आत्मानमपि चोत्सृज्य गते प्रेतवशं मयि।' त्यक्ता ह्येते मया व्यक्तं नेह शक्ष्यन्ति जीवितुम्
Even if I relinquish myself and fall under the sway of death, those whom I have clearly abandoned will not be able to live here.
एषां चान्यतमत्यागो नृशंसो गर्हितो बुधैः। आत्मत्यागे कृते चेमे मरिष्यन्ति मया विना
The abandonment of any one of them is cruel and censured by the wise; if I give up myself, these will die without me.
स कृच्छ्रामहमापन्नो न शक्तस्तर्तुमापदम्। अहो धिक्कां गतिं त्वद्य गमिष्यामि सबान्धवः। सर्वैः सह मृतं श्रेयो न च मे जीवितुं क्षमम्
I have fallen into great distress and am unable to escape calamity; alas, shame upon the path I must take today with my kinsmen. It is better to die with all than for me to live.
न सन्तापस्त्वया कार्यः प्राकृतेनेव कर्हिचित्। न हि सन्तापकालोऽयं वैद्यस्य तव विद्यते
You should never grieve like an ordinary person; for this is not a time for sorrow for you, O healer.
अवश्यं निधनं सर्वैर्गन्तव्यमिह मानवैः। अवश्यभाविन्यर्थे वै संतापो नेह विद्यते
Death must inevitably be reached by all humans here; for what is destined to happen, grief has no place.
भार्या पुत्रोऽथ दुहिता सर्वमात्मार्थमिष्यते। व्यथां जहि सुबुद्ध्या त्वं स्वयं यास्यामि तत्र च
Wife, son, and daughter—all are desired for one's own sake; dispel your pain with wisdom, for I myself will go there.
एतद्धि परमं नार्याः कार्यं लोके सनातनम्। प्राणानपि परित्यज्य यद्भर्तुर्हितमाचरेत्
This is the highest and eternal duty for a woman in the world: to act for her husband's welfare, even at the cost of her own life.
तच्च तत्र कृतं कर्म तवापीदं सुखावहम्। भवत्यमुत्र चाक्षय्यं लोकेऽस्मिंश्च यशस्करम्
And the deed you have done there brings happiness to you; it becomes inexhaustible in the next world and brings fame in this one.
एष चैव गुरुर्धर्मो यं प्रवक्ष्याम्यहं तव। अर्थश्च तव धर्मश्च भूयानत्र प्रदृश्यते
This is indeed the supreme law which I will declare to you; both wealth and righteousness are seen to be abundant here for you.
यदर्थमिष्यते भार्या प्राप्तः सोऽर्थस्त्वया मयि। कन्या चैका कुमारश्च कृताहमनृणा त्वया
That for which a wife is desired has been attained by you through me; a daughter and a son have been obtained, and I am freed from debt by you.
समर्थः पोषणे चासि सुतयो रक्षणे तथा। न त्वहं सुतयोः शक्ता तथा रक्षणपोषणे
You are capable of nourishing and protecting the children; but I am not able to protect and nourish them as you can.
मम हि त्वद्विहीनायाः सर्वप्राणधनेश्वर। कथं स्यातां सुतौ बालौ भरेयं च कथं त्वहम्
For me, deprived of you, O lord of all life and wealth, how could the two young children survive, and how could I support them?
कथं हि विधवाऽनाथा बालपुत्रा विना त्वया। मिथुनं जीवयिष्यामि स्थिता साधुगते पथि
How can I, widowed and without support, with a young child, live on without you, as a pair left alone, standing on the path of the virtuous?
अहं कृतावलेपैश्च प्रार्थ्यमानामिमां सुताम्। अयुक्तैस्तव संबन्धे कथं शक्ष्यामि रक्षितुम्
I, who have been proud and have refused many suitors for this daughter, how will I be able to protect her, now unfit for union with you?
उत्सृष्टमामिषं भूमौ प्रार्थयन्ति यथा खगाः। प्रार्थयन्ति जनाः सर्वे पतिहीनां तथा स्त्रियम्
Just as birds gather around flesh cast upon the ground, so do all men pursue a woman bereft of her husband.
साऽहं विचाल्यमाना वै प्रार्थ्यमाना दुरात्मभिः। स्थातुं पथि न शक्ष्यामि सज्जनेष्टे द्विजोत्तम
O best of Brahmins, I, being harassed and sought after by wicked men, will not be able to remain steadfast on the path dear to the virtuous.
स्त्रीजन्म गर्हितं नाथ लोके दुष्टजनाकुले। मातापित्रोर्वशे कन्या प्रौढा भर्तृवशे तथा
O protector, a woman's birth is reproached in a world filled with wicked people; a maiden is under her parents' control, and when grown, under her husband's authority.
अभावे चानयोः पुत्रे खतन्त्रा स्त्री विगर्हिता
And in the absence of both, a woman with a son is still considered independent and thus censured.
अनाथत्वं स्त्रियो द्वारं दुष्टानां विवृतं हि तत्। वस्त्रखण्डं घृताक्तं हि यथा संकृष्यते श्वभिः
A woman's lack of protection is truly an open door for the wicked, just as a piece of cloth smeared with ghee is dragged away by dogs.
कथं तव कुलस्यैकमिमं बालमनागसम्। पितृपैतामहे मार्गे नियोक्तुमहमुत्सहे
How can I bring myself to set this innocent child of your lineage upon the path of his fathers and grandfathers?
कथं शक्ष्यामि बालेऽस्मिन्गुणानाधातुमीप्सितान्। अनाथे सर्वतो लुप्ते यथा त्वं धर्मदर्शिवान्
How will I be able to instill the desired virtues in this child, who is helpless and utterly deprived, as you, knower of righteousness, once did?
इमामपि च ते बालामनाथां परिभूय माम्। अनर्हाः प्रार्थयिष्यन्ति शूद्रा वेदश्रुतिं यथा
Even this daughter of yours, left unprotected, will be sought after by unworthy men, disregarding me, just as Shudras seek the hearing of the Veda.
तां चेदहं न दित्सेयं सद्गुणैरुपबृंहिताम्। प्रमथ्यैनां हरेयुस्ते हविर्ध्वाङ्क्षा इवाध्वरात्
If I do not give her, adorned with good qualities, to a worthy man, they will seize her by force, as crows snatch the sacrificial offering from the altar.
संप्रेक्षमाणा पुत्रीं ते नानुरूपमिवात्मनः। अनर्हवशमापन्नामिमां चापि सुतां तव
Seeing your daughter, who is not suited to such a fate, and this daughter of yours fallen into the hands of the unworthy—
अवज्ञाता च लोकेषु तथान्मानमजानती। अवलिप्तैरैर्ब्रह्मन्मरिष्यामि न संशयः
And being scorned among people, deprived of honor, and insulted by the arrogant, O Brahmin, I will surely die—there is no doubt.
तौ च हीनौ मया बालौ त्वया चैव तथात्मजौ। विनश्येतां न सन्देहो मत्स्याविव जलक्षये
Those two children, deprived of me and of you, their father, will surely perish, like fish when the water dries up.
त्रितयं सर्वथाप्येवं विनशिष्यत्यसंशयम्। त्वया विहीनं तस्मात्त्वं मां परित्यक्तुमर्हसि
Thus, all three of us will certainly perish without you; therefore, you should not abandon me.
व्युष्टिरेषा परा स्त्रीणां पूर्वं भर्तुः परा गतिः। ननु ब्रह्मन्सपुत्राणामिति धर्मविदो विदुः
This is the highest duty for women: to follow their husband on his path; so, O Brahmin, the wise say, especially for those with sons.
अनिष्टमिह पुत्राणां विषये परिवर्तितुम्। हरिद्राञ्जनपुष्पादिसौमङ्गल्ययुता सती
It is not proper for a woman with sons to remain in this world, adorned with auspicious marks like turmeric, collyrium, and flowers.
मरणं याति या भर्तुस्तद्दत्तजलपायिनी। भर्तृपादार्पितमनाः सा याति गिरिजापदम्
She who drinks the water offered for her departed husband, with her mind fixed on his feet, attains the abode of the mountain-born goddess.