अरुन्धतीव पत्नीनां तपसा कर्शितस्तनी। अस्यां जातः श्वेतकेतुर्मम पुत्रो महातपाः
'Like Arundhatī among wives, her austerities have made her thin-breasted; from her was born Śvetaketu, my son, a great ascetic.'
वेदवेदाङ्गविद्विप्र मच्छासनपरायणः। लोकज्ञः सर्वलोकेषु विश्रुतः सत्यवाग्घृणी
'He is a learned brahmin, versed in the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, devoted to my instruction, wise in worldly matters, renowned among all people, truthful, and compassionate.'
अपुत्री भार्यया चार्थी वृद्धोऽहं मन्दचाक्षुषः। पित्र्यादृणादनिर्मुक्तः पूर्वमेवाकृतस्त्रियः
I am old, weak of sight, seeking wealth with a wife but no son; I am not yet freed from ancestral debts, nor have I taken a second wife before.
प्रजारणिस्तु पत्नी ते कुलशीलसमन्विता। सदृशी मम गोत्रेण वहाम्येनां क्षमस्व मे
Your wife, endowed with noble conduct and of a fitting lineage, is suitable for producing offspring; I wish to take her—please forgive me.
इत्युक्त्वा मृगशावाक्षीं चीरकृष्णाजिनाम्बराम्। यष्ट्याधारः स्रस्तगात्रो मन्दचक्षुरबुद्धिमान्
Having spoken thus, the intelligent, weak-eyed elder, his limbs slack, leaning on a staff, approached the deer-eyed woman clad in bark and black antelope skin.
स्वव्यापाराक्षमां श्रेष्ठमचित्तामात्मनि द्विजः।' श्वेतकेतोः किल पुरा समक्षं मातरं पितुः
That twice-born man, intent on his own purpose, considered her the best, though her mind was elsewhere; this happened, it is said, before Śvetaketu, in the presence of his mother and father.
जग्राह ब्राह्मणः पापौ गच्छाव इति चाब्रवीत्। ऋषिपुत्रस्तदा कोपं चकारामर्षितस्तदा
The brāhmaṇa took the woman by the hand, saying, 'Let us go,' and at that moment the sage's son became angry and indignant.
मातरं तां तथा दृष्ट्वा नीयमानां बलादिव। `तपसा दीप्तवीर्यो हि श्वेतकेतुर्न चक्षमे
Seeing his mother thus being led away as if by force, Śvetaketu, whose austerity blazed with power, could not endure it.
संगृह्य मातरं हस्ते श्वेतकेतुरभाषत। दुर्ब्राह्मण विमुञ्च त्वं मातरं मे पतिव्रताम्
Grasping his mother by the hand, Śvetaketu spoke: 'Wicked brāhmaṇa, release my mother, who is devoted to her husband!'
स्वयं पिता मे ब्रह्मर्षिः क्षमावान्ब्रह्मवित्तमः। शापानुग्रहयोः शक्तः तूष्णींभूतो महाव्रतः
My own father is a brahmarṣi, patient and learned in the Veda, capable of both cursing and blessing, and steadfast in great vows, yet he remains silent.
तस्य पत्नी दमोपेता मम माता विशेषतः। पतिव्रतां तपोवृद्धां साध्वाचारैरलङ्कृताम्
His wife, my mother, is especially endowed with self-restraint, devoted to her husband, grown strong in austerity, and adorned with virtuous conduct.
अप्रमादेन ते ब्रह्मन्मातृभूतां विमुञ्च वै
O brāhmaṇa, with care, release my mother, who is as a mother to you.
एवमुक्त्वा तु याचन्तं विमुञ्चेति मुहुर्मुहुः। प्रत्यवोचद्द्विजो राजन्नप्रगल्भमिदं वचः
Thus, though Śvetaketu repeatedly begged, 'Release her,' the brāhmaṇa replied, O King, with these unassuming words:
अपत्यार्थी श्वेतकेतो वृद्धोऽहं मन्दचाक्षुषः। पिता ते ऋणनिर्मुक्तस्त्वया पुत्रेण काश्यप
'Śvetaketu, I am old, weak of sight, and seeking offspring; your father is freed from debt by you, his son, O Kāśyapa.'
ऋणादहमनिर्मुक्तो वृद्धोऽहं विगतस्पृहः। मम को दास्यति सुतां कन्यां संप्राप्तयौवनाम्
'But I am not yet freed from debt, old and without desire; who will give me a daughter, a maiden come of age?'
प्रजारणिमिमां पत्नीं विमुञ्च त्वं महातपः। एकया प्रजया प्रीतो मातरं ते ददाम्यहम्
'Release this wife of yours, fit for producing offspring, O great ascetic; with a single son I will be satisfied, and then I will return your mother to you.'
एवमुक्तः श्वेतकेतुर्लज्जया क्रोधमेयिवान्।' क्रुद्धं तं तु पिता दृष्ट्वा श्वेतकेतुमुवाच ह
Hearing this, Śvetaketu, out of shame, restrained his anger; but seeing his son enraged, the father spoke to Śvetaketu.
मा तात कोपं कार्षीस्त्वमेष धर्मः सनातनः। अनावृता हि सर्वेषां वर्णानामङ्गना भुवि
'Do not be angry, my son; this is the eternal law. For women of all castes on earth were unrestrained.'
यथा गावः स्थिताः पुत्र स्वेस्वे वर्णे तथा प्रजाः। `तथैव च कुटुम्बेषु न प्रमाद्यन्ति कर्हिचित्
'Just as cows are kept, so too, my son, are women among their own kind; and so, in families, they never act carelessly.'
ऋतुकाले तु संप्राप्ते भर्तारं न जहुस्तदा।' ऋषिपुत्रोऽथ तं धर्मं श्वेतकेतुर्न चक्षमे
'But when the proper season arrives, they do not abandon their husbands.' Yet the sage's son, Śvetaketu, could not accept this law.
चकार चैव मर्यादामिमां स्त्रीपुंसयोर्भुवि। मानुषेषु महाभागे न त्वेवान्येषु जन्तुषु
And he established this boundary between man and woman on earth, O illustrious one, among humans, but not among other creatures.
तदाप्रभृति मर्यादा स्थितेयमिति नः श्रुतम्। व्युच्चरन्त्याः पतिं नार्या अद्यप्रभृति पातकम्
From that time onward, it is heard by us that this boundary has remained: from today, if a wife leaves her husband, it is a sin.
भ्रूणहत्यासमं घोरं भविष्यत्यसुखावहम्। `अद्याप्यनुविधीयन्ते कामक्रोधविवर्जिताः
It will be as dreadful and joyless as the sin of killing an embryo; even today, those free from desire and anger still follow this rule.
उत्तरेषु महाभागे कुरुष्वेवं यशस्विनि। पुराणदृष्टो धर्मोऽयं पूज्यते च महर्षिभिः
In the northern regions, O renowned one among the Kurus, this ancient law is observed and honored by great sages.
भार्यां तथा व्युच्चरतः कौमारब्रह्मचारिणीम्। पतिव्रतामेतदेव भविता पातकं भुवि
If a man approaches a wife who is a maiden and devoted to chastity, this alone will become a sin on earth.
नियुक्ता पतिना भार्या यद्यपत्यस्य कारणात्। न कुर्यात्तत्तथा भीरु सैनः सुमहदाप्नुयात्। इति तेन पुरा भीरु मर्यादा स्थापिता बलात्
If a wife, assigned by her husband for the sake of offspring, does not act accordingly, O timid one, she incurs a great fault; thus, O timid one, this boundary was forcibly established in ancient times.
उद्दालकस्य पुत्रेण धर्म्या वै श्वेतकेतुना। सौदासेन च रम्भोरु नियुक्ता पुत्रजन्मनि
By Uddalaka's son, the righteous Shvetaketu, and by Saudasa, O slender-waisted one, this rule was established regarding begetting children.
मदयन्ती जगामर्षिं वसिष्ठमिति नः श्रुतम्। तस्माल्लेभे च सा पुत्रमश्मकं नाम भामिनी
It is heard by us that Madayanti went to the sage Vasishtha, and from him, O radiant one, she obtained a son named Ashmaka.
एवं कृतवती सापि भर्तुः प्रियचिकीर्षया। अस्माकमपि ते जन्म विदितं कमलेक्षणे
Thus she acted, wishing to please her husband; O lotus-eyed one, you know that your own birth is also like this.
कृष्णद्वैपायनाद्भीरु कुरूणां वंशवृद्धये। अत एतानि सर्वाणि कारणानि समीक्ष्य वै
From Krishna-Dvaipayana, O timid one, for the increase of the Kuru lineage; therefore, considering all these reasons—