मित्राणि ते गतान्यस्तात्त्वमेकस्तु कुतः स्थितः । सूत उवाच - एवमुक्त्वा पुनस्तन्वी करुणं प्ररुरोद ह
Your friends have all departed, you alone remain—how can you stay here? Sūta said: Having spoken thus, the slender woman wept bitterly.
हा शिशो बाल हा वत्स रोहिताख्य कुमारक । रे पुत्र प्रतिशब्दं मे कस्मात्त्वं न प्रयच्छसि
'Alas, child! O boy! Alas, my son named Rohita! O son, why do you not answer me when I call to you?'
तवाहं जननी वत्स किं न जानासि पश्य माम् । देशत्यागाद्राज्यनाशात्पुत्र भर्त्रा स्वविक्रयात्
'I am your mother, my child—do you not know me? See me here, bereft of my land, deprived of my kingdom, sold by my own husband.'
यद्दासीत्वाच्च जीवामि त्वां दृष्ट्वा पुत्र केवलम् । ते जन्मसमये विप्रैरादिष्टं यत्त्वनागतम्
'Now I live only as a servant, my son, surviving solely by seeing you. At your birth, the brahmins declared prophecies for you that have not come to pass.'
दीर्घायुः पृथिवीराजः पुत्रपौत्रसमन्वितः । शौर्यदानरतिः सत्त्वो गुरुदेवद्विजार्चकः
'You would be long-lived, a king of the earth, surrounded by sons and grandsons, devoted to valor and generosity, virtuous, and a worshipper of teachers, gods, and brahmins.'
मातापित्रोस्तु प्रियकृत्सत्यवादी जितेन्द्रियः । इत्यादि सकलं जातमसत्यमधुना सुत
'You would be dear to your parents, a speaker of truth, self-controlled—such were all the predictions, my son, but now all have proven false.'
चक्रमत्स्यावातपत्रश्रीवत्सस्वस्तिकध्वजाः । तव पाणितले पुत्र कलशश्चामरं तथा
'The discus, fish, parasol, śrīvatsa, svastika, and banner, the water-pot and fly-whisk—all these royal marks were seen on your palm, my son.'
लक्षणानि तथान्यानि त्वद्धस्ते यानि सन्ति च । तानि सर्वाणि मोघानि सञ्जातान्यधुना सुत
'And all the other auspicious signs that were present on your hand, my son—all of them have now become futile.'
हा राजन्पृथिवीनाथ क्व ते राज्यं क्व मन्त्रिणः । क्व ते सिंहासनं छत्रं क्व ते खड्गः क्व तद्धनम्
'Alas, king! Lord of the earth! Where is your kingdom, where are your ministers? Where is your throne, your parasol, your sword, and that wealth?'
क्व सायोध्या क्व हर्म्याणि क्व गजाश्वरथप्रजाः । सर्वमेतत्तथा पुत्र मां त्यक्त्वा क्व गतोऽसि रे
'Where is Ayodhyā, where are the palaces, where are the elephants, horses, chariots, and subjects? All this, my son, you have abandoned—where have you gone?'
हा कान्त हा नृपागच्छ पश्येमं स्वसुतं प्रियम् । येन ते रिङ्गता वक्षः कुंकुमेनावलेपितम्
'Alas, beloved! O king, come and see your dear son, whose chest you once embraced, anointed with saffron.'
स्वशरीररजःपङ्कैर्विशालं मलिनीकृतम् । येन ते बालभावेन मृगनाभिविलेपितः
'Now his broad body is soiled with the dust and dirt of his own limbs, and in his childhood, he was smeared with musk.'
भ्रंशितो भालतिलकस्तवाङ्कस्थेन भूपते । यस्य वक्त्रं मृदा लिप्तं स्नेहाद्वै चुम्बितं मया
'The tilaka on his forehead has fallen, O king, as he lay in your lap; his face, once anointed with clay, was kissed by me out of affection.'
तन्मुखं मक्षिकालिङ्ग्यं पश्ये कीटैर्विदूषितम् । हा राजन् पश्य तं पुत्रं भुविस्थं रङ्कवन्मृतम्
'Now that face is covered with flies and bees, defiled by insects. Alas, king, see your son lying dead on the ground like a pauper.'
हा देव किं मया कृत्यं कृतं पूर्वभवान्तरे । तस्य कर्मफलस्येह न पारमुपलक्षये
'Alas, Lord! What deed did I commit in a former life? I do not see the end of the fruit of that karma here.'
हा पुत्र हा शिशो वत्स का कुमारक सुन्दर । एवं तस्या विलापं ते श्रुत्वा नगरपालकाः
'Alas, son! Alas, child! O dear, beautiful boy!' Hearing her lamentation in this way, the city-guards...
जागृतास्त्वरितास्तस्याः पार्श्वमीयुः सुविस्मिताः । जना ऊचुः - का त्वं बालस्य कस्यायं पतिस्ते कुत्र तिष्ठति
Awakened, they quickly went to her side, greatly astonished. The people said: 'Who are you? Whose child is this? Who is your husband? Where does he live?'
एकैव निर्भया रात्रौ कस्मात्त्वमिह रोदिषि । एवमुक्ताथ सा तन्वी न किञ्चिद्वाक्यमब्रवीत्
'Why are you, alone and unafraid, weeping here at night?' Thus addressed, that slender woman said nothing in reply.
भूयोऽपि पृष्टा सा तूष्णीं स्तब्धीभूता बभूव ह । विललापातिदुःखार्ता शोकाश्रुप्लुतलोचना
Though questioned again, she remained silent, unmoving; overwhelmed by intense sorrow, she wept, her eyes filled with tears of grief.
अथ ते शङ्कितास्तस्यां रोमाञ्चिततनूरुहाः । संत्रस्ताः प्राहुरन्योन्यमुद्धृतायुधपाणयः
Then, becoming suspicious of her, their hair standing on end, they grew fearful, and spoke among themselves, weapons drawn in their hands.
नूनं स्त्री न भवत्येषा यतः किञ्चिन्न भाषते । तस्माद्वध्या भवेदेषा यत्नतो बालघातिनी
'Surely, this is not a woman, since she says nothing at all; therefore, she must be put to death—she is certainly a child-killer.'
शुभा चेत्तर्हि किं ह्यत्र निशार्धे तिष्ठते बहिः । भक्षार्थमनया नूनमानीतः कस्यचिच्छिशुः
'If she is virtuous, why is she outside at midnight? Surely, she has brought someone's child here to eat.'
इत्युक्त्वा तैर्गृहिता सा गाढं केशेषु सत्वरम् । भुजयोरपरैश्चैव कैश्चापि गलके तथा
Saying this, they quickly seized her tightly by the hair, and others grasped her arms and some also held her by the throat.
खेचरी यास्यतीत्युक्तं बहुभिः शस्त्रपाणिभिः । आकृष्य पक्कणे नीता चाण्डालाय समर्पिता
'She is about to fly away,' said many, weapons in hand; dragging her by the hair, they took her and handed her over to the outcaste.
हे चाण्डाल बहिर्दृष्टा ह्यस्माभिर्बालघातिनी । वध्यतां वध्यतामेष शीघ्रं नीत्वा बहिःस्थले
'Hey outcaste! We have seen this child-killer outside. Let her be executed, let her be executed—quickly take her outside and kill her.'
चाण्डालः प्राह तां दृष्ट्वा ज्ञातेयं लोकविश्रुता । न दृष्टपूर्वा केनापि लोकडिम्भान्यनेकधा
The outcaste, seeing her, said: 'She is known, renowned in the world; no one has seen her before—she has devoured many children in many places.'
भक्षितान्यनया भूरि भवद्भिः पुण्यमार्जितम् । ख्यातिर्वः शाश्वती लोके गच्छध्वं च यथासुखम्
'She has eaten many children; by you, much merit has been gained. Your fame will be eternal in the world—go now as you please.'
द्विजस्त्रीबालगोघाती स्वर्णस्तेयी च यो नरः । अग्निदो वर्त्मघाती च मद्यपो गुरुतल्पगः
'A twice-born killer, a woman or child killer, a cow killer, a gold thief, an arsonist, a highwayman, a drunkard, or one who violates the teacher's bed—'
महाजनविरोधी च तस्य पुण्यप्रदो वधः । द्विजस्यापि स्त्रियो वापि न दोषो विद्यते वधे
'—and one who opposes the great public: killing such a person brings merit. There is no fault in killing even a twice-born or a woman in such cases.'
अस्या वधश्च मे योग्य इत्युक्त्वा गाडबन्धनैः । बद्ध्वा केशेष्वथाकृष्य रज्जुभिस्तामताडयत्
Saying, 'Her execution is proper for me,' he bound her tightly with strong cords, pulled her by the hair, and struck her with ropes.