ताञ् जित्वा पुनर् अप्य् आगाद् देवलोकं सुपूजितम् स चागत्य महाराजो वसिष्ठाच् च पुरोधसः
Having conquered them, he returned again to the highly honored realm of the gods; and upon his return, the great king received guidance from Vasiṣṭha, the chief priest.
उर्वश्या गमनं श्रुत्वा ततो दुःखसमन्वितः न जुहोति न चाश्नाति न शृणोति न पश्यति
Hearing of Urvaśī's departure, he was overcome with sorrow; he neither offered sacrifices, nor ate, nor listened, nor saw.
एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे तत्र मृतावस्थं नृपोत्तमम् बोधयाम् आस वाक्यैश् च हेतुभूतैः पुरोहितः
Meanwhile, the chief priest awakened the noble king, who was as if dead, with words bearing reasons.
सा मृताद्य महाराज मा व्यथस्व महामते एवं स्थितं तु मा त्वां वै अशिवाः स्पृश्युर् आशुगाः
She is dead now, O great-minded king; do not grieve. In such a state, let not inauspicious swift forces touch you.
न वै स्त्रैणानि जानीषे हृदयानि महामते शालावृकाणां यादॄंशि तस्मात् त्वं भूप मा शुचः
You do not know the hearts of women, O wise king; they are like those of jackals. Therefore, O ruler, do not sorrow.
को नाम लोके राजेन्द्र कामिनीभिर् न वञ्चितः वञ्चकत्वं नृशंसत्वं चञ्चलत्वं कुशीलता
Who in this world, O king of kings, has not been deceived by women? Deceitfulness, cruelty, fickleness, and cunning are their nature.
इति स्वाभाविकं यासां ताः कथं सुखहेतवः कालेन को न निहतः को ऽर्थी गौरवम् आगतः
Such is their inherent nature; how can they be sources of happiness? Who has not been ruined by time? Who, seeking honor, has attained it?
श्रिया न भ्रामितः को वा योषिद्भिः को न खण्डितः स्वप्नमायोपमा राजन् मदविप्लुतचेतसः
Who has not been led astray by fortune, or harmed by women? For those whose minds are intoxicated, reality is like a dream or illusion, O king.
सुखाय योषितः कस्य ज्ञात्वैतद् विज्वरो भव विहाय शंकरं विष्णुं गौतमीं वा महामते दुःखिनां शरणं नान्यद् विद्यते भुवनत्रये
For whom are women a source of happiness? Knowing this, be free from fever, O wise king. Apart from Śaṃkara, Viṣṇu, or the Ganges, there is no other refuge for the sorrowful in the three worlds.
एतच् छ्रुत्वा ततो राजा दुःखं संहृत्य यत्नतः गौतम्या मध्यसंस्थो ऽसाव् ऐलः परमधार्मिकः
Hearing this, the king diligently overcame his sorrow; Aila, supremely righteous, remained in the midst of the Ganges.
तत्र चाराधयाम् आस शिवं देवं जनार्दनम् ब्रह्माणं भास्करं गङ्गां देवान् अन्यांश् च यत्नतः
There, with great effort, he worshipped Śiva, Janārdana, Brahmā, the Sun, Gaṅgā, and other deities.
यो विपन्नो न तीर्थानि देवताश् च न सेवते स कालवशगो जन्तुः कां दशाम् अनुयास्यति
Whoever, having fallen into misfortune, does not serve holy places or deities, that creature, subject to time, what state will he attain?
तदीश्वरैकशरणो गौतमीसेवनोत्सुकः परां श्रद्धाम् उपगतः संसारास्थापराङ्मुखः
He who takes refuge in the one Lord, eager to serve the Gautamī, who has attained supreme faith and turned away from worldly attachments—
ईजे यज्ञांश् च बहुलान् ऋत्विग्भिर् बहुदक्षिणान् वेदद्वीपो ऽभवत् तेन यज्ञद्वीपः स उच्यते
He performed many sacrifices with priests, giving abundant gifts; thus, he became an island of Vedic rites, and for this reason it is called Yajñadvīpa.
पौर्णमास्यां तु शर्वर्यां तत्रायाति सदोर्वशी तस्य दीपस्य यः कुर्यात् प्रदक्षिणम् अथो नरः
On the night of the full moon, Urvaśī comes there; whoever circles that island in reverence at that time—
प्रदक्षिणीकृता तेन पृथिवी सागराम्बरा वेदानां स्मरणं तत्र यज्ञानां स्मरणं तथा
By that act, the earth with its oceans and sky is circumambulated; there, the remembrance of the Vedas and of sacrifices takes place.
सुकृती तत्र यः कुर्याद् वेदयज्ञफलं लभेत् ऐलतीर्थं तु तज् ज्ञेयं तद् एव च पुरूरवम्
Whoever performs meritorious acts there obtains the fruit of Vedic sacrifices; know that place as Ailatīrtha, and it is also called Purūrava.
वासिष्ठं चापि तत् तु स्यान् निम्नभेदं तद् उच्यते ऐले राज्ञि न किंचित् स्यान् निम्नं सर्वेषु कर्मसु
That is also called Vāsiṣṭha, and is known as the division of the channel; under King Aila, no division of the channel occurred in any of the rites.
यद् एतन् निम्नम् उर्वश्यां सर्वभावेन वर्तनम् तच् चापि भेदितं निम्नं वसिष्ठेन च गङ्गया
This division of the channel in Urvaśī’s place, the complete course, was also divided by Vasiṣṭha and by Gaṅgā.
निम्नभेदम् अभूत् तेन दृष्टादृष्टेष्टसिद्धिदम् तत्र सप्त शतान्य् आहुस् तीर्थानि गुणवन्ति च
Thus, the division of the channel became a giver of success in both seen and unseen desires; there, they say, are seven hundred excellent holy places.
तेषु स्नानं च दानं च सर्वक्रतुफलप्रदम् स्नानं कृत्वा निम्नभेदे यः पश्यति सुरान् इमान्
Bathing and giving gifts there bestow the fruit of all sacrifices; after bathing at the channel’s division, whoever sees these gods—
इह चामुत्र वा निम्नं न किंचित् तस्य विद्यते सर्वोन्नतिम् अवाप्यासौ मोदते दिवि शक्रवत्
Here or hereafter, for him, there is no decline at the channel; having attained all exaltation, he rejoices in heaven like Indra.
नन्दीतटम् इति ख्यातं तीर्थं वेदविदो विदुः तस्य प्रभावं वक्ष्यामि शृणु यत्नेन नारद
The holy place known as Nandītaṭa is known to those learned in the Vedas; I will declare its greatness—listen carefully, O Nārada.
अत्रिपुत्रो महातेजाश् चन्द्रमा इति विश्रुतः सर्वान् वेदांश् च विधिवद् धनुर्वेदं यथाविधि
The mighty son of Atri, known as Candramas, properly studied all the Vedas and the science of archery as prescribed.
अधीत्य जीवात् सर्वाश् च विद्याश् चान्या महामते गुरुपूजां करोमीति जीवम् आह स चन्द्रमाः बृहस्पतिस् तदा प्राह चन्द्रं शिष्यं मुदान्वितः
Having learned all knowledge from Jīva, Candramas said, 'I will honor my teacher'; then Bṛhaspati, pleased, spoke to his disciple Candra.
मम प्रिया तु जानीते तारा रतिसमप्रभा
Know that my beloved is Tārā, radiant as Rati.
प्रष्टुं तां च तदा प्रायाद् अन्तर् वेश्म स चन्द्रमाः तारां तारामुखीं दृष्ट्वा जगृहे तां करेण सः
Then Candramas went inside the house to ask her; seeing Tārā, whose face was like a star, he took her by the hand.
स्ववेश्म प्रति तां लोभाद् बलाद् आकर्षयत् तदा तावद् धैर्यनिधिर् ज्ञानी मतिमान् विजितेन्द्रियः
Out of desire, he forcibly drew her towards his own house; then, that ocean of patience, wise, intelligent, and self-controlled—
यावन् न कामिनीनेत्रवागुराभिर् निबध्यते विशेषतो रहःसंस्थां कामिनीम् आयतेक्षणाम्
So long as a man is not especially ensnared by the net of a woman's desirous glances, he does not seek out a woman with long, inviting eyes in a private place.
विलोक्य न मनो याति कस्य कामेषु वश्यताम् अत एवान्यपुरुषदर्शनं न कदाचन
Upon seeing such a woman, whose mind does not become subject to desire? For this reason, a virtuous woman should never look upon another man.