The Twelve-Year Sacrifice for Trishanku's Ascent

Verse 1 (skanda.6.5.1)

सूत उवाच। तच्छ्रुत्वा ब्रह्मणो वाक्यं विश्वामित्रो रुषान्वितः। पितामहमुवाचेदं पश्य मे तपसो बलम्

sūta uvāca| tacchrutvā brahmaṇo vākyaṁ viśvāmitro ruṣānvitaḥ| pitāmahamuvācedaṁ paśya me tapaso balam

Suta said: Hearing that speech of Brahma, Vishvamitra, filled with anger, said this to the Grandsire: 'Behold the power of my austerity!'

Verse 2 (skanda.6.5.2)

याजयित्वा त्रिशंकुं तं विधिवद्दक्षिणावता। यज्ञेनात्र नयिष्यामि पश्यतस्ते पितामह

yājayitvā triśaṁkuṁ taṁ vidhivaddakṣiṇāvatā| yajñenātra nayiṣyāmi paśyataste pitāmaha

'Having had that Trishanku perform sacrifice, with fees, according to due rite, I shall, right here, lead him to heaven through that very sacrifice, before your very eyes, O Grandsire.'

Verse 3 (skanda.6.5.3)

एवमुक्त्वा द्रुतं गत्वा विश्वामित्रो धरातलम्। चकार याजने यत्नं त्रिशंकोः सुमहात्मनः

evamuktvā drutaṁ gatvā viśvāmitro dharātalam| cakāra yājane yatnaṁ triśaṁkoḥ sumahātmanaḥ

Having said this, Vishvamitra quickly descended to the earth and made every effort toward the sacrifice of that great-souled Trishanku.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.5.4)

ददौ दीक्षां समाहूय ब्राह्मणान्वेदपारगान्। यत्रकर्मोचिते काले तस्मिन्नेव वने शुभे

dadau dīkṣāṁ samāhūya brāhmaṇānvedapāragān| yatrakarmocite kāle tasminneva vane śubhe

He summoned brahmins learned in the Vedas and gave the king initiation, at the time proper for the rite, in that very auspicious forest.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.5.5)

बभूव स स्वयं धीमानध्वर्युर्यज्ञकर्मणि। तस्मिन्होता च शांडिल्यो ब्रह्मा गौतम एव च

babhūva sa svayaṁ dhīmānadhvaryuryajñakarmaṇi| tasminhotā ca śāṁḍilyo brahmā gautama eva ca

He himself, the wise one, became the Adhvaryu priest of that sacrifice; Shandilya was the Hotr, and Gautama was the Brahma priest.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.5.6)

आग्नीध्रश्च्यवनो नाम मैत्रावरुणः कार्मिकः। उद्गाता याज्ञवल्क्यश्च प्रतिहर्ता च जैमिनिः

āgnīdhraścyavano nāma maitrāvaruṇaḥ kārmikaḥ| udgātā yājñavalkyaśca pratihartā ca jaiminiḥ

Chyavana was the Agnidhra; the skilled one was the Maitravaruna; Yajnavalkya was the Udgatr, and Jaimini was the Pratihartr.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.5.7)

प्रस्तोता शंकुवर्णश्च तथोन्नेता च गालवः। पुलस्त्यो ब्राह्मणाच्छंसी होता गर्गो मुनीश्वरः

prastotā śaṁkuvarṇaśca tathonnetā ca gālavaḥ| pulastyo brāhmaṇācchaṁsī hotā gargo munīśvaraḥ

Shankuvarna was the Prastotr, and Galava was the Unnetr; Pulastya was the Brahmanacchamsi, and the sage-lord Garga was a Hotr as well.

Verse 8 (skanda.6.5.8)

नेष्टा चैव तथात्रिस्तु अच्छावाको भृगुः स्वयम्। तान्सर्वानृत्विजश्चक्रे त्रिशंकुः श्रद्धयान्वितः

neṣṭā caiva tathātristu acchāvāko bhṛguḥ svayam| tānsarvānṛtvijaścakre triśaṁkuḥ śraddhayānvitaḥ

Atri was the Neshtr, and Bhrigu himself was the Achhavaka. Trishanku, filled with faith, appointed all of them as his officiating priests.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.5.9)

वासोभिर्मुकुटैश्चैव केयूरैः समलंकृतान्। कृत्वा केशपरित्यागं दधत्कृष्णाजिनं तथा

vāsobhirmukuṭaiścaiva keyūraiḥ samalaṁkṛtān| kṛtvā keśaparityāgaṁ dadhatkṛṣṇājinaṁ tathā

He adorned the priests with garments, diadems, and armlets; and, having shaved his own head, he put on a black antelope skin.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.5.10)

ऐणशृङ्गसमायुक्तः पयोव्रतपरायणः। दीर्घसत्राय तान्सर्वान्योजयामास वै ततः

aiṇaśṛṅgasamāyuktaḥ payovrataparāyaṇaḥ| dīrghasatrāya tānsarvānyojayāmāsa vai tataḥ

Equipped with the horn of a black deer, devoted to the vow of drinking only milk, he then engaged all of them for the long sacrificial session.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.5.11)

एवं तस्मिन्प्रवृत्ते च दीर्घसत्रे यथोचिते। आजग्मुर्ब्राह्मणा दिव्या वेदवेदांगपारगाः

evaṁ tasminpravṛtte ca dīrghasatre yathocite| ājagmurbrāhmaṇā divyā vedavedāṁgapāragāḥ

Thus, when that long sacrificial session had properly begun, divine brahmins, learned in the Vedas and their auxiliary sciences, arrived there.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.5.12)

तथान्ये तार्किकाश्चैव गृहस्थाः कौतुकान्विताः। दीनांधकृपणाश्चैव ये चान्ये नटनर्तकाः

tathānye tārkikāścaiva gṛhasthāḥ kautukānvitāḥ| dīnāṁdhakṛpaṇāścaiva ye cānye naṭanartakāḥ

And so did other logicians, householders filled with curiosity, the poor, the blind, and the wretched, and also actors and dancers.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.5.13)

दीयतां दीयतामाशु एतेषामेतदेव हि। भुज्यतांभुज्यतां लोकाः प्रसादः क्रियतामिति

dīyatāṁ dīyatāmāśu eteṣāmetadeva hi| bhujyatāṁbhujyatāṁ lokāḥ prasādaḥ kriyatāmiti

'Give, give at once to these! This alone is what is needed! Eat, eat, O people! Be gracious!' — such was the cry there.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.5.14)

इत्येष निनदस्तत्र श्रूयते सततं महान्। यज्ञवाटे सदा तस्मिन्नान्यश्चैव कदाचन

ityeṣa ninadastatra śrūyate satataṁ mahān| yajñavāṭe sadā tasminnānyaścaiva kadācana

This great clamor alone was continually heard there, in that sacrificial enclosure — no other sound was ever heard at any time.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.5.15)

तत्र सस्यमयाः शैला दृश्यंते परिकल्पिताः। सुवर्णस्य च रूप्यस्य रत्नानां च विशेषतः

tatra sasyamayāḥ śailā dṛśyaṁte parikalpitāḥ| suvarṇasya ca rūpyasya ratnānāṁ ca viśeṣataḥ

There could be seen mountainous heaps fashioned out of grain, and especially of gold, of silver, and of jewels.

Verse 16 (skanda.6.5.16)

दानार्थं ब्राह्मणेंद्राणामसंख्याश्चापि धेनवः। तथैव वाजिनो दांता मदोन्मत्ता महागजाः

dānārthaṁ brāhmaṇeṁdrāṇāmasaṁkhyāścāpi dhenavaḥ| tathaiva vājino dāṁtā madonmattā mahāgajāḥ

There were countless cows, meant as gifts for the foremost of brahmins, as well as well-trained horses and great, rut-maddened elephants.

Verse 17 (skanda.6.5.17)

समंतात्कल्पितास्तत्र दृश्यंते पर्वतोपमाः। वर्तमाने महायज्ञे तस्मिन्नेव सुविस्तरे

samaṁtātkalpitāstatra dṛśyaṁte parvatopamāḥ| vartamāne mahāyajñe tasminneva suvistare

These, arranged all around, could be seen there like mountains, during that vast and great sacrifice.

Verse 18 (skanda.6.5.18)

आहूता यज्ञभागाय नाभिगच्छंति देवताः। केवलं वह्निवक्त्रेण तस्य गृह्णंति तद्धविः

āhūtā yajñabhāgāya nābhigacchaṁti devatāḥ| kevalaṁ vahnivaktreṇa tasya gṛhṇaṁti taddhaviḥ

Though invited for their share of the sacrifice, the gods did not come there in person; they took that oblation only through the mouth of fire.

Verse 19 (skanda.6.5.19)

एवं द्वादशवर्षाणि यजतस्तस्य भूपतेः। व्यतीतानि न संप्राप्तमभीष्टं मनसः फलम्

evaṁ dvādaśavarṣāṇi yajatastasya bhūpateḥ| vyatītāni na saṁprāptamabhīṣṭaṁ manasaḥ phalam

Thus twelve years passed while that king continued to sacrifice, yet he did not obtain the fruit his heart desired.

Verse 20 (skanda.6.5.20)

ततश्चावभृथस्नानं कृत्वा सत्रसमाप्तिजम्। ऋत्विजस्तर्पयित्वा तान्दक्षिणाभिर्यथार्हतः

tataścāvabhṛthasnānaṁ kṛtvā satrasamāptijam| ṛtvijastarpayitvā tāndakṣiṇābhiryathārhataḥ

Then, having taken the concluding ritual bath that marks the end of a sacrificial session, and having satisfied the officiating priests with fees according to their due —

Verse 21 (skanda.6.5.21)

विससर्ज समस्तांश्च तथान्यानपि संगतान्। संबंधिनो वयस्यांश्च त्रिशंकुर्मुनिसत्तमाः

visasarja samastāṁśca tathānyānapi saṁgatān| saṁbaṁdhino vayasyāṁśca triśaṁkurmunisattamāḥ

O best of sages, Trishanku then took leave of all of them, and of the other guests who had gathered there, of his kinsmen, and of his friends.

Verse 22 (skanda.6.5.22)

ततः प्रोवाच विनतो विश्वामित्रं मुनीश्वरम्। स भूपो व्रीडया युक्तः प्रणिपातपुरः सरम्

tataḥ provāca vinato viśvāmitraṁ munīśvaram| sa bhūpo vrīḍayā yuktaḥ praṇipātapuraḥ saram

Then that king, bowed low and overcome with shame, first prostrating himself, addressed Vishvamitra, lord of sages.

Verse 23 (skanda.6.5.23)

त्वत्प्रसादान्मया प्राप्तं दीर्घसत्रसमुद्भवम्। परिपूर्णफलं ब्रह्मन्दुर्लभं सर्वमानवैः

tvatprasādānmayā prāptaṁ dīrghasatrasamudbhavam| paripūrṇaphalaṁ brahmandurlabhaṁ sarvamānavaiḥ

'By your grace, O brahmin, I have obtained from this long sacrificial session its complete fruit, which is hard indeed for all mankind to attain.'

Verse 24 (skanda.6.5.24)

तथा जातिः पुनर्लब्धा भूयो नष्टापि सन्मुने। त्वत्प्रसादेन विप्रर्षे चंडालत्वं प्रणाशितम्

tathā jātiḥ punarlabdhā bhūyo naṣṭāpi sanmune| tvatprasādena viprarṣe caṁḍālatvaṁ praṇāśitam

'My status, though wholly lost, has also been regained, O good sage; by your grace, O sage among brahmins, my condition as an outcaste has been utterly destroyed.'

Verse 25 (skanda.6.5.25)

परं मे दुःखमेवैकं हृदि शल्यमिवार्पितम्। अनेनैव शरीरेण यन्न प्राप्तं त्रिविष्टपम्

paraṁ me duḥkhamevaikaṁ hṛdi śalyamivārpitam| anenaiva śarīreṇa yanna prāptaṁ triviṣṭapam

'Yet one single sorrow remains, lodged in my heart like a thorn — that I have not attained heaven with this very body.'

Verse 26 (skanda.6.5.26)

उपहासं करिष्यंति वसिष्ठस्य सुता मुने। अद्य व्यर्थ श्रमं श्रुत्वा मामप्राप्तं त्रिविष्टपम्

upahāsaṁ kariṣyaṁti vasiṣṭhasya sutā mune| adya vyartha śramaṁ śrutvā māmaprāptaṁ triviṣṭapam

'The sons of Vasishtha, O sage, will now mock me, hearing today that my effort was in vain, and that I have not reached heaven.'

Verse 27 (skanda.6.5.27)

तथा तद्वचनं सत्यं वसिष्ठस्य व्यवस्थितम्। यत्तेनोक्तं न यज्ञेन सदेहैर्गम्यते दिवि

tathā tadvacanaṁ satyaṁ vasiṣṭhasya vyavasthitam| yattenoktaṁ na yajñena sadehairgamyate divi

'And so that saying of Vasishtha stands proven true — that by sacrifice one cannot go to heaven with one's own body.'

Verse 28 (skanda.6.5.28)

सोऽहं तपः करिष्यामि सांप्रतं वनमाश्रितः। न करिष्यामि भूयोऽपि राज्यं पुत्रनिवेदितम्

so'haṁ tapaḥ kariṣyāmi sāṁprataṁ vanamāśritaḥ| na kariṣyāmi bhūyo'pi rājyaṁ putraniveditam

'So now, taking refuge in the forest, I shall perform austerities; never again shall I take up the kingdom I have already handed over to my son.'