03.106
Lomaśa said.
O king, seeing the horse, they became very delighted, their hair standing on end; disregarding the great-souled Kapila and impelled by time, they, being very enraged and desiring to seize the horse, rushed forward. (03-106-1)
Then, O great king, Kapila, the best among sages, who is also called Vāsudeva, became angry. (03-106-2)
He, opening his eye wide and emitting his brilliance among them, the one of great brilliance burned the Sāgaras who were slow of intellect. (03-106-3)
After seeing them turned to ashes, the greatly austere Nārada came to Sagara and reported it to him. (03-106-4)
Having heard that dreadful speech from the mouth of the sage, the king became disheartened for a moment and reflected on the words of Sthāṇu (Śiva). Then, regaining his composure, he thought again only about the horse. (03-106-5)
O tiger among the Bharatas, having then called Aṃśumant, the son of Asamajña, his grandson, he addressed these words. (03-106-6)
Sixty thousand sons of immeasurable power, having encountered the fiery energy of Kapila, were destroyed for my sake. (03-106-7)
O sinless one, your father too, dear one, was abandoned by me as I was protecting righteousness and desiring the welfare of the citizens. (03-106-8)
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
O possessor of austerity, tell me for what reason Sagara, the tiger among kings, abandoned his own heroic son, who was so difficult to abandon. (03-106-9)
Lomaśa said;
Asamanja, thus known, was indeed the son of Sagara; Shaibya gave birth to him, and he was indeed among the children of the citizens. (03-106-10)
He seized the weak ones who were shouting among the hoofs and threw them into the river. (03-106-10)
Then the citizens, overwhelmed by fear and grief, all approached King Sagara, stood with folded hands, and supplicated to him. (03-106-11)
You are our protector, O great king, from fears such as those caused by hostile armies and others. From the terrible fear of Asamanja, therefore, you ought to protect us. (03-106-12)
Hearing the terrible words of the townsmen, the best of kings became distressed for a moment and then said this to his ministers. (03-106-13)
Let Asamanjas, who was formerly (my son), today be exiled. If this action is dear to me for you, let it be quickly accomplished. (03-106-14)
Thus addressed by the king, the ministers, O lord of men, promptly did as the king had instructed. (03-106-15)
All this has been told to you, how the son was banished by the great-souled Sagara, desiring the welfare of the citizens. (03-106-16)
O Aṁśumān, great archer, I shall tell you all that was spoken by Sagara; listen to what is being proclaimed by me. (03-106-17)
Sagara said.
O son, I am grieved by the loss of your father, by the death of the sons, and also by the lack of the horse. (03-106-18)
Therefore, O grandson, as I am afflicted by suffering, deluded by the obstruction of the sacrifice, and due to the loss of the horse, lift me up from hell. (03-106-19)
Lomaśa said.
Aṃśumān, having been thus addressed by the great-souled Sagara, went, out of grief, to that place where the earth had truly been split. (03-106-20)
But he, by that very path, entered the ocean indeed. There he saw the great-souled Kapila and the horse and him. (03-106-21)
Having seen the radiant mass—the most venerable of ancient sages—he bowed with his head to the ground and reported his task to him. (03-106-22)
Then the pleased, mighty and radiant form—a portion of Kali—appeared, and the righteous one, bestower of boons, said to him, "I am the granter of boons," O Bhārata. (03-106-23)
He first chose the horse there for the purpose of the sacrifice; the second, he chose water out of a desire to purify the ancestors. (3-106-24)
Kapila, the sage of great brilliance, said to him: "O sinless one, I shall grant you whatever blessing you request." (03-106-25)
Forgiveness, righteousness, and truth all reside in you; by your deeds, Sagara achieved his purpose, and both father and sons became fulfilled through you. (03-106-26)
By your power, the oceans will ascend to heaven, and your grandson will bring the river Ganga from heaven. To purify the oceans, having pleased the great Lord Śiva, this will occur. (3-106-27)
O best among men, bring the sacrificial horse that is auspicious for you. Dear father, let the sacrifice of the great-souled Sagara be completed. (03-106-28)
Thus, Aṃśumān, having been addressed by the great-souled Kapila, took the horse and went to the sacrificial enclosure of the great-souled one. (3-106-29)
He then respectfully saluted the feet of the great-souled Sagara, who also blessed him by smelling his head, and reported everything to him. (03-106-30)
Just as both seen and heard is the destruction of the oceans, so he reported to him that the horse had arrived at the sacrificial enclosure. (03-106-31)
Having heard that, King Sagara abandoned the pain caused by his son. After honouring Aṃśumant, he completed that sacrifice. (03-106-32)
After completing his sacrifice, Sagara, honored by all the gods, appointed the ocean, the abode of Varuṇa, as his son. (03-106-33)
After ruling the kingdom for a long period, the lotus-eyed king entrusted the responsibilities to his grandson and then departed to heaven. (03-106-34)
Aṁśumān also, a righteous king, ruled the earth surrounded by the ocean, just as his grandfather did. (03-106-35)
His son was born, named Dilīpa, a knower of dharma; having handed the kingdom to him, Aṃśumān also departed. (03-106-36)
But Dilīpa, when he heard of the great death of his ancestors, was tormented with grief and pondered their fate. (3-106-37)
The king made a great effort to bring down the Ganga; but despite striving to the best of his ability, he did not succeed in causing her descent. (03-106-38)
His son was born, a fortunate and dharma-devoted person, Bhagīratha, who became famous as a speaker of truth and free of envy. (03-106-39)
But after consecrating him on the throne, King Dilīpa retired to the forest. Having attained perfection through austerities, that king, O best of the Bharatas, departed from the forest to heaven at the destined time, O descendant of Bharata. (03-106-40)
