03127001a kathaMvIryasH sa rAjAbhUt somako vadatAM vara
03127001c karmANy asya prabhAvaJM ca zrotum icchAmi tattvataH 'O best of speakers! what was the extent of power and strength possessed by king somaka? I am desirous of hearing an exact account of his deeds and of his power.'
03127002 lomaza uvAca 'Lomasa said,
03127002a yudhiSThirAsIn nRpatisH somako nAma dhArmikaH 'O yudhiSThira! there was a virtuous king somaka by name.
03127002c tasya bhAryAzataM rAjan sadRzInAm abhUt tadA He had one hundred wives, O king, all suitably matched to their husband.
03127003a sa vai yatnena mahatA tAsu putramM mahIpatiH He took great care, but could not succeed in getting a single son from any one of them,
03127003c kaJM cin nAsAdayAmAsa kAlena mahatA api and a long time elapsed during which he continued a sonless man.
03127004a kadA cit tasya vRddhasya yatamAnasya yatnataH Once upon a time, when he had become old, and was trying every means to have a son,
03127004c jantur nAma sutas tasmin strIzate samajAyata a son was born to him, jantu by name, out of that century of women.
03127005a taJM jAtamM mAtarasH sarvAH parivArya samAsate And, O ruler of men! All the mothers used to sit surrounding their son
03127005c satatamM pRSThataH kRtvA kAmabhogAn vizAM pate and every one giving him such objects as might conduce to his enjoyment and pleasure.
03127006a tataH pipIlikA jantuM kadA cid adazat sphiji And it came to pass that one day an ant stung the boy at his hip.
03127006c sa daSTo vyanadad rAjaMs tena duHkhena bAlakaH And the boy screamed loudly on account of the pain caused by the sting.
03127007a tatas tA mAtarasH sarvAH prAkrozan bhRzaduHkhitAH And forthwith the mothers were exceedingly distressed to see how the child had been stung by the ant.
03127007c parivArya jantuM sahitAsH sa zabdas tumulo 'bhavat And they stood around him and set up cries. Thus there arose a tumultuous noise.
03127008a tam ArtanAdaM sahasA zuzrAva sa mahIpatiH And that scream of pain suddenly reached (the ears of) the sovereign of the earth,
03127008c amAtyapariSanmadhye upaviSTasH saha rtvijaiH when he was seated in the midst of his ministers, with the family priests at his side.
03127009a tataH prasthApayAmAsa kim etad iti pArthivaH
03127009c tasmai kSattA yathAvRttam AcacakSe sutamM prati Then the king sent for information as to what it was about. And the royal usher explained to him precisely what the matter was with reference to his son.
03127010a tvaramANasH sa cotthAya somakasH saha mantribhiH And somaka got up together with his ministers and hastened towards the female apartments.
03127010c pravizyAntaHpuraM putram AzvAsayad ariMdamaH And on coming there, O subjugator of foes! he soothed his son.
03127011a sAntvayitvA tu tamM putranM niSkramyAntaHpurAn nRpaH And having done so and coming out from the female apartments,
03127011c RtvijaisH sahito rAjan sahAmAtya upAvizat the king sat with his family priests and ministers.'
03127012 somaka uvAca 'somaka then spoke thus,
03127012a dhig astv ihaikaputratvam aputratvaM varamM bhavet 'Fie on having only a single son! I had rather be a sonless man.
03127012c nityAturatvAd bhUtAnAM zoka evaikaputratA Considering how constantly liable to disease are all organized beings, to have an only son is but a trouble.
03127013a idamM bhAryAzatamM brahman parIkSyopacitamM prabho O brAhmaNa! O my lord! With the view that I might have many sons born to me, this century of wives hath been wedded by me,
03127013c putrArthinA mayA voDhanM na cAsAM vidyate prajA after inspection, and after I had satisfied myself that they would prove suitable to me. But issue they have none.
03127014a ekaH kathaM cid utpannaH putro jantur ayaM mama Having tried every means, and put forth great efforts, they have borne this single son, jantu.
03127014c yatamAnasya sarvAsu kinM nu duHkham ataH param What grief can be greater than this?
03127015a vayaz ca samatItamM me sabhAryasya dvijottama O most excellent of the twice-born caste! I am grown old in years and so are my wives too.
03127015c AsAmM prANAsH samAyattA mama cAtraikaputrake And yet this only son is like the breath of their nostrils, and so he is to me also.
03127016a syAn nu karma tathA yuktaM yena putrazatamM bhavet But is there any ceremony, by celebrating which one may get a hundred sons?
03127016c mahatA laghunA vApi karmaNA duSkareNa vA (And if there is one such), tell me whether it is great or small, and easy or difficult to perform.'
03127017 Rtvig uvAca 'The family priest said,
03127017a asti vai tAdRzaGM karma yena putrazatamM bhavet 'There is a ceremony by virtue of which a man may get a century of sons.
03127017c yadi zaknoSi tat kartum atha vakSyAmi somaka If thou art able to perform it, O somaka, then I shall explain it to thee.'
03127018 somaka uvAca 'somaka said,
03127018a kAryaM vA yadi vAkAryaM yena putrazatamM bhavet 'Whether it be a good or an evil deed, the ceremony by which a hundred sons may be born,
03127018c kRtam eva hi tad viddhi bhagavAn prabravItu me may be taken by thee as already performed. Let thy blessed self explain it to me.'
03127019 Rtvig uvAca 'The family priest thereupon said,
03127019a yajasva jantunA rAjaMs tvamM mayA vitate kratau 'O king! Let me set on foot a sacrifice and thou must sacrifice thy son, jantu in it.
03127019c tataH putrazataM zrImad bhaviSyaty acireNa te Then on no distant date, a century of handsome sons will be born to thee.
03127020a vapAyAM hUyamAnAyAnM dhUmam AghrAya mAtaraH When jantu's fat will be put into the fire as an offering to the gods, the mothers will take a smell of that smoke,
03127020c tatas tAsH sumahAvIryAJ janayiSyanti te sutAn and bring forth a number of sons, valourous and strong.
03127021a tasyAm eva tu te jantur bhavitA punar AtmajaH And jantu also will once more be born as a self-begotten son of thine in that very (mother);
03127021c uttare cAsya sauvarNaM lakSma pArzve bhaviSyati and on his back there will appear a mark of gold.''
