श्रुत्वा तु भाषितं वाक्यं मम राम शुभाक्षरम्। प्राञ्जलिः प्रत्युवाचेदं स स्वर्गी रघुनन्दन॥
śrutvā tu bhāṣitaṃ vākyaṃ mama rāma śubhākṣaram| prāñjaliḥ pratyuvācedaṃ sa svargī raghunandana||
O Rāma, hearing my words pregnant with sound reasoning, that heavenly being, with folded hands, said.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
शृणु ब्रह्मन्पुरा वृत्तं ममैतत्सुखदुःखयोः। अन.क्रमागीयं च यथा पृच्छसि मां द्विज॥
śṛṇu brahmanpurā vṛttaṃ mamaitatsukhaduḥkhayoḥ| ana.kramāgīyaṃ ca yathā pṛcchasi māṃ dvija||
Hear, O Brāhmaṇa, from what unavoidable cause has proceeded this happy and again painful incident.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
पुरा वैदर्भको राजा पिता मम महायशाः। सुदेव इति विख्यातस्त्रिषु लोकेषु वीर्यवान्।॥
purā vaidarbhako rājā pitā mama mahāyaśāḥ| sudeva iti vikhyātastriṣu lokeṣu vīryavān|||
There flourished in the days of yore a highly illustratious and powerful Vidarbha king under the name of Sudeva known over three worlds. He was my father.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
तस्य पुत्रद्वयं ब्रह्मन्द्वाभ्यां स्त्रीभ्यामजायत। अहं श्वेत इति ख्यातो यवीयान्सुरथोऽभवत्॥
tasya putradvayaṃ brahmandvābhyāṃ strībhyāmajāyata| ahaṃ śveta iti khyāto yavīyānsuratho'bhavat||
His two queens gave birth to two sons. My name is Sveta and the name of my youngest brother was Suratha.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
ततः पितरि स्वर्याते पौरा मामभ्यषेचयन्। तत्राहं कृतवान्राज्यं धयं च सुसमाहितः॥ एवं वर्षसहस्राणि समतीतानि सुव्रत। राज्यं कारयतो ब्रह्मन्प्रजा धर्मेण रक्षतः॥
tataḥ pitari svaryāte paurā māmabhyaṣecayan| tatrāhaṃ kṛtavānrājyaṃ dhayaṃ ca susamāhitaḥ|| evaṃ varṣasahasrāṇi samatītāni suvrata| rājyaṃ kārayato brahmanprajā dharmeṇa rakṣataḥ||
After the decease of my sire the subjects installed me on the throne and I governed them piously and carefully for a thousand years.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
सोऽहं निमित्ते कस्मिंश्चिद्विज्ञातायुर्द्विजोत्तम। कालधर्म हृदि न्यस्य ततो वनमुपागमम्॥
so'haṃ nimitte kasmiṃścidvijñātāyurdvijottama| kāladharma hṛdi nyasya tato vanamupāgamam||
By some reason I was informed of the extent of my life. And when I perceived that the lease of my life had well-night expired I entered into the life of Vānaprastha.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
सोऽहं वनमिदं दुर्ग मृगपक्षिविवर्जितम्। तपश्चर्तुं प्रविष्टोऽस्मि समीपे सरसः शुभे॥ भ्रातरं सुरथं राज्ये अभिषिच्य महीपतिम्। इदं सरः समासाद्य तपस्तप्तं मया चिरम्॥
so'haṃ vanamidaṃ durga mṛgapakṣivivarjitam| tapaścartuṃ praviṣṭo'smi samīpe sarasaḥ śubhe|| bhrātaraṃ surathaṃ rājye abhiṣicya mahīpatim| idaṃ saraḥ samāsādya tapastaptaṃ mayā ciram||
And having placed my brother Suratha on the throne I entered into a dense forest devoid of men and animals at no distance from this pond to perform devout penances. And I performed austerities for a long time near this pond.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
सोऽहं वर्षसहस्राणि तपस्त्रीणि महावने। तप्त्वा सुदुष्करं प्राप्तो ब्रह्मलोकमनुत्तमम्॥
so'haṃ varṣasahasrāṇi tapastrīṇi mahāvane| taptvā suduṣkaraṃ prāpto brahmalokamanuttamam||
Having performed hard penances in this forest, for three thousand years I at last attained to the region of Brahmā.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
तस्येमे स्वर्गभूतस्य क्षुत्पिपासे द्विजोत्तम। बाधेते परमे वीर ततोऽहं व्यथितेन्द्रियः॥
tasyeme svargabhūtasya kṣutpipāse dvijottama| bādhete parame vīra tato'haṃ vyathitendriyaḥ||
And albeit I had reached the Brahmā region I was still being assailed by hunger and thirst. And gradually I grew tired therewith.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
गत्वा त्रिभुवन श्रेष्ठं पितामहमुवाच ह। भगवन्ब्रह्मलोकोऽयं क्षुत्पिपासाविवर्जितः॥ कस्यायं कर्मणः पाकः क्षुत्पिपासानुगो ह्यहम्। आहारः कश्च मे देव तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥
gatvā tribhuvana śreṣṭhaṃ pitāmahamuvāca ha| bhagavanbrahmaloko'yaṃ kṣutpipāsāvivarjitaḥ|| kasyāyaṃ karmaṇaḥ pākaḥ kṣutpipāsānugo hyaham| āhāraḥ kaśca me deva tanme brūhi pitāmaha ||
There upon approaching the patriarch Brahma, the lord of three worlds, I said: O lord, here there is no hunger or thirst; still why have I been brought to their control? Of what iniquity of mine is this fruit? O deity, tell me upon what I shall live.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
पितामहस्तु मामाह तवाहारः सुदेवज। स्वादूनि स्वानि मांसानि तानि भक्षय नित्यशः॥
pitāmahastu māmāha tavāhāraḥ sudevaja| svādūni svāni māṃsāni tāni bhakṣaya nityaśaḥ||
Whereto the patriarch replied: O son of Sudeva, do you live upon sweet savoured meat everyday.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
स्वशरीरं त्वया, पुष्टं कुर्वता तप उत्तमम्। अनुप्तं रोहते श्वेत न कदाचिन्महामते॥ दत्तं न तेऽस्ति सूक्ष्मोऽपि तप एव निषेवसे। तेन स्वर्गगतो वत्स बाध्यसे क्षुत्पिपासया॥
svaśarīraṃ tvayā, puṣṭaṃ kurvatā tapa uttamam| anuptaṃ rohate śveta na kadācinmahāmate|| dattaṃ na te'sti sūkṣmo'pi tapa eva niṣevase| tena svargagato vatsa bādhyase kṣutpipāsayā||
O Śveta, you did only look to the growth of your person when you did perform rigid penances. O you of a great mind, nothing grows, when nothing is sown. You did only perform ascetic penances, but you did not make any gift of charity. It is for that reason, O my son, that you are, even in heaven, being assailed by hunger and thirst.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
स त्वं सुपुष्टमाहारैः स्वशरीरमनुत्तमम्। भक्षयित्वामृतरसं तेन वृत्तिर्भविष्यति॥
sa tvaṃ supuṣṭamāhāraiḥ svaśarīramanuttamam| bhakṣayitvāmṛtarasaṃ tena vṛttirbhaviṣyati||
Thereupon do you now live upon your own dead body fostered by various food. By this you shall keep up your being.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
यदा तु तद्वनं श्वेत अगस्त्यः स महानृषिः। आगमिष्यति दुर्धर्षस्तदा कृच्छ्राद्विमोक्ष्यते॥
yadā tu tadvanaṃ śveta agastyaḥ sa mahānṛṣiḥ| āgamiṣyati durdharṣastadā kṛcchrādvimokṣyate||
O Sveta, you shall be relived from this affliction when the irrepressible, great Saint Agastya shall reach that forest.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
स हि तारयितुं सौम्य शक्तः सुरगणानपि। किं पुनस्त्वां महाबाहो क्षुत्पिपासावशं गतम्॥
sa hi tārayituṃ saumya śaktaḥ suragaṇānapi| kiṃ punastvāṃ mahābāho kṣutpipāsāvaśaṃ gatam||
O gentle one, even to the immortals he can give salvation; what wonder it is that he shall relieve you from the miseries of hunger and thirst.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
सोऽहं भगवतः श्रुत्वा देवदेवस्य निश्चयम्। आहारं गर्हितं कुर्मि स्वशरीरं द्विजोत्तम॥
so'haṃ bhagavataḥ śrutvā devadevasya niścayam| āhāraṃ garhitaṃ kurmi svaśarīraṃ dvijottama||
O foremost of twice-born ones, from the time of hearing those words of the great Brahma, the god of gods, I have been engaged in this cursed work of feeding upon my own dead body.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
बहून्वर्षगणान्ब्रह्मन्भुज्यमानमिदं मया। क्षयं नाभ्येति ब्रह्मर्षे तृप्तिश्चापि ममोत्तमा।।२१ तस्य मे कृच्छ्रभूतस्य कृच्छादस्माद्विमोक्षय। अन्येषां न गतिहत्र कुम्भयोनिमृते द्विजम्॥
bahūnvarṣagaṇānbrahmanbhujyamānamidaṃ mayā| kṣayaṃ nābhyeti brahmarṣe tṛptiścāpi mamottamā||21 tasya me kṛcchrabhūtasya kṛcchādasmādvimokṣaya| anyeṣāṃ na gatihatra kumbhayonimṛte dvijam||
O Brāhmaṇa, for many long years I have been living upon this corpse still I have not done with it. O Saint, I, too, derive satisfaction from it; I now understand that you are the illustrious Agastya born of a Kumbha; for none else is capable of coming here; do you therefore save me from this pain, who am afflicted with great miseries.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
इदमाभरणं सौम्य धराणार्थं द्विजोत्तम। प्रतिगृह्णीष्व भद्रं ते प्रसादं कर्तुमर्हसि ॥
idamābharaṇaṃ saumya dharāṇārthaṃ dvijottama| pratigṛhṇīṣva bhadraṃ te prasādaṃ kartumarhasi ||
O foremost of twice-born ones, O gentle one, do you take this ornament; may good betide you. Do you be propitiated with me.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
इदं तावत्सुवर्णं च धनं वस्त्राणि च द्विज। भक्ष्यं भोज्यं च ब्रह्मर्षे ददाम्याभरणानि च॥ सर्वान्कामान्प्रयच्छामि भोगांश्च मुनिपुङ्गव। तारणे भगवन्मह्यं प्रसादं कर्तुमर्हसि ॥
idaṃ tāvatsuvarṇaṃ ca dhanaṃ vastrāṇi ca dvija| bhakṣyaṃ bhojyaṃ ca brahmarṣe dadāmyābharaṇāni ca|| sarvānkāmānprayacchāmi bhogāṃśca munipuṅgava| tāraṇe bhagavanmahyaṃ prasādaṃ kartumarhasi ||
O Brahmana, I do confer upon you, gold, riches various clothes, eatables, excellent ornaments and diverse other objects of desire and enjoyment. O foremost of Sages, O lord, do you with compassion save me.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
तस्याहं स्वर्गिणो वाक्यं श्रुत्वा दुःखसमन्वितम्। तारणायोफ्जग्राह तदाभरणमुत्तमम्॥
tasyāhaṃ svargiṇo vākyaṃ śrutvā duḥkhasamanvitam| tāraṇāyophjagrāha tadābharaṇamuttamam||
Hearing those words of the heavenly being, exciting pity, I accepted this ornament for saving him.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
मया प्रतिगृहीते तु तस्मिन्नाभरणे शुभे। मानुषः पूर्वको देहो राजर्षेविननाश ह॥
mayā pratigṛhīte tu tasminnābharaṇe śubhe| mānuṣaḥ pūrvako deho rājarṣevinanāśa ha||
And as soon as I took this ornament that human body of the royal saint disappeared.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
प्रनष्टे तु शरीरेऽसौ राजर्षिः परया मुदा। तृप्तः प्रमुदितो राजा जगाम त्रिदिवं सुखम्॥
pranaṣṭe tu śarīre'sau rājarṣiḥ parayā mudā| tṛptaḥ pramudito rājā jagāma tridivaṃ sukham||
And the body being dissolved, the royal saint Śveta, greatly delighted, happily went to the land of immortals.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)
तेनेदं शक्रतुल्येन दिव्यमाभरणं मम। तस्मिन्निमित्ते काकुत्स्थ दत्तमद्भुतदर्शनम्॥
tenedaṃ śakratulyena divyamābharaṇaṃ mama| tasminnimitte kākutstha dattamadbhutadarśanam||
It is for this reason, O Kākutstha, that royal saint, resembling Indra, conferred upon me this wondrous, celestial ornament.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)