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.
एवमुक्तस्तु नहुषः प्राहृष्यत तदा किल। उवाच वचनं चापि सुरेन्द्रस्तामनिन्दिताम्
Thus addressed, Nahusha was greatly delighted at that time, and the lord of the gods spoke these words to her, who was beyond reproach.
अपूर्वं वाहनमिदं त्वयोक्तं वरवर्णिनि। दृढं मे रुचिरं देवि त्वद्वशोऽस्मि वरानने
O fair-complexioned one, you have spoken of a vehicle never before conceived; it is firm and pleasing to me, O goddess with lovely face, I am under your sway.
न ह्यल्पवीर्यो भवति यो वाहान्कुरुते मुनीन् । अहं तपस्वी बलवान्भूतभव्यभवत्प्रभुः
He who makes sages his bearers is not of little strength; I am an ascetic, powerful, lord of past, future, and present.
मयि क्रुद्धे जगन्न स्यान्मयि सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम्। देवदानवगन्धर्वाः किन्नरोरगराक्षसाः
If I am angered, the world would not exist; all is established in me—the gods, demons, gandharvas, kinnaras, serpents, and rākṣasas.
न मे क्रुद्धस्य पर्याप्ताः सर्वे लोकाः शुचिस्मिते। चक्षुषा यं प्रपश्यामि तस्य तेजो हराम्यहम्
O gentle-smiling one, all the worlds are not sufficient for me when I am enraged; whoever I look upon, I take away his brilliance.
अहमिन्द्रोऽस्मि देवानां लोकानां च महेश्वरः। मयि हव्यं च कव्यं च लोकाश्चैव सनातनाः ।' तस्मात्ते वचनं देवि करिष्यामि न संशयः
I am Indra among the gods, the great lord of the worlds; in me are the offerings to gods and ancestors, and the eternal worlds. Therefore, O goddess, I will do as you have said, without doubt.
सप्तर्षयो मां वक्ष्यन्ति सर्वे ब्रह्मर्षयस्तथा । पश्य माहात्म्ययोगं मे ऋद्धिं च वरवर्णिनि
The Seven Sages and all the Brahmarṣis will carry me; behold my greatness and prosperity, O fair-complexioned one.
एवमुक्त्वा तु तां देवीं विसृज्य च वराननाम् । ` अथ संचिन्त्य नहुषो बलवीर्येण भारत
Having thus spoken to the goddess with the lovely face and dismissing her, Nahusha, O Bhārata, reflected on his own strength and power.
विसृज्य सुप्रतीकं च नागमैरावतं तथा। हंसयुक्तं विमानं च हरियुक्तं तथा रथम्
He dismissed the splendid elephant Supratika, as well as Airavata, and the chariot yoked with swans, and the chariot yoked with horses.
स तु दर्पेण महता परिभूय महामुनीन्।' विमाने योजयित्वा च ऋषीन्नियमामास्थितान्
Then, out of great pride, he disregarded the great sages, and, having yoked the restrained sages to his vehicle, he mounted it.