उवाच छाया वह्निं च रामं च विनयान्विता । करिष्यामीति किमहं तदुपायं वदस्व मे
With humility, she spoke to the shadow, to the fire, and to Rāma: 'I will do it; what should I do? Tell me the means.'
श्रीरामाग्नी ऊचतुः त्वं गच्छ तपसे देवि पुष्करं च सुपुण्यदम् । कृत्वा तपस्या तत्रैव स्वर्गलक्ष्मीर्भविष्यसि
Śrī Rāma and Agni said: 'Go, O goddess, to Puṣkara, which is supremely holy for austerity; performing penance there, you will attain the fortune of heaven.'
सा च तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रतप्य पुष्करे तपः । दिव्यं त्रिलक्षवर्षं च स्वर्गलक्ष्मीर्बभूव ह
Hearing those words, she performed austerity at Puṣkara; for three hundred thousand years, she became possessed of heavenly fortune.
सा च कालेन तपसा यज्ञकुण्डसमुद्भवा । कामिनी पाण्डवानां च द्रौपदी द्रुपदात्मजा
In time, by her penance, she was born from the sacrificial altar as a woman, Draupadī, daughter of Drupada, for the Pāṇḍavas.
कृते युगे वेदवती कुशध्वजसुता शुभा । त्रेतायां रामपत्नी च सीतेति जनकात्मजा
In the Kṛta age, she was Vedavatī, the auspicious daughter of Kuśadhvaja; in Tretā, she was Rāma's wife, Sītā, daughter of Janaka.
तच्छाया द्रौपदी देवी द्वापरे द्रुपदात्मजा । त्रिहायणी च सा प्रोक्ता विद्यमाना युगत्रये
Her shadow was Draupadī, the goddess, daughter of Drupada in Dvāpara; she is called Trihāyaṇī, existing in all three ages.
नारद उवाच प्रियाः पञ्च कथं तस्या बभूवुर्मुनिपुङ्गव । इति मच्चित्तसंदेहं भञ्ज संदेहभञ्जन
Nārada said: O foremost of sages, how did she come to have five beloveds? Please dispel this doubt of mine, O dispeller of doubts.
श्रीनारायण उवाच लङ्कायां वास्तवी सीता रामं सम्प्राप नारद । रूपयौवनसम्पन्ना छाया च बहुचिन्तया
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: In Laṅkā, the real Sītā was united with Rāma, O Nārada; endowed with beauty and youth, while her shadow, due to much anxiety—
रामाग्न्योराज्ञया तप्तुमुपास्ते शङ्करं परम् । कामातुरा पतिव्यग्रा प्रार्थयन्ती पुनः पुनः
By the command of Rāma and Agni, she performed austerities, worshipping the supreme Śaṅkara, tormented by desire, devoted to her husband, repeatedly praying—
पतिं देहि पतिं देहि पतिं देहि त्रिलोचन । पतिं देहि पतिं देहि पञ्चवारं चकार सा
"Grant me a husband, grant me a husband, grant me a husband, O Three-eyed One! Grant me a husband, grant me a husband!"—thus she prayed five times.
शिवस्तत्प्रार्थनां श्रुत्वा प्रहस्य रसिकेश्वरः । प्रिये तव प्रियाः पञ्च भविष्यन्ति वरं ददौ
Śiva, the Lord of rasa, hearing her prayer, smiled and granted her a boon: "Beloved, you shall have five beloveds."
तेन सा पाण्डवानां च बभूव कामिनी प्रिया । इति ते कथितं सर्वं प्रस्तावं वास्तवं शृणु
Because of this, she became the beloved of the Pāṇḍavas. Thus, everything has been told to you; now hear the true account of the context.
अथ सम्प्राप्य लङ्कायां सीतां रामो मनोहराम् । विभीषणाय तां लङ्कां दत्त्वायोध्यां ययौ पुनः
Then, having regained the enchanting Sītā in Laṅkā, Rāma gave Laṅkā to Vibhīṣaṇa and returned to Ayodhyā.
एकादशसहस्राब्दं कृत्वा राज्यं च भारते । जगाम सर्वैर्लोकैश्च सार्धं वैकुण्ठमेव च
Having ruled in Bhārata for eleven thousand years, he departed to Vaikuṇṭha together with all the worlds.
कमलांशा वेदवती कमलायां विवेश सा । कथितं पुण्यमाख्यानं पुण्यदं पापनाशनम्
Vedavatī, a portion of Lakṣmī, entered into Lakṣmī herself. This sacred story has been told, which bestows merit and destroys sin.
सततं मूर्तिमन्तश्च वेदाश्चत्वार एव च । सन्ति यस्याश्च जिह्वाग्रे सा च वेदवती श्रुता
The four Vedas, ever embodied, are present at the tip of her tongue; she is known as Vedavatī, the heard one.
धर्मध्वजसुताख्यानं निबोध कथयामि ते
Now listen, I will tell you the story of Dharmadhvaja's daughter.
धर्मध्वजसुतातुलस्युपाख्यानवर्णनम् श्रीनारायण उवाच धर्मध्वजस्य पत्नी माधवीति च विश्रुता । नृपेण सार्धं सारामे रेमे च गन्धमादने
The story of Dharmadhvaja's daughter Tulasī is narrated. Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Dharmadhvaja's wife, renowned as Mādhavī, delighted with the king in Gandhamādana.
शय्यां रतिकरीं कृत्वा पुष्पचन्दनचर्चिताम् । चन्दनालिप्तसर्वाङ्गीं पुष्पचन्दनवायुना
She made a bed pleasing for enjoyment, smeared with flowers and sandalwood, her whole body anointed with sandal, perfumed by the breeze of flowers and sandal.
स्त्रीरत्नमतिचार्वङ्गी रत्नभूषणभूषिता । कामुकी रसिका सृष्टा रसिकेन च संयुता
A jewel among women, with a most lovely form, adorned with gem ornaments, passionate and skilled in love, united with a connoisseur.
सुरते विरतिर्नास्ति तयोः सुरतिविज्ञयोः । गतं देववर्षशतं न ज्ञातं च दिवानिशम्
There was no cessation of enjoyment for those two, experts in love; a hundred divine years passed, unnoticed, day and night.
ततो राजा मतिं प्राप्य सुरताद्विरराम च । कामुकी सुन्दरी किञ्चिन्न च तृप्तिं जगाम सा
Then the king, coming to his senses, ceased from enjoyment; but the beautiful, passionate woman did not attain satisfaction.
दधार गर्भं सा सद्यो दैवादब्दशतं सती । श्रीगर्भा श्रीयुता सा च सम्बभूव दिने दिने
She immediately conceived, by divine will, and bore the pregnancy for a hundred years; she, endowed with fortune, grew more radiant day by day.
शुभे क्षणे शुभदिने शुभयोगे च संयुते । शुभलग्ने शुभांशे च शुभस्वामिग्रहान्विते
At an auspicious moment, on an auspicious day, under an auspicious conjunction and in an auspicious ascendant, with auspicious planets as lords—
कार्तिकीपूर्णिमायां तु सितवारे च पाद्मज । सुषाव सा च पद्मांशां पद्मिनीं तां मनोहराम्
On the full moon of Kārtika, on a bright day, O Lotus-born, she gave birth to the enchanting Padminī, a portion of Padmā.
शरत्पार्वणचन्द्रास्यां शरत्पङ्कजलोचनाम् । पक्वबिम्बाधरोष्ठीं च पश्यन्तीं सस्मितां गृहम्
Her face was like the autumn full moon, her eyes like autumn lotuses, her lips ripe as red fruit, smiling as she gazed about the house.
हस्तपादतलारक्तां निम्ननाभिं मनोरमाम् । तदधस्त्रिवलीयुक्तां नितम्बयुगवर्तुलाम्
Her hands and feet were red at the tips, her navel deep, her form delightful, adorned with three lines below the navel, and her hips beautifully rounded.
शीते सुखोष्णसर्वाङ्गीं ग्रीष्मे च सुखशीतलाम् । श्यामां सुकेशीं रुचिरां न्यग्रोधपरिमण्डलाम्
In cold she was pleasantly warm throughout her body, in heat she was soothingly cool; dark-complexioned, with lovely hair, charming, and shaped like a banyan tree's circle.
पीतचम्पकवर्णाभां सुन्दरीष्वेव सुन्दरीम् । नरा नार्यश्च तां दृष्ट्वा तुलनां दातुमक्षमाः
With the radiance of yellow campaka flowers, she was the most beautiful among beauties; men and women, seeing her, were unable to find any comparison.
तेन नाम्ना च तुलसीं तां वदन्ति मनीषिणः । सा च भूयिष्ठमानेन योग्या स्त्री प्रकृतिर्यथा
Therefore, the wise call her by the name Tulasī; she was, by her nature, the most suitable woman, as is proper.