वृन्दोवाच धैर्य कुरु महाभाग श्रेष्ठो जातिषु ब्रह्मणः । ब्रह्मणानां तपो मूलं सत्यं वेदव्रतं धृतिः
Vṛndā said: Take courage, O greatly fortunate one, foremost among the Brahmins by birth. The root of the Brahmins is austerity, truth, Vedic observance, and steadfastness.
परस्त्रीसहसंभोगः स्वभावश्चाप्यधर्मिणाम् । अधर्मेणैव हे विप्र दुष्टोऽभद्राणि पश्यति
The illicit union with another's wife is the very nature of the unrighteous; O Brahmin, by unrighteousness alone, the wicked see inauspicious things.
ततः सपत्ने जयति समूलस्थो विनश्यति । पतिव्रतानां गमने बलात्कारेण निश्चितम्
Thus, the rival prevails, and the one rooted in sin is destroyed; certainly, in the violation of chaste women, ruin comes by force.
मातृगामी भवेत्सद्यो ब्रह्महत्याशतं भवेत् । कुम्भीपाके पच्यते च यावच्चन्द्रदिवाकरौ
One who approaches his mother at once incurs the sin of a hundred Brahmin-murders, and is cooked in Kumbhīpāka hell as long as the moon and sun endure.
प्रदग्धस्तैलतप्तेषु न मृतः सूक्ष्मदेहतः । ताडितो यमदूतैश्च लोहदण़्डेन मूर्धनि
Burned in vats of boiling oil, he does not die, having a subtle body; he is beaten by Yama's messengers with iron rods upon his head.
क्षणं सुखं चिरं दुःखं सर्वनाशस्य कारणम् । अगम्यागमनं दुःखं धर्मिष्ठो नैव वाञ्छति
A moment's pleasure brings long-lasting pain and is the cause of total ruin; the pain of forbidden union is never desired by the righteous.
क्षमस्वगच्छ भद्रं ते ब्राह्मण ज्ञानदुर्बल । यथा दीपशिखां दृष्ट्वा कीटः पतति निश्चितम्
Forgive and depart, blessings to you, O Brahmin weak in wisdom; just as a moth, seeing the flame, certainly rushes into it.
मिष्टं दृष्ट्वा बडीशाग्रे लुब्धमीनो मृगो यथा । यथा विषाक्तं भक्ष्यं च भुङ्क्ते भोक्ता बुभुक्षितः
Just as a greedy fish, seeing bait on a hook, or a hungry man eats food laced with poison,
गृह्णाति दुष्टो दुष्टं च विषकुम्भं पयोमुखम् । तथा दृष्ट्वा परस्त्रीणां मुखपद्मं मनोहरम्
So too, the wicked seize what is wicked, like a pot of poison with a mouth of milk; in the same way, seeing the enchanting lotus-face of another's wife,
विनाशबीजं मोहेन भ्रान्तो भवति लम्पटः । मुखं च रुचिरं स्त्रीणां श्रोणियुग्मं मनोहरम्
Deluded by infatuation, he becomes lustful, sowing the seeds of destruction; the beautiful face and charming hips of women,
कामाधारं नाशबीजमधर्मस्थलमेव च । भगं नरककुण्डं च लालामूत्रसमन्वितम्
Are the seat of desire, the seed of ruin, and the very place of unrighteousness; the female organ is a pit of hell, filled with saliva and urine.
दुर्गन्धियुक्तं पापं च यमदण्डस्य कारणम् । यथा लिङ्गं विशत्येव पापयोनौ च योषिताम्
It is foul-smelling, sinful, and the cause of Yama's punishment; just as one enters the sinful womb of women,
तथा पुमान्विशत्येव रौरवे च युगे युगे । रहस्यं चाऽऽपदं दृष्ट्वा मां तवं धर्षितुमिच्छसि
So too, a man enters the hell called Raurava, age after age; seeing me in private and in distress, you wish to violate me.
अत्रैव सर्वदेवाश्च लोकपालाश्च ब्राह्मणा । जाज्वल्यमानो धर्मश्च साक्षी शास्ता च कर्मणाम्
Right here, all the gods, the guardians of the worlds, and the Brahmins, along with blazing Dharma, are witnesses and judges of actions.
यमश्च दण़्डकर्ता च स्थापितो हरिणा स्वयम् । स्वयं कुष्णश्च धर्मात्मा ज्ञानरुपो महेश्वरः
Yama, the wielder of the rod, is established here by Hari himself; Kuṣṇa, the righteous soul, and Maheśvara, the embodiment of knowledge, are present.
दुर्गा बुद्धिर्मनो ब्रह्म चेन्द्रियाणि सुरास्तथा । सर्वप्राणिषु तिष्ठन्ति साक्षिणाः कर्मणां द्विज
Durgā, intellect, mind, Brahma, and the senses, as well as the gods, O twice-born, dwell in all beings as witnesses of actions.
क्व गुप्तं क्व रहस्यं वा ब्रह्मण ज्ञानदुर्बल । क्षमस्व गच्छ भद्रं ते अवध्याश्च द्विजातयः
Where is secrecy, where is privacy, O Brahmin weak in wisdom? Forgive and go; blessings to you. The twice-born are not to be harmed.
शक्ताऽहं भमसात्कर्तुं गच्छ वत्स यथासुखम् । तपस्यासु मम गतमष्टोत्तरशतं युगम्
I am able to destroy you, but go, child, as you wish; in my austerities, I have spent one hundred and eight yugas.
नास्ति गोर्त्र मत्पितुश्च न माता न पिता मम । सर्वान्तरात्मा भगवान्कृष्णो रक्षति मां द्विज
I have no lineage, nor father nor mother; O twice-born, the Lord Krishna, the inner soul of all, protects me.
कृष्णेन स्थापितो धर्मो मां च रक्षति नित्यशः । आदित्यश्च तथा चन्द्रः पवनश्च हुताशनः
Dharma was established by Krishna, and he protects me always; so too the sun, the moon, the wind, and the fire.
ब्रह्मा शंभुर्भगवती दुर्गा रक्षति मां सदा । येन शुक्लीकृता हंसाः शुकाश्च हरिताः कृताः
Brahma, Shiva, and the goddess Durga always protect me; by whom swans are made white and parrots are made green.
मयूराश्चित्रिता येन स मे रक्षां करिष्यति । अनाथबालवृद्धानां रक्षकाः सर्वदेवताः
He who adorned peacocks with colors will grant me protection; all the gods are guardians of the helpless, children, and the aged.
नारीबुद्व्या न मां धर्मस्त्यक्त्वा गच्छेद्धि सर्वदा । मां मातरं परित्यज्य गच्छ वत्स यथासुखम्
No woman or earth can ever abandon me, nor can Dharma depart from me; O child, leave me, your mother, and go as you please.
इत्येवमुक्त्वा देवी सा तस्थौ तत्र धरा यथा । आगच्छन्तं च संभोक्तुं मा यान्तं बोधनेन च
Having spoken thus, the goddess stood there like the earth; she waited for him to come, to enjoy, and to depart, and to awaken.
शशापेति च सा कोपाद्ब्रह्मपन्धो क्षयो भव । क्षयो भव दुराचार हे पापिष्ठ क्षयो भव
In anger, she cursed: 'O Brahmin, let there be destruction! Let there be destruction, O wicked one, let there be destruction!'
पुनः शप्तं स्वयं सूर्यो वारयामास यत्नतः । एतसिमन्नन्तरे तात तत्रव जगदीश्वराः
Again, as she cursed, the sun himself tried earnestly to restrain her; meanwhile, O dear one, the lords of the world were present there.
आजग्मुरतिसंत्रस्ता ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादयः । धर्म दृष्ट्वा कलारूपं रुरुदुस्त्रिदशेश्वराः
Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and others arrived, greatly disturbed; seeing Dharma in the form of Kali, the lords of the gods wept.
कृत्वा क्रोडेऽतीव कृशं कुह्वा भीतं यथा विधुम् । निश्चेष्टं मलिनं दग्धं सतीकोपाग्निना व्रज
They took the extremely emaciated, terrified, and lifeless Dharma in their arms, dirty and scorched by Sati's fire of wrath.
श्रीभवानुवाच क्षमस्व वृन्दे मद्भक्ते जन्ममृत्युजराहरे । धर्म जीवय मद्भक्तं रक्ष धर्म पतिव्रते
Sri Bhagavan said: 'Forgive, O Vrinda, my devotee, who removes birth, death, and old age; revive Dharma, protect my devotee, O virtuous wife.'
ब्रह्मोवाच ध्वान्तपूर्ण जगत्सर्दं विना धर्म बभूव ह । कम्पितौ चन्द्रसूर्यौ च शेषश्चापि वसुंधरा
Brahma said: 'The world became filled with darkness, bereft of Dharma; the moon and sun trembled, and even the earth shook.'