सर्वधर्मक्रियाहीनो बिसस्तैन्यं करोति यः। शुनःसख उवाच। न्यायेन वेदानध्येतु गृहस्थोस्तु प्रियातिथिः
Let him be devoid of all righteous acts, whoever has stolen the lotus roots. Śunaḥsakha said: Let him study the Vedas lawfully and be a householder who welcomes guests with affection.
सत्यं वदतु वाजस्रं बिसस्तैन्यं करोति यः। अग्निं जुहोतु विधिवद्यज्ञं यजतु नित्यशः
Let him always speak the truth, whoever has stolen the lotus roots. Let him offer oblations to the fire according to rule and perform sacrifices continually.
ब्रह्मणस्सदनं यातु बिसस्तैन्यं करोति यः। ऋषय ऊचुः। इष्टमेव द्विजातीनां यदिदं शपथीकृतं
Whoever commits the theft of lotus stalks should go to the abode of Brahma. The sages said: This oath taken by the twice-born is indeed proper.
त्वया कृतं बिसस्तैन्यं सर्वेषां नः शुनःसख। शुनःसख उवाच। मया ह्यंतर्हितान्यासन्बिसानीमानि वो द्विजाः
You have committed the theft of lotus stalks, O friend of Śunah, for all of us. Śunahsakha said: Indeed, I concealed these lotus stalks for you, O twice-born.
धर्मं च श्रोतुकामेन जानीध्वं मां च वासवम्। अलोभादक्षयालोका जिता वो मुनिसत्तमाः
Desiring to hear about dharma, know me also as Vāsava. O best of sages, you have conquered worlds by non-greed and imperishable vision.
विमानमधितिष्ठध्वं गच्छामस्त्रिदशालयम्। ततो महर्षयस्ते तु विज्ञायाथ पुरंदरम्
Ascend the celestial vehicle; let us go to the abode of the gods. Then the great sages, having understood, approached Purandara.
ऊचुः पुरंदरं चेदं वाक्यं वाक्यविशारदाः। इहागत्य नरो यस्तु मध्यमं पुष्करं विशेत्
They spoke these words to Purandara, skilled in speech: Whoever, having come here, enters the middle Puṣkara as a man—
त्रिरात्रोपोषितो भूत्वा लभेदावश्यकं फलम्। द्वादशवार्षिकीदीक्षा स्मृता यातु वनौकसां
Having fasted for three nights, he attains the desired result. The twelve-year vow is remembered among the dwellers of the forest.
तस्याः फलं समग्रं च लभेदिह न संशयः। नासौ दुर्गतिमाप्नोति स्वगणैः सह मोदते
He attains the complete fruit of that vow here, without doubt. He does not fall into misfortune; he rejoices with his companions.
विरिञ्चिस्थानमासाद्य तिष्ठेद्वै ब्रह्मणो दिनम्। पुलस्त्य उवाच। इंद्रेण सह संप्रीतास्तदा जग्मुस्त्रिविष्टपम्
Having reached the place of Virinci, he remains for a day of Brahma. Pulastya said: Then, together with Indra, they joyfully went to heaven.
एवं विलोभ्यमानास्ते लोभैर्बहुविधैरिह। नैव लोभं तथा चक्रुस्तेन जग्मुस्त्रिविष्टपम्
Thus, though tempted here by many kinds of greed, they did not succumb to greed and therefore went to heaven.
इदं यः शृणुयान्नित्यमृषीणां चरितं शुभम्। विमुक्तः सर्वपापेभ्यः स्वर्गलोके महीयते
Whoever hears this auspicious account of the sages daily, freed from all sins, is honored in the world of heaven.
भीष्म उवाच। अत्याश्चर्यवती रम्या कथेयं पापनाशिनी। विस्तरेण च मे ब्रूहि याथातथ्येन पृच्छतः
Bhīṣma said: This story is wondrous and delightful, a destroyer of sin. Tell it to me in detail, as it truly is, since I ask.
माहात्म्यं मध्यमस्यापि ऋषिभिः परिकीर्तितम्। फलं चान्नस्य कथितं माहात्म्यं च दमस्य तु
The greatness of the middle region has been praised by the sages. The fruit of food has been spoken of, as well as the greatness of restraint.
विष्णुना च पदन्यासः कृतो यत्र महामुने। कनीयसस्तथोत्पत्तिर्यथाभूता वदस्व मे
And where Viṣṇu placed his foot, O great sage, and the origin of the youngest—tell me as it truly happened.
पुलस्त्य उवाच। पुरा रथंतरे कल्पे राजासीत्पुष्पवाहनः। नाम्ना लोकेषु विख्यातस्तेजसा सूर्यसन्निभः
Pulastya said: In the ancient Rathaṃtara cycle, there was a king named Puṣpavāhana, renowned in the worlds, radiant like the sun.
तपसा तस्य तुष्टेन चतुर्वक्त्रेण भारत। कमलं कांचनं दत्तं यथाकामगमं नृप
By his austerity, he pleased the four-faced one, O Bhārata, and received a golden lotus, able to go wherever he wished, O king.
सप्तद्वीपानि लोकं च यथेष्टं विचरत्सदा। कल्पादौ तु समं द्वीपं तस्य पुष्करवासिना
He always wandered as he pleased through the seven islands and the world. At the beginning of the cycle, the island was shared with the inhabitants of Puṣkara.
लोकेन पूजितं तस्मात्पुष्करद्वीपमुच्यते। तदेव ब्रह्मणा दत्तं यानमस्य ततोंबुजम्
Because it was honored by the people, it is called Puṣkara Island. That vehicle, a lotus, was given to him by Brahma.
पुष्पवाहन इत्याहुस्तस्मात्तं देवदानवाः। नौपम्यमस्तीह जगत्त्रयेपि ब्रह्मांबुजस्थस्य च तस्य राज्ञः
Therefore, the gods and demons called him Puṣpavāhana. There is no equal in the three worlds to the king who dwells on Brahma's lotus.
तपोनुभावादथ तस्य राज्ञी नारी सहस्रैरभिवंद्यमाना। नाम्ना च लावण्यवती बभूव या पार्वतीवेष्टतमा भवस्य
By the power of his austerity, his queen became a woman honored by thousands, named Lāvaṇyavatī, who was as cherished by Bhava as Pārvatī herself.
तस्यात्मजानामयुतं बभूव धर्मात्मनामग्र्यधनुर्धराणाम्। तदात्मजांस्तानभिवीक्ष्य राजा मुहुर्मुहुर्विस्मयमाससाद
He had ten thousand sons, all righteous and foremost among archers; seeing his sons again and again, the king was repeatedly struck with wonder.
सोभ्यागतं पूज्य मुनिप्रवीरं प्रचेतसं वाक्यमिदं बभाषे। कस्माद्विभूतिरचलामरमर्त्यपूजा जाता कथं कमलजा सदृशी सुराज्ञी
He addressed the revered sage Pracetas, who had arrived and was worthy of worship: 'Why has this unshakable prosperity arisen, honored by gods and mortals alike? How has a queen, equal to Kamalajā, come to be?'
भार्या मयाल्पतपसा परितोषितेन दत्तं ममांबुजगृहं च मुनींद्र धात्रा। यस्मिन्प्रविष्टमपि कोटिशतं नृपाणां सामात्यकुंजररथौघजनावृतानां
With my modest austerity, I pleased my wife, and the lotus-house was given to me by the creator, O chief of sages; even if a hundred million kings entered it, surrounded by ministers, elephants, chariots, and crowds of people—
नालक्ष्यते क्वगतमम्बरगामिभिश्च तारागणेंदुरविरश्मिभिरप्यगम्यम्। तस्मात्किमन्यजननीजठरोद्भवेन धर्मादिकं कृतमशेषजनातिगं यत्
Its location cannot be discerned, not even by those who travel the sky, nor by the stars or the moon whose rays do not reach it; therefore, what has been accomplished by birth from another womb, by dharma and other deeds, that surpasses all people?
सर्वैर्मयाथ तनयैरथ वानयापि सद्भार्यया तदखिलं कथय प्रचेतः। सोप्यभ्यधादथ भवांतरितं निरीक्ष्य पृथ्वीपते शृणु तदद्भुतहेतुवृत्तम्
So, O Pracetas, tell me all of this, whether by me or by my sons or by my virtuous wife; seeing the change of fortune, Pracetas replied, 'O king, listen to the wondrous cause and story.'
जन्माभवत्तव तु लुब्धकुलेपि घोरं जातस्त्वमप्यनुदिनं किल पापकारी। वपुरप्यभूत्तव पुनः पुरुषांगसंधिदुर्गंधिसत्त्वकुनखाभरणं समंतात्
Your birth occurred in a hunter's family, and you were born fierce, committing sinful acts day after day; your body was again that of a man, with foul-smelling nature, nails, and ornaments all around.
न च ते सुहृन्न सुतबंधुजनो न तादृक्नैवस्वसा न जननी च तदाभिशस्ता। अतिसंमता परमभीष्टतमाभिमुखी जाता मही शतवयोषिदियं सुरूपा
You had no friends, no sons or relatives, no sisters, nor a mother, all were cursed; yet this earth, beautiful among hundreds of women, became highly esteemed and most desired, facing you.
अभूदनावृष्टिरतीव रौद्रा कदाचनाहारनिमित्तमस्यां। क्षुत्पीडितेन भवता तु यदा न किंचिदासादितं वन्यफलादि भक्ष्यं
There was a terrible drought, and at some time, due to lack of food, you, afflicted by hunger, could not find any wild fruits or edible things.
अथाभिदृष्टं महदंबुजाढ्यं सरोवरं पंकपरीतरोधः। पद्मान्यथादाय ततो बहूनि गतः पुरं वैदिश नामधेयं
Then you saw a great lotus-filled lake, obstructed by mud; taking many lotuses from there, you went to the city called Vaidiśa.