Ruru Hears of Astika from His Father

Verse 1 (1.12.1)

कथं हिंसितवान्सर्पान्स राजा जनमेजयः । सर्पा वा हिंसितास्तत्र किमर्थं द्विजसत्तम ॥

kathaṃ hiṃsitavānsarpānsa rājā janamejayaḥ | sarpā vā hiṃsitāstatra kimarthaṃ dvijasattama

How did King Janamejaya harm the snakes? And why were the snakes killed there, best of the twice-born?

Verse 2 (1.12.2)

किमर्थं मोक्षिताश्चैव पन्नगास्तेन धीमता । आस्तीकेन द्विजश्रेष्ठ श्रोतुमिच्छाम्यशेषतः ॥

kimarthaṃ mokṣitāścaiva pannagāstena dhīmatā | āstīkena dvijaśreṣṭha śrotumicchāmyaśeṣataḥ

And why did the wise Astika, best of brahmins, set the serpents free? I wish to hear it all in full.

Verse 3 (1.12.3)

श्रोष्यसि त्वं रुरो सर्वमास्तीकचरितं महत् । ब्राह्मणानां कथयतां त्वरावान्गमने ह्यहम् ॥

śroṣyasi tvaṃ ruro sarvamāstīkacaritaṃ mahat | brāhmaṇānāṃ kathayatāṃ tvarāvāngamane hyaham

You will hear the whole great story of Astika, Ruru, when brahmins tell it. I am in haste to be gone.

Verse 4 (1.12.4)

इत्युक्त्वान्तर्हिते योगात्तस्मिन्नृषिवरे प्रभौ । संभ्रमाविष्टहृदयो रुरुर्मेने तदद्भुतम् ॥

ityuktvāntarhite yogāttasminnṛṣivare prabhau | saṃbhramāviṣṭahṛdayo rururmene tadadbhutam

With these words the lordly, excellent sage vanished by his yogic power, and Ruru, his heart seized with bewilderment, thought it a marvel.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (backtick and ।।'). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 5 (1.12.5)

बलं परममास्थाय पर्यधावत्समन्ततः । तमृषिं नष्टमन्विच्छन्संश्रान्तो न्यपतद्भुवि ॥

balaṃ paramamāsthāya paryadhāvatsamantataḥ | tamṛṣiṃ naṣṭamanvicchansaṃśrānto nyapatadbhuvi

Summoning all his strength, he ran about on every side looking for the vanished sage, until, worn out, he fell to the ground.

Verse 6 (1.12.6)

स मोहे परमं गत्वा नष्टसंज्ञ इवाभवत् । तदृषेर्वचनं तथ्यं चिन्तयानः पुनःपुनः ॥

sa mohe paramaṃ gatvā naṣṭasaṃjña ivābhavat | tadṛṣervacanaṃ tathyaṃ cintayānaḥ punaḥpunaḥ

Falling into a deep swoon he lay as though senseless, turning over again and again the truthful words of the sage.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 7 (1.12.7)

लब्धसंज्ञो रुरुश्चायात्तदाचख्यौ पितुस्तदा । पित्रे तु सर्वमाख्याय डुण्डुभस्य वचोऽर्थवत् ॥

labdhasaṃjño ruruścāyāttadācakhyau pitustadā | pitre tu sarvamākhyāya ḍuṇḍubhasya vaco'rthavat

When he came to, Ruru went home and told it all to his father. Having told his father all the meaningful words of the dundubha,

Note on the text: Removed a stray backtick (wiki mark) before the second line. The first line is the first half of CE 1.12.5; the second line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 8 (1.12.8)

अपृच्छत्पितरं भूयः स आस्तीकस्य वचस्तदा । आख्यापयत्तदाऽऽख्यानं डुण्डुभेनाथ कीर्तितम् ॥

apṛcchatpitaraṃ bhūyaḥ sa āstīkasya vacastadā | ākhyāpayattadā''khyānaṃ ḍuṇḍubhenātha kīrtitam

he questioned his father further about the story of Astika, and asked him to recount the tale the dundubha had spoken of:

Note on the text: Corrected सोस्तीकस्य → स आस्तीकस्य (misprint in Wikisource; broken sandhi of सः + आस्तीकस्य, which leaves the name unrecognisable; the pada is now one syllable over). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 9 (1.12.9)

तत्कीर्त्यमानं भगवञ्श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः । पिता चास्य तदाख्यानं पृष्टः सर्वं न्यवेदयत् ॥

tatkīrtyamānaṃ bhagavañśrotumicchāmi tattvataḥ | pitā cāsya tadākhyānaṃ pṛṣṭaḥ sarvaṃ nyavedayat

"Revered father, I wish to hear truly the story that was spoken of." And his father, thus asked, told him the whole tale.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (।') at the end of the first line. The first line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the second line is the second half of CE 1.12.5.