राज्यभ्रष्टौ श्रिया भ्रष्टौ कमलातपसा रतौ । तयोश्च भार्ययोर्लक्ष्मीः कलया च भविष्यति
Deprived of kingdom, deprived of prosperity, devoted to the austerities of Lakshmi and Kamala; and to their wives, Lakshmi will manifest in part.
सम्पद्युक्तौ तदा तौ च नृपश्रेष्ठौ भविष्यतः । मृतस्ते सेवकः शम्भो गच्छ यूयं च गच्छत
Then, endowed with prosperity, those two best of kings will arise; your servant has died, O Shambhu, go, you all may depart.
इत्युक्त्वा च सलक्ष्मीकः सभातोऽभ्यन्तरंगतः । देवा जग्मुः सम्प्रहृष्टाः स्वाश्रमं परया मुदा । शिवश्च तपसे शीघ्रं परिपूर्णतमो ययौ
Having spoken thus, he, together with Lakshmi and his assembly, entered within; the gods, overjoyed, returned to their own hermitages with supreme delight, and Shiva swiftly departed for his austerities, his mind utterly fulfilled.
महालक्षम्या वेदवतीरूपेण राजगृहे जन्मवर्णनम् श्रीनारायण उवाच लक्ष्मीं तौ च समाराध्य चोग्रेण तपसा मुने । वरमिष्टं च प्रत्येकं सम्प्रापतुरभीप्सितम्
Sri Narayana said: O sage, having worshipped Lakshmi with intense austerity, both of them obtained their desired boons, each receiving what they had wished for.
महालक्ष्मीवरेणैव तौ पृथ्वीशौ बभूवतुः । पुण्यवन्तौ पुत्रवन्तौ धर्मध्वजकुशध्वजौ
By the boon of Mahalakshmi, those two lords of the earth became kings, blessed with virtue and sons—Dharmadhvaja and Kushadhvaja.
कुशध्वजस्य पत्नी च देवी मालावती सती । सा सुषाव च कालेन कमलांशां सुतां सतीम्
The wife of Kushadhvaja, the virtuous queen Malavati, in due course gave birth to a daughter, a portion of Kamala, who was chaste and noble.
सा च भूयिष्ठकालेन ज्ञानयुक्ता बभूव ह । कृत्वा वेदध्वनिं स्पष्टमुत्तस्थौ सूतिकागृहात्
In time, she became endowed with knowledge; having uttered the clear sound of the Veda, she arose from the birthing chamber.
वेदध्वनिं सा चकार जातमात्रेण कन्यका । तस्मात्तां च वेदवतीं प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः
That girl, at the very moment of birth, produced the sound of the Veda; therefore, the wise call her Vedavati.
जातमात्रेण सुस्नाता जगाम तपसे वनम् । सर्वैर्निषिद्धा यत्नेन नारायणपरायणा
Bathed immediately after her birth, she went to the forest for austerity, devoted solely to Narayana, though all tried earnestly to dissuade her.
एकमन्वन्तरं चैव पुष्करे च तपस्विनी । अत्युग्रां च तपस्यां च लीलया हि चकार सा
For an entire Manvantara, that ascetic performed severe penance at Pushkara, undertaking the most intense austerities with ease.
तथापि पुष्टा न क्लिष्टा नवयौवनसंयुता । सुश्राव सा च सहसा सुवाचमशरीरिणीम्
Yet, she remained nourished, untroubled, and endowed with fresh youth; suddenly, she heard a bodiless, auspicious voice.
जन्मान्तरे च ते भर्ता भविष्यति हरिः स्वयम् । ब्रह्मादिभिर्दुराराध्यं पतिं लप्स्यसि सुन्दरि
"In another birth, your husband will be Hari himself; O beautiful one, you will obtain as your husband him who is difficult to propitiate even for Brahma and the other gods."
इति श्रुत्वा च सा हृष्टा चकार ह पुनस्तपः । अतीव निर्जनस्थाने पर्वते गन्धमादने
Hearing this, she rejoiced and again undertook austerity in a most desolate place, on Mount Gandhamadana.
तत्रैव सुचिरं तप्त्वा विश्वस्य समुवास सा । ददर्श पुरतस्तत्र रावणं दुर्निवारणम्
There, after performing penance for a long time, she dwelled in the world; and there, before her, appeared Ravana, difficult to withstand.
दृष्ट्वा सातिथिभक्त्या च पाद्यं तस्मै ददौ किल । सुस्वादुभूतं च फलं जलं चापि सुशीतलम्
Seeing him, she offered him, as a guest, water for washing his feet, delicious fruit, and very cool water.
तच्च भुक्त्वा स पापिष्ठश्चोवास तत्समीपतः । चकार प्रश्नमिति तां का त्वं कल्याणि वर्तसे
Having eaten that, the most sinful one stayed near her and questioned her thus: 'Who are you, O auspicious one, and why are you here?'
तां दृष्ट्वा स वरारोहां पीनश्रोणिपयोधराम् । शरत्पद्मोत्सवास्यां च सस्मितां सुदतीं सतीम्
Seeing her, of excellent form, with full hips and breasts, her face radiant as an autumn lotus, smiling, with beautiful teeth, and chaste—
मूर्च्छामवाप कृपणः कामबाणप्रपीडितः । स करेण समाकृष्य शृङ्गारं कर्तुमुद्यतः
Afflicted by the arrows of desire, the wretched Ravana fell into a swoon; seizing her by the hand, he sought to act lustfully.
सती चुकोप दृष्ट्वा तं स्तम्भितं च चकार ह । स जडो हस्तपादैश्च किञ्चिद्वक्तुं न च क्षमः
The chaste one, seeing him thus, became angry and rendered him paralyzed; he became insensible, unable to move his hands or feet, nor could he speak.
तुष्टाव मनसा देवीं प्रययौ पद्मलोचनाम् । सा तुष्टा तस्य स्तवनं सुकृतं च चकार ह
He praised the goddess mentally and departed to the lotus-eyed one; she, pleased, accepted his praise as a meritorious act.
सा शशाप मदर्थे त्वं विनंक्ष्यसि सबान्धवः । स्पृष्टाहं च त्वया कामाद् बलं चाप्यवलोकय
She cursed him, saying, 'For my sake, you shall perish along with your kin; and since you have touched me out of desire, behold your strength now.'
इत्युक्त्वा सा च योगेन देहत्यागं चकार ह । गङ्गायां तां च संन्यस्य स्वगृहं रावणो ययौ
Having spoken thus, she abandoned her body through yogic power; leaving her in the Ganges, Rāvaṇa returned to his own home.
अहो किमद्भुतं दृष्टं किं कृतं वानयाधुना । इति सञ्चिन्त्य सञ्चिन्त्य विललाप पुनः पुनः
Ah, what a wonder has been seen! What has she done now? Thus reflecting again and again, he lamented repeatedly.
सा च कालान्तरे साध्वी बभूव जनकात्मजा । सीतादेवीति विख्याता यदर्थे रावणो हतः
In the course of time, that virtuous woman was born as the daughter of Janaka, renowned as Sītā Devī, for whose sake Rāvaṇa was slain.
महातपस्विनी सा च तपसा पूर्वजन्मतः । लेभे रामं च भर्तारं परिपूर्णतमं हरिम्
That great ascetic, by the power of her previous life's austerities, obtained Rāma as her husband, the supreme and perfect Hari.
सम्प्राप तपसाऽऽराध्य दुराराध्यं जगत्पतिम् । सा रमा सुचिरं रेमे रामेण सह सुन्दरी
By worship through austerity, she attained the Lord of the universe, who is difficult to propitiate; that beautiful Rāmā enjoyed long happiness with Rāma.
जातिस्मरा न स्मरति तपसश्च क्लमं पुरा । सुखेन तज्जहौ सर्वं दुःखं चापि सुखं फले
Though she remembered her past birth, she did not recall the fatigue of her austerities; with ease she abandoned all suffering, for happiness is the fruit.
नानाप्रकारविभवं चकार सुचिरं सती । सम्प्राप्य सुकुमारं तमतीव नवयौवना
That faithful wife enjoyed various kinds of prosperity for a long time, having attained that gentle, ever-youthful husband.
गुणिनं रसिकं शान्तं कान्तं देवमनुत्तमम् । स्त्रीणां मनोज्ञं रुचिरं तथा लेभे यथेप्सितम्
She obtained, as she desired, a virtuous, delightful, peaceful, and incomparable husband, charming and pleasing to women.
पितुः सत्यपालनार्थं सत्यसन्धो रघूद्वहः । जगाम काननं पश्चात्कालेन च बलीयसा
For the sake of fulfilling his father's promise, the truthful scion of the Raghu lineage later went to the forest, being mighty.