DASAKOM 18

STANZA 1

THERE WAS A FAMOUS KING CALLED ANGA IN DHRUVA'S LINE,

WHO HAD A SON CALLED VENA, OF DUBIOUS CHARACTER,

WITH WHOM HIS FATHER WAS FED UP,

AND LEAVING EVERYTHING IN GOD'S HANDS, WENT TO THE FOREST

STANZA 2

THE CITIZENS APPOINTED HIM AS RULER, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS VERY UNSUITABLE,

SINCE A RULERLESS COUNTRY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN LAW AND ORDER,

AND HE, BOASTFUL OF HIS SUPREMACY IN POWER,

BANNED YOUR YAAGAS IN THE COUNTRY THROUGHOUT

STANZA 3

WHEN SAGES HAD GONE TO GIVE GOOD ADVICE,

AND VENA DISPARAGING YOU, SAID,

"OTHER THAN ME, WHO IS THE RULER OF THE WORLD!

THEN THEY BURNT HIM TO ASHES

LIKE A BEE IN THE FIRE OF THEIR CURSE,

STANZA 4

THEY, ALARMED OF EVIL PEOPLE TAKING OVER THE LAND,

MASSAGED FOR A LONG TIME, HIS BODY KEPT ON HIS MOTHER'S LAP,

WHEN FROM HIS ARM, YOU ROSE AS PRITHU, THE GREAT,

AS ALL EVILS WERE SQUEEZED OUT FROM IT

STANZA 5

PRITHU, WHOSE FAME WAS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE WORLD,

BY PROFESSIONAL STORYTELLERS, KNOWN AS SOOTHAS

WHO WERE WELL LEARNED UNDER THE WISE SAGES,

 AND WITH HIS BOW, LEVELLED THE GROUND, DUG UP BY VENA AND THE LIKE

STANZA 6

THEN FROM SURABHI, THE HEAVEN'S HOLY COW,

WITH ELDERS AND OTHERS, AS CALVES

YOU DREW IN MANY BEAUTIFUL POTS,

BROUGHT BY DEVAS AND OTHERS,

ALL THINGS WANTED, LIKE FOOD ETCETERA IN PROFUSION

STANZA 7

WHEN YOU WERE WORSHIPPING YOURSELF,

BY THE HUNDREDTH ASHWAMEDHAYAAGA,

DEVENDRA, WHO GREW JEALOUS,

STOLE THE HORSE, WEARING AN OUTCASTE'S DRESS,

AND WAS DEFEATED BY YOUR SONS

STANZA 8

WHEN DEVENDRA TRIED TO STEAL AGAIN,

AND THE PRIESTS WERE ABOUT TO DRAW HIM INTO THE FIRE,

BUT DESISTED WHEN BRAHMA INTERVENED,

YOU, LORD OF ALL THREE WORLDS, SHOWED YOURSELF AS MAHAAVISHNU HIMSELF

STANZA 9

YOU ACCEPTED ONLY DEVOTION, WHEN BRAHMA OFFERED BOONS,

AND THEN ONE DAY, WHILE ADVISING THE SAINTS,

MET SANAKA AND OTHER WANDERING FRIARS,

AND WENT TO THE FOREST, TOGETHER WITH THEM

STANZA 10

LEARNING EVERYTHING WORTH KNOWING

FROM SANAKA AND OTHER SAINTS,

LAYING YOURSELF AT YOUR OWN FEET,

LIVED AS PRITHHU IN THE FOREST, MY LORD