कथमम्बुजपत्राक्षि कल्पनीयो मया तव । मरणं मे वरं प्राप्तं सैनिकानां तथैव च
'How, O lotus-eyed one, can I arrange this for you? Death would be preferable for me, and likewise for my soldiers.'
न ते प्रदानमन्धाय रोचते पिकभाषिणि । भवितव्यं भवत्येव धैर्यं नैव त्यजाम्यहम्
'It does not please me to give you to a blind man, O sweet-voiced one. Yet what must be, will be; I will not abandon my courage.'
सुस्थिरा भव सुश्रोणि न दास्येऽन्धाय कर्हिचित् । राज्यं तिष्ठतु वा यातु देहोऽयं च तथैव मे
'Be steadfast, O fair-hipped one; I will never give you to a blind man. Let the kingdom remain or go, and likewise this body of mine.'
न त्वां दास्याम्यहं तस्मै नेत्रहीनाय बालिके । सुकन्या तं तदा प्राह श्रुत्व तद्वचनं पितुः
'I will not give you to that blind man, O child.' Then Sukanya, hearing her father's words—
प्रसन्नवदनातीव स्नेहयुक्तमिदं वचः । सुकन्योवाच - न मे चिन्ता पितः कार्या देहि मां मुनयेऽधुना
With a face bright with affection, Sukanya spoke these words: 'Father, you need not worry; give me now to the sage.'
सुखं भवतु सर्वेषां लोकानां मत्कृतेन हि । सेवयिष्यामि सन्तुष्टा पतिं परमपावनम्
'Let happiness come to all the worlds because of me. I will serve my husband, supremely pure, with satisfaction.'
भक्त्या परमया चापि वृद्धं च विजने वने । सतीधर्मपरा चाहं चरिष्यामि सुसम्मतम्
'With utmost devotion I will serve the old man in the lonely forest. I am devoted to the path of a faithful wife and will act as is most proper.'
न भोगेच्छास्ति मे तात स्वस्थं चित्तं ममानघ । व्यास उवाच - तच्छ्रुत्वा भाषितं तस्या मन्त्रिणो विस्मयं गताः
'I have no desire for enjoyment, father; my mind is calm and pure.' Vyasa said: 'Hearing her words, the ministers were amazed.'
राजा च परमप्रीतो जगाम मुनिसन्निधौ । गत्वा प्रणम्य शिरसा तमुवाच तपोधनम्
And the king, greatly pleased, went to the sage's presence. Approaching and bowing his head, he spoke to the ascetic—
स्वामिन् गृहाण पुत्रीं मे सेवार्थं विधिवद्विभो । इत्युक्त्वासौ ददौ पुत्रीं विवाहविधिना नृपः
'Master, accept my daughter for service, according to the proper rite.' Having said this, the king gave his daughter in marriage, following the prescribed ceremony.
प्रतिगृह्य मुनिः कन्यां प्रसन्नो भार्गवोऽभवत् । पारिबर्हं न जग्राह दीयमानं नृपेण ह
Having accepted the maiden, the sage became pleased; Bhargava did not take the gifts offered by the king.
कन्यामेवाग्रहीत्कामं परिचर्यार्थमात्मनः । प्रसन्नेऽस्मिन्मुनौ जातं सैनिकानां सुखं तदा
He took only the maiden, as he wished, for his own service; with the sage thus satisfied, the soldiers too found happiness at that time.
राज्ञश्च परमाह्लादः सञ्जातस्तत्क्षणादपि । दत्त्वा पुत्रीं यदा राजा गमनाय गृहं प्रति
And the king too felt supreme joy at that very moment, when, having given his daughter, he prepared to return home.
मतिं चकार तवङ्गी तदोवाच नृपं सुता । सुकन्योवाच - गृहाण मम वासांसि भूषणानि च मे पितः
Then, O king, your daughter made up her mind and spoke: Sukanya said— 'Father, take my garments and ornaments.'
वल्कलं परिधानाय प्रयच्छाजिनमुत्तमम् । वेषं तु मुनिपत्नीनां कृत्वा तपसि सेवनम्
'Give me bark-cloth to wear and a fine deerskin; I will adopt the attire of a sage's wife and engage in austerities.'
करिष्यामि तथा तात यथा ते कीर्तिरच्युता । भविष्यति भुवः पृष्ठे तथा स्वर्गे रसातले
'I will act in such a way, father, that your fame will remain undying on earth, in heaven, and in the netherworld.'
परलोकसुखायाहं चरिष्यामि दिवानिशम् । दत्त्वान्धाय च वृद्धाय सुन्दरीं युवतीं तु माम्
'For the sake of happiness in the next world, I will serve day and night; having given me, a beautiful young woman, to an old and blind man—'
चिन्ता त्वया न कर्तव्या शीलनाशसमुद्भवा । अरुन्धती वसिष्ठस्य धर्मपत्नी यथा भुवि
'You should not worry, for anxiety leads to ruin; I will be on earth like Arundhati, the virtuous wife of Vasiṣṭha.'
तथैवाहं भविष्यामि नात्र कार्या विचारणा । अनसूया यथा साध्वी भार्यात्रेः प्रथिता भुवि
'In the same way, I will be; there is no need for doubt in this. I will be like Anasūyā, the renowned chaste wife of Atri on earth.'
तथैवाहं भविष्यामि पुत्री कीर्तिकरी तव । सुकन्यावचनं श्रुत्वा राजा परमधर्मवित्
'So too will I be, your daughter, a bringer of fame to you.' Hearing Sukanya's words, the king, who knew the highest dharma—
दत्त्वाजिनं रुरोदाशु वीक्ष्य तां चारुहासिनीम् । त्यक्त्वा भूषणवासांसि मुनिवेषधरां सुताम्
—gave her the deerskin and wept at once, seeing her with her lovely smile, leaving behind her ornaments and garments, his daughter now dressed in the garb of a sage's wife.
विवर्णवदनो भूत्वा स्थितस्तत्रैव पार्थिवः । राज्ञ्यः सर्वाः सुतां दृष्ट्वा वल्कलाजिनधारिणीम्
The king stood there, his face drained of color, having seen his daughter wearing bark and deerskin.
रुरुदुर्भृशशोकार्ता वेपमाना इवाभवन् । तामापृच्छ्य महीपालो मन्त्रिभिः परिवारितः । ययौ स्वनगरं राजन् मुक्त्वा पुत्रीं शुचार्पिताम्
All the queens, seeing the princess clad in bark and deerskin, wept in deep sorrow and trembled; after taking leave of her, the king, surrounded by his ministers, departed for his own city, leaving behind his daughter, filled with grief.
अश्विनीकुमारयोः सुकन्यां प्रति बोधवचनवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच - गते राजनि सा बाला पतिसेवापरायणा । बभूव च तथाग्नीनां सेवने धर्मतत्परा
Vyāsa said: When the king had departed, that young girl devoted herself to serving her husband and became equally devoted to tending the sacred fires.
फलान्यादाय स्वादूनि मूलानि विविधानि च । ददौ सा मुनये बाला पतिसेवापरायणा
She gathered sweet fruits and various roots and gave them to the sage, ever devoted to serving her husband.
पतिं तप्तोदकेनाशु स्नापयित्वा मृगत्वचा । परिवेष्ट्य शुभायां तु बृस्यां स्थापितवत्यपि
She quickly bathed her husband with heated water, wrapped him in a deerskin, and seated him on a clean mat.
तिलान् यवकुशानग्रे परिकल्प्य कमण्डलुम् । तमुवाच नित्यकर्म कुरुष्व मुनिसत्तम
She prepared sesame seeds, barley, and sacred grass in front, set out the water pot, and said to him, 'Perform your daily rites, O best of sages.'
तमुत्थाप्य करे कृत्वा समाप्ते नित्यकर्मणि । बृस्यां वा संस्तरे बाला भर्तारं संन्यवेशयत्
Having raised him up and taken his hand, when the daily rites were completed, the young wife settled her husband on the mat or bedding.
पश्चादानीय पक्वानि फलानि च नृपात्मजा । भोजयामास च्यवनं नीवारान्नं सुसंस्कृतम्
Afterwards, the princess brought ripe fruits and served Cyavana well-cooked nivāra rice.
भुक्तवन्तं पतिं तृप्तं दत्त्वाचमनमादरात् । पश्चाच्च पूगं पत्राणि ददौ चादरसंयुता
When her husband had eaten and was satisfied, she respectfully gave him water for rinsing, and then, with devotion, offered betel leaves.