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.
ऋषीणां वचनं श्रुत्वा उभाव् अपि सुदुःखितौ लज्जितौ च महाप्राज्ञौ गौतमो भार्यया सह पप्रच्छ मुनिशार्दूलम् अगस्त्यम् ऋषिसत्तमम्
Hearing the words of the sages, both were deeply distressed and ashamed; Gautama, wise, together with his wife, questioned the eminent sage Agastya.
को देशः किम् उ तीर्थं वा यत्र श्रेयः समाप्यते शीघ्रम् एव महाप्राज्ञ भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायकम्
What land or holy place is there where supreme benefit is quickly attained, O wise one, granting both enjoyment and liberation?
वदद्भिर् मुनिभिर् ब्रह्मन् मया श्रुतम् इदं वचः सर्वे कामास् तत्र पूर्णा गौतम्यां नात्र संशयः
O Brahman, I have heard this statement from the speaking sages: all desires are fulfilled at Gautamī, of this there is no doubt.
तस्माद् गच्छ महाबुद्धे गौतमीं पापनाशिनीम् अहं त्वाम् अनुयास्यामि यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु
Therefore, go, O great-minded one, to Gautamī, the destroyer of sins; I will follow you—do as you wish.
एतच् छ्रुत्वागस्त्यवाक्यं वृद्धया गौतमो ऽभ्यगात् तत्र तेपे तपस् तीव्रं पत्न्या स भगवान् ऋषिः
Hearing Agastya’s words, Gautama, together with the aged woman, went there; that venerable sage performed intense austerity with his wife.
स्तुतिं चकार देवस्य शंभोर् विष्णोस् तथैव च गङ्गां च तोषयाम् आस भार्यार्थं भगवान् ऋषिः
The venerable sage offered praise to the god Śambhu and likewise to Viṣṇu, and he pleased Gaṅgā for the sake of his wife.
खिन्नात्मनाम् अत्र भवे त्वम् एव शरणं शिवः मरुभूमाव् अध्वगानां विटपीव प्रियायुतः
In this world, for those whose hearts are weary, you alone are the refuge, O Śiva, like a beloved tree full of shade for travelers in the desert.
उच्चावचानां भूतानां सर्वथा पापनोदनः सस्यानां घनवत् कृष्ण त्वम् अवग्रहशोषिणाम्
You are, in every way, the remover of sins for all beings, high and low; like a rain cloud for crops, O Kṛṣṇa, for those withered by drought.
वैकुण्ठदुर्गनिःश्रेणिस् त्वं पीयूषतरंगिणी अधोगतानां तप्तानां शरणं भव गौतमि
You are the stairway out of the fortress of Vaikuṇṭha; you are the river with nectar-like waves. O Gautamī, become the refuge for those fallen down and tormented.
ततस् तुष्टावदद् वाक्यं गौतमं वृद्धया युतम् शरणागतदीनार्तं शरण्या गौतमी मुदा
Then, pleased, Gautamī, the worthy of refuge, spoke words to Gautama, who was accompanied by the aged woman, with joy for one who had sought her protection in distress.