तत उत्थाय भगवान्व्यासो द्वैपायनः प्रभुः। करे गृहीत्वा राजानं राजवेश्म समाविशत्
Then the venerable Vyasa, the mighty son of Dwaipayana, arose, and taking the king by the hand, entered the royal palace.
पाण्डवाश्चापि कुन्ती च धृष्टद्युम्नश्च पार्षतः। विविशुस्तेऽपि तत्रैव प्रतीक्षन्ते स्म तावुभौ
And the Pandavas, Kunti, and Dhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata, also entered there and waited for those two.
ततो द्वैपायनस्त्समै नरेन्द्राय महात्मने। आचख्यौ तद्यथा धर्मो बहूनामेकपत्निता
Then Dwaipayana spoke to that great-souled king, narrating how righteousness was established for many in the case of one wife.
यथा च ते ददुश्चैव राजपुत्र्याः पुरा वरम्। धर्माद्यास्तपसा तुष्टाः पञ्चपत्नीत्वमीश्वराः
And how, in ancient times, the gods, pleased by her austerities, granted the royal maiden the boon of having five husbands.
मा भूद्राजंस्तव तापो मनस्थः पञ्चानां भार्या दुहिता ममेति। मातुरेषा प्रार्थिता स्यात्तदानीं पञ्चानां भार्या दुहिता ममेति
Let not your mind be troubled, O king, that my daughter is the wife of five men; at that time, this was requested by her mother—that my daughter should be the wife of five men.
याजोपयाजौ धर्मरतौ तपोभ्यां तौ चक्रतुः पञ्चपतित्वमस्याः। तत्पञ्चभिः पाण्डुसुतैरवाप्ता भार्या कृष्णा मोदतां वै कुलं ते
Yaja and Upayaja, devoted to righteousness and austerity, caused her to have five husbands; thus Krishnaa became the wife of the five sons of Pandu—may your lineage rejoice.
लोके नान्यो विद्यते त्वद्विशिष्टः सर्वारीणामप्रधृष्योऽसि राजन्। भूयस्त्विदं शृणु मे त्वं विशोको यथाऽऽगतं पञ्चपत्नीत्वमस्याः
In this world, there is no one superior to you, unconquerable by all your enemies, O king. Now listen further without sorrow, to how she came to have five husbands.
एषा नालायनी पूर्वं मौद्गल्यं स्थविरं पतिम्। आराधयामास तदा कुष्ठिनं तमनिन्दिता
Formerly, this woman was Nalayani, the blameless one, who worshipped her aged husband Maudgalya, who was afflicted with leprosy.
त्वगस्थिभूतं कटुकं लोलमीर्ष्युं सुकोपनम्। सुगन्धेतरगन्धाढ्यं वलीपलितमूर्धजम्
He was reduced to skin and bone, harsh, fickle, jealous, quick to anger, possessed of foul odors, with hair wrinkled and gray.
स्थविरं विकृताकारं शीर्यमाणनखत्वचम्। उच्छिष्टमुपभुञ्जाना पर्युपास्ते महामुनिम्
That aged man, deformed in appearance, with decaying nails and skin, she attended, consuming his leftovers, serving the great sage.
ततः कदाचिदङ्गुष्ठो भुञ्जानस्य व्यशीर्यत। अन्नादुद्धृत्य तच्चान्नमुपभुङ्क्तेऽविशङ्किता
Then once, as he was eating, his thumb fell off; she took that food from the dish and ate it without hesitation.
तेन तस्याः प्रसन्नेन कामव्याहारिणा तदा। वरं वृणीष्वेत्यसकृदुक्ता वव्रे वरं तदा
Then, pleased with her, that sage who spoke as he wished, repeatedly said, 'Choose a boon,' and she then chose her boon.
नाहं वृद्धो न कटुको नेर्व्यावान्नैव कोपनः। न च दुर्गन्धवदनो न कृशो न च लोलुपः
I am not old, nor harsh, nor lacking vigor, nor irritable; nor do I have foul breath, nor am I thin, nor greedy.
कथं त्वां रमयामीह कथं त्वां वासयाम्यहम्। वद कल्याणि भद्रं ते यथा त्वं मनसेच्छसि
How shall I please you here, how shall I dwell with you? Tell me, O blessed one, may good fortune be yours, as you desire in your mind.
सा तमक्लिष्टकर्माणं वरदं सर्वकामदम्। भर्तारमनवद्याङ्गी प्रसन्नं प्रत्युवाच ह
She, flawless in form, spoke to her husband, who performed untroubled deeds, who grants boons and fulfills all desires, and who was pleased.
पञ्चधा प्रविभक्तात्मा भगवांल्लोकविश्रुतः। रमय त्वमचिन्त्यात्मन्पुनश्चैकत्वमागतः
The blessed one, renowned in all worlds, whose self is divided fivefold, yet again united as one, enjoy me, O incomprehensible soul.
तां तथेत्यब्रवीद्धीमान्महर्षिर्वै महातपाः। स पञ्चधा तु भूत्वा तां रमयामास सर्वतः
The wise, great ascetic said to her, 'So be it.' Then, having assumed five forms, he pleased her in every way.
नालायनीं सुकेशान्तां मौद्गल्यश्चारुहासिनीम्। आश्रमेष्वधिकं चापि पूज्यमानो महर्षिभिः
Maudgalya, honored by the sages in the hermitages, dwelt with Nalayani, she of lovely hair and charming smile, more esteemed than all.
स चचार यथाकामं कामरूपवपुः पुनः। यदा ययौ दिवं चापि तत्र देवर्षिभिः सह
He moved about as he wished, again taking forms at will; and when he went to heaven, he was accompanied by the divine sages.
चचार सोऽमृताहारः सुरलोके चचार ह। पूज्यमानस्तथा शच्या शक्रस्य भवनेष्वपि
He wandered in the realm of the gods, subsisting on ambrosia, and was honored by Shachi in the palaces of Shakra.
महेन्द्रसेनया सार्धं पर्यधावद्रिरंसया। सूर्यस्य च रथं दिव्यमारुह्य भगवान्प्रभुः
Together with the army of Mahendra, the blessed lord ran across the mountains, and ascended the celestial chariot of the sun.
पर्युपेत्य पुनर्मेरु मेरौ वासमरोचयत्। आकाशगङ्गामाप्लुत्य तया सह तपोधनः
Arriving again at Meru, he established his dwelling there; having bathed in the celestial Ganga, the ascetic remained with her.
रश्मिजालेषु चन्द्रस्य उवाच च यथाऽनिलः। गिरिरूपधरो योगी स महर्षिस्तदा पुनः
In the moon's web of rays, he spoke as the wind, and again, the great sage, taking the form of a mountain, practiced yoga.
तत्प्रभावेन सा तस्य मध्ये जज्ञे महानदी। यदा पुष्पाकुलः सालः संजज्ञे भगवानृषिः
By his power, a great river was born in his midst; when the sala tree blossomed with flowers, the blessed sage was manifested.
लतात्वमनुसंपेदे तमेवाभ्यनुवेष्टती। पुपोष च वपुर्यस्य तस्य तस्यानुगं पुनः
The creeper followed him, entwining around him, and nourished his form, always accompanying him.
सा पुपोष समं भर्त्रा स्कन्धेनापि चचार ह। ततस्तस्य च तस्याश्च तुल्या प्रीतिरवर्धत
She nourished him together with her husband, and also wandered with Skanda; then their mutual affection increased equally.
तथा सा भगवांस्तस्याः प्रसादादृषिसत्तमः। विरराम च सा चैव दैवयोगेन भामिनी
Thus, by her favor, the blessed one, foremost among sages, ceased, and she too, the radiant one, stopped by divine arrangement.
स च तां तपसा देवीं रमयामास योगतः। एकपत्नी तथा भूत्वा सदैवाग्रे यशस्विनी
He pleased that goddess through asceticism and yoga; having become devoted to one wife, she was always foremost in fame.
अरुन्धतीव सीतेव बभूवातिपतिव्रता। दमयन्त्याश्च मातुः स विशेषमधिकं ययौ
Like Arundhati and Sita, she became supremely devoted to her husband; and he surpassed even the mother of Damayanti.
एतत्तथ्यं महाराज मा ते भूद्बुद्धिरन्यथा। सा वै नालायनी जज्ञे दैवयोगेन केनचित्
This is the truth, O great king, let your mind not think otherwise; Nalayani was indeed born by some divine arrangement.