युधिष्ठिर उवाच उक्ताः पितामहेनेह सुर्णस्य विधानतः। विस्तरेण प्रदानस्य ये गुणाः श्रुतिलक्षणाः॥
Yudhishthira said You have, O grandfather described to me fully the merits of the gift of gold according to the ordinances laid down in the scriptures and the Veda.
यत्तु कारणमुत्पत्तेः सुवर्णस्य प्रकीर्तितम्। स कथं तारकः प्राप्तो निधनं तद् ब्रवीहि मे॥
You have also described the origin of gold. Do you tell me now how Taraka met with destruction.
उक्तं स देवतानां हि अवध्य इति पार्थिव। कथं तस्याभवन्मृत्युर्विस्तरेण प्रकीर्तय॥
You have, said, O king, that Asura had become unslayable by the gods. Do you tell me fully how his destruction was brought about.
एतादिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं त्वत्तः कुरुकुलोद्वह। कात्स्येन तारकवधं परं कौतूहलं हि मे॥
Operpetuator of Kuru's race, I wish to hear this from you, I mean the details of Taraka's destruction. Great is my curiosity to hear the narrative.
भीष्म उवाच विपन्नकृत्या राजेन्द्र देवता ऋषयस्तथा। कृत्तिकाश्चोदयामासुरपत्यभरणाय वै॥
Bhishma said The gods and the Rishis, O king reduced to great distress, urged the six Krittikas to rear that child.
न देवतानां काचिद्धि समर्था जातवेदसः। एता हि शक्तास्तं गर्भं संधारयितुमोजसा॥
Amongst the celestial ladies there were none, except these, who could by their power, bear the seed of Agni in their wombs.
षण्णां तासां ततः प्रीत: पावको गर्भधारणात्। स्वेन तेजोविसर्गेण वीर्येण परमेण च॥
The god of fire became highly pleased with those goddesses for their readiness to sustain the conception caused by the seed of Agni which was gifted with his own great power.
तास्तु षट् कृत्तिका गर्भे पुपुषुर्जातवेदसः। षट्सु वर्त्मसु तेजोऽन्गेः सकलं निहितं प्रभो॥
When the energy of Agni, O king, was divided into six parts and placed within the channels, the six Krittikas began to nourish the portion that each held in her womb.
ततस्ता वर्धमानस्य कुमारस्य महात्मनः। तेजसाभिपरीताङ्ग्यो न क्वचिच्छम लेभिरे॥
As the great Kumara, however, began to grow within their wombs their bodies being possessed by his energy, they could not get peace anywhere.
ततस्तेजःपरीताङ्ग्यः सर्वाः काल उपस्थिते। समं गर्भे सुषुविरे कृत्तिकास्तं नरर्षभ॥
Filled with energy as their bodies were, the time at last came for delivery. All of them, it so happened, O prince of men, delivered simultaneously.
ततस्तं षडधिष्ठानं गर्भमेकत्वमागतम्। पृथिवी प्रतिजग्राह कार्तस्वरसमीपतः॥
Though held in six different wombs, yet when all the parts, as they came out, united into one. The goddess Earth held the child, taking it up from a mass of gold.
स गर्भो दिव्यसंस्थानो दीप्तिमान् पावकप्रभः। दिव्यं शरवणं प्राप्य ववृधे प्रियदर्शनः॥
Indeed, the child, possessed of a beautiful form, shone like the god of Fire. Of beautiful features, he began to grow in a charming forest of reeds.
ददृशुः कृत्तिकास्तं तु बालमर्कसमद्युतिम्। जातस्नेहाच्च सौहार्दात् पुपुषुः स्तन्यविस्रवैः॥
The six Krittikas saw that child of theirs loO king like the morning Sun. Filled with affection for him, indeed, loving him very much, they began to rear him with their milk.
अभवत् कार्तिकेयः स त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे। स्कन्नत्वात् स्कन्दतां प्राप्तो गुहावासाद् गुहोऽभवत्।।
On account of his having been born of the Krittikas and reared by them, he was known in the three worlds by the name of Kartikeya. Having originated from the seed which had fallen off from Rudra he was named Skanda, and because of his birth in a solitary forest of reeds he was called Guha.
ततो देवास्त्रयस्त्रिंशद् दिशश्च सदिगीश्वराः। रुद्रो धाता च विष्णुश्च यमः पूषार्यमा भगः॥ अंशो मित्रश्च साध्याश्च वासवो वसवोऽश्विनौ। आपो वायुर्नभश्चन्द्रो नक्षत्राणि ग्रहा रविः॥ पृथग्भूतानि चान्यानि यानि देवार्पणानि वै। आजग्मुस्तेऽद्भुतुं द्रष्टुं कुमारं ज्वलनात्मजम्॥
The thirtythree gods, the points of the compass together with their presiding deities, and Rudra, Dhatri, Vishnu, Yama, Pushan, Aryaman, Bhaga, Angsha Mitra, the Sadhyas, Vasava, the Vasus, the Ashvins, the Waters, the Wind, the Firmament, Chandramas and all the Constellations and the Planets and the Sun, and all the Richs and Samans and Yajushes in their embodied forms, came there to see that wonderful child who was the son of the god of Fire.
ऋषयस्तुष्टुवुश्चैव गन्धर्वाश्च जगुस्तथा। षडाननं कुमारं तु द्विषडक्षं द्विजप्रियम्॥
The Rishis sang hymns of praise and the Gandharvas sang in honour of that child called Kumara of six heads, twelve eyes, and greatly devoted to the Brahmanas.
पीनांसं द्वादशभुजं पावकादित्यवर्चसम्। शयानं शरगुल्मस्थं दृष्ट्वा देवाः सहर्षिभिः॥ लेभिरे परमं हर्ष मेनिरे चासुरं हतम्। ततो देवाः प्रियाण्यस्य सर्व एव समाहरन्॥
His shoulders were broad, and he had twelve arms, and the splendour of his body resembled that of fire and Aditya. As he lay stretched on a clump of heath, the gods with the Rishis, seeing him, became filled with great joy and considered the great Asura as already Killed. The celestials then began to bring him various kinds of toys and articles that could amuse him.
क्रीडत: क्रीडनीयानि ददुः पक्षिगणाश्च ह। सुपर्णोऽस्य ददौ पुत्रं मयूरं चित्रबर्हिणम्॥
As he played like a child, various sorts of toys and birds were given to him. Garuda of excellent feathers gave to him a child of his, viz., a peacock having plumes of variegated colour.
राक्षसाश्च ददुस्तस्मै वराहमहिषावभौ। कुक्वुटं चाग्निसंकाशं प्रददावरुणः स्वयम्॥
The Rakshasas gave to him a boar and a buffalo. Aruna himself gave him cock of fiery splendour.
चन्द्रमाः प्रददौ मेषमादित्यो रुचिरां प्रभाम्। गवां माता च गा देवी ददौ शतसहस्रशः॥
The Moon gave him a sheep, and the Sun gave him some dazzling rays of his. The mother of all kine, viz., Surabhi, gave him kine by hundreds and thousands.
छागमग्निर्गुणापेतमिला पुष्पफलं बहु। सुधन्वा शकटं चैव रथं चामितकूबरम्॥
Agni gave him a goat having many good qualities. Ila gave him profuse flowers and fruits. Sudhanvan gave him a riding chariot and a car of the great Kubera.
वरुणो वारुणान् दिव्यान् सगजान् प्रददौ शुभान्। सिंहान् सुरेन्द्रो व्याघ्रांश्च द्विपानन्यांश्च पक्षिणः॥ श्वापदांश्च बहून् घोरांश्छत्राणि विविधानि च। राक्षसासुरसंघाश्च अनुजग्मुस्तमीश्वरम्॥
Varuna gave him many auspicious and good products of the Ocean, with some elephants. The king of the celestials gave him lions and tigers and pards and various kinds of the birds of the air, and inany terrible beasts of prey and many umbrellas also. Many Rakshasas and Asuras began to follow that powerful child.
वर्धमानं तु तं दृष्ट्वा प्रार्थयामास तारकः। उपायैर्बहुभिर्हन्तुं नाशकच्चापि तं विभुम्॥
Seeing the son of Agni grow up, Taraka sought, by various means, to bring about his destruction, but could not do anything to that powerful deity.
सैनापत्येन तं देवाः पूजयित्वा गुहालयम्। शशंसुर्विप्रकारं तं तस्मै तारककारितम्॥
The gods in time invested Agni's son born a solitary forest with the command of their arıy. And they also informed him of the oppressions made upon them by the Asura Taraka.
स विवृद्धो महावीर्यो देवसेनापतिः प्रभुः। जघानामोघया शक्त्या दानवं तारकं गुहः॥
The commanderinchief of the celestial army grew up and became possessed of great energy and power. In time Guha killed Taraka, with his irresistible dart.
तेन तस्मिन् कुमारेण क्रीडता निहतेऽसुरे। सुरेन्द्रः स्थापितो राज्ये देवानां पुनरीश्वरः॥
Indeed, Kumara killed the Asura as easily as if in sport. Having brought about the destruction of Taraka the reestablished the king of the celestials in his sovereignty of the three worlds.
स सेनापतिरेवाथ बभौ स्कन्दः प्रतापवान्। ईशो गोप्ता च देवानां प्रियकृच्छङ्करस्य च॥
Gifted with mighty power, the celestial general shone in beauty and splendour. The powerful Skanda became the protector of the celestials and did what was agreeable to Shankara.
हिरण्यमूर्तिर्भगवानेष एव च पावकिः। सदा कुमारो देवानां सैनापत्यमवाप्तवान्॥
The illustrious son of Pavaka had a golden form. Indeed, Kumara is always the leader of the celestial arms.
तस्मात् सुवर्णं मङ्गल्यं रत्नमक्षय्यमुत्तमम्। सहजं कार्तिकेयस्य वह्नस्तेजः परं मतम्॥
Gold is the powerful energy of the god of fire and was born with Kartikeya. Hence is gold highly sacred, valuable, and excellent and has unending merit.
एवं रामाय कौरव्य वसिष्ठोऽकथयत् पुरा। तस्मात् सुवर्णदानाय प्रयतस्व नराधिप॥
Thus, O son of Kuru's race, did Vasishtha recite formerly this topic to Rama of Bhrigu's race. Do you, therefore, O king of men, try to make gifts of gold.
रामः सुवर्णं दत्त्वा हि विमुक्तः सर्वकिल्विषैः। त्रिविष्टपे महत् स्थानमवापासुलभं नरैः॥
By making gifts of gold, Rama became purged of all his sins, and finally acquired a high place in Heaven that is unattainable by other men.