SB 9.7.5 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

तस्य सत्यव्रत: पुत्रस्त्रिशङ्कुरिति विश्रुत: । प्राप्तश्चाण्डालतां शापाद् गुरो: कौशिकतेजसा ॥ ५ ॥ सशरीरो गत: स्वर्गमद्यापि दिवि द‍ृश्यते । पातितोऽवाक् शिरा देवैस्तेनैव स्तम्भितो बलात् ॥ ६ ॥

Verse text

tasya satyavrataḥ putras triśaṅkur iti viśrutaḥ prāptaś cāṇḍālatāṁ śāpād guroḥ kauśika-tejasā saśarīro gataḥ svargam adyāpi divi dṛśyate pātito ’vāk-śirā devais tenaiva stambhito balāt

Synonyms

tasya — of Tribandhana ; satyavrataḥ — by the name Satyavrata ; putraḥ — the son ; triśaṅkuḥ — by the name Triśaṅku ; iti — thus ; viśrutaḥ — celebrated ; prāptaḥ — had obtained ; cāṇḍālatām — the quality of a caṇḍāla, lower than a śūdra ; śāpāt — from the curse ; guroḥ — of his father ; kauśika — tejasā — by the prowess of Kauśika (Viśvāmitra) ; saśarīraḥ — while in this body ; gataḥ — went ; svargam — to the heavenly planet ; adya api — until today ; divi — in the sky ; dṛśyate — can be seen ; pātitaḥ — having fallen down ; avāk — śirāḥ — with his head hanging downward ; devaiḥ — by the prowess of the demigods ; tena — by Viśvāmitra ; eva — indeed ; stambhitaḥ — fixed ; balāt — by superior power .

Translation

The son of Tribandhana was Satyavrata, who is celebrated by the name Triśaṅku. Because he kidnapped the daughter of a brāhmaṇa when she was being married, his father cursed him to become a caṇḍāla, lower than a śūdra. Thereafter, by the influence of Viśvāmitra, he went to the higher planetary system, the heavenly planets, in his material body, but because of the prowess of the demigods he fell back downward. Nonetheless, by the power of Viśvāmitra, he did not fall all the way down; even today he can still be seen hanging in the sky, head downward.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The son of Tribandhana was Satyavrata, who is celebrated by the name Triśaṅku. His father cursed him to become a caṇḍāla. Thereafter, by the influence of Viśvāmitra, he went to Svarga in the same body, but because of the prowess of the devatās he fell downward. Nonetheless, by the power of Viśvāmitra, he did not fall all the way down; even today he can still be seen hanging in the sky, head downward. He was called Triśaṅku because he had faults which caused suffering like three nails (śaṅku). This is told in Hari-vaṁśa. He displeased his father, he killed the milking cow of his guru, and he enjoyed unsanctified items. These were his three faults. He was cursed by his father out of anger because he stole the bride of a brāhmaṇa who was being married. By Viśvāmitra power (kauśika-tejasā) he did not fall but remained in the sky.