एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे प्रायाद् अक्षज्ञस् तत्र नारद विश्वावसुर् इति ख्यातो गन्धर्वाणां महेश्वरः
At that moment, Nārada, the knower of dice, arrived there. Viśvāvasu, renowned as the lord of the Gandharvas, also came.
गन्धर्वविद्यया राजंस् तया दीव्यामहे त्वया तथेत्य् उक्त्वा स नृपतिर् जितम् इत्य् अब्रवीत् तदा
"O king, let us play with you using the Gandharva art of dice." The king agreed, and then declared victory.
तौ जित्वा नृपतिर् मौर्ख्याद् देवेन्द्रं प्राह कश्मलम्
Having defeated them, the king, out of foolishness, spoke harshly to Indra.
रणे वा देवने वापि न त्वं जेता कथंचन महेन्द्र सततं तस्माद् अस्मदाराधको भव वद केन प्रकारेण जाता देवेन्द्रता तव
"Whether in battle or in play, you can never win, O Mahendra. Therefore, always be devoted to us. Tell me, by what means did you become the lord of the gods?"
तथा प्राहोर्वशीं गर्वाद् गच्छ कर्मकरी भव उर्वशी प्राह देवेषु यथा वर्ते तथा त्वयि वर्तेय सर्वभावेन न मां धिक्कर्तुम् अर्हसि
Then, out of pride, Pramati said to Urvashi: 'Go, become a servant.' Urvashi replied, 'As I behave among the gods, so shall I behave with you, with all my heart; you should not reproach me.'
ततस् तां प्रमतिः प्राह त्वादृश्यः सन्ति चारिकाः त्वं किं विलज्जसे भद्रे गच्छ कर्मकरी भव
Then Pramati said to her, 'There are many women like you. Why are you ashamed, O good lady? Go, become a servant.'
एतच् छ्रुत्वा नृपेणोक्तं गन्धर्वाधिपतिस् तदा चित्रसेन इति ख्यातः सुतो विश्वावसोर् बली
Hearing this, the king spoke to the lord of the Gandharvas, who at that time was known as Citraseṇa, the powerful son of Viśvāvasu.
दीव्ये ऽहं वै त्वया राजन् सर्वेणानेन भूपते राज्येन जीवितेनापि मदीयेन तवापि च
O king, I will contend with you in a game, staking all—my kingdom, my life, and yours as well.
तथेत्य् उक्त्वा पुनर् उभौ चित्रसेननृपोत्तमौ दीव्येताम् अभिसंरब्धौ चित्रसेनो ऽजयत् तदा
Having agreed, both Citraseṇa and the eminent king, filled with eagerness, played the game; then Citraseṇa won.
गान्धर्वैस् तं महापाशैर् बबन्ध नृपतिं तदा चित्रसेनो ऽजयत् सर्वम् उर्वशीमुख्यतः पणैः
Then the Gandharvas bound the king with great bonds; Citraseṇa won everything, especially Urvashi, as the wager.
राज्यं कोशं बलं चैव यद् अन्यद् वसु किंचन चित्रसेनस्य तज् जातं यद् आसीत् प्रमतेर् धनम्
The kingdom, treasury, army, and whatever other wealth there was—all that belonged to Pramati became Citraseṇa's.
तस्य पुत्रो बाल एव पुरोधसम् उवाच ह वैश्वामित्रं महाप्राज्ञं मधुच्छन्दसम् ओजसा
His son, though still a child, spoke with strength to the wise priest, Viśvāmitra, known as Madhucchandas.
किं मे पित्रा कृतं पापं क्व वा बद्धो महामतिः कथम् एष्यति स्वं स्थानं कथं पाशैर् विमोक्ष्यते
'What sin did my father commit? Where is that great-minded one bound? How will he return to his own place? How will he be freed from the bonds?'
सुमतेर् वचनं श्रुत्वा ध्यात्वा स मुनिसत्तमः मधुच्छन्दा जगादेदं प्रमतेर् वर्तनं तदा
Hearing Sumati's words and reflecting, the best of sages, Madhucchandas, then spoke of Pramati's fate.
देवलोके तव पिता बद्ध आस्ते महामते कैतवैर् बहुदोषैश् च भ्रष्टराज्यो बभूव ह
'In the world of the gods, your father, O wise one, sits bound. Deprived of his kingdom by many deceptions and faults, he has fallen.'
यो याति कैतवसभां स चापि क्लेशभाग् भवेत् द्यूतमद्यामिषादीनि व्यसनानि नृपात्मज
'Whoever goes to the assembly of gamblers also partakes of suffering. Gambling, drinking, meat-eating, and such are ruinous, O prince.'
पापिनाम् एव जायन्ते सदा पापात्मकानि हि एकैकम् अप्य् अनर्थाय पापाय नरकाय च
'Indeed, only the sinful are born with sinful natures. Each one of these leads to misfortune, sin, and hell.'
यानासनाभिलापाद्यैः कृतैः कैतववर्तिभिः कुलीनाः कलुषीभूताः किं पुनः कितवो जनः
'By chariots, seats, speech, and other means, those who follow deceit corrupt even noble families—what then of gamblers themselves?'
कितवस्य तु या जाया तप्यते नित्यम् एव सा स चापि कितवः पापो योषितं वीक्ष्य तप्यते
'The wife of a gambler suffers constantly, and the gambler himself, sinful, suffers when he sees a woman.'
तां दृष्ट्वा विगतानन्दो नित्यं वदति पापकृत् अहो संसारचक्रे ऽस्मिन् मया तुल्यो न पातकी
'Seeing her, joyless, he who acts wickedly always says: Alas, in this cycle of existence, there is no sinner equal to me.'
न किंचिद् अपि यस्यास्ते लोके विषयजं सुखम् लोकद्वये ऽपि न सुखी कितवः कोपि दृश्यते
'One who has nothing of worldly pleasure in this world—such a gambler is never happy, not in either world.'
विभाति च तथा नित्यं लज्जया दग्धमानसः गतधर्मो निरानन्दो ग्रस्तगर्वस् तथाटति
'He always appears thus: his mind burned by shame, bereft of virtue, joyless, his pride consumed, he wanders about.'
अकैतवी च या वृत्तिः सा प्रशस्ता द्विजन्मनाम् कृषिगोरक्ष्यवाणिज्यम् अपि कुर्यान् न कैतवम्
The occupation that is free from deceit is esteemed for those twice-born; one may engage in agriculture, cattle-keeping, and trade, but not with deception.
यस् तु कैतववृत्त्या हि धनम् आहर्तुम् इच्छति धर्मार्थकामाभिजनैः स विमुच्येत पौरुषात्
But whoever seeks to obtain wealth through deceitful means is deprived of virtue, prosperity, pleasure, and noble lineage by his own actions.
वेदे ऽपि दूषितं कर्म तव पित्रा तदादृतम् तस्मात् किं कुर्महे वत्स यद् उक्तं ते विधीयते
Even in the Veda, the act is condemned; your father regarded it thus. Therefore, what shall we do, dear one? What has been spoken to you must be followed.
विधातृविहितं मार्गं को नु वात्येति पण्डितः
Who among the wise can surpass the path ordained by the Creator?
एतत् पुरोधसो वाक्यं श्रुत्वा सुमतिर् अब्रवीत्
Hearing these words of the priest, Sumati spoke.
किं कृत्वा प्रमतिस् तातः पुना राज्यम् अवाप्नुयात्
What should Pramati do, father, so that he may regain the kingdom?
पुनर् ध्यात्वा मधुच्छन्दाः सुमतिं चेदम् अब्रवीत्
Having reflected again, Madhuchhanda spoke to Sumati.
गौतमीं याहि वत्स त्वं तत्र पूजय शंकरम् अदितिं वरुणं विष्णुं ततः पाशाद् विमोक्ष्यते
Go to Gautami, dear one; there worship Śaṃkara, Aditi, Varuṇa, and Viṣṇu. Then you will be released from the bonds.