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?
कियद् एतद् अनैश्वर्यं सामन्ता हि चिरेश्वराः । सामन्तसम्पत् किं नाम राजानो हि महेश्वराः
How limited is this lack of sovereignty! For vassals are rulers for a long time. What indeed is the wealth of vassals? Kings are the great lords.
किं नाम सम्पद् भूपानां सम्राड् इह महेश्वरः । किं नाम सम्पत् साम्राज्यम् इन्द्रो हीह महेश्वरः
What is the wealth of kings? The emperor is the great lord here. What is the wealth of emperorship? Indra is the great lord here.
किं नाम वस्त्व् अथेन्द्रत्वं यन् मुहूर्तं प्रजापतेः । विनश्यति न यत् कल्पे किं स्यात् तद् इह शोभनम्
What, then, is the state of Indra, which lasts only for a moment of Brahmā's day? What does not perish even in an eon—might that be the true good here?
वदमानेष्व् अथैतेषु ज्येष्ठो भ्राता महामतिः । गम्भीरवाग् उवाचेदं मृगयूथान् मृगो यथा
As they were speaking thus, the eldest brother, a man of great wisdom and deep speech, addressed them, as a stag addresses a herd of deer.
ऐश्वर्याणां हि सर्वेषाम् अकल्पान्तविनाशि यत् । रोचते भ्रातरस् तन् मे ब्रह्मत्वम् इह नेतरत्
Brothers, among all forms of lordship that perish at the end of an age, only the state of Brahmā appeals to me here, not any other.
एतत् तदुक्तम् अखिला द्विजपुत्रास् तदोत्तमाः । वचोभिर् ऐन्दवास् तत्र साधु साध्व् इत्य् अपूजयन्
When this was thus spoken, all the sons of the twice-born, who were the best among them, praised those lunar sages there, saying, 'Well done, well done!'
ऊचुश् चेदं कथं तात सर्वदुःखापमर्जनम् । पद्मासनं जगत्पूज्यं विरिञ्चत्वम् अवाप्नुमः
And they said: 'Father, how does this lotus posture, revered by the world, remove all suffering and lead to the state of Brahmā?'
भ्रात्रा तेन पुनः प्रोक्ता भ्रातरो भूरितेजसः । मदुक्तं सर्व एवैते भवन्तः पालयन्त्व् अलम्
Then their brother, endowed with great brilliance, spoke again: 'Let all of you, sirs, faithfully observe everything I have said.'
पद्मासनगतो भास्वान् ब्रह्माहम् इति चेतसा । सृजामि संहरामीति ध्यानम् अस्तु चिराय वः
Seated in the lotus posture, with the mind contemplating 'I am Brahmā, radiant,' let your meditation for a long time be: 'I create, I dissolve.'
अग्रजेनेति कथिते बाढं कृत्वा त उत्तमाः । ध्यानाधीनधियस् तस्थुस् सहैव ज्यायसा रसात्
When this was declared by the eldest, those excellent ones firmly accepted it; their minds absorbed in meditation, they remained together with their elder brother.