जनकानां यज्ञसदो जनस्थानं प्रकीर्तितम् चतुर्योजनविस्तीर्णं स्मरणात् सर्वपापनुत्
The sacrificial hall of the Janakas is called Janasthāna, extending four yojanas; by merely remembering it, all sins are destroyed.
तत्र स्नानेन दानेन पितॄणां तर्पणेन तु तीर्थस्य स्मरणाद् वापि गमनाद् भक्तिसेवनात्
There, by bathing, giving gifts, offering oblations to ancestors, by remembering the sacred place, by going there, or by devoted service,
सर्वान् कामान् अवाप्नोति मुक्तिं च समवाप्नुयात्
One attains all desires and also obtains liberation.
अरुणा वरुणा चैव नद्यौ पुण्यतरे शुभे तयोश् च संगमः पुण्यो गङ्गायां मुनिसत्तम
The rivers Aruṇā and Varuṇā are most holy and auspicious; their confluence in the Gaṅgā, O best of sages, is supremely sacred.
तदुत्पत्तिं शृणुष्वेह सर्वपापविनाशिनीम् कश्यपस्य सुतो ज्येष्ठ आदित्यो लोकविश्रुतः
Now listen here to the origin of that which destroys all sins: the eldest son of Kashyapa, the Sun, renowned throughout the worlds.
त्रैलोक्यचक्षुस् तीक्ष्णांशुः सप्ताश्वो लोकपूजितः तस्य पत्नी उषा ख्याता त्वाष्ट्री त्रैलोक्यसुन्दरी
He is the eye of the three worlds, sharp-rayed, drawn by seven horses, honored by all; his wife is famed as Ushā, daughter of Tvaṣṭṛ, the most beautiful in the three worlds.
भर्तुः प्रतापतीव्रत्वम् असहन्ती सुमध्यमा चिन्तयाम् आस किं कृत्यं मम स्याद् इति भामिनी
Unable to endure the intense heat of her husband, that slender-waisted, radiant lady pondered, 'What should I do?'
तस्याः पुत्रौ महाराज्ञौ मनुर् वैवस्वतो यमः यमुना च नदी पुण्या शृणु विस्मयकारणम्
Her sons are the great kings Manu Vaivasvata and Yama; and the holy river Yamunā—now hear the cause for wonder.
साकरोद् आत्मनश् छायाम् आत्मरूपेण यत्नतः ताम् अब्रवीत् ततश् चोषा त्वं च मत्सदृशी भव
She carefully created her own shadow, in her own form; then Ushā said to her, 'Become like me.'
भर्तारं त्वम् अपत्यानि पालयस्व ममाज्ञया यावद् आगमनं मे स्यात् पत्युस् तावत् प्रिया भव
'By my command, care for my husband and children; until I return, be a beloved wife to my husband.'
नाख्यातव्यं त्वया क्वापि अपत्यानां तथा प्रिये तथेत्य् आह च सा छाया निर्जगाम गृहाद् उषा
'Do not reveal this to anyone, especially regarding the children, dear one.' Chāyā replied, 'So be it,' and Ushā departed from the house.
इत्य् उक्त्वा सा जगामाशु शान्तं रूपम् अभीप्सती सा गत्वोषा गृहं त्वष्टुः पित्रे सर्वं न्यवेदयत् त्वष्टापि चकितः प्राह तां सुतां सुतवत्सलः
Having said this, she swiftly went, desiring a peaceful form; Ushā went to the house of Tvaṣṭṛ, her father, and told him everything. Tvaṣṭṛ, startled and affectionate toward his daughter, spoke to her.
नैतद् युक्तं भर्तृमत्या यत् स्वैरेण प्रवर्तनम् अपत्यानां कथं वृत्तिर् भर्तुर् वा सवितुस् तव बिभेमि भद्रे शिष्टो ऽहं भर्तुर् गेहं पुनर् व्रज
'This is not proper for a married woman, to act independently; how will your children and your husband, the Sun, fare? I am afraid, dear one. I am restrained—return again to your husband's house.'
एवम् उक्ता तु पित्रा सा नेत्य् उक्त्वा वै पुनः पुनः उत्तरं च कुरोर् देशं जगाम तपसे त्वरा
Thus addressed by her father, she repeatedly refused, and then went with haste to the northern land of the Kurus to practice austerity.
तत्र तेपे तपस् तीव्रं वडवारूपधारिणी दुष्प्रेक्षं तं स्वकं कान्तं ध्यायन्ती निश्चला उषा
There, taking the form of a mare, Ushā performed severe austerities, her mind fixed on her beloved, the Sun, whom she could not bear to see.
एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे तात छाया चोषास्वरूपिणी पत्यौ सा वर्तयाम् आस अपत्यान्य् अथ जज्ञिरे
Meanwhile, O dear one, Chāyā, taking Ushā's form, lived with her husband, and children were born.
सावर्णिश् च शनिश् चैव विष्टिर् या दुष्टकन्यका सा छाया वर्तयाम् आस वैषम्येणैव नित्यशः
Sāvarṇi and Śani, and Viṣṭi, the wicked daughter—these were Chāyā's children, whom she always treated with partiality.
स्वेष्व् अपत्येषु चोषाया यमस् तत्र चुकोप ह वैषम्येणाथ वर्तन्तीं छायां तां मातरं तदा
Among Ushā's own children, Yama became angry at Chāyā, his mother, because she showed favoritism.
ताडयाम् आस पादेन दक्षिणाशापतिर् यमः पुत्रदौर्जन्यसंक्षोभाच् छाया वैवस्वतं यमम्
Yama, lord of the southern quarter, struck Chāyā with his foot, agitated by the injustice shown to him as a son by Chāyā.
शशाप पाप ते पादो विशीर्यतु ममाज्ञया विशीर्णचरणो दुःखाद् रुदन् पितरम् अभ्यगात् सवित्रे तं तु वृत्तान्तं न्यवेदयद् अशेषतः
She cursed, 'May your foot fall off by my command, you sinner!' His foot withered, and, weeping in pain, he went to his father, Savitṛ, and told him everything.
नेयं माता सुरश्रेष्ठ यया शप्तो ऽहम् ईदृशः अपत्येषु विरुद्धेषु जननी नैव कुप्यते
'This is not my mother, O best of gods, who has cursed me so; a mother does not become angry with her own children, even when they act against her.'
यद् बाल्याद् अब्रवं किंचिद् अथवा दुष्कृतं कृतम् नैव कुप्यति सा माता तस्मान् नेयं ममाम्बिका
'If, in childhood, I said or did something wrong, a true mother does not get angry; therefore, this is not my mother.'
यद् अपत्यकृतं किंचित् साध्व् असाधु यथा तथा मात्य् अस्यां सर्वम् अप्य् एतत् तस्मान् मातेति गीयते
Whatever is done by offspring, whether good or bad, all of it is attributed to the mother; therefore, she is called 'mother.'
प्रधक्ष्यन्तीव मां तात नित्यं पश्यति चक्षुषा वक्त्य् अग्निकालसदृशा वाचा नेयं मदम्बिका
O dear one, she always looks at me as if she would burn me with her gaze, and speaks words as harsh as fire—this is not my mother.
तत् पुत्रवचनं श्रुत्वा सविताचिन्तयत् ततः इयं छाया नास्य माता उषा माता तु सान्यतः
Hearing those words of the son, Savitā then thought: 'This Chāyā is not his mother; Uṣā is his mother, but elsewhere.'
मम शान्तिम् अभीप्सन्ती देशे ऽन्यस्मिंस् तपोरता उत्तरे च कुरौ त्वाष्ट्री वडवारूपधारिणी
Desiring my peace, devoted to austerity in another place, in the northern Kurus, the daughter of Tvaṣṭṛ, taking the form of a mare, abides.
तत्रास्ते सा इति ज्ञात्वा जगामेशो दिवाकरः यत्र सा वर्तते कान्ता अश्वरूपः स्वयं तदा
Knowing that she was there, the lord Sūrya went to where his beloved, in the form of a mare, dwelled, himself taking the form of a horse.
तां दृष्ट्वा वडवारूपां पर्यधावद् धयाकृतिः कामातुरं हयं दृष्ट्वा श्रुत्वा वै हेषितस्वनम्
Seeing her in the form of a mare, he, in the form of a stallion, pursued her; seeing and hearing the neighing of the lustful horse—
उषा पतिव्रतोपेता पतिध्यानपरायणा हयधर्षणसंभीता को न्व् अयं चेत्य् अजानती
Uṣā, devoted to her husband and absorbed in meditation on him, was frightened by the horse's approach, not knowing who he was.
अपलायत् पतौ प्राप्ते दक्षिणाभिमुखी त्वरा को नु मे रक्षको ऽत्र स्याद् ऋषयो वाथवा सुराः
She fled swiftly southward as he approached, thinking, 'Who here will protect me—perhaps the sages or the gods?'