Agastya Seeks Wealth from Three Kings

Verse 1 (3.96.1)

ततो जगाम कौरव्य सोऽगस्त्यो भिक्षितुं वसु । श्रुतर्वाणं महीपालं यं वेदाभ्यधिकं नृपैः ॥

tato jagāma kauravya so'gastyo bhikṣituṃ vasu | śrutarvāṇaṃ mahīpālaṃ yaṃ vedābhyadhikaṃ nṛpaiḥ

Then, O Kauravya, Agastya went to beg wealth from King Shrutarvan, whom he knew to be richer than other kings.

Verse 2 (3.96.2)

स विदित्वा तु नृपतिः कुम्भयोनिमुपागतम् । विषयान्ते सहामात्यः प्रत्यगृह्णात्सुसत्कृतम् ॥

sa viditvā tu nṛpatiḥ kumbhayonimupāgatam | viṣayānte sahāmātyaḥ pratyagṛhṇātsusatkṛtam

Learning that the pot-born sage had come, the king went out with his ministers to the border of his realm and received him with honour.

Verse 3 (3.96.3)

तस्मै चार्घ्यं यथान्यायमानीय पृथिवीपतिः । प्राञ्जलिः प्रयतो भूत्वापप्रच्छागमनेऽर्थिताम् ॥

tasmai cārghyaṃ yathānyāyamānīya pṛthivīpatiḥ | prāñjaliḥ prayato bhūtvāpapracchāgamane'rthitām

Bringing him the guest-water as was fitting, the king, with joined palms and composed, asked what he sought by coming.

Note on the text: Corrected थान्यायम् → यथान्यायम् (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped akshara; the critical edition reads yathānyāyam).

Verse 4 (3.96.4)

वित्तार्थिनमनुप्राप्तं विद्धि मां पृथिवीपते । यथाशक्त्यविहिंस्यान्यान्संविभागं प्रयच्छ मे ॥

vittārthinamanuprāptaṃ viddhi māṃ pṛthivīpate | yathāśaktyavihiṃsyānyānsaṃvibhāgaṃ prayaccha me

"Know, O lord of the earth, that I have come in search of wealth. Give me a share, as far as you can without harming others."

Note on the text: Corrected थाशक्त्य → यथाशक्त्य (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped akshara; the critical edition reads yathāśakty).

Verse 5 (3.96.5)

तत आयव्ययौ पूर्णौ तस्मै राजा न्यवेदयत् । अतो विद्वन्नुपादत्स्व यदत्रव्यतिरिच्यते ॥

tata āyavyayau pūrṇau tasmai rājā nyavedayat | ato vidvannupādatsva yadatravyatiricyate

Then the king laid before him his full income and expenditure: "From this, learned one, take whatever is left over."

Note on the text: Corrected पूर्णो → पूर्णौ (misprint in Wikisource; the dual agrees with आयव्ययौ, as in the critical edition's pūrṇau).

Verse 6 (3.96.6)

तत आयव्ययौ दृष्ट्वा समौ सममतिर्द्विजः । सर्वथा प्राणिनां पीडामुपादानादमन्यत ॥

tata āyavyayau dṛṣṭvā samau samamatirdvijaḥ | sarvathā prāṇināṃ pīḍāmupādānādamanyata

Seeing that income and expenditure were equal, the even-minded brahmin judged that taking anything would bring hardship on living beings in every way.

Verse 7 (3.96.7)

स श्रुतर्वाणमादाय ब्रध्नश्वमगमत्ततः । स च तौ विषयस्यान्ते प्रत्यगृह्णाद्यथाविधि ॥

sa śrutarvāṇamādāya bradhnaśvamagamattataḥ | sa ca tau viṣayasyānte pratyagṛhṇādyathāvidhi

Taking Shrutarvan with him, he then went to Bradhnashva, who received the two of them at the border of his kingdom with due rites.

Verse 8 (3.96.8)

तयोरर्घ्यं च पाद्यं च ब्रध्नश्वः प्रत्यवेदयत् । अनुज्ञाप्यच पप्रच्छ प्रयोजनमुपक्रमे । वद कामं मुनिश्रेष्ठ धन्योस्म्यागमनेन ते ॥

tayorarghyaṃ ca pādyaṃ ca bradhnaśvaḥ pratyavedayat | anujñāpyaca papraccha prayojanamupakrame | vada kāmaṃ muniśreṣṭha dhanyosmyāgamanena te

Bradhnashva offered the two of them guest-water and water for their feet, and with their leave asked the purpose of their coming: "Tell me your wish, best of sages; I am blessed by your visit."

Note on the text: Corrected अर्ध्यं → अर्घ्यं (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads arghyaṃ) and removed stray wiki marks (` and ') around the third line. That third line is not in the critical edition's text (vulgate recension; its apparatus records it as 3.96.8d*0487); the first two lines are 3.96.8.

Verse 9 (3.96.9)

वित्तकामाविह प्राप्तौ विद्ध्यावां पृथिवीपते । यथाशक्त्यविहिंस्यान्यान्संविभागं प्रयच्छ नौ ॥

vittakāmāviha prāptau viddhyāvāṃ pṛthivīpate | yathāśaktyavihiṃsyānyānsaṃvibhāgaṃ prayaccha nau

"Know, O lord of the earth, that we two have come here wanting wealth. Give us a share, as far as you can without harming others."

Verse 10 (3.96.10)

तत आयव्ययौ पूर्णौ ताभ्यां राजा न्यवेदयत् । अतो ज्ञात्वा तु गृह्णीतं यदत्रव्यतिरिच्यते ॥

tata āyavyayau pūrṇau tābhyāṃ rājā nyavedayat | ato jñātvā tu gṛhṇītaṃ yadatravyatiricyate

Then the king laid his full income and expenditure before the two of them: "Knowing this, take whatever is left over."

Verse 11 (3.96.11)

तत आयव्ययौ दृष्ट्वासमौ सममतिर्द्विजः । सर्वथा प्राणिनां पीडामुपादानादमन्यत ॥

tata āyavyayau dṛṣṭvāsamau samamatirdvijaḥ | sarvathā prāṇināṃ pīḍāmupādānādamanyata

Seeing that income and expenditure were equal, the even-minded brahmin judged that taking anything would bring hardship on living beings in every way.

Verse 12 (3.96.12)

पौरुकुत्सं ततो जग्मुस्त्रसदस्युं महाधनम् । अगस्त्यश्च श्रुतर्वा च ब्रध्नश्वश्च महीपतिः ॥

paurukutsaṃ tato jagmustrasadasyuṃ mahādhanam | agastyaśca śrutarvā ca bradhnaśvaśca mahīpatiḥ

Then Agastya, Shrutarvan and King Bradhnashva went on to Trasadasyu, son of Purukutsa, a king of great wealth.

Verse 13 (3.96.13)

त्रसदस्युस्तु तान्दृष्ट्वा प्रत्यगृह्णाद्यथाविधि । अभिगम्य महाराज विषयान्ते महामनाः ॥

trasadasyustu tāndṛṣṭvā pratyagṛhṇādyathāvidhi | abhigamya mahārāja viṣayānte mahāmanāḥ

The high-minded Trasadasyu, seeing them, came out to the border of his realm, great king, and received them with due rites.

Verse 14 (3.96.14)

अर्चयित्वा यथान्यायमैक्ष्वाको राजसत्तमः । समस्तांश्च ततोऽपृच्छत्प्रयोजनमुपक्रमे ॥

arcayitvā yathānyāyamaikṣvāko rājasattamaḥ | samastāṃśca tato'pṛcchatprayojanamupakrame

Having honoured them as was proper, that best of kings, of the line of Ikshvaku, then asked them all the purpose of their coming.

Note on the text: Corrected ततोऽपच्छत् → ततोऽपृच्छत् (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads tato 'pṛcchat).

Verse 15 (3.96.15)

वित्तकामानिह प्राप्तान्विद्धि नः पृथिवीपते । यथाशक्त्यविहिंस्यान्यान्संविभागं प्रयच्छ नः ॥

vittakāmāniha prāptānviddhi naḥ pṛthivīpate | yathāśaktyavihiṃsyānyānsaṃvibhāgaṃ prayaccha naḥ

"Know, O lord of the earth, that we have come here wanting wealth. Give us a share, as far as you can without harming others."

Note on the text: Corrected यथाशक्त्यवीहिंस्य → यथाशक्त्यविहिंस्य (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads avihiṃsya).

Verse 16 (3.96.16)

तत आयव्ययौ पूर्णौ तेषां राजा न्यवेदयत् । एतज्ज्ञात्वा ह्युपादद्ध्वं यदत्रव्यतिरिच्यते ॥

tata āyavyayau pūrṇau teṣāṃ rājā nyavedayat | etajjñātvā hyupādaddhvaṃ yadatravyatiricyate

Then the king laid his full income and expenditure before them: "Knowing this, take whatever is left over."

Verse 17 (3.96.17)

तत आयव्ययौ दृष्ट्वासमौ सममतिर्द्विजः । सर्वथा प्राणिनां पीडामुपादानादमन्यत ॥

tata āyavyayau dṛṣṭvāsamau samamatirdvijaḥ | sarvathā prāṇināṃ pīḍāmupādānādamanyata

Seeing that income and expenditure were equal, the even-minded brahmin judged that taking anything would bring hardship on living beings in every way.

Verse 18 (3.96.18)

ततः सर्वे समेत्याथ ते नृपास्तं महामुनिम् । इदमूचुर्महाराज समवेक्ष्य परस्परम् ॥

tataḥ sarve sametyātha te nṛpāstaṃ mahāmunim | idamūcurmahārāja samavekṣya parasparam

Then all those kings gathered together, looked at one another, and said this to the great sage, great king:

Verse 19 (3.96.19)

अयं वै दानवो ब्रह्मन्निल्वलो वसुमान्भुवि । तमतिक्रम्य सर्वेऽद्यवयं याचामहे वसु ॥

ayaṃ vai dānavo brahmannilvalo vasumānbhuvi | tamatikramya sarve'dyavayaṃ yācāmahe vasu

"Brahmin, there is on earth this Danava Ilvala, who is rich. Let us all go over to him today and ask him for wealth."

Note on the text: Corrected चार्तामहे → याचामहे (misprint in Wikisource; चार्तामहे is not a verb form; the metre and the critical edition's yācāmahe give the evident word). Speaker changed from लोमश to the kings: the whole verse is the speech introduced by the previous verse.

Verse 20 (3.96.20)

तेषां तदासीदुचितमिल्वलस्यैव भिक्षणम् । ततस्ते सहिता राजन्निल्वलं समुपाद्रवन् ॥

teṣāṃ tadāsīducitamilvalasyaiva bhikṣaṇam | tataste sahitā rājannilvalaṃ samupādravan

Begging from Ilvala then seemed the right course to them, and so, O king, they went together to Ilvala.