01164001a sa gandharvavacazH zrutvA tat tadA bharatarSabha
01164001c arjunaH parayA prItyA pUrNacandra ivAbabhau like the full moon.
01164002a uvAca ca maheSvAso gandharvaGM kurusattamaH
01164002c jAtakautUhalo 'tIva vasiSThasya tapobalAt . And that mighty bowman, that foremost one in kuru's race having his curiosity greatly excited by what he heard of Vasishtha's ascetic power, asked the gandharva, saying,
01164003a vasiSTha iti yasyaitad RSer nAma tvayeritam ' This RSi whom thou hast mentioned as Vasishtha.
01164003c etad icchAmy ahaM zrotuM yathAvat tad vadasva me I desire to hear of. O, tell me in full about him!
01164004a ya eSa gandharvapate pUrveSAnM naH purohitaH O chief of the gandharvas,
01164004c AsId etan mamAcakSva ka eSa bhagavAn RSiH tell me who this illustrious RSi was that was the priest of our forefathers.'
01164005 gandharva uvAca The gandharva replied, 'Vasishtha is brahmA's spiritual (lit, mind-born) son and Arundhati's husband.
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01164005a tapasA nirjitau zazvad ajeyAv amarair api Ever difficult of being conquered by the very immortals,
01164005c kAmakrodhAv ubhau yasya caraNau saMvavAhatuH Desire and Wrath, conquered by Vasishtha's ascetic penances, used to shampoo his feet.
01164006a yas tu nocchedanaJM cakre kuzikAnAm udAradhIH
01164006c vizvAmitrAparAdhena dhArayan manyum uttamam Though his wrath was excited by Viswamitra's offence, that high-souled RSi did not yet exterminate Kusikas (the tribe whose king Viswamitra was).
01164007a putravyasanasanMtaptazH zaktimAn api yaH prabhuH
01164007c vizvAmitravinAzAya na mene karma dAruNam Afflicted at the loss of his sons, he did not, as though powerless, though really otherwise, do any dreadful act destructive of Viswamitra,
01164008a mRtAMz ca punar AhartuM yasH sa putrAn yamakSayAt
01164008c kRtAntanM nAticakrAma velAm iva mahodadhiH Like the ocean transgressing not its continents, Vasishtha transgressed not (the laws of) yama by bringing back his children from the domains of the king of the dead.
01164010c Ijire kratubhiz cApi nRpAs te kurunandana
01164011a sa hi tAn yAjayAmAsa sarvAn nRpatisattamAn
01164011c brahmarSiH pANDavazreSTha bRhaspatir ivAmarAn It was by obtaining that illustrious one who had conquered his own self that Ikshvaku and other great monarchs acquired the whole earth. And, O prince of kuru's race, it was by obtaining Vasishtha, that best of RSis as their priest, that those monarchs performed many grand sacrifices. And, O best of the pANDavas, that regenerate RSi assisted these monarchs in the performance of their sacrifices like bRhaspati assisting the immortals.
01164012c brAhmaNo guNavAn kaz cit purodhAH pravimRzyatAm Therefore, look ye for some accomplished and desirable brAhmaNa conversant with the Vedas and in whose heart virtue prevails, to appoint as your priest.
01164013a kSatriyeNa hi jAtena pRthivIJM jetum icchatA
01164013c pUrvamM purohitaH kAryaH pArtha rAjyAbhivRddhaye A kSatriya of good lineage, desirous of extending his dominions by conquering the earth, should, O pArtha, first appoint a priest.
01164014a mahIJM jigISatA rAjJA brahma kAryamM purasHsaram He who is desirous of conquering the earth should have a brAhmaNa before him.
01164014c tasmAt purohitaH kaz cid guNavAn astu vo dvijaH Therefore, O arjuna, let some accomplished and learned brAhmaNa, who has his senses under complete control and who is conversant with religion, profit and pleasure, be your priest.''
