सामोदपुष्पभ्रमरे कोकिलालिपरिच्छदा । तत्राहम् अगमं नाथ त्रैलोक्यललनासदः
With joyful flowers, buzzing bees, and the adornment of cuckoos and honeybees, I went there, O Lord, to the assembly of the beauties of the three worlds.
ततो दृष्टा मया सर्वा वयस्या मदनोत्सवे । अपुत्रया पुत्रयुतास् तेनाहं दुःखिता भृशम्
Then, during the festival of love, I saw all my friends—some with children, some without—and because I was childless, I became deeply distressed.
त्वयि सर्वार्थिसार्थस्य बृहत्कल्पतरौ स्थिते । अनाथेव कथं नाथ किल शोच्यास्म्य् अपुत्रिका
With you, the great wish-fulfilling tree for all seekers, standing here, how can I, O Lord, be lamented as childless, as if I were helpless?
देहि मे भगवन् पुत्रं नो चेद् देहम् इहाग्नये । प्रकरोम्य् आहुतिं पुत्रदुःखदाहोपशान्तये
Grant me a son, O blessed one; if not, I will offer my body to the fire here, making an oblation to relieve the burning sorrow of childlessness.
ताम् इत्य् उक्तवतीं तन्वीं विहस्य मुनिपुङ्गवः । प्राह हस्तगतं पुष्पं तस्यै दत्त्वा दयान्वितः
The eminent sage, smiling at the slender woman who had spoken thus, compassionately gave her a flower held in his hand and said:
गच्छ तन्वङ्गि मासेन पूजार्हम् अलिलोचनम् । प्रसोष्यसे सुतं कान्तं प्रसूनम् इव सल्लता
Go, slender-limbed one; within a month you will bear a son worthy of worship, with beautiful eyes, just as a creeper produces a lovely flower.
किं त्व् असौ मरणावेशपापिन्येतस् त्वया यतः । याचितः कृच्छ्रसम्प्राप्यज्ञानस् तेन भविष्यति
But he will be possessed by the taint of death, for you have requested him with difficulty; therefore, he will be ignorant and hard to obtain.
इत्य् उक्त्वा स मुनिस् तन्वीं प्रसन्नमुखमण्डलाम् । परिचर्यां करोमीति प्रार्थनोत्कां व्यसर्जयत्
Having spoken thus, the sage dismissed the slender maiden, whose face was bright with happiness, as she expressed her desire to serve him.
सा जगामात्मसदनं सो ऽतिष्ठत् स्वात्मना सह । अवहत् क्रमशः काल ऋतुसंवत्सराङ्कितः
She returned to her own abode, while he remained with himself; and time passed gradually, marked by seasons and years.
अथ दीर्घेण कालेन सैवोत्पलविलोचना । द्वादशाब्दम् उपादाय सुतं मुनिम् उपाययौ
Then, after a long time, that lotus-eyed woman, having completed twelve years, brought her son to the sage.
सम्प्रणम्योपविश्याग्रे मुनिम् इन्दुसमानना । उवाच कलया वाचा चूतद्रुमम् इवालिनी
Having bowed and seated herself before the sage, her face radiant as the moon, she spoke with gentle words, like a bee to a mango tree.
अयं स भगवन् भव्यः कुमारः पुत्र आवयोः । कृतो मया समग्राणां कलानां किल कोविदः
Revered one, this noble boy is our son, whom I have raised; he is said to be skilled in all the arts.
प्रभो केवलम् एतेन ज्ञानं नाधिगतं शुभम् । येन संसारयन्त्रे ऽस्मिन् न पुनः परिपीड्यते
Lord, only knowledge has not been imparted to him, the auspicious knowledge by which one is not tormented again in this wheel of worldly existence.
ज्ञानं त्वम् एवास्य विभो कृपयोपदिशाधुना । को हि नाम कुले जातं पुत्रं मौर्ख्ये नियोजयेत्
Master, please now graciously teach him knowledge; for who would allow a son born in a good family to remain in ignorance?
एवंवदन्तीं स मुनिर् मच्छिष्यम् अबले सुतम् । इहैव स्थापयैनं त्वम् इत्य् उक्त्वा तां व्यसर्जयत्
To her, speaking thus, the sage said, 'Leave your son, O gentle one, my disciple, here with me,' and then dismissed her.
तस्यां गतायां स पितुर् अन्तेवासितया तदा । अतिष्ठत् संयतो धीमान् अर्कस्येवारुणः पुरः
When she had departed, he remained there, disciplined and wise, as a pupil before his father, like Aruṇa before the Sun.
कदर्थप्राप्यविज्ञानं ततश् चित्राभिर् उक्तिभिः । चिरं कालम् असौ तत्र मुनिः पुत्रं व्यबोधयत्
Then, with varied and striking words, the sage instructed his son for a long time, imparting knowledge that is rarely attained.
आख्यायिकाख्यानशतैर् दृष्टान्तैर् दृष्टकल्पितैः । तथेतिहासवृत्तान्तैर् वेदवेदान्तनिश्चयैः
With hundreds of stories and narratives, with examples both seen and imagined, as well as accounts from history and the conclusions of the Vedas and Vedānta,
अनुद्वेगितया नित्यं विस्तरेण कथाक्रमैः । अनुभूतिम् उपारूढै रूढैर् अतिधियां धियि
Always calmly, with elaborate sequences of discourse, he imparted realization—firmly established in the minds of the wise.
अनुभववशतो रसातिरिक्तैर् अलम् उचितार्थवचोगणैर् महात्मा । जलद इव शिखण्डिनं पुरस्स्थं तनयम् अबोधयद् अम्बरे महर्षिः
By the force of his own experience, with apt and meaningful words full of profound essence, the great sage enlightened his son standing before him, like a cloud instructing a peacock in the sky.
कदाचिद् अथ मार्गेण तेन कैलासवाहिनीम् । अहं स्नातुम् अदृश्यात्मा व्योमवीथिगतो ऽगमम्
Once, traveling along that path, I—myself unseen, moving along the skyway—came to the river that flows from Kailāsa to bathe.
निर्गत्य नभसस् सप्तमुनिमण्डलकोटरात् । रात्रौ प्राप्तो ऽस्मि सुमते दाशूरतरुपृष्ठखम्
Emerging from the hollow of the sphere of the Seven Sages in the sky, I arrived at night, O wise one, at the open space atop a Dāśūra tree.
यावच् छृणोमि विटपकुहरात् कानने वचः । कुट्मलाम्भोजबद्धस्य षट्पदस्येव निस्स्वनम्
As I listened, I heard from the hollow of a tree in the forest a voice, faint as the hum of a bee enclosed in a lotus bud.
शृणु पुत्र महाबुद्धे वस्तुनो ऽस्य समाम् इमाम् । वर्णयामि महाश्चर्याम् एकाम् आख्यायिकां तव
Listen, O son of great wisdom, I shall describe to you this remarkable story concerning this matter, a tale of wondrous marvels.
अस्ति राजा महावीर्यो विख्यातो भुवनत्रये । नाम्ना स्वोत्थ इति श्रीमाञ् जगदाक्रमणे क्षमः
There is a king of immense valor, renowned throughout the three worlds, named Svottha, prosperous and capable of conquering the universe.
यस्यानुशासनं सर्वे भुवनेष्व् अपि नायकाः । शिरोभिर् धारयन्त्य् उच्चैश् चूडामणिम् इवोत्तमम्
All the leaders in every realm uphold his commands with reverence, as if bearing the finest crest jewel upon their heads.
यस् साहसैकरसिको नानाश्चर्यविहारवान् । केनचित् त्रिषु लोकेषु न महात्मा वशीकृतः
He delights in daring exploits and wondrous adventures, and in all three worlds, no one has ever subdued this great soul.
यस्यारम्भसहस्राणि सुखदुःखप्रदान्य् अलम् । सङ्ख्यातुं नैव शक्यन्ते कल्लोला जलधेर् इव
The thousands of undertakings he initiates, bringing both joy and sorrow, cannot be counted, like the waves of the ocean.
यस्य वीर्यं सुवीर्यस्य न शस्त्रास्त्रैर् न पावकैः । केनचिद् भुवने क्रान्तम् आकाशम् इव मुष्टिना
His strength, surpassing even the strongest, has never been overcome by weapons, missiles, or fire, just as the sky cannot be grasped with a fist.
यदीयां विततारम्भां लीलां निर्माणभासुराम् । न मनाग् अनुकुर्वन्ति शक्रोपेन्द्रहरा अपि
Even Indra, Upendra, and Hara do not attempt to imitate his expansive, radiant play of creation, not even in the slightest.