तं सिद्धं प्राह मूर्खो ऽसौ किं त्वं वेत्सि त्रिविष्टपे नारायणोरुप्रभवाम् उर्वशीम् अप्सरोवराम्
That foolish one said to the accomplished one, 'Do you know Urvashi, the celestial nymph, born from the great power of Narayana in the threefold heaven?'
सिद्धस् तम् आह तां वेद्मि शक्रचामरधारिणीम् स्वर्गस्याभरणं मुख्यम् उर्वशीं साधुसंभवाम्
The accomplished one replied to him, 'I know her—Urvashi, who bears Indra's fan, the chief ornament of heaven, born of the virtuous.'
विप्रः सिद्धम् उवाचाथ ऋजुमार्गविवर्जितः तन् मित्र मत्कृते वार्त्ताम् उर्वश्या भवतादरात्
Then the Brahmin, devoid of straightforward conduct, said to the accomplished one, 'Friend, for my sake, please bring news of Urvashi.'
कथनीया यच् च सा ते ब्रूयाद् आख्यास्यते भवान् बाढम् इत्य् अब्रवीत् सिद्धः सो ऽपि विप्रो मुदान्वितः
"Whatever she might say to you, you must tell me," he said; the accomplished one agreed, and the Brahmin was filled with joy.
बभूव सिद्धो ऽपि ययौ मेरुपृष्ठं सुरालयम् समेत्य चोर्वशीं प्राह यद् उक्तो ऽसौ द्विजेन तु
Even as a perfected being, he went to the celestial abode atop Meru; meeting Urvashi, he conveyed what the Brahmin had said.
सा प्राह तं सिद्धवरं नाहं काशिपतिं द्विजम् जानामि सत्यम् उक्तं ते न चेतसि मम स्थितम्
She said to that accomplished one, 'I do not know the Brahmin, lord of Kashi; truly, what you say is correct, but he does not dwell in my mind.'
इत्य् उक्तः प्रययौ सो ऽपि कालेन बहुना पुनः वाराणसीं ययौ सिद्धो दृष्टो मूर्खेण वै पुनः
Thus addressed, he too departed, and after a long time, returned again to Varanasi; the accomplished one was seen once more by the fool.
दृष्टः पृष्टः किल भूयः किम् आहोरुभवा तव सिद्धो ऽब्रवीन् न जानामि माम् उवाचोर्वशी स्वयम्
Having seen him, he asked again, 'What did Urvashi say to you?' The accomplished one replied, 'I do not know; Urvashi herself spoke to me.'
सिद्धवाक्यं ततः श्रुत्वा स्मितभिन्नौष्ठसंपुटः पुनः प्राह कथं वेत्सीत्य् एवं वाच्या त्वयोर्वशी
Hearing the words of the accomplished one, with a smile breaking upon his lips, he spoke again, 'How do you know?'—this is what you should say to Urvashi.
बाढम् एवं करिष्यामीत्य् उक्त्वा सिद्धो दिवं गतः ददर्श शक्रभवनान् निष्क्रामन्तीम् अथोर्वशीम्
Saying, 'Very well, I shall do so,' the accomplished one went to heaven; there he saw Urvashi coming out from Indra's palace.
प्रोवाच तां सिद्धवरः सा च तं सिद्धम् अब्रवीत् नियमं कंचिद् अपि हि करोतु द्विजसत्तमः
The best of the accomplished ones spoke to her, and she replied to him, 'Let the excellent Brahmin undertake some vow.'
येनाहं कर्मणा सिद्ध तं जानामि न चान्यथा तद् उर्वशीवचो ऽभ्येत्य तस्मै मूर्खद्विजाय तु
'By whatever act, O accomplished one, I may know him, and not otherwise'—thus spoke Urvashi, and then approached the foolish Brahmin.
कथयाम् आस सिद्धस् तु सो ऽपीमं नियमं जगौ तवाग्रे सिद्धपुरुष नियमो ऽयं कृतो मया
Then the accomplished one told him, and he recited this vow before you: 'O accomplished man, I have taken this vow.'
न भोक्ष्ये ऽद्यप्रभृति वै शकटं सत्यम् ईरितम् इत्य् उक्तः प्रययौ सिद्धः स्वर्गे दृष्ट्वोर्वशीम् अथ
'From today onward, I will not eat the cart-fruit; this is truly spoken.' Thus addressed, the accomplished one departed, having seen Urvashi in heaven.
प्राहासौ शकटं भोक्ष्ये नाद्यप्रभृति कर्हिचित् तं सिद्धम् उर्वशी प्राह ज्ञातो ऽसौ सांप्रतं मया
He said, 'I will eat the cart-fruit; never from today onward will I abstain.' Urvashi said to the accomplished one, 'Now I have understood.'
नियमग्रहणाद् एव मूर्खो माम् उपहासकः इत्य् उक्त्वा प्रययौ शीघ्रं वासं नारायणात्मजा
'By the very taking of the vow, the fool has mocked me.' Saying this, the daughter of Narayana swiftly departed to her abode.
सिद्धो ऽपि विचचारासौ कामचारी महीतलम् उर्वश्य् अपि वरारोहा गत्वा वाराणसीं पुरीम्
The accomplished one, moving at will, wandered the earth; and Urvashi, of lovely form, went to the city of Varanasi.
मत्स्योदरीजले स्नानं चक्रे दिव्यवपुर्धरा अथासाव् अपि मूर्खस् तु नदीं मत्स्योदरीं मुने
She, bearing a divine form, bathed in the waters of the Matsyodari; and that fool, O sage, also went to the Matsyodari river.
जगामाथ ददर्शासौ स्नायमानाम् अथोर्वशीम् तां दृष्ट्वा ववृधे ऽथास्य मन्मथः क्षोभकृद् दृढम्
He went there and saw Urvashi bathing; seeing her, the agitation of love grew strong within him.
चकार मूर्खश् चेष्टाश् च तं विवेदोर्वशी स्वयम् तं मूर्खं सिद्धगदितं ज्ञात्वा सस्मितम् आह तम्
The fool made gestures, and Urvashi herself understood him; knowing the fool's words from the accomplished one, she smiled and spoke to him.
किम् इच्छसि महाभाग मत्तः शीघ्रम् इहोच्यताम् करिष्यामि वचस् तुभ्यं त्वं विश्रब्धं करिष्यसि
'What do you desire, O fortunate one, from me? Speak quickly here. I will do what you say; you may speak without hesitation.'
आत्मप्रदानेन मम प्राणान् रक्ष शुचिस्मिते
'By giving yourself to me, save my life, O fair-smiling one.'
तं प्राहाथोर्वशी विप्रं नियमस्थास्मि सांप्रतम् त्वं तिष्ठस्व क्षणम् अथ प्रतीक्षस्वागतं मम
Urvashi said to the Brahmin, 'I am now observing a vow. Wait for a moment, or else await my return.'
स्थितो ऽस्मीत्य् अब्रवीद् विप्रः सापि स्वर्गं जगाम ह मासमात्रेण सायाता ददर्श तं कृशं द्विजम्
The Brahmin replied, 'I am waiting.' She then went to heaven; after only a month, she returned and saw that Brahmin, now emaciated.
स्थितं मासं नदीतीरे निराहारं सुराङ्गना तं दृष्ट्वा निश्चययुतं भूत्वा वृद्धवपुस् ततः
For a month, he remained on the riverbank without food; seeing him thus, the celestial maiden, taking the form of an old woman, became resolute.
सा चकार नदीतीरे शकटं शर्करावृतम् घृतेन मधुना चैव नदीं मत्स्योदरीं गता
She made, on the riverbank, a cart covered with pebbles, and having filled it with ghee and honey, she entered the river with a fish-shaped belly.
स्नात्वाथ भूमौ वसन्ती शकटं च यथार्थतः तं ब्राह्मणं समाहूय वाक्यम् आह सुलोचना
After bathing, she stayed on the ground near the cart as it was, and, calling the Brahmin, the beautiful-eyed woman spoke these words.
मया तीव्रं व्रतं विप्र चीर्णं सौभाग्यकारणात् व्रतान्ते निष्कृतिं दद्यां प्रतिगृह्णीष्व भो द्विज
"O Brahmin, I have performed a severe vow for the sake of good fortune; at the end of the vow, I must offer expiation—please accept it, O twice-born."
स प्राह किम् इदं लोके दीयते शर्करावृतम् क्षुत्क्षामकण्ठः पृच्छामि साधु भद्रे समीरय
He said, "What is this, covered with pebbles, that is given in the world? My throat is parched with hunger; I ask you, good lady, please explain."
सा प्राह शकटो विप्र शर्करापिष्टसंयुतः इमं त्वं समुपादाय प्राणं तर्पय मा चिरम्
She said, "O Brahmin, this is a cart filled with flour made from pebbles; take this and satisfy your life-breath—do not delay."