कथासरित्सागरः — सप्तमस्तरङ्गः

सप्तमस्तरङ्गः ।

ततो गृहीतमौनो ऽहं राजान्तिकमुपागमम् ।
तर च श्लोकमपठद्द्विजः कश्चित्स्वयं कृतम् ॥

Summary AI Then, observing a vow of silence, I approached the king. There, a certain brāhmaṇa recited a verse that he had composed himself.

१.७.२

तं चाचष्ट स्वयं राजा सम्यक्संस्कृतया गिरा ।
तत्रालोक्य च तत्रस्थो जनः प्रमुदितो ऽभवत् ॥

Summary AI The king himself explained the verse in refined Sanskrit. Witnessing this, the people gathered there became exceedingly joyful.

१.७.३

ततः स शर्ववर्माणं राजा सविनयो ऽब्रवीत् ।
स्वयं कथय देवेन कहं ते ऽनुग्रहः कृतः ॥

Summary AI Then the king humbly spoke to Śarvavarman, asking him to describe how the Lord had bestowed His divine grace upon him.

१.७.४

तच्छ्रुत्वानुग्रहं राज्ञः शर्ववर्माभ्यभाषत ।
इतो राजन्निराहारो मौनस्थो ऽहं तदा गतः ॥

Summary AI Hearing the king's request, Śarvavarman replied, "O King, I departed from here at that time, fasting and maintaining a vow of silence."

१.७.५

ततो ऽध्वनि मनाक्छेषे जाते तीव्रतपःकृशः ।
क्लान्तः पतितवानस्मि निःसंज्ञो धरणीतले ॥

Summary AI Then, when only a small part of the journey remained, emaciated by intense penance and exhausted, I fell unconscious upon the ground.

१.७.६

उत्तिष्ठ पुत्र सर्वं ते संपत्स्यत इति स्फुटम् ।
शक्तिहस्तः पुमानेत्य जाने मामब्रवीत्तदा ॥

Summary AI I recall a man with a spear in his hand approaching me and saying clearly, 'Rise, my son, everything will be accomplished for you.'

१.७.७

तेनाहममृतासारसंसिक्त इव तत्क्षणम् ।
प्रबुद्धः क्षुत्पिपासादिहीनः स्वस्थ इवाभवम् ॥

Summary AI At that moment, as if sprinkled by a shower of nectar, I woke up free from hunger and thirst, feeling completely restored.

१.७.८

अथ देवस्य निकटं प्राप्य भक्तिभराकुलः ।
स्नात्वा गर्भगृहं तस्य प्रविष्टो ऽभूवमुन्मनाः ॥

Summary AI Then, reaching the vicinity of the Lord, filled with devotion, I bathed and entered His inner sanctum with an expectant mind.

१.७.९

ततो ऽन्तः प्रभुणा तेन स्कन्देन मम दर्शनम् ।
दत्तं ततः प्रविष्टा मे मुखे मूर्ता सरस्वती ॥

Summary AI There, Lord Skanda granted me a vision of Himself. Subsequently, the goddess Sarasvatī took a physical form and entered my mouth.

१.७.१०

अथासु भगवान्साक्षात्षड्भिराननपङ्कजैः ।
सिद्धो वर्णसमाम्नाय इति सूत्रमुदैरयत् ॥

Summary AI Then the Lord Himself, with His six lotus-like faces, uttered the foundational aphorism: 'The traditional collection of phonemes is established.'

१.७.११

तच्छ्रुत्वैव मनुष्यत्वसुलभाचापलाद्बत ।
उत्तरं सूत्रमभ्यूह्य स्वयमेव मयोदितम् ॥

Summary AI Alas, upon hearing that, due to the fickleness inherent in human nature, I myself anticipated and spoke the subsequent aphorism.

१.७.१२

अथाब्रवीत्स देवो मां नावदिष्यः स्वयं यदि ।
अभविष्यदिदं शास्त्रं पाणिनीयोपमर्दकम् ॥

Summary AI Then the Lord said to me, 'If you had not spoken out yourself, this science of grammar would have surpassed even the work of Pāṇini.'

१.७.१३

अधुना स्वल्पतन्त्रत्वात्कातन्त्राख्यं भविष्यति ।
मद्वाहनकलापस्य नाम्ना कालापकं तथा ॥

Summary AI 'Now, being a concise system, it shall be named Kātantra. It shall also be known as Kālāpaka, after the plumage (kalāpa) of my mount.'

१.७.१४

इत्युक्त्वा शब्दशास्त्रं तत्प्रकाश्याभिनवं लघु ।
साक्षादेव स मां देवः पुनरेवमभाषत ॥

Summary AI Having said this and revealed that new, concise science of words, the Lord Himself spoke to me once again.

१.७.१५

युष्मदीयः स राजापि पूर्वजन्मन्यभूदृषिः ।
भरद्वाजमुनेः शिष्यः कृष्णसंज्ञो महातपाः ॥

Summary AI 'This king of yours was a sage in his previous life, a great ascetic named Kṛṣṇa, who was a disciple of the sage Bharadvāja.'

१.७.१६

तुल्याभिलाषामालोक्य स चैकां मुनिकन्यकाम् ।
ययावकस्मात्पुष्पेषुशरघातरसज्ञताम् ॥

Summary AI 'Beholding a hermit's daughter who shared his affection, he suddenly became acquainted with the sting of the flower-arrows of the god of love.'

१.७.१७

अतः स शप्तो मुनिभिरवतीर्ण इहाधुना ।
सा चावतीर्णा देवीत्वे तस्यैव मुनिकन्यका ॥

Summary AI 'Consequently, cursed by the sages, he has now incarnated here. That hermit's daughter has also incarnated as his queen.'

१.७.१८

इत्थमृष्यवतारो ऽयं नृपतिः सातवाहनः ।
दृष्टे त्वय्यखिला विद्या प्राप्स्यत्येव त्वदिच्छया ॥

Summary AI 'Thus, King Sātavāhana is the incarnation of a sage. Upon seeing you, he will certainly master all sciences according to your wish.'

१.७.१९

अक्लेशलभ्या हि भवन्त्युत्तमार्था महात्मनाम् ।
जन्मान्तरार्जिताः स्फारसंस्काराक्षिप्तसिद्धयः ॥

Summary AI 'Indeed, for noble souls, great objectives are easily attained, for their success is drawn forth by vast impressions accumulated in previous lives.'

१.७.२०

इत्युक्त्वान्तर्हिते देवे निरगच्छमहं बहिः ।
तण्डुला मे प्रदत्ताश्च तत्र देवोपजीविभिः ॥

Summary AI After the Lord vanished following these words, I came out. There, the temple attendants gave me portions of rice.

१.७.२१

ततो ऽहमागतो राजंस्तण्डुलास्ते च मे पथि ।
चित्रं तावन्त एवासन्भुज्यमाना दिने दिने ॥

Summary AI O King, then I arrived. On my journey, those grains of rice remained exactly the same in quantity day after day, even as I consumed them; it was truly wonderful.

१.७.२२

एवमुक्त्वा स्ववृत्तान्तं विरते शर्ववर्मणि ।
उदतिष्ठन्नृपः स्नातुं प्रहृष्टः सातवाहनः ॥

Summary AI Having related his story in this manner, when Śarvavarman finished speaking, the delighted King Sātavāhana rose to take his bath.

१.७.२३

ततो ऽहं कृतमौनत्वाद्व्यवहारबहिष्कृतः ।
अनिच्छन्तं तमामन्त्र्य प्रणामेनैव भूपतिम् ॥

Summary AI Thereafter, excluded from worldly affairs due to my vow of silence, I took leave of that king—who was unwilling to see me go—with only a salutation.

१.७.२४

निर्गत्य नगरात्तस्माच्छिष्यद्वयसमन्वितः ।
तपसे निश्चितो द्रष्टुमागतो विन्ध्यवासिनीम् ॥

Summary AI Departing from that city accompanied by two disciples, I resolved to perform penance and came to see the Goddess Vindhyavāsinī.

१.७.२५

स्वप्नादेशेन देव्या च तयैव प्रेषितस्ततः ।
विन्ध्याटवीं प्रविष्टो ऽहं त्वां द्रष्टुं भीषणामिमाम् ॥

Summary AI Then, sent by a command of that very Goddess in a dream, I entered this formidable Vindhya forest to find you.

१.७.२६

पुलिन्दवाक्यादासाद्य सार्थं दैवात्कथंचन ।
इह प्राप्तो ऽहमद्राक्षं पिशाचान्सुबहूनमून् ॥

Summary AI Following the words of a Pulinda and by chance happening upon a caravan, I arrived here and witnessed these numerous Piśācas.

१.७.२७

अन्योन्यालापमेतेषां दूरादाकर्ण्य शिक्षिता ।
मया पिशाचभाषेयं मौनमोक्षस्य कारणम् ॥

Summary AI Listening to their mutual conversation from afar, I learned this language of the Piśācas, which has become the means for breaking my vow of silence.

१.७.२८

उपगम्य ततश्चैतां त्वां श्रुत्वोज्जयिनीगतम् ।
प्रतिपालितवानस्मि यावदभ्यागतो भवान् ॥

Summary AI Then, approaching this place and hearing that you had gone to Ujjayinī, I have been waiting for you until your return.

१.७.२९

दृष्ट्वा त्वां स्वागतं कृत्वा चतुर्थ्या भूतभाषया ।
मया जातिः स्मृतेत्येष वृत्तान्तो मे ऽत्र जन्मनि ॥

Summary AI Upon seeing you and welcoming you in the fourth language—the Bhūtabhāṣā—I remembered my previous birth. This is the account of my life in this birth.

१.७.३०

एवमुक्ते गुणाढ्येन काणभूतिरुवाच तम् ।
त्वदागमो मया ज्ञातो यथाद्य निशि तच्छृणु ॥

Summary AI When Guṇāḍhya had spoken thus, Kāṇabhūti said to him: "Listen to how I came to know of your arrival this very night."

१.७.३१

राक्षसो भूतिवर्माख्यो दिव्यदृष्टिः सखास्ति मे ।
गतवानस्मि चोद्यानमुज्जयिन्यां तदास्पदम् ॥

Summary AI I have a friend, a Rākṣasa named Bhūtivarman who possesses divine vision; I went to a garden in Ujjayinī which is his abode.

१.७.३२

तत्रासौ निजशापान्तं प्रति पृष्टो मयाब्रवीत् ।
दिवा नास्ति प्रभावो नास्तिष्ठ रात्रौ वदाम्यतः ॥

Summary AI There, when I questioned him about the end of my curse, he said: "In the daytime I have no power, so do not stay; I shall tell you at night."

१.७.३३

तथेति चाहं तत्रस्थः प्राप्तायां निशि वल्गताम् ।
तमपृच्छं प्रसङ्गेन भूतानां हर्षकारणम् ॥

Summary AI Saying "So be it," I stayed there. When night arrived, I asked him incidentally about the reason for the joy of the dancing Bhūtas.

१.७.३४

पुरा विरिञ्चसंवादे यदुक्तं शंकरेण तत् ।
शृणु वच्मीति मामुक्त्वा भूतिवर्माथ सो ऽब्रवीत् ॥

Summary AI "Listen, I shall tell you what was said by Śaṃkara in a conversation with Viriñca long ago," saying this to me, Bhūtivarman then spoke.

१.७.३५

दिवा नैषां प्रभावो ऽस्ति ध्वस्तानामर्कतेजसा ।
यक्षरक्षःपिशाचानां तेन हृष्यन्त्यमी निशी ॥

Summary AI These Yakṣas, Rakṣasas, and Piśācas, being overpowered by the sun's splendor, have no power during the day; therefore, they rejoice at night.

१.७.३६

न पूज्यन्ते सुरा यत्र न च विप्रा यथोचितम् ।
भुज्यते ऽविधिना वापि तत्रैते प्रभवन्ति च ॥

Summary AI They exert their power in places where the gods are not worshipped, where Brāhmaṇas are not appropriately honored, or where food is consumed in an improper manner.

१.७.३७

अमांसभक्षः साध्वी वा यत्र तत्र न यान्त्यमी ।
शुचीञ्शूरान्प्रबुद्धांश्च नाक्रामन्ति कदाचन ॥

Summary AI They do not go where there is a man who abstains from meat or a chaste woman; they never attack the pure, the brave, or the vigilant.

१.७.३८

इत्युक्त्वा मे स तत्कालं भूतिवर्माब्रवीत्पुनः ।
गच्छागतो गुणाढ्यस्ते शापमोक्षस्य कारणम् ॥

Summary AI Having said this, Bhūtivarman immediately spoke to me again: "Go, for Guṇāḍhya, the cause of the end of your curse, has arrived."

१.७.३९

श्रुत्वैतदागतश्चास्मि त्वं च दृष्टो मया प्रभो ।
कथयाम्यधुना तां ते पुष्पदन्तोदितां कथाम् ॥

Summary AI Having heard this, I have come and have found you, O Lord. Now I shall tell you that story which was originally narrated by Puṣpadanta.

१.७.४०

किं त्वेकं कौतुकं मे ऽस्ति कथ्यतां केन हेतुना ।
स पुष्पदन्तस्त्वं चापि माल्यवानिति विश्रुतः ॥

Summary AI However, I have one curiosity: tell me for what reason were he known as Puṣpadanta and you as Mālyavān?

१.७.४१

काणभूतेरिति श्रुत्वा गुणाढ्यस्तमभाषत ।
गङ्गातीरे ऽग्रहारो ऽस्ति नाम्ना बहुसुवर्णकः ॥

Summary AI Having heard these words from Kāṇabhūti, Guṇāḍhya said to him: "On the banks of the Gaṅgā, there is an agrahāra (land grant) named Bahusuvarṇaka."

१.७.४२

तत्र गोविन्ददत्ताख्यो ब्राह्मणो ऽभूद्बहुश्रुतः ।
तस्य भार्याग्निदत्ता च बभूव पतिदेवता ॥

Summary AI A learned Brāhmaṇa named Govindadatta lived there, and his wife, Agnidattā, was a devoted and faithful spouse.

१.७.४३

स कालेन द्विजस्तस्यां पञ्च पुत्रानजीजनत् ।
ते च मूर्खाः सुरूपाश्च बभूवुरभिमानिनः ॥

Summary AI In time, that Brāhmaṇa fathered five sons by her; they grew up to be handsome and arrogant, yet foolish.

१.७.४४

अथ गोविन्ददत्तस्य गृहानतिथिराययौ ।
विप्रो वैश्वानरो नाम वैश्वानर इवापरः ॥

Summary AI Then, a guest named Vaiśvānara, a Brāhmaṇa who resembled the fire-god himself in brilliance, arrived at Govindadatta's house.

१.७.४५

गोविन्ददत्ते तत्कालं गृहादपि बहिः स्थिते ।
तत्पुत्राणामुपागत्य कृतं तेनाभिवादनम् ॥

Summary AI At that time, while Govindadatta was away from home, the guest approached his sons and offered them a greeting.

१.७.४६

हासमात्रं च तैस्तस्य कृतं प्रत्यभिवादनम् ।
ततः स कोपान्निर्गन्तुं प्रारेभे तद्गृहाद्द्विजः ॥

Summary AI The sons responded to his greeting with only laughter; insulted and angered, the Brāhmaṇa guest began to depart from their house.

१.७.४७

आगतेनाथ गोविन्ददत्तेन स तथाविधः ।
क्रुद्धः पृष्टो ऽनुनीतो ऽपि जगादैवं द्विजोत्तमः ॥

Summary AI Govindadatta returned and, seeing the guest's state, questioned and tried to pacify him; however, the noble Brāhmaṇa spoke thus.

१.७.४८

पुत्रास्ते पतिता मूर्खास्तत्संपर्काद्भवानपि ।
तस्मान्न भोक्ष्ये त्वद्गेहे प्रायश्चित्तं नु मे भवेत् ॥

Summary AI "Your sons are fallen fools, and through association with them, you are too. Therefore, I will not eat in your house, lest I be required to perform penance."

१.७.४९

अथ गोविन्ददत्तस्तमुवाच शपथोत्तरम् ।
न स्पृशाम्यपि जात्वेतानहं कुतनयानिति ॥

Summary AI Then Govindadatta replied with an oath, declaring, "I shall never even touch these wicked sons of mine again."

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