स्वधर्मं च पुरस्कृत्य त्वामद्य शरणं गता। तस्मान्नर्हसि संश्रुत्य तथेति वितथं वचः
Upholding my own duty, I have now sought your protection; therefore, having promised, you should not speak a false word.
स्वधर्मं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा परित्यक्तुमुपस्थिताम्। त्वन्नाथां लोकनाथस्त्वं नार्हसि त्वमनागसम्
Having set aside my own duty and come to be abandoned, with you as my only protector, you, the lord of men, should not forsake me, who am without fault.
किं नु कर्माशुभं पूर्वं कृतवत्यस्मि पार्थिव। यदहं बान्धवैस्त्यक्ता बाल्ये संप्रति वै त्वया
What evil deed did I commit before, O King, that I have been abandoned by my relatives in childhood, and now by you?
कामं त्वया परित्यक्ता गमिष्याम्यहमाश्रमम्। इमं बालं तु संत्युक्तं नार्हस्यात्मजमात्मना
Indeed, though abandoned by you, I will return to the hermitage; but this child, your own son, you should not forsake.
न पुत्रमभिजानामि त्वयि जातं शकुन्तले। असत्वचना नार्यः कस्ते श्रद्धास्यते वचः
I do not recognize this son as born from me and you, Shakuntala. Women speak untruths; who will believe your words?
अश्रद्धेयमिदं वाक्यं कथयन्ती न लज्जसे। विशेषतो मत्सकाशे दुष्टतापसि गम्यताम्
You shamelessly speak these unbelievable words, especially in my presence, O wicked ascetic woman; go away.
क्व महर्षिस्तपस्युग्रः क्वाप्सराः सा च मेनका। क्व च त्वमेवं कृपणा तापसीवेषधारिणी
Where is that great sage, fierce in his austerities, and where is that apsara Menaka? And where are you, so pitiable, dressed as an ascetic woman?
अतिकायश्च पुत्रस्ते बालोऽतिबलवानयम्। कथमल्पेन कालेन सालस्कन्ध इवोद्गतः
Your son is of great stature, and though a child, he is exceedingly strong. How has he grown so tall, like the trunk of a sala tree, in such a short time?
सुनिकृष्टा च योनिस्ते पुंश्चली प्रतिभासि मे। यदृच्छया कामरागाज्जाता मेनकया ह्यसि
Your birth is most lowly; you seem to me a wanton woman. You were born from Menaka by chance, out of lustful desire.
सर्वमेव परोक्षं मे यत्त्वं वदसि तापसि। `सर्वा वामाः स्त्रियो लोके सर्वाः कामपरायणाः
Everything you say to me is hidden, O ascetic woman. 'All women in the world are fickle, all are devoted to desire.'
सर्वाः स्त्रियः परवशाः सर्वाः क्रोधसमाकुलाः। असत्योक्ताः स्त्रियः सर्वा न कण्वं वक्तुमर्हसि
All women are dependent on others, all are filled with anger; all women speak falsehoods. You should not speak to Kanva.
मेनका निरनुक्रोशा वर्धकी जननी तव। यया हिमवतः पादे निर्माल्यवदुपेक्षिता
Menaka, your mother, is without compassion, a dancer by profession, who was abandoned at the foot of the Himalaya like a discarded garland.
स चापि निरनुक्रोशः क्षत्रयोनिः पिता तव। विश्वामित्रो ब्राह्मणत्वे लुब्धः कामपरायणः
And your father too, born of the warrior class, is without compassion—Viśvāmitra, greedy for Brahminhood, devoted to desire.
सुषाव सुरनारी मां विश्वामित्राद्यथेष्टतः। अहो जानामि ते जन्म कुत्सितं कुलटे जनैः
The divine woman bore me, Viśvāmitra, as she wished. Ah, I know your birth, O degraded one, from ignoble people.
मेनकाऽप्सरसां श्रेष्ठा महर्षिश्चापि ते पिता। तयोरपत्यं कस्मात्त्वं पुंश्चलीवाभिभाषसे
Menaka is the best among apsaras, and your father is a great sage. Why then, as their child, do you speak like a wanton woman?
जातिश्चापि निकृष्टो ते कुलीनेति विजल्पसे। जनयित्वा त्वमुत्सृष्टा कोकिलेन परैर्भृता
You say your lineage is noble, but your birth is lowly. After giving birth to you, you were abandoned and raised by others, like a cuckoo's chick.
अरिष्टैरिव दुर्बद्धिः कण्वो वर्धयिता पिता। अश्रद्धेयमिदं वाक्यं यत्त्वं जल्पसि तापसि
Your father Kanva, of poor judgment, raised you like a child born from misfortune. The words you speak, O ascetic woman, are not to be believed.
ब्रुवन्ती राजसान्निध्ये गम्यतां यत्र चेच्छसि। `सुवर्णमणिमुक्तानि वस्त्राण्याभरणानि च
Speaking thus in the presence of the king, go wherever you wish. 'Here are gold, jewels, pearls, garments, and ornaments.'
यदिहेच्छसि भोगार्थं तापसि प्रतिगृह्यताम्। नाहं त्वां द्रष्टुमिच्छामि यथेष्टं गम्यतामितः
If you desire enjoyment, O ascetic woman, accept these. I do not wish to see you; go wherever you please from here.
राजन्सर्षपमात्राणि परच्छिद्राणि पश्यसि। आत्मनो बिल्वमात्राणि पश्यन्नपि न पश्यसि
O king, you see the faults of others as small as a mustard seed, but your own, though as large as a bilva fruit, you see yet do not see.
मेनका त्रिदशेष्वेव त्रिदशाश्चानु मेनकाम्। ममैवोद्रिच्यते जन्म दुष्यन्त तव जन्मतः
Menaka is among the gods, and the gods are with Menaka; my birth is exalted, Dushyanta, compared to yours.
क्षितौ चरसि राजंस्त्वमन्तरिक्षे चराम्यहम्। आवयोरन्तरं पश्य मेरुसर्षपयोरिव
You walk upon the earth, O king, while I move in the sky; see the distance between us, like that between Mount Meru and a mustard seed.
महेन्द्रस्य कुबेरस्य यमस्य वरुणस्य च। भवनान्यनुसंयामि प्रभावं पश्य मे नृप
I have visited the palaces of Indra, Kubera, Yama, and Varuṇa; witness my power, O King.
पुरा नरवरः पुत्र उर्वश्यां जनितस्तदा। आयुर्नाम महाराज तव पूर्वपितामहः
Long ago, O best of men, a son was born to Urvaśī, named Āyus; he was your ancient forefather, O great king.
महर्षयश्च बहवः क्षत्रियाश्च परन्तपाः। अप्सरःसु ऋषीणां च मातृदोषो न विद्यते
Many great sages and mighty kṣatriyas, O subduer of foes, have been born from apsarases; among the sages, there is no fault in having such mothers.
सत्यश्चापि प्रवादोऽयं प्रवक्ष्यामि च ते नृप। निदर्शनार्थं न द्वेषाच्छ्रुत्वा तत्क्षन्तुमर्हसि
I will also tell you, O King, a saying that is true; hear it for the sake of illustration, not out of malice, and you should forgive it.
विरूपो यावदादर्शे नात्मनो वीक्षते मुखम्। मन्यते तावदात्मानमन्येभ्यो रूपवत्तरम्
As long as a deformed man does not see his own face in a mirror, he considers himself more handsome than others.
यदा तु रूपमादर्शे विरूपं सोऽभिवीक्षते। तदा ह्रीमांस्तु जानीयादन्तरं नेतरं जनम्
But when he sees his ugly form reflected in the mirror, then he feels shame within himself, not because of other people.
अतीव रूपसंपन्नो न कंचिदवमन्यते। अतीव जल्पन्दुर्वाचो भवतीह विहेतुकः
One who is exceedingly handsome does not look down on anyone; but one who is excessively talkative and harsh in speech becomes a troublemaker here.
पांसुपातेन हृष्यन्ति कुञ्जरा मदशालिनः। तथा परिवदन्नन्यान्हृष्टो भवति दुर्मतिः
Elephants in rut rejoice when dust is thrown upon them; likewise, a wicked person becomes delighted when he slanders others.