गन्धर्व उवाच आश्रमस्था ततः पुत्रमदृश्यन्ती व्यजायता शक्तेः कुलकरं राजन् द्वितीयमिव शक्तिनम्॥
The Gandharva said : o king, residing in the hermitage, Adrishyanti gave birth to a son who was the perpetuator of Shakti's race and who was like a second Shakti.
जातकर्मादिकास्तस्य क्रियाः स मुनिसत्तमः। पौत्रस्य भरतश्रेष्ठ चकार भगवान् स्वयम्॥
O best of the Bharata race, that best of Rishis, that illustrious man (Vasishtha), himself performed the usual birth ceremonies of his grandson.
परासुः स यतस्तेन वसिष्ठः स्थापितो मुनिः। गर्भस्तेन ततो लोके पराशर इति स्मृतः॥
Because the Rishi Vasishtha had determined to kill himself, but had refrained from doing it as soon as he heard of the conception, the child (when born) was known in the world by the name of Parashara.
अमन्यत स धर्मात्मा वसिष्ठं पितरं मुनिः। जन्मप्रभृति तस्मिंस्तु पितरीवान्ववर्तत॥
That virtuous-minded man (Parashara) knew from the day of his birth Vasishtha as his father and behaved towards him as such.
स तात इति विप्रर्षिर्वसिष्ठं प्रत्यभाषत। मातुः समक्षं कौन्तेय अदृश्यन्त्याः परंतपः॥
O son of Kunti, O chastiser of foes the child called the Brahmana Rishi Vasishtha as "father" before his mother Adrishyanti.
तातेति परिपूर्णार्थं तस्य तन्मधुरं वचः। अदृश्यन्त्यश्रुपूर्णाक्षी शृण्वती तमुवाच ह॥
Hearing the well explained word "father" uttered sweetly by her son, Adrishyanti with tearful eyes thus spoke to him,
मा तात तात तातेति ब्रूह्येनं पितरं पितुः। रक्षसा भक्षितस्तात तव तातो वनान्तरे॥
"O child, do not address your father's father as your father. O son, your father was devoured by a Rakshasas in another forest.
मन्यसे यं त तातेति नैष तातस्तवानघ। आर्य एष पिता तस्य पितुस्तव यशस्विनः॥
O sinless one, he is not your father whom you consider to be (your father). The reverend man is the father of your illustrious father.”
स एवमुक्तो दुःखार्तः सत्यवागृषिसत्तमः। सर्वलोकविनाशाय मतिं चक्रे महामनाः॥
Having been thus addressed, that truthful and excellent Rishi became grieved and that high-souled man resolved to destroy the whole creation.
तं तथा निश्चितात्मानं स महात्मा महातपाः। ऋषिर्ब्रह्मविदां श्रेष्ठो मैत्रावरुणिरन्त्यधीः॥ वसिष्ठो वारयामास हेतुना येन तच्छृणु।
Seeing him resolved in doing this, that high-souled and greatly ascetic Rishi, that best of all men learned in the Vedas, that son of Mitravaruna, that Rishi acquainted with the positive truth, Vasishtha, prevented him (from accomplishing his desire by arguments). Hear them (now).
वसिष्ठ उवाच कृतवीर्य इति ख्यातो बभूव पृथिवीपतिः॥ याज्यो वेदविदां लोके भृगूणां पार्थिवर्षभः।
Vasishtha said: There was a great king, known by the name of Kritavirya. That best of kings was in the world the disciple of the Veda knowing Bhrigus.
स तानग्रभुजस्तात धान्येन च धनेन च॥ सोमान्ते तर्पयामास विपुलेन विशाम्पतिः।
O child, after performing the Soma sacrifice, the king gratified the revivers of the first portions of Yagna (Brahmanas) with large presents of rice and wealth.
तस्मिन् नृपतिशार्दूले स्वर्यातेऽथ कथंचन॥ बभूव तत्कुलेयानां द्रव्यकार्यमुपस्थितम्। ते॥
some When that best of kings went to heaven, his descendants were in want of wealth.
भृगूणां तु धनं ज्ञात्वा राजानः सर्व एव याचिष्णवोऽभिजग्मुस्तांस्ततो भार्गवसत्तमान्।
Knowing that the Bhrigus were rich, those kings all went in the grab of baggers to those best of Bhrigus.
भूमौ तु निदधुः केचिद् भृगवो धनमक्षयम्॥ ददुः केचिद् द्विजातिभ्यो ज्ञात्वा क्षत्रियतोभयम्।
Some of the Bhrigus to save their wealth buried it under the earth and some from the fear of Kshatriyas gave away their wealth to the Brahmanas.
भृगवस्तु ददुः केचित् तेषां वित्तं यथेप्सितम्॥ क्षत्रियाणां तदा तात कारणान्तरदर्शनात्।
O son, some of the Bhrigus, finding no other alternative, gave their wealth to the Kshatriyas as much as they desired.
ततो महीतलं तात क्षत्रियेण यदृच्छया।॥ खनताधिगतं वित्तं केनचिद् भृगुवेश्मनि।
(It happened, however) that Kshatriyas, in digging at pleasure a certain house of a Bhrigu, came upon a large treasure.
तद् वित्तं ददृशुः सर्वे समेताः क्षत्रियर्षभाः॥ अवमन्यः ततः क्रोधाद् भृगूस्ताञ्छरणागतान्। निजघ्नुः परमेष्वासाः सर्वास्तान् निशितैः शरैः॥
All those best of Kshatriyas assembled there saw that treasure. Enraged at the supposed deceitful conduct of the Bhrigu, those great men killed them all with their arrows, through they asked for protection. Roaming over the world, they killed even the embryos (that were in the wombs of the Bhriguwomen.)
आगर्भादवकृन्तन्तश्चेरुः सर्वां वसुन्धराम्। तत उच्छिद्यमानेषु भृगुष्वेवं भयात् तदा॥
When they were thus killed, many Bhrigu Women fled in fear and took shelter in the inaccessible mountains of the Himalayas.
भृगुपन्यो गिरिं दुर्गं हिमवन्तं प्रपेदिरे। तासामन्यतमा गर्भ भयाद् दधे महौजसम्॥
One among them, a lady of tapering things, desiring to perpetuate her husband's race, kept a greatly energetic embryo hidden in one of her things.
ऊरुणैकेन वामोरुर्भर्तुः कुलविवृद्धये। तद् गर्भमुपलभ्याशु ब्राह्मणी या भयार्दिता॥
A Brahmana woman came to know this fact and she went to the Kshatriyas and out of fear reported it to thein.
गत्वैका कथयामास क्षत्रियाणामुपहरे। ततस्ते क्षत्रिया जग्मुस्तं गर्भं हन्तुमुद्यता:॥
Thereupon the Kshatriyas went with the intention of destroying that embryo and saw the Brahmana lady blazing in her own splendour.
ददृशुर्ब्राह्मणी तेऽथ दीप्यमानां स्वतेजसा। अथ गर्भः स भित्त्वोर्स ब्राह्मण्या निर्जगाम ह॥
On this the child in her thing came out tearing open the thigh came out tearing open the thigh and dazzling the eyes of the Kshatriyas like a mid day sun.
मुष्णन् दृष्टी: क्षत्रियाणां मध्याह्न इव भास्करः। ततश्चक्षुर्विहीनास्ते गिरिदुर्गेषु बभ्रमुः॥
Thereupon they (the Kshatriyas), having been deprived of their sight, began to wander over those inaccessible hills. Being very much distressed for the protection of the faultless Brahmana lady in order to get back their sight.
ततस्ते मोहमापन्ना राजानो नष्टदृष्टयः। ब्राह्मणी शरणं जग्मुर्दृष्ट्यर्थं तामनिन्दिताम्॥ ऊचुश्चैनां महाभागां क्षत्रियास्ते विचेतसः। ज्योतिःप्रहीणा दुःखार्ताः शान्तार्चिष इवाग्नयः॥
Afflicted with sorrow and looking like fire blown out on account of the loss of sight, those Kshatriyas addressed that illustrious lady with anxious heart.
भगवत्याः प्रसादेन गच्छेत् क्षत्रं सचक्षुषम्। उपारम्य च गच्छेम सहिताः पापकर्मिणः॥
“When we shall be restored to sight by your grace, we shall go away together with our sinful acts.
सपुत्रा त्वं प्रसादं नः कर्तुमर्हसि शोभने। पुनर्दृष्टिप्रदानेन राज्ञः संत्रातुमर्हसि॥
O handsome lady, you with your son should show mercy on us. You should favour these kings by granting them their sight.”