The Restoration of the Brahmins' Land-Charters

Verse 1 (skanda.6.211.1)

विश्वामित्र उवाच राज्ञो दारिद्र्यदोषस्य कुष्ठव्याधेश्च कारणम् कथयित्वा पुनः प्राह नारदो मुनिसत्तमः

viśvāmitra uvāca rājño dāridryadoṣasya kuṣṭhavyādheśca kāraṇam kathayitvā punaḥ prāha nārado munisattamaḥ

Vishvamitra said: Having explained the cause of the king's poverty and of his leprosy, Narada, best of sages, spoke again.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.211.2)

नारद उवाच एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं राजन्कुष्ठस्य कारणम् दारिद्र्यस्य च यत्सम्यग्ज्ञात्वा दिव्येन चक्षुषा

nārada uvāca etatte sarvamākhyātaṁ rājankuṣṭhasya kāraṇam dāridryasya ca yatsamyagjñātvā divyena cakṣuṣā

Narada said: O king, having perceived it clearly with my divine eye, I have told you the cause of your leprosy and of your poverty.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.211.3)

अधुना संप्रवक्ष्यामि यथा तव पराभवः शत्रुभ्यः संप्रजातोऽत्र द्विजानामपमानतः

adhunā saṁpravakṣyāmi yathā tava parābhavaḥ śatrubhyaḥ saṁprajāto'tra dvijānāmapamānataḥ

Now I shall tell you how your defeat at the hands of your enemies here came about, through your dishonoring of the brahmins.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.211.4)

आनर्ताधिपतिर्योऽत्र कश्चिद्राज्येऽभिषिच्यते स पूर्वं गच्छति ग्रामं नागराणां प्रभक्तितः

ānartādhipatiryo'tra kaścidrājye'bhiṣicyate sa pūrvaṁ gacchati grāmaṁ nāgarāṇāṁ prabhaktitaḥ

Whoever is anointed as king of the land of Anarta first goes, with due devotion, to the village of the Nagara brahmins.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.211.5)

त्वया तत्कल्पितं राजन्नैव दत्तं प्रमादतः पराभूता द्विजास्ते च याचमाना मुहुर्मुहुः

tvayā tatkalpitaṁ rājannaiva dattaṁ pramādataḥ parābhūtā dvijāste ca yācamānā muhurmuhuḥ

O king, that customary honor which you too were bound to render, you, through negligence, failed to give; and so those brahmins, though pleading again and again, were dishonored.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.211.6)

तथा कोपवशाद्यानि शासनानि द्विजन्मनाम् लोपितानि त्वयान्यानि पितृपैतामहानि च

tathā kopavaśādyāni śāsanāni dvijanmanām lopitāni tvayānyāni pitṛpaitāmahāni ca

And in your anger you also revoked other charters of land-grants belonging to the brahmins, even those given by your own father and grandfather.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.211.7)

तेन तेऽत्र पराभूतिः संजाता शत्रुसंभवा एवं ज्ञात्वा द्विजेंद्राणां शासनानि प्रयच्छ भोः

tena te'tra parābhūtiḥ saṁjātā śatrusaṁbhavā evaṁ jñātvā dvijeṁdrāṇāṁ śāsanāni prayaccha bhoḥ

It is on account of that very deed that this defeat at your enemies' hands has come upon you. Knowing this, O king, now restore to those foremost brahmins their charters.

Verse 8 (skanda.6.211.8)

गृहीतानि च यान्येव तेषां मोक्षं समाचर तच्छ्रुत्वा पार्थिवः सोऽथ शंखतीर्थे प्रभक्तितः

gṛhītāni ca yānyeva teṣāṁ mokṣaṁ samācara tacchrutvā pārthivaḥ so'tha śaṁkhatīrthe prabhaktitaḥ

Whatever you have seized from them, release it back to them. Hearing this, that king, with devotion, at Shankha-tirtha—

Verse 9 (skanda.6.211.9)

स्नात्वा विप्रान्समाहूय मध्यगेन समन्वितान् शंखादित्यस्य पुरतः प्रक्षाल्य चरणौ नृप

snātvā viprānsamāhūya madhyagena samanvitān śaṁkhādityasya purataḥ prakṣālya caraṇau nṛpa

—bathed, then summoned the brahmins along with the Madhyaga group, and, O king, before Shankhaditya, washed their feet—

Verse 10 (skanda.6.211.10)

ददौ च शासनशतं प्रक्षाल्य चरणांस्ततः षड्विंशत्यधिकं राजा नागराणां महात्मनाम्

dadau ca śāsanaśataṁ prakṣālya caraṇāṁstataḥ ṣaḍviṁśatyadhikaṁ rājā nāgarāṇāṁ mahātmanām

—and, having washed their feet, restored to those great Nagara brahmins one hundred and twenty-six charters.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.211.11)

एतस्मिन्नंतरे तत्र शत्रवो ये च संस्थिताः सर्वे मृत्युं समापन्ना ब्राह्मणानां प्रसादतः

etasminnaṁtare tatra śatravo ye ca saṁsthitāḥ sarve mṛtyuṁ samāpannā brāhmaṇānāṁ prasādataḥ

Meanwhile, all the enemies who had been encamped there met their death, through the grace of the brahmins.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.211.12)

विश्वामित्र उवाच एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं शंखतीर्थसमुद्भवम् प्रभावं पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि

viśvāmitra uvāca etatte sarvamākhyātaṁ śaṁkhatīrthasamudbhavam prabhāvaṁ pārthivaśreṣṭha kiṁ bhūyaḥ śrotumicchasi

Vishvamitra said: O best of kings, I have now told you the entire power of the origin of Shankha-tirtha; what more do you wish to hear?