मा रुदध्वमितीत्याह मरुतो नाम पुत्रकाः
"Do not weep," they were told; those sons were called Maruts.
इत्येवमुक्त्वाथादाय सर्वास्तान् दैवतान् प्रति
Having thus spoken, he took all of them to the deities.
एवमासंश्च मरुतो मनोः स्वारोचिषे ऽन्तरे
Thus were the Maruts during the Svārociṣa Manvantara of Manu.
उत्तमस्यान्ववाये तु राजासीन्निषधाधिपः
In the line of Uttama, there was a king, lord of Niṣadha.
तस्य पुत्रो गुणश्रेष्ठो ज्योतिष्मान् धार्मिको ऽभवत्
His son, excelling in virtues, was Jyotishman, righteous in conduct.
तस्य भार्या च सुश्रोणी देवाचार्यासुता शुभा
His wife, fair-hipped and auspicious, was the noble daughter of the preceptor of the gods.
सा स्वयं फलपुष्पाम्बुसमित्कुशं समाहरत्
She herself gathered fruits, flowers, water, sacred sticks, and kusa grass.
पतिं शुश्रूषमाणा सा कृशा धमनिसंतता
Serving her husband, she became thin, her veins visible.
तां तथा चारुसर्वाङ्गीं दृष्ट्वाथ तपसा कृसाम्
Seeing her, beautiful in every limb yet emaciated by austerity,
साब्रवीत् तनयार्थाय आवाभ्यां वै तपःक्रिया
She said, 'For the sake of a child, we both must undertake austerities.'
व्रजध्वं तनयाः सप्त भविष्यन्ति न सशं यः
'Go forth; seven sons will be born, but not one who is auspicious.'
इत्येवमुक्त्वा जग्मुस्ते सर्व एव महर्षयः
Having thus spoken, all the great sages departed.
ततो बहुतिथे काले सा राज्ञो महिषी प्रिया
After a long time, she, the beloved queen of the king,
गुर्विण्यामथ भार्यायां ममारासौ नराधिपः
While his wife was pregnant, that lord of men died.
निवारिता तदामात्यैर्न तथापि व्यतिष्ठता
Though restrained by his ministers at that time, he did not desist.
ततो ऽग्निमध्यात् सलिले मांसपेश्यपतन्मुने
Then, O sage, from the midst of the fire, a piece of flesh fell into the water.
ते ऽजायन्ताथ मरुत उत्तमस्यान्तरे मनोः
Then, O Maruta, they were born in the interval between Uttama and Manu.
तानहं कीर्तयिष्यामि गीतनृत्यकलिप्रिय
I shall recount them, who delighted in song, dance, and play.
स पुत्रर्थो जुहावाग्नौ स्वमांसं रुधिरं तथा
Desiring a son, he offered his own flesh and blood into the fire.
शुक्रं च चित्रगौ राजा सुतार्थो इति नः श्रुतम्
And the king, for the sake of a son, offered semen and variegated cows, as we have heard.
मा मा क्षिपस्वेत्यभवच्छब्दः सो ऽपि मृतो नृपः
There was a voice, 'Do not cast me,' yet the king died.
शिशवः समजायन्त ते रुदन्तो ऽभवन् मुने
The children were born, O sage, and they wept.
समागम्य निवार्य्याथ स चक्रे मरुतः सुतान्
Having come together, he restrained and then acted upon the sons of Marut.
ये ऽभवन् रैवते तांश्च शृणुष्व त्वं तपोधनः
Hear now, O sage devoted to austerity, who were born in the Raivata period.
रिपुजिन्नामतः ख्यातो न तस्यासीत् सुतः किल
He became known as Ripujit, but indeed he had no son.
अवाप कन्यां सुरतिं तां प्रगृह्य गृहं ययौ
He took the maiden Surati, and, having seized her, went home.
सापि दुःखपरीताङ्गीं स्वां तनुं त्यक्तुमुद्यता
She, afflicted in body by sorrow, was intent on abandoning her own form.
तस्यामासक्तचित्तास्तु सर्व एव तपोधनाः
All the ascetics became attached in mind to her.
ते चापश्यन्त ऋषयस्तच्चित्ता भावितास्तथा
And those sages, their minds thus absorbed, beheld her.
प्रजग्मुर्ज्वलनाच्चापि सप्ताजायन्त दारकाः
They departed, and from the fire seven sons were born.