गमनं रमणीयं च गचखञ्जनभञ्जनम् । अहो वाक्यं सुमधुरं पीयूषादपि दुर्लभम्
Your gait is charming, breaking the pride of the swan and the elephant; oh, your speech is so sweet, rarer even than nectar.
किमहो विपुलश्रोणी कामाधारा मनोहरा । कामदा कामुकायैव मुनिमानसमोहिनी
Oh, what broad hips, the very seat of desire, enchanting; a giver of pleasure to the passionate, bewildering even the minds of sages.
अतीव कठिना पीना रम्भास्च म्भविडम्बिता । अहो नितम्बयुगुलं वर्तुलं चन्द्रबिम्बवत्
So very firm and full, rivaling plantain stems—oh, your pair of rounded hips are like the orb of the moon.
श्रीयुक्तं श्रीफलयुगतुल्यं ते स्तनयुग्मकम् । अत्युन्नतं सुकठिनं त्रैलोक्यचित्तमोहनम्
Your pair of breasts, endowed with beauty, equal to the fruits of fortune, exceedingly high and firm, enchant the minds of all three worlds.
अहो किं वा तपस्तेपे गौतमश्च तपोधनः । संप्राप यत्फलेनैव सुदतीं सुन्दरीं वराम्
Oh, what austerity did Gautama, the wealthy in penance, perform, that by its fruit he obtained such a lovely, sweet-smiling beauty as you?
निषेव्य प्रकृतिं दुर्गा विष्णुमायां सनातनीम् । लक्ष्मीं च लक्ष्मीसदृशीमीदृशीं प्राप पद्मिनीम्
Having served Durga, the eternal power of Vishnu, and Lakshmi, equal to Lakshmi herself, he obtained you, a lotus-like woman.
सुकोमलां सुवदनां ललनां नलिनाननाम् । शुद्धां च सुदतीं श्यामां न्यग्रोधदलमध्यमाम्
So tender, with a lovely face, a woman with a lotus-like countenance, pure, sweet-smiling, dark-complexioned, with thighs like the leaf of a banyan tree.
त्वत्पालनं च जानामिकामशास्त्रविचक्षणः । कामो वा कामुकश्चन्द्र किं त्वा जानाति गौतमः
I know well how to cherish you, being skilled in the science of love; but does Gautama, or even the god of love or the moon, know you as I do?
मां प्रशंसन्ति नित्यं ते कामशास्त्रविचक्षणाः । उर्वश्याद्यश्चाप्सरसो मां प्रशंसन्ति संततम्
Those skilled in the science of love always praise me; even Urvashi and the Apsaras constantly praise me.
दासिं कृत्वा च दास्यामि शचीं तुम्यं वरानने । त्रैलोक्यलक्ष्मी विपुलां गृहण त्यज गौतमम्
Make Shachi your maidservant, and I shall give her to you, O beautiful-faced one; accept the vast fortune of the three worlds—abandon Gautama.
अनभिज्ञं कामशास्त्रे दुर्बलं च तपस्विनम् । अव्यवाहार्य निष्कामं नारायणपरायणम्
Unskilled in the art of love, weak in asceticism, unfit for worldly dealings, desireless, and devoted to Nārāyaṇa—
अविदग्धो विधाता च योजयामाम योऽक्षमम् । ईदृशीं कामुकीं रम्यां ददाति च तपस्विने
The unwise Creator, too, sometimes joins such an incapable man with a passionate and lovely woman, giving her to the ascetic.
इत्युक्त्वा कामुकः शक्रः पपात चरणे मृदा । तमुवाच महासध्वी वेदोक्तं च यथौचितम्
Having spoken thus, Indra, filled with desire, fell at her feet; and the great chaste woman addressed him, as is proper according to the Vedas.
अहल्योवाच अभाग्याद्ब्रह्मणश्चापि मरीचेश्च तपस्विनः । अभाग्यात्कश्यपस्यापि त्वं पुत्रः पापमानसः
Ahalyā said: 'Out of misfortune, you are the son of Brahmā, of the ascetic Marīci, and also of the unfortunate Kaśyapa—yet your mind is sinful.'
किं तज्जपेन तपसा मौनेन च व्रतेन च । सुरार्चनेन तीर्थेन स्त्रीभिर्यस्य मनोहृतम्
What is the use of recitation, austerity, silence, or vows, or worship of the gods and pilgrimages, for those whose minds are captivated by women?
स्त्रीरूपं निर्मितं सृष्टौ मोहाय कामिनां मनः । अन्यथा न भवेत्सृष्टिः स्रष्टा तेने पुराऽऽज्ञया
The form of woman was created in the world to delude the minds of the passionate; otherwise, creation would not continue—thus the Creator ordained long ago.
सर्व मायाकरण्डश्च धर्ममार्गार्गलं नृणाम् । व्यवधानं च तपसां दोषाणामाश्रयं परम्
She is the honey of all illusion, the barrier on the path of righteousness for men, the obstruction to asceticism, and the supreme abode of faults.
कर्मबन्धनिबद्धानां निगडं कठिनं स्मृतम् । प्रदीपरूपं कीटानां मीनानां बडिशं यथा
For those bound by the chains of karma, she is known as a hard fetter, like a lamp for moths or a hook for fish.
विषकृम्भं दुग्धमुखमारम्भे मधुनोपमम् । परिणामे दुःखबीजं सोपानं नरकस्य च
She is like poison hidden in milk, sweet at first like honey, but in the end the seed of suffering and the stairway to hell.
ऋषयः सनकाद्याश्च नोद्वाहं चक्रुरीप्सित्म् । परस्त्रीषु मनो येषां तेषां सर्व च निष्फलम्
The sages, beginning with Sanaka, did not marry as they wished; for those whose minds are set on other men's wives, all is fruitless.
परस्त्रीसेवनं शक्र इहैवात्ययशस्कनम् । परत्र नरकं घोरं ददाति कामुकाय च
Union with another man's wife, O Indra, brings ruin here and terrible hell hereafter for the lustful.
इत्युक्तवा च महासाध्वी विहाय तं च कामुकम् । प्रययौ स्वगृहं तूर्ण गृहिणी गौतमस्य च
Having spoken thus, the great chaste woman left that lustful one and quickly returned to her own home, the wife of Gautama.
तत्सर्व कथयामास गौतमाय तपस्विने । तस्थौ प्रहस्य स मुनिर्महन्द्रं च विनिन्द्य च
She told everything to Gautama, the ascetic; and the sage, smiling, remained, condemning the lord of the gods.
एकदा गौतमः शीघ्रं जगाम शंकरालयम् । शक्रो गौतमरूपेण तां संभोगं चकार सः
Once, Gautama quickly went to the abode of Śaṅkara; Indra, taking Gautama's form, had intercourse with her.
सर्व ज्ञात्वा च सर्वज्ञः मन्दिरद्वारमाययौ । निर्गच्छन्तं महेन्दं च ददर्श मुनिपुंगवः
Knowing all, the all-knowing sage came to the doorway of his house and saw the great Indra departing.
नग्नामहल्यां रहसि पीनश्रोणिपयोधराम् । मुनिः शशाप शकं च भगाङ्गश्च भवेति च
He saw Ahalyā naked and alone, with full hips and breasts; the sage cursed Indra, saying, 'Become one with the marks of a woman.'
कोपाच्छशाप पत्नीं च रुदतीं भयविह्वलाम् । त्वं च पाषाणरूपा च महारण्ये भवेति च
In anger, he also cursed his wife, who was weeping and terrified: 'You shall become a stone in the great forest.'
ययौ च स्वगृहं शक्रो लज्जैकतानमानसः । उवाच मधुरं भीता स्वामिनं शोककर्शिता
Indra, his mind filled with shame, went to his own house; and Ahalyā, stricken with grief, spoke sweetly to her frightened husband.
अहल्योवाच मां च दासीं च निर्दोषां कथं त्यजसिधार्मिक । त्वं च वेदविदां श्रेष्ठो विचारं कुरु धर्मतः
Ahalya said: How do you abandon me and my innocent maid, O righteous one? You are the foremost among those learned in the Vedas; consider this matter according to dharma.
गौतम उवाच त्वां जानामि मनःशुद्धां सुव्रतां च पतिव्रताम् । त्यक्ष्यामि च तथाऽपि त्वां परवीर्यं च बिभ्रतीम्
Gautama said: I know you to be pure in mind, steadfast in vows, and devoted to your husband. Yet I will forsake you, for you bear another's seed.