एवं तां भाषमाणां तु कन्यां साल्वपतिस्तदा। परितत्याज कौरव्य करुणं परिदेवतीम्
As she spoke thus, O Kaurava, the lord of the Salvas then utterly abandoned the maiden, who lamented in sorrow.
गच्छ गच्छेति तां साल्वः पुनः पुनरभाषत। बिभेमि भीष्मात्सुश्रोणि त्वं च भीष्मपरिग्रहः
Go, go, Salva said to her again and again; I fear Bhishma, O lovely one, and you are Bhishma's possession.
एवमुक्ता तु सा तेन साल्वेनादीर्घदर्शिना । निश्चक्राम पुराद्दीना रुदती कुररी यथा
Thus addressed by Salva, who saw not far ahead, she departed from the city, dejected and weeping like a female crane.
निष्क्रामन्ती तु नगराच्चिन्तयामास दुःखिता । पृथिव्यां नास्ति युवतिर्विषमस्थतरा मया
Leaving the city, she pondered in sorrow: There is no young woman on earth in a more difficult plight than I.
बन्धुर्भिर्विप्रहीणास्मि साल्वेन च निराकृता । न च शक्यं पुनर्गन्तुं मया वारणसाह्वयम्
I am bereft of kin, rejected by Salva, and I cannot return again to Varanasi.
अनुज्ञाता तु भीष्मेण साल्वमुद्दिश्य कारणम्। किं नु गर्हाम्यथात्मानमथ भीष्मं दुरासदम्
Permitted by Bhishma, citing Salva as the reason, should I blame myself, or Bhishma, who is hard to approach?
अथवा पितरं मूढं यो मेऽकार्षीत्स्वयंवरम् । मयाऽयं स्वकृतो दोषो याऽहं भीष्मरथात्तदा
Or perhaps it was my foolish father who arranged my svayamvara; this fault is my own, for I spoke from Bhishma's chariot at that time.
प्रवृत्ते दारुणे युद्धे साल्वार्थं नापतं पुरा। तस्येयं फलनिर्वृत्तिर्यदापन्नाऽस्मि मूढवत्
When that terrible battle began for Salva's sake, I did not fall then; this is the outcome of that, now that I have come to such misfortune like one deluded.
धिग्भीष्मं धिक्क मे मन्दं पितरं मूढचेतसम् । येनाहं वीर्यशुल्केन पण्यस्त्रीव प्रचोदिता
Shame on Bhishma, shame on my foolish father with his deluded mind, by whom I was urged, like a commodity-woman, to be won as a prize for valor.
धिङ्मां धिक्साल्वराजानं धिग्धातारमथापि वा । येषां दुर्नीतभावेन प्राप्तास्म्यापदमुत्तमाम्
Shame on me, shame on King Salva, shame even on my father or on the creator; through the wickedness of all these, I have come to this greatest calamity.
सर्वथा भागधेयानि स्वानि प्राप्नोति मानवः । अनयस्यास्य तु मुखं भीष्मः शान्तनवो मम
In every way, a person attains only what is destined for them; but the source of this misfortune is Bhishma, son of Shantanu, for me.
सा भीष्मे प्रतिकर्तव्यमहं पश्यामि सांप्रतम् । तपसा वा युधा वापि दुःखहेतुः स मे मतः
Therefore, I now see that I must act against Bhishma, whether by austerity or by battle; he is, in my view, the cause of my suffering.
को नु भीष्मं युधा जेतुमुत्सहेत महीपतिः । एवं सा परिनिश्चित्य जगाम नगराद्बहिः
What king could hope to defeat Bhishma in battle? Thus, having resolved in this way, she departed from the city.
आश्रमं पुण्यशीलानां तापसानां महात्मनाम् । ततस्तामवसद्रात्रिं तापसैः परिवारिता
She went to the hermitage of the virtuous ascetics, great-souled sages; there she spent the night, surrounded by the ascetics.
आचख्यौ च यथावृत्तं सर्वमात्मनि भारत । विस्तरेण महाबाहो निखिलेन शुचिस्मिता । हरणं च विसर्गं च साल्वेन च विसर्जनम्
O Bharata, she told everything as it had happened, in detail, to the ascetics—her abduction, her release, and her dismissal by Salva—all with a pure smile.
ततस्तत्र महानासीद्ब्राह्मणः संशितव्रतः । शैखावत्यस्तपोबृद्धः शास्त्रे चारण्यके गुरुः
Then there was a great Brahmin there, firm in his vows, advanced in asceticism among the Shaikhavatyas, and a teacher in the Aranyaka scriptures.
आर्ता तामाह स मुनिः शैखावत्यो महातपाः । निःश्वसन्तीं सतीं बालां दुःखशोकपरायणाम्
Seeing her distressed, that sage of great austerity, Shaikhavatya, spoke to her as she sighed, a chaste and youthful woman absorbed in grief and sorrow.
एवं गते तु किं भद्रे शक्यं कर्तुं तपस्विभिः । आश्रमस्थैर्महाभागे तपोयुक्तैर्महात्मभिः
"In such a situation, O blessed one, what can the ascetics do for you—those great souls devoted to austerity, dwelling in the hermitage?"
सा त्वेनमब्रवीद्राजन्क्रियतां मदनुग्रहः । प्राव्राज्यमहमिच्छामि तपस्तप्स्यामि दुश्चरम्
But she replied to him, "O king, let your favor be shown to me; I wish to renounce the world and undertake severe austerities."
मयैव यानि कर्माणि पूर्वदेहे तु मूढया। कृतानि नूनं पापानि तेषामेतत्फलं ध्रुवम्
"Surely, the evil deeds I performed in a previous body, out of delusion, have brought about this result for me now."
नोत्सहे तु पुनर्गन्तुं स्वजनं प्रति तापसाः । प्रत्याख्याता निरानन्दा साल्वेन च निराकृता
"But I cannot return again to my own people, O ascetics; rejected, joyless, and cast off by Salva as well."
उपदिष्टमिहेच्छामि तापस्यं वीतकल्मषाः । युष्माभिर्देवसंकाशैः कृपा भवतु वो मयि
"I wish to be instructed here in asceticism, O sinless ones; may you, who are like gods, show me compassion."
स तामाश्वासयत्कन्यां दृष्टान्तागमहेतुभिः । सान्त्वयामास कार्यं च प्रतिजज्ञे द्विजैः सह
He comforted the maiden with examples, reasoning, and gentle words, and together with the Brahmins, promised to do what should be done.
ततस्ते तापसाः सर्वे कार्यवन्तोऽभवंस्तदा। तां कन्यां चिन्तयन्तस्ते किंकार्यमिति धर्मिणः
Then all those ascetics became intent on action, pondering what should be done for that maiden, in accordance with righteousness.
केचिदाहुः पितुर्वेश्म नीयतामिति तापसाः । केचिदस्यदुमालम्भे मतिं चक्रुर्हि तापसाः
Some of the ascetics said, 'She should be taken to her father's house.' Others among the ascetics considered that she should remain at the hermitage.
केचित्साल्वपतिं गत्वा नियोज्यमिति मेनिरे। नेति केचिद्व्यवस्यन्ति प्रत्याख्याता हि तेन सा
Some thought she should be sent to the king of the Salvas, but others decided against it, since she had been rejected by him.
एवं गते तु किं शक्यं भद्रे कर्तुं मनीषिभिः । पुनरूचुश्च तां सर्वे तापसाः संशितव्रताः
With things having come to this, O gentle one, what can the wise do? Then all the ascetics, firm in their vows, spoke to her again.
अलं प्रव्रजितेनेह भद्रे श्रृणु हितं वचः। इतो गच्छस्व भद्रं ते पितुरेव निवेशनम्
Enough of wandering here, gentle lady; listen to these beneficial words: Go from here, may you fare well, to your father's house.
प्रतिपस्त्यति राजा स पिता ते यदनन्तरम् । तत्र वत्स्यसि कल्याणि सुखं सर्वगुणान्विता
Your father, the king, will accept you immediately; there you will dwell, blessed one, happily and endowed with all virtues.
न च तेऽन्या गतिर्न्याय्या भवेद्भद्रे यथा पिता । पतिर्वापि गतिर्नार्याः पिता वा वरवर्णिनि । गतिः पतिः समस्थाया विषमे च पिता गतिः
No other course is proper for you, gentle lady, than your father; for a woman, her husband or her father is the refuge, O fair one. The husband is the refuge when present, and in adversity, the father is the refuge.