युधिष्ठिर उवाच य इमे पृथिवीपाला: शेरते पृथिवीतले। पृतनामध्य एते हि गतसंज्ञा महाबलाः॥
Yudhisthira said These kings who lie on the Earth's surface amid their respective armies, these princes of great power, are now all deprived of life.
एकैकशो भीमबला नागायुतबलास्तथा। एते हि निहताः संख्ये तुल्यतेजोबलैनरैः॥
Every one of these powerful kings was endued with strength equal to that of ten thousand elephants. Alas! these have all have killed by men equally powerful and strong.
नैषां पश्यामि हन्तारं प्राणिनां संयुगे परम्। विक्रमेणोपसम्पन्नास्तेजोबलसमन्विताः॥
I do not see any one else that could kill any of these men in battle. All of them were gifted with great prowess, great energy, and great strength.
अथ चेमे महाप्राज्ञाः शेरते हि गतासवः। मृता इति च शब्दोऽयं वर्तत्येषु गतासुषु॥
Highly wise, they are now lying dead on the naked earth. about them, however, that are deprived of life, the word that is used is that they are dead.
इमे मृता नृपतयः प्रायशो भीमविक्रमाः। तत्र मे संशयो जातः कुतः संज्ञा मृता इति॥
All these highly powerful kings are said to be dead. On this subject a doubt lies in my mind. Whence is life and whence is death.
कस्य मृत्युः कुतो मृत्युः केन मृत्युरिह प्रजाः। हरत्यमरसंकाश तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह॥
Who is it that dies? whence is death? Whence is death? Why does death take away living creatures. O grandfather, tell me this, O you who are like a god.
भीष्म उवाच पुरा कृतयुगे तात राजा ह्यासीदकम्पनः। स शत्रुवशमापन्नः संग्रामे क्षीणवाहनः॥
Bhishma said In days of yore, in the Krita age, O son, there was a king of the name of Anukampaka. His cars, elephants, horse and men having been reduced in number, he succumbed to the power of his enemies in battle.
तस्य पुत्रो हरि म नारायणसमो बले। स शत्रुभिर्हतः संख्ये सबलः सपदानुगः॥
His son, named Hari, who was like Narayana himself in strength, was in that battle killed by his enemies along with all his followers and troops.
स राजा शत्रुवशगः पुत्रशोकसमन्वितः। यदृच्छया शान्तिपरो ददर्श भुवि नारदम्॥
Stricken with grief consequent on the death of his son, and himself brought under the control of enemies, the king devoted himself thence to a life of peacefulness. One day, while wandering listlessly he met the sage Narada on the Earth.
तस्मै स सर्वमाचष्ट यथावृत्तं जनेश्वरः। शत्रुाभिर्ग्रहणं संख्ये पुत्रस्य मरणं तथा॥
The king told Narada all that had taken place, viz., the death of his son in battle and his own capture by his enemies.
तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा नारदोऽथ तपोधनः आख्यानमिदमाचष्ट पुत्रशोकापहं तदा॥
Having heard him Narada, endued with wealth of penances, then recited to him the following narrative for removing his grief consequent on the death of his son.
नारद उवाच राजशृणु समाख्यानमद्येदं बहुविस्तरम्। यथावृत्तं श्रुतं चैव मयेदं वसुधाधिप॥
Narada said Listen now, O king, to the following long narrative which had taken place. I myself heard it formerly, O king!
प्रजाः सृष्टाः महातेजाः प्रसार्गे पितामहः। अतीव वृद्धा बहुला नामृष्यत पुनः प्रजाः॥
Endued with great energy, the Grandfather, at the time of the creation of the universe, created a large number of living beings. These multiplied greatly, and none of them died.
न ह्यन्तरमभूत् किञ्चित् क्वचिज्जन्तुभिरच्युत। निरुच्छ्वासमिवोन्नद्धं त्रैलोक्यमभवन्नृप॥
There was not a part of the universe which was not overcrowded with living creatures, O you of great glory! Indeed, O king, the three worlds appeared to swell with living beings, and became, as it were, breathless.
तस्य चिन्ता समुत्पन्ना संहारं प्रति भूपते। चिन्तयन् नाध्यगच्छच्च संहारे हेतुकारणम्॥
Then, O king, the Grandfather thought as to how he should destroy the surplus population. Thinking of the matter, the Self-create, however, could not decide by what means the destruction of life was to be performed.
तस्य रोषान्महाराज खेभ्योऽग्निरुदतिष्ठत। तेन सर्वा दिशो राजन् ददाह स पितामहः॥
Thereupon, O king, Brahman gave way to anger and in consequence of his anger a fire issued out of his body. With that fire born of his anger, the Grandfather burnt all the quarters of the universe, O king.
ततो दिवं भुवं खं च जगच्च सचराचरम्। ददाह पावको राजन् भगवत्कोपसम्भवः॥
Indeed, that fire begotten of the Divine Lord's anger, O king, burnt Heaven and Earth and the Sky and the whole Universe with all its mobile and immobile beings.
तत्रादह्यन्त भूतानि जङ्गमानि ध्रुवाणि च। महता क्रोधवेगेन कुपिते प्रपितामहे॥
Truly, when the Grandfather thus became angry, all mobile and immobile beings began to be consumed by the irresistible power of that anger.
ततोऽध्वरजटः स्थाणुर्वेदाध्वरपतिः शिवः। जगाम शरणं देवो ब्रह्माणं परवीरहा।॥
Then the divine and sacred Sthanu, that destroyer of hostile heroes, that lord of the Vedas and the scriptures, filled with pity, tried to please Brahma.
तस्मिन्नभिगते स्थाणौ प्रजानां हितकाम्यया। अब्रवीत् परमो देवो ज्वलन्निव तदा शिवम्॥ करवाण्यद्य कं काम वरा.ऽसि मतो मम। कर्ता ह्यस्मि प्रियं शम्भो तव यद्धदि वर्तते॥
When Sthanu came to Brahma out of feelings of benevolence, the great God addressed him, saying,-you deserved boons at my hands! What desire of yours shall I fulfil? I shall do you good by doing whatever you wish.