Brahma Purana — Chapter 83

BrP 83.1

दशाश्वमेधिकं तीर्थं तच् छृणुष्व महामुने यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण हयमेधफलं लभेत् ॥

daśāśvamedhikaṃ tīrthaṃ tac chṛṇuṣva mahāmune yasya śravaṇamātreṇa hayamedhaphalaṃ labhet //

Hear of that tīrtha called Daśāśvamedhika, O great sage, merely by hearing of which one obtains the fruit of a horse sacrifice.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.2

विश्वकर्मसुतः श्रीमान् विश्वरूपो महाबलः तस्यापि प्रथमः पुत्रस् तत्पुत्रो भौवनो विभुः ॥

viśvakarmasutaḥ śrīmān viśvarūpo mahābalaḥ tasyāpi prathamaḥ putras tatputro bhauvano vibhuḥ //

Viśvakarman's son was the illustrious Viśvarūpa of great strength; and his first son (was Bhauvana?), whose son was the mighty Bhauvana.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

BrP 83.3

पुरोधाः कश्यपस् तस्य सर्वज्ञानविशारदः तम् अपृच्छन् महाबाहुर् भौवनः सार्वभौवनः ॥

purodhāḥ kaśyapas tasya sarvajñānaviśāradaḥ tam apṛcchan mahābāhur bhauvanaḥ sārvabhauvanaḥ //

His chaplain was Kaśyapa, skilled in all branches of knowledge. The mighty-armed Bhauvana, lord of the whole earth, asked him:

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.4

यक्ष्ये ऽहं हयमेधैश् च युगपद् दशभिर् मुने इत्य् अपृच्छद् गुरुं विप्रं क्व यक्ष्यामि सुरान् इति ॥

yakṣye 'haṃ hayamedhaiś ca yugapad daśabhir mune ity apṛcchad guruṃ vipraṃ kva yakṣyāmi surān iti //

"I shall sacrifice, O sage, with ten horse sacrifices at once" — thus he asked the brahmin, his teacher: "Where shall I sacrifice to the gods?"

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.5

सो ऽवदद् देवयजनं तत्र तत्र नृपोत्तम यत्र यत्र द्विजश्रेष्ठाः प्रावर्तन्त महाक्रतून् ॥

so 'vadad devayajanaṃ tatra tatra nṛpottama yatra yatra dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ prāvartanta mahākratūn //

He said: (Sacrifice) at a place of sacrifice to the gods, in each such spot, O best of kings, wherever the foremost of the twice-born have set great rites in motion.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

BrP 83.6

तत्राभवन्न् ऋषिगणा आर्त्विज्ये मखमण्डले युगपद् दशमेधानि प्रवृत्तानि पुरोधसा ॥

tatrābhavann ṛṣigaṇā ārtvijye makhamaṇḍale yugapad daśamedhāni pravṛttāni purodhasā //

There, in the sacrificial enclosure, the hosts of seers served as officiants, and the ten horse-sacrifices were set in motion simultaneously by the domestic priest.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.7

पूर्णतां नाययुस् तानि दृष्ट्वा चिन्तापरो नृपः विहाय देवयजनं पुनर् अन्यत्र तान् क्रतून् ॥

pūrṇatāṃ nāyayus tāni dṛṣṭvā cintāparo nṛpaḥ vihāya devayajanaṃ punar anyatra tān kratūn //

They did not bring them to completion; seeing this, the king, sunk in worry, abandoned that sacrificial ground and (undertook) those rites again elsewhere—

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.8

उपाक्रामत् तथा तत्र विघ्नदोषास् तम् आययुः दृष्ट्वापूर्णांस् ततो यज्ञान् राजा गुरुम् अभाषत ॥

upākrāmat tathā tatra vighnadoṣās tam āyayuḥ dṛṣṭvāpūrṇāṃs tato yajñān rājā gurum abhāṣata //

—he began (them) there likewise, (but) the flaws of obstruction came upon him. Then, seeing the sacrifices unfinished, the king spoke to his teacher:

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.9

देशदोषात् कालदोषान् मम दोषात् तवापि वा पूर्णतां नाप्नुवन्ति स्म दशमेधानि वाजिनः ॥

deśadoṣāt kāladoṣān mama doṣāt tavāpi vā pūrṇatāṃ nāpnuvanti sma daśamedhāni vājinaḥ //

"Whether from a flaw in the place, a flaw in the time, a flaw in me, or in you as well, the ten horse-sacrifices are not attaining completion."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.10

ततश् च दुःखितो राजा कश्यपेन पुरोधसा गीष्पतेर् भ्रातरं ज्येष्ठं गत्वा संवर्तम् ऊचतुः ॥

tataś ca duḥkhito rājā kaśyapena purodhasā gīṣpater bhrātaraṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ gatvā saṃvartam ūcatuḥ //

And then the sorrowing king, together with Kaśyapa his domestic priest, went to Saṃvarta, the elder brother of the Lord of Speech (Bṛhaspati), and the two spoke (to him):

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.11

भगवन् युगपत् कार्याण्य् अश्वमेधानि मानद दश संपूर्णतां यान्ति तं देशं तं गुरुं वद ॥

bhagavan yugapat kāryāṇy aśvamedhāni mānada daśa saṃpūrṇatāṃ yānti taṃ deśaṃ taṃ guruṃ vada //

"Reverend one, O giver of honour, ten horse-sacrifices are to be performed simultaneously; tell (us) the place and the teacher by which they will reach completion."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.12

ततो ध्यात्वा ऋषिश्रेष्ठः संवर्तो भौवनं तदा अब्रवीद् गच्छ ब्रह्माणं गुरुं देशं वदिष्यति ॥

tato dhyātvā ṛṣiśreṣṭhaḥ saṃvarto bhauvanaṃ tadā abravīd gaccha brahmāṇaṃ guruṃ deśaṃ vadiṣyati //

Then Saṃvarta, best of seers, having reflected, said to Bhauvana: "Go to Brahmā; he will tell (you) the teacher and the place."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.13

भौवनो ऽपि महाप्राज्ञः कश्यपेन महात्मना आगत्य माम् अब्रवीच् च गुरुं देशादिकं च यत् ॥

bhauvano 'pi mahāprājñaḥ kaśyapena mahātmanā āgatya mām abravīc ca guruṃ deśādikaṃ ca yat //

And Bhauvana too, of great wisdom, came with the great-souled Kaśyapa and asked me about the teacher and about the place and the rest.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.14

ततो ऽहम् अब्रवं पुत्र भौवनं कश्यपं तथा गौतमीं गच्छ राजेन्द्र स देशः क्रतुपुण्यवान् ॥

tato 'ham abravaṃ putra bhauvanaṃ kaśyapaṃ tathā gautamīṃ gaccha rājendra sa deśaḥ kratupuṇyavān //

Then, my son, I said to Bhauvana and to Kaśyapa: "Go to the Gautamī, O lord of kings; that region is holy for sacrifices.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.15

अयम् एव गुरुः श्रेष्ठः कश्यपो वेदपारगः गुरोर् अस्य प्रसादेन गौतम्याश् च प्रसादतः ॥

ayam eva guruḥ śreṣṭhaḥ kaśyapo vedapāragaḥ guror asya prasādena gautamyāś ca prasādataḥ //

This very Kaśyapa, who has mastered the Vedas, is the best teacher; by the grace of this teacher and by the grace of the Gautamī,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.16

एकेन हयमेधेन तत्र स्नानेन वा पुनः सेत्स्यन्ति तत्र यज्ञाश् च दशमेधानि वाजिनः ॥

ekena hayamedhena tatra snānena vā punaḥ setsyanti tatra yajñāś ca daśamedhāni vājinaḥ //

by a single horse-sacrifice there, or again by bathing there, the sacrifices there—the ten horse-sacrifices—will succeed."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.17

तच् छ्रुत्वा भौवनो राजा गौतमीतीरम् अभ्यगात् कश्यपेन सहायेन हयमेधाय दीक्षितः ॥

tac chrutvā bhauvano rājā gautamītīram abhyagāt kaśyapena sahāyena hayamedhāya dīkṣitaḥ //

Hearing that, king Bhauvana went to the bank of the Gautamī and, with Kaśyapa as his helper, was consecrated for the horse-sacrifice.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.18

ततः प्रवृत्ते यज्ञेशे हयमेधे महाक्रतौ संपूर्णे तु तदा राजा पृथिवीं दातुम् उद्यतः ॥

tataḥ pravṛtte yajñeśe hayamedhe mahākratau saṃpūrṇe tu tadā rājā pṛthivīṃ dātum udyataḥ //

Then, when the lord of sacrifices, the horse-sacrifice, the great rite, had been set in motion and was completed, the king made ready to give away the earth.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.19

ततो ऽन्तरिक्षे वाग् उच्चैर् उवाच नृपसत्तमम् पूजयित्वा स्थितं विप्रान् ऋत्विजो ऽथ सदस्पतीन् ॥

tato 'ntarikṣe vāg uccair uvāca nṛpasattamam pūjayitvā sthitaṃ viprān ṛtvijo 'tha sadaspatīn //

Then a voice in the sky spoke loudly to that best of kings, who stood there having honoured the brahmins, the officiants, and the masters of the assembly:

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.20

पुरोधसे कश्यपाय सशैलवनकाननाम् पृथिवीं दातुकामेन दत्तं सर्वं त्वया नृप ॥

purodhase kaśyapāya saśailavanakānanām pṛthivīṃ dātukāmena dattaṃ sarvaṃ tvayā nṛpa //

"O king, by your wishing to give the earth, with its mountains, woods and forests, to your domestic priest Kaśyapa, everything has (already) been given by you.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.21

भूमिदानस्पृहां त्यक्त्वा अन्नं देहि महाफलम् नान्नदानसमं पुण्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु विद्यते ॥

bhūmidānaspṛhāṃ tyaktvā annaṃ dehi mahāphalam nānnadānasamaṃ puṇyaṃ triṣu lokeṣu vidyate //

Give up the desire to give land; give food, which bears great fruit. In the three worlds there is no merit equal to the giving of food,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.22

विशेषतस् तु गङ्गायाः श्रद्धया पुलिने मुने त्वया तु हयमेधो ऽयं कृतः सबहुदक्षिणः कृतकृत्यो ऽसि भद्रं ते नात्र कार्या विचारणा ॥

viśeṣatas tu gaṅgāyāḥ śraddhayā puline mune tvayā tu hayamedho 'yaṃ kṛtaḥ sabahudakṣiṇaḥ kṛtakṛtyo 'si bhadraṃ te nātra kāryā vicāraṇā //

and especially on the sandbank of the Gaṅgā, with faith, O sage. But this horse-sacrifice has been performed by you with abundant priestly gifts; you have accomplished what was to be done—blessings on you; no deliberation is to be made in this matter."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.23

तथापि दातुकामं तं मही प्रोवाच भौवनम् ॥

tathāpi dātukāmaṃ taṃ mahī provāca bhauvanam //

Even so, the Earth spoke to that Bhauvana who wished to give (her) away:

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.24

विश्वकर्मज सार्वभौम मा मां देहि पुनः पुनः निमज्जे ऽहं सलिलस्य मध्ये तस्मान् न दीयताम् ॥

viśvakarmaja sārvabhauma mā māṃ dehi punaḥ punaḥ nimajje 'haṃ salilasya madhye tasmān na dīyatām //

"O son of Viśvakarman, O universal sovereign, do not give me away again and again; I sink down in the midst of the waters—therefore let (me) not be given."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.25

ततश् च भौवनो भीतः किं देयम् इति चाब्रवीत् पुनश् चोवाच सा पृथ्वी भौवनं ब्राह्मणैर् वृतम् ॥

tataś ca bhauvano bhītaḥ kiṃ deyam iti cābravīt punaś covāca sā pṛthvī bhauvanaṃ brāhmaṇair vṛtam //

Then Bhauvana, frightened, said, "What is to be given?" And that Earth spoke again to Bhauvana, who was surrounded by brahmins:

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.26

तिला गावो धनं धान्यं यत् किंचिद् गौतमीतटे सर्वं तद् अक्षयं दानं किं मां भौवन दास्यसि ॥

tilā gāvo dhanaṃ dhānyaṃ yat kiṃcid gautamītaṭe sarvaṃ tad akṣayaṃ dānaṃ kiṃ māṃ bhauvana dāsyasi //

"Sesame seeds, cows, wealth, grain — whatever (is given) on the bank of the Gautamī, all that is an imperishable gift. What will you give me, Bhauvana?"

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.27

गङ्गातीरं समाश्रित्य ग्रासम् एकं ददाति यः तेनाहं सकला दत्ता किं मां भौवन दास्यसि ॥

gaṅgātīraṃ samāśritya grāsam ekaṃ dadāti yaḥ tenāhaṃ sakalā dattā kiṃ māṃ bhauvana dāsyasi //

"Whoever, having resorted to the bank of the Gaṅgā, gives even a single mouthful (of food) — by that I am given entire. What will you give me, Bhauvana?"

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.28

तद् भुवो वचनं श्रुत्वा भौवनः सार्वभौवनः तथेति मत्वा विप्रेभ्यो ह्य् अन्नं प्रादात् सुविस्तरम् ॥

tad bhuvo vacanaṃ śrutvā bhauvanaḥ sārvabhauvanaḥ tatheti matvā viprebhyo hy annaṃ prādāt suvistaram //

Hearing that speech of the Earth, Bhauvana, the sovereign of all, agreed, saying "So be it," and gave food to the brahmins in great abundance.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

BrP 83.29

ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं दशाश्वमेधिकं विदुः दशानाम् अश्वमेधानां फलं स्नानाद् अवाप्यते ॥

tataḥ prabhṛti tat tīrthaṃ daśāśvamedhikaṃ viduḥ daśānām aśvamedhānāṃ phalaṃ snānād avāpyate //

From that time on they know that sacred ford as the Ten-Horse-Sacrifice (ford); the fruit of ten horse sacrifices is obtained there by bathing.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition