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.
याज्ञवल्क्यश् च विप्रेन्द्रस् तस्य राज्ञः पुरोहितः तम् अपृच्छन् नृपश्रेष्ठो याज्ञवल्क्यं पुरोहितम्
Yājñavalkya, foremost among Brahmins, was the priest of that king. The best of kings questioned Yājñavalkya, his priest.
भुक्तिमुक्ती उभे श्रेष्ठे निर्णीते मुनिसत्तमैः दासीदासेभतुरगरथाद्यैर् भुक्तिर् उत्तमा
Enjoyment and liberation—both are considered supreme by the best of sages; enjoyment is superior when accompanied by servants, maidservants, elephants, horses, and chariots.
किंत्व् अन्तविरसा भुक्तिर् मुक्तिर् एका निरत्यया भुक्तेर् मुक्तिः श्रेष्ठतमा भुक्त्या मुक्तिं कथं व्रजेत्
However, enjoyment is fleeting and ends in dissatisfaction, while liberation alone is unsurpassed; liberation is the highest, surpassing enjoyment. How does one attain liberation through enjoyment?
सर्वसङ्गपरित्यागान् मुक्तिप्राप्तिः सुदुःखतः तद् ब्रूहि द्विजशार्दूल सुखान् मुक्तिः कथं भवेत्
By complete renunciation of all attachments, liberation is attained, though with great difficulty. Tell me, O best of Brahmins, how can liberation be attained with ease?
अपांपतिस् तव गुरुः श्वशुरः प्रियकृत् तथा तं गत्वा पृच्छ नृपते उपदेक्ष्यति ते हितम्
The lord of waters is your teacher and father-in-law, and well-disposed towards you. Go to him, O king; he will instruct you for your benefit.
याज्ञवल्क्यश् च जनको राजानं वरुणं तदा गत्वा चोचतुर् अव्यग्रौ मुक्तिमार्गं यथाक्रमम्
Then Yājñavalkya and King Janaka went to Varuṇa and, without agitation, asked him in due order about the path to liberation.
द्विधा तु संस्थिता मुक्तिः कर्मद्वारे ऽप्य् अकर्मणि वेदे च निश्चितो मार्गः कर्म ज्यायो ह्य् अकर्मणः
Liberation is established in two ways: through action and through non-action; the path is determined in the Veda, and action is indeed superior to non-action.
सर्वं च कर्मणा बद्धं पुरुषार्थचतुष्टयम् अकर्मणैवाप्यत इति मुक्तिमार्गो मृषोच्यते
All the four aims of human life are bound by action; thus, the path of liberation is said to arise even from non-action.
कर्मणा सर्वधान्यानि सेत्स्यन्ति नृपसत्तम तस्मात् सर्वात्मना कर्म कर्तव्यं वैदिकं नृभिः
By action, all attainments are accomplished, O best of kings; therefore, Vedic action must be performed by men with all their being.
तेन भुक्तिं च मुक्तिं च प्राप्नुवन्तीह मानवाः अकर्मणः कर्म पुण्यं कर्म चाप्य् आश्रमेषु च
Through that, people obtain both enjoyment and liberation here; the merit of action and even non-action is found in the stages of life.