च्यवन उवाच वरश्च गृह्यतां मत्तो यश्च ते संशयो हृदि। तं प्रब्रूहि नरश्रेष्ठ सर्वं सम्पादयामि ते॥
Chyavana said Do you accept a boon from me. Do you also, O king, tell me what the doubt is that is in your mind. I shall certainly accomplish all your purposes.
कुशिक उवाच यदि प्रीतोऽसि भगवंस्ततो मे वद भार्गव। कारणं श्रोतुमिच्छामि मद्गृहे वासकारितम्॥
Kushika said If you have been pleased with me, O holy one, do you then, O son of Bhrigu, teil me your object in living in my palace for sometime, for I wish to hear it. What was your object in sleeping on the bed I assigned you for, one and twenty days continuously, without changing sides.
शयनं चैकपाāन दिवसानेकविंशतिम्। अकिंचिदुक्त्वा गमनं बहिश्च मुनिपुङ्गवा॥
O foremost of ascetics, what also was your object, again in going out of the room without speaking a single word.
अन्तर्धानमकस्माच्च पुनरेव च दर्शनम्। पुनश्च शयनं विप्र दिवसानेकविंशतिम्॥
Why did you, again, without any reason, disappear and once more become visible? Why, O learned Brahmana, did you again lay yourself down on the bed, and sleep, as before, for one and twenty days.
तैलाभ्यक्तस्य गमनं भोजनं च गृहे मम। समुपानीय विविधं यद् दग्धं जातवेदसा॥
Why did you go out after you were rubbed by us with oil for your bath? Why, also, after having made various kinds of food in my palace to be collected, did you consume them with fire?
निर्याणं च रथेनाशु सहसा यत् कृतं त्वया। धनानां च विसर्गस्य वनस्यापि च दर्शनम्॥
What was the cause of your sudden journey through my city on the car? What was your object in giving away so much riches? What was your motive in showing us the wonders of the forest created by your Yogapower.
प्रासादानां बहूनां च काञ्चनानां महामुने। पणिविद्रुमपादानां पर्याणां च दर्शनम्॥
What, indeed, was your motive in showing, O great ascetic, so many palaces made of gold and so many bedsteads supported on posts of jewels and gems?
पुनश्चादर्शनं तस्य श्रोतुमिच्छामि कारणम्। अतीव ह्यत्र मुह्यामि चिन्तयानो भृगूद्वह॥
Why also did all these wonders disappear from our sight? I wish to hear the cause of all this. Thii.king of all these acts of yours, O perpetuator of Bhrigu's race, I became stupefied.
न चैवात्राधिगच्छामि सर्वस्यास्य विनिश्चयम्। एतदिच्छामि कार्येन सत्यं श्रोतुं तपोधन॥
I cannot comprehend your motive. ( you having penances for wealth, I wish to hear the truth about all those acts of yours in full.
च्यवन उवाच शृणु सर्वमशेषेण यदिदं येन हेतुना। न हि शक्यमनाख्यातुमेवं पृष्टेन पार्थिव॥
Chyavana said Listen to me as I tell you fully the reasons which had moved me in all these acts of mine. Asked by you, O king, I cannot refuse to enlighten you.
पितामहस्य वदतः पुरा देवसमागमे। श्रुतवानस्मि यद् राजस्तन्मे निगदतः शृणु॥
In days of yore, on one occasion, when the deities had assembled together, the Grandfather Brahman said some words. I heard them, O king, and shall now repeat them to you.
ब्रह्मक्षत्रविरोधेन भविता कुलसंकरः। पौत्रस्ते भविता राजंस्तेजोवीर्यसमन्वितः॥
On account of a quarrel between Brahmana and Kshatriya energy, there will occur an intermixture in my race. Your grandson, O king, will become endued with great energy and power.
ततस्ते कुलनाशार्थमहं त्वां समुपागतः। चिकीर्षन् कुशिकोच्छेदं संदिधक्षुः कुलं तव॥
Hearing this, I came here resolved to exterminate your race. Indeed, I came, O Kushika, seeking the utter extermination of your family, in fact, for reducing to ashes all your descendants.
ततोऽहमागम्य पुरे त्वामवोचं महीपते। नियम कंचिदारप्स्ये शुश्रूषा क्रियतामिति॥
Moved by this motive I came to your palace, O monarch, and said to you I shall observe some vow. Do you attend upon me and serve me dutifully.
न च ते दुष्कृतं किंचिदहमासादयं गृहे। तेन जीवसि राजर्षे न भवेथास्त्वमन्यथा॥
While living, however, in your house, I could not see any shortcomings in you. It is for that reason, O royal sage, that you are still alive, for otherwise you would have by this been dead.
एवं बुद्धिं समास्थाय दिवसानेकविंशतिम्। सुप्तोऽस्मि यदि मां कश्चिद् बोधयेदिति पार्थिव॥
It was with this resolution that I slept for twentyone days in the hope that somebody would awake me before I arose out of my own accord.
यदा त्वया सभार्येण संसुप्तो न प्रबोधितः। अहं तदैव ते प्रीतो मनसा राजसत्तम॥
You, however, with your wife, did not awake me. Even then, O best of kings, I became delighted with you.
उत्थाय चास्मि निष्क्रान्तो यदि मां त्वं महीपते। पृच्छेः क्व यास्यसीत्येवं शपेयं त्वामिति प्रभो॥
Rising from my bed I went out of the chamber without speaking to any of you. I did this, O king, in the hope that you would ask me and thus I would have an opportunity of cursing you.
अन्तर्हितः पुनश्चास्मि पुनरेव च ते गृहे। योगमास्थाय संसुप्तो दिवसानेकविंशतिम्॥
I then disappeared, and again showed myself in the room of your palace, and once more following Yoga slept for one and twenty days.
क्षुधितौ मामसूयेथां श्रमाद् वेति नराधिप। एवं बुद्धिं समास्थाय कर्शितौ वां क्षुधा मया।॥
My motive was this. Exhausted with toil and hunger you two would be angry with me and do what would be unpleasant to me. It was from this motive that I caused yourself and your wife to be afflicted with hunger.
न च तेऽभूत् सुसूक्ष्मोऽपि मन्युर्मनसि पार्थिव। सभार्यस्य नरश्रेष्ठ तेन ते प्रीतिमानहम्॥
In your heart, however, O king, the slightest feeling of anger or vexation did not rise. For this, O king, I became highly pleased with you.
भोजनं च समानाय्य यत् तदा दीपितं मया। क्रुद्ध्येथा यदि मात्सर्यादिति तन्मर्षितं च मे॥
When I caused various kinds of food to be brought and then set fire to them, I hoped that yourself with your wife would yield to anger at the sight. Even that act, however, of mine was tolerated by you.
ततोऽहं रथमारुह्य त्वामवोचं नराधिप। सभार्यो मां बहस्वेति तच्च त्वं कृतवांस्तथा॥ अविशङ्को नरपते प्रीतोऽहं चापि तेन ह। धनोत्सर्गेऽपि च कृते न त्वां क्रोधः प्रधर्षयत्॥
I then ascended the car, o king, and addressed you, saying Do you with your wife bear me! You did what I ordered, without the least scruple, O king! I became delighted at this. The gifts of riches I made could not excite your anger.
ततः प्रीतेन ते राजन् पुनरेतत् कृतं तव। सभार्यस्य वनं भूयस्तद् विद्धि मनुजाधिप॥
Pleased with you, O king, I created with the help of my Yogapower that forest which yourself with your wife did see here. Listen, O king, to the object I had.
प्रीत्यर्थं तव चैतन्मे स्वर्गसंदर्शनं कृतम्। यत् वे वनेऽस्मिन् नृपते दृष्टं दिव्यं निदर्शनम्॥
For pleasing you and your qucen I made you to have a glimpse of Heaven, All those things which you have seen in these woods, O king, are a foretaste of Heaven.
स्वर्णोद्देशस्त्वया राजन् सशरीरेण पार्थिव। मुहूर्तमनुभूतोऽसौ सभार्येण नृपोत्तम॥
O best of kings, for a little while I made you and your wife behold, in even your, earthly bodies, some sights of Heaven.
निदर्शनार्थं तपसो धर्मस्य च नराधिप। तत्र याऽऽसीत् स्पृहा राजंस्तच्चापि विदितं मया॥२८
All this was done for showing the power of penances and the reward that is in store for virtue. The desire that arose in your heart, O monarch, at sight of those delightful objects, is known to me.
ब्राह्मण्यं काक्षसे हि त्वं तपश्च पृथिवीपते। अवमन्य नरेन्द्रत्वं देवेन्द्रत्वं च पार्थिव॥
You became desirous of obtaining the dignity of a Brahmana and the merit of penances, O king, disregarding the sovereignty of the Earth, nay, the sovereignty of very Heaven.
एवमेतद् यथाऽऽत्य त्वं ब्राह्मण्यं तात दुर्लभम्। ब्राह्मणे सति चर्षित्वमृषित्वे च तपस्विता।॥
You thought this, O king. The status of a Brahmana is highly difficult to get; having become a Brahmana, it is highly difficult to obtain the status of a Rishi; having become a Rishi it is difficult to become an ascetic.
भविष्यत्येष ते कामः कुशिकात् कौशिको द्विजः। तृतीयं पुरुषं तुभ्यं ब्राह्मणत्वं गमिष्यति॥
I tell you that your desire will be fulfilled. From you, O Kushika, will originate a Brahmana who shall be called after your name. The person that will be the third in descent from you shall obtain the status of a Brahmana.
वंशस्ते पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ भृगूणामेव तेजसा। पौत्रस्ते भविता विप्रस्तपस्वी पावकद्युतिः॥
Through the energy of the Bhrigus, your grandson, O king, will be an ascetic gifted with the splendour of fire.
यः स देवमनुष्याणां भयमुत्पादयिष्यति। त्रयाणामेव लोकानां सत्यमेतद् ब्रवीमि ते॥
He shall always strike all men, indeed, the inhabitants of the three worlds, 'vith fear. I tell you the truth.
राजर्षे यत् ते मनसि वर्तते। तीर्थयात्रां गमिष्यामि पुरा कालोऽभिवर्तते।॥
O royal sage, do you accept the boon that is now in your mind. I shall soon start for a sojourn to all the sacred water, Time is expiring.
कुशिक उवाच एष एव वरो मेऽद्य यस्त्वं प्रीतो महामुने। भवत्वेतद् यथाऽऽत्य त्वं भवेत् पौत्रो ममानघ॥ वरं गृहाण
Kushika said This, O great ascetic, is a high boon in my case, for you have been pleased with me! Let that take place which you have said! Let my grandson become a Brahmana, O sinless one.
ब्राह्मण्यं मे कुलस्यास्तु भगवन्नेष मे वरः। पुनश्चाख्यातुमिच्छामि भगवन् विस्तरेण वै॥
Indeed, Let the dignity of Brahmanahood attach to my family, O holy one! This is the boon I pray for! I wish to once more ask you in full, O holy one.
कथमेष्यति विप्रत्वं कुलं मे भृगुनन्दन। कश्चासौ भविता बन्धुर्मम कश्चापि सम्मतः॥
In what way, O delighter of Bhrigu, will the dignity of Brahmanahood attach to my family? Who will be my friend? Who will have my affection and respect?