यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण मुक्तो भवति मानवः ।।.
By merely seeing him, a person becomes liberated.
पुरा राथंतरे कल्पे वीरधन्वा महीपतिः
Long ago, in the Rāthaṃtara kalpa, there was a king named Vīradhanvan.
स कदाचिद्वनं गत्वा मृगहेतोर्वरानने
Once, he went into the forest, O beautiful-faced one, in pursuit of deer.
जगाम तत्र यत्रासन्भ्रातरः पंच सुव्रताः
He came to the place where his five virtuous brothers were.
ते कदाचिद्वने पंच दृष्ट्वा हरिणपोतकान्
Once, those five, seeing some young deer in the forest—
एकैकं जगृहुस्तत्र मृतास्ते त्वतिदुःखिताः
Each of them seized one there; they died, and the brothers were greatly distressed.
प्रायश्चित्तं समीहंतः संवर्त्तं सांसदैर्वृतम्
Desiring atonement, they approached Saṃvarta, surrounded by his disciples.
जातमात्रा मृगाः पंच अस्माभिर्निहताः प्रभो
"O lord, five newborn deer have been killed by us."
ऊचे स शुद्धिमाप्नोति प्रायश्चित्ते कृते सति प्रायश्चित्ती भवेत्पूतः किल्विषं दातरि व्रजेत्
He said: 'One attains purity when atonement is performed; the one who does penance becomes purified, and the sin passes to the giver.'
धर्म शास्त्रसमारूढा वेदखड्गधरा द्विजाः 5.2.28.
The twice-born, armed with the sword of the Veda and established in the law of righteousness—
ब्रह्मच्छिद्रं जपच्छिद्रं यच्छिद्रं यज्ञकर्मणि
A flaw in chastity, a flaw in recitation, or a flaw in the performance of sacrifice—
अच्छिद्रमिति यद्वाक्यं वदंति क्षितिदेवताः
When the earth deities say, 'It is flawless,'
इत्येवं वदति श्रेष्ठे संवर्ते द्विजसत्तमे
Thus, when the best among twice-born speaks in this way to the eminent one,
तेषामर्थे यथावृत्तं कथयामासुरेव ते
They then narrated to him, just as it had happened, the matter concerning them.
तेऽप्यूचुर्धर्मशास्त्राणि विहितानि यथार्थतः
They too spoke of the Dharma-śāstras, as they had been properly prescribed.
अशीतिर्यस्य वर्षाणि बालो वाप्यूनषोडशः
One whose age is eighty years, or a boy not yet sixteen—
देशं कालं वयः शक्तिं पापं चावेक्ष्य यत्नतः
Considering carefully the place, time, age, capacity, and the sin,
इदानीं मृगचर्माणि परिधाय धृतव्रताः
Now, having donned deer skins and undertaken vows,
ततो वर्षे ह्यतिक्रांते वीरधन्वा महीपतिः 5.2.28.
Then, when a year had passed, King Vīradhanvan—
ते चाप्येकतरोर्मूले मृगधर्मोपजीविनः
And they, too, lived at the foot of a certain tree, subsisting according to the way of deer.
तत्रापृच्छद्ब्रह्मवध्या मम जाता महामुने
There, he asked, 'O great sage, the sin of killing a Brahmin has come upon me.'
भृशं शोकपरीतात्मा रुरोद भृशदुःखितः
His heart overwhelmed by intense sorrow, he wept, greatly afflicted.
उवाच मा भैर्नृपते अपनेष्यामि पातकम्
He said, 'Do not fear, O king; I shall remove your sin.'
उद्धृता देवदेवेन विष्णुना क्रोडमूर्त्तिना उद्धरिष्यति देवोऽसौ स्वयमेव जनार्दनः
Uplifted by the god of gods, Viṣṇu, who bears the form of a boar, that god Janārdana himself will surely deliver you.
एवमुक्तस्ततो राजा दुरितो वाक्यमब्रवीत
Thus addressed, the king then spoke a harsh word.
किमनेन द्विजेनैव निष्प्रभेण दुरात्मना
What is the use of this twice-born, who is powerless and wicked?
इत्युक्त्वा '? खङ्गेनैव जघान तम्
Having said this, he struck him with a sword.
तस्मिन्नेव वने देवि पापसंघेन मोहितः 5.2.28.
In that very forest, O goddess, deluded by a multitude of sins—
क्षुधार्त्तश्च तृषार्त्तश्च बाल्यान्मोहाच्च साहसात्
Afflicted by hunger, tormented by thirst, through childishness, delusion, and recklessness—
जटीभूतेन पापेन बभ्राम गहने वने
Burdened by accumulated sin, he wandered in the dense forest.