पुलस्त्य उवाच। तस्मिन्नेव पुरे जाताश्चक्रवाका अथो नृप
Pulastya said: In that very city, O king, the chakravaka birds were born.
वृद्धद्विजस्य दायादा विप्रा जातिस्मरा बुधाः। धृतिमांस्तत्त्वदर्शी च विद्यावर्णस्तपोधिकः
They were the sons of an aged Brahmin, wise, remembering their past births, steadfast, perceivers of truth, learned, of noble character, and devoted to austerity.
नामतः कर्मतश्चैव सुदरिद्रस्य ते सुताः। तपसे बुद्धिरभवत्तेषां वै द्विजजन्मनां
By name and by deed, they were the sons of the very poor man; and, being twice-born, their minds turned toward asceticism.
यास्यामः परमां सिद्धिमूचुस्ते द्विजसत्तमाः। तत्तेषां वचनं श्रुत्वा सुदरिद्रो महातपाः
The best of the twice-born said, 'We will attain the highest perfection.' Hearing their words, Sudaridra, the great ascetic,
उवाच दीनया वाचा किमेतदिति पुत्रकाः। अधर्म एष वः पुत्रा पिता तानित्युवाच ह
spoke with a distressed voice, 'What is this, my sons? This is unrighteous, my sons,' their father said to them.
वृद्धं पितरमुत्सृज्य दरिद्रं वनवासिनम्। क्व नु धर्मोत्र भविता मां त्यक्त्वा गतिमेव च
'Abandoning your old, poor, forest-dwelling father—where is righteousness in this? What will become of me, once you have left?'
ऊचुस्ते कल्पिता वृत्तिस्तव तात वचश्शृणु। व्रतमेतत्पुरा राज्ञः स ते दास्यति पुष्कलं
They said, 'A livelihood has been arranged for you, father; listen to our words. This vow was formerly that of a king; he will give you abundant wealth.'
धनं ग्राम सहस्राणि प्रभाते पठतस्तव। कुरुक्षेत्रे तु ये विप्रा व्याधा दशपुरे तु ये
'He will give you wealth, thousands of villages, when you recite in the morning. The Brahmins at Kurukshetra and the hunters at Dashapura—'
कालंजरे मृगा भूताश्चक्रवाकास्तु मानसे। इत्युक्त्वा पितरं जग्मुस्ते वनं तपसे पुनः
'The animals at Kalanjara, and the chakravaka birds at Manasa—' Saying this, they again went to the forest for asceticism, leaving their father.
वृद्धोपि स द्विजो राजन्जगाम स्वार्थसिद्धये। अणुहो नाम वैभ्राजः पञ्चालाधिपतिः पुरा
Even though old, that Brahmin, O king, went to accomplish his own purpose. Once, there was a king named Anuha, lord of the Panchalas.
पुत्रार्थी देवदेवेशं पद्मयोनिं पितामहम्। आराधयामास विभुं तीव्रव्रतपरायणः
Desiring a son, he worshipped the Lord of gods, the lotus-born grandsire, with intense vows and devotion.
ततः कालेन महता तुष्टस्तस्य पितामहः। वरं वरय भद्रं ते हृदयेभीप्सितं नृप
After a long time, the grandsire was pleased with him and said, 'Choose a boon, may it be well with you; ask for what your heart desires, O king.'
अणुह उवाच। पुत्रं मे देहि देवेश महाबलपराक्रमम्। पारगं सर्वविद्यानां धार्मिकं योगिनां वरम्१०० 1.10.
Anuha said: 'Grant me, O Lord of gods, a son of great strength and valor, accomplished in all knowledge, righteous, and foremost among yogis.'
सर्वसत्वरुतज्ञं मे देहि योगिनमात्मजम्। एवमस्त्विति विश्वात्मा तमाह परमेश्वरः
'Grant me a son who knows the speech of all beings and is a yogi.' The Lord of all, the soul of the universe, said to him, 'So be it.'
पश्यतां सर्वभूतानां तत्रैवांतरधीयत। ततः स तस्य पुत्रोभूद्ब्रह्मदत्तः प्रतापवान्
Before the eyes of all beings, he vanished right there; then, his son Brahmadatta, endowed with great prowess, was born.
सर्वसत्वानुकंपी च सर्वसत्वबलाधिकः। सर्वसत्वरुतज्ञश्च सर्वसत्वेश्वरेश्वरः
He was compassionate to all creatures, surpassed all beings in strength, understood the speech of all beings, and was the lord of all lords of beings.
अथ सत्वेन योगात्मा स पिपीलकमागतः। यत्र तत्कीटमिथुनं रममाणमवस्थितम्
Then, united with virtue, the yogic soul approached the ant, where that pair of insects was found engaged in enjoyment.
ततः सा सन्नतिर्दृष्ट्वा प्रहसंतं सुविस्मितं। किमप्याशंकमाना सा तमपृच्छन्नरेश्वरम्
Thereupon, seeing him smiling in amazement, she, suspecting something, questioned the king.
सन्नतिरुवाच। अकस्मादतिहासोयं किमर्थमभवन्नृप। हास्यहेतुं न जानामि यदकाले कृतं त्वया
Sannati said: 'O king, why did you suddenly laugh? I do not know the reason for this laughter, which you made at such a time.'
अवदद्राजपुत्रोसौ तं पिपीलिकभाषितम्। रागवद्विरसोत्पन्नमेतद्धास्यं वरानने
The prince replied to her, 'O lovely-faced one, this laughter arose from the speech of the ant, which was produced out of passion and tastelessness.'
न चान्यत्कारणं किंचिद्धास्यहेतुः शुचिस्मिते। न सामन्यततं देवी प्राहालीकमिदं तव
O bright-smiling one, there is no other reason for this laughter; nor did the queen say anything false to you.
अहमेवेह हसिता न जीविष्ये त्वयाधुना। कथं पिपीलिकालापं मर्त्यो वेत्ति सुरादृते
'I alone have laughed here; now I will not live with you. How can a mortal know the speech of ants unless he is a god?'
तस्मात्त्वयाहमेवाद्य हसिता किमतः परम्। ततो निरुत्तरो राजा जिज्ञासुस्तद्वचो हरेः
Therefore, I alone have been laughed at by you today—what more is there to say? Then the king, speechless, wished to know the meaning of her words.
आस्थाय नियमं तस्थौ सप्तरात्रमकल्मषः। स्वप्नान्ते प्राह तं ब्रह्मा प्रभाते पर्यटन्पुरम्
He observed a vow, remaining pure for seven nights; at the end of his dream, Brahmā spoke to him as he wandered the city at dawn.
वृद्धद्विजोत्तमाद्वाक्यं सर्वं ज्ञास्यति ते प्रिया। इत्युक्त्वांतर्दधे ब्रह्मा प्रभाते च नृपः पुरात्
'Your beloved will learn everything from an aged, excellent brāhmaṇa.' Having said this, Brahmā vanished, and in the morning the king left the city.
निर्गच्छन्मन्त्रिसहितः सभार्यो वृद्धमग्रतः। गदंतं विप्रमायांतं वृद्धं च स ददर्श ह
Departing with his ministers and wife, he saw ahead an old brāhmaṇa, speaking and approaching, and beheld that aged one.
ब्राह्मण उवाच। ये विप्रमुख्याः कुरुजांगलेषु दाशास्तथा दाशपुरे मृगाश्च। कालंजरे सप्त च चक्रवाका ये मानसे तेत्र वसंति सिद्धाः
The brāhmaṇa said: 'Those foremost brāhmaṇas in Kurujāṅgala, the Dāśas in Dāśapura, the deer, the seven cakravāka birds in Kālañjara, and the siddhas dwelling in Mānasasaras—'
इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्य स पपात शुचान्वितः। जातिस्मरत्वमगमत्तौ च मंत्रिवरात्मजौ
Hearing his words, he fell down, overcome with grief; the minister's sons attained remembrance of their past births.
कामशास्त्रप्रणेता तु बाभ्रव्यः स तु बालकः। पंचाल इति लोकेषु विश्रुतः सर्वशास्त्रवित्
Bābhravya, the author of the treatise on love, was that boy, renowned among the people as Pañcāla, knower of all scriptures.
पुंडरीकोपि धर्मात्मा वेदशास्त्रप्रवर्तकः। भूत्वा जातिस्मरौ शोकात्पतितावग्रतस्तथा
Puṇḍarīka also, righteous-souled and promoter of Vedic knowledge, having become one who remembers past births, likewise fell in front from grief.