सालैस्तालैस्तमालैश्च चम्पकैः पनसैस्तथा । आम्रैर्नीपैर्मधूकैश्च माधवीमण्डपावृतम्
Sheltered by sal, palmyra, tamala, champaka, jackfruit, mango, nipa, and madhuka trees, and covered with a pavilion of madhavi vines.
दाडिमैर्नारिकेलैश्च कदलीखण्डमण्डितम् । यूथिकामालतीकुन्दपुष्पवल्लीसमावृतम्
Adorned with pomegranate, coconut, and clusters of banana trees, enveloped by creepers of jasmine, malati, and kund flowers.
हंसकारण्डवाकीर्णं कीचकध्वनिनादितम् । भ्रमरालिरुतारामं वनं सर्वसुखावहम्
Filled with swans and cranes, resounding with the calls of kicaka birds, and humming with bees, the forest brought every delight.
दृष्ट्वा प्रमुदितो राजा सुद्युम्नः सेवकैर्वृतः । वृक्षान्सुपुष्पितान्वीक्ष्य कोकिलारावमण्डितान्
Seeing it, King Sudyumna, delighted and surrounded by attendants, beheld the trees in full bloom, adorned by the songs of cuckoos.
प्रविष्टस्तत्र राजर्षिः स्त्रीत्वमाप क्षणात्ततः । अश्वोऽपि वडवा जातश्चिन्ताविष्टः स भूपतिः
Entering there, the royal sage suddenly became a woman; even his horse turned into a mare, and the king was overcome with anxiety.
किमेतदिति चिन्तार्तश्चिन्त्यमानः पुनः पुनः । दुःखं बहुतरं प्राप्तः सुद्युम्नो लज्जयान्वितः
Distressed, he wondered again and again, 'What is this?' Sudyumna, afflicted by much sorrow, was filled with shame.
किं करोमि कथं यामि गृहं स्त्रीभावसंयुतः । कथं राज्यं करिष्यामि केन वा वञ्चितो ह्यहम्
What shall I do? How can I return home, being bound in a woman's form? How can I rule the kingdom? By whom have I been deceived?
ऋषय ऊचुः सूताश्चर्यमिदं प्रोक्तं त्वया यल्लोमहर्षण । सुद्युम्नः स्त्रीत्वमापन्नो भूपतिर्देवसन्निभः
The sages said: O Sūta, what you have told is astonishing, O Lomaharṣaṇa! Sudyumna, the king equal to the gods, has obtained womanhood.
किं तत्कारणमाचक्ष्व वने तत्र मनोहरे । किं कृतं तेन राज्ञा च विस्तरं वद सुव्रत
What is the cause of this? Tell us in detail what happened in that enchanting forest. What did that king do? Speak fully, O virtuous one.
सूत उवाच एकदा गिरिशं द्रष्टुमृषयः सनकादयः । दिशो वितिमिराभासाः कुर्वन्तः समुपागमन्
Sūta said: Once, the sages headed by Sanaka, wishing to see the Lord of the Mountain, arrived, making the quarters appear as if dispelling darkness.
तस्मिंश्च समये तत्र शङ्करः प्रमदायुतः । क्रीडासक्तो महादेवो विवस्त्रा कामिनी शिवा
At that very time, there was Śaṅkara, surrounded by women, the great god absorbed in play, and Śivā, his beloved, unclothed and desirous.
उत्सङ्गे संस्थिता भर्तू रममाणा मनोरमा । तान्विलोक्याम्बिका देवी विवस्त्रा व्रीडिता भृशम्
The lovely goddess, delighting in her husband's lap, saw the sages and, being unclothed, was greatly ashamed.
भर्तुरङ्कात्समुत्थाय वस्त्रमादाय पर्यधात् । लज्जाविष्टा स्थिता तत्र वेपमानातिमानिनी
Rising from her husband's lap, she took a garment and covered herself, standing there filled with modesty, trembling, and proud.
ऋषयोऽपि तयोर्वीक्ष्य प्रसङ्गं रममाणयोः । परिवृत्य ययुस्तूर्णं नरनारायणाश्रमम्
The sages, seeing the intimacy of the two as they delighted together, quickly turned away and went to the hermitage of Nara-Nārāyaṇa.
ह्रीयुतां कामिनीं वीक्ष्य प्रोवाच भगवान्हरः । कथं लज्जातुरासि त्वं सुखं ते प्रकरोम्यहम्
Seeing the bashful and desirous goddess, the blessed Hara spoke: 'Why are you overcome by shame? I will make you happy.'
अद्यप्रभृति यो मोहात्पुमान्कोऽपि वरानने । वनं च प्रविशेदेतत्स वै योषिद्भविष्यति
From this day onward, O beautiful-faced one, any man who, out of delusion, enters this forest shall become a woman.
इति शप्तं वनं तेन ये जानन्ति जनाः क्वचित् । वर्जयन्तीह ते कामं वनं दोषसमृद्धिमत्
Thus, because of that curse, those who know of it avoid this forest, which is full of faults, as they wish.
सुद्युम्नस्तु तदज्ञानात्प्रविष्टः सचिवैः सह । तथैव स्त्रीत्वमापन्नस्तैः सहेति न संशयः
But Sudyumna, unaware, entered with his ministers, and just so, he became a woman along with them—there is no doubt.
चिन्ताविष्टः स राजर्षिर्न जगाम गृहं ह्रिया । विचचार बहिस्तस्माद्वनदेशादितस्ततः
That royal sage, filled with anxiety, did not return home out of shame, but wandered outside, here and there in the forest region.
इलेति नाम सम्प्राप्तं स्त्रीत्वे तेन महात्मना । विचरंस्तत्र सम्प्राप्तो बुधः सोमसुतो युवा
In that state of womanhood, the great-souled one became known as Ilā. As she wandered there, Budha, the youthful son of Soma, arrived.
स्त्रीभिः परिवृतां तां तु दृष्ट्वा कान्तां मनोरमाम् । हावभावकलायुक्तां चकमे भगवाम्बुधः
Seeing her, surrounded by women, lovely and charming, endowed with the arts of gesture and expression, the blessed Budha desired her.
सापि तं चकमे कान्तं बुधं सोमसुतं पतिम् । संयोगस्तत्र सञ्जातस्तयोः प्रेम्णा परस्परम्
She too desired Budha, the son of Soma, as her husband. There, a union was formed between the two, out of mutual love.
स तस्यां जनयामास पुरूरवसमात्मजम् । इलायां सोमपुत्रस्तु चक्रवर्तिनमुत्तमम्
From her, Budha, the son of Soma, begot a son named Purūravas, the foremost of emperors, upon Ilā.
सा प्रासूत सुतं बाला चिन्ताविष्टा वने स्थिता । सस्मार स्वकुलाचार्यं वसिष्ठं मुनिसत्तमम्
While staying in the forest, troubled in mind, she gave birth to a son. She remembered her family preceptor, the eminent sage Vasiṣṭha.
स तदास्य दशां दृष्ट्वा सुद्युम्नस्य कृपान्वितः । अतोषयन्महादेवं शङ्करं लोकशङ्करम्
Seeing Sudyumna's condition, filled with compassion, he sought to please Mahadeva Shankara, the benefactor of the world.
तस्मै स भगवांस्तुष्टः प्रददौ वाञ्छितं वरम् । वसिष्ठः प्रार्थयामास पुंस्त्वं राज्ञः प्रियस्य च
The blessed Lord, satisfied, granted him the desired boon; Vasiṣṭha requested that the beloved king regain his manhood.
शङ्करस्तु निजां वाचमृतां कुर्वन्नुवाच ह । मासं पुमांस्तु भविता मासं स्त्री भूपतिः किल
Shankara, speaking his own nectar-like words, declared: 'For one month the king shall be a man, for one month a woman.'
इत्थं प्राप्य वरं राजा जगाम स्वगृहं पुनः । चक्रे राज्यं स धर्मात्मा वसिष्ठस्याप्यनुग्रहात्
Thus, having received the boon, the king returned to his home and, with Vasiṣṭha's favor, ruled his kingdom righteously.
स्त्रीत्वे तिष्ठति हर्म्येषु पुंस्त्वे राज्यं प्रशास्ति च । प्रजास्तस्मिन्समुद्विग्ना नाभ्यनन्दन्महीपतिम्
When in the form of a woman, he stayed in the palace; as a man, he governed the realm. The people, troubled by this, did not rejoice in their king.
काले तु यौवनं प्राप्तः पुत्रः पुरूरवास्तदा । प्रतिष्ठां नृपतिस्तस्मै दत्त्वा राज्यं वनं ययौ
In time, when his son Pururavas reached youth, the king gave him the throne and departed for the forest.