पिता रक्षति कौमारे भर्ता रक्षति यौवने। पुत्रस्तु स्थाविरे भावे न स्त्री स्वातन्त्र्यमर्हति ।। 48
A father protects her in childhood, a husband in youth, and a son in old age; a woman is not to act independently.
भीरु भर्तृभयात्पत्न्यो न क्रुध्यन्ति कदाचन। बहुभिश्च परिक्लेशैरवज्ञाताश्च शत्रुभिः । अनन्यभावाः शुद्धाश्च पुण्यलोकं जयन्त्युत ।। 49
Out of fear of their husbands, wives do not become angry; though subjected to many hardships and scorned by enemies, those who are single-minded and pure indeed attain blessed realms.
न क्रोधकालं नियतं पश्यन्ति पतयस्तव। न क्रुद्धान्प्रतियायाद्वै पतींस्ते वृत्रहा अपि। तेन त्वां नाभिधावन्ति गन्धर्वाः कामरूपिणः ।। 50
Your husbands do not see the fixed time for anger; even the slayers of Vritra do not approach their wives in anger. For this reason, the Gandharvas of changing forms do not pursue you.
यदि ते समयः कश्चित्कृतो ह्यायतलोचने। तं स्मरस्व क्षमाशीले क्षमा धर्मो ह्यनुत्तमः ।। 51
If you have made any agreement, O wide-eyed one, remember it, you who are patient by nature; for patience is the highest dharma.
क्षमा धर्मः क्षमा सत्यं क्षमा दानं क्षमा तपः। क्षमावतामयं लोकः परलोकः क्षमावतांम् ।। 52
Patience is dharma, patience is truth, patience is generosity, patience is asceticism; this world belongs to the patient, and so does the next.
द्व्यंशिनो द्वादशाङ्गस्य चतुर्विंशतिपर्वणः। कस्त्रिषष्ठिशतारस्य मासोनस्याक्षमी भवेत्।। 53
Of the twelve-limbed, twenty-four-part, sixty-three-hundred-day year, who could endure it without patience?
गच्छ सैरन्ध्रि गन्धर्वाः करिष्यन्ति तव प्रियम्। व्यपनेष्यन्ति ते दुःखं येन ते विप्रियं कृतम् ।। 54
Go, Sairandhri; the Gandharvas will do what pleases you, and they will remove your sorrow caused by what has been done to you.
इत्येवमुक्ते तिष्ठन्तीं पुनरेवाह धर्मराट्। विघ्नं करोषि वै भद्रे दीव्यतां राजसंसदि ।। 55
When this was said, as she stood there, the king of dharma spoke again: 'You are causing an obstacle, O gentle one, to the game in the royal assembly.'
तस्मात्त्वमपि सुश्रोणि शैलूषीव विभासि नः। एवमुक्ता तु सा भर्त्रा समुद्वीक्ष्याब्रवीदिदम् ।। 56
Therefore, O fair-hipped one, you appear to us like an actress; thus addressed by her husband, she looked up and spoke these words.
सत्यमुक्तं त्वया विद्वञ्शैलूषीं विद्धि मां पुनः। शैलूषकस्य तस्याहं येषां ज्येष्ठोऽक्षकोविदः ।। 57
What you have said is true, O learned one; know me again as an actress, for I belong to that family whose eldest is skilled at dice.
एवमुक्त्वा वरारोहा परिमृज्याननं शुभम्। केशान्विमुक्तान्संयम्य रुधिरेण समुक्षितान् ।। 58
Having spoken thus, the lovely-limbed woman wiped her beautiful face, gathered her loosened hair stained with blood.
पांसुकुण्ठितसर्वाङ्गी गजराजवधूरिव। प्रतस्थे नागनासोरूर्भर्तुराज्ञाय शासनम् ।। 59
Her whole body covered with dust, she moved like the queen of elephants, her thighs shaped like elephant trunks, obeying her husband's command.
विमुक्ता मृगशावाक्षी निरन्तरपयोधरा। प्रभा नक्षत्रराजस्य कालमेघैरिवावृता ।। 60
With fawn-like eyes and bare breasts, she shone like the light of the lord of stars veiled by dark clouds.
यस्यार्थे पाण्डवेयास्तु त्यजेयुरपि जीवितम्। तां ते दृष्ट्वा तथा कृष्णां क्षमिणो धर्मचारिणः। समयं नातिवर्तन्ते वेलामिव महोदधिः ।। 61
For whose sake the sons of Pandu would even give up their lives—seeing Krishna in such a state, those patient followers of dharma do not transgress their vow, like the ocean does not cross its shore.
सा प्रविश्य प्रवेपन्ती सुदेष्णाया निवेशनम्। रुदन्ती चारुसर्वाङ्गी तस्यास्तस्थावथाग्रतः ।। 62
Entering Sudeṣṇā's residence, trembling and weeping, the beautiful-limbed woman stood before her.
तामुवाच विराटस्य महिषी शाठ्यमास्थिता। किमिदं पद्मसंकाशं सुदन्तोष्ठाक्षिनासिकम् ।। 63
The queen of Virata, assuming a harsh tone, spoke to her: 'What is this, O one whose lips, eyes, and nose resemble a lotus?'
रुदन्त्या अवमृष्टास्रं पूर्णेन्दुसमवर्चसम्। बिम्बोष्ठं कृष्णताराभ्यामत्यन्तरुचिरप्रभम्। नयनाभ्यामजिह्याभ्यां मुखं ते मुञ्चते जलम् ।। 64
As you weep, tears fall from your eyes, shining like a full moon; your lips are red as a bimba fruit, your eyes dark as black stars, and from your mouth, water flows, making your face radiant.
कस्त्वाऽवधीद्वरारोहे कस्माद्रोदिषि शोभने। को विप्रयुज्यते दारैः सपुत्रैः सहबान्धवैः ।। 65
Who has harmed you, O beautiful one? Why do you cry, lovely lady? Who has been separated from wife, children, and kin?
कस्याद्य राजा कुपितो वधमाज्ञापयिष्यति। ब्रूहि किं ते प्रियं कर्म कं त्यजे घातयामि वा ।। 66
Whose anger will the king command to be punished today? Tell me, what do you desire? Whom should I abandon or slay for you?
तां निःश्वस्याब्रवीत्कृष्णा जानन्ती नाम पृच्छसि। भ्रातुस्त्वं मामनुप्रेष्य किमेवं हि विकत्थसे ।। 67
Krishna sighed and replied, 'You ask my name though you know it. You sent me by my brother, so why do you boast in this way?'
कीचको माऽवधीत्तत्र सुराहारीमितोगताम्। सभायां पश्यतो राज्ञो यथा वै निर्जने वने ।। 68
Kichaka did not kill me there, though he was intoxicated, as I entered the hall before the king, just as one might in a lonely forest.
घातयामि सुदन्तोष्ठि कीचकं यदि मन्यसे। भ्राता यद्येष मे व्यक्तं योऽतीतो धर्मचारिणीम्। यस्त्वां कामाभिभूतात्मा दुर्लभामवमन्यते ।। 69
If you wish, I will slay Kichaka, whose teeth are well-formed; if he is truly my brother, who has violated a woman of virtue, who, overcome by desire, has insulted you, so difficult to approach.
अद्यैव तं हनिष्यन्ति येषामागस्करो हि सः। मन्येऽहमद्य वा श्वो वा परलोकं गमिष्यति ।। 70
Today, those whose offense he has committed will kill him; I believe today or tomorrow he will depart for the next world.
भ्रातुः प्रयच्छ त्वरिता जीवच्छ्राद्धं त्वमद्य वै। सुहृष्टं कुरु वै चैनं नासून्मन्ये धरिष्यति ।। 71
Quickly offer the living funeral rites for your brother today; make him joyful, for I do not think he will keep his life.
तेषां हि मम भर्तॄणां पञ्चानां धर्मचारिणाम्। एको दुर्धषणोऽत्यर्थं बले चाप्रतिमो भुवि ।। 72
Of my five husbands, all righteous, one is especially fierce, unmatched in strength on earth.
निर्मनुष्यमिमं लोकं कुर्यात्क्रुद्धो निशामिमाम्। न स संक्रुध्यते तावद्गन्धर्वः कामरूपधृत् ।। 73
If angered, he could make this world devoid of people in a single night; but the Gandharva, who takes any form he wishes, does not become angry yet.
नूनं ज्ञास्यति यावद्वै ममैतत्पादघातनम्। तत्क्षणात्कीचकः पापः सपुत्रभ्रातृबान्धवः। विनशिष्यति दुष्टात्मा यथा दुष्कृतकर्मकृत् ।। 74
Surely, when he learns of this blow to my foot, at that moment, the wicked Kichaka, along with his sons, brothers, and kin, will perish, just as one who has committed evil deeds.
अपि चैतत्पुरा प्रोक्तं निपुणैर्मनुजोत्तमैः। एकस्तु कुरुते पापं कालपाशवशं गतः। नीचेनात्मापराधेन कुलं तेन विनश्यति ।। 75
Indeed, it has been said before by wise and noble men: when one commits evil, bound by the noose of fate, his whole family is destroyed by his own wrongdoing.
सुदेष्णामेवमुक्त्वा तु सैरन्ध्री दुःखमोहिता। कीचकस्य वधार्थाय व्रतदीक्षामुपागमत् ।। 76
Having spoken thus to Sudeshna, Sairandhri, overwhelmed by sorrow, undertook a vow for the purpose of Kichaka's death.
अभ्यर्थिता च नारीभिर्मानिता च सुदेष्णया। न च स्नाति न चाश्नाति न पांसून्परिमार्जति। रुधिरक्लिन्नवदना बभूव मृदितेक्षणा ।। 77
Requested by the women and honored by Sudeshna, she neither bathed nor ate, nor cleaned herself; her face was stained with blood, her eyes bruised.