कण्वस्याहं भगवतो दुष्यन्त दुहिता मता। तपस्विनो धृतिमतो धर्मज्ञस्य महात्मनः
'I am considered the daughter of the venerable Kaṇva, O Duṣyanta, the ascetic, steadfast, and righteous great soul.'
अस्वतन्त्रास्मि राजेन्द्र काश्यपो मे गुरुः पिता। तमेव प्रार्थय स्वार्थं नायुक्तं कर्तुमर्हसि
'I am not independent, O king; Kāśyapa is my teacher and father. Seek your purpose from him alone; you should not act otherwise.'
ऊर्ध्वरेता महाभागे भगवाँल्लोकपूजितः। चलेद्धि वृत्ताद्धर्मोपि न चलेत्संशितव्रतः
'The venerable one, honored by the world, is of pure vows, O illustrious one. Even if virtue wavers, he of firm vows does not.'
कथं त्वं तस्य दुहिता संभूता वरवर्णिनी। संशयो मे महानत्र तन्मे छेत्तुमिहार्हसि
'How, O radiant one, were you born as his daughter? I have a great doubt about this—please dispel it for me here.'
यथाऽयमागमो मह्यं यथा चेदमभूत्पुरा। `अन्यथा सन्तमात्मानमन्यथा सत्सु भाषते
Just as this event has come to me, and as it happened before, he speaks differently among others, though his own nature is otherwise.
स पापेनावृतो मूर्खस्तेन आत्मापहारकः।' शृणु राजन्यथातत्त्वं यथाऽस्मि दुहिता मुनेः
That fool, covered by sin, thus becomes a thief of his own self; listen, O king, to the true account of how I am the daughter of the sage.
ऋषिः कश्चिदिहागम्य मम जन्माभ्यचोदयत्। `ऊर्ध्वरेता यथासि त्वं कुतस्त्वेयं शकुन्तला
Once, a certain sage came here and questioned me about my birth: 'Since you are one whose seed is held upward, how then is this Shakuntala yours?'
पुत्री त्वत्तः कथं जाता तत्त्वं मे ब्रूहि काश्यप।' तस्मै प्रोवाच भगवान्यथा तच्छृणु पार्थिवा
'How did a daughter arise from you? Tell me the truth, O Kashyapa.' To him, the venerable one replied as it was; hear that, O king.
तप्यमानः किल पुरा विश्वामित्रो महत्तपः। सुभृशं तापयामास शक्रं सुरगणेश्वरम्
Long ago, Vishvamitra, possessed of great austerity, was performing severe penance, and he greatly troubled Shakra, the lord of the gods.
तपसा दीप्तवीर्योऽयं स्थानान्मां च्यावयेदिति। भीतः पुरन्दरस्तस्मान्मेनकामिदमब्रवीत्
'By the power of his blazing austerity, he may cast me down from my place,' so, afraid of him, Purandara spoke these words to Menaka.
गुणैरप्सरसां दिव्यैर्मेनके त्वं विशिष्यसे। श्रेयो मे कुरु कल्याणि यत्त्वां वक्ष्यामि तच्छृणु
'Among the celestial nymphs, you, Menaka, excel in virtues; do me a favor, blessed one, listen to what I will tell you.'
असावादित्यशङ्काशो विश्वामित्रो महातपाः। तप्यमानस्तपो घोरं मम कम्पयते मनः
'That great ascetic Vishvamitra, radiant as the sun, is performing fierce penance, and he is shaking my mind.'
मेनके तव भारोऽयं विश्वामित्रः सुमध्यमे। शंसितात्मा सुदुर्धर्ष उग्रे तपसि वर्तते
'Menaka, this task is yours: Vishvamitra, O slender-waisted one, is resolute and nearly impossible to disturb, established in fierce austerity.'
स मां न च्यावयेत्स्थानात्तं वै गत्वा प्रलोभय। चर तस्य तपोविघ्नं कुरु मे प्रियमुत्तमम्
'Go and entice him so that he does not cast me down from my position; disrupt his penance and do me this great favor.'
रूपयौवनमाधुर्यचेष्टितस्मितभाषणैः। लोभयित्वा वरारोहे तपसस्तं निवर्तय
'With beauty, youth, sweetness, gestures, smiles, and speech, O lovely-hipped one, entice him and turn him away from his penance.'
महातेजाः स भगवांस्तथैव च महातपाः। कोपनश्च तथा ह्येनं जानाति भगवानपि
'He is a great and radiant sage, possessed of immense austerity and quick to anger; even the Lord knows this about him.'
तेजस्तपसश्चैव कोपस्य च महात्मनः। त्वमप्युद्विजसे यस्य नोद्विजेयमहं कथम्
'Of his energy, austerity, and wrath, even you are afraid, yet how is it that I would not be afraid?'
महाभागं वसिष्ठं यः पुत्रैरिष्टैर्व्ययोजयत्। क्षत्रजातश्च यः पूर्वमभवद्ब्राह्मणो बलात्
'He who deprived the greatly fortunate Vasishtha of his beloved sons, and who, though born a kshatriya, forcibly became a brahmin.'
शौचार्थं यो नदीं चक्रे दुर्गमां बहुभिर्जलैः। यां तां पुण्यतमां लोके कौशिकीति विदुर्जनाः
'He who, for the sake of purity, created a river difficult to cross and full of waters, which people in the world know as the most sacred Kausiki.'
बभार यत्रास्य पुरा काले दुर्गे महात्मनः। दारान्मतङ्गो धर्मात्मा राजर्षिर्व्याधतां गतः
'Where, in former times, in that difficult place, the great-souled sage's wife was once supported by Matanga, the righteous royal sage who had become a hunter.'
अतीतकाले दुर्भिक्षे अभ्येत्य पुनराक्षमम्। मुनिः पारेति नद्या वै नाम चक्रे तदा प्रभुः
'When a famine had passed, the sage came again to Akshama, and there, by the river, the lord named it Pāreti.'
मतङ्गं याजयाञ्चक्रे यत्र प्रीतमनाः स्वयम्। त्वं च सोमं भयाद्यस्य गतः पातुं सुरेश्वर
'There, with a glad heart, he caused Matanga to perform a sacrifice, and you, out of fear, went to drink Soma, O lord of the gods.'
चकारान्यं च लोकं वै क्रुद्धो नक्षत्रसंपदा। प्रतिश्रवणपूर्वाणि नक्षत्राणि चकार यः। गुरुशापहतस्यापि त्रिशङ्कोः शरणं ददौ
In his anger, he created another world, endowed with stars; he made the constellations beginning with Śravaṇa, and gave refuge to Triśaṅku, even though he was struck down by the curse of his guru.
ब्रह्मर्षिशापं राजर्षिः कथं मोक्ष्यति कौशिकः। अवमत्य तदा देवैर्यज्ञाङ्गं तद्विनाशितम्
How could Kauśika, the royal sage, free himself from the curse of a brahmarṣi, when the gods, scorning him, destroyed the sacrificial rite?
अन्यानि च महातेजा यज्ञाङ्गान्यसृजत्प्रभुः। निनाय च तदा स्वर्गं त्रिशङ्कुं स महातपाः
That mighty ascetic, the lord of great energy, created other sacrificial limbs, and at that time led Triśaṅku to heaven.
एतानि यस्य कर्माणि तस्याहं भृशमुद्विजे। यथाऽसौ न दहेत्क्रुद्धस्तथाऽऽज्ञापय मां विभो
I am greatly afraid of him whose deeds are these; instruct me, O lord, so that he does not burn me in his anger.
तेजसा निर्दहेल्लोकान्कम्पयेद्धरणीं पदा। संक्षिपेच्च महामेरुं तूर्णमावर्तयेद्दिशः
By his energy he could burn up the worlds, shake the earth with his foot, swiftly compress mighty Meru, and turn the directions around.
तादृशं तपसा युक्तं प्रदीप्तमिव पावकम्। कथमस्मद्विधा नारी जितेन्द्रियमभिस्पृशेत्
How could a woman like me approach one so endowed with ascetic power, blazing like fire, and with senses conquered?
हुताशनमुखं दीप्तं सूर्यचन्द्राक्षितारकम्। कालजिह्वं सुरश्रेष्ठ कथमस्मद्विधा स्पृशेत्
How could a woman like me touch one whose face is like blazing fire, whose eyes are the sun, moon, and stars, whose tongue is time, O best of gods?
यमश्च सोमश्च महर्षयश्च साध्या विश्वे वालस्विल्याश्च सर्वे। एतेऽपि यस्योद्विजन्ते प्रभावा- त्तस्मात्कस्मान्मादृशी नोद्विजेत
Even Yama, Soma, the great sages, the Sādhyas, the Viśvedevas, and all the Vālakhilyas are afraid of his power—so why should a woman like me not be afraid?