बृहत्तनूदराः केपि केकराक्षास्तथापरे। दीर्घकर्णा विकर्णाश्च कर्णैश्च त्रुटितास्तथा
Some had large bodies, others had protruding eyes; some had long ears, some had deformed ears, and others had torn ears.
दीर्घफाला विफालाश्च स्नायुचर्मावगुंठिताः। निर्गतं चोदरं तेषां मुनीनां भावितात्मनां१०० 1.18.
Some had elongated foreheads, others had misshapen foreheads, their tendons and skin exposed; the bellies of those sages of purified mind were visible.
दृष्ट्वा तु पुष्करं तीर्थं दीप्यमानं समंततः। तीर्थलोभान्नरव्याघ्र तस्य तीरे व्यवस्थिताः
Seeing the sacred Puṣkara, glowing all around, human tigers, drawn by the lure of the holy place, gathered at its bank.
वालखिल्या महात्मानो ह्यश्मकुट्टास्तथापरे। दंतोलूखलिनश्चान्ये संप्रक्षालास्तथापरे
There were the great-souled Vālakhilyas, some who crushed stones, others who chewed mortar, and some who practiced purification.
वायुभक्षा जलाहाराः पर्णाहारास्तथापरे। नाना नियमयुक्ताश्च तथा स्थंडिलशायिनः
Some subsisted on air, others on water, some on leaves; many practiced various disciplines, and some lay on bare ground.
सरस्यस्मिन्मुखं दृष्ट्वा सुरूपास्याः क्षणादभुः। किमेतदिति चिंत्याथ निरीक्ष्य च परस्परम्
Upon seeing a face in the lake, they instantly became beautiful-faced; wondering what this was, they gazed at one another.
अस्मिंस्तीर्थे दर्शनेन मुखस्येह सुरूपता। मुखदर्शनमित्येव नाम कृत्वा तु तापसाः
By seeing the face at this holy place, their faces became beautiful; thus, the ascetics named it 'Face-viewing.'
स्नाता नियमयुक्ताश्च सुरूपास्ते तदाभवन्। देवपुत्रोपमा जाता अनौपम्य गुणान्विताः
Having bathed and observed discipline, they became beautiful, like sons of the gods, endowed with incomparable virtues.
शोभमाना नरश्रेष्ठ स्थिताः सर्वे वनौकसः। यज्ञोपवीतमात्रेण व्यभजंस्तीर्थमंजसा
Radiant, O best of men, all the forest-dwellers stood there, dividing the holy place simply by their sacred thread.
जुह्वतश्चाग्निहोत्राणि चक्रुश्च विविधाः क्रियाः। चिंतयंतो हि राजेंद्र तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषाः
They offered agnihotra sacrifices and performed various rites, reflecting, O king, purified of sin through austerity.
न यास्यामो परं तीर्थं ज्येष्ठभावेत्विदं सरः। ज्येष्ठपुष्करमित्येव नाम चक्रुर्द्विजातयः
We shall not go to another holy place; this lake is the greatest. The twice-born named it 'Great Puṣkara.'
तत्र कुब्जान्बहून्दृष्ट्वा स्थितांस्तीर्थसमीपतः। बभूवुर्विस्मितास्तत्र जना ये च समागताः
There, seeing many hunchbacks near the holy place, all those who had gathered were astonished.
दत्वा दानं द्विजातिभ्यो भांडानि विविधानि च। श्रुत्वा सरस्वतीं प्राचीं स्नातुकामा द्विजागताः
Having given various gifts and goods to the twice-born, the Brahmins, they heard of the eastern Sarasvati and, desiring to bathe, the Brahmins arrived.
सरस्वतीतीर्थवरा नानाद्विजगणैर्युता। बदरेंगुदकाश्मर्य प्लक्षाश्वत्थविभीतकैः
The foremost holy places on the Sarasvati, crowded with groups of various Brahmins, were adorned with jujube, inguda, kashmarya, plaksha, asvattha, and vibhitaka trees.
पौलोमैश्च पलाशैश्च करीरैः पीलुभिस्तथा। सरस्वतीतीर्थरुहैर्धन्वनैः स्यंदनैस्तथा
Also with pauloma, palasha, karira, pilu trees, and with the groves and forests of Sarasvati's sacred places, as well as with syandana trees.
कपित्थैः करवीरैश्च बिल्वैराम्लातकैस्तथा। अतिमुक्तकपंडैश्च पारिजातैश्च शोभिता
Adorned with kapittha, karavira, bilva, amlataka, atimukta, kanda, and parijata trees.
कदंबवनभूयिष्ठा सर्वसत्वमनोरमा। वाय्वंबुफलपर्णादैर्दंतोलूखलिकैरपि
Abundant with kadamba groves, delightful to all beings, with fruits, leaves, and flowers moved by wind and water, and even with dantolukhalika trees.
तथाश्मकुट्टमुख्यैश्च वरिष्ठैर्मुनिभिर्वृता। स्वाध्यायघोषसंघुष्टा मृगयूथशताकुला
Also surrounded by the foremost sages, especially those who pound with stones, resounding with the chanting of self-study, and filled with hundreds of herds of deer.
अहिंसैर्धर्मपरमैस्तथा चातीव शोभिता। सुप्रभा कांचनाख्या च प्राची नंदा विशालका
It was also adorned by those devoted to non-violence and supreme righteousness; radiant, called Kanchana, the eastern Nanda, and Vishalaka.
स्रोतोभिः पंचभिस्तत्र वर्तते पुष्करे नदी। पितामहस्य सदसि वर्त्तमाने महीतले
There, the river flows in five streams at Pushkara, while the assembly of Brahma was taking place upon the earth.
वितते यज्ञवाटे तु स्वागतेषु द्विजादिषु। पुण्याहघोषैर्विततैर्देवानां नियमैस्तथा
When the sacrificial enclosure was prepared, and the Brahmins and others had arrived, the auspicious day was proclaimed, and the rules of the gods were observed.
देवेषु चैव व्यग्रेषु तस्मिन्यज्ञविधौ तथा। तत्र चैव महाराज दीक्षिते च पितामहे
And as the gods were engaged in that sacrificial rite, O great king, and Brahma himself had been initiated there.
यजतस्तस्य सत्रेण सर्वकामसमृद्धिना। मनसा चिंतिता ह्यर्था धर्मार्थकुशलास्तथा
As he performed the sacrifice, all his desires were fulfilled; the things he contemplated in his mind, skilled in righteousness and wealth, indeed appeared.
उपतिष्ठंति राजेंद्र द्विजातींस्तत्र तत्र ह। जगुश्च देवगंधर्वा ननृतुश्चाप्सरोगणाः
O king, the twice-born attended him here and there; the gods and Gandharvas sang, and the groups of Apsaras danced.
वादित्राणि च दिव्यानि वादयामासुरंजसा। तस्य यज्ञस्य संपत्या तुतुषुदेर्वता अपि
Divine instruments were played splendidly; by the success of that sacrifice, even the gods were satisfied.
विस्मयं परमं जग्मुः किमु मानुषयोनयः। वर्तमाने तथा यज्ञे पुष्करस्थे पितामहे
They were filled with the utmost wonder—what then of human beings? While the sacrifice continued at Pushkara with Brahma present.
अब्रुवन्नृषयो भीष्म तदा तुष्टास्सरस्वतीम्। सुप्रभां नाम राजेंद्र नाम्ना चैव सरस्वतीम्
Then, O Bhishma, the sages, being pleased, addressed Sarasvati as Suprabha by name, and also as Sarasvati.
ते दृष्ट्वा मुनयः सर्वे वेगयुक्तां सरस्वतीम्। पितामहं भासयंतीं क्रतुं ते बहु मेनिरे
Seeing Sarasvati, swift-flowing and shining upon Brahma's sacrifice, all the sages regarded her as exceedingly great.
एवमेषा सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा पुष्करेषु सरस्वती। पितामहार्थं सम्भूता तुष्ट्यर्थं च मनीषिणाम्
Thus, this best of rivers, Sarasvati, at Pushkara, arose for the sake of Brahma and for the satisfaction of the wise.
पुण्यस्य पुण्यताकारि पंचस्रोतास्सरस्वती। सुप्रभा नाम राजेंन्द्र नाम्ना चैव सरस्वती
Sarasvati, with five streams, made the holy even holier; O king, she is called Suprabha by name, and also Sarasvati.