दीप्यमाना श्रिया राजन्दिव्यरूपा मनोरमा। तदद्भुतं महद्दृष्ट्वा कुन्तीपुत्रो धनञ्जयः
Radiant with splendor, O King, possessing a divine and enchanting form, Kunti’s son Dhananjaya beheld that wondrous sight.
तां स्त्रियं परमप्रीत इदं वचनमब्रवीत्। का वै त्वमसि कल्याणिकुतो वाऽसि जलेचरी
Filled with utmost delight, he spoke these words to the woman: 'Who are you, O blessed one? From where do you come, O dweller in the waters?'
अप्सराऽस्मि महाबाहो देवारण्यविहारिणी
'I am an Apsaras, O mighty-armed one, roaming in the forests of the gods.'
इष्टा धनपतेर्नित्यं वर्गा नाम महाबल। मम सख्यश्चतस्रोऽन्याः सर्वाः कामगमाः शुभाः
'The Varga, renowned and powerful, are always favored by Dhanapati; four others are my companions, all beautiful and able to move at will.'
ताभिः सार्धं प्रयाताऽस्मि लोकपालनिवेशनम्। ततः पश्यामहे सर्वा ब्राह्मणं संशितव्रतम्
'Together with them, I went to the abode of the guardians of the worlds; there, we all saw a Brahmin devoted to strict vows.'
रूपवन्तमधीयानमेकमेकान्तचारिणम्। तस्यैव तपसा राजंस्तद्वयं तेजसा वृतम्
'Handsome, learned, and wandering alone, O King, by his austerity, we were enveloped in his brilliance.'
आदित्य इव तं देशं इत्वं सर्व व्यकाशयत्। तस्य दृष्ट्वा तपस्तादृग्रूपचाद्भुतमुत्तमम्
'Like the sun, he illuminated the entire region; seeing his austerity, his wondrous and supreme form, we were amazed.'
अवतीर्णाः स्म तं देशं तपोविघ्नचिकीर्षया। अहं च सौरभेयी च समीची बुद्बुदा लता
'We descended to that place intending to interrupt his penance; I, Saurabheyi, Samichi, Budbuda, and Lata.'
यौगपद्येन तं विप्रमभ्यगच्छाम भारत। गायन्त्योऽथहसन्त्यश्च लोभयित्वा च तं द्विजं
'All at once, O Bharata, we approached that Brahmin, singing and laughing, seeking to entice him.'
स च नास्मासु कृतवान्मनो वीर कथंचन। नाकम्पत महातेजाः स्थितस्तपसि निर्मले
'But he did not direct his mind toward us in any way, O hero; the great-souled one remained unmoved, steadfast in pure austerity.'
सोऽशपत्कुपितोऽस्मांस्तु ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियर्षभ। ग्राहभूता जले यूयं चरिष्यथ शतं समाः
'Angered, that Brahmin cursed us, O bull among Kshatriyas: "You shall become aquatic beings and dwell in water for a hundred years."'
ततो वयं प्रव्यथिताः सर्वा भारतसत्तम। अयाम शरणं विप्रं तं तपोधनमच्युतम्
Then, greatly distressed, O best of Bharatas, we all sought refuge with that Brahmin, rich in austerity and unwavering.
रूपेण वयसा चैव कन्दर्पेण च दर्पिताः। अयुक्तं कृतवत्यः स्म क्षन्तुमर्हसि नो द्विज
'Proud of our beauty, youth, and charm, we acted improperly; forgive us, O Brahmin.'
एष एव वधोऽस्माकं स्वयं प्राप्तस्तपोधन। यद्वयं संशितात्मानं प्रलोब्धुं त्वामिहागताः
'This punishment has come to us of itself, O ascetic; for we came here to tempt one whose soul is steadfast.'
अवध्यास्तु स्त्रियः सृष्टा मन्यन्ते धर्मचारिणः। तस्माद्धर्मेण वर्ध त्वं नास्मन्हिंसितुमर्हसि
'Righteous men consider women to be inviolable; therefore, grow in virtue and do not harm us.'
सर्वभूतेषु धर्मज्ञ मैत्रो ब्राह्मण उच्यते। सत्यो भवतु कल्याण एष वादो मनीषिणाम्
'A Brahmin is called friendly to all beings and knowledgeable of righteousness; let this be the truth, O blessed one, for this is the teaching of the wise.'
शरणं च प्रपन्नानां शिष्टाः कुर्वन्ति पालनम्। शरणं त्वां प्रपन्नाः स्म तस्मात्त्वं क्षन्तुमर्हसि
'The virtuous protect those who seek refuge; we have sought refuge with you, therefore you ought to forgive us.'
एवमुक्तः स धर्मात्मा ब्राह्मणः शुभकर्मकृत्। प्रसादं कृतवान्वीर रविसोमसमप्रभः
Thus addressed, that righteous Brahmin, performer of auspicious deeds, granted mercy, O hero, shining like the sun and moon.
शतं शतसहस्रं तु सर्वमक्षय्यवाचकम्। परिमाणं शतं त्वेतन्नेदमक्षय्यवाचकम्
A hundred, a hundred thousand, all are called inexhaustible; but the measure here is a hundred, and this is not termed inexhaustible.
यदा च वो ग्राहभूता गृह्णन्तीः पुरुषाञ्जले। उत्कर्षति जलात्तस्मात्स्थलं पुरुषसत्तमः
When you, having become grasping spirits, seize men with your hands, then the best of men lifts them from the water onto land.
तदा यूयं पुनः सर्वाः स्वं रूपं प्रतिपत्स्यथ। अनृतं नोक्तपूर्वं मे हसतापि कदाचन
Then all of you will regain your own forms; I have never spoken falsehood, not even in jest.
तानि सर्वाणि तीर्थानि ततः प्रभृति चैव ह। नारीतीर्थानि नाम्नेह ख्यातिं यास्यन्ति सर्वशः। पुण्यानि च भविष्यन्ति पावनानि मनीषिणां
From that time onward, all those sacred places will be known here by the name 'women's tirthas'; they will become holy and purifying for the wise.
ततोऽभिवाद्य तं विप्रं कृत्वा चापि प्रदक्षिणम्। अचिन्तयामोऽपसृत्य तस्माद्देशात्सुदुःखिताः
Then, having saluted that Brahmin and circumambulated him, we departed from that place, deeply distressed.
क्व नु नाम वयं सर्वाः कालेनाल्पेन तं नरम्। समागच्छेम यो नस्तद्रूपमापादयेत्पुनः
Where indeed might we, all together, in such a short time, meet the man who could restore us to our former state?
ता वयं चिन्तयित्वैव मुहूर्तादिव भारत। दृष्टवत्यो महाभागं देवर्षिमुत नारदम्
Having pondered thus for a moment, O Bharata, we beheld the illustrious divine sage Narada.
संप्रहृष्टाः स्म तं दृष्ट्वा देवर्षिममितद्युतिम्। अभिवाद्य च तं पार्थ स्थिताः स्म व्रीडिताननाः
Seeing that divine sage of immeasurable radiance, we were delighted; we saluted him, O Partha, and stood with faces ashamed.
स नोऽपृच्छद्दुःखमूलमुक्तवत्यो वयं च तम्। श्रउत्वा तत्र यथावृत्तमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्
He asked us the cause of our sorrow, and we told him; hearing all that had happened, he spoke these words.
दक्षिणे सागरानूपे पञ्च तीर्थानि सन्ति वै। पुण्यानि रमणीयानि तानि गच्छत मा चिरं
On the southern shore of the ocean, there are five sacred places, holy and beautiful; go there without delay.
तत्राशु पुरुषव्याघ्रः पाण्डवेयो धनञ्जयः। मोक्षयिष्यति शुद्धात्मा दुःखादस्मान्न संशयः
There, the tiger among men, Dhananjaya of the Pandavas, pure in soul, will free us from sorrow, without doubt.
इत्युक्त्वा नारदः सर्वास्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत।' तस्य सर्वा वयं वीर श्रुत्वा वाक्यमितो गताः। तदिदं सत्यमेवाद्य मोक्षिताहं त्वयाऽनघ
Having said this, Narada vanished from sight; O hero, hearing his words, we departed from there. Today, I have truly been freed by you, O sinless one.