अरोषमोहः समलोष्टकांचनः प्रहीणशोको गतसंधिविग्रहः। अपेतनिंदास्तुतिरप्रियाप्रियश्चरन्नुदासीनवदेव भिक्षुः
Free from anger and delusion, regarding clod and gold alike, freed from sorrow, without conflict or alliance, beyond praise or blame, moving among the pleasant and unpleasant, the mendicant wanders indifferent, like a witness.
भीष्म उवाच। यदेतत्कथितं ब्रह्मंस्तीर्थमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम्। कमलस्याभिपातेन तीर्थं जातं धरातले
Bhīṣma said: O Brāhmaṇa, this supreme glory of the holy place which you have described, the tīrtha that arose on earth by the fall of the lotus—
तत्रस्थेन भगवता विष्णुना शंकरेण च। यत्कृतं मुनिशार्दूल तत्सर्वं परिकीर्त्तय
O tiger among sages, recount in detail all that was done there by the blessed Vishnu and Shankara.
कथं यज्ञो हि देवेन विभुना तत्र कारितः। के सदस्या ऋत्विजश्च ब्राह्मणाः के समागताः
How was the sacrifice performed there by the divine Lord? Who were the officiating priests and Brahmins who assembled?
के भागास्तस्य यज्ञस्य किं द्रव्यं का चदक्षिणा। का वेदी किं प्रमाणं च कृतं तत्र विरंचिना
What were the portions of that sacrifice, what materials were used, what was the sacrificial fee? What was the altar, and what measurements did Virinchi establish there?
यो याज्यः सर्वदेवानां वेदैः सर्वत्र पठ्यते। कं च काममभिध्यायन्वेधा यज्ञं चकार ह
Who was the recipient of the sacrifice, praised everywhere in the Vedas as the object of worship for all the gods? Which desire did the Creator contemplate when he performed the sacrifice?
यथासौ देवदेवेशो ह्यजरश्चामरश्च ह। तथा चैवाक्षयः स्वर्गस्तस्य देवस्य दृश्यते
Just as that Lord of gods is immortal and unaging, so too is his heaven seen to be imperishable.
अन्येषां चैव देवानां दत्तः स्वर्गो महात्मना। अग्निहोत्रार्थमुत्पन्ना वेदा ओषधयस्तथा
For the other gods as well, the great-souled one granted heaven; for the sake of the agnihotra, the Vedas and herbs also arose.
ये चान्ये पशवो भूमौ सर्वे ते यज्ञकारणात्। सृष्टा भगवतानेन इत्येषा वैदिकी श्रुतिः
All other animals on earth were created by the blessed one for the purpose of sacrifice; this is the Vedic tradition.
तदत्र कौतुकं मह्यं श्रुत्वेदं तव भाषितम्। यं काममधिकृत्यैकं यत्फलं यां च भावनां
I am curious to hear from you what desire was considered, what result and what intention were involved, as you have spoken.
कृतश्चानेन वै यज्ञः सर्वं शंसितुमर्हसि। शतरूपा च या नारी सावित्री सा त्विहोच्यते
You ought to describe fully the sacrifice performed by him; and the woman named Shatarupa is here called Savitri.
भार्या सा ब्रह्मणः प्रोक्ताः ऋषीणां जननी च सा। पुलस्त्याद्यान्मुनीन्सप्त दक्षाद्यांस्तु प्रजापतीन्
She is said to be the wife of Brahma and the mother of the sages; she gave birth to the seven sages beginning with Pulastya, and to the progenitors beginning with Daksha.
स्वायंभुवादींश्च मनून्सावित्री समजीजनत्। धर्मपत्नीं तु तां ब्रह्मा पुत्रिणीं ब्रह्मणः प्रियः
Savitri also gave birth to the Manus beginning with Svayambhuva; Brahma made her his lawful wife, beloved as the mother of his children.
पतिव्रतां महाभागां सुव्रतां चारुहासिनीं। कथं सतीं परित्यज्य भार्यामन्यामविंदत
How did Brahma, abandoning his virtuous, devoted, and noble wife with beautiful smile, seek another spouse?
किं नाम्नी किं समाचारा कस्य सा तनया विभोः। क्व सा दृष्टा हि देवेन केन चास्य प्रदर्शिता
What is her name, what are her qualities, whose daughter is she, O Lord? Where was she seen by the god, and by whom was she shown to him?
किं रूपा सा तु देवेशी दृष्टा चित्तविमोहिनी। यां तु दृष्ट्वा स देवेशः कामस्य वशमेयिवान्
What is her form, that goddess seen as enchanting to the mind, whom, upon seeing, the Lord of gods fell under the sway of desire?
वर्णतो रूपतश्चैव सावित्र्यास्त्वधिका मुने। या मोहितवती देवं सर्वलोकेश्वरं विभुम्
In color and beauty she surpasses Savitri, O sage; she bewitched the god, the sovereign of all worlds.
यथा गृहीतवान्देवो नारीं तां लोकसुंदरीं। यथा प्रवृत्तो यज्ञोसौ तथा सर्वं प्रकीर्तय
Describe in detail how the god took that woman, the beauty of the worlds, and how the sacrifice was then commenced.
तां दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्मणः पार्श्वे सावित्री किं चकार ह। सावित्र्यां तु तदा ब्रह्मा कां तु वृत्तिमवर्त्तत
Upon seeing her beside Brahma, what did Savitri do? And what conduct did Brahma adopt toward Savitri at that time?
सन्निधौ कानि वाक्यानि सावित्री ब्रह्मणा तदा। उक्ताप्युक्तवती भूयः सर्वं शंसितुमर्हसि
What words did Savitri speak to Brahma in his presence then? Whether spoken or unspoken, you ought to relate everything.
किं कृतं तत्र युष्माभिः कोपो वाथ क्षमापि वा। यत्कृतं तत्र यद्दृष्टं यत्तवोक्तं मया त्विह
What did you do there—was it anger, or was it forgiveness? Whatever was done, whatever was seen, whatever was said by you there, tell me here.
विस्तरेणेह सर्वाणि कर्माणि परमेष्ठिनः। श्रोतुमिच्छाम्यशेषेण विधेर्यज्ञविधिं परं
Here, in detail, I wish to hear all the deeds of the Grandfather, and fully the supreme ordinance of sacrifice.
कर्मणामानुपूर्व्यं च प्रारंभो होत्रमेव च। होतुर्भक्षो यथाऽचापि प्रथमा कस्य कारिता
The sequence of the rites, their commencement, the Hotṛ priest himself, how the Hotṛ’s portion was assigned, and for whom the first offering was made—
कथं च भगवान्विष्णुः साहाय्यं केन कीदृशं। अमरैर्वा कृतं यच्च तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति
And how the Blessed Viṣṇu assisted, by whom, and in what manner; and what was done by the immortals—this you should relate.
देवलोकं परित्यज्य कथं मर्त्यमुपागतः। गार्हपत्यं च विधिना अन्वाहार्यं च दक्षिणम्
How did he leave the world of the gods and come to the mortal realm? The household fire, the prescribed Anvāhārya and Dakṣiṇa fires—
अग्निमाहवनीयं च वेदीं चैव तथा स्रुवम्। प्रोक्षणीयं स्रुचं चैव आवभृथ्यं तथैव च
The Āhavanīya fire, the altar, the ladle, the sprinkling vessel, the sacrificial spoon, and the Āvabhṛtha rite as well—
अग्नींस्त्रींश्च यथा चक्रे हव्यभागवहान्हि वै। हव्यादांश्च सुरांश्चक्रे कव्यादांश्च पितॄनपि
How he made the three fires, truly bearers of the oblations; how he made the gods the receivers of offerings, and the ancestors the receivers of ancestral rites—
भागार्थं यज्ञविधिना ये यज्ञा यज्ञकर्मणि। यूपान्समित्कुशं सोमं पवित्रं परिधीनपि
For the sake of portions, by the ordinance of sacrifice, which sacrifices and sacrificial acts were performed; the sacrificial posts, the fuel, the sacred grass, the soma, the purifier, and the enclosing sticks—
यज्ञियानि च द्रव्याणि यथा ब्रह्मा चकार ह। विबभ्राज पुरा यश्च पारमेष्ठ्येन कर्मणा
And the sacrificial materials, how Brahmā made them; and who in ancient times shone forth by the act of the Grandfather—
क्षणा निमेषाः काष्ठाश्च कलास्त्रैकाल्यमेव च। मुहूर्तास्तिथयो मासा दिनं संवत्सरस्तथा
Moments, twinklings, measures of time, and the single unit of time; muhūrtas, lunar days, months, days, and the year as well—