निर्मलं मण्डलाकारं सणिराजविराजितम् । हस्तलक्षपरिमितं चतुरस्रं च सुन्दरि
Pure, circular in shape, splendidly decorated with lines, measured by the marks of the hand, and four-sided, O beautiful one.
पद्मापद्मासनं श्रेष्ठं प्रेष्ठं तस्या सुदुर्लभम् । ध्रुवं तुम्यं प्रदास्यामि कृत्वा पद्मालयाव्रतम्
I will grant you the supreme and most cherished lotus seat, exceedingly rare, fixed and excellent, after performing the vow of Padmālayā.
इत्येवमुक्त्वा नहुषः कृत्वा वर्त्मनिरौधनम् । पुनः पपात चरणे महेन्द्राण्या मुहुर्मुहुः
Having spoken thus, Nahuṣa, after blocking the path, again fell repeatedly at the feet of Mahendrāṇī.
नृपस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा शुष्ककण्ठौष्ठतालुका । तमुवाच महेन्द्राणी स्मारं स्मारं गुरुं हरिम्
Hearing the king's words, with throat, lips, and palate parched, Mahendrāṇī spoke to him, remembering again and again her revered Lord Hari.
शच्युवाच अचेतनस्य मूढस्य कार्याकार्यमजानतः । श्रोष्याम्यद्य कतिविधां कथां कामातुरस्य च
Śacī said: How many kinds of stories must I hear today from one who is senseless, deluded, and ignorant of what should or should not be done, overcome by desire?
मधुमत्तः सुरासत्तः काममत्तो दिचेतनः । मृत्युं न गणचेत्कामी कामेन हृतमानसः
Intoxicated by honey, maddened by liquor, crazed by desire, devoid of sense—such a man, his mind seized by passion, does not even consider death.
त्यज मामध हे मत्त मातृतुल्यां रजक्वलाम् । ऋतोः प्रथामो दिवसो ह्यद्य हे नृप मे ध्रुवम्
Give up, O intoxicated one, your desire for me, who am like a mother and impure; today is the very first day of my period, O king, this is certain.
प्रथमे दिवसे स्त्री च चाण्डाली सा रजस्वला । द्वितीये दिवसे म्लेच्छा तृतीये रजकी तथा
On the first day, a woman is like a cāṇḍālī and menstruating; on the second day, she is like a mlecchā; on the third, like a washerwoman.
शुद्धा भर्तुश्चतुर्येऽह्नि न शुद्धा दैवपै ययौः । असच्छूद्रासमा सा च तद्दिने च परं प्रति
On the fourth day, she is pure for her husband, but not pure for divine rites; on that day, she is considered equal to a non-Śūdra for others.
प्रथमे दिवसे कान्तां यो हि गच्छेद्रजस्वलाम् । ब्रह्महत्याचतुर्थाशं लभते नात्र संशयः
Whoever approaches a menstruating woman on the first day obtains a quarter of the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa—of this there is no doubt.
स पुमान्न रि कर्मार्हों दैवे पित्र्ये च कर्मणि । अधमः स च सर्वेषां निन्दितश्च यशस्करः
Such a man is unfit for any ritual, whether divine or ancestral; he is the lowest of all, condemned and infamous.
द्वितीये दिवसे नारीं यो व्रजेच्च रजस्वलाम् । कामतः परिपूर्णाञ्च गोहत्यां लभते ध्रुवम्
Whoever, out of desire, approaches a menstruating woman on the second day certainly incurs the sin of cow slaughter.
आजीवनं नाधिकारी पितृविप्रसुरार्चने । अमनुष्योऽयशस्यः स्यादित्याङ्गिरसभाषितम्
He is never eligible, for life, to worship ancestors, Brāhmaṇas, or gods; he becomes unworthy and infamous, as declared by Aṅgiras.
दृतीये दिवसे जायां यो हि गच्छेद्रजस्वलाम् । स मूढो भ्रूणहत्यां च लभते नात्र संशयाः
Whoever approaches his wife while she is menstruating on the third day, that deluded man certainly incurs the sin of foeticide.
पूर्ववत्पतितः सोऽपि न चार्हः सर्वकर्मसु । असच्छूद्रा चतुर्थेऽह्नि न गच्छेत्तां विचक्षणः
As before, he is fallen and unfit for all rites; on the fourth day, the wise should not approach her, as she is like a non-Śūdra.
ऋतावतीते दिवसे गमनं च करिष्यसि । शच्याश्च वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रहस्य नहुषस्तया
If you unite after the period has ended, having heard Śacī's words, Nahuṣa laughed in response.
उवाच मधुरं शान्तः शक्रकान्तां च सुव्रताम् । देवपत्नी सदा शुद्धा तन्न्यूनं मानवं प्रति
He, calm and gentle, spoke sweetly to Śakra’s virtuous wife; the wife of the lord of the gods is always pure, and in this she is not less than a human woman.
शयने भोजने देवी नाशुद्धा मानवं प्रति । रजस्वलायाः संभोगे कर्मक्षेत्रे च भारते
O Bhārata, the goddess is not impure with respect to a mortal, whether in bed or at meals; impurity arises only from union with a menstruating woman, or in the field of action.
त्वयोक्तं च भवेत्पा पं नात्र दु (स्व)र्गे च सुन्दरि । कर्मक्षेत्रेऽपि तत्कर्म यद्वेदोक्तं शुभाशुभम्
Whatever you have declared as sin, O beautiful one, is not so here in heaven; even in the field of action, that act is as the Veda prescribes, whether auspicious or inauspicious.
न भवेद्वैष्णवानां च ज्वलतां ब्रह्मतेजसा । यथा प्रदीप्ते वह्नौ च शुष्काणि च तृणानि च
For the Vaiṣṇavas, blazing with the radiance of Brahman, sin does not exist—just as dry grass is consumed in a blazing fire.
भवन्ति भस्मीभूतानि तथा पापानि वैष्णपे । वह्निसूर्यब्राह्मणेभ्यस्तेजयान्वैष्णपः सदा
So too, sins are reduced to ashes for a Vaiṣṇava; the Vaiṣṇava is always more radiant than fire, the sun, or the brāhmaṇas.
रक्षितो विष्णुचक्रेण स्वतन्त्रो मत्तकुंजरः । न विचारो न भोगश्च पैष्मवानां स्वकर्मणाम्
Protected by Viṣṇu’s discus, independent, like a mad elephant, there is no judgment or enjoyment of the actions of the Vaiṣṇavas.
निखितं साम्नि कौथुम्यां कुरु प्रश्नं बृहस्पतीम् । अस्मांश्च सर्वे जानन्ति चन्द्रवंश्यांश्च वैष्णवान्
Ask your question to Bṛhaspati, who is versed in the Sāma Veda and the Kauthumī tradition; all the descendants of the lunar dynasty know this, as do the Vaiṣṇavas.
देवमन्यं न सेवन्ते चन्द्रवंश्या हरिं विना । सद्वंशप्रभवो यो हि ब्रह्मणः क्षत्रियोऽथवा
The lunar dynasty does not worship any god other than Hari; whether descended from a noble line, brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya, they do not.
विष्णुमन्त्रं न गृण्हाति वञ्चितो देवमायया । को वा मन्त्रश्च के देवा न हि शास्ता यमो मम
He who does not recite the Viṣṇu mantra is deluded by the divine illusion; what is a mantra, who are the gods? Yama is not my lord.
सर्वाञ्छास्तुं समर्थोऽहं ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवान्विना । शय्यां कृरु गुहं गत्वा शीघ्रं यास्यामि ते गृहम्
Except for Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva, I am able to fulfill all desires; go to your bedchamber or a secret place, I will quickly come to your house.
ऋतुपापं मयि भवेत्तव किं गच्छ शोभने । इत्युक्त्वा नहुषो राजा प्रफुल्लवदनेक्षणः
Let the sin of the season fall upon me, not upon you, O beautiful one; having spoken thus, King Nahuṣa, with a blooming face, looked at her.
रत्नयानं समारुह्य ययौ नन्दनकाननम् । न ययौ सा शची गेहं प्रजगाम गुरोर्गृहम्
He mounted a jeweled chariot and went to the Nandana grove; but Śacī did not go home—she went to the house of her guru.
गत्व कूशासनस्यं च ददर्श च बृहस्पतिम् । तारासेवितपादाब्जं ज्वलन्तं ब्रह्मतेजसा
Arriving there, she saw Bṛhaspati seated on a sacred grass seat, his feet served by Tārā, blazing with the radiance of Brahman.
जपमालाकरं शश्वज्जपन्तं कृष्णमीप्सितम् । परमं परमानन्दं परमात्मानमीश्वरम्
He held a rosary, constantly reciting the names of Kṛṣṇa, his heart’s desire; he was supreme, the highest bliss, the supreme self, the Lord.