Parashara's Sacrifice Against the Rakshasas

Verse 1 (1.197.1)

एवमुक्तः स विप्रर्षिर्वसिष्ठेन महात्मना । न्ययच्छदात्मनः क्रोधं सर्वलोकपराभवात् ॥

evamuktaḥ sa viprarṣirvasiṣṭhena mahātmanā | nyayacchadātmanaḥ krodhaṃ sarvalokaparābhavāt

Thus addressed by the great-souled Vasishtha, that brahmin sage held back his anger from bringing ruin on all the worlds.

Verse 2 (1.197.2)

ईजे च स महातेजाः सर्ववेदविदां वरः । ऋषी राक्षससत्रेण शाक्तेयोऽथ पराशरः ॥

īje ca sa mahātejāḥ sarvavedavidāṃ varaḥ | ṛṣī rākṣasasatreṇa śākteyo'tha parāśaraḥ

Then that radiant seer, Parashara son of Shakti, foremost of all who know the Vedas, worshipped with a sacrificial session directed against the rakshasas.

Verse 3 (1.197.3)

ततो वृद्धांश्च बालांश्च राक्षसान्स महामुनिः । ददाह वितते यज्ञे शक्तेर्वधमनुस्मरन् ॥

tato vṛddhāṃśca bālāṃśca rākṣasānsa mahāmuniḥ | dadāha vitate yajñe śaktervadhamanusmaran

Remembering the killing of Shakti, the great sage burned the rakshasas, old and young alike, in that widely spread sacrifice.

Verse 4 (1.197.4)

न हि तं वारयामास वसिष्ठो रक्षसां वधात् । द्वितीयामस्य मा भाङ्क्षं प्रतिज्ञामिति निश्चयात् ॥

na hi taṃ vārayāmāsa vasiṣṭho rakṣasāṃ vadhāt | dvitīyāmasya mā bhāṅkṣaṃ pratijñāmiti niścayāt

Vasishtha did not restrain him from slaying the rakshasas, for he had resolved, "I will not break this second vow of his."

Note on the text: Corrected मां भाङ्क्षं → मा भाङ्क्षं (misprint in Wikisource; the prohibitive particle मा is needed with the aorist, as in the critical edition "mā bhāṅkṣaṃ" and Wikisource's own footnote "माभाङ्क्षे").

Verse 5 (1.197.5)

त्रयाणां पावकानां च सत्रे तस्मिन्महामुनिः । आसीत्पुरस्ताद्दीप्तानां चतुर्थ इव पावकः ॥

trayāṇāṃ pāvakānāṃ ca satre tasminmahāmuniḥ | āsītpurastāddīptānāṃ caturtha iva pāvakaḥ

In that sacrificial session the great sage sat before the three blazing fires like a fourth fire.

Verse 6 (1.197.6)

तेन यज्ञेन शुभ्रेण हूयमानेन शक्तितः । तद्विदीपितमाकाशं सूर्येणेव घनात्यये ॥

tena yajñena śubhreṇa hūyamānena śaktitaḥ | tadvidīpitamākāśaṃ sūryeṇeva ghanātyaye

With that splendid sacrifice, its offerings poured with all his power, the sky blazed as it does with the sun when the rains are over.

Verse 7 (1.197.7)

तं वसिष्ठादयः सर्वे मुनयस्तत्र मेनिरे । तेजसा दीप्यमानं वै द्वितीयमिव भास्करम् ॥

taṃ vasiṣṭhādayaḥ sarve munayastatra menire | tejasā dīpyamānaṃ vai dvitīyamiva bhāskaram

Vasishtha and all the other sages there looked on him, blazing with his energy, as a second sun.

Verse 8 (1.197.8)

ततः परमदुष्प्रापमन्यैर्ऋषिरुदारधीः । समापिपयिषुः सत्रं तमत्रिः समुपागमत् ॥

tataḥ paramaduṣprāpamanyairṛṣirudāradhīḥ | samāpipayiṣuḥ satraṃ tamatriḥ samupāgamat

Then the noble-minded sage Atri came to him, wishing to bring to a close that sacrifice, which others could scarcely accomplish.

Note on the text: Corrected उधारधीः → उदारधीः (misprint in Wikisource; ध for द, as in the critical edition "udāradhīḥ").

Verse 9 (1.197.9)

तथा पुलस्त्यः पुलहः क्रतुश्चैव महाक्रतुः । तत्राजग्मुरमित्रघ्न रक्षसां जीवितेप्सया ॥

tathā pulastyaḥ pulahaḥ kratuścaiva mahākratuḥ | tatrājagmuramitraghna rakṣasāṃ jīvitepsayā

Likewise Pulastya, Pulaha and the great Kratu came there, O slayer of enemies, wishing to save the lives of the rakshasas.

Verse 10 (1.197.10)

पुलस्त्यस्तु वधात्तेषां रक्षसां भरतर्षभ । उवाचेदं वचः पार्थ पराशरमरिन्दमम् ॥

pulastyastu vadhātteṣāṃ rakṣasāṃ bharatarṣabha | uvācedaṃ vacaḥ pārtha parāśaramarindamam

Then Pulastya, O bull of the Bharatas, grieved by the slaughter of those rakshasas, spoke these words to Parashara, the subduer of foes, O Partha:

Verse 11 (1.197.11)

कच्चित्तातापविघ्नं ते कच्चिन्नन्दसि पुत्रक । अजानतामदोषाणां सर्वेषां रक्षसां वधात् ॥

kaccittātāpavighnaṃ te kaccinnandasi putraka | ajānatāmadoṣāṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ rakṣasāṃ vadhāt

My dear son, is your sacrifice going on without hindrance? Do you find joy, child, in slaughtering all these rakshasas, who knew nothing of the matter and are without fault?

Verse 12 (1.197.12)

प्रजोच्छेदमिमं मह्यं न हि कर्तुं त्वमर्हसि । नैष तात द्विजातीनां धर्मो दृष्टस्तपस्विनाम् ॥

prajocchedamimaṃ mahyaṃ na hi kartuṃ tvamarhasi | naiṣa tāta dvijātīnāṃ dharmo dṛṣṭastapasvinām

You should not bring about this destruction of my offspring. This, my son, is not seen to be the dharma of brahmins given to austerity.

Note on the text: Corrected कर्तु → कर्तुं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped anusvara of the infinitive). The first line corresponds to the critical edition's 1.172.12ab (with a variant second half); the second line is in the vulgate only (CE apparatus 1.172.12*1792).

Verse 13 (1.197.13)

शम एव परो धर्मस्तमाचर पराशर । अधर्मिष्ठं वरिष्ठः सन्कुरुषे त्वं पराशर ॥

śama eva paro dharmastamācara parāśara | adharmiṣṭhaṃ variṣṭhaḥ sankuruṣe tvaṃ parāśara

Peace alone is the highest dharma; practise it, Parashara. Though you are most eminent, Parashara, you are doing what is most unrighteous.

Note on the text: The first line is in the vulgate only (CE apparatus 1.172.12*1792); the second line is the critical edition's 1.172.12cd.

Verse 14 (1.197.14)

शक्तिं चापि हि धर्मज्ञं नातिक्रान्तुमिहार्हसि । प्रजायाश्च ममोच्छेदं न चैवं कर्तुमर्हसि ॥

śaktiṃ cāpi hi dharmajñaṃ nātikrāntumihārhasi | prajāyāśca mamocchedaṃ na caivaṃ kartumarhasi

Nor should you go beyond the example of Shakti, who knew dharma; you should not bring about the destruction of my offspring in this way.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). (CE apparatus 1.172.12*1793.)

Verse 15 (1.197.15)

शापाद्धि शक्तेर्वासिष्ठ तदा तदुपपादितम् । आत्मजेन स दोषेण शक्तिर्नीत इतो दिवम् ॥

śāpāddhi śaktervāsiṣṭha tadā tadupapāditam | ātmajena sa doṣeṇa śaktirnīta ito divam

For it was through Shakti's own curse, O descendant of Vasishtha, that this came about at that time; by a fault born of himself Shakti was carried from here to heaven.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). (CE apparatus 1.172.12*1793.)

Verse 16 (1.197.16)

न हि तं राक्षसः कश्चिच्छक्तो भक्षयितुं मुने । वासिष्ठो भक्षितश्चासीत्कौशिकोत्सृष्टरक्षसा । शापं न कुर्वन्ति तदा न च त्राणपरायणाः ॥

na hi taṃ rākṣasaḥ kaścicchakto bhakṣayituṃ mune | vāsiṣṭho bhakṣitaścāsītkauśikotsṛṣṭarakṣasā | śāpaṃ na kurvanti tadā na ca trāṇaparāyaṇāḥ

No rakshasa, O sage, could have devoured him. Vasishtha's son was devoured by the rakshasa that Kaushika had let loose. Men like him lay no curse at such a time, nor are they bent on saving themselves;

Note on the text: Removed a stray wiki mark (backtick) that opens a bracketed passage running into the next verse; the verse keeps Wikisource's three lines. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). (CE apparatus 1.172.12*1793–1794.)

Verse 17 (1.197.17)

क्षमावन्तोऽदहन्देहं देहमन्यद्भवत्विति । आत्मनैवात्मनस्तेन दृष्टो मृत्युस्तदाऽभवत् ॥

kṣamāvanto'dahandehaṃ dehamanyadbhavatviti | ātmanaivātmanastena dṛṣṭo mṛtyustadā'bhavat

being forbearing, they let the body burn, thinking, "Let there be another body." So it was by his own doing that his death then came about.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (a closing quote mark and an extra danda) at the end of the first line. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). (CE apparatus 1.172.12*1793–1794.)

Verse 18 (1.197.18)

निमित्तभूतस्तत्रासीद्विश्वामित्रः पराशर । राजा कल्माषपादश्च दिवमारुह्य मोदते ॥

nimittabhūtastatrāsīdviśvāmitraḥ parāśara | rājā kalmāṣapādaśca divamāruhya modate

Vishvamitra was only the instrument in that, Parashara; and King Kalmashapada has ascended to heaven and rejoices there.

Note on the text: The first line is in the vulgate only (CE apparatus 1.172.12*1793); the second line corresponds to the critical edition's 1.172.12ef, with a variant ending.

Verse 19 (1.197.19)

ये च शक्त्यवराः पुत्रा वसिष्ठस्य महामुने । ते च सर्वे मुदा युक्ता मोदन्ते सहिताः सुरैः ॥

ye ca śaktyavarāḥ putrā vasiṣṭhasya mahāmune | te ca sarve mudā yuktā modante sahitāḥ suraiḥ

And the sons of Vasishtha younger than Shakti, O great sage, all rejoice happily together with the gods.

Verse 20 (1.197.20)

सर्वमेतद्वसिष्ठस्य विदितं वै महामुने । रक्षसां च समुच्छेद एष तात तपस्विनाम् ॥

sarvametadvasiṣṭhasya viditaṃ vai mahāmune | rakṣasāṃ ca samuccheda eṣa tāta tapasvinām

All this is known to Vasishtha, O great sage. And in this extermination of the hapless rakshasas, my son,

Note on the text: The critical edition divides these lines differently: this verse is its 1.172.13ef and 14ab.

Verse 21 (1.197.21)

निमित्तभूतस्त्वं चात्र क्रतौ वासिष्ठनन्दन । तत्सत्रं मुञ्च भद्रं ते समाप्तमिदमस्तु ते ॥

nimittabhūtastvaṃ cātra kratau vāsiṣṭhanandana | tatsatraṃ muñca bhadraṃ te samāptamidamastu te

you too have been only the instrument in this rite, delight of Vasishtha's line. Give up this sacrificial session; may good befall you; let it now be brought to its close.

Note on the text: The critical edition divides these lines differently: this verse is its 1.172.14cd and 14ef.

Verse 22 (1.197.22)

एवमुक्तः पुलस्त्येन वसिष्ठेन च धीमता । तदा समापयामास सत्रं शाक्तो महामुनिः ॥

evamuktaḥ pulastyena vasiṣṭhena ca dhīmatā | tadā samāpayāmāsa satraṃ śākto mahāmuniḥ

Thus addressed by Pulastya and by wise Vasishtha, the great sage, son of Shakti, then brought the sacrificial session to an end.

Verse 23 (1.197.23)

सर्वराक्षससत्राय संभृतं पावकं तदा । उत्तरे हिमवत्पार्श्वे उत्ससर्ज महावने ॥

sarvarākṣasasatrāya saṃbhṛtaṃ pāvakaṃ tadā | uttare himavatpārśve utsasarja mahāvane

The fire he had gathered for the sacrifice against all the rakshasas he then cast away into a great forest on the northern flank of the Himalaya.

Verse 24 (1.197.24)

स तत्राद्यापि रक्षांसि वृक्षानश्मन एव च । भक्षयन्दृश्यते वह्निः सदा पर्वणि पर्वणि ॥

sa tatrādyāpi rakṣāṃsi vṛkṣānaśmana eva ca | bhakṣayandṛśyate vahniḥ sadā parvaṇi parvaṇi

There that fire is seen even today, at every change of the moon, consuming rakshasas, trees and even stones.