। नारद उवाच गयं चामूर्तरयसं मृतं सृञ्जय शुश्रुम। यो वै वर्षशतं राजा हुतशिष्टाशनोऽभवत्॥
Narada said O Srinjaya, we also heard of the death of king Gaya, the son of Amurtarajas, who for hundred years lived only upon remnants of the libations offered on fire.
तस्मै ह्यग्निर्वरं प्रदात् ततो ववे वरं गयः। तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण व्रतेन नियमेन च॥ गुरूणां च प्रसादेन वेदानिच्छामि वेदितुम्। स्वधर्मेणाविहिंस्यान्यान् धनमिच्छामि चाक्षयम्॥
Thereat Agni offered to bestow boon on him; and thereupon Gaya asked for this boon saying, "I desire to acquaint myself with the contents of the Vedas, through ascetic penances, observance of Brahmacharya rites, vows and rules and also through the grace of my preceptors. I also desire to acquire inexhaustible wealth without transgressing the duties of the order which I belong to and without any injury to any one else.
विप्रेषु ददतश्चैव श्रद्धा भवतु नित्यशः। अनन्यासु सवर्णासु पुत्रजन्म च मे भवेत्॥
I desire also the boon, that everyday I may give away devoutly my wealth to the Brahmanas. I wish also to beget sons upon females of my own order and not upon others.
अन्नं मे ददतः श्रद्धा धर्मे मे रमतां मनः। अविनं चास्तु मे नित्यं धर्मकार्येषु पावक॥
Let devotion be the ruling feeling of my heart when I shall give away edibles; let also my mind delight in the fountain of righteousness. Let, O Agni, no difficulty overtake me when I engage myself in the performance of pious deeds."
तथा भविष्यतीत्युक्त्वा तत्रैवान्तरधीयत। गयो ह्यवाप्य तत् सर्वे धर्मेणारीनजीजयत्॥
"It shall be so", saying this, the God of Fire, disappeared even there. Then Gaya realising all those boons sought, began to obtain righteous victories over all his enemies.
स दर्शपौर्णमासाभ्यां कालेष्वाग्रयणेन च। चातुर्मास्यैश्च विविधैर्यज्ञैश्चावाप्तदक्षिणैः॥
Then king Gaya celebrated for a full hundred years, various kinds of sacrifices with profuse Dakshinas, as also many other vows as Chaturmasya.
अयजच्छ्रद्धया राजा परिसंवत्सरान् शतम्। गवां शतसहस्राणि शतमश्वशतानि च॥
Every year, in a century, the king gave unto the Brahmanas, with due devotion, hundred thousand kine, ten thousand horses.
शतं निष्कसहस्राणि गवां चाप्ययुतानि षट्। उत्थायोत्थाय स प्रादात् परिसंवत्सरान् शतम्॥
And for several successive centuries he gave to the Brahmanas hundred thousand Nishkas and sixty-thousand kine, at the time of his rising.
नक्षत्रेषु च सर्वेषु ददनक्षत्रदक्षिणा:। ईजे च विविधैर्यज्ञैर्यथा सोमोऽङ्गिरा यथा॥
Under every (auspicious) conjunction of the constellations, he gave away presents specified for those occasions. Verily the monarch performed various sacrifices like another Soma or another Angirasa.
सौवर्णां पृथिवीं कृत्वा य इमां मणिशर्कराम्। विप्रेभ्यः प्राददद् राजा सोऽश्वमेधे महामखे॥
Making the earth covered with gold and with pebbles constituted by gems, he gave her away as a present to the Brahmanas during the celebration of his great Horse-sacrifice.
जाम्बूनदमया यूपाः सर्वे रत्नपरिच्छदाः। गयस्यासन् समृद्धास्तु सर्वभूतमनोहराः॥
In the sacrifices of Gaya, the stakes were made of gold; and embossed with jewels and precious, they delighted the hearts of all.
सर्वकामसमृद्धं च प्रादादनं गयस्तदा। ब्राह्मणेभ्यः प्रहृष्टेभ्यः सर्वभूतेभ्य एव च॥
Then Gaya gave to the delighted Brahmanas and other creatures, those stakes and many other precious objects of desire.
स समुद्रवनद्वीपनदीनदवनेषु च। नगरेषु च राष्ट्रषु दिवि व्योम्नि च येऽवसन्॥ भूतग्रामाश्च विविधाः संतृप्ता यज्ञसम्पदा। गयस्य सदृशो यज्ञो नास्त्यन्य इतितेऽब्रुवन्॥
The various species of creatures inhabiting the oceans, the islands, the rivers male and female, the woods, forests, towns, kingdoms, the paradise and the sky and diverse other beings were gratified with the wealth and riches distributed at Gaya's sacrifice. They then said, "There was no sacrifice like that celebrated by Gaya."
षट्त्रिंशद् योजनायामा त्रिंशद् योजनमायता। पश्चात् पुस्चतुर्विशद् वेदी ह्यासीद्धिरण्मयी॥ गयस्य यजमानस्य मुक्तावज्रमणिस्तृता। प्रादात् स ब्राह्मणेभ्योऽथ वासांस्याभरणानि च॥
The sacrificial altar of Gaya was thirty yojanas long, twenty-six yojanas high; and it was covered with gold and strewn over with pearls and gems. He gave away this altar and inany garments and ornaments to the Brahmanas.
यथोक्ता दक्षिणाश्चान्या विप्रेभ्यो भूरिदक्षिणः। यत्र भोजनशिष्टस्य पर्वताः पञ्जविंशतिः॥
That liberal-handed monarch gave to the Brahmanas other presents specified in the scriptures. When the sacrifice was completed, their remained twenty-five mountains of edibles and foods, (untouched).
कुल्याः कुशलवाहिन्यो रसानामभवंस्तदा। वस्त्राभरणगन्धानां राशयश्च पृथग्विधाः॥
And there also remained many lakes of potions and several stream of juicy drinks flowing charmingly and many garments and rnaments, perfumes and many princes (who were intended to be given away as presents).
यस्य प्रभावाच्च गयस्त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतः। वटचाक्षय्यकरणः पुण्यं ब्रह्मसरश्च तत्॥
Through that great sacrifice of his, Gaya became well-known in the three worlds; and the eternal Banian tree and the holy Brahmalake, owe their origin to that sacrifice.
स चेन्ममार सृञ्जय चतुर्भद्रतरस्त्वया। पुत्रात् पुण्यतरस्तुभ्यं मा पुत्रमनुतप्यथाः। अयज्वानमदाक्षिण्यमभि श्वैत्येत्युदाहरत्॥
O Srinjaya, when even such a king, who was far superior in respect of the four cardinal virtues to you and consequently to your son, had to undergo death, you should not lament for your son who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial gifts-saying 'O Shvaitya.'