इत्य् उक्तो माम् असाव् अर्कस् सम्परिज्ञातवान् अथ । नमस्कृत्याभ्युवाचेदम् अनिन्द्यपदया गिरा
Thus addressed, the Sun recognized me, and after bowing, replied to me with words beyond reproach.
अस्य दृश्यपिशाचस्य नित्यं कारणताम् अपि । गतः कस्मान् न जानीषे किं माम् ईश्वर पृच्छसि
'Though you have always attained the cause of this visible phantom, why do you not know? Why do you ask me, O Lord?'
अथ मद्वाक्यसन्दर्भे लीला चेत् तव सर्वग । अचिन्तितात् समुत्पन्नं तच् छृणु त्वं वदाम्य् अहम्
But if, in the context of my words, your play, O all-knowing one, has arisen unexpectedly, then listen—I shall tell you.
सद् असद् इति कलाभिर् आततं सद् भ्रमभरभेदविमोहदायिनीभिः । प्रविततरचनाभिर् ईश्वरात्म प्रविलसतीह मनो महन् महात्मन्
The mind of the great soul, radiant here as the Self of the Lord, is extended by the divisions of time as existence and non-existence, and by intricate constructions that bestow confusion through the burden and fragmentation of illusion.
कल्पनाम्नि महादेव ह्यस्तने दिवसे तव । तले कैलासशैलस्य जम्बुद्वीपैककोणके
O Mahadeva, in the day named 'imagination', at the base of Mount Kailasa, in a single corner of Jambudvipa,
सुवर्णजटनाम्ना यत् त्वत्पुत्रैर् जनितप्रजैः । मण्डलं कल्पितं श्रीमद् अनल्पसुखसुन्दरम्
There, a realm called Suvarnajata was established by your sons and their offspring, splendid, exceedingly pleasant, and beautiful.
तत्राभूद् अतिधर्मात्मा ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मवित्तमः । इन्दुर् नामातिशान्तात्मा कश्यपस्य कुलोद्भवः
In that place lived a supremely righteous Brahmin, foremost in knowledge of Brahman, named Indu, of exceedingly peaceful nature, born in the lineage of Kashyapa.
तस्मिंस् तदा निवसतो नित्यं स्वजनमण्डले । न बभूवात्मजस् तस्य मरुभूमेस् तृणं यथा
While he dwelled there always among his own people, he had no child, like a blade of grass in a desert.
न व्यराजत सा भार्या तस्य निष्फलपुष्पिता । ऋज्वी गौरी सुशुद्धापि शून्या शरलता यथा
His wife, though upright, fair, and pure, did not shine, being fruitless in flowering, like an empty creeper.
तौ ततो दम्पती खिन्नौ पुत्रार्थं तपसे गिरेः । कैलासस्यांसम् आरूढौ रूढाव् इव वनद्रुमौ
Then, the two spouses, distressed for the sake of a child, ascended the shoulder of Mount Kailasa for austerity, like two trees grown upon a forest slope.
भूतैर् अनावृते शून्ये तस्मिन् कैलासकुञ्जके । तेपाते तौ तपो घोरं जलाहारौ तरुस्थितौ
In that secluded grove of Kailasa, unoccupied by beings and empty, the two performed severe austerity, subsisting on water and standing by a tree.
एकं पानीयचुलकं पीत्वा दिवसपर्यये । निस्पन्दम् उत्थितौ वार्क्षीं वृत्तिम् आश्रित्य संस्थितौ
Drinking a single cup of water each day, they remained motionless, sustaining themselves with the way of the trees.
तस्थतुस् तौ तदा तत्र तावद् वनतरुव्रतौ । यावत् त्रेता द्वापरश् च युगे द्वे एव ते गते
Thus they stood there, living the life of forest trees, until both the Treta and Dvapara ages had passed.
ततस् तुष्टो ऽभवद् देवस् तयोश् शशिकलाधरः । दिनतापोत्तापितयोर् इन्दुः कुमुदयोर् इव
Then the god with the crescent moon on his brow became pleased with them, as the moon delights water lilies scorched by the heat of day.
आजगाम तम् उद्देशं यत्र तौ विप्रदम्पती । सलतापादपं देशं पुष्पाकर इवेश्वरः
He came to that place where the brahmin couple were, a land with creepers and trees, like the lord of the stars approaching a bed of lotuses.
दम्पती तौ वृषारूढं सोमं सोमार्धशेखरम् । फुल्लाननं ददृशतुः कुमुदे शशिनं यथा
The couple beheld Soma, adorned with the crescent moon, riding a bull, his face radiant like the full moon shining upon water lilies.
तौ तं प्रणेमतुर् देवं तुषारामलम् ईश्वरम् । द्यावापृथिव्याव् उदितं परिपूर्णम् इवोडुपम्
They bowed to that god, pure as frost, lord of all, risen like a full moon over heaven and earth.
तर्जयन् पवनाधूतनववेणुवनस्वनम् । मृदूद्दामं स्मितस्यन्दि प्रोवाचाथ वचश् शिवः
Dispelling the gentle sound of the wind stirring the fresh bamboo grove, Shiva, with a soft and radiant smile, then spoke these words:
वरं विप्र गृहाणाशु तुष्टो ऽस्मि तव वाञ्छितम् । मधुमासरसाक्रान्तवृक्षवन् मुदितो भव
O brahmin, quickly accept a boon of your choosing; I am pleased with you. Rejoice like a grove of trees filled with the essence of spring.
भगवन् देवदेवेश दश पुत्रा महाधियः । भव्या भवन्तु मे भूयश् शोको येन न बाधते
O Lord, God of gods, may I have ten sons of great intelligence and good fortune, so that sorrow may not afflict me.
अथैवम् अस्त्व् इति प्रोच्य जगामान्तर्धिम् ईश्वरः । व्योम्नि वारिनिधौ ह्रादं कृत्वेवोर्मिर् महावपुः
Then, saying 'So be it,' the Lord vanished from sight, like a great wave making a sound in the sky and in the ocean.
ततस् तौ दम्पती तुष्टौ शिवात् प्राप्य वरं गृहम् । गतौ गीर्वाणसदृशौ खम् इवोमामहेश्वरौ
Thereafter, the joyful couple, having received the boon from Shiva, returned home, shining like the divine pair Uma and Maheshvara in the heavens.
तत्र सा ब्राह्मणी गेहे बभूवोदारगर्भिणी । बभौ पूर्णोदरी श्यामा मेघलेखेव वारिणा
There, in that house, the Brahmin woman became pregnant with a noble child; her full, dark form shone like a rain-laden cloud streak in the sky.
कालेन सुषुवे पुत्रान् प्रतिपच्चन्द्रकोमलान् । दश बालान् मधौ मुग्धा वसुधेव नवाङ्कुरान्
In time, she gave birth to sons as tender as the waxing moon—ten innocent boys, fresh as new shoots upon the earth in spring.
ते कृतब्रह्मसंस्कारा वृद्धिम् ईयुर् महौजसः । स्वल्पेनैव हि कालेन प्रावृषीव नवाम्बुदाः
They underwent the sacred rites and grew in strength and brilliance, quickly, like new clouds swelling in the rainy season.
ते सप्तवर्षवयसो बभूवुर् ज्ञातवाङ्मयाः । विरेजुस् तेजसा तत्र नभसीवामला ग्रहाः
When they reached the age of seven, they became learned in knowledge and shone with radiance there, like spotless planets in the sky.
अथ कलेन महता तेषां तौ पितरौ तदा । सञ्जग्मतुस् तनुं त्यक्त्वा स्वां गतिं गतिकोविदौ
Then, after a long time, their parents, skilled in the path, left their bodies and attained their own destined state.
मातापितृभ्यां रहिता दश ते ब्राह्मणास् ततः । ययुः कैलासशिखरं गृहं सन्त्यज्य दूरतः
Then, those ten brahmins, bereft of their mother and father, left their home far behind and went to the peak of Mount Kailāsa.
तत्र सञ्चिन्तयाम् आसुर् उद्विग्नास् ते विबान्धवाः । किं स्यात् परम् इह श्रेय ऊचुश् चेदं परस्परम्
There, those relatives, troubled in mind, began to reflect: 'What might be the highest good here?' Thus they spoke among themselves.
किम् इह स्यात् समुचितं भ्रातरः किम् अदुःखदम् । किं महत्त्वं महैश्वर्यं किं महाविभवं शुभम्
What here would be proper, brothers? What is free from sorrow? What is true greatness, great lordship, or great and auspicious prosperity?