भीष्म उवाच विपुलस्त्वकरोत् तीव्र तपः कृत्वा गुरोर्वचः। तपोयुक्तमथात्मानममन्यत स वीर्यवान्॥
Bhishma said Having satisfied his preceptor's command, Vipula practised the most severe penances. Gifted with great energy, he at last regarded himself as endued with sufficient ascetic merit.
स तेन कर्मणा स्पर्धन् पृथिवीं पृथिवीपते। चचार गतभीः प्रीतो लब्धकीतिवरो नृप॥
Priding himself upon the feat he had performed, he he wandered fearlessly and contentedly over the Earth, O monarch, honoured by all as one possessed of great fame for what he had done.
उभौ लोकौ जितौ चापि तथैवामन्यत प्रभुः। कर्मणा तेन कौरव्य तपसा विपुलेन च॥
The powerful Bhargava thought that he had conquered both the worlds by that feat of his as also by his severe penances.
अथ काले व्यतिक्रान्ते कस्मिंश्चित् कुरुनन्दन। रुच्या भगिन्या आदान प्रभूतधनधान्यवत्॥
After sometime, O delighter of the Kurus, the time came for a ceremony of gifts to take place with respect to the sister of Ruchi. Profuse wealth and corn were to be given away in it.
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु दिव्या काचिद् वराङ्गना। बिभ्रती परमं रूपं जगामाथ विहायसा॥
Meanwhile a certain celestial damsel, gifted with great beauty, was passing through the skies.
तस्याः शरीरात् पुष्पाणि पतितानि महीतले। तस्याश्रमस्याविदूरे दिव्यगन्धानि भारत॥
From her body as she passed through the sky, some flowers dropped down on the Earth. Those flowers of celestial fragrance fell on spot not far from the hermitage of Ruchi's husband.
तान्यगृह्णात् ततो राजन् रुचिर्ललितलोचना। तदा निमन्त्रकस्तस्या अङ्गेभ्यः क्षिप्रमागमत्॥
As the flowers lay scattered on the ground, they were picked up by Ruchi of beautiful eyes. Soon after an invitation came to Ruchi from the country of the Angas.
तस्या हि भगिनी तात ज्येष्ठा नाम्ना प्रभावती। भार्या चित्ररथस्याथ बभूवाङ्गेश्वरस्य वै॥
The sister, referred to above, of Ruchi, named Prabhavati was the wife of Chitraratha the king of the Angas.
पिनह्य तानि पुष्पाणि केशेषु वरर्णिनी। आमन्त्रिता ततोऽगच्छद् रुचिरङ्गपतेर्गृहम्॥
Ruchi, of great beauty, having attached those flowers to her hair, went to the palace of the king of the Angas to answer the invitation she had received,
पुष्पाणि तानि दृष्ट्वा तु तदाङ्गेन्द्रवराङ्गना। भगिनी चोदयामास पुष्पार्थे चारुलोचना॥
Seeing those flowers on her hair, the queen of the Angas having beautiful eyes, urged her sister to obtain some for her.
सा भत्रे सर्वमाचष्ट रुचिः सुरुचिरानना। भगिन्या भाषितं सर्वमृषिस्तच्चाभ्यनन्दत॥
Ruchi of beautiful face, speedily informed her husband of that request of her sister. The Rishi accepted the prayer of his sisterinlaw.
ततो विपुलमानाय्य देवशर्मा महातपाः। पुष्पार्थे चोदयामास गच्छ गच्छेति भारत॥
Summoning Vipula into his presence, Devasharman of severe penances commanded his disciple to bring him some flowers of the same sort, saying Go, go.
विपुलस्तु गुरोर्वाक्यमविचार्य महातपाः। स तथेत्यब्रवीद् राजंस्तं च देशं जगाम ह॥
Accepting unhesitatingly the order of his preceptor, the great ascetic Vipula. O king, answered So be it! and then proceeded to that spot whence the lady Ruchi had picked up the flowers that were wanted by her sister.
यस्मिन् देशे तु तान्यासन् पतितानि नभस्तलात्। अम्लानान्यपि तत्रासन् कुसुमान्यपराण्यपि॥
Arrived at that place where the flowers had fallen from the sky, Vipula saw some others still lying scattered. They were all as fresh as if they had been newly plucked from the plants. None of them had faded away.
स ततस्तानि जग्राह दिव्यानि रुचिराणि च। प्राप्तानि स्वेन तापसा दिव्यगन्धानि भारत॥
He took up those exquisitely beautiful celestial flowers. Possessed of celestial fragrance, O Bharata, Vipula got them there as the result of his severe penances.
सम्प्राप्य तानि प्रीतात्मा गुरोर्वचनकारकः। तदा जगाम तूर्णं च चम्पां चम्पकमालिनीम्॥
The accomplisher of his his preceptor's command, having obtained them, he felt great delight and started quickly for the city of Champa adorned with festoons of Champaka flowers.
स वने निर्जने तात ददर्श मिथुनं नृणाम्। चक्रवत् परिवर्तन्तं गृहीत्वा पाणिना करम्॥
As he went on, he saw on his way a human couple moving in a circle hand in hand.
तत्रैकस्तूर्णमगमत् तत्पदे च विवर्तयन्। एकस्तु न तदा राजश्चक्रतुः कलहं ततः॥
One of them made a rapid step and thereby destroyed the cadence of the movement. Therefore, O king, a dispute arose between them.
त्वं शीघ्रं गच्छसीत्येकोऽब्रवीन्नेति तथा परः। नेति नेति च तौ राजन् परस्परमथोचतुः॥
Indeed, one of them charged the other, saying You have taken a quicker step! The other answered No, Indeed, as each held his own opinion obstinately, each. O king asserted what the other denied, and denied what the other asserted.
तयोर्विस्पर्धतोरेवं शपथोऽयमभूत् तदा। सहसोद्दिश्य विपलुं ततो वाक्यमथोचतुः॥
While thus quarrelling with each other with great assurance, an oath was then heard among them. Indeed, each of them suddenly named Vipula in what they uttered.
आवयोरनृतं प्राह यस्तस्याभूद् द्विजस्य वै। विपुलस्य परे लोके या गतिः सा भवेदिति॥
Their oath was this That one among us two who speaks falsely, shall, in the next world, meet with the end which will be the twiceborn Vipula's.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु विपुलो विषण्णवदनोऽभवत्। एवं तीव्रतापाश्चाहं कष्टश्चायं परिश्रमः॥ मिथुनस्यास्य किं मे स्यात् कृतं पापं यथा गतिः। अनिष्टा सर्वभूतानां कीर्तितानेन मेऽद्य वै॥
Hearing these words of theirs, Vipula's face became very sad. He began to commune with himself, I have practised severe penances. The dispute between this couple is hot. To me, again, it is painful. What sin have I committed that both these persons should refer to my end in the next world as the most painful one among those reserved for all creatures?
एवं संचिन्तयन्नेव विपुलो राजसत्तम। अवाङ्मुखो दीनमना दध्यौ दुष्कृतमात्मनः॥
Thinking thus, Vipula, O best of kings, hung down his head, and with a dispirited mind began to recollect what sin he had done.
ततः षडन्यान् पुरुषानक्षैः काञ्चनराजतैः। अपश्यद् दीव्यमानान् वै लोभहर्षान्वितांस्तथा॥ कुर्वतः शपथं तेन यः कृतो मिथुनेन तु। विपुलं वै समुद्दिश्य तेऽपि वाक्यमथाब्रुवन्॥
Proceeding a little way he saw six other men playing with dice made of gold and silver. Engaged in play, those individuals seerned to him to be so excited that the hairs on their bodies stood erect. They also were heard by Vipula to take the same oath that he had already heard the first couple to take. Indeed, their words had reference in the same way to Vipula.
लोभमास्थाय योऽस्माकं विषमं कर्तुमुत्सहेत्। विपुलस्य परे लोके या गतिस्तामवाप्नुयात्॥
He, amongst us who, led by cupidity, will act in an unfair way, shall meet with that end which is reserved for Vipula in the next world.
एतच्छुत्वा तु विपुलो नापश्यद् धर्मसंकरम्। जन्मप्रभृति कौरव्य कृतपूर्वमथात्मनः॥
Hearing these words, however, Vipula, although he tried earnestly to recollect, could not remember any sin of his from even his earliest years, O you of Kuru's race.
सम्प्रदध्यौ तथा राजन्नग्नावग्निरिवाहितः। दह्यमानेन मनसा शापं श्रुत्वा तथाविधम्॥
Indeed, he began to burn like a fire placed in the midst of another fire. Hearing that curse, his mind burnt with grief.
तस्य चिन्तयतस्तात बढ्यो दिननिशा ययुः। इदमासीन्मनसि स रुच्या रक्षणकारितम्॥
In this state of anxiety a long time was passed. At last he recollected the manner in which he had acted in protecting his preceptor's wife from the machinations of Indra.
लक्षणं लक्षणेनैव वदनं वदनेन च। विधाय न मया चोक्तं सत्यमेतद् गुरोस्तथा॥
I had entered the body of that lady, placing limb within limb, face within face. Although I had acted in this way, I did not yet tell my preceptor the truth.
एतदात्मनि कौरव्य दुष्कृतं विपुलस्तदा। अमन्यत महाभाग तथा तच्च न संशयः॥
This was the sin, O you of Kuru's race, which Vipula recollected in himself. Indeed, O blessed king, forsooth, that was the sin which he had actually committed.
स चम्पां नगरीमेत्य पुष्पाणि गुरवे ददौ। पूजयामास च गुरुं विधिवत् स गुरुप्रियः॥
Coming to the city of Champa, he gave the flowers to his preceptor. Devoted to superiors and seniors, he adored his preceptor in due form.