श्रुत्वा तु भाषितं वाक्यं मम राम शुभाक्षरम्। प्राञ्जलिः प्रत्युवाचेदं स स्वर्गी रघुनन्दन॥
O Rāma, hearing my words pregnant with sound reasoning, that heavenly being, with folded hands, said.
शृणु ब्रह्मन्पुरा वृत्तं ममैतत्सुखदुःखयोः। अन.क्रमागीयं च यथा पृच्छसि मां द्विज॥
Hear, O Brāhmaṇa, from what unavoidable cause has proceeded this happy and again painful incident.
पुरा वैदर्भको राजा पिता मम महायशाः। सुदेव इति विख्यातस्त्रिषु लोकेषु वीर्यवान्।॥
There flourished in the days of yore a highly illustratious and powerful Vidarbha king under the name of Sudeva known over three worlds. He was my father.
तस्य पुत्रद्वयं ब्रह्मन्द्वाभ्यां स्त्रीभ्यामजायत। अहं श्वेत इति ख्यातो यवीयान्सुरथोऽभवत्॥
His two queens gave birth to two sons. My name is Sveta and the name of my youngest brother was Suratha.
ततः पितरि स्वर्याते पौरा मामभ्यषेचयन्। तत्राहं कृतवान्राज्यं धयं च सुसमाहितः॥ एवं वर्षसहस्राणि समतीतानि सुव्रत। राज्यं कारयतो ब्रह्मन्प्रजा धर्मेण रक्षतः॥
After the decease of my sire the subjects installed me on the throne and I governed them piously and carefully for a thousand years.
सोऽहं निमित्ते कस्मिंश्चिद्विज्ञातायुर्द्विजोत्तम। कालधर्म हृदि न्यस्य ततो वनमुपागमम्॥
By some reason I was informed of the extent of my life. And when I perceived that the lease of my life had well-night expired I entered into the life of Vānaprastha.
सोऽहं वनमिदं दुर्ग मृगपक्षिविवर्जितम्। तपश्चर्तुं प्रविष्टोऽस्मि समीपे सरसः शुभे॥ भ्रातरं सुरथं राज्ये अभिषिच्य महीपतिम्। इदं सरः समासाद्य तपस्तप्तं मया चिरम्॥
And having placed my brother Suratha on the throne I entered into a dense forest devoid of men and animals at no distance from this pond to perform devout penances. And I performed austerities for a long time near this pond.
सोऽहं वर्षसहस्राणि तपस्त्रीणि महावने। तप्त्वा सुदुष्करं प्राप्तो ब्रह्मलोकमनुत्तमम्॥
Having performed hard penances in this forest, for three thousand years I at last attained to the region of Brahmā.
तस्येमे स्वर्गभूतस्य क्षुत्पिपासे द्विजोत्तम। बाधेते परमे वीर ततोऽहं व्यथितेन्द्रियः॥
And albeit I had reached the Brahmā region I was still being assailed by hunger and thirst. And gradually I grew tired therewith.
गत्वा त्रिभुवन श्रेष्ठं पितामहमुवाच ह। भगवन्ब्रह्मलोकोऽयं क्षुत्पिपासाविवर्जितः॥ कस्यायं कर्मणः पाकः क्षुत्पिपासानुगो ह्यहम्। आहारः कश्च मे देव तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥
There upon approaching the patriarch Brahma, the lord of three worlds, I said: O lord, here there is no hunger or thirst; still why have I been brought to their control? Of what iniquity of mine is this fruit? O deity, tell me upon what I shall live.
पितामहस्तु मामाह तवाहारः सुदेवज। स्वादूनि स्वानि मांसानि तानि भक्षय नित्यशः॥
Whereto the patriarch replied: O son of Sudeva, do you live upon sweet savoured meat everyday.
स्वशरीरं त्वया, पुष्टं कुर्वता तप उत्तमम्। अनुप्तं रोहते श्वेत न कदाचिन्महामते॥ दत्तं न तेऽस्ति सूक्ष्मोऽपि तप एव निषेवसे। तेन स्वर्गगतो वत्स बाध्यसे क्षुत्पिपासया॥
O Śveta, you did only look to the growth of your person when you did perform rigid penances. O you of a great mind, nothing grows, when nothing is sown. You did only perform ascetic penances, but you did not make any gift of charity. It is for that reason, O my son, that you are, even in heaven, being assailed by hunger and thirst.
स त्वं सुपुष्टमाहारैः स्वशरीरमनुत्तमम्। भक्षयित्वामृतरसं तेन वृत्तिर्भविष्यति॥
Thereupon do you now live upon your own dead body fostered by various food. By this you shall keep up your being.
यदा तु तद्वनं श्वेत अगस्त्यः स महानृषिः। आगमिष्यति दुर्धर्षस्तदा कृच्छ्राद्विमोक्ष्यते॥
O Sveta, you shall be relived from this affliction when the irrepressible, great Saint Agastya shall reach that forest.
स हि तारयितुं सौम्य शक्तः सुरगणानपि। किं पुनस्त्वां महाबाहो क्षुत्पिपासावशं गतम्॥
O gentle one, even to the immortals he can give salvation; what wonder it is that he shall relieve you from the miseries of hunger and thirst.
सोऽहं भगवतः श्रुत्वा देवदेवस्य निश्चयम्। आहारं गर्हितं कुर्मि स्वशरीरं द्विजोत्तम॥
O foremost of twice-born ones, from the time of hearing those words of the great Brahma, the god of gods, I have been engaged in this cursed work of feeding upon my own dead body.
बहून्वर्षगणान्ब्रह्मन्भुज्यमानमिदं मया। क्षयं नाभ्येति ब्रह्मर्षे तृप्तिश्चापि ममोत्तमा।।२१ तस्य मे कृच्छ्रभूतस्य कृच्छादस्माद्विमोक्षय। अन्येषां न गतिहत्र कुम्भयोनिमृते द्विजम्॥
O Brāhmaṇa, for many long years I have been living upon this corpse still I have not done with it. O Saint, I, too, derive satisfaction from it; I now understand that you are the illustrious Agastya born of a Kumbha; for none else is capable of coming here; do you therefore save me from this pain, who am afflicted with great miseries.
इदमाभरणं सौम्य धराणार्थं द्विजोत्तम। प्रतिगृह्णीष्व भद्रं ते प्रसादं कर्तुमर्हसि ॥
O foremost of twice-born ones, O gentle one, do you take this ornament; may good betide you. Do you be propitiated with me.
इदं तावत्सुवर्णं च धनं वस्त्राणि च द्विज। भक्ष्यं भोज्यं च ब्रह्मर्षे ददाम्याभरणानि च॥ सर्वान्कामान्प्रयच्छामि भोगांश्च मुनिपुङ्गव। तारणे भगवन्मह्यं प्रसादं कर्तुमर्हसि ॥
O Brahmana, I do confer upon you, gold, riches various clothes, eatables, excellent ornaments and diverse other objects of desire and enjoyment. O foremost of Sages, O lord, do you with compassion save me.
तस्याहं स्वर्गिणो वाक्यं श्रुत्वा दुःखसमन्वितम्। तारणायोफ्जग्राह तदाभरणमुत्तमम्॥
Hearing those words of the heavenly being, exciting pity, I accepted this ornament for saving him.
मया प्रतिगृहीते तु तस्मिन्नाभरणे शुभे। मानुषः पूर्वको देहो राजर्षेविननाश ह॥
And as soon as I took this ornament that human body of the royal saint disappeared.
प्रनष्टे तु शरीरेऽसौ राजर्षिः परया मुदा। तृप्तः प्रमुदितो राजा जगाम त्रिदिवं सुखम्॥
And the body being dissolved, the royal saint Śveta, greatly delighted, happily went to the land of immortals.
तेनेदं शक्रतुल्येन दिव्यमाभरणं मम। तस्मिन्निमित्ते काकुत्स्थ दत्तमद्भुतदर्शनम्॥
It is for this reason, O Kākutstha, that royal saint, resembling Indra, conferred upon me this wondrous, celestial ornament.