उपश्रुतिरहं देवि तवान्तिकमुपागता। दर्शनं चैव संप्राप्ता तव सत्येन भामिनि
'I am Upashruti, O goddess, come to you; by your truth, I have attained your presence and sight, O noble lady.'
पतिव्रता च युक्ता च यमेन नियमेन च। दर्शयिष्यामि ते शक्रं देवं वृत्रनिषूदनम्
'You are devoted to your husband, disciplined by restraint and vow; I will show you Shakra, the god, slayer of Vritra.'
क्षिप्रमन्वेहि भद्रं ते द्रक्ष्यसे सुरसत्तमम्। ततस्तां प्रस्थितां देवीमिन्द्राणी सा समन्वगात्
'Quickly follow—good fortune to you—you will see the best of the gods.' Then, as she set out, Indrani followed her.
देवारण्यान्यतिक्रम्य पर्वतांश्च बहूंस्ततः । हिमवन्तमतिक्रम्य उत्तरं पार्श्वमागमत्
Passing through divine forests and many mountains, they crossed the Himalaya and reached its northern side.
समुद्रं च समासाद्य बहुयोजनविस्तृतम्। आससाद महाद्वीपं नानाद्रुमलतावृतम्
Coming to a vast ocean, many yojanas wide, they reached a great island covered with various trees and vines.
तत्रापश्यत्सरो दिव्यं नानाशकुनिभिर्वृतम्। शतयोजनविस्तीर्णं तावदेवायतं शुभम्
There they saw a divine lake, filled with many kinds of birds, a hundred yojanas wide and just as long, auspicious in appearance.
तत्र दिव्यानि पद्मानि पञ्चवर्णानि भारत । षट्पदैरुपगीतानि प्रफुल्लानि सहस्रशः
In that place were divine lotuses of five colors, O Bharata, blooming in thousands, sung to by bees.
सरसस्तस्य मध्ये तु पद्मिनी महती शुभा । गौरेणोन्नतनालेन पद्मेन महता वृता
In the middle of that lake was a great and beautiful lotus pond, adorned with a large, white, tall-stemmed lotus.
पद्मस्य भित्त्वा नालं च विवेश सहिता तया। बिसतन्तुप्रविष्टं च तत्रापश्यच्छतक्रतुम्
Breaking through the stem of the lotus, together they entered, and within the network of lotus fibers, they saw Shatakratu.
तं दृष्ट्वा च सुसूक्ष्मेण रूपेणावस्थितं प्रभुम् । सूक्ष्मरूपधरा देवी बभूवोपश्रुतिश्च सा
Seeing the lord there, abiding in a most subtle form, the goddess and Upashruti themselves assumed subtle forms.
इन्द्रं तुष्टाव चेन्द्राणी विश्रुतैः पूर्वकर्मभिः। स्तूयमानस्ततो देवः शचीमाह पुरन्दरः
Then Indrani praised Indra with renowned former deeds; being thus praised, the god Purandara spoke to Shachi.
किमर्थमसि संप्राप्ता विज्ञातश्च कथं त्वहम्। ततः सा कथयामास नहुषस्य विचेष्टितम्
For what reason have you come, and how have I been discovered by you? Then she related the actions of Nahusha.
इन्द्रत्वं त्रिषु लोकेषु प्राप्य वीर्यसमन्वितः । दर्पाविष्टश्च दुष्टात्मा मामुवाच शतक्रतो
Having attained the lordship of the three worlds, endowed with power, and filled with arrogance, that wicked-souled one, O wielder of the thunderbolt, spoke to me.
उपतिष्ठेति स क्रूरः कालं च कृतवान्मम । यदि न त्रास्यसि विभो करिष्यति स मां वशे
That cruel one said to me, 'Attend upon me,' and set a time for me; 'If you do not fear, O lord, he will bring me under his control.'
एतेन चाहं संप्राप्ता द्रुतं शक्र तवान्तिकम्। जहि रौद्रं महाबाहो नहुषं पापनिश्चयम्
Because of this I have quickly come to you, O Shakra; slay the fierce Nahusha, mighty-armed one, whose intent is evil.
प्रकाशयस्व चात्मानं दैत्यदानवसूदन। तेजः समाप्नुहि विभो देवराज्यं प्रशाधि च
Reveal yourself, O slayer of Daityas and Danavas; regain your brilliance, O lord, and rule the kingdom of the gods.
एवमुक्तः स भगवाञ्शच्या तां पुनरब्रवीत्। विक्रमस्य न कालोऽयं नहुषो बलवत्तरः
Thus addressed by Shachi, the blessed one replied to her, 'This is not the time for valor; Nahusha is stronger.'
विवर्द्धितश्च ऋषिभिर्हव्यकव्यैश्च भामिनि । नीतिमत्र विधास्यामि देवि तां कर्तुमर्हसि
He has been strengthened by the seers and by offerings to ancestors, O beautiful one; I will devise a strategy here, O goddess, which you must carry out.
गुह्यं चैतत्त्वया कार्यं नाख्यातव्यं शुभे क्वचित् । गत्वा नहुषमेकान्ते ब्रवीहि च सुमध्यमे
And this must be kept secret by you, O auspicious one, and not revealed anywhere; go to Nahusha in private and say to him, O slender-waisted one,
ऋषियानेन दिव्येन मामुपैहि जगत्पते । एवं तव वशे प्रीता भविष्यामीति तं वद
'Come to me with this divine sage as your vehicle, O lord of the world; then, pleased, I will become subject to you'—say this to him.
इत्युक्ता देवराजेन पत्नी सा कमलेक्षणा । एवमस्त्वित्यथोक्त्वा तु जगाम नहुषं प्रति
Thus addressed by the king of the gods, his lotus-eyed wife replied, 'So be it,' and then went towards Nahusha.
नहुषस्तां ततो दृष्ट्वा सस्मितो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । स्वागतं ते वरारोहे किं करोमि शुचिस्मिते
Seeing her, Nahusha then, with a smile, spoke these words: 'Welcome to you, O lovely-hipped one; what shall I do, O fair-smiling one?'
भक्तं मां भज कल्याणि किमिच्छसि मनस्विनि । तव कल्याणि यत्कार्यं तत्करिष्ये सुमध्यमे
'Honor me with devotion, O auspicious one; what do you desire, O high-minded lady? Whatever you wish, O slender-waisted one, that I shall do.'
न च व्रीडा त्वया कार्या सुश्रोणि मयि विश्वसेः। सत्येन वै पशे देवि करिष्ये वचनं तव
'And you need not feel any shame, O beautiful-hipped one; trust in me. By truth, O goddess, I will indeed carry out your word.'
यो मे कृतस्त्वया कालस्तमाकाङ्क्षे जगत्पते। ततस्त्वमेव भर्ता मे भविष्यसि सुराधिम
The time you have set for me, O lord of the world, I desire that; then you alone will be my husband, O lord of the gods.'
कार्यं च हृदि मे यत्तद्देवराजावधारय। वक्ष्यामि यदि मे राजन्प्रियमेतत्करिष्यसि
'That which is in my heart, O king of the gods, attend to it; if you, O king, will do this dear thing I shall say.'
वाक्यं प्रणयसंयुक्तं ततः स्यां वशगा तव। इन्द्रस्य वाजिनो वाहा हस्तिनोऽथ रथास्तथा
'If you fulfill my request with affection, then I shall be under your control; the steeds of Indra, the elephants, and the chariots as well—'
इच्छाम्यहमथापूर्वं वाहनं ते सुराधिप । यन्न विष्णोर्न रुद्रस्य न सुराणां न रक्षसाम्
'I wish for a vehicle for you, O lord of the gods, such as has never been before, which belongs neither to Vishnu nor Rudra, nor to the gods nor to the demons.'
वहन्तु त्वां महाभागा ऋषयः सङ्गता विभो। सर्वे शिबिकया राजन्नेतद्धि मम रोचते
Let the great sages, assembled together, bear you, O illustrious one, in a palanquin; O king, this pleases me.
नासुरेषु न देवेषु तुल्यो भवितुमर्हसि । सर्वेषां तेज आदत्से स्वेन वीर्येण दर्शनात्
You should not be considered equal among demons or gods; you draw the brilliance of all by your own power, simply by your presence.