शालींस् तान् भुक्तवान् पक्वान् दशार्णेषु द्विजोत्तमः । शौक्राञ् शुक्राङ्गनागर्भान् मालवेषु च भूपतिः
The best of twice-born ate those ripe rice grains in Daśārṇa, while the king in Mālava ate the grains that had grown from the seed in a woman's womb.
अजायतोशनाः पूर्वं दशार्णेषु द्विजोत्तमात् । नृपाद् उत्तमसौभाग्यान् मालवेषु तदङ्गना
In Daśārṇa, the best of twice-born first conceived from eating, and in Mālava, a woman conceived from the king's great fortune.
स तत्र ववृधे बालस् सा तत्र ववृधे ऽङ्गना । तौ पूर्वदम्पती जातौ स्वर्भ्रष्टाव् इव भूतले
There, the boy grew up, and there, the girl grew up; the former couple were born again on earth, as if fallen from heaven.
अथ षोडशवर्षो ऽभूच् छुक्रस् सारङ्गनामभृत् । पितुर् गृहे यौवनवाञ् श्रीमान् विप्रकुमारकः
Then, at sixteen years of age, Śukra, bearing the name Sāraṅga, was a handsome, youthful, and prosperous brāhmaṇa boy in his father's house.
मालानामसुरस्त्री सा कुमारी राजसद्मनि । भृङ्गेक्षणा गता वृद्धिं लता वरवने यथा
That asura maiden named Mālā, with bee-like eyes, grew up as a maiden in the royal palace, like a vine flourishing in a splendid forest.
राजपुत्री ततो माला पूजयाम् आस शङ्करम् । लभेयं प्राक्तनं सिद्धं पतिम् इत्य् अनिशं शुभा
Then the princess, with a pure heart, worshipped Śaṅkara with garlands, constantly praying, 'May I obtain my former accomplished husband.'
अथ मालवभूपस्य यज्ञे द्विजसभागतम् । माला ददर्श सारङ्गं पित्रा सह समागतम्
Later, at the sacrifice of the king of Mālava, as the assembly of brahmins gathered, Mālā saw Sāraṅga there, who had arrived together with her father.
तं दृष्ट्वा सानवद्याङ्गी प्राक्तनस्नेहभाविता । दृष्टचन्द्रेन्दुमणिवत् स्नेहस्विन्नाङ्गिका बभौ
Seeing him, she—faultless in form and filled with affection from their former bond—shone with limbs moist with love, like a moonstone touched by the moon.
ततो यज्ञसभामध्ये दाशार्णद्विजदारकम् । भर्तृत्वे वरयाम् आस सा माला मालवात्मजा
Then, in the midst of the sacrificial assembly, Mālā, daughter of the Mālava king, chose the young brāhmin from Daśārṇa as her husband.
क्रमात् कृतविवाहाय तस्मै वार्धकजर्जरः । मालवेशो ऽखिलं राज्यं प्रतिपाद्य वनं ययौ
In due course, after their marriage, the aged and infirm king of Mālava bestowed the entire kingdom upon him and departed for the forest.
स सारङ्गस् तया सार्धं तस्मिन् मालवमण्डले । चकारातिसुखी राज्यं शक्रवच् छरदां शतम्
Sāraṅga, together with her, ruled the Mālava realm in great happiness, like Indra, for a hundred autumns.
अथ कालेन महता चञ्चलत्वाच् च चेतसः । अप्रियत्वं मिथो यातौ दम्पती तौ विधेर् वशात्
Then, after a long time, due to the fickleness of the mind and the force of fate, the two spouses became displeasing to each other.
सारङ्गस् तु जराजीर्णः पातसज्जकलेवरः । दध्रे श्वसनशैथिल्याज् जीर्णपर्णसवर्णताम्
Sāraṅga, worn out with old age and his body ready to fall, became slack in breath and took on the appearance of a withered dry leaf.
जायाजनविरागेण वार्धकातिशयेन च । मरणं मन्दमन्देहो निरीहो ऽभिननन्द सः
Due to dispassion toward wife and offspring, and because of extreme old age, that weak and powerless body welcomed death.
अथ नीरसराज्यस्य दुःखातिशयशंसिनः । अरण्य इव वेतालो मोहो ऽतिघनतां गतः
Then, for one whose kingdom was devoid of essence and who proclaimed excessive suffering, delusion became exceedingly dense, like a goblin in the forest.
मोहान्धकूपपतितं भोगासङ्गाद् अनारतम् । अविवेकिनम् अज्ञानम् असज्जनपरायणम्
Fallen into the dark pit of delusion, constantly attached to pleasures, lacking discernment, ignorant, and devoted to wicked people—
जहारैनं ततो मृत्युस् तृष्णाकवलिताशयम् । पतङ्गम् इव मण्डूकः कृताक्रन्दम् अकिञ्चनम्
Death seized him, whose heart was consumed by craving, like a frog snatched by a snake, helpless and crying out.
ततः कर्मफलं भुक्त्वा स्वं परत्र शुभाशुभम् । अङ्गेषु धीवरो जातस् स दुर्भाववशात् तदा
Then, having experienced the results of his actions, both good and bad, in another body, he was born as a fisherman due to his negative disposition.
तत्र धीवरकर्माणि कुर्वन् स शरदां शतम् । दुःखजर्जरचेतस्त्वाद् वैराग्यं समुपाययौ
There, performing the work of a fisherman for a hundred years, his mind battered by suffering, he attained dispassion.
दुःखं संसार इत्य् एवं चिन्तयन् भास्करं ततः । सम्पतंस् तेन सञ्जातस् सूर्यवंशे महानृपः
Thinking, 'This worldly existence is suffering,' he then fell from that state and was born as a great king in the Solar dynasty.
शुभभाववशात् सो ऽथ किञ्चिज् ज्ञानम् अवाप्तवान् । जज्ञे नृपतनुं त्यक्त्वा गुरुस् सर्वोपदेशकः
Then, due to the force of virtuous disposition, he attained some knowledge, and, having abandoned the kingly body, was born as a guru, teacher of all.
मन्त्रसाधितसिद्धिर् हि सो ऽथ विद्याधरो ऽभवत् । कल्पम् एकं तु बुभुजे ततो वैद्याधरीं पुरीम्
By the accomplishment gained through mantra practice, he then became a Vidyādhara; for one aeon he enjoyed the city of the Vidyādharas.
कल्पावसानसमयं नीत्वा पवनरूपया । तन्वा सृष्टौ प्रवृत्तायां भूयो जातो मुनेस् सुतः
When the end of the aeon arrived, taking on a form like the wind, as creation commenced again, he was born once more as the son of a sage.
ततो मुनीनां सम्पर्कात् तपस्य् उग्रे व्यवस्थितः । अवसन् मेरुगहने मन्वन्तरम् अनिन्दितः
Then, through association with sages, he engaged in intense austerity, dwelling blamelessly for a manvantara in the caves of Mount Meru.
तत्र तस्य समुत्पन्नो मृग्याः पुत्रो नराकृतिः । तत्स्नेहेन परं मोहं पुनर् अभ्याययौ क्षणात्
There, a son was born to him from a deer, in human form; out of affection for him, he was again overtaken by deep delusion in an instant.
पुत्रस्यास्य धनं मे ऽस्तु गुणाश् चायुश् च शाश्वतम् । इत्य् अनारतचिन्ताभिर् जहौ सत्याम् अवस्थितिम्
With constant thoughts such as, 'May my son have wealth, virtues, and eternal life,' he abandoned his steadfastness in truth.
धर्मचिन्तापरिभ्रंशात् पुत्रार्थं भोगचिन्तनात् । क्षीणायुषं तम् अहरन् मृत्युस् सर्प इवानिलम्
Because he fell away from thoughts of righteousness, and was absorbed in thoughts of enjoyment for his son's sake, death seized him—like a serpent snatching the wind—when his lifespan was spent.
भोगैकचिन्तया सार्धं स समुत्क्रान्तचेतनः । प्राप्य मद्रेशपुत्रत्वम् आसीन् मद्रमहीपतिः
With his mind fixed solely on enjoyment, as his consciousness departed, he was born as the son of the king of Madra, and became the ruler of the Madra land.
मद्रदेशे चिरं कृत्वा राज्यम् उच्छिन्नशात्रवः । जराम् अभ्याजगामात्र हिमाशनिर् इवाम्बुजम्
Having ruled for a long time in the land of Madra, with all enemies subdued, old age came upon him there, like frost upon a lotus.
मद्रराजतनुं तां तु तपोवासनया सह । तत्याज तेन जातो ऽसौ तपस्वी तापसात्मजः
He abandoned that body of the Madra king, along with the ascetic's garb; thus, he became an ascetic, the son of a sage.