BHAGAVAT-YANA PARVA: Chapter 119

Story of Galava

नारद उवाच गालवं वैनतेयोऽथ प्रहसन्निदमब्रवीत्। दिष्ट्या कृतार्थं पश्यामि भवन्तमिह वै द्विज।।।।
Narada said The son of Vinata, seeing Galava, said to him thus laughing. “It is by good luck that I see you successful here, O twice-born one".

गालवस्तु वचः श्रुत्वा वैनतेयेन भाषितम्। चतुर्भागावशिष्टं तदाचख्यौ कार्यमस्य हि॥
Galava too, hearing those words spoken by the son of Vinata, informed him that a fourth part of the work yet remained to be done.

सुपर्णस्त्वब्रवीदेनं गालवं वदतां वरः। प्रयत्नस्तेन कर्तव्यो नैष सम्पत्स्यते तव॥
Suparna, the foremost among speakers then said to Galava. “No pains should be taken by you for this for you will not get it.

पुरा हि कान्यकुब्जे वै गाधेः सत्यवतीं सुताम्। भार्यार्थेऽवरयत् कन्यामृचीकस्तेन भाषितः॥
In days of old, in Kanyakubja, Richika chose the damsel Satyavati, the daughter of Gadhi, for his wife and he was thus spoken to by Gadhi.

एकतः श्यामकर्णानां हयानां चन्द्रवर्चसाम्। भगवन् दीयतां मह्यं सहस्रमिति गालव॥
You give me a thousand horses white as the moon and black of one ear.

ऋचीकस्तु तथेत्युक्त्वा वरुणस्यालयं गतः। अश्वतीर्थं हयाँल्लब्ध्वा दत्तवान् पार्थिवाय वै॥
Richika too saying “very-well” went to the abode of Varuna and from there obtaining the horses from the Ashvatirtha gave them to the ruler of the earth.

इष्ट्वा ते पुण्डरीकेण दत्ता राज्ञा द्विजातिषु। तेभ्यो द्वे द्वे शते क्रीत्वा प्राप्ते तैः पार्थिवैस्तदा॥
They were presented to the twice-born one by king Pundarika who performed a sacrificial ceremony; and of them, (the horses) the rulers of the earth (to whom you have applied) obtained two hundred each by purchase from the Brahmanas at the time.

अपराण्यपि चत्वारि शतानि द्विजसत्तम। नीयमानानि संतारे हृतान्यासन् वितस्तया॥
The other four hundred, O best among the twice-born while being led across (the Vitasta river) were robbed by the river.

एवं न शक्यमप्राप्यं प्राप्तुं गालव कर्हिचित्। इमामश्वशताभ्यां वै द्वाभ्यां तस्मै निवेदय॥
Such being the case, you will not beadle to obtain what is unobtainable by all means; present, therefore, this damsel as a substitute for the two hundred horses to him,

विश्वामित्राय धर्मात्मन् षड्भिरश्वशतैः सह। ततोऽसि गतसम्मोहः कृतकृत्यो द्विजोत्तम॥
Namely, Vishvamitra, O virtuous-souled one, along with the six hundred horses; then will you be beyond the reach of grief and your desire will be successful, o best among the twice the twice born."

गालवस्तं तथेत्युक्त्वा सुपर्णसहितस्ततः। आदायाश्वांश्च कन्यां च विश्वामित्रमुपागमत्॥
Galava then saying to him “very well” along with Suparna, taking the horses and the maiden with him, went to Vishvamitra and said.

अश्वानां काक्षितार्थानां षडिमानि शतानि वै। शतद्वयेन कन्येय भवता प्रतिगृह्यताम्॥
"Of the horses asked for by you there are six hundred here and this damsel is a substitute for the other two hundred. Let these be accepted by you.

अस्यां राजर्षिभिः पुत्रा जाता वै धार्मिकास्त्रयः। चतुर्थं जनयत्वेकं भवानपि नरोत्तमम्॥
On her by Rishis of royal descent three virtuous sons have been begotten; you too beget the fourth who will be the best among mankind.

पूर्णान्येवं शतान्यष्टौ तुरगाणां भवन्तु ते। भवतो ह्यनृणो भूत्वा तपः कुर्यां यथासुखम्॥
Then will you get the full complement of eight hundred horses asked for by you and I too, after having paid off my debt, shall perform asceticism as I please.

विश्वामित्रस्तु तं दृष्ट्वा गालवं सह पक्षिणा। कन्यां च तां वरारोहामिदमित्यब्रवीद् वचः॥
Vishvamitra, seeing Galava along with the bird and also that girl with beautiful hips, said these words.

किमियं पूर्वमेवेह न दत्ता मम गालवा पुत्रा ममैव चत्वारो भवेयुः कुलभावनाः॥
"Why was not this girl presented to me beforehand, OGalava? Then would all the four sons have been mine, every one of whom would have perpetuated a dynasty.

प्रतिगृह्णामि ते कन्यामेकपुत्रफलाय वै। अश्वाश्चाश्रममासाद्य चरन्तु मम सर्वशः॥
I shall accept this girl from you to beget on her one son and let the horses having been taken to my hermitage roam about at their will in all directions.

स तया रममाणोऽथ विश्वामित्रो महाद्युतिः। आत्मजं जनयामास माधवी पुत्रमष्टकम्॥
Vishvamitra, of great effulgence, then roaming and sporting with her, Madhvi brought forth a male child named Ashtaka.

जातमात्रं सुतं तं च विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः। संयोज्यार्थस्तथा धर्मैरश्वैस्तैः समयोजयत्॥
At the moment he was born, the great Muni Vishvamitra instructed him in both virtue and worldly good and presented to him those horses.

अथाष्टकः पुरं प्रायात् तदा सोमपुरप्रभम्। निर्यात्य कन्यां शिष्याय कौशिकोऽपि वनं ययौ॥
Then did Ashtaka go to the city which was like the city of the moon and the son of Kushika (Vishvamitra) too went to the woods after having returned the damsel to his disciple.

गालवोऽपि सुपर्णेन सह निर्यात्य दक्षिणाम्। मनसाऽतिप्रतीतेन कन्यामिदमुवाच ह॥
Galava too, along with Suparna, was light of heart having succeeded in making the final present he had promised, and said this to the girl.

जातो दानपतिः पुत्रस्त्वया शूरस्तथापरः। सत्यधर्मरतश्चान्यो यज्वा चापि तथाऽपरः॥
"By you has been brought forth a son who is the foremost among the givers of wealth, a second one who is a great hero, another who is ever attached to virtue and another who is ever attached to virtue and truth and the fourth who is a great performer of sacrificial ceremonies.

तदागच्छ वरारोहे तारितस्ते पिता सुतैः। चत्वारश्चैव राजानस्तथा चाहं सुमध्यमे॥
Therefore do you come, O you of beautiful hips, your father has obtained salvation by your sons and also the four kings (their fathers) and so also have been I, O you of slender waist."

गालवस्त्वभ्यनुज्ञाय सुपर्णं पन्नगाशनम्। पितुर्निर्यात्य तां कन्यां प्रययौ वनमेव ह॥
Galava, then having permitted Suparna who subsisted on serpents to go away and returning the damsel to his father, went to the forest.