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.
तन्मूल्यलाभाय पुरं समस्तं भ्रांतं त्वयाशेषमहस्तदासीत्। क्रेता न कश्चित्कमलेषु जातः क्लांतः परं क्षुत्परिपीडितश्च
To obtain their price, you wandered through the entire city, but there was no buyer for the lotuses; exhausted and greatly afflicted by hunger, you were left with nothing.
उपविष्टस्त्वमेकस्मिन्सभार्यो भवनांगणे। ततो रात्रौ भवांस्तत्र अश्रौषीन्मंगलध्वनिं
You sat with your wife in the courtyard of a house; then, at night, you heard auspicious sounds there.
सभार्यस्तत्र गतवान्यत्रासौ मंगलध्वनिः। तत्र मंडलमध्यस्था विष्णोरर्चाविलोकिता
With your wife, you went to the place where those auspicious sounds were; there, in the center of the circle, you saw the image of Viṣṇu.
वेश्यानंगवती नाम बिभ्रती द्वादशीव्रतं। समाप्य माघमासस्य द्वादश्यां लवणाचलं
A courtesan named Aṃgavatī was observing the vow of the twelfth day; having completed it on the twelfth day of the month of Māgha, she went to Lavaṇācala.
न्यवेदयत्तु गुरवे शय्यां चोपस्करान्विताम्। अलंकृत्य हृषीकेशं सौवर्णं सममादरात्
She offered to her teacher a bed adorned with furnishings; having decorated Hṛṣīkeśa with gold, she did so with great reverence.
सा तु दृष्टा ततस्ताभ्यामिदं च परिचिंतितं। किमेभिः कमलैः कार्यं वरं विष्णुरलंकृतः
She was seen by those two, and they considered: 'What is the use of these lotuses? It is better that Viṣṇu is adorned.'
इति भक्तिस्तदा जाता दंपत्योस्तु नरेश्वर। तत्प्रसंगात्समभ्यर्च्य केशवं लवणाचलं
Thus, devotion arose in the couple, O king; because of that, they worshipped Keśava at Lavaṇācala.
शय्या च पुष्पप्रकरैः पूजिताभूच्च सर्वशः। अथानंगवती तुष्टा तयोर्धान्यशतत्रयम्
The bed was worshipped everywhere with heaps of flowers; then Aṃgavatī, pleased with them, gave three hundred measures of grain.
दीयतामादिदेशाथ कलधौतपलत्रयं। न गृहीतं ततस्ताभ्यां महासत्वावलंबनात्
Then, three vessels of well-cleaned metal were ordered to be given; but those two did not accept them, out of their reliance on great virtue.
अनंगवत्या च पुनस्तयोरन्नं चतुर्विधं। आनीय व्याहृतं चान्नं भुज्यतामिति भूपते
Again, by Anangavati, four kinds of food were brought for them, and she said, 'Let the food be eaten,' O King.