01220001a kimarthaM zArGgakAn agnir na dadAha tathAgate
01220001c tasmin vane dahyamAne brahmann etad vadAzu me 'janamejaya said, 'O brAhmaNa, tell me why and when that forest burnt in that way, agni consumed not the birds called Sarngakas?
01220002a adAhe hy azvasenasya dAnavasya mayasya ca Thou hast, O brAhmaNa, recited (to us) the cause of Aswasena and the dAnavamaya not having been consumed.
01220002c kAraNaGM kIrtitamM brahmaJ zArGgakAnAnM na kIrtitam But thou hast not as yet said what the cause was of the escape of the Sarngakas.
01220003a tad etad adbhutamM brahmaJ zArGgAnAm avinAzanam The escape of those birds, O brAhmaNa, appeareth to me to be wonderful.
01220003c kIrtayasvAgnisamMmarde kathanM te na vinAzitAH Tell us why they were not destroyed in that dreadful conflagration.'
01220004 vaizamMpAyana uvAca 'vaizaMpAyana said,
01220004a yadarthaM zArGgakAn agnir na dadAha tathAgate
01220004c tat te sarvaM yathAvRttaGM kathayiSyAmi bhArata 'O slayer of all foes, I shall tell thee all as to why agni did not burn up those birds during the conflagration.
01220005c AsIn maharSizH zrutavAn mandapAla iti zrutaH There was, O king, a great RSi known by the name of Mandapala, conversant with all the shastras, of rigid vows, devoted to asceticism, and the foremost of all virtuous persons.
01220006a sa mArgam Asthito rAjann RSINAm UrdhvaretasAm
01220006c svAdhyAyavAn dharmaratas tapasvI vijitendriyaH Following in the wake of RSis that had drawn up their virile fluid, that ascetic, O monarch, with every sense under complete control, devoted himself to study and virtue.
01220007a sa gatvA tapasaH pAraM deham utsRjya bhArata Having reached the opposite shores of asceticism, O bharata, he left his human form
01220007c jagAma pitRlokAya na lebhe tatra tat phalam and went to the region of the pitRs. But going thither he failed to obtain the (expected) fruit of his acts.
01220008a sa lokAn aphalAn dRSTvA tapasA nirjitAn api
01220008c papraccha dharmarAjasya samIpasthAn divaukasaH He asked the celestials that sat around the king of the dead as to the cause of his treatment, saying,
01220009a kimartham AvRtA lokA mamaite tapasArjitAH
01220009c kimM mayA na kRtanM tatra yasyedaGM karmaNaH phalam 'Why have these regions become unattainable by me,--regions that I had thought had been acquired by me by my ascetic devotions? Have I not performed those acts whose fruits are these regions?
01220010a tatrAhanM tat kariSyAmi yadartham idam AvRtam
01220010c phalam etasya tapasaH kathayadhvaM divaukasaH Ye inhabitants of heaven, tell me why these regions are shut against me! I will do that which will give me the fruit of my ascetic penances.'
01220011 devA UcuH
01220011a RNino mAnavA brahmaJ jAyante yena tac chRNu 'The celestials answered, 'Hear, O brAhmaNa, of those acts and things on account of which men are born debtors.
01220011c kriyAbhir brahmacaryeNa prajayA ca na saMzayaH Without doubt, it is for religious rites, studies according to the ordinance, and progeny, that men are born debtors.
01220012a tad apAkriyate sarvaM yajJena tapasA sutaiH These debts are all discharged by sacrifices, asceticism, and offspring.
01220012c tapasvI yajJakRc cAsi na tu te vidyate prajA Thou art an ascetic and hast also performed sacrifices; but thou hast no offspring.
01220013a ta ime prasavasyArthe tava lokAsH samAvRtAH These regions are shut against thee only for want of children.
01220013c prajAyasva tato lokAn upabhoktAsi zAzvatAn Beget children, therefore! Thou shalt then enjoy multifarious regions of felicity.
01220014a punnAmno narakAt putras trAtIti pitaramM mune The Vedas declared that the son rescueth the father from a hell called Put.
01220014c tasmAd apatyasanMtAne yatasva dvijasattama Then, O best of brAhmaNas, strive to beget offspring.'
01220015a tac chrutvA mandapAlas tu teSAM vAkyanM divaukasAm 'Mandapala, having heard these words of the dwellers in heaven,
01220015c kva nu zIghram apatyaM syAd bahulaJM cety acintayat reflected how best he could obtain the largest number of offspring within the shortest period of time.
01220016a sa cintayann abhyagacchad bahulaprasavAn khagAn The RSi, after reflection, understood that of all creatures birds alone were blest with fecundity.
01220016c zArGgikAM zArGgako bhUtvA jaritAM samupeyivAn Assuming the form of a Sarngaka the RSi had connection with a female bird of the same species called by the name of Jarita.
01220017a tasyAmM putrAn ajanayac caturo brahmavAdinaH And he begat upon her four sons who were all reciters of the Vedas.
01220017c tAn apAsya sa tatraiva jagAma lapitAmM prati Leaving all those sons of his with their mother in that forest,
01220017e bAlAn sutAn aNDagatAn mAtrA saha munir vane while they were still within eggs, the ascetic went to (another wife called by the name of) Lapita.
01220018a tasmin gate mahAbhAge lapitAmM prati bhArata And, O bharata, when the exalted sage went away for the company of Lapita,
01220018c apatyasnehasaMvignA jaritA bahv acintayat moved by affection for her offspring, Jarita became very thoughtful.
