(1) S'rî Parîkchit said: 'How could Vritrâsura with a nature of passion and ignorance and being that sinful minded, oh brahmin, have such a strong determination about Nârâyana, the Supreme Person? (2) With [even] the gods, whose minds are of pure goodness, and the saints who have unblemished souls, only rarely is observed that they develop devotion for the lotus feet of Mukunda, the Lord of Liberation. (3) 
In this material world there are as many living entities as there are atoms, some of them are human or related to the human form and among them only a few act to do good. (4) Oh best of the twice-born, one always sees that among those who believe in liberation only a few desire liberation and that among the thousands of them only a few are really liberated, are really perfect. (5) And with the millions and trillions [of living beings] you, among those who found liberation and perfection, oh great sage, will very rarely find someone who both considers Nârâyana the Supreme One and has a mind that is completely peaceful [compare B.G. 7: 3 & 7: 26]. (6) How, [with the truth of this,] could Vritra then, being so sinful and the cause of such suffering all over the world, in the full of his fire of giving battle have an intelligence that was fixed on Krishna? (7) I am in great doubt about this and I would very much like to hear, oh master, how he managed to please the Thousand-eyed One in battle with his bravery and strength.' "
(8) S'rî Sûta said: "After the powerful son of Vyâsa had listened to the question of the devout Parîkchit, he expressed his compliments and explained it to him. (9) S'rî S'uka said: 'Please listen carefully, oh King, to the story about this as heard from the mouths of Vyâsa, Nârada Muni and Devala Rishi. (10) Once there was a king, an emperor over all the earth, who lived in S'ûrasena and was named Citraketu ['the light of excellence']. During his rule the earth delivered everything one could wish for, oh King. (11) He had thousands and thousands of wives, but from none of them the king got a single child, even though they were very well capable of giving birth. (12) With all his beauty, magnanimity, youth, good birth, education, opulence, welfare and all other good qualities he was endowed with, he was full of anxiety in his role of being the spouse to that many wives bearing no children. (13) Neither his great opulence, nor all his queens with their beautiful eyes, nor all the lands he ruled as the Emperor, could make him happy. (14) One day however, Angirâ, the very powerful sage who traveled around in his countries, unexpectedly arrived at the palace. (15) In order to pay his respects according to the customs, he stood up from his throne and offered him worship. After thus having proven his hospitality, he offered him a comfortable seat and sat down next to him in proper self-restraint. (16) Then, oh Mahârâja, the great rishi himself bowed down, complimenting him who in all humility sat beside him on the ground, and addressed him speaking as follows.
(17) Angirâ said: 'Is everything all right with your health and the material order of the state, the order of the king [in the form of his guru, ministers, allies - friends, army and police, subjects, territory, fortress and treasury] that is so much alike the seven material layers protecting the living being [consisting of the totality, the ego and the five objects of the senses; mahat-tattva, ahankâra and tanmâtras]? (18) The king, submitting himself to [the needs and demands] of these elements of his rule, can achieve welfare and prosperity, oh god of man, and so will each and all who, depending on him, contribute and serve. (19) Do your wives, citizens, secretaries, servants, merchants as also your ministers, intimates, governors, landholders and kin, all comply with your rule? (20) When the mind [of the king] is controlled, all the subjects will cooperate and everyone, including the governors, will support free from negligence. (21) The anxiety of your pale face tells me that something is bothering you, that you yourself for some or another reason are not quite happy.'
(22) He [Citraketu] who desired offspring and this way by the muni was questioned despite his being well informed, oh King, bowed deeply before the sage in great humility and replied as follows. (23) King Citraketu said: 'Oh great soul, what of the external and internal affairs of the embodied souls would not be understood by yogis who are free from all sin by their austerity, spiritual knowledge and meditative absorption? (24) Nevertheless, even though you know everything, you ask me about my worries, oh brahmin. Let me, with your permission, then dilate on what you asked me. (25) Having a great empire even desirable to the demigods, all the wealth and upkeep does not give me any pleasure because I have no son. To me it is all like trying to satisfy one's hunger and thirst with everything else but food and drink. (26) Save therefore me and my forefathers from getting lost in the darkness, oh great wise. Make it so that we get a son and thus may defeat that [threat] which is so difficult to overcome.'
(27) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus being beseeched, the most powerful and merciful son of Brahmâ made him cook a preparation of sweet rice for Tvashthâ [the demigod father of Vis'varûpa, see 6.8], which he then offered in worship of him. (28) The sage next offered the remnants of the sacrifice to the first and most perfect queen of all the king's queens who was called Kritadyuti, oh best of the Bhâratas. (29) Thereafter he said to the king: 'Oh King, there will be one son who will be the cause of jubilation as also lamentation for you', whereupon the son of Brahmâ left. (30) After having eaten the food of the offering Kritadyuti proved to be impregnated by Citraketu, the way the goddess Krittikâ received a son [named Skanda] from Agni. (31) Her fetus gradually developed little by little from the semen of the king of S'ûrasena, just like the moon does during the bright fortnight of the month. (32) And thus in due course of time a son was born who created the greatest delight among the inhabitants of S'ûrasena when they heard about it. (33) The king, very happy with his newly born son, bathed and decorated himself with ornaments and then arranged for the brahmins to perform the birth ceremony with many benedictory words. (34) He donated to the brahmins gold, silver, garments, ornaments as also villages, horses, elephants and sixty crores of cows. (35) In order to increase the opulence, the reputation and longevity of his newly born son, he with great attention like a raincloud showered all one could wish for. (36) Just like a poor man who has an increasing affection for the riches he gained with great difficulty, the pious king, as a father, day after day felt more love for the son he with so much difficulty had received. (37) Also the mother developed ignorantly an excessive affection for the son and that led, with all the co-wives of Kritadyuti, to a feverish desire also to have sons. (38) The way he all day cared about the son, king Citraketu was also extraordinarily attracted to the wife who gave him the son and not so much to the other wives. (39) Because they had no sons and were unhappy from being neglected by the king, they lamented and condemned themselves out of envy. (40) A woman who has no son is, at home by her husband and the co-wives who do have sons, disrespected and burdened with the load of sin. She is then despised like a maid-servant. (41) What would a maid-servant have to lament when she derives her honor from faithfully serving her husband? But if she is there like a maid-servant to the maid-servants, she is most unfortunate. (42) The queens, who burned [in lamentation and envy] because their king enjoyed the wealth of a son from their rival Kritadyuti, having fallen out of grace thus developed a very strong hatred. (43) Out of their minds because of their enmity, the women, unable to accept the king['s conduct], became extremely hard-hearted and administered poison to the boy. (44) Kritadyuti walking around the house was not aware of the sin committed by the co-wives and thought, looking at her son, that he was fast asleep. (45) When the boy had lain down a long time she, as a sensible woman, therefore gave the nurse the order: 'Please, oh friend, bring me my son.' (46) Looking after him, the nurse saw him lying down with his eyes turned upwards and his life force, mind and senses gone. She then falling to the ground cried: 'I am doomed!' (47) As soon as the queen heard that she, with an agitated voice in loud words of regret, was striking her breast with both her hands, she also hurried in and saw, upon approaching her son, that her child unexpectedly had deceased. (48) Overcome by grief she fell unconscious to the ground with her hair and dress in disarray. (49) Next, oh ruler of man, all the inhabitants of the palace and all the people, men and women, who had heard the loud crying nearby, came and all lamented greatly, being equally aggrieved, just as did pretentiously those who had committed the crime. (50-51) Hearing that his son had died for reasons unknown, the king could not see properly anymore. Followed by his entourage of ministers and brahmins he on his way constantly fell and slipped. Because of his affection his lamentation grew [like fire] so that he fell unconscious down at the feet of the dead boy. Heavily breathing with his hair and dress disheveled, he [coming to] was not capable of uttering a single word anymore, because of his choked up voice and the tears he cried. (52) The queen, seeing her husband crying heavily in his grief over the deceased child, the only son of the family, cried along in every possible way and thus added to the anguish of all the people, including the officers and ministers, who had gathered there. (53) The flowers in her scattered hair slipped down while her two with kumkum powdered breasts got wet from the teardrops that, mixed with her make-up, fell from her eyes. She lamented about her son with a sound that reminded one of the sweet cries of a kurarî bird.
(54) 'Alas, oh Creator of my fate, how much You fail in Your wisdom! With the father alive while his offspring is dead You prove to be someone who acts against His own creation. Such a contradiction makes You an opponent. (55) If there is no regular order in this world to the death and birth of embodied souls, it may be so that things happen as a result of one's karma. [But with] this [taking away of my son] You are cutting away the bond of love that You created Yourself for the growth of Your creation! (56) And you, my dear son, should not give up on me. I am so miserable without you as my protector. Look what grief you gave your father. With you we can easily overcome the darkness that is so difficult to defeat without a son. Please do not abandon us any longer, do not depart with the merciless Lord of Death. (57) Get up my sweet son, all the children, all your playmates, are calling you to play with them, oh prince of mine. You have slept so long and must be really hungry by now. Please take my breast to drink and drive away the grief of your relatives. (58) How unfortunate not to see the charming smiles any longer of you who were born from my flesh. Have you, now that you have closed the eyes of your lotus face, really left for the other world, the place of no return? Have you been taken away by the cruel Lord of Death? I cannot hear your sweet prattle anymore...'
(59) S'rî S'uka said: 'Together with the woman who thus bewailed her dead son in several lamentations, Citraketu most aggrieved cried loudly. (60) As the king and his wife were thus lamenting, all their subjects also cried and so were all the men and women of the kingdom crazed with grief. (61) Sage Angirâ, who knew that they, because of the grief they came to, had lost their senses and were helpless, thereupon visited them together with Nârada Muni.'
In this material world there are as many living entities as there are atoms, some of them are human or related to the human form and among them only a few act to do good. (4) Oh best of the twice-born, one always sees that among those who believe in liberation only a few desire liberation and that among the thousands of them only a few are really liberated, are really perfect. (5) And with the millions and trillions [of living beings] you, among those who found liberation and perfection, oh great sage, will very rarely find someone who both considers Nârâyana the Supreme One and has a mind that is completely peaceful [compare B.G. 7: 3 & 7: 26]. (6) How, [with the truth of this,] could Vritra then, being so sinful and the cause of such suffering all over the world, in the full of his fire of giving battle have an intelligence that was fixed on Krishna? (7) I am in great doubt about this and I would very much like to hear, oh master, how he managed to please the Thousand-eyed One in battle with his bravery and strength.' "(8) S'rî Sûta said: "After the powerful son of Vyâsa had listened to the question of the devout Parîkchit, he expressed his compliments and explained it to him. (9) S'rî S'uka said: 'Please listen carefully, oh King, to the story about this as heard from the mouths of Vyâsa, Nârada Muni and Devala Rishi. (10) Once there was a king, an emperor over all the earth, who lived in S'ûrasena and was named Citraketu ['the light of excellence']. During his rule the earth delivered everything one could wish for, oh King. (11) He had thousands and thousands of wives, but from none of them the king got a single child, even though they were very well capable of giving birth. (12) With all his beauty, magnanimity, youth, good birth, education, opulence, welfare and all other good qualities he was endowed with, he was full of anxiety in his role of being the spouse to that many wives bearing no children. (13) Neither his great opulence, nor all his queens with their beautiful eyes, nor all the lands he ruled as the Emperor, could make him happy. (14) One day however, Angirâ, the very powerful sage who traveled around in his countries, unexpectedly arrived at the palace. (15) In order to pay his respects according to the customs, he stood up from his throne and offered him worship. After thus having proven his hospitality, he offered him a comfortable seat and sat down next to him in proper self-restraint. (16) Then, oh Mahârâja, the great rishi himself bowed down, complimenting him who in all humility sat beside him on the ground, and addressed him speaking as follows.
(17) Angirâ said: 'Is everything all right with your health and the material order of the state, the order of the king [in the form of his guru, ministers, allies - friends, army and police, subjects, territory, fortress and treasury] that is so much alike the seven material layers protecting the living being [consisting of the totality, the ego and the five objects of the senses; mahat-tattva, ahankâra and tanmâtras]? (18) The king, submitting himself to [the needs and demands] of these elements of his rule, can achieve welfare and prosperity, oh god of man, and so will each and all who, depending on him, contribute and serve. (19) Do your wives, citizens, secretaries, servants, merchants as also your ministers, intimates, governors, landholders and kin, all comply with your rule? (20) When the mind [of the king] is controlled, all the subjects will cooperate and everyone, including the governors, will support free from negligence. (21) The anxiety of your pale face tells me that something is bothering you, that you yourself for some or another reason are not quite happy.'
(22) He [Citraketu] who desired offspring and this way by the muni was questioned despite his being well informed, oh King, bowed deeply before the sage in great humility and replied as follows. (23) King Citraketu said: 'Oh great soul, what of the external and internal affairs of the embodied souls would not be understood by yogis who are free from all sin by their austerity, spiritual knowledge and meditative absorption? (24) Nevertheless, even though you know everything, you ask me about my worries, oh brahmin. Let me, with your permission, then dilate on what you asked me. (25) Having a great empire even desirable to the demigods, all the wealth and upkeep does not give me any pleasure because I have no son. To me it is all like trying to satisfy one's hunger and thirst with everything else but food and drink. (26) Save therefore me and my forefathers from getting lost in the darkness, oh great wise. Make it so that we get a son and thus may defeat that [threat] which is so difficult to overcome.'
(27) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus being beseeched, the most powerful and merciful son of Brahmâ made him cook a preparation of sweet rice for Tvashthâ [the demigod father of Vis'varûpa, see 6.8], which he then offered in worship of him. (28) The sage next offered the remnants of the sacrifice to the first and most perfect queen of all the king's queens who was called Kritadyuti, oh best of the Bhâratas. (29) Thereafter he said to the king: 'Oh King, there will be one son who will be the cause of jubilation as also lamentation for you', whereupon the son of Brahmâ left. (30) After having eaten the food of the offering Kritadyuti proved to be impregnated by Citraketu, the way the goddess Krittikâ received a son [named Skanda] from Agni. (31) Her fetus gradually developed little by little from the semen of the king of S'ûrasena, just like the moon does during the bright fortnight of the month. (32) And thus in due course of time a son was born who created the greatest delight among the inhabitants of S'ûrasena when they heard about it. (33) The king, very happy with his newly born son, bathed and decorated himself with ornaments and then arranged for the brahmins to perform the birth ceremony with many benedictory words. (34) He donated to the brahmins gold, silver, garments, ornaments as also villages, horses, elephants and sixty crores of cows. (35) In order to increase the opulence, the reputation and longevity of his newly born son, he with great attention like a raincloud showered all one could wish for. (36) Just like a poor man who has an increasing affection for the riches he gained with great difficulty, the pious king, as a father, day after day felt more love for the son he with so much difficulty had received. (37) Also the mother developed ignorantly an excessive affection for the son and that led, with all the co-wives of Kritadyuti, to a feverish desire also to have sons. (38) The way he all day cared about the son, king Citraketu was also extraordinarily attracted to the wife who gave him the son and not so much to the other wives. (39) Because they had no sons and were unhappy from being neglected by the king, they lamented and condemned themselves out of envy. (40) A woman who has no son is, at home by her husband and the co-wives who do have sons, disrespected and burdened with the load of sin. She is then despised like a maid-servant. (41) What would a maid-servant have to lament when she derives her honor from faithfully serving her husband? But if she is there like a maid-servant to the maid-servants, she is most unfortunate. (42) The queens, who burned [in lamentation and envy] because their king enjoyed the wealth of a son from their rival Kritadyuti, having fallen out of grace thus developed a very strong hatred. (43) Out of their minds because of their enmity, the women, unable to accept the king['s conduct], became extremely hard-hearted and administered poison to the boy. (44) Kritadyuti walking around the house was not aware of the sin committed by the co-wives and thought, looking at her son, that he was fast asleep. (45) When the boy had lain down a long time she, as a sensible woman, therefore gave the nurse the order: 'Please, oh friend, bring me my son.' (46) Looking after him, the nurse saw him lying down with his eyes turned upwards and his life force, mind and senses gone. She then falling to the ground cried: 'I am doomed!' (47) As soon as the queen heard that she, with an agitated voice in loud words of regret, was striking her breast with both her hands, she also hurried in and saw, upon approaching her son, that her child unexpectedly had deceased. (48) Overcome by grief she fell unconscious to the ground with her hair and dress in disarray. (49) Next, oh ruler of man, all the inhabitants of the palace and all the people, men and women, who had heard the loud crying nearby, came and all lamented greatly, being equally aggrieved, just as did pretentiously those who had committed the crime. (50-51) Hearing that his son had died for reasons unknown, the king could not see properly anymore. Followed by his entourage of ministers and brahmins he on his way constantly fell and slipped. Because of his affection his lamentation grew [like fire] so that he fell unconscious down at the feet of the dead boy. Heavily breathing with his hair and dress disheveled, he [coming to] was not capable of uttering a single word anymore, because of his choked up voice and the tears he cried. (52) The queen, seeing her husband crying heavily in his grief over the deceased child, the only son of the family, cried along in every possible way and thus added to the anguish of all the people, including the officers and ministers, who had gathered there. (53) The flowers in her scattered hair slipped down while her two with kumkum powdered breasts got wet from the teardrops that, mixed with her make-up, fell from her eyes. She lamented about her son with a sound that reminded one of the sweet cries of a kurarî bird.
(54) 'Alas, oh Creator of my fate, how much You fail in Your wisdom! With the father alive while his offspring is dead You prove to be someone who acts against His own creation. Such a contradiction makes You an opponent. (55) If there is no regular order in this world to the death and birth of embodied souls, it may be so that things happen as a result of one's karma. [But with] this [taking away of my son] You are cutting away the bond of love that You created Yourself for the growth of Your creation! (56) And you, my dear son, should not give up on me. I am so miserable without you as my protector. Look what grief you gave your father. With you we can easily overcome the darkness that is so difficult to defeat without a son. Please do not abandon us any longer, do not depart with the merciless Lord of Death. (57) Get up my sweet son, all the children, all your playmates, are calling you to play with them, oh prince of mine. You have slept so long and must be really hungry by now. Please take my breast to drink and drive away the grief of your relatives. (58) How unfortunate not to see the charming smiles any longer of you who were born from my flesh. Have you, now that you have closed the eyes of your lotus face, really left for the other world, the place of no return? Have you been taken away by the cruel Lord of Death? I cannot hear your sweet prattle anymore...'
(59) S'rî S'uka said: 'Together with the woman who thus bewailed her dead son in several lamentations, Citraketu most aggrieved cried loudly. (60) As the king and his wife were thus lamenting, all their subjects also cried and so were all the men and women of the kingdom crazed with grief. (61) Sage Angirâ, who knew that they, because of the grief they came to, had lost their senses and were helpless, thereupon visited them together with Nârada Muni.'
