The Birth of Chyavana and Bhrigu's Curse on Agni

Verse 1 (1.6.1)

अग्नेरथ वचः श्रुत्वा तद्रक्षः प्रजहार ताम् । ब्रह्मन्वराहरूपेण मनोमारुतरंहसा ॥

agneratha vacaḥ śrutvā tadrakṣaḥ prajahāra tām | brahmanvarāharūpeṇa manomārutaraṃhasā

Hearing Agni's words, the rakshasa took the form of a boar, O brahmin, and carried her off with the speed of thought and of the wind.

Verse 2 (1.6.2)

ततः स गर्भो निवसन्कुक्षौ भृगुकुलोद्वह । रोषान्मातुश्च्युतः कुक्षेश्च्यवनस्तेन सोऽभवत् ॥

tataḥ sa garbho nivasankukṣau bhṛgukulodvaha | roṣānmātuścyutaḥ kukṣeścyavanastena so'bhavat

Then the child dwelling in her womb, O upholder of Bhrigu's line, fell from his mother's womb in anger; and because of this he became Chyavana, "the one who fell."

Verse 3 (1.6.3)

तं दृष्ट्वा मातुरुदराच्च्युतमादित्यवर्चसम् । तद्रक्षो भस्मसाद्भूतं पपात परिमुच्य ताम् ॥

taṃ dṛṣṭvā māturudarāccyutamādityavarcasam | tadrakṣo bhasmasādbhūtaṃ papāta parimucya tām

Seeing him fallen from his mother's womb, shining like the sun, the rakshasa let her go and fell down, reduced to ashes.

Verse 4 (1.6.4)

सा तमादाय सुश्रोणी ससार भृगुनन्दनम् । च्यवनं भार्गवं पुत्रं पुलोमा दुःखमूर्च्छिता ॥

sā tamādāya suśroṇī sasāra bhṛgunandanam | cyavanaṃ bhārgavaṃ putraṃ pulomā duḥkhamūrcchitā

Fair-hipped Puloma, stunned with grief, took up her son Chyavana, the Bhargava, the delight of Bhrigu, and went on her way.

Verse 5 (1.6.5)

तां ददर्श स्वयं ब्रह्मा सर्वलोकपितामहः । रुदतीं बाष्पपूर्णाक्षीं भृगोर्भार्यामनिन्दिताम् ॥

tāṃ dadarśa svayaṃ brahmā sarvalokapitāmahaḥ | rudatīṃ bāṣpapūrṇākṣīṃ bhṛgorbhāryāmaninditām

Brahma himself, grandsire of all the worlds, saw her, the blameless wife of Bhrigu, weeping, her eyes full of tears.

Verse 6 (1.6.6)

सान्त्वयामास भगवान्वधूं ब्रह्मा पितामहः । अश्रुबिन्दूद्भवा तस्याः प्रावर्तत महानदी ॥

sāntvayāmāsa bhagavānvadhūṃ brahmā pitāmahaḥ | aśrubindūdbhavā tasyāḥ prāvartata mahānadī

The blessed grandsire Brahma comforted his daughter-in-law. From the drops of her tears a great river sprang forth

Verse 7 (1.6.7)

आवर्तन्ती सृतिं तस्या भृगोः पत्न्यास्तपस्विनः । तस्या मार्गं सृतवतीं दृष्ट्वा तु सरितं तदा ॥

āvartantī sṛtiṃ tasyā bhṛgoḥ patnyāstapasvinaḥ | tasyā mārgaṃ sṛtavatīṃ dṛṣṭvā tu saritaṃ tadā

and flowed along the path taken by the wife of the ascetic Bhrigu. Seeing the river that had followed her way,

Verse 8 (1.6.8)

नाम तस्यास्तदा नद्याश्चक्रे लोकपितामहः । वधूसरेति भगवांश्च्यवनस्याश्रमं प्रति ॥

nāma tasyāstadā nadyāścakre lokapitāmahaḥ | vadhūsareti bhagavāṃścyavanasyāśramaṃ prati

the blessed grandsire of the worlds then named that river Vadhusara, near Chyavana's hermitage.

Verse 9 (1.6.9)

स एवं च्यवनो जज्ञे भृगोः पुत्रः प्रतापवान् । तं ददर्श पिता तत्र च्यवनं तां च भामिनीम् । स पुलोमां ततो भार्यां पप्रच्छ कुपितो भृगुः ॥

sa evaṃ cyavano jajñe bhṛgoḥ putraḥ pratāpavān | taṃ dadarśa pitā tatra cyavanaṃ tāṃ ca bhāminīm | sa pulomāṃ tato bhāryāṃ papraccha kupito bhṛguḥ

So it was that Chyavana, Bhrigu's mighty son, was born. His father saw Chyavana there, and his lovely wife; and Bhrigu, in anger, questioned his wife Puloma.

Verse 10 (1.6.10)

केनासि रक्षसे तस्मै कथिता त्वं जिहीर्षवे । न हि त्वा वेद तद्रक्षो मद्भार्यां चारुहासिनीम् ॥

kenāsi rakṣase tasmai kathitā tvaṃ jihīrṣave | na hi tvā veda tadrakṣo madbhāryāṃ cāruhāsinīm

"Who pointed you out to that rakshasa who wanted to carry you off? For the rakshasa could not have known you, my sweetly smiling wife.

Verse 11 (1.6.11)

तत्त्वमाख्याहि तं ह्यद्य शप्तुमिच्छाम्यहं रुषा । बिभेति को न शापान्मे कस्य चायं व्यतिक्रमः ॥

tattvamākhyāhi taṃ hyadya śaptumicchāmyahaṃ ruṣā | bibheti ko na śāpānme kasya cāyaṃ vyatikramaḥ

Tell me truly now who it was, for in my anger I wish to curse him. Who does not fear my curse? Whose offence is this?"

Verse 12 (1.6.12)

अग्निना भगवंस्तस्मै रक्षसेऽहं निवेदिता । ततो मामनयद्रक्षः क्रोशन्तीं कुररीमिव ॥

agninā bhagavaṃstasmai rakṣase'haṃ niveditā | tato māmanayadrakṣaḥ krośantīṃ kurarīmiva

"My lord, it was Agni who made me known to that rakshasa. Then the rakshasa carried me off as I cried out like an osprey.

Verse 13 (1.6.13)

साऽहं तव सुतस्यास्य तेजसा परिमोक्षिता । भस्मीभूतं च तद्रक्षो मामुत्सृज्य पपात वै ॥

sā'haṃ tava sutasyāsya tejasā parimokṣitā | bhasmībhūtaṃ ca tadrakṣo māmutsṛjya papāta vai

I was set free by the splendour of this son of yours, and the rakshasa, burnt to ashes, let me go and fell."

Verse 14 (1.6.14)

इति श्रुत्वा पुलोमाया भृगुः परममन्युमान् । शशापाग्निमतिक्रुद्धः सर्वभक्षो भविष्यसि ॥

iti śrutvā pulomāyā bhṛguḥ paramamanyumān | śaśāpāgnimatikruddhaḥ sarvabhakṣo bhaviṣyasi

Hearing this from Puloma, Bhrigu, filled with fury, cursed Agni in great wrath: "You shall eat everything."