Ushanas in the Belly of Shiva

Verse 1 (12.295.1)

तिष्ठते मे सदा तात कौतूहलमिदं हृदि । तदहं श्रोतुमिच्छामि त्वत्तः कुरुपितामह ॥

tiṣṭhate me sadā tāta kautūhalamidaṃ hṛdi | tadahaṃ śrotumicchāmi tvattaḥ kurupitāmaha

Dear grandfather, a certain curiosity has always remained in my heart, and I wish to hear the answer from you, O grandsire of the Kurus.

Note on the text: Adhyaya note: the page is the right adhyaya (rows labelled 1-39; the colophon reads पञ्चनवत्यधिकद्विशततमोऽध्यायः । 295). Its text is the critical edition's 12.278.1-38 (the CE numbers this adhyaya 278), with one vulgate-only couplet noted on verse 33. The heading line printed above the verses (भीष्मेण युधिष्ठिरंप्रति भार्गवचरित्रकथनम्) and the commentary glosses after the colophon are not part of the text and are not added. No Appendix I passage occurs here.

Verse 2 (12.295.2)

कथं देवर्षिरुशना सदा काव्यो महामतिः । असुराणां प्रियकारः सुराणामप्रिये रतः ॥

kathaṃ devarṣiruśanā sadā kāvyo mahāmatiḥ | asurāṇāṃ priyakāraḥ surāṇāmapriye rataḥ

How was it that the divine sage Ushanas, the wise Kavya, always did what pleased the asuras and took delight in what displeased the gods?

Verse 3 (12.295.3)

वर्धयामास तेजश्च किमर्थममितौजसाम् । नित्यं वैरनिबद्धाश्च दानवाः सुरसत्तमैः ॥

vardhayāmāsa tejaśca kimarthamamitaujasām | nityaṃ vairanibaddhāśca dānavāḥ surasattamaiḥ

And why did he increase the power of the Danavas of boundless might, who were forever bound in enmity with the best of the gods?

Verse 4 (12.295.4)

कथं चाप्युशना प्राप शुक्रत्वममरद्युतिः । ऋद्धिं च स कथं प्राप्तः सर्वमेतद्ब्रवीहि मे ॥

kathaṃ cāpyuśanā prāpa śukratvamamaradyutiḥ | ṛddhiṃ ca sa kathaṃ prāptaḥ sarvametadbravīhi me

And how did Ushanas, radiant as an immortal, come to the state of Shukra? How did he gain his prosperity? Tell me all this.

Verse 5 (12.295.5)

न याति च स तेजस्वी मध्येन नभसः कथम् । एतदिच्छामि विज्ञातुं निखिलेन पितामह ॥

na yāti ca sa tejasvī madhyena nabhasaḥ katham | etadicchāmi vijñātuṃ nikhilena pitāmaha

And why does that radiant one not travel through the middle of the sky? I wish to learn all this in full, grandfather.

Verse 6 (12.295.6)

शृणु राजन्नवहितः सर्वमेतद्यथातथम् । यथामति यथा चैतच्छ्रुतपूर्वं मयाऽनघ ॥

śṛṇu rājannavahitaḥ sarvametadyathātatham | yathāmati yathā caitacchrutapūrvaṃ mayā'nagha

Listen with attention, O king, to all of this just as it happened, as far as I understand it and as I heard it before, O sinless one.

Verse 7 (12.295.7)

एष भार्गवदायादो मुनिर्मान्यो दृढव्रतः । सुराणां विप्रियकरो निमित्ते कारणात्मके ॥

eṣa bhārgavadāyādo munirmānyo dṛḍhavrataḥ | surāṇāṃ vipriyakaro nimitte kāraṇātmake

This descendant of Bhrigu, the honoured sage of firm vows, acted against the gods' interest when there was a reason for it.

Verse 8 (12.295.8)

इन्द्रोऽथ धनदो राजा यक्षरक्षोधिपः सदा । प्रभविष्णुश्च कोशस्य जगतश्च तथा प्रभुः ॥

indro'tha dhanado rājā yakṣarakṣodhipaḥ sadā | prabhaviṣṇuśca kośasya jagataśca tathā prabhuḥ

Indra is the lord of the world, and Dhanada is king, ever the overlord of the yakshas and rakshasas and master of the treasury.

Verse 9 (12.295.9)

तस्यात्मानमथाविश्य योगसिद्धो महामुनिः । रुद्ध्वा धनपतिं देवं योगेन हृतवान्वसु ॥

tasyātmānamathāviśya yogasiddho mahāmuniḥ | ruddhvā dhanapatiṃ devaṃ yogena hṛtavānvasu

Entering into his body, that great sage, perfected in yoga, held the god, the lord of wealth, in check by yoga and carried off his riches.

Verse 10 (12.295.10)

हृते धने ततः शर्म न लेभे धनदस्तथा । आपन्नमन्युः संविग्नः सोभ्यगात्सुरसत्तमम् ॥

hṛte dhane tataḥ śarma na lebhe dhanadastathā | āpannamanyuḥ saṃvignaḥ sobhyagātsurasattamam

When his wealth was taken, Dhanada found no peace. Overcome by anger and distress, he went to the best of the gods.

Verse 11 (12.295.11)

निवेदयामास तदा शिवायामिततेजसे । देवश्रेष्ठाय रुद्राय सौम्याय बहुरूपिणे ॥

nivedayāmāsa tadā śivāyāmitatejase | devaśreṣṭhāya rudrāya saumyāya bahurūpiṇe

Then he made his report to Shiva of boundless splendour, Rudra, the best of the gods, the gentle one of many forms.

Verse 12 (12.295.12)

योगात्मकेनोशनसा रुद्ध्वा मम हृतं वसु । योगेनात्मगतं कृत्वा निःसृतश्च महातपाः ॥

yogātmakenośanasā ruddhvā mama hṛtaṃ vasu | yogenātmagataṃ kṛtvā niḥsṛtaśca mahātapāḥ

Ushanas, whose nature is yoga, has held me in check and carried off my wealth; having made it his own by yoga, the great ascetic has gone out.

Note on the text: Speaker: the whole verse is the complaint Dhanada (Kubera) makes to Shiva, which verse 11 introduces; the page prints no heading for it and the input carries Bhishma over, so it is given to Dhanada.

Verse 13 (12.295.13)

एतच्छ्रुत्वा ततः क्रुद्धो महायोगी महेश्वरः । संरक्तनयनो राजञ्शूलमादाय तस्थिवान् ॥

etacchrutvā tataḥ kruddho mahāyogī maheśvaraḥ | saṃraktanayano rājañśūlamādāya tasthivān

Hearing this, the great yogi Maheshvara grew angry; his eyes red, O king, he took up his trident and stood.

Verse 14 (12.295.14)

क्वासौ क्वासाविति प्राह गृहीत्वा परमायुधम् । उशना दूरतस्तस्य ह्यभूज्ज्ञात्वा चिकीर्षितम् ॥

kvāsau kvāsāviti prāha gṛhītvā paramāyudham | uśanā dūratastasya hyabhūjjñātvā cikīrṣitam

"Where is he? Where is he?" he cried, seizing his supreme weapon. But Ushanas, for his part, knew from afar what he intended to do.

Verse 15 (12.295.15)

स महायोगिनो बुद्ध्वा तं रोषं वै महात्मनः । गतिमागमनं वेत्ति स्थानं चैव ततः प्रभुः ॥

sa mahāyogino buddhvā taṃ roṣaṃ vai mahātmanaḥ | gatimāgamanaṃ vetti sthānaṃ caiva tataḥ prabhuḥ

Perceiving the anger of that great-souled great yogi, the mighty Ushanas then knew his going, his coming and his place.

Verse 16 (12.295.16)

संचिन्त्येग्रेण तपसा महात्मानं महेश्वरम् । उशना योगसिद्धात्मा शूलाग्रे प्रत्यदृश्यत ॥

saṃcintyegreṇa tapasā mahātmānaṃ maheśvaram | uśanā yogasiddhātmā śūlāgre pratyadṛśyata

Meditating on the great-souled Maheshvara with fierce austerity, Ushanas, whose self was perfected in yoga, appeared at the tip of the trident.

Verse 17 (12.295.17)

विज्ञातरूपः स तदा तपः सिद्धोऽथ धन्विना । ज्ञात्वा शूलं च देवेशः पाणिना समनामयत् ॥

vijñātarūpaḥ sa tadā tapaḥ siddho'tha dhanvinā | jñātvā śūlaṃ ca deveśaḥ pāṇinā samanāmayat

The archer, lord of the gods, recognised him, perfected in austerity, by his form, and knowing that the trident held him, bent it down with his hand.

Verse 18 (12.295.18)

आनतेनाथ शूलेन पाणिनामिततेजसा । पिनाकमिति चोवाच शूलमुग्रायुधः प्रभुः ॥

ānatenātha śūlena pāṇināmitatejasā | pinākamiti covāca śūlamugrāyudhaḥ prabhuḥ

As the trident was bent by his hand of boundless power, the fierce-weaponed lord said of it, "It is the Pinaka."

Verse 19 (12.295.19)

पाणिमध्यगतं दृष्ट्वा भार्गवं तमुमापतिः । आस्यं विवृत्य भ्रकुटिं पाणिं संप्राक्षिपच्छनैः ॥

pāṇimadhyagataṃ dṛṣṭvā bhārgavaṃ tamumāpatiḥ | āsyaṃ vivṛtya bhrakuṭiṃ pāṇiṃ saṃprākṣipacchanaiḥ

Seeing the descendant of Bhrigu in the middle of his palm, the husband of Uma opened his mouth, knit his brows, and slowly flung out his hand.

Verse 20 (12.295.20)

स तु प्रविष्ट उशना कोष्ठं माहेश्वरं प्रभुः । व्यचरच्चापि तत्रासौ महात्मा भृगुनन्दनः ॥

sa tu praviṣṭa uśanā koṣṭhaṃ māheśvaraṃ prabhuḥ | vyacaraccāpi tatrāsau mahātmā bhṛgunandanaḥ

So Ushanas, the lord, entered Maheshvara's belly and wandered about there, that great-souled son of Bhrigu.

Verse 21 (12.295.21)

किमर्थं व्यचरद्राजन्नुशना तस्य धीमतः । जठरे देवदेवस्य किंचाकार्षीन्महाद्युतिः ॥

kimarthaṃ vyacaradrājannuśanā tasya dhīmataḥ | jaṭhare devadevasya kiṃcākārṣīnmahādyutiḥ

Why, O king, did Ushanas wander in the belly of that wise God of gods? And what did the greatly radiant one do there?

Verse 22 (12.295.22)

पुरा सोऽन्तर्जलगतः स्थाणुभूतो महाव्रतः । वर्षाणामभवद्राजन्प्रयुतान्यर्बुदानि च ॥

purā so'ntarjalagataḥ sthāṇubhūto mahāvrataḥ | varṣāṇāmabhavadrājanprayutānyarbudāni ca

Long ago, O king, that one of great vows went into the water and stood there like a post for millions and tens of millions of years.

Verse 23 (12.295.23)

उदतिष्ठत्तपस्तप्त्वा दुश्चरं च महाह्रदात् । ततो देवातिदेवस्तं ब्रह्मा वै समसर्पत ॥

udatiṣṭhattapastaptvā duścaraṃ ca mahāhradāt | tato devātidevastaṃ brahmā vai samasarpata

After performing that hard austerity he rose from the great lake. Then Brahma, the god above all gods, came up to him.

Verse 24 (12.295.24)

तपोवृद्धिमपृच्छच्च कुशलं चैवमव्ययः । तपः सुचीर्णमिति च प्रोवाच वृषभध्वजः ॥

tapovṛddhimapṛcchacca kuśalaṃ caivamavyayaḥ | tapaḥ sucīrṇamiti ca provāca vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ

The imperishable one asked after the growth of his austerity and his welfare, and the bull-bannered god replied that his austerity had been well performed.

Verse 25 (12.295.25)

तत्संयोगेन वृद्धिं चाप्यपश्यत्स तु शंकरः । महामतिरचिन्त्यात्मा सत्यधर्मरतः सदा ॥

tatsaṃyogena vṛddhiṃ cāpyapaśyatsa tu śaṃkaraḥ | mahāmatiracintyātmā satyadharmarataḥ sadā

And through that union, Shankara, of great mind and inconceivable nature, ever devoted to truth and dharma, saw his own growth.

Verse 26 (12.295.26)

स तेनाढ्यो महायोगी तपसा च धनेन च । व्यराजत महाराज त्रिषु लोकेषु वीर्यवान् ॥

sa tenāḍhyo mahāyogī tapasā ca dhanena ca | vyarājata mahārāja triṣu lokeṣu vīryavān

Enriched by it, by austerity and by wealth, that mighty great yogi shone, O great king, in the three worlds.

Verse 27 (12.295.27)

ततः पिनाकी योगात्मा ध्यानयोगं समाविशत् । उशना तु समुद्विग्नो निलिल्ये जठरे ततः ॥

tataḥ pinākī yogātmā dhyānayogaṃ samāviśat | uśanā tu samudvigno nililye jaṭhare tataḥ

Then Pinaki, whose self was yoga, entered into meditation, and Ushanas, in great distress, moved about restlessly in his belly.

Verse 28 (12.295.28)

तुष्टाव च महायोगी देवं तत्रस्थ एव च । निःसारं काङ्क्षमाणः स तेन स्म प्रतिहन्यते ॥

tuṣṭāva ca mahāyogī devaṃ tatrastha eva ca | niḥsāraṃ kāṅkṣamāṇaḥ sa tena sma pratihanyate

And the great yogi, still staying there, praised the god; but as he sought a way out, he was driven back by him.

Verse 29 (12.295.29)

उशना तु तथोवाच जठरस्थो महामुनिः । प्रसादं मे कुरुष्वेति पुनः पुनररिंदम् ॥

uśanā tu tathovāca jaṭharastho mahāmuniḥ | prasādaṃ me kuruṣveti punaḥ punarariṃdam

Dwelling in his belly, the great sage Ushanas said again and again, "Be gracious to me," O tormentor of foes.

Verse 30 (12.295.30)

तमुवाच महादेवो गच्छ शिश्नेन मोक्षणम् । इति सर्वाणि स्रोतांसि रुद्ध्वा त्रिदशपुङ्गवः ॥

tamuvāca mahādevo gaccha śiśnena mokṣaṇam | iti sarvāṇi srotāṃsi ruddhvā tridaśapuṅgavaḥ

Having stopped up all the other channels, the chief of the gods, Mahadeva, said to him, "Go; your release is by the organ of generation."

Verse 31 (12.295.31)

अपश्यमानस्तद्द्वारं सर्वतः पिहितो मुनिः । पर्यक्रामद्दह्यमान इतश्चेतश्च तेजसा ॥

apaśyamānastaddvāraṃ sarvataḥ pihito muniḥ | paryakrāmaddahyamāna itaścetaśca tejasā

Unable to find that outlet, shut in on every side, the sage wandered here and there, burning with heat.

Verse 32 (12.295.32)

स वै निष्क्रम्य शिश्नेन शुक्रत्वमभिपेदिवान् । कार्येण तेन नभसो नाध्यगच्छत मध्यतः ॥

sa vai niṣkramya śiśnena śukratvamabhipedivān | kāryeṇa tena nabhaso nādhyagacchata madhyataḥ

Coming out by the organ of generation, he attained the state of Shukra; and because of that, he does not go through the middle of the sky.

Verse 33 (12.295.33)

तत एव च देवेषु अप्रविष्टो महामुनिः । पौरोहित्यं च दैत्यानां शक्रतेजोविवृद्धये ॥

tata eva ca deveṣu apraviṣṭo mahāmuniḥ | paurohityaṃ ca daityānāṃ śakratejovivṛddhaye

And so the great sage, not entering among the gods, took up the priesthood of the Daityas, for the growth of their mighty power.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension). It is the CE star passage 12.278.32d*0741_01-02, printed in the apparatus after 12.278.32 (tata eva ca deveṣu sapratiṣṭho mahāmuniḥ / paurohityaṃ ca daityānāṃ cakre tejovivṛddhaye); Wikisource's अप्रविष्टः and शक्रतेजोविवृद्धये are variants of the CE's सप्रतिष्ठः and चक्रे तेजोविवृद्धये. The input ran this bracketed couplet together with the next verse in one row (labelled 34); split here. Removed the stray backtick that opens the couplet, and the doubled daṇḍa, closing quote mark and printed number '33' after it.

Verse 34 (12.295.34)

विनिष्क्रान्तं तु तं दृष्ट्वा ज्वलन्तमिव तेजसा । भवो रोषसमाविष्टः शूलोद्यतकरः स्थितः ॥

viniṣkrāntaṃ tu taṃ dṛṣṭvā jvalantamiva tejasā | bhavo roṣasamāviṣṭaḥ śūlodyatakaraḥ sthitaḥ

Seeing him come out, blazing with radiance as it were, Bhava, seized by rage, stood with his trident raised.

Note on the text: Split from the input row labelled 34, which had run the page's bracketed couplet (verse 33 above) together with this verse; this is the page's verse 34. The alignment found no match for the merged row; this verse is CE 12.278.33.

Verse 35 (12.295.35)

अवारयत तं देवी क्रुद्धं पशुपतिं पतिम् । पुत्रत्वमगमद्देव्या वारिते शंकरे च सः ॥

avārayata taṃ devī kruddhaṃ paśupatiṃ patim | putratvamagamaddevyā vārite śaṃkare ca saḥ

The Goddess restrained her husband, the angry lord of beasts; and when Shankara was restrained by the Goddess, Ushanas became her son.

Verse 36 (12.295.36)

हिंसनीयस्त्वया नैव मम पुत्रत्वमागतः । न हि देवोदरात्कश्चिन्निःसृतो नाशमर्हति ॥

hiṃsanīyastvayā naiva mama putratvamāgataḥ | na hi devodarātkaścinniḥsṛto nāśamarhati

You must not harm him; he has become my son. No one who has come out of a god's belly deserves destruction.

Verse 37 (12.295.37)

ततः प्रीतो भवो देव्याः प्रहसंश्चेदमब्रवीत् । गच्छत्वेष यथाकाममिति राजन्पुनः पुनः ॥

tataḥ prīto bhavo devyāḥ prahasaṃścedamabravīt | gacchatveṣa yathākāmamiti rājanpunaḥ punaḥ

Then Bhava, pleased with the Goddess, said with a laugh, "Let him go as he wishes," repeating it again and again, O king.

Note on the text: Speaker corrected from देवी (carried over from verse 36) to भीष्म: only verse 36 is the Goddess's speech (page heading देव्युवाच; CE 12.278.35). From here the narration is Bhishma's (CE heads 12.278.36 भीष्म उवाच).

Verse 38 (12.295.38)

ततः प्रणम्य वरदं देवं देवीमुमां तथा । उशना प्राप तद्धीमान्गतिमिष्टां महामुनिः ॥

tataḥ praṇamya varadaṃ devaṃ devīmumāṃ tathā | uśanā prāpa taddhīmāngatimiṣṭāṃ mahāmuniḥ

Then, bowing to the boon-giving god and to the Goddess Uma, the wise great sage Ushanas attained the destination he desired.

Note on the text: Speaker corrected from देवी (carried over from verse 36) to भीष्म: only verse 36 is the Goddess's speech (page heading देव्युवाच; CE 12.278.35). From here the narration is Bhishma's (CE heads 12.278.36 भीष्म उवाच).

Verse 39 (12.295.39)

एतत्ते कथितं तात भार्गवस्य महात्मनः । चरितं भरतश्रेष्ठ यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि ॥

etatte kathitaṃ tāta bhārgavasya mahātmanaḥ | caritaṃ bharataśreṣṭha yanmāṃ tvaṃ paripṛcchasi

I have told you, dear child, the story of the great-souled Bhargava that you asked me about, O best of the Bharatas.

Note on the text: Speaker corrected from देवी (carried over from verse 36) to भीष्म: only verse 36 is the Goddess's speech (page heading देव्युवाच; CE 12.278.35). From here the narration is Bhishma's (CE heads 12.278.36 भीष्म उवाच).