Chyavana Drawn Up in the Fishermen’s Net

Verse 1 (13.85.1)

दर्शने कीदृशः स्नेहः संवासे च पितामह । महाभाग्यं गवां चैव तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि ॥

darśane kīdṛśaḥ snehaḥ saṃvāse ca pitāmaha | mahābhāgyaṃ gavāṃ caiva tanme vyākhyātumarhasi

Grandfather, what kind of affection arises from seeing one another and from living together? And explain to me the greatness of cows.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match; this is CE 13.50.1 (line 2 of the CE reads “tan me brūhi pitāmaha”), a recension variant.

Verse 2 (13.85.2)

हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि पुरावृत्तं महाद्युते । नहुषस्य च संवादं महर्षेश्च्यवनस्य च ॥

hanta te kathayiṣyāmi purāvṛttaṃ mahādyute | nahuṣasya ca saṃvādaṃ maharṣeścyavanasya ca

Indeed, I shall tell you an ancient tale, O radiant one: the conversation between Nahusha and the great sage Chyavana.

Verse 3 (13.85.3)

पुरा महर्षिश्च्यवनो भार्गवो भरतर्षभ । उदवासकृतारम्भो बभूव स महाव्रतः ॥

purā maharṣiścyavano bhārgavo bharatarṣabha | udavāsakṛtārambho babhūva sa mahāvrataḥ

Long ago, O best of the Bharatas, the great sage Chyavana of Bhrigu’s line, of great vow, began a vow of living in the water.

Verse 4 (13.85.4)

निहत्य मानं क्रोधं च प्रहर्षं शोकमेव च । वर्षाणि द्वादश मुनिर्जलवासे धृतव्रतः ॥

nihatya mānaṃ krodhaṃ ca praharṣaṃ śokameva ca | varṣāṇi dvādaśa munirjalavāse dhṛtavrataḥ

Having cast away pride and anger, joy and grief, the sage, firm in his vow, lived twelve years in the water.

Verse 5 (13.85.5)

आदधत्सर्वभूतेषु विस्रम्भं परमं शुभम् । जलेचरेषु सर्वेषु शीतरश्मिरिव प्रभुः ॥

ādadhatsarvabhūteṣu visrambhaṃ paramaṃ śubham | jalecareṣu sarveṣu śītaraśmiriva prabhuḥ

Like the cool-rayed moon, that lord instilled a supreme and blessed trust in all beings, among all the creatures that live in the water.

Note on the text: Corrected विस्रम्यं → विस्रम्भं (misprint in Wikisource; a mistyped conjunct, giving a non-word; the critical edition reads “visrambham” (trust)).

Verse 6 (13.85.6)

स्थाणुभूतः शुचिर्भूत्वा दैवतेभ्यः प्रणम्य च । गङ्गायमुनयोर्मध्ये जलं सम्प्रविवेश ह ॥

sthāṇubhūtaḥ śucirbhūtvā daivatebhyaḥ praṇamya ca | gaṅgāyamunayormadhye jalaṃ sampraviveśa ha

Standing like a post and purified, and having bowed to the gods, he entered the water between the Ganga and the Yamuna.

Verse 7 (13.85.7)

गङ्गायमुनयोर्वेगं सुभीमं भीमनिःस्वनम् । प्रतिजग्राह शिरसा वातवेगसमं जवे ॥

gaṅgāyamunayorvegaṃ subhīmaṃ bhīmaniḥsvanam | pratijagrāha śirasā vātavegasamaṃ jave

On his head he took the force of the Ganga and the Yamuna, most terrible, roaring fearfully, swift as the wind.

Verse 8 (13.85.8)

गङ्गा च यमुना चैव सरितश्च सरांसि च । प्रदक्षिणमृषिं चक्रुर्न चैनं पर्यपीडयन् ॥

gaṅgā ca yamunā caiva saritaśca sarāṃsi ca | pradakṣiṇamṛṣiṃ cakrurna cainaṃ paryapīḍayan

The Ganga and the Yamuna, and the rivers and the lakes, circled the sage with their right side towards him, and did not press upon him.

Note on the text: Second half-line differs from the CE (page “saritaśca sarāṃsi ca”; CE “saritaś cānugās tayoḥ”); the page’s own commentary notes the other reading. Recension variant, kept.

Verse 9 (13.85.9)

अन्तर्जलेषु सुष्वाप काष्ठभूतो महामुनिः । ततश्चोर्ध्वस्थितो धीमानभवद्भरतर्षभ ॥

antarjaleṣu suṣvāpa kāṣṭhabhūto mahāmuniḥ | tataścordhvasthito dhīmānabhavadbharatarṣabha

The great sage slept within the waters like a log of wood; then the wise one, O best of the Bharatas, stood upright.

Verse 10 (13.85.10)

जलौकसां ससत्वानां बभूव प्रियदर्शनः । उपाजिघ्नन्त च तदा मत्स्यास्तं हृष्टमानसाः । तत्र तस्यासतः कालः समतीतोऽभवन्महान् ॥

jalaukasāṃ sasatvānāṃ babhūva priyadarśanaḥ | upājighnanta ca tadā matsyāstaṃ hṛṣṭamānasāḥ | tatra tasyāsataḥ kālaḥ samatīto'bhavanmahān

He became dear to look upon to the water-dwelling creatures; the fish, glad at heart, would nuzzle him. So a great length of time passed as he stayed there.

Note on the text: A three-line verse on the page, as in the critical edition (13.50.10a, c, e).

Verse 11 (13.85.11)

ततः कदाचित्समये कस्मिंश्चिन्मत्स्यजीविनः । तं देशं समुपाजग्मुर्जालहस्ता महाद्युते ॥

tataḥ kadācitsamaye kasmiṃścinmatsyajīvinaḥ | taṃ deśaṃ samupājagmurjālahastā mahādyute

Then at some time fishermen came to that place with nets in their hands, O radiant one.

Verse 12 (13.85.12)

निषादा बहवस्तत्र मत्स्योद्धरणनिश्चयाः । व्यायता बलिनः शूराः सलिलेष्वनुवर्तिनः । अभ्याययुश्च तं देशं निश्चिता जालकर्मणि ॥

niṣādā bahavastatra matsyoddharaṇaniścayāḥ | vyāyatā balinaḥ śūrāḥ salileṣvanuvartinaḥ | abhyāyayuśca taṃ deśaṃ niścitā jālakarmaṇi

Many Nishadas were there, set on drawing out fish, tall, strong and brave, moving about in the waters; and they came to that place, skilled in the work of netting.

Note on the text: Corrected जालकर्म्णि → जालकर्मणि (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped akshara; the critical edition reads “jālakarmaṇi”). A three-line verse on the page, as in the critical edition (13.50.12a, c, e).

Verse 13 (13.85.13)

जालं ते योजयामासुर्नवसूत्रकृतं दृढम् । मत्स्योद्धरणमाकर्षस्तदा भरतसत्तम ॥

jālaṃ te yojayāmāsurnavasūtrakṛtaṃ dṛḍham | matsyoddharaṇamākarṣastadā bharatasattama

They fitted together a strong net made of new cords, to haul out the fish by dragging, O best of the Bharatas.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match; this is a recension variant of CE 13.50.13, which has the same opening (“jālaṃ ca yojayām āsuḥ”) but a different second line and a different second half.

Verse 14 (13.85.14)

ततस्ते बहुभिर्योगैः कैवर्ता मत्स्यकाङ्क्षिणः । गङ्गायमुनयोर्वारि जालेनावकिरन्ति ते ॥

tataste bahubhiryogaiḥ kaivartā matsyakāṅkṣiṇaḥ | gaṅgāyamunayorvāri jālenāvakiranti te

Then those fishermen, wanting fish, by many devices cast the net over the water of the Ganga and the Yamuna.

Verse 15 (13.85.15)

जालं सुविततं तेषां नवसूत्रकृतं तथा । विस्तारायामसम्पन्नं यत्तत्र सलिले क्षमम् ॥

jālaṃ suvitataṃ teṣāṃ navasūtrakṛtaṃ tathā | vistārāyāmasampannaṃ yattatra salile kṣamam

Their net was widely spread, made of new cords, and of such breadth and length as suited the water there.

Verse 16 (13.85.16)

ततस्ते सुमहच्चैव बलवच्च सुवर्तितम् । अवतीर्य ततः सर्वे जालं चकृषिरे तदा ॥

tataste sumahaccaiva balavacca suvartitam | avatīrya tataḥ sarve jālaṃ cakṛṣire tadā

Then they all went in and dragged that very large, strong, well-twisted net.

Verse 17 (13.85.17)

अभीतरूपाः संहृष्टा अन्योन्यवशवर्तिनः । बबन्धुस्तत्र मत्स्यांश्च तथाऽन्याञ्जलचारिणः ॥

abhītarūpāḥ saṃhṛṣṭā anyonyavaśavartinaḥ | babandhustatra matsyāṃśca tathā'nyāñjalacāriṇaḥ

Fearless, delighted, and acting as one in concert, they enclosed there the fish and the other creatures of the water.

Verse 18 (13.85.18)

तथा मत्स्यैः परिवृतं च्यवनं भृगुनन्दनम् । आकर्षयन्महाराज जालेनाथ यदृच्छया ॥

tathā matsyaiḥ parivṛtaṃ cyavanaṃ bhṛgunandanam | ākarṣayanmahārāja jālenātha yadṛcchayā

And so, O great king, as chance would have it, they drew up with the net Chyavana, the delight of Bhrigu, surrounded by fish.

Verse 19 (13.85.19)

नदीशैवलदिग्धाङ्गं हरिश्मश्रुजटाधरम् । लग्नैः शङ्खनखैर्गात्रे क्रोडैश्चित्रैरिवार्पितम् ॥

nadīśaivaladigdhāṅgaṃ hariśmaśrujaṭādharam | lagnaiḥ śaṅkhanakhairgātre kroḍaiścitrairivārpitam

His limbs smeared with river-weed, his beard and matted hair green, with conch-creatures’ claws clinging to his body, he seemed adorned with many-coloured patterns.

Verse 20 (13.85.20)

तं जालेनोद्धृतं दृष्ट्वा ते तदा वेदपारगम् । सर्वे प्राञ्जलयो दाशाः शिरोभिः प्रापतन्भुवि ॥

taṃ jālenoddhṛtaṃ dṛṣṭvā te tadā vedapāragam | sarve prāñjalayo dāśāḥ śirobhiḥ prāpatanbhuvi

Seeing him drawn up in the net, that master of the Veda, all the fishermen with joined palms fell to the ground with their heads.

Verse 21 (13.85.21)

परिखेदपरित्रासाज्जालस्याकर्षणेन च । मत्स्या बभूवुर्व्यापन्नाः स्थलसंस्पर्शनेन च ॥

parikhedaparitrāsājjālasyākarṣaṇena ca | matsyā babhūvurvyāpannāḥ sthalasaṃsparśanena ca

From the distress and terror, from the dragging of the net, and from touching dry ground, the fish died.

Verse 22 (13.85.22)

स मुनिस्तत्तदा दृष्ट्वा मत्स्यानां कदनं कृतम् । बभूव कृपयाविष्टो निःश्वसंश्च पुनःपुनः ॥

sa munistattadā dṛṣṭvā matsyānāṃ kadanaṃ kṛtam | babhūva kṛpayāviṣṭo niḥśvasaṃśca punaḥpunaḥ

Seeing the slaughter of the fish that had been done, the sage was filled with compassion and sighed again and again.

Note on the text: Corrected पुनःपनः → पुनःपुनः (misprint in Wikisource; a garbled repetition; the critical edition reads “punaḥ punaḥ”).

Verse 23 (13.85.23)

अज्ञानाद्यत्कृतं पापं प्रसादं तत्र नः कुरु । करवाम प्रिय किं ते तन्नो ब्रूहि महामुने ॥

ajñānādyatkṛtaṃ pāpaṃ prasādaṃ tatra naḥ kuru | karavāma priya kiṃ te tanno brūhi mahāmune

Be gracious to us for the sin we committed in ignorance. What can we do that is dear to you? Tell us that, great sage.

Verse 24 (13.85.24)

इत्युक्तो मत्स्यमध्यस्थश्च्यवनो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । यो मेऽद्य परमः कामस्तं शृणुध्वं समाहिताः ॥

ityukto matsyamadhyasthaścyavano vākyamabravīt | yo me'dya paramaḥ kāmastaṃ śṛṇudhvaṃ samāhitāḥ

Thus addressed, Chyavana, standing in the midst of the fish, spoke these words: “Hear, with attentive minds, the supreme wish I have today.”

Note on the text: Corrected मसाहिताः → समाहिताः (misprint in Wikisource; letters transposed; the critical edition reads “samāhitāḥ”). Speaker corrected from निषादा (carried over) to भीष्म: the first line is narration, and only the second begins Chyavana’s speech (completed in the next verse).

Verse 25 (13.85.25)

प्राणोत्सर्गं विसर्गं वा मत्स्यैर्यास्याम्यहं सह । संवासान्नोत्सहे त्यक्तुं सलिलेऽध्युषितानहम् ॥

prāṇotsargaṃ visargaṃ vā matsyairyāsyāmyahaṃ saha | saṃvāsānnotsahe tyaktuṃ salile'dhyuṣitānaham

Whether it be the giving up of life or release, I shall go together with these fish. I cannot bear to abandon those with whom I have lived in the water.

Note on the text: Corrected सलिलेऽध्युपितानहम् → सलिलेऽध्युषितानहम् (misprint in Wikisource; a wrong sibilant, giving a non-word; the critical edition reads “adhyuṣitān”). Speaker corrected from निषादा (carried over) to च्यवन: the whole verse is Chyavana’s speech. Line 1 reads “visargam” where CE 13.50.25a reads “vikrayaṃ” (sale); kept as the page’s variant. The alignment found no match; this is CE 13.50.25.

Verse 26 (13.85.26)

इत्युक्तास्ते निषादास्तु सुभृशं भयकम्पिताः । सर्वे विवर्णवदना नहुषाय न्यवेदयन् ॥

ityuktāste niṣādāstu subhṛśaṃ bhayakampitāḥ | sarve vivarṇavadanā nahuṣāya nyavedayan

Thus addressed, the Nishadas, greatly trembling with fear, all pale-faced, reported it to Nahusha.

Note on the text: Speaker corrected from निषादा (carried over) to भीष्म: this verse is narration.