आर्ष्टिषेणप्रियपुत्र ऋतध्वज इति श्रुतः गुणवान् मतिमाञ् शूरः क्षत्रधर्मपरायणः
My beloved son was named Ṛtadhvaja, dear to Ṛṣṭiṣeṇa; he was renowned as virtuous, intelligent, heroic, and devoted to the duties of a warrior.
स कदाचिद् वनं प्रायान् मृगयाकृष्टचेतनः विश्रामम् अकरोद् अस्यां गुहायां स ऋतध्वजः
Once, drawn by the hunt, Ṛtadhvaja entered the forest and rested in this cave.
युवा स मतिमान् दक्षो बलेन महता वृतः तं विश्रान्तं नृपवरम् अप्सरा ददृशे ततः
He was young, intelligent, capable, and endowed with great strength. As he rested, an apsaras beheld this noble king.
गन्धर्वराजस्य सुता सुश्यामा इति विश्रुता तां दृष्ट्वा चकमे राजा राजानं चकमे च सा
She was known as Suśyāmā, daughter of the king of the Gandharvas. Seeing him, the king desired her, and she desired the king.
इति क्रीडा समभवत् तया राज्ञो महामते निवृत्तकामो राजेन्द्रस् ताम् आपृच्छ्यागमद् गृहम्
Thus, the wise king enjoyed sport with her; when his desire was fulfilled, the lord of kings took leave of her and returned home.
उत्पन्नाहं ततस् तस्यां सुश्यामायां महामते गच्छन्ती मां तदा माता इदम् आह तपोधन
From Suśyāmā, O wise one, I was born. As she departed, my mother spoke this to me, O ascetic.
यस् त्व् अस्यां प्रविशेद् भद्रे स ते भर्ता भविष्यति
Whoever enters here, O blessed one, will become your husband.
इत्य् उक्त्वा सा जगमाथ माता मम महामते तस्माद् अत्र प्रविष्टस् त्वं पुमान् नान्यः कदाचन
Having said this, my mother departed, O wise one. Therefore, you alone have entered here; no other man ever.
सहस्राणि तथाशीतिं कृत्वा राज्यं पिता मम अत्रैव च तपस् तप्त्वा ततः स्वर्गम् उपेयिवान्
My father ruled for eighty thousand years, and performed austerities here; then he attained heaven.
स्वर्गं याते ऽपि पितरि सहस्राणि तथा दश वर्षाणि मुनिशार्दूल राज्यं कृत्वा तथा परः
Even after my father went to heaven, another ruled for ten thousand years, O eminent sage.
स्वर्गे यातो मम भ्राता अहम् अत्रैव संस्थिता अहं ब्रह्मन् नान्यवृत्ता न माता न पिता मम
My brother went to heaven; I remain here. I, O Brahman, have no other occupation, nor mother, nor father.
अहम् आत्मेश्वरी ब्रह्मन् निविष्टा क्षत्रकन्यका तस्माद् भजस्व मां ब्रह्मन् व्रतस्थां पुरुषार्थिनीम्
I am the mistress of myself, O Brahman, established as a warrior maiden. Therefore, O Brahman, accept me, steadfast in vows and seeking a husband.
सहस्रायुर् अहं भद्रे मत्तस् त्वं वयसाधिका अहं बालस् त्वं तु वृद्धा नैवायं घटते मिथः
I am blessed with a thousand years of life; you surpass me in age. I am young, you are old; this union does not befit us.
त्वं भर्ता मे पुरा दिष्टो नान्यो भर्ता मतो मम धात्रा दत्तस् ततस् त्वं मां न निराकर्तुम् अर्हसि
You were destined to be my husband; I consider no other as such. You were given to me by the Creator; therefore, you should not reject me.
अथवा नेच्छसि मां त्वम् अप्रदुष्टाम् अनुव्रताम् ततस् त्यक्ष्यामि जीवं मे इदानीं तव पश्यतः
Or, if you do not desire me, who am uncorrupted and faithful, then I will abandon my life right now, before your very eyes.
अपेक्षिताप्राप्तितो हि देहिनां मरणं वरम् अनुरक्तजनत्यागे पातकान्तो न विद्यते
For embodied beings, death is preferable to the pain of separation from a beloved; such abandonment does not lead to sin.
वृद्धायास् तद् वचः श्रुत्वा गौतमो वाक्यम् अब्रवीत्
Hearing those words from the aged woman, Gautama spoke.
अहं तपोविरहितो विद्याहीनो ह्य् अकिंचनः नाहं वरो हि योग्यस् ते कुरूपो भोगवर्जितः
I am without austerity, lacking knowledge, and possess nothing; I am not a suitable husband for you, being unattractive and deprived of pleasures.
अनासो ऽहं किं करोमि अतपोविद्य एव च तस्मात् सुरूपं सुविद्याम् आपाद्य प्रथमं शुभे पश्चात् ते वचनं कार्यं ततो वृद्धाब्रवीद् द्विजम्
I am toothless, what can I do? I am without austerity or learning. Therefore, O auspicious one, first obtain beauty and knowledge, then fulfill your words; so spoke the aged woman to the twice-born.
मया सरस्वती देवी तोषिता तपसा द्विज तथैवापो रूपवत्यो रूपदाताग्निर् एव च
By my austerity, O twice-born, I have pleased the goddess Sarasvati; likewise, Agni, the giver of beauty, has granted me beauty.
तस्माद् वागीश्वरी देवी सा ते विद्यां प्रदास्यति अग्निश् च रूपवान् देवस् तव रूपं प्रदास्यति
Therefore, the goddess of speech will grant you knowledge, and Agni, the beautiful god, will bestow beauty upon you.
एवम् उक्त्वा गौतमं तं वृद्धोवाच विभावसुम् प्रार्थयित्वा सुविद्यं तं सुरूपं चाकरोन् मुनिम्
Having spoken thus to Gautama, the aged woman addressed Vibhavasu; after praying, she made the sage endowed with knowledge and beauty.
ततः सुविद्यः सुभगः सुकान्तो वृद्धां स पत्नीम् अकरोत् प्रीतियुक्तः तया स रेमे बहुला मनोज्ञया समाः सुखं प्रीतमना गुहायाम्
Then, possessing knowledge, fortune, and charm, he joyfully made the aged woman his wife; with her, delightful and pleasing, he spent many happy years in the cave, his mind content.
कदाचित् तत्र वसतोर् दंपत्योर् मुदतोर् गिरौ गुहायां मुनिशार्दूल आजग्मुर् मुनयो ऽमलाः
Once, as the joyful couple dwelled in the cave on the mountain, pure sages arrived there.
वसिष्ठवामदेवाद्या ये चान्ये च महर्षयः भ्रमन्तः पुण्यतीर्थानि प्राप्नुवंस् तस्य तां गुहाम्
Vasiṣṭha, Vāmadeva, and other great sages, wandering to holy places, reached his cave.
आगतांस् तान् ऋषीञ् ज्ञात्वा गौतमः सह भार्यया सत्कारम् अकरोत् तेषां जहसुस् तं च केचन
Recognizing the arrival of the sages, Gautama, together with his wife, honored them; some among them laughed at him.
ये बाला यौवनोन्मत्ता वयसा ये च मध्यमाः वृद्धां च गौतमं प्रेक्ष्य जहसुस् तत्र केचन
Those who were young, intoxicated by youth, and those of middle age, seeing Gautama and the aged woman, laughed at them.
पुत्रो ऽयं तव पौत्रो वा वृद्धे को गौतमो ऽभवत् सत्यं वदस्व कल्याणि इत्य् एवं जहसुर् द्विजाः
Is this your son or grandson? How did Gautama become old? Speak the truth, O blessed one—thus the twice-born laughed.
विषं वृद्धस्य युवती वृद्धाया अमृतं युवा इष्टानिष्टसमायोगो दृष्टो ऽस्माभिर् अहो चिरात्
For the old, a young woman is poison; for the old woman, a young man is nectar. We have witnessed this union of opposites after a long time.
इत्य् एवम् ऊचिरे केचिद् दंपत्योः शृण्वतोस् तदा एवम् उक्त्वा कृतातिथ्या ययुः सर्वे महर्षयः
Thus some spoke as the couple listened; having said this and been received as guests, all the great sages departed.