रासेश्वरी समागत्य ददर्श रासमण्डले । गोविन्दं भर्त्सयामास मां शशाप रुषान्विता
'The mistress of the rāsa dance came and saw me in the rāsa circle; she rebuked Govinda and, filled with anger, cursed me.'
याहि त्वं मानवीं योनिमित्येवं च शशाप ह । मामुवाच स गोविन्दो मदंशं च चतुर्भुजम्
'Go, you shall take birth in a human womb,' thus she cursed me; Govinda spoke to me, saying that a portion of himself, four-armed, would come.'
लभिष्यसि तपस्तप्त्वा भारते ब्रह्मणो वरात् । इत्येवमुक्त्वा देवेशोऽप्यन्तर्धानं चकार सः
You shall obtain your desire by performing austerities in Bharata, through the boon of Brahma. Having spoken thus, the lord of the gods disappeared.
देव्या भिया तनुं त्यक्त्वा प्राप्तं जन्म गुरो भुवि । अहं नारायणं कान्तं शान्तं सुन्दरविग्रहम्
Out of fear of the goddess, I abandoned my body and was born on earth as the Guru. I am Narayana, beloved, peaceful, with a beautiful form.
साम्प्रतं तं पतिं लब्धुं वरये त्वं च देहि मे । ब्रह्मदेव उवाच सुदामा नाम गोपश्च श्रीकृष्णाङ्गसमुद्भवः
Now, to obtain that husband, you should choose him and grant me this. Brahma spoke: Sudama is the name of a cowherd, born from the body of Shri Krishna.
तदंशश्चातितेजस्वी लेभे जन्म च भारते । साम्प्रतं राधिकाशापाद्दनुवंशसमुद्भवः
That portion, exceedingly radiant, took birth in Bharata. Now, due to Radhika's curse, he was born in the demon lineage.
शङ्खचूडेति विख्यातस्त्रैलोक्ये न च तत्समः । गोलोके त्वां पुरा दृष्ट्वा कामोन्मथितमानसः
He is renowned as Shankhachuda throughout the three worlds, and none is his equal. Having seen you before in Goloka, his mind was agitated by desire.
विलम्भितुं न शशाक राधिकायाः प्रभावतः । स च जातिस्मरस्तस्मात्सदामाभूच्च सागरे
He was unable to delay, due to the power of Radhika. Therefore, he became a jātismara, and was born as Sudama in the ocean.
जातिस्मरा त्वमपि सा सर्वं जानासि सुन्दरि । अधुना तस्य पत्नी त्वं सम्भविष्यसि शोभने
You too are a jātismara, O beautiful one, and know everything. Now, you will become his wife, O radiant one.
पश्चान्नारायणं शान्तं कान्तमेव वरिष्यसि । शापान्नारायणस्यैव कलया दैवयोगतः
Afterwards, you will choose Narayana, peaceful and beloved. Due to Narayana's curse, by divine arrangement, you will become his partial aspect.
भविष्यसि वृक्षरूपा त्वं पूता विश्वपावनी । प्रधाना सर्वपुष्पेषु विष्णुप्राणाधिका भवेः
You will become a tree, purified and purifier of the world. Among all flowers, you will be foremost, and more vital to Vishnu than his own breath.
त्वया विना च सर्वेषां पूजा च विफला भवेत् । वृन्दावने वृक्षरूपा नाम्ना वृन्दावनीति च
Without you, the worship of all would be fruitless. In Vrindavana, you will be in the form of a tree, and will be called Vrindavati.
त्वत्पत्रैर्गोपिगोपाश्च पूजयिष्यन्ति माधवम् । वृक्षाधिदेवीरूपेण सार्धं कृष्णेन सन्ततम्
With your leaves, the cowherd girls and boys will worship Madhava. As the goddess presiding over trees, you will always sport with Krishna.
विहरिष्यसि गोपेन स्वच्छन्दं मद्वरेण च । इत्येवं वचनं श्रुत्वा सस्मिता हृष्टमानसा
You will freely enjoy with the cowherd, by my boon. Hearing these words, she smiled, her mind delighted.
प्रणनाम च ब्रह्माणं तं च किञ्चिदुवाच सा । तुलस्युवाच यथा मे द्विभुजे कृष्णे वाञ्छा च श्यामसुन्दरे
She bowed to Brahma and spoke a little. Tulasi said: As my desire is for Krishna with two arms, for Shyamasundara,
सत्यं ब्रवीमि हे तात न तथा च चतुर्भुजे । अतृप्ताहं च गोविन्दे दैवाच्छृङ्गारभङ्गतः
I speak the truth, O father, not so for the four-armed one. I am unsatisfied with Govinda, due to the disruption of love by fate.
गोविन्दस्यैव वचनात्प्रार्थयामि चतुर्भुजम् । त्वत्प्रसादेन गोविन्दं पुनरेव सुदुर्लभम्
By Govinda's words, I ask for the four-armed one. By your grace, may I again obtain the rare Govinda.
ध्रुवमेव लभिष्यामि राधाभीतिं प्रमोचय । ब्रह्यदेव उवाच गृहाण राधिकामन्त्रं ददामि षोडशाक्षरम्
I shall certainly obtain him; release me from fear of Radha. Brahma spoke: Receive the Radha mantra, I give you the sixteen-syllable one.
तस्याश्च प्राणतुल्या त्वं मद्वरेण भविष्यसि । शृङ्गारं युवयोर्गोप्यं न ज्ञास्यति च राधिका
By my boon, you will be as dear as life to her. Your love with him will be secret, and Radha will not know.
राधासमा त्वं सुभगे गोविन्दस्य भविष्यसि । इत्येवमुक्त्वा दत्त्वा च देव्या वै षोडशाक्षरम्
You will be equal to Radha, O fortunate one, for Govinda. Having spoken thus, he gave the sixteen-syllable mantra to the goddess.
मन्त्रं चैव जगद्धाता स्तोत्रं च कवचं परम् । सर्वं पूजाविधानं च पुरश्चर्याविधिक्रमम्
He, the creator of the universe, gave the mantra, the supreme hymn, the protective armor, all the procedures of worship, and the rules for preparatory rites.
परां शुभाशिषं चैव पूजां चैव चकार सा । बभूव सिद्धा सा देवी तत्प्रसादाद्रमा यथा
She performed the highest auspicious rites and worship, and by his grace, that goddess became accomplished, like Rama.
सिद्धं मन्त्रेण तुलसी वरं प्राप यथोदितम् । बुभुजे च महाभोगं यद्विश्वेषु च दुर्लभम्
By the perfected mantra, Tulasi obtained the boon as described, and enjoyed great pleasures that are rare even among the worlds.
प्रसन्नमनसा देवी तत्याज तपसः क्लमम् । सिद्धे फले नराणां च दुःखं च सुखमुत्तमम्
With a contented mind, the goddess abandoned the fatigue of her austerities, having attained the fruit—both the suffering and the highest happiness—of mortals.
भुक्त्या पीत्वा च सन्तुष्टा शयनं च चकार सा । तल्पे मनोरमे तत्र पुष्पचन्दनचर्चिते
Satisfied by eating and drinking, she lay down to rest on a delightful bed there, adorned with flowers and sandalwood.
शङ्खचूडेन सह तुलस्याः सङ्गतिवर्णनम् नारायण उवाच तुलसी परितुष्टा च सुष्वाप हृष्टमानसा । नवयौवनसम्पन्ना वृषध्वजवराङ्गना
Nārāyaṇa said: Tulasi, content and joyful at heart, slept well, endowed with fresh youth, the best among the wives of the bull-bannered one.
चिक्षेप पञ्चबाणश्च पञ्चबाणांश्च तां प्रति । पुष्पायुधेन सा दग्धा पुष्पचन्दनचर्चिता
The five-arrowed god shot his arrows at her; struck by the god of love, she, adorned with flowers and sandalwood, was burned.
पुलकाङ्कितसर्वाङ्गी कम्पितारक्तलोचना । क्षणं सा शुष्कतां प्राप क्षणं मूर्च्छामवाप ह
Her whole body bristled with goosebumps, her trembling eyes turned red; for a moment she became parched, for a moment she fainted.
क्षणमुद्विग्नतां प्राप क्षणं तन्द्रां सुखावहाम् । क्षणं च दहनं प्राप क्षणं प्राप प्रसन्नताम्
For a moment she became anxious, for a moment she felt a pleasant drowsiness; for a moment she felt burning, for a moment she became serene.
क्षणं सा चेतनां प्राप क्षणं प्राप विषण्णताम् । उत्तिष्ठन्ती क्षणं तल्पाद् गच्छन्ती निकटे क्षणम्
For a moment she regained consciousness, for a moment she became despondent; for a moment she rose from the bed, for a moment she moved nearby.