मत्प्रियार्थमिदं सौम्य गृहीत्वा त्वं गृहं नय । गिरिकायै प्रयच्छाशु तस्यास्त्वार्तवमद्य वै
For my sake, gentle one, take this and bring it to my house; quickly give it to Girikā, for today is her fertile time.
सूत उवाच इत्युक्त्वा प्रददौ पर्णं श्येनाय नृपसत्तमः । स गृहीत्वोत्पपाताशु गगनं गतिवित्तमः
Sūta said: Having spoken thus, the best of kings gave the leaf to the hawk; taking it, the swift-flying bird soared into the sky.
गच्छन्तं गगनं श्येनं धृत्वा चञ्चुपुटे पुटम् । तमपश्यदथायान्तं खगं श्येनस्तथापरः
As the hawk flew through the sky, holding the leaf in its beak, another hawk saw it approaching.
आमिषं स तु विज्ञाय शीघ्रमभ्यद्रवत्खगम् । तुण्डयुद्धमथाकाशे तावुभौ सम्प्रचक्रतुः
Recognizing the meat, that bird quickly rushed at the hawk; then, in the sky, the two engaged in a beak-fight.
युद्ध्यतोरपतद्रेतस्तज्जापि यमुनाम्भसि । खगौ तौ निर्गतौ कामं पुटके पतिते तदा
While they fought, the seed fell into the waters of the Yamunā; the two birds flew away as the leaf dropped.
एतस्मिन्समये काचिद्अद्रिका नाम चाप्सराः । ब्राह्मणं समनुप्राप्तं सन्ध्यावन्दनतत्परम्
At that moment, an apsaras named Adrikā, devoted to her twilight prayers, approached the brahmin.
कुर्वन्ती जलकेलिं सा जले मग्ना चचार सा । जग्राह चरणं नारी द्विजस्य वरवर्णिनी
Engaged in water play, she swam submerged; the beautiful woman seized the brahmin's foot.
प्राणायामपरः सोऽथ दृष्ट्वा तां कामचारिणीम् । शशाप भव मत्स्यी त्वं ध्यानविघ्नकरी यतः
Absorbed in breath-control, he saw that lustful one and cursed her: 'Become a fish, since you disturbed my meditation.'
सा शप्ता विप्रमुख्येन बभूव यमुनाचरी । शफरी रूपसम्पन्ना ह्यद्रिका च वराप्सराः
Thus cursed by the foremost brahmin, Adrikā, the excellent apsaras, became a fish in the Yamunā, beautiful and splendid.
श्येनपादपरिभ्रष्टं तच्छुक्रमथ वासवी । जग्राह तरसाभ्येत्य साद्रिका मत्स्यरूपिणी
Then, as the seed fell from the hawk's grasp, Adrikā, now in fish form, swiftly seized it.
अथ कालेन कियता मत्स्यीं तां मत्स्यजीवनः । सम्प्राप्ते दशमे मासि बबन्ध तां मनोरमाम्
After some time, a fisherman caught that lovely fish when the tenth month had come.
उदरं विददाराशु स तस्या मत्स्यजीवनः । युग्मं विनिःसृतं तस्मादुदरान्मानुषाकृति
The fisherman quickly cut open her belly, and from it emerged a pair in human form.
बालः कुमारः सुभगस्तथा कन्या शुभानना । दृष्ट्वाश्चर्यमिदं सोऽथ विस्मयं परमं गतः
A handsome boy and a beautiful-faced girl appeared; seeing this wonder, he was utterly amazed.
राज्ञे निवेदयामास पुत्रौ द्वौ तु झषोद्भवौ । राजापि विस्मयाविष्टः सुतं जग्राह तं शुभम्
He reported to the king that two children had been born from the fish; the king, filled with astonishment, took the auspicious boy.
स मत्स्यो नाम राजासौ धार्मिकः सत्यसङ्गरः । वसुपुत्रो महातेजाः पित्रा तुल्यपराक्रमः
That king, named Matsya, righteous and true to his word, son of Vasu, was mighty and equal in valor to his father.
कालिका वसुना दत्ता तरसा जलजीविने । नाम्ना कालीति विख्याता तथा मत्स्योदरीति च
Kālikā was given by Vasu to the fisherman; she became known as Kāli and also as Matsyodarī.
मत्स्यगन्धेति नाम्ना वै गणेन समजायत । विवर्धमाना दाशस्य गृहे सा वासवी शुभा
She became known by the name Matsyagandhā among the people, and that auspicious Vāsavī grew up in the house of the fisherman.
ऋषय ऊचुः अद्रिका मुनिना शप्ता मत्स्यी जाता वराप्सराः । विदारिता च दाशेन मृता च भक्षिता पुनः
The sages said: Adrikā, a celestial nymph, was cursed by a sage and became a fish; she was split open by the fisherman, died, and was eaten.
किं बभूव पुनस्तस्या अप्सराया वदस्व तत् । शापस्यान्तं कथं सूत कथं स्वर्गमवाप सा
What then became of that apsarā? Tell us that. How did the curse end, O Sūta, and how did she attain heaven?
सूत उवाच शप्ता यदा सा मुनिना विस्मिता सम्बभूव ह । स्तुतिं चकार विप्रस्य दीनेव रुदती तदा
Sūta said: When she was cursed by the sage, she was astonished and, weeping like one in distress, praised the sage.
दयावान्ब्राह्मणः प्राह तां तदा रुदतीं स्त्रियम् । मा शोकं कुरु कल्याणि शापान्तं ते वदाम्यहम्
The compassionate brāhmaṇa then spoke to the weeping woman: 'Do not grieve, O blessed one; I will tell you the end of your curse.'
मत्कोधशापयोगेन मत्स्ययोनिं गता शुभे । मानुषौ जनयित्वा त्वं शापमोक्षमवाप्स्यसि
By the power of my angry curse, you have entered the womb of a fish, O auspicious one; after giving birth to two humans, you will be freed from the curse.
इत्युक्ता तेन सा प्राप मत्स्यदेहं नदीजले । बालकौ जनयित्वा सा मृता मुक्ता च शापतः
Thus addressed by him, she took the body of a fish in the river's water; after giving birth to two children, she died and was released from the curse.
सन्त्यज्य रूपं मत्स्यस्य दिव्यरूपमवाप्य च । जगामामरमार्गं च शापान्ते वरवर्णिनी
Abandoning the form of a fish, she regained her divine appearance and, her curse ended, that radiant one went on the path of the immortals.
एवं जाता वरा पुत्री मत्स्यगन्धा वरानना । पुत्रीव पाल्यमाना सा दाशगेहे व्यवर्धत
Thus was born the excellent daughter Matsyagandhā, beautiful-faced; raised as a daughter, she grew up in the house of the fisherman.
मत्स्यगन्धा तदा जाता किशोरी चातिसुप्रभा । तस्य कार्याणि कुर्वाणा वासवी चातिसुप्रभा
Matsyagandhā was then born, a radiant young girl; performing tasks, that Vāsavī was exceedingly bright.
व्यासजन्मवर्णनम् सूत उवाच एकदा तीर्थयात्रायां व्रजन् पाराशरो मुनिः । आजगाम महातेजाः कालिन्द्यास्तटमुत्तमम्
The Birth of Vyāsa Sūta said: Once, during a pilgrimage, the great sage Parāśara, full of energy, came to the excellent bank of the Kālindī river.
निषादमाह धर्मात्मा कुर्वन्तं भोजनं तदा । प्रापयस्व परं पारं कालिन्द्या उडुपेन माम्
He said to the fisherman, who was then preparing food: 'Take me across to the far shore of the Kālindī by boat.'
दाशः श्रुत्वा मुनेर्वाक्यं कुर्वाणो भोजनं तटे । उवाच तां सुतां बालां मत्स्यगन्धां मनोरमाम्
Hearing the sage's words while preparing food on the bank, the fisherman spoke to his charming young daughter Matsyagandhā.
उडुपेन मुनिं बाले परं पारं नयस्व ह । गन्तुकामोऽस्ति धर्मात्मा तापसोऽयं शुचिस्मिते
'Child, take the sage across to the far shore by boat; this ascetic, pure-smiling one, wishes to go.'