तदंभसा च संस्पृष्टेष्वस्थिभस्मसु एते च स्वर्गमारोक्ष्यन्ति
When their bones and ashes are touched by that water, they will ascend to heaven.
भगवद्विष्णुपादांगुष्ठनिर्गतस्य हि जलस्यैतन्माहात्म्यम्
This is the greatness of the water that emerged from the toe of Lord Vishnu.
यन्न केवलमभिसंधिपूर्वकं स्नानाद्युपभोगेषूपकारकमनभिसांधितमप्यस्यां प्रेतप्राणस्यास्थिचर्मस्नायुकेशाद्युपस्पृष्टं शरीरजमपि पतितं सद्यश्शरीरिणं स्वर्गं नयतीत्युक्तः प्रणम्य भवगतेऽश्वमादाय पितामहयज्ञमाजगाम्
It is said that not only does intentional bathing and enjoyment in this water bring benefit, but even unintentional contact with it—by the bones, skin, sinews, hair, or anything from the body of the deceased—immediately leads the soul to heaven. Having bowed, Amshuman took the horse and returned to his grandfather's sacrifice.
सगरोप्यश्वमासाद्य तं यज्ञं समापयामास
Sagara, having recovered the horse, completed the sacrifice.
सागरं चात्मजप्रीत्या पुत्रत्वे कल्पितवान्
Out of affection for his son, he imagined the ocean as his own child.
तस्यांशुमतो दिलीपः पुत्रोभवत्
From him, Aṃśumat’s son Dilīpa was born.
दिलीपस्य भगीरथः योऽसौ गंगां स्वर्गादिहानीय भागीरथीसंज्ञां चकार
Dilīpa’s son was Bhagīratha, who brought the Ganges down from heaven to earth and gave her the name Bhāgīrathī.
भगीरथात्सुहोत्रस्सुहोत्राच्छ्रुतः तस्यापि नाभागः ततॐबरीषः तत्पुत्रस्सिंधुद्वीपः सिंधुद्वीपादयुतायुः
From Bhagīratha came Suhotra, from Suhotra came Śruta, and his son was Nābhāga; from him was Ambarīṣa, whose son was Sindhudvīpa, and Sindhudvīpa’s son was Ayutāyu.
तत्पुत्रश्च ऋतुपर्णः योऽसौ नलसहायोक्षहृदयज्ञोभूत्
His son was Ṛtuparṇa, who became the companion of Nala and was known for his expertise in the sacrifice of horses.
ऋतुपर्णपुत्रस्सर्वकामः
Ṛtuparṇa’s son was Sarvakāma.
तत्तनयस्सुदासः
His son was Sudāsa.
सुदासात्सौदासो मित्र सहनामा
From Sudāsa came Saudāsa, also known as Mitrasaha.
स चाटव्यां मृगयार्थी पर्यटन् व्याघ्रद्वयमपश्यत्
Once, while roaming in the forest for hunting, he saw two tigers.
ताभ्यां तद्वनमपमृगं कृतं मत्वैकं तयोर्बाणेन जघान
Thinking that those two had made the forest devoid of other animals, he shot one of them with an arrow.
म्रियमाणश्चासावतिभीषणाकृतिरतिकरालवदनो राक्षसोऽभूत्
As it was dying, that being took on a most terrifying form, with a dreadful face—it was a Rākṣasa.
द्वितीयोपि प्रतिक्रियां ते करिष्यामीत्युक्त्वांतर्धानं जगाम
The second one said, 'I will take revenge on you,' and then vanished.
कालेन गच्छता सौदासो यज्ञमयजत्
In the course of time, Saudāsa performed a sacrifice.
परिनिष्ठितयज्ञे आचार्ये वसिष्ठे निष्क्रांते तद्र क्षो वसिष्ठरूपमास्थाय यज्ञावसाने मम नरमांसभोजनं देयमिति तत्संस्क्रियतां क्षणादागमिष्यामीत्युक्त्वा निष्क्रांतः
When the sacrifice was completed and the priest Vasiṣṭha had left, that Rākṣasa, assuming Vasiṣṭha’s form, said at the end of the ritual, 'Give me human flesh to eat,' and, saying he would return soon, departed.
भूयश्च सूदवेषं कृत्वा राजाज्ञया मानुषं मांसं संस्कृत्य राज्ञे न्यवेदयत् ४७ असावपि हिरण्यपात्रे मांसमादाय वसिष्ठागमनप्रतीक्षकोऽभवत्
Again, taking the guise of a cook, by the king’s order he prepared human flesh and presented it to the king; the king, placing the meat in a golden vessel, waited for Vasiṣṭha’s arrival.
आगताय वसिष्ठाय निवेदितवान्
When Vasiṣṭha arrived, he informed him.
स चाप्यचिंतयदहोस्य राज्ञो दौश्शील्यं येनैतन्मांसमस्माकं प्रयच्छति किमेतद्द्र व्यजातमिति ध्यानपरोभवत्
Vasiṣṭha thought, 'Alas, what wickedness is this of the king, that he offers us this meat? What is this substance?' and became absorbed in meditation.
अपश्यच्च तन्मांसंमानुषम्
And he saw that the meat was human flesh.
अतः क्रोधकलुषीकृतचेता राजनि सापमुत्ससर्ज
Then, with his mind clouded by anger, the sage pronounced a curse upon the king.
यस्मादभोज्यमेतदस्मद्विधानां तपस्विनामवगच्छन्नपि भवान्मह्यं ददाति तस्मात्तवैवात्र लोलुपता भविष्यतीति
Because, even knowing that this is unfit for ascetics like us to eat, you have given it to me, therefore, you alone shall be afflicted by greed for this.
अनंतरं च तेनापि भगवतैवाभिहितोस्मीत्युक्ते किं किं मयाभहितमिति मुनिः पुनरपि समाधौ तस्थौ
Immediately, when the king said, 'It was the Lord himself who told me to do this,' the sage, wondering what wrong he might have done, again entered into meditation.
समाधिविज्ञानावगतार्थश्चानुग्रहं तस्मै चकार नात्यंतिकमेतद्द्वादशाब्दं तव भोजनं भविष्यतीति
Understanding the truth through meditative insight, he granted the king a favor: 'This restriction on your food will not be permanent; it will last only twelve years.'
असावपि प्रतिगृह्योदकांजलिं मुनिशापप्रदानायोद्यतो भगवन्नयमस्मद्गुरुर्नार्हस्येनं कुलदेवताभूतमाचार्यं शप्तुमिति मदयंत्या स्वपत्न्या प्रसादितस्सस्यांबुदरक्षणार्थं तच्छापांवु नोर्व्यां न चाकाशे चिक्षेप किं तु तेनैव स्वपदौ सिषेच
The king, too, having accepted water in his hands, was about to pronounce a curse upon the sage, but his wife Madayantī, seeking to protect the sage as their family preceptor and deity, appeased him; for the sake of preserving the raincloud, he did not cast the water upon the earth or into the sky, but instead poured it upon his own feet.
तेन च क्वोधाश्रितेनांबुना दग्धच्छायौ तत्पादौ कल्माषतामुपगतौ ततस्स कल्माषपादसंज्ञामवाप
Because of this, the water, having no place to go, scorched his feet, and they became darkened; thus he became known as Kalmāṣapāda, 'the one with dark feet.'
वसिष्ठशापाच्च षष्ठेषष्ठे काले राक्षसस्वभावमेत्याटव्यां पर्यटन्ननेकशो मानुषानभक्षयत्
Due to Vasiṣṭha's curse, at the end of each sixth period, he took on the nature of a demon and, wandering in the forest, devoured many humans.
एकदा तु कंचिन्मुनिमृतुकाले भार्यासंगतं ददर्श
Once, he saw a certain sage united with his wife at the time of her season.