मन्मथाग्निपरीतात्मा सन्दिग्धाक्षरया गिरा। साधु त्वमसितापाङ्गि कामार्तं मत्तकाशिनि
His heart seized by the fire of love, with faltering words, he said: 'O dark-eyed one, be gracious to me, who am maddened by desire.'
भजस्व भजमानं मां प्राणा हि प्रजहन्ति माम्। त्वदर्थं हि विशालाक्षि मामयं निशितैः शरैः
'Accept me, who longs for you, for my life is leaving me. O wide-eyed one, for your sake, love pierces me with sharp arrows.'
कामः कमलगर्भाभे प्रतिविध्यन्न शाम्यति। दष्टमेवमनाक्रन्दे भद्रे काममहाहिना
'O lotus-born one, desire, striking me, does not subside; thus I cry out, bitten by the great serpent of love, O gentle one.'
सा त्वं पीनायतश्रोणी मामाप्नुहि वरानने। त्वदधीना हि मे प्राणाः किन्नरोद्गीतभाषिणि
'Therefore, O you with broad hips and lovely face, accept me. My life depends on you, O one whose speech is like the songs of Kinnaras.'
चारुसर्वानवद्याङ्गि पद्मेन्दुप्रतिमानने। न ह्यहं त्वदृते भीरु शक्ष्यामि खलु जीवितुम्
'O flawless one, with beautiful limbs and a face like the lotus and the moon, I truly cannot live without you, O timid one.'
कामः कमलपत्राक्षि प्रतिविध्यति मामयम्। तस्मात्कुरु विशालाक्षि मय्यनुक्रोशमङ्गने
'O lotus-eyed one, desire strikes me; therefore, O wide-eyed lady, show me compassion.'
भक्तं मामसितापाङ्गि न परित्यक्तुमर्हसि। त्वं हि मां प्रीतियोगेन त्रातुमर्हसि भामिनि
O dark-eyed one, you should not abandon me, your devoted admirer; indeed, you ought to protect me with your affection, O beautiful lady.
त्वद्दर्शनकृतस्नेहं मनश्चलति मे भृशम्। न त्वां दृष्ट्वा पुनश्चान्यां द्रष्टुं कल्याणि रोचते
My mind, filled with longing from seeing you, is greatly unsettled; after beholding you, O auspicious one, I find no delight in looking upon any other woman.
प्रसीद वशगोऽहं ते भक्तं मां भज भामिनि। दृष्ट्वैव त्वां वरारोहे मन्मथो भृशमङ्गने
Be gracious, I am under your sway—accept me, your devoted admirer, O lovely lady; for as soon as I saw you, O fair-hipped one, Love himself struck me intensely, O gentle woman.
अन्तर्गतं विशालाक्षि विध्यति स्म पतत्त्रिभिः। मन्मथाग्निसमुद्भूतं दाहं कमललोचने
O wide-eyed one, the fire of love, kindled within me, burns fiercely, O lotus-eyed lady, as if pierced by the arrows of the god of love.
प्रीतिसंयोगयुक्ताभिरद्भिः प्रह्लादयस्व मे। पुष्पायुधं दुराधर्षं प्रचण्डशरकार्मुकम्
Gladden me with waters joined with the union of love, for the god of love, armed with his fierce bow and irresistible flower-arrows, is hard to withstand.
त्वद्दर्शनसमुद्भूतं विध्यन्तं दुःसहैः शरैः। उपशामय कल्याणि आत्मदानेन भामिनि
O auspicious lady, the pain caused by the unbearable arrows born from seeing you—quench it, O beautiful one, by giving yourself to me.
गान्धर्वेण विवाहेन मामुपैहि वराङ्गने। विवाहानां हि रम्भोरु गान्धर्वः श्रेष्ठ उच्यते
O lovely-limbed one, accept me through a Gandharva marriage; for among all forms of marriage, O slender-thighed lady, the Gandharva is said to be the best.
नाहमीशाऽऽत्मनो राजन्कन्या पितृमती ह्यहम्। मयि चेदस्ति ते प्रीतिर्याचस्व पितरं मम
O king, I am not my own mistress, for I am a maiden with a father; if you have affection for me, then ask my father for my hand.
यथा हि ते मया प्राणाः संभृताश्च नरेश्वर। दर्शनादेव भूयस्त्वं तथा प्राणान्ममाहरः
Just as I have cherished my own life, O lord of men, so by merely seeing you, you have taken my life as well.
न चाहमीशा देहस्य तस्मान्नृपतिसत्तम। समीपं नोपगच्छामि न स्वतन्त्रा हि योषितः
And I am not the mistress of my own body, O best of kings; therefore, I do not approach you, for women are not independent.
का हि सर्वेषु लोकेषु विश्रुताभिजनं नृपम्। कन्या नाभिलषेन्नाथं भार्तारं भक्तवत्सलम्
For in all the worlds, what maiden would not desire as her lord and husband a king of noble lineage, renowned and devoted to his beloved?
तस्मादेवं गते काले याचस्व पितरं मम। आदित्यं प्रणिपातेन तपसा नियमेन च
Therefore, in this situation, ask my father; with reverence, austerity, and discipline, approach the Sun.
स चेत्कामयते दातुं तव मामरिसूदन। भविष्याम्यद्य ते राजन्सततं वशवर्तिनी
If he wishes to give me to you, O slayer of enemies, then today, O king, I shall always be obedient to you.
अहं हि तपती नाम सावित्र्यवरजा सुता। अस्य लोकप्रदीपस्य सवितुः क्षत्रियर्षभ
For I am named Tapati, daughter of Savitri, the sister of Savitri, and the child of this world-illuminating Sun, O bull among Kshatriyas.
स गन्धर्ववचः श्रुत्वा तत्तदा भरतर्षभ। अर्जुनः परया भक्त्या पूर्णचन्द्र इवाबभौ
Hearing the words of the Gandharva, Arjuna, best of the Bharatas, shone with supreme devotion, like the full moon.
उवाच च महेष्वासो गन्धर्वं कुरुसत्तमः। जातकौतूहलोऽतीव वसिष्ठस्य तपोबलात्
And the mighty-armed Arjuna, foremost of the Kurus, spoke to the Gandharva, his curiosity greatly aroused by the power of Vasiṣṭha's austerity.
वसिष्ठ इति तस्यैतदृषेर्नाम त्वयेरितम्। एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं यथावत्तद्वदस्व मे
You have mentioned the name Vasiṣṭha for that sage; I wish to hear about this—tell me in detail.
य एष गन्धर्वपते पूर्वेषां नः पुरोहितः। आसीदेतन्ममाचक्ष्व क एष भगवानृषिः
O lord of Gandharvas, who is this revered sage who was the priest of our ancestors? Tell me about him.
ब्रह्मणो मानसः पुत्रो वसिष्ठोऽरुन्धतीपतिः। तपसा निर्जितौ शश्वदजेयावमरैरपि
Vasiṣṭha, the mind-born son of Brahmā and lord of Arundhatī, through austerity conquered those who are always unconquerable, even by the gods.
कामक्रोधावुभौ यस्य चरणौ समुवाहतुः। इन्द्रियाणां वशकरो वशिष्ठ इति चोच्यते
He whose feet are served by both desire and anger, who has mastery over his senses, is called Vasiṣṭha.
यथा कामश्च क्रोधश्च निर्जितावजितौ नरैः। जितारयो जिता लोकाः पन्थानश्च जिता दिशः
Just as desire and anger, when conquered by men, become subdued, so too are enemies, worlds, and all directions overcome.
यस्तु नोच्छेदनं चक्रे कुशिकानामुदारधीः। विश्वामित्रापराधेन धारयन्मन्युमुत्तमम्
He of noble mind, who did not destroy the Kuśikas, bearing the supreme anger caused by Viśvāmitra's offense—
पुत्रव्यसनसंतप्तः शक्तिमानप्यशक्तवत्। विश्वामित्रविनाशाय न चक्रे कर्म दारुणम्
Though tormented by the loss of his son and possessing great power, he did not perform a cruel act to destroy Viśvāmitra.
मृतांश्च पुनराहर्तुं शक्तः पुत्रान्यमक्षयात्। कृतान्तं नातिचक्राम वेलामिव महोदधिः
Able to restore his dead sons from the inexhaustible, he did not transgress the boundary set by Death, like the great ocean does not cross its shore.