Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच उषित्वा तत्र रामस्तु संपूज्याश्रमवासिनः तथा मङ्कणके प्रीतिं शुभां चक्रे हलायुधः
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said Having passed one night there, Rama, having the plough for his weapon, adored the dwellers of that tirtha and showed great respect for Mankanaka.
दत्त्वा दानं द्विजातिभ्यो रजनीं तामुपोष्य च पूजितो मुनिसंघैश्च प्रातरुत्थाय लाङ्गली
AI Translation: Having given gifts to the twice-born and having fasted that night, and having been worshipped by the assembly of sages, the plough-bearer got up in the morning,
अनुज्ञाप्य मुनीन्सर्वान्स्पृष्ट्वा तोयं च भारत प्रययौ त्वरितो रामस्तीर्थहेतोर्महाबलः
AI Translation: Having obtained the permission of all the sages, and having touched the water, O descendant of Bharata, The very powerful Rama, for the sake of the holy places, quickly went.
तत औशनसं तीर्थमाजगाम हलायुधः कपालमोचनं नाम यत्र मुक्तो महामुनिः
AI Translation: Then the wielder of the plough went to the holy place of Usanas, where the great sage was released, named the liberation of the skull.
महता शिरसा राजन्ग्रस्तजङ्घो महोदरः राक्षसस्य महाराज रामक्षिप्तस्य वै पुरा
AI Translation: O king, with a large head, with legs engulfed, with a large belly, of the demon, O great king, who was thrown by Rama in earlier times,
तत्र पूर्वं तपस्तप्तं काव्येन सुमहात्मना यत्रास्य नीतिरखिला प्रादुर्भूता महात्मनः तत्रस्थश्चिन्तयामास दैत्यदानवविग्रहम्
M. N. Dutt: It was there that the science of politics and morals, .that passes by Shukra's name, was revealed to him. While living there. Shukra meditated upon the war of the Daityas and the Danavas.
तत्प्राप्य च बलो राजंस्तीर्थप्रवरमुत्तमम् विधिवद्धि ददौ वित्तं ब्राह्मणानां महात्मनाम्
M. N. Dutt: Arrived at that foremost of tirthas Baladeva, O king, duly made presents of the great Brahmanas.
जनमेजय उवाच कपालमोचनं ब्रह्मन्कथं यत्र महामुनिः मुक्तः कथं चास्य शिरो लग्नं केन च हेतुना
M. N. Dutt: Janamejaya said Why is it called Kapalamochana, where the great Muni became freed (from the Rakshasa's head)? Why and how did that head stick to his thigh?"
वैशंपायन उवाच पुरा वै दण्डकारण्ये राघवेण महात्मना वसता राजशार्दूल राक्षसास्तत्र हिंसिताः
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said "Formerly, O foremost of king, the great Rama (the son of Dasharatha) lived for sometime in the forest of Dandaka, for killing the Rakshasas.
जनस्थाने शिरश्छिन्नं राक्षसस्य दुरात्मनः क्षुरेण शितधारेण तत्पपात महावने
M. N. Dutt: At Janasthana he sundered the head of a wicked Rakshasa with highly sharp razorheaded arrow. That head dropped in the deep forest.
महोदरस्य तल्लग्नं जङ्घायां वै यदृच्छया वने विचरतो राजन्नस्थि भित्त्वास्फुरत्तदा
M. N. Dutt: That head, coursing at will through the sky, fell upon the thigh of Mahodara while the latter was walking in the woods. Piercing his thigh, O king, it stuck to it and remained there.
स तेन लग्नेन तदा द्विजातिर्न शशाक ह अभिगन्तुं महाप्राज्ञस्तीर्थान्यायतनानि च
AI Translation: At that time, that brāhmaṇa, due to that affliction, was unable to go to the holy places and shrines, O greatly wise one.
स पूतिना विस्रवता वेदनार्तो महामुनिः जगाम सर्वतीर्थानि पृथिव्यामिति नः श्रुतम्
AI Translation: The great sage, afflicted with pain, went to all the holy places on earth, we have heard, flowing with pus.
स गत्वा सरितः सर्वाः समुद्रांश्च महातपाः कथयामास तत्सर्वमृषीणां भावितात्मनाम्
M. N. Dutt: Thus freed, after returning to his sacred hermitage the great ascetic, spoke of what had taken place to those Rishis of pure souls.
आप्लुतः सर्वतीर्थेषु न च मोक्षमवाप्तवान् स तु शुश्राव विप्रेन्द्रो मुनीनां वचनं महत्
AI Translation: He bathed in all the holy places, but did not attain liberation. That lord of Brahmins heard the great words of the sages,
सरस्वत्यास्तीर्थवरं ख्यातमौशनसं तदा सर्वपापप्रशमनं सिद्धक्षेत्रमनुत्तमम्
AI Translation: The best of Sarasvati's sacred places, the famous one of Usanas, The best of Siddha-places, the pacifier of all sins,
स तु गत्वा ततस्तत्र तीर्थमौशनसं द्विजः तत औशनसे तीर्थे तस्योपस्पृशतस्तदा तच्छिरश्चरणं मुक्त्वा पपातान्तर्जले तदा
AI Translation: Having gone there, the brāhmaṇa to that holy place of Usanas, then, while he was touching the holy place of Usanas, his head and feet fell into the water
Supplementary Passages:
9.38.17 After 17, B D (D3 marg.) ins.: *241 विमुक्तस्तेन शिरसा परं सुखमवाप ह स चाप्यन्तर्जले मूर्धा जगामादर्शनं विभो
ततः स विरुजो राजन्पूतात्मा वीतकल्मषः आजगामाश्रमं प्रीतः कृतकृत्यो महोदरः
AI Translation: Then, O king, the great-bellied one, free from disease, his soul purified, his sins gone, came back to his hermitage, satisfied, his purpose accomplished.
सोऽथ गत्वाश्रमं पुण्यं विप्रमुक्तो महातपाः कथयामास तत्सर्वमृषीणां भावितात्मनाम्
M. N. Dutt: Thus freed, after returning to his sacred hermitage the great ascetic, spoke of what had taken place to those Rishis of pure souls.
ते श्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य ततस्तीर्थस्य मानद कपालमोचनमिति नाम चक्रुः समागताः
M. N. Dutt: Having heard his story, those Rishis conferred the name of Kapalamochana on the tirtha.
Supplementary Passages:
9.38.20 After 20, B D ins.: *242 स चापि तीर्थप्रवरं पुनर्गत्वा महानृषिः पीत्वा पयः सुविपुलं सिद्धिमायात्तदा मुनिः
तत्र दत्त्वा बहून्दायान्विप्रान्संपूज्य माधवः जगाम वृष्णिप्रवरो रुषङ्गोराश्रमं तदा
M. N. Dutt: Having distributed much wealth amongst the Brahmanas and worshipped them, Baladeva then went to the hermitage of Rushangu.
यत्र तप्तं तपो घोरमार्ष्टिषेणेन भारत ब्राह्मण्यं लब्धवांस्तत्र विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः
M. N. Dutt: There, O Bharata, Arshtishena had in days of yore practised austerest of penances. There the great (Kshatriya) Muni Muni Vishvamitra became a Brahmana.
Supplementary Passages:
9.38.22 After 22, B (except B4) D (except D1; D3 marg.) ins.: *243 सर्वकामसमृद्धं च तदाश्रमपदं महत् मुनिभिर्ब्राह्मणैश्चैव सेवितं सर्वदा विभो
ततो हलधरः श्रीमान्ब्राह्मणैः परिवारितः जगाम यत्र राजेन्द्र रुषङ्गुस्तनुमत्यजत्
M. N. Dutt: Surrounded by Brahmanas, then the beautiful Baladeva went to that spot, O king, where Rushangu had, formerly, renounced his body.
रुषङ्गुर्ब्राह्मणो वृद्धस्तपोनित्यश्च भारत देहन्यासे कृतमना विचिन्त्य बहुधा बहु
M. N. Dutt: Rushangu, O Bharata, was an old Brahmana always devoted to penances. Determined to renounce his body, he thought for a long while.
ततः सर्वानुपादाय तनयान्वै महातपाः रुषङ्गुरब्रवीत्तत्र नयध्वं मा पृथूदकम्
M. N. Dutt: A great ascetic as he was, he then summoned all his sons and asked them to take him to a spot where there was profuse water.
विज्ञायातीतवयसं रुषङ्गुं ते तपोधनाः तं वै तीर्थमुपानिन्युः सरस्वत्यास्तपोधनम्
M. N. Dutt: Knowing their father had become very old, those ascetics took him to a tirtha on the Sarasvati.
स तैः पुत्रैस्तदा धीमानानीतो वै सरस्वतीम् पुण्यां तीर्थशतोपेतां विप्रसंघैर्निषेविताम्
AI Translation: With those sons, the wise one then went to Sarasvati, which is auspicious and endowed with hundreds of sacred places, frequented by groups of Brahmins.
स तत्र विधिना राजन्नाप्लुतः सुमहातपाः ज्ञात्वा तीर्थगुणांश्चैव प्राहेदमृषिसत्तमः सुप्रीतः पुरुषव्याघ्र सर्वान्पुत्रानुपासतः
AI Translation: O king, he bathed there according to the prescribed method, the greatly ascetic one. Having known the qualities of the holy place, the best of sages said this: "Delighted, O
Supplementary Passages:
9.38.28 After 28, D3.11 ins.: *244 प्रोवाच कर्म तत्त्वज्ञः प्रीतस्तीर्थस्य दर्शनात्
सरस्वत्युत्तरे तीरे यस्त्यजेदात्मनस्तनुम् पृथूदके जप्यपरो नैनं श्वोमरणं तपेत्
AI Translation: One who abandons his body on the northern bank of the Sarasvati river, and is engaged in muttering prayers in the Pṛthūdaka, should not fear death tomorrow.
तत्राप्लुत्य स धर्मात्मा उपस्पृश्य हलायुधः दत्त्वा चैव बहून्दायान्विप्राणां विप्रवत्सलः
AI Translation: Having bathed there, the righteous Hala-yudha, and having given many gifts to the brahmins, being affectionate towards brahmins,
ससर्ज यत्र भगवाँल्लोकाँल्लोकपितामहः यत्रार्ष्टिषेणः कौरव्य ब्राह्मण्यं संशितव्रतः तपसा महता राजन्प्राप्तवानृषिसत्तमः
M. N. Dutt: Touching the water of that tirtha and bathing in it, the righteous Baladeva distributed wealth amongst the Brahmanas.
सिन्धुद्वीपश्च राजर्षिर्देवापिश्च महातपाः ब्राह्मण्यं लब्धवान्यत्र विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः महातपस्वी भगवानुग्रतेजा महातपाः
M. N. Dutt: Possessed of great might and great prowess, Baladeva then proceeded to that tirtha where the worshipful Brahma had created the mountains called Lokaloka and where that best of Rishis, Arshtishena, of rigid vows, had by hard penances acquired the dignity of Brahmana-hood and where the royal saint Sindhudvipa and the great ascetic Devapi and the worshipful and illustrious Vishvamitra of hard penances and fierce energy, had all acquired a similar dignity.
तत्राजगाम बलवान्बलभद्रः प्रतापवान्
AI Translation: There came the powerful and glorious Balabhadra.