Vayu Purana

नो स्नातको न्यसेद्ध्यस्मिन् द्वयोर्नेहास्ति सम्भवः। अमोघरेतास्त्वञ्चापि पूर्वञ्चाहमिहागतः ।। ३७.

A twice-born should not be placed here; there can be no union of two in this place. Your seed is unfailing, but I came here first.

शशाप तं तदा क्रुद्ध एवमुक्तो बृहस्पतिः। आशिजन्तं सुतं भ्रातुर्गर्भस्थं भगवानृषिः ।। ३७.

Thus addressed, Brihaspati, angered, cursed the child in the womb, who was his brother’s son, the sage.

यस्मात्त्वमीदृशे काले सर्वभूतेप्सिते सति। मामेवमुक्तवान् मोहात्तमो दीर्घं प्रवेक्ष्यसि ।। ३७.

Because you spoke to me thus at such a time, when all beings desire birth, out of delusion, you shall enter long darkness.

ततो दीर्घतमा नाम शापादृषिरजायत। अथाशिजो बृहत्कीर्त्तिर्बृहस्पतिरिवौजसा ।। ३७.

Then, due to the curse, the sage was born as Dirghatamas; Ashija, famed and mighty, was like Brihaspati in strength.

ऊर्द्ध्वरेतास्ततश्चापि न्यवसद्भ्रातुराश्रमे। गोधर्मं सौरभेयात्तु वृषभाच्छ्रुतवान् प्रभो ।। ३७.

He, with his seed held upward, dwelt in his brother’s hermitage; he learned the dharma of cattle from the bull, O Lord.

तस्य भ्राता पितृव्यस्तु चकार भवनं तदा। तस्मिन् हि तत्र वसति यदृच्छाभ्यागतो वृषः ।। ३७.

His paternal uncle, the brother, built a dwelling for him; while he lived there, a bull arrived by chance.

दर्शार्थमाहृतान् दर्भांश्चचार सुरभीवृतः। जग्राह तं दीर्घतमा विस्फुरन्तञ्च श्रृङ्गयोः ।। ३७.

To obtain darbha grass for ritual, he wandered, accompanied by Surabhi; Dirghatamas seized the bull, which was tossing its horns.

स तेन निगृहीतस्तु न चचाल पदात्पदम्। ततोऽब्रवीद्वृषस्तं वै मुञ्च मां बलिनां वर ।। ३७.

Though restrained by him, he did not move a single step; then the bull spoke to him: 'Release me, O foremost of the strong.'

न मयासादितस्तात बलवंस्त्वद्विधः क्वचित्। त्र्यम्बकं वहता देवं यतो जातोऽस्मि भूतले ।। ३७.

'Never before, O father, have I encountered anyone as powerful as you, who carries Lord Tryambaka, since the time I was born on earth.'

मुञ्च मां बलिनां श्रष्ठ प्रीतस्तेऽहं वरं वृणु। एवमुक्तोऽब्रवीदेनं जीवस्त्वं मे क्व यास्यसि ।। ३७.

'Release me, O best of the strong; I am pleased with you—choose a boon.' Thus addressed, he replied: 'You are my life—where could I go?'

तेन त्वाहं न मोक्ष्यामि परस्वाहं चतुष्पदम्। ततस्तं दीर्घतमसं स वृषः प्रत्युवाच ह ।। ३७.

'Therefore, I will not release you; I am another's property, a four-footed being.' Then that bull addressed Dīrghatamas, who was enveloped in darkness.

नास्माकं विद्यते तात पातकं स्तेयमेव वा। भक्ष्याभक्ष्यं न जानीमः पेयापेयञ्च सर्वशः ।। ३७.

'For us, O father, there is neither sin nor theft; we do not know what is to be eaten or not eaten, nor what is to be drunk or not drunk, in any way.'

कार्याकार्यं न वै विझो गम्यागम्यं तथैव च। न पाप्मानो वयं विप्र धर्मो ह्येषां गवां स्मृतः ।। ३७.

'We do not discern what is to be done or not done, nor what is to be approached or avoided; O Brahmin, we are not afflicted by sin—this is the law for cows.'

गवां नाम स वै श्रुत्वा संभ्रान्तस्त्वनुमुच्य तम्। भक्त्या चानुश्रविकया गोषु तं वै प्रसाद यत् ।। ३७.

Hearing the very name of cows, he became agitated and released him; with devotion and traditional reverence, he sought the favor of the cows.

प्रसादिते गते तस्मिन् गोधर्मं भक्तितस्तु तम्। मनसैव तदादत्ते तन्निष्ठस्तत्परायणः ।। ३७.

When he had gained their favor and departed, he took up the dharma of cows with devotion, embracing it in his mind, steadfast and wholly dedicated.

ततो यवीयसः पत्नीमौतथ्यस्याभ्यमन्यत। विचेष्टमानां रुदतीं दैवात् स मूढचेतनः ।। ३७.

Then, by fate, Dīrghatamas, his mind bewildered, desired the younger wife of Auttathya, who was restless and weeping.

अवलेपन्तु तं मत्वा शरद्वांस्तस्य नाक्षमत्। गोधर्मंवै बलं कृत्वा स्नुषां स सममन्यत ।। ३७.

Thinking him arrogant, Śaradvān could not tolerate it; relying on the law of cows as his strength, he considered his daughter-in-law as equal.

विपर्ययन्तु तं दृष्ट्वा शरद्वान् प्रत्यचिन्तयत्। भविष्यमर्थं ज्ञात्वा च महात्मा च न मृत्युताम् ।। ३७.

Seeing this reversal, Śaradvān reflected; knowing what was to come, the great-souled one did not wish for his death.

प्रोवाच दीर्घतमसं क्रोधात् संरक्त लोचनः। गम्यागम्यं न जीनीषे गोधर्मात् प्रार्थयत् स्नुषाम् ।। ३७.

With eyes reddened in anger, he spoke to Dīrghatamas: 'You do not discern what is proper or improper; yet, invoking the law of cows, you desire your daughter-in-law.'

दुर्वृत्तस्त्वं त्यजाम्येव गच्छ त्वं स्वेन कर्मणा। यस्मात्त्वमन्धो वृद्धश्च भर्त्तव्यो दुरनुष्ठितः। तेनासि त्वं परित्यक्तो दुराचारोऽसि मे मतिः ।। ३७.

'You are of bad conduct—I now cast you off; go your way according to your own actions. Because you are blind, old, and difficult to maintain, you are abandoned; I consider you wicked.'

सूत उवाच।। कर्मण्यस्मिस्ततः क्रूरे तस्य बुद्धिरजायत। निर्भत्स्य चैव बहुशो बाहुभ्यां परिगृह्य च। कोष्ठे समुद्रे प्रक्षिप्य गङ्गाम्भसि समुत्सृजत् ।। ३७.

The Sūta said: Then, in that cruel act, such a thought arose in his mind; after rebuking him repeatedly and seizing him with his arms, he placed him in a chest and cast him into the waters of the Ganges.

उह्यमानः समुद्रस्तु सप्ताहं स्रोतसा तदा। तं सस्त्रीको बलिर्नाम राजा धर्मार्थतत्त्ववित्। अपश्यन्मज्जमानन्तु स्रोतसाभ्याशमागतम् ।। ३७.

Carried by the current, the chest floated in the ocean for seven days; then Bali, the righteous king, expert in the essence of dharma and artha, saw him, together with his wife, as he was sinking near the current.

तं गृहीत्वा स धर्मात्मा बलिर्वैरोचनस्तदा। अन्तःपुरे जुगोपैनं भक्ष्यैर्भोज्यैश्च तर्पयन् ।। ३७.

Taking him up, Bali, son of Virocana, righteous in soul, sheltered him in the inner apartments, nourishing him with food and delicacies.

प्रीतः स वै वरेणाथ च्छन्दयामास वै बलिम्। स च तस्माद्वरं वव्रे पुत्रार्थं दानवर्षभः ।। ३७.

Pleased, he offered Bali a boon of his choice; and Bali, the bull among the Dānavas, chose from him a boon for the sake of offspring.

सन्तानार्थं महाभाग भार्यया मम मानद। पुत्रान् धर्मार्थसंयुक्तानुत्पादयितुमर्हसि ।। ३७.

'O most fortunate one, giver of honor, together with my wife, grant me sons endowed with righteousness and prosperity, for the sake of progeny.'

एवमुक्तस्तु तेनर्षिस्तथास्त्वित्युक्तवान् हि तम् । सुदेष्णां नाम बार्यां वै राजास्मै प्राहिणोत्तदा ।। ३७.

Thus addressed by him, the sage replied, 'So be it.' Then the king sent his wife named Sudeṣṇā to him.

अन्धं वृद्धञ्च तं दृष्ट्वा न सा देवी जगाम ह । स्वाञ्च धात्रेयकीं तस्मै भूषयित्वा व्यसर्जयत् ।। ३७.

But seeing that he was blind and old, the queen did not go herself; instead, she adorned her maidservant and sent her to him.

कक्षीवचक्षुषौ तस्यां शूद्रयोन्यामृषिर्वशी। जनयामास धर्मात्मा पुत्रावेतौ महोजसौ ।। ३७.

In that maidservant of Śūdra birth, the self-controlled sage, righteous in soul, begot two sons, Kakṣīvat and Cakṣuṣ, both of great energy.

कक्षिवचक्षुषौ तौ तु दृष्ट्वा राजा बलिस्तदा। प्राधीतौ विधिवत्सम्यगीश्वरौ ब्रह्मवादिनौ ।। ३७.

When King Bali saw Kakṣīvat and Cakṣuṣ, he had them properly educated in all rites, and they became masters, learned in the Vedas.