kaścit - a certain; matsyaḥ - fish; agrasīt - swallowed; loham - the iron; cūrṇāni - the bits of powder; taralaiḥ - by the waves; tataḥ - from that place; uhyamānāni - being carried; velāyām - on the shore; lagnāni - becoming stuck; āsan - they became; kilu - indeed; erakāḥ - a particular species of grass with long, sharp-edged blades.

A certain fish swallowed the iron lump, and the bits of iron, carried back to the shore by the waves, implanted themselves there and grew into tall, sharp canes.