आकृष्टो ऽहं तव गुणै रूपं स्मृत्वा स्खलत्पदः इति ब्रुवन् हसन् हस्तम् आदायान्तः समाविशत्
Drawn by your virtues, recalling your form, I stumbled in my steps; saying this with a smile, he took her hand and entered within.
न बुबोध त्व् अहल्या तं जारं मेने तु गौतमम् रममाणा यथासौख्यं प्रागाच् छिष्यैः स गौतमः
Ahalya did not recognize him; she thought him to be Gautama, and enjoyed herself as she pleased, while Gautama had gone away with his disciples.
आगच्छन्तं नित्यम् एव अहल्या प्रियवादिनी प्रतियाति प्रियं वक्ति तोषयन्ती च तं गुणैः
Whenever he came, Ahalya spoke sweetly, greeted him, uttered loving words, and pleased him with her virtues.
ताम् अदृष्ट्वा महाप्राज्ञो मेने तन् महद् अद्भुतम् द्वारस्थितं मुनिश्रेष्ठं सर्वे पश्यन्ति नारद
Not seeing her, the wise sage considered it a great wonder; O Nārada, all saw the eminent sage standing at the door.
अग्निहोत्रस्य शालाया रक्षिणो गृहकर्मिणः ऊचुर् मुनिवरं भीता गौतमं विस्मयान्विताः
The guardians and household servants of the Agnihotra hall, frightened and amazed, spoke to the great sage Gautama.
भगवन् किम् इदं चित्रं बहिर् अन्तश् च दृश्यसे प्रिययान्तः प्रविष्टो ऽसि तथैव च बहिर् भवान् अहो तपःप्रभावो ऽयं नानारूपधरो भवान्
O revered one, what is this marvel? You are seen both outside and inside; you have entered within with your beloved, and yet you remain outside. Ah, this is the power of austerity! You assume many forms.
तच् छ्रुत्वा विस्मितस् त्व् अन्तः प्रविष्टः को नु तिष्ठति प्रिये अहल्ये भवति किं मां न प्रतिभाषसे इत्य् ऋषेर् वचनं श्रुत्वा अहल्या जारम् अब्रवीत्
Hearing this, astonished, he entered within and asked, 'Who is here, O dear Ahalya? Why do you not speak to me?' Hearing the sage's words, Ahalya spoke to her lover.
को भवान् मुनिरूपेण पापं त्वं कृतवान् असि इति ब्रुवती शयनाद् उत्थिता सत्वरं भयात्
'Who are you, disguised as a sage? You have committed a sin!' Saying this, she rose swiftly from the bed, frightened.
स चापि पापकृच् छक्रो बिडालो ऽभून् मुनेर् भयात् त्रस्तां च विकृतां दृष्ट्वा स्वप्रियां दूषितां तदा
The sinful Indra, out of fear of the sage, became a cat; seeing his beloved terrified and altered, now defiled.
उवाच स मुनिः कोपात् किम् इदं साहसं कृतम् इति ब्रुवन्तं भर्तारं सापि नोवाच लज्जिता
The sage, angered, said, 'What is this reckless act?' As he spoke thus to her husband, she, ashamed, did not reply.
अन्वेषयंस् तु तं जारं बिडालं ददृशे मुनिः को भवान् इति तं प्राह भस्मीकुर्यां मृषावदन्
Searching for the lover, the sage saw the cat and asked, 'Who are you?' He replied falsely, 'May I be reduced to ashes.'
कृताञ्जलिपुटो भूत्वा चैवम् आह शचीपतिः शचीभर्ता पुरां भेत्ता तपोधन पुरुष्टुतः
With hands joined in reverence, Śacī's lord spoke thus: 'I am Śacī's husband, destroyer of cities, praised by men, O ascetic.'
ममेदं पापम् आपन्नं सत्यम् उक्तं मयानघ महद्विगर्हितं कर्म कृतवान् अस्म्य् अहं मुने
'This sin has befallen me; what I have said is true, O sinless one. I have committed a greatly condemned act, O sage.'
स्मरसायकनिर्भिन्नहृदयाः किं न कुर्वते ब्रह्मन् मयि महापापे क्षमस्व करुणानिधे
'O Brahman, those whose hearts are pierced by the arrows of love—what do they not do? Forgive me, ocean of compassion, though I am a great sinner.'
सन्तः कृतापराधे ऽपि न रौक्ष्यं जातु कुर्वते निशम्य तद् वचो विप्रो हरिम् आह रुषान्वितः
The virtuous, even when wronged, never act harshly; hearing those words, the sage, filled with anger, addressed Hari.
भगभक्त्या कृतं पापं सहस्रभगवान् भव ताम् अप्य् आह मुनिः कोपात् त्वं च शुष्कनदी भव
'Let the sin committed through devotion to Bhaga make you Sahasrabhaga.' The sage, angered, also said, 'You become a dry river.'
ततः प्रसादयाम् आस कथयन्ती तदाकृतिम्
Then she sought to appease him, describing that situation.
मनसाप्य् अन्यपुरुषं पापिष्ठाः कामयन्ति याः अक्षयान् यान्ति नरकांस् तासां सर्वे ऽपि पूर्वजाः
Those wicked women who even desire another man in their mind go to endless hells, and so do all their ancestors.
भूत्वा प्रसन्नो भगवन्न् अवधारय मद्वचः तव रूपेण चागत्य माम् अगात् साक्षिणस् त्व् इमे
Having become pleased, O Lord, understand my words: these witnesses came to me, assuming your form.
तथेति रक्षिणः प्रोचुर् अहल्या सत्यवादिनी ध्यानेनापि मुनिर् ज्ञात्वा शान्तः प्राह पतिव्रताम्
'So be it,' said the guardians; Ahalyā, who speaks the truth, also agreed. The sage, knowing this through meditation and being tranquil, spoke to the devoted wife.
यदा तु संगता भद्रे गौतम्या सरिदीशया नदी भूत्वा पुना रूपं प्राप्स्यसे प्रियकृन् मम
O blessed one, when you unite with Gautamī, the goddess of the river, you shall become a river, and then, dear to me, you will regain your form.
इत्य् ऋषेर् वचनं श्रुत्वा तथा चक्रे पतिव्रता तया तु संगता देव्या अहल्या गौतमप्रिया
Hearing the sage's words, the devoted wife acted accordingly; thus, Ahalyā, beloved of Gautama, was united with the goddess.
पुनस् तद् रूपम् अभवद् यन् मया निर्मितं पुरा ततः कृताञ्जलिपुटः सुरराट् प्राह गौतमम्
She regained the very form I had created long ago; then the king of the gods, with hands joined in reverence, spoke to Gautama.
मां पाहि मुनिशार्दूल पापिष्ठं गृहम् आगतम् पादयोः पतितं दृष्ट्वा कृपया प्राह गौतमः
Protect me, O best of sages, for I, most sinful, have come to your house; seeing me fallen at your feet, Gautama spoke with compassion.
गौतमीं गच्छ भद्रं ते स्नानं कुरु पुरंदर क्षणान् निर्धूतपापस् त्वं सहस्राक्षो भविष्यसि
Go to Gautamī, and blessings be upon you; bathe, O Purandara. In a moment, your sins will be washed away, and you will become thousand-eyed again.
उभयं विस्मयकरं दृष्टवान् अस्मि नारद अहल्यायाः पुनर्भावं शचीभर्ता सहस्रदृक्
O Nārada, I have witnessed both wondrous events: the restoration of Ahalyā and the thousand-eyed lord, husband of Śacī.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थम् अहल्यासंगमं शुभम् इन्द्रतीर्थम् इति ख्यातं सर्वकामप्रदं नृणाम्
From that time, that sacred ford where Ahalyā was reunited became known as Indra-tīrtha, famed as granting all desires to men.
तस्माद् अप्य् अपरं तीर्थं जनस्थानम् इति श्रुतम् चतुर्योजनविस्तीर्णं स्मरणान् मुक्तिदं नृणाम्
Beyond that is another holy place, known as Janasthāna, spanning four yojanas; remembrance of it grants liberation to men.
वैवस्वतान्वये जातो राजाभूज् जनकः पुरा सो ऽपांपतेस् तु तनुजाम् उपयेमे गुणार्णवाम्
In the lineage of Vaivasvata, there was once born a king named Janaka, who married the virtuous daughter of the lord of waters, an ocean of virtues.
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां जनकां जनको नृपः अनुरूपगुणत्वाच् च तस्य भार्या गुणार्णवा
King Janaka was the origin of the Janakas, upholding dharma, wealth, desire, and liberation; his wife, Guṇārṇavā, was worthy of him due to her matching virtues.