O Soma, why have you done this terrible, destructive act without cause, bringing ruin to people? Because of your abduction of another's wife, you have waged this exceedingly dreadful war.
पापग्रहस्त्वं भविता जनेषु पापोस्यलं वह्निमुखाशिनां त्वं। भार्यामिमामर्पय वाक्पतेस्त्वं प्रमाणयन्नेव मदीय वाचम्
Among people, you will become a malefic planet, the most sinful among those who consume fire as their mouth; return this wife to Vākpati, affirming my command.
तथेति चोवाच हिमांशुमाली युद्धादपाक्रामदतः प्रशांतः। बृहस्पतिस्तामथ गृह्य तारां हृष्टो जगाम स्वगृहं च रुद्रः
He of the radiant crown assented, saying 'So be it,' and withdrew from the battle, now pacified; then Bṛhaspati, delighted, took Tārā and went to his own house, and Rudra did likewise.
पुलस्त्य उवाच। ततः संवत्सरस्यांते द्वादशादित्यसन्निभः। दिव्यपीताम्बरधरो दिव्याभरणभूषितः
Pulastya said: Then, at the end of a year, there appeared—resembling the twelve suns—one adorned with divine yellow garments and divine ornaments.
तारोदरविनिष्क्रान्तः कुमारस्सूर्यसन्निभः। सर्वार्थशास्त्रविद्विद्वान्हस्तिशास्त्रप्रवर्त्तकः
A son, shining like the sun, emerged from Tārā’s womb, learned in all sciences and the initiator of the science of elephants.
नामयद्राजपुत्रोयं विश्रुतो राजवैद्यकः। राज्ञः सोमस्य पुत्रत्वाद्राजपुत्रो बुधः स्मृतः
He was named the royal prince, renowned as the royal physician; because he was the son of King Soma, he became known as Prince Budha.