सुकन्या वनमासाद्य विजहार सखीवृता । सुमनांसि विचिन्वन्ती चञ्चला चञ्चलोपमा
Sukanyā, having entered the forest with her companions, wandered about, gathering flowers, lively and restless as a fluttering bird.
सर्वाभरणसंयुक्ता रणच्चरणनूपुरा । चंक्रममाणा वल्मीकं च्यवनस्य समासदत्
Adorned with all her ornaments and anklets ringing as she walked, she came upon the anthill of Cyavana.
क्रीडासक्तोपविष्टा सा वल्मीकस्य समीपतः । ददर्श चास्य रन्ध्रे वै खद्योत इव ज्योतिषी
Absorbed in play, she sat near the anthill and saw, within its opening, two lights shining like fireflies.
किमेतदिति सञ्चिन्त्य समुद्धर्तुं मनो दधे । गृहीत्वा कण्टकं तीक्ष्णं त्वरमाणा कृशोदरी
Wondering, 'What is this?' she resolved to remove it, and, slender-waisted, quickly took up a sharp thorn.
सा दृष्टा मुनिना बाला समीपस्था कृतोद्यमा । विचरन्ती सुकेशान्ता मन्मथस्येव कामिनी
The young girl, seen by the sage as she stood nearby, ready to act, wandered with her lovely hair, like a lover of Kāma himself.
तां वीक्ष्य सुदतीं तत्र क्षामकण्ठस्तपोनिधिः । तामभाषत कल्याणीं किमेतदिति भार्गवः
Beholding her, beautiful of teeth, the ascetic with emaciated neck, a treasury of austerity, addressed the auspicious girl: 'What is this, O Bhārgava?'
दूरं गच्छ विशालाक्षि तापसोऽहं वरानने । मा भिन्दस्वाद्य वल्मीकं कण्टकेन कृशोदरि
'Go far away, wide-eyed one; I am an ascetic, O lovely-faced girl. Do not pierce this anthill with your thorn, slender-waisted one.'
तेनेदं प्रोच्यमानापि सा चास्य न शृणोति वै । किमु खल्विदमित्युक्त्वा निर्बिभेदास्य लोचने
Though thus spoken to, she did not hear him; saying, 'What indeed is this?' she pierced his eyes.
दैवेन नोदिता भित्त्वा जगाम नृपकन्यका । क्रीडन्ती शङ्कमाना सा किं कृतं तु मयेति च
Driven by fate, the king's daughter pierced them and went away, playing, yet wondering what she had done.
चुक्रोध स तथा विद्धनेत्रः परममन्युमान् । वेदनाभ्यर्दितः कामं परितापं जगाम ह
Thus wounded in the eyes, the sage became extremely angry; tormented by pain, he was overcome with distress.
शकृन्मूत्रनिरोधोऽभूत्सैनिकानां तु तत्क्षणात् । विशेषेण तु भूपस्य सामात्यस्य समन्ततः
At that very moment, all the soldiers, and especially the king and his ministers, were afflicted with a stoppage of urine and feces.
गजोष्ट्रतुरगाणां च सर्वेषां प्राणिनां तदा । ततो रुद्धे शकृन्मूत्रे शर्यातिर्दुःखितोऽभवत्
The same affliction befell all the elephants, camels, horses, and every living being there; thus, with their excretions obstructed, Śaryāti became distressed.
सैनिकैः कथितं तस्मै शकृन्मूत्रनिरोधनम् । चिन्तयामास भूपालः कारणं दुःखसम्भवे
The soldiers reported to him the stoppage of urine and feces, and the king began to ponder the cause of this suffering.
विचिन्त्याह ततो राजा सैनिकान्स्वजनांस्तथा । गृहमागत्य चिन्तार्तः केनेदं दुष्कृतं कृतम्
After considering, the king addressed his soldiers and attendants; returning home, troubled with anxiety, he wondered who had committed this misdeed.
सरसः पश्चिमे भागे वनमध्ये महातपाः । च्यवनस्तापसस्तत्र तपश्चरति दुश्चरम्
In the western part of the lake, in the midst of the forest, the great ascetic Cyavana was performing severe austerities there.
केनाप्यपकृतं तत्र तापसेऽग्निसमप्रभे । तस्मात्पीडा समुत्पन्ना सर्वेषामिति निश्चयः
Someone had wronged that ascetic, blazing like fire; from this, suffering had arisen for all—such was the conclusion.
तपोवृद्धस्य वृद्धस्य वरिष्ठस्य विशेषतः । केनाप्यपकृतं मन्ये भार्गवस्य महात्मनः
I think that some wrong has been done, especially to the venerable, most distinguished, and ascetic Bhargava of great soul.
ज्ञातं वा यदि वाज्ञातं तस्येदं फलमुत्तमम् । कैश्च दुष्टैः कृतं तस्य हेलनं तापसस्य ह
Whether knowingly or unknowingly, this is the supreme result for him; some wicked ones have shown disrespect to that ascetic.
इति पृष्टास्तमूचुस्ते सैनिका वेदनार्दिताः । मनोवाक्कायनितं न विद्मोऽपकृतं वयम्
Thus questioned, the soldiers, tormented by pain, replied to him: 'We do not know of any wrong done by us, whether in thought, word, or deed.'
च्यवनसुकन्ययोर्गार्हस्थ्यवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच - इति पप्रच्छ तान्सर्वान् राजा चिन्ताकुलस्तथा । पर्यपृच्छत्सुहृद्वर्गं साम्ना चोग्रतयापि च
Vyasa said: Thus, the king, troubled by anxiety, questioned them all, and also inquired among his friends, both gently and sternly.
पीड्यमानं जनं वीक्ष्य पितरं दुःखितं तथा । विचिन्त्य शूलभेदं सा सुकन्या चेदमब्रवीत्
Seeing the people afflicted and her father distressed, Sukanya, reflecting on the cause of their suffering, spoke these words.
वने मया पितस्तत्र वल्मीको वीरुधावृतः । क्रीडन्त्या सुदृढो दृष्टश्छिद्रद्वयसमन्वितः
Father, while I was playing in the forest, I saw there an anthill covered with plants, very firm, with two holes.
तत्र खद्योतवद्दीप्तज्योतीषी वीक्षिते मया । सूच्याविद्धे महाराज पुनः खद्योतशङ्कया
There, I saw two shining lights like fireflies; thinking they were fireflies, I pierced them with a needle, O great king.
जलक्लिन्ना तदा सूची मया दृष्टा पितः किल । हाहेति च श्रुतः शब्दो मन्दो वल्मीकमध्यतः
At that time, father, I saw the needle wet with moisture, and I heard a faint cry of 'ha' from within the anthill.
तदाहं विस्मिता राजन्किमेतदिति शङ्कया । न जाने किं मया विद्धं तस्मिन्वल्मीकमण्डले
Then, astonished, I wondered, 'What is this?' I do not know what I pierced in that circle of the anthill.
राजा श्रुत्वा तु शर्यातिः सुकन्यावचनं मृदु । मुनेस्तद्धेलनं ज्ञात्वा वल्मीकं क्षिप्रमभ्यगात्
Hearing Sukanya's gentle words, King Sharyati, realizing the ascetic had been wronged, quickly went to the anthill.
तत्रापश्यत्तपोवृद्धं च्यवनं दुःखितं भृशम् । स्फोटयामास वल्मीकं मुनिदेहावृतं भृशम्
There he saw Cyavana, advanced in austerity, greatly distressed, and he broke open the anthill, which tightly covered the sage's body.
प्रणम्य दण्डवद्भूमौ राजा तं भार्गवं प्रति । तुष्टाव विनयोपेतस्तमुवाच कृताञ्जलिः
Bowing down with his body to the ground before the Bhargava, the king praised him with humility and addressed him with joined palms.
पुत्र्या मम महाभाग क्रीडन्त्या दुष्कृतं कृतम् । अज्ञानाद्बालया ब्रह्मन् कृतं तत्क्षन्तुमर्हसि
O greatly fortunate one, my daughter, while playing, has committed a wrong; O Brahman, it was done by the ignorant child—please forgive it.
अक्रोधना हि मुनयो भवन्तीति मया श्रुतम् । तस्मात्त्वमपि बालायाः क्षन्तुमर्हसि साम्प्रतम्
I have heard that sages are free from anger; therefore, you too should now forgive the girl.