TIRTHAYATRA PARVA: Chapter 128

The history of Jantu

सोमक उवाच ब्रह्मन् यद् यद् यथा कार्यं तत् कुरुष्व तथा तथा। पुत्रकामतया सर्वं करिष्यामि वचस्तव॥
Somaka said: O Brahmana, whatever is to be performed, do exactly as it is necessary, I desire to get a number of sons; I shall do all as asked by you.

लोमश उवाच तत: स याजयामास सोमकं तेन जन्तुना। मातरस्तु बलात् पुत्रमपाकर्षः कृपान्विताः॥
Lomasha said: Thereupon he performed that sacrifice in which Jantu was offered as a victim. But the mothers out of affection forcibly dragged the son.

हा हताः स्मेति वाशन्त्यस्तीव्रशोकसमाहताः। रुदन्त्यः करुणं वापि गृहीत्वा दक्षिणे करे॥
They cried, "Alas! Oh!” And they were affected with great grief and they caught hold of Jantu by his right hand and wept piteously.

सव्ये पाणौ गृहीत्वा तु याजकोऽपि स्म कर्षति। कुररीणामिवार्तानां समाकृष्य तु तं सुतम्॥ विशस्य चैनं विधिवद् वपामस्य जुहाव सः। वपायां हूयमानायां गन्धमाघ्राय मातरः॥ आर्ता निपेतुः सहसा पृथिव्यां कुरुनन्दन। सर्वाश्च गर्भानलभंस्ततस्ताः परमाङ्गनाः॥
But the Ritvija held the boy by the right hand and pulled him. Like female ospreys they screamed in agony. But the priest dragged the boy, killed him and in due form made an offering of his fat. O descendant of Kuru, while the fat was made an offering (to the sacrificial fire) the, aggrieved mothers smelt its smell and they all suddenly fell on the ground. Then all those beautiful women conceived.

ततो दशसु मासेषु सोमकस्य विशाम्पते। जज्ञे पुत्रशतं पूर्ण तासु सर्वासु भारत॥
O king, O descendant of Bharata, at the end of the tenth month, full one hundred sons were born to Somaka.

जन्तुर्येष्ठः समभवज्जनित्र्यामेव पार्थिव। स तासामिष्ट एवासीन्न तथा ते निजाः सुताः॥
O king, Jantu became the eldest son and he was born to his former mother. He became the most beloved of all those women but not so were their own sons.

तच्च लक्षणमस्यासीत् सौवर्णं पार्श्व उत्तरे। तस्मिन् पुत्रशते चावयः स बभूव गुणैरपि॥
He had that golden mark on his back; and among all those one hundred sons, he was superior to all in everything.

ततः स लोकमगमत् सोमकस्य गुरुः परम्। अथ काले व्यतीते तु सोमकोऽप्यगमत् परम्॥ अथ तं नरके घोरे पच्यमानं ददर्श सः। तमपृच्छत् किमर्थं त्वं नरके पच्यसे द्विज॥
Then that great preceptor of Somaka died, so did Somaka also after sometime. He saw his priest being grilled in a terrible hell. He then asked him, “O Brahmana, why are you being grilled in this hell!

तमब्रवीद् गुरुः सोऽथ पच्यमानोऽग्निना भृशम्। त्वं मया याजितो राजंस्तस्येदं कर्मणः फलम्॥ एतच्छ्रुत्वा स राजर्षिर्धर्मराजमथाब्रवीत्। अहमत्र प्रवेक्ष्यामि मुच्यतां मम याजकः॥ मत्कृते हि महाभागः पच्यते नरकाग्निना।
Thereupon the preceptor, greatly being grilled in the (hell fire) thus spoke to him, “O king, it is the result of my performing your sacrifice.” Having heard this, that royal sage thus spoke to the god of justice? “I shall enter (this fire). Set free my priest. This greatly exalted man is grilled in the hell fire on my account.

धर्म उवाच नान्यः कर्तुः फलं राजन्नुपभुङ्क्ते कदाचन। इमानि तव दृश्यन्ते फलानि वदतां वर॥
Dharmaraja said : O king, O foremost of speakers, one cannot suffer or enjoy for another person's acts. These are the fruits of your acts. See them here.

सोमक उवाच पुण्यान्न कामये लोकानृतेऽहं ब्रह्मवादिनम्। इच्छाम्यहमनेनैव सह वस्तुं सुरालये॥ नरके वाधर्मराज कर्मणास्य समो ह्यहम्। पुण्यापुण्यफलं देव सममस्त्वावयोरिदम्॥
Somaka said: I do not desire to go to the region of bliss without this Brahmana here. O Dharmaraja, I desire to live with him. O god, my act is identical with that done by him and therefore the fruits of our acts must be the same.

धर्मराज उवाच यद्येवमीप्सितं राजन् भुड्क्ष्वास्य सहितः फलम्। तुल्यकालं सहानेन पश्चात् प्राप्स्यसि सद्गतिम्॥
Dharmaraja said : O king, if this be your wish, then taste with him the fruits of that act, as long as he is to do. After that you will obtain the blessed state.

लोमश उवाच स चकार तथा सर्वं राजा राजीवलोचनः। क्षीणपापश्च तस्मात् स विमुक्तो गुरुणा सह॥
Lomasha said: That lotus-eyed king did all that (was asked by Dharmaraja). When his sins were washed, he was made free with his preceptor.

लेभे कामाशुभान् राजन् कर्मणा निर्जितान् स्वयम्। सह तेनैव विप्रेण गुरुणा स गुरुप्रियः॥
O king, that lover of his preceptor secured for his preceptor by his meritorious acts all those blessings of which he was entitled.

एष तस्याश्रमः पुण्यो य एषोऽग्रे विराजते। क्षान्त उष्यात्र षड्रात्रं प्राप्नोति सुगतिं नरः॥
This is his sacred hermitage, situated before us. The man who passes six nights here with controlled passions obtains the blessed state.

एतस्मिन्नपि राजेन्द्र वत्स्यामो विगतज्वराः। षड्रात्रं नियतात्मानः सज्जीभव कुरूद्वह॥
O king of kings, O perpetuator of the Kuru race, being free from excitement and controlling our passions, we must spend six nights here. Therefore be ready.