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."
स तच् छ्रुत्वाथ संस्मृत्य क्षुधया पीडितो ऽपि सन् प्राह भद्रे न गृह्णामि नियमो हि कृतो मया
Hearing this, and recalling his vow, though tormented by hunger, he said, "Good lady, I will not accept it, for I have made a vow."
पुरतः सिद्धवर्गस्य न भोक्ष्ये शकटं त्व् इति परिज्ञानार्थम् उर्वश्या ददस्वान्यस्य कस्यचित्
"In the presence of the assembly of Siddhas, I will not eat the cart; for the sake of discernment, O Urvashi, give it to someone else."
साब्रवीन् नियमो भद्र कृतः काष्ठमये त्वया नासौ काष्ठमयो भुङ्क्ष्व क्षुधया चातिपीडितः
She said, "O good one, your vow was made regarding a wooden cart; this is not wooden—eat, for you are greatly afflicted by hunger."
तां ब्राह्मणः प्रत्युवाच न मया तद् विशेषणम् कृतं भद्रे ऽथ नियमः सामान्येनैव मे कृतः
The Brahmin replied to her, "I did not make such a specification, good lady; my vow was made in general terms only."
तं भूयः प्राह सा तन्वी न चेद् भोक्ष्यसि ब्राह्मण गृहं गृहीत्वा गच्छस्व कुटुम्बं तव भोक्ष्यति
Again, that slender woman said to him, "If you will not eat, O Brahmin, then take it home; your family will eat it."
स ताम् उवाच सुदति न तावद् यामि मन्दिरम् इहायाता वरारोहा त्रैलोक्ये ऽप्य् अधिका गुणैः
He said to her, "O beautiful one, I will not go home yet; you, of excellent form, have come here, surpassing even the three worlds in virtues."
सा मया मदनार्तेन प्रार्थिताश्वासितस् तया स्थीयतां क्षणम् इत्य् एवं स्थास्यामीति मयोदितम्
"Tormented by love, I entreated her and was reassured by her; she said, 'Wait a moment,' and I replied, 'I will wait.'"
मासमात्रं गतायास् तु तस्या भद्रे स्थितस्य च मम सत्यानुरक्तस्य संगमाय धृतव्रते
When a month had passed for her and for me, who remained steadfast in truth and devoted to union, holding firm to my vow—
तस्य सा वचनं श्रुत्वा कृत्वा स्वं रूपम् उत्तमम् विहस्य भावगम्भीरम् उर्वशी प्राह तं द्विजम्
Hearing his words, Urvashi, assuming her own excellent form, laughed deeply and gravely, and spoke to that Brahmin.
साधु सत्यं त्वया विप्र व्रतं निष्ठितचेतसा निष्पादितं हठाद् एव मम दर्शनम् इच्छता
"Well done! O Brahmin, with a mind fixed on truth, you have accomplished your vow, even forcibly desiring my appearance."