व्यास उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। बृहस्पतेश्च संवादं मरुत्तस्य च धीमतः॥
Vyasa said Regarding it is cited the ancient legend of Brihaspati and the wise Marutta.
देवराजस्य समयं कृतमाङ्गिरसेन ह। श्रुत्वा मरुत्तो नृपतिर्यज्ञमाहारयत् परम्॥
On hearing of the agreement made by Angira's son Brihaspati with the king of the celestials, king Marutta made the necessary preparations for a great sacrifice.
संकल्प मनसा यज्ञं करन्धमसुतात्मजः। बृहस्पतिमुपागम्य वाग्मी वचनमब्रवीत्॥
(Marutta) having conceived the idea of a sacrifice in his mind the eloquent grandson of Karandhama went to Brihaspati and spoke to him thus.
भगवन् यन्मया पूर्वमभिगम्य तपोधन। कृतोऽभिसंधिर्यज्ञस्य भवतो वचनाद् गुरो॥ तमहं यष्टुमिच्छामि संभाराः सम्भृताश्च मे। याज्योऽस्मि भवतः साधो तत्प्राप्नुहि विधत्स्व च॥
O worshipful ascetic, I have intended to celebrate the sacrifice which you did propose to me once on a previous occasion, according to your instructions, and I now wish to appoint you, as officiating pricst at this sacrifice, the materials whereof I have collected, O excellent one, you are our family-priest, therefore do you take those sacrificial things and celebrate the sacrifice yourself.
बृहस्पति उवाच न कामये याजयितुं त्वामहं पृथिवीपते। वृतोऽस्मि देवराजेन प्रतिज्ञातं च तस्य मे॥
Brihaspati said O king, I do not wish to perform your। sacrifice, I have been appointed as priest by the King the Celestials and I have promised to him to act as such.
मरुत्त उवाच पित्र्यमस्मि तव क्षेत्रं बहु मन्ये च ते भृशम्। तवास्मि याज्यतां प्राप्तो भजमानं भजस्व माम्॥
Marutta said You are our hereditary family-priest, and therefore I cherish great regard for you, and I have acquired the right of being helped at sacrifices by you, and therefore it is proper that you should officiate as priest at my sacrifice.
बृहस्पति उवाच अमर्त्य याजयित्वाहं याजयिष्ये कथं नरम्। मरुत्त गच्छवा मा वा निवृत्तोऽस्म्यद्य याजनात्॥
Having, O Marutta, acted as priest to the celestials, how can I act as such to mortal men, and whether you do leave this place or stay here, I tell you I have ceased to act as priest to any but the celestials.
न त्वां याजयिताऽस्म्यद्य वृणु यं त्वमिहेच्छसि। उपाध्यायं महाबाहो यस्ते यज्ञं करिष्यति॥
O you of mighty arms, I am unable to act as your priest now. And according to your own desire, you can appoint any one as your priest who will perform your sacrifice.
व्यास उवाच एवमुक्तस्तु नृपतिर्मरुत्तो व्रीडितोऽभवत्। प्रत्यागच्छन् सुसंविग्नो ददर्श पथि नारदम्॥
Vyasa said Thus told, king Marutta became confounded with shame, and while returning home with his mind stricken with anxiety, he met Narada on his way,
देवर्षिणा समागम्य नारदेन स पार्थिवः। विधिवत् प्राञ्जलिस्तस्थावथैनं नारदोऽब्रवीत्॥ राजर्षे नातिहष्टोऽसि कच्चित् क्षेमं तवानघ। क्व गतोऽसि कुतश्चेदमप्रीतिस्थ मागतम्॥
And on seeing the divine Rishi Narada, that king stood before him with due salutation, and with his hands clasped together, and then Narada addressing him thus said, O royal sage, you appear to be not well-pleased in your mind, is all well with you, where have you been, O sinless one, and why is this your mental disquietude?
श्रोतव्यं चेन्मया राजन् ब्रूहि मे पार्थिवर्षभ। व्यपनेष्यामि ते मन्युं सर्वयत्नैर्नराधिप॥
And, O king, if there be no objection to your telling it to me, do you, O best O kings, disclose to me, so that, O prince, I may remove the disquietude of your mind with all my efforts.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तौ मरुत्तः स नारदेन महर्षिणा। विप्रलम्भमुपाध्यायात् सर्वमेव न्यवेदयत्॥
Vaishampayana continued : Thus addressed by the great Rishi Narada, king Marutta informed him of the refusal he had received from his religious preceptor.
मरुत्त उवाच गतोऽस्म्याङ्गिरसः पुत्रं देवाचार्यं बृहस्पतिम्। यज्ञार्थमृत्विजं द्रष्टुं स च मां नाभ्यनन्दत॥
Marutta said Trying to find out a priest to officiate at my sacrifice, I went to that priest of the Immortals, Brihaspati, the son of Angirasa, but he did not choose to accept my offer.
प्रत्याख्यातश्च तेनाहं जीवितुं नाद्य कामये। परित्यक्तश्च गुरुणा दूषितश्चास्मि नारद॥
Having met with this refusal from him, I have no desire to live any longer now, for by his abandoning me thus, I have, O Narada, become sullied with sin.
व्यास उवाच एवमुक्तस्तु राज्ञा स नारदः प्रत्युवाच ह। आविक्षितं महाराज वाचा संजीवयन्निव॥
Vyasa said Thus told by that king, Narada, O powerful prince, made this reply to him with words which seemed to revive that son of Avikshit.
नारद उवाच राजन्नङ्गिरसः पुत्रः संवर्तो नाम धार्मिकः। चङ्क्रमीति दिशः सर्वा दिग्वासा मोहयन्प्रजाः।।१८। तं गच्छ यदि याज्यं त्वां न वाञ्छति बृहस्पतिः। प्रसन्नस्त्वां महातेजाः संवर्तो याजयिष्यति॥
Narada said The virtuous son of Angirasa, Samvarla by name, is travelling over all the earth in a nude state to the amazement all creatures; do you, O prince, go to him, if Brihaspati does not wish to officiate at your sacrifice, the powerful Samvarta, if pleased with you, will perform your sacrifice.
मरुत्त उवाच संजीविताऽहं भवता वाक्येनानेन नारद। पश्येयं क्व न संवर्तं शंस मे वदतां वर॥ कथं च तस्मै वर्तेयं कथं मां न परित्यजेत्। प्रत्याख्यातश्च तेनापि नाहं जीवितुमुत्सहे॥
Marutta said I feel as if filled with new life, by these your words, O Narada, but O the best of speakers, do you tell me where I can find Samvarta, and how I can remain by his side, and how I ma to act so that he may not leave inc, for I do not wish to live if I mcet with a refusal from him also.
नारद उवाच उन्मत्तवेषं विभ्रत् स चक्रमीति यथासुखम्। वाराणस्यां महाराज दर्शनेप्सुर्महेश्वरम्॥
Narada said Desirous of seeing Maheshvara, O prince, he roves about at his pleasure in the city of Varanasi dressed as a maniac.
तस्या द्वारं समासाद्य न्यसेथाः कुणपं क्वचित्। तं दृष्ट्वा यो निवर्तेत संवर्तः स महीपते॥ तं पृष्ठतोऽनुगच्छेथा यत्र गच्छेत् स वीर्यवान्। तमेकान्ते समासाद्य प्राञ्जलिः शरणं व्रजेः॥
And having reached the gate of the city, you must place a dead body somewhere near it, and the man who shall turn away on seeing the dead body, do you, O prince, know that man to be Samvarta, and knowing him, do you follow his footsteps wherever that powerful man wishes to go, and finding him (at length) in a lonely place you must seek his protection with your hands clasped together.
पृच्छेत् त्वां यदि केनाहं तवाख्यात इति स्म ह। ब्रूयास्त्वं नारदेनेति संवर्त कथितोऽसि मे॥
And if he acquire of you as to the person who has given you the information about his own self, do you tell him that Narada has informed you about Samvarta.
स चेत् त्वामनुयुञ्जीत ममानुगमनेप्सया। शंसेथा वह्निमारूढं मामपि त्वमशङ्कया॥
And if he should ask you to follow me, you must tell him unhesitatingly that I have entered into the fire.
व्यास उवाच स तथेति प्रतिश्रुत्य पूजयित्वा च नारदम्। अभ्यनुज्ञाय राजर्षिययौ वाराणसी पुरीम्॥ तत्र गत्वा यथोक्तं स पुर्या द्वारे महायशाः। कुणपं स्थापयामास नारदस्य वचः स्मरन्॥
Vyasa said Having signified his consent to the proposal of Narada, that royal sage after duly adoring him and with his permission, went to the city of Varanasi, and having reached there, that famous prince did as he had been asked, and remembering the words of Narada, he placed a dead body at the gate of the city.
यौगपद्येन विप्रश्च पुरीद्वारमथाविशत्। ततः स कुणपं दृष्ट्वा सहसा संन्यवर्तत॥
And by coincidence, that Brahmana also entered the gate of the city at the same time. Then on seeing the dead body, he suddenly turned away.
स तं निवृत्तमालक्ष्य प्राञ्जलि: पृष्ठतोऽन्वगात्। आविक्षितो महीपालः संवर्तमुपशिक्षितुम्॥
And on seeing him turn back, that prince, the son of Avikshit followed his footsteps with his hands joined together, and with a view to receive instruction from him.
स च तं विजने दृष्ट्वा पासुंभिः कर्दमेन च। श्लेष्मणा चैव राजानं ष्ठीवनैश्च समाकिरत्॥
And then finding him in a lonely place, Samvarta covered the king with mud and ashes and phlegm and spittle.
स तथा बाध्यमानो वै संवर्तेन महीपतिः। अन्वगादेव तमृषि प्राञ्जलिः सम्प्रसादयन्॥
And though thus worried and oppressed by Samvarta, the king followed that sage with his hands joined together in prayer and endeavouring to plcase him.
ततो निवर्त्य संवर्तः परिश्रान्त उपाविशत्। शीतलच्छायमासाद्य न्यग्रोधं बहुशाखिनम्॥
At length overcome with fatigue, and reaching the cool shade of a fig tree with many branches, Samvarta desisted from his course and sat down at rest.