एते चात्मधर्मपरित्यागाद्ब्राह्मणैः परित्यक्ता म्लेच्छतां ययुः
These, having abandoned their own duties, were cast out by the Brahmins and became mlecchas.
सगरोपि स्वमधिष्ठानमागम्य अस्खलितचक्रस्सप्तद्वीपवतीमिमामुर्वीं प्रशशास
Sagara, returning to his own realm, ruled this earth, which encompassed seven continents, with unwavering authority.
श्रीपराशर उवाच । काश्यपदुहिता सुमतिर्विदर्भराजतनया केशिनी च द्वे भार्ये सगरस्यास्ताम्
Śrī Parāśara said: Sagara had two wives—Sumati, daughter of Kāśyapa, and Keśinī, daughter of the king of Vidarbha.
ताभ्यां चापत्यार्थमौर्वः परमेण समाधिनाराधितो वरमदात्
Desiring offspring from them, Sagara worshipped Aurva with supreme concentration, and the sage granted him a boon.
एका वंशकरमेकं पुत्रमपरा षष्टिं पुत्रसहस्राणां जनयिष्यतीति यस्या यदभिमतं तदिच्छया गृह्यतामित्युक्ते केशिन्येकं वरयामास
One would bear a single son who would continue the lineage; the other would bear sixty thousand sons. Whichever was desired, let it be chosen—so said the sage, and Keśinī chose to have one son.
सुमतिः पुत्रसहस्राणि षष्टिं वव्रे
Sumati chose sixty thousand sons.
तथेत्युक्ते अल्पैरहोभिः केशिनी पुत्रमेकमसमंजसनामानं वंशकरमसूत
Having agreed, within a few days Keśinī gave birth to a single son named Asamañjasa, who would continue the lineage.
काश्यपतनयायास्तु सुमत्याः षष्टिं पुत्रसहस्राण्यभवन्
To Sumati, daughter of Kāśyapa, sixty thousand sons were born.
तस्मादसमंजसादंशुमान्नाम कुमारो जज्ञे
From Asamañjasa was born a son named Aṃśumān.
स त्वसमंजसो बालो बाल्यादेवासद्वृत्तोभूत्
But Asamañjasa, even as a child, was of bad conduct from his earliest years.
पिता चास्याचिंतयदयमतीतबाल्यः सुबुद्धिमान् भविष्यतीति
His father thought, 'When he passes childhood, he will become wise.'
अथ तत्रापि च वयस्यतीते असच्चरितमेनं पिता तत्याज
But even after he passed childhood, his father abandoned him because of his wicked behavior.
तान्यपि षष्टिः पुत्रसहस्राण्यसमंजसचरितमेवानुचक्रुः
Those sixty thousand sons also followed the conduct of Asamañjasa.
ततश्चासमंजसचरितानुकारिभिस्सागरैरपध्वस्तयज्ञैसन्मार्गे जगति देवास्सकलविद्यामयमसंस्पृष्टमश्षोदोषैर्भगवतः पुरुषोत्तमस्यांशभूत कपिलं प्रणम्य तदर्थमूचुः
Then, with their sacrifices ruined by the Sagaras who imitated Asamañjasa's conduct, the gods, untouched by any fault and filled with all knowledge, bowed to Kapila, a portion of the Supreme Person, and spoke to him for that purpose.
भगवन्नेभिस्सगरतनयैरसमंजसचरितमनुगम्यते
O Lord, Sagara's sons are following the conduct of Asamañjasa.
कथमेभिरसद्वृत्तमनुसरद्भिर्जगद्भविष्यतीति
How will the world endure when these follow wicked behavior?
अत्यार्त्त जगत्परित्राणाय च भगवतोत्र शरीरग्रहणमित्याकर्ण्य भगवानाहाल्पैरैव दिनैर्विनंक्ष्यन्तीति
Hearing that the distressed world would be protected by the Lord's incarnation here, the Lord said: 'In just a few days, they will perish.'
अत्रांतरे च सगरो हयमेधमारभत
Meanwhile, Sagara began the horse sacrifice.
तस्य च पुत्रैरधिष्ठितमस्याश्वं कोप्यपहृत्य भुवो बिलं प्रविवेश
Then, while Sagara's sons were guarding the horse, someone stole it and entered a hole in the earth.
ततस्तत्तनयाश्चाश्वखुरगतिनिर्वंधेनावनीमेकैको योजनं चख्नुः
Thereafter, each of those sons dug the earth for a yojana, following the trail left by the horse's hooves.
पाताले चाश्वं परिभ्रमंतं तमवनीपतितनयास्ते ददृशुः
In the netherworld, Sagara's sons saw the horse wandering about.
नातिदूरेऽवस्थितं च भगवंतमपघने शरत्कालेर्कमिव तेजोभिरवनतमूर्द्धमधश्चाश्षोदिशश्चोद्भासयमानं हयहर्त्तारं कपिलर्षिमपश्यन्
Not far away, they saw the Lord, radiant like the sun in autumn, his head bowed, illuminating all directions, the horse thief—sage Kapila.
ततश्चोद्यतायुधा दुरात्मानोऽयमस्मदपकारी यज्ञविघ्नकारी हन्यतां हयहर्त्ता हन्यतामित्यवोचन्नभ्यधावंश्च
Then, those evil-minded ones, weapons raised, said: 'This enemy has harmed us, obstructed the sacrifice, let the horse thief be killed!' and rushed forward.
ततस्तेनापि भगवता किंचिदीषत्परिवर्त्तितलोचनेनावलोकितास्स्वशरीरसमुत्थेनाऽग्निना-दह्यमाना विनेशुः
But the Lord glanced at them with eyes slightly turned, and they were burned up by fire arising from his own body.
सगरोप्यवगम्याश्वानुसारि तत्पुत्रबलमश्षॐ परमर्षिणा कपिलेन तेजसा दग्धं ततॐशुमंतमसमंजसपुत्रमश्वानयनाय युयोज
Sagara, realizing his sons had been destroyed by the great sage Kapila's power while pursuing the horse, appointed his grandson Amshuman to retrieve the horse.
स तु सगरतनयखातमार्गेण कपिलमुपगम्य भक्तिनम्रस्तदा तृष्टाव
Following the path dug by Sagara's sons, Amshuman approached Kapila with devotion and humility, and stood before him.
अथैनं भगवानाह
Then the Lord spoke to him.
गच्छैनं पितामहायाश्वं प्रापय वरं वृणीष्व च पुत्रक पौत्राश्च ते स्वर्गाद्गंगां भुवमानेष्यन्त इति
'Go, bring the horse to your grandfather, and ask for a boon. Your descendants will bring the Ganga from heaven to earth.'
अथांशुमानपि स्वर्यातानां ब्रह्मदंडहतानामस्मत्पितॄणामस्वर्गयोग्यानां स्वर्गप्राप्तिकरं वरमस्माकं प्रयच्छेति प्रत्याह
Amshuman replied: 'Grant us a boon that will enable my ancestors, who have ascended to heaven and been destroyed by Brahma's curse, to attain heaven.'
तदाकर्ण्य तं च भगवानाह उक्तमेवैतन्मयाद्य पौत्रस्ते त्रिदिवाद्गंगां भुवमानयिष्यतीति
Hearing this, the Lord said: 'What you ask has already been spoken by me—your grandson will bring the Ganga from heaven to earth.'