Brahma's Promise; Shiva's Boon to Sagara and the Birth of the Gourd

Verse 1 (3.105.1)

तानुवाच समेतांस्तु ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । निर्ह्रादिन्या गिरा राजन्देवानाश्वासयंस्तदा ॥

tānuvāca sametāṃstu brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | nirhrādinyā girā rājandevānāśvāsayaṃstadā

Brahma, the Grandfather of the worlds, spoke to the assembled gods, O king, comforting them in a deep, resounding voice:

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki quote marks (` … ') around the second line. The first line is the critical edition's 3.104.1a; the second is not in its constituted text and appears in its apparatus as 3.104.1b*0510.

Verse 2 (3.105.2)

गच्छध्वं विबुधाः सर्वे यथाकामं यथेप्सितम् । महता कालयोगेन प्रकृतिं यास्यतेऽर्णवः ॥

gacchadhvaṃ vibudhāḥ sarve yathākāmaṃ yathepsitam | mahatā kālayogena prakṛtiṃ yāsyate'rṇavaḥ

"Go, all you gods, wherever you wish, as you please. After a long course of time the ocean will return to its natural state.

Note on the text: The first line is the critical edition's 3.104.1c, the second its 3.104.2a.

Verse 3 (3.105.3)

ज्ञातींश्च कारणं कृत्वा महाराजो भगीरथः । पूरयिष्यति तोयौघैः समुद्रं निधिमम्भसाम् ॥

jñātīṃśca kāraṇaṃ kṛtvā mahārājo bhagīrathaḥ | pūrayiṣyati toyaughaiḥ samudraṃ nidhimambhasām

Taking his kinsmen as the cause, the great king Bhagiratha will fill the ocean, the treasure-house of waters, with floods of water."

Note on the text: Corrected भगीथः → भगीरथः (misprint in Wikisource; a lost akshara). Removed stray wiki quote marks (` … ') around the second line. The first line corresponds to the critical edition's 3.104.2c (jñātīn vai kāraṇaṃ kṛtvā mahārājño bhagīrathāt, a recension variant); the second is not in its constituted text and appears in its apparatus as 3.104.2d*0513.

Verse 4 (3.105.4)

पितामहवचः श्रुत्वा सर्वे विबुधसत्तमाः । कालयोगं प्रतीक्षन्तो जग्मुश्चापि यथागतम् ॥

pitāmahavacaḥ śrutvā sarve vibudhasattamāḥ | kālayogaṃ pratīkṣanto jagmuścāpi yathāgatam

Hearing the Grandfather's words, all the best of the gods went back the way they had come, waiting for the appointed time.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text; it appears in its apparatus as 3.104.2d*0512 (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 5 (3.105.5)

कथं वै ज्ञातयो ब्रह्मन्कारणं चात्र किं मुने । कथं समुद्रः पूर्णश्च भगीरथपरिश्रमात् ॥

kathaṃ vai jñātayo brahmankāraṇaṃ cātra kiṃ mune | kathaṃ samudraḥ pūrṇaśca bhagīrathapariśramāt

How were his kinsmen the cause, brahmin, and what was the reason for it, sage? And how was the ocean filled through the labor of Bhagiratha?

Note on the text: Word spacing restored (ज्ञातयो ब्रह्मन्).

Verse 6 (3.105.6)

एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं विस्तरेण तपोधन । कथ्यमानं त्वया विप्र राज्ञां चरितमुत्तमम् ॥

etadicchāmyahaṃ śrotuṃ vistareṇa tapodhana | kathyamānaṃ tvayā vipra rājñāṃ caritamuttamam

I wish to hear this in full, you who are rich in austerity: the excellent deeds of kings, as told by you, brahmin.

Verse 7 (3.105.7)

एवमुक्तस्तु विप्रेन्द्रो धर्मराज्ञा महात्मना । कथयामास माहात्म्यं सगरस्य महात्मनः ॥

evamuktastu viprendro dharmarājñā mahātmanā | kathayāmāsa māhātmyaṃ sagarasya mahātmanaḥ

Thus asked by the great-souled King of Dharma, the foremost of brahmins told of the greatness of the great-souled Sagara.

Verse 8 (3.105.8)

इक्ष्वाकूणां कुले जातः सगरो नाम पार्थिवः । रूपसत्वबलोपेतः स चापुत्रः प्रतापवान् ॥

ikṣvākūṇāṃ kule jātaḥ sagaro nāma pārthivaḥ | rūpasatvabalopetaḥ sa cāputraḥ pratāpavān

In the line of the Ikshvakus there was born a king named Sagara, endowed with beauty, courage and strength, and mighty in valor; yet he had no son.

Verse 9 (3.105.9)

स हैहयान्समुत्साद्य तालजङ्घांश्च भारत । वशे च कृत्वा राजन्यान्स्वराज्यमनुशिष्टवान् ॥

sa haihayānsamutsādya tālajaṅghāṃśca bhārata | vaśe ca kṛtvā rājanyānsvarājyamanuśiṣṭavān

He destroyed the Haihayas and the Talajanghas, O Bharata, brought the other kshatriyas under his sway, and ruled his own kingdom.

Verse 10 (3.105.10)

तस्य भार्ये त्वभवतां रूपयौवनदर्पिते । वैदर्भी भरतश्रेष्ठ शैव्या च भरतर्षभ ॥

tasya bhārye tvabhavatāṃ rūpayauvanadarpite | vaidarbhī bharataśreṣṭha śaivyā ca bharatarṣabha

He had two wives, proud of their beauty and youth: the princess of Vidarbha, O best of the Bharatas, and Shaibya, O bull among the Bharatas.

Verse 11 (3.105.11)

स पुत्रकामो नृपतिस्तप्यते स्म महत्तपः । पत्नीभ्यां सह राजेन्द्र कैलासं गिरिमाश्रितः ॥

sa putrakāmo nṛpatistapyate sma mahattapaḥ | patnībhyāṃ saha rājendra kailāsaṃ girimāśritaḥ

Longing for a son, the king practised great austerities together with his two wives, O king of kings, dwelling on Mount Kailasa.

Note on the text: Word spacing restored (स पुत्रकामो).

Verse 12 (3.105.12)

स तप्यमानः सुमहत्तपोयोगसमन्वितः । आससाद महात्मानं त्र्यक्षं त्रिपुरमर्दनम् ॥

sa tapyamānaḥ sumahattapoyogasamanvitaḥ | āsasāda mahātmānaṃ tryakṣaṃ tripuramardanam

As he practised very great austerity joined with yoga, he came into the presence of the great-souled three-eyed god, the destroyer of the Three Cities:

Verse 13 (3.105.13)

शंकरं भवमीशानं पिनाकिं शूलपाणिनम् । त्र्यम्बकं शिवमुग्रेशं बहुरूपमुमापतिम् ॥

śaṃkaraṃ bhavamīśānaṃ pinākiṃ śūlapāṇinam | tryambakaṃ śivamugreśaṃ bahurūpamumāpatim

Shankara, Bhava, Ishana, the bearer of the Pinaka bow, the trident-wielder, Tryambaka, Shiva, the fierce lord, the many-formed one, the husband of Uma.

Verse 14 (3.105.14)

स तं दृष्ट्वैव वरदं पत्नीभ्यां सहितो नृपः । प्रणिपत्य महाबाहुः पुत्रार्थे समयाचत ॥

sa taṃ dṛṣṭvaiva varadaṃ patnībhyāṃ sahito nṛpaḥ | praṇipatya mahābāhuḥ putrārthe samayācata

As soon as the mighty-armed king saw that giver of boons, he bowed down with his two wives and asked for a son.

Verse 15 (3.105.15)

तं प्रीतिमान्हरः प्राह सभार्यं नृपसत्तमम् । यस्मिन्वृतो मुहूर्तेऽहं त्वयेह नृपते वरम् ॥

taṃ prītimānharaḥ prāha sabhāryaṃ nṛpasattamam | yasminvṛto muhūrte'haṃ tvayeha nṛpate varam

Well pleased, Hara said to the best of kings and his wives, "Because of the moment at which you chose your boon from me here, O king,

Verse 16 (3.105.16)

षष्टिः पुत्रसहस्राणि शूराः परमदर्पिताः । एकस्यां संभविष्यन्ति पत्न्यां नरवरोत्तम ॥

ṣaṣṭiḥ putrasahasrāṇi śūrāḥ paramadarpitāḥ | ekasyāṃ saṃbhaviṣyanti patnyāṃ naravarottama

sixty thousand sons, heroes of the greatest pride, will be born of one of your wives, O best of men.

Verse 17 (3.105.17)

ते चैव सर्वे सहिताः क्षयं यास्यन्ति पार्थिव । एको वंशधरः शूर एकस्यां संभविष्यति ॥

te caiva sarve sahitāḥ kṣayaṃ yāsyanti pārthiva | eko vaṃśadharaḥ śūra ekasyāṃ saṃbhaviṣyati

But all of them together will perish, O king. Of the other wife a single heroic son will be born, who will carry on your line."

Note on the text: Word spacing restored (चैव सर्वे). Matches the first two lines of the critical edition's three-line 3.104.15.

Verse 18 (3.105.18)

एवमुक्त्वा तु तं रुद्रस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत । स चापि सगरो राजा जगाम स्वं निवेशनम् ॥

evamuktvā tu taṃ rudrastatraivāntaradhīyata | sa cāpi sagaro rājā jagāma svaṃ niveśanam

Having said this to him, Rudra vanished on the spot, and King Sagara went back to his own home

Note on the text: The first line is the critical edition's 3.104.15e, the second its 3.104.16a.

Verse 19 (3.105.19)

पत्नीभ्यां सहितस्तत्र सोऽतिहृष्टमनास्तदा । कालं शंभुवरप्राप्तं प्रतीक्षन्सगरोऽनयत् ॥

patnībhyāṃ sahitastatra so'tihṛṣṭamanāstadā | kālaṃ śaṃbhuvaraprāptaṃ pratīkṣansagaro'nayat

with his wives, his heart full of joy. There Sagara passed the time, waiting for the boon granted by Shambhu to come to pass.

Note on the text: Corrected होऽतिहृष्टमनास् → सोऽतिहृष्टमनास् (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads so 'tihṛṣṭamanās). Removed stray wiki quote marks (` … ') around the second line. The first line is the critical edition's 3.104.16c; the second is not in its constituted text and appears in its apparatus as 3.104.16d*0515.

Verse 20 (3.105.20)

तस्य ते मनुजश्रेष्ठ भार्ये कमललोचने । वैदर्भी चैव शैब्या च गर्भिण्यौ संबभूवतुः ॥

tasya te manujaśreṣṭha bhārye kamalalocane | vaidarbhī caiva śaibyā ca garbhiṇyau saṃbabhūvatuḥ

Then, O best of men, both his lotus-eyed wives, the princess of Vidarbha and Shaibya, became pregnant.

Note on the text: Corrected कललोचने → कमललोचने (misprint in Wikisource; a lost syllable that leaves the line short; the critical edition has kamalekṣaṇe, "lotus-eyed"); word spacing restored (ते मनुजश्रेष्ठ).

Verse 21 (3.105.21)

ततः कालेन वैदर्भी गर्भालाबुं व्यजायत । शैव्या च सुषुवे पुत्रं कुमारं देवरूपिणम् ॥

tataḥ kālena vaidarbhī garbhālābuṃ vyajāyata | śaivyā ca suṣuve putraṃ kumāraṃ devarūpiṇam

In time the princess of Vidarbha gave birth to a gourd, while Shaibya bore a son, a boy as beautiful as a god.

Verse 22 (3.105.22)

तदाऽलाबुं समुत्स्रष्टुं मनश्चक्रे स पार्थिवः । अथान्तरिक्षाच्छुश्राव वाचं गंभीरनिःस्वनाम् ॥

tadā'lābuṃ samutsraṣṭuṃ manaścakre sa pārthivaḥ | athāntarikṣācchuśrāva vācaṃ gaṃbhīraniḥsvanām

The king then made up his mind to throw the gourd away, but just then he heard a voice from the sky, deep in tone:

Verse 23 (3.105.23)

राजन्मा साहसं कार्षीः पुत्रान्न त्यक्तुमर्हसि । अलाबुमध्यान्निष्कृष्य वीजं यत्नेन गोप्यताम् ॥

rājanmā sāhasaṃ kārṣīḥ putrānna tyaktumarhasi | alābumadhyānniṣkṛṣya vījaṃ yatnena gopyatām

"King, do not act rashly. You must not cast away your sons. Take the seeds out of the gourd and guard them with care,

Note on the text: Word spacing restored (साहसं कार्षीः).

Verse 24 (3.105.24)

सोपस्वेदेषु पात्रेषु घृतपूर्णेषु भागशः । ततः पुत्रसहस्राणि षष्टिं प्राप्स्यसि पार्थिव ॥

sopasvedeṣu pātreṣu ghṛtapūrṇeṣu bhāgaśaḥ | tataḥ putrasahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭiṃ prāpsyasi pārthiva

a share at a time, in warmed vessels filled with ghee. Then you will gain sixty thousand sons, O king.

Verse 25 (3.105.25)

महादेवेन दिष्टं ते पुत्रजन्म नराधिप । अनेन क्रमयोगेन मा ते बुद्धिरतोऽन्यथा ॥

mahādevena diṣṭaṃ te putrajanma narādhipa | anena kramayogena mā te buddhirato'nyathā

The great god has ordained the birth of your sons in this way, lord of men. Do not think otherwise."