परमेशत्वगुणवत्सर्वभूतमसंशयम् । नतास्म तत्पदं विष्णोर्जिह्वादृग्गोचरं न यत् ॥ १,१४.
Endowed with the quality of supreme lordship, pervading all beings without doubt— we bow to that abode of Vishnu, which is not accessible to tongue or eye.
श्रीपराशर उवाच एवं प्रचेतसो विष्णुं स्तुवन्तस्तत्समाधयः । दशवर्षसहस्राणि तपश्चेरुर्महार्णवे ॥ १,१४.
Śrī Parāśara said: Thus, praising Vishnu with these meditations, the Pracetas performed austerities for ten thousand years in the great ocean.
ततः प्रसन्नो भगवांस्तेषामन्तर्जले हरिः । ददौ दर्शनमुन्निद्रनीलोत्पलदलच्छविः ॥ १,१४.
Then, the blessed Hari, pleased, appeared to them in the waters, his complexion like the petals of a freshly blossomed blue lotus.
पतत्रिराजमारूढमवलोक्य प्रचेतसः । प्रणिपेतुः शिरोभिस्तं भक्तिभारावनामितैः ॥ १,१४.
Seeing him mounted on the king of birds, the Pracetas bowed down to him with their heads, bent low with the weight of devotion.
ततस्तानाह भगवान्व्रयतामीप्सतो वरः । प्रसादसुमुखोहं वो वरदः समुपस्थितः ॥ १,१४.
Then the Blessed Lord said to them, 'Choose the boon you desire; I am present before you, gracious and ready to grant blessings.'
ततस्तमूचुर्वरदं प्रणिपत्य प्रचेतसः । यथा पित्रा समादिष्टं प्रजानां वृद्धिकारणम् ॥ १,१४.
Then the Pracetas, bowing to the bestower of boons, said, 'As instructed by our father, may we obtain that which causes the growth of beings.'
स चापि देवस्तं दत्त्वा यथभिलषितं वरम् । अन्तर्धानं जगामाशु ते च निश्चक्रमुर्जलात् ॥ १,१४.
And the god, granting them the boon as they desired, vanished at once, and they emerged from the water.
श्रीपराशर उवाच तपश्चरत्सु पृथिवीं प्रचेतःसु महीरुहाः । अरक्ष्यमाणामावव्रुर्बभूवाथ प्रजाक्षयः ॥ १,१५.
Śrī Parāśara said: While the Pracetas performed austerities, the trees on earth, unprotected, spread everywhere, and there was a decline of living beings.
नाशकन्मरुतो वातुं वृतं खमभवद्द्रुमैः । दशवर्षसहस्राणि न शकुश्चेष्टितुं प्रजाः ॥ १,१५.
The winds could not blow, the sky was blocked by trees; for ten thousand years, the creatures could not move.
तान्दृष्ट्वा जलनिष्क्रान्ताः सर्वे क्रुद्धाः प्रचेतसः । मुखेभ्यो वायुमग्निं च तेऽसृजन् जातमन्यवः ॥ १,१५.
Seeing this, the Pracetas, emerging from the water, all became angry, and from their mouths they released wind and fire.
उन्मूलानथ तान्वृक्षान्कृत्वा वायुरशोषयत् । तानग्निरदहद्घोरस्तत्राभूद्द्रुमसंक्षयः ॥ १,१५.
Then the wind uprooted those trees, and the fierce fire burned them; thus, there was destruction of the trees.
द्रुमक्षयमथो दृष्ट्वा किञ्चिच्छिष्टेषु शाखिषु । उपगम्याब्रवीदेतान्राजा सोमः प्रजापतीन् ॥ १,१५.
Seeing the destruction of the trees, with only a few branches left, King Soma, the lord of beings, approached them and spoke.
कोपं यच्छत राजानः शृणुध्वञ्च वचो मम । सन्धानं वः करिष्यामि सह क्षितिरुहैरहम् ॥ १,१५.
Restrain your anger, O kings, and listen to my words; I will make peace between you and the trees.
रत्नभूता च कन्येयं वार्क्षेयी वरवर्णिनी । भविष्यज्जानता पूर्वं मया गोभिर्विवर्धिता ॥ १,१५.
This maiden, radiant and beautiful, is a jewel among the daughters of the trees; she was raised by me together with the cows, knowing what would come.
मारिषा नाम नाम्नैषा वृक्षाणामिति निर्मिता । भार्या वोऽस्तु महाभागा ध्रुवं वंशविवर्धिनी ॥ १,१५.
She is called Māriṣā, created from the trees; let this illustrious woman be your wife, surely she will increase your lineage.
युष्माकं तेज सोर्धेन मम चार्धेन तेजसः । अस्यामुत्पत्स्यते विद्वान्दक्षोनाम प्रजापतिः ॥ १,१५.
By the union of your power and half of mine, a wise son named Dakṣa, the lord of creatures, will be born from her.
मम चांशेन संयुक्तो युष्मत्तेजोमयेन वै । तेजसाग्निसमो भूयः प्रजाः संवर्धयिष्यति ॥ १,१५.
Endowed with a portion of me and composed of your energy, he will possess brilliance equal to fire and will nurture the creatures.
कण्डुर्नाम मुनिः पूर्वमासीद्वेदविदां वरः । मुरम्ये गोमतीतीरे म तेपे परमं तपः ॥ १,१५.
There was once a sage named Kaṇḍu, foremost among those who know the Vedas; he performed supreme austerity on the pleasant bank of the Gomati.
तत्क्षोभाय सुरेन्द्रेण प्रम्लोचाख्या वराप्सराः । प्रयुक्ता क्षोभयामास तमृषिं सा शुचिस्मिता ॥ १,१५.
To disturb him, Indra sent the celestial nymph Pramlocā, whose smile was pure; she began to agitate the sage.
क्षोभितः स तया सार्धं वर्षाणामधिकं शतम् । अतिष्ठन्मन्दरद्रोण्यां विषयासक्तमानसः ॥ १,१५.
Disturbed by her, he spent more than a hundred years with her in the valley of Mandara, his mind absorbed in sensual pleasures.
तं सा प्राह महाभाग गन्तुमिच्छाम्यहं दिवम् । प्रसादसुमुखो ब्रह्मन्ननुज्ञां दातुमर्हसि ॥ १,१५.
She said to him, 'O blessed one, I wish to go to heaven; O gracious sage, you should grant me permission.'
तयैवमुक्तः स मुनिस्तस्यामासक्तमानसः । दिनानि कतिचिद्भद्रे स्थीयतामित्यभाषत ॥ १,१५.
Thus addressed by her, the sage, his mind attached to her, replied, 'Stay for a few more days, O gentle one.'
एवमुक्ता ततस्तेन साग्रं वर्षशतं पुनः । बुभुजे विषयांस्तन्वी तेन साकं महात्मना ॥ १,१५.
After being spoken to in this way, she again enjoyed sensual pleasures with the great-souled sage for another full hundred years.
अनुज्ञां देहि भगवन् व्रजामि त्रिदशालयम् । उक्तस्तथेति स पुनः स्थीयतामित्यभाषत ॥ १,१५.
She said, 'Grant me permission, O revered one, I wish to go to the abode of the gods.' He replied, 'So be it,' but again said, 'Stay a little longer.'
पुनर्गते वर्षशते साधिक सा शुभानना । यामीत्याह दिवं ब्रह्मन्प्रणयस्मितशोभनम् ॥ १,१५.
When another hundred years had passed, the beautiful-faced woman said with a loving smile, 'O sage, I wish to go to heaven.'
उक्तस्तयैवं स मुनिरुपगुह्यायते क्षणाम् । इहास्यतां क्षणं सुभु चिरकालं गमिष्यसि ॥ १,१५.
Addressed thus by her, the sage embraced her for a moment and said, 'Stay here for a moment, O lovely one; you will be gone for a long time.'
सा क्रीडमाना सुश्रोणी सह तेनर्षिणा पुनः । शतद्वयं किञ्चिदूनं वर्षणामन्वतिष्ठत ॥ १,१५.
Playing with the sage, the slender-waisted woman again remained with him for nearly two hundred years.
गमनाय महाभाग देवराजनिवेशनम् । प्रोक्तः प्रोक्तस्तया तन्व्या स्थीयतामित्यभाषत ॥ १,१५.
When she asked to go to the abode of the king of the gods, the sage, addressed by the slender woman, replied, 'Stay a little longer.'
तस्य शापभयाद्भीता दाक्षिण्येन च दक्षिणा । प्रोक्ता प्रणयभङ्गर्तिवेदिनी न जहौ मुनिम् ॥ १,१५.
Fearing his curse and out of kindness, the gentle woman, knowing the pain of separation, did not leave the sage.
तया च रमतस्तस्य परमर्षेरहर्निशम् । नवंनवमभूत्प्रम मन्मथाविष्टचेतसः ॥ १,१५.
As the great sage enjoyed her day and night, his mind, seized by love, experienced ever-new delight.