केयं कुतो वा समुपागताधुना देवाङ्गना वा किमु मानुषी वा । गन्धर्वपुत्री किल नागकन्या जाने कथं गन्धवतीं नु कामिनीम्
Who is she, and from where has she now come? Is she a celestial maiden or a human woman? Perhaps a daughter of the Gandharvas, or a Nāga maiden? How is she, a fragrant and desirable woman?
सञ्चिन्त्य चैवं मनसा नृपोऽसौ न निश्चयं प्राप यदा ततः स्वयम् । गङ्गां स्मरन्कामवशं गतोऽथ पप्रच्छ कान्तां तटसंस्थितां च
Thinking thus in his mind, the king could not reach a conclusion; then, remembering Gaṅgā and overcome by desire, he questioned the lovely woman standing on the riverbank.
कासि प्रिये कस्य सुतासि कस्मा- दिह स्थिता त्वं विजने वरोरु । एकाकिनी किं वद चारुनेत्रे विवाहिता वा न विवाहितासि
Who are you, dear one? Whose daughter are you? For what reason are you here, O beautiful-thighed one, alone in this deserted place? Tell me, charming-eyed one, are you married or unmarried?
सञ्जातकामोऽहमरालनेत्रे त्वां वीक्ष्य कान्तां च मनोरमां च । ब्रूहि प्रिये यासि चिकीर्षसि त्वं किं चेति सर्वं मम विस्तरेण
Desire has arisen in me, O wide-eyed one, seeing you, lovely and enchanting; tell me, dear, what you intend to do, where you are going—tell me everything in detail.
इत्येवमुक्ता सुदती नृपेण प्रोवाच तं सस्मितमम्बुजेक्षणा । दाशस्य पुत्रीं त्वमवेहि राजन् कन्यां पितुः शासनसंस्थितां च
Thus addressed by the king, the sweet-smiling, lotus-eyed maiden replied to him with a smile: 'Know me, O king, as the daughter of a ferryman, a maiden abiding by her father's command.'
तरीमिमां धर्मनिमित्तमेव संवाहयामीह जले नृपेन्द्र । पिता गृहे मेऽद्य गतोऽस्ति कामं सत्यं ब्रवीम्यर्थपते तवाग्रे
O king of men, I am ferrying this boat here for the sake of duty, on the water; my father has gone home today—this is the truth I speak before you, O lord of wealth.
इत्येवमुक्त्वा विरराम बाला कामातुरस्तां नृपतिर्बभाषे । कुरुप्रवीरं कुरु मां पतिं त्वं वृथा न गच्छेन्ननु यौवनं ते
Having spoken thus, the maiden fell silent; but the king, overcome by desire, spoke to her: 'Make me, O noble lady, the foremost of the Kurus, your husband—let not your youth go to waste in vain.'
न चास्ति पत्नी मम वै द्वितीया त्वं धर्मपत्नी भव मे मृगाक्षि । दासोऽस्मि तेऽहं वशगः सदैव मनोभवस्तापयति प्रिये माम्
I have no other wife; be my lawful wife, doe-eyed one. I am your servant, always under your control; O dear one, the god of love torments me.
गता प्रिया मां परिहृत्य कान्ता नान्या वृताहं विधुरोऽस्मि कान्ते । त्वां वीक्ष्य सर्वावयवातिरम्यां मनो हि जातं विवशं मदीयम्
My beloved has left me and gone away; I have chosen no other, and I am forlorn, O beautiful one. Seeing you, so lovely in every limb, my mind has become utterly captivated.
श्रुत्वामृतास्वादरसं नृपस्य वचोऽतिरम्यं खलु दाशकन्या । उवाच तं सात्त्विकभावयुक्ता कृत्वातिधैर्यं नृपतिं सुगन्धा
Hearing the king's words, sweet as nectar and exceedingly delightful, the ferryman's daughter, endowed with a pure disposition, composed herself with great courage and spoke to the king, Sugandhā.
यदात्थ राजन् मयि तत्तथैव मन्येऽहमेतत्तु यथा वचस्ते । नास्मि स्वतन्त्रा त्वमवेहि कामं दाता पिता मेऽर्थय तं त्वमाशु
O king, what you have said to me, I consider just so, as your words declare; but know truly, I am not independent—my father is the giver; seek his consent quickly.
न स्वैरिणीहास्म्यपि दाशपुत्री पितुर्वशेऽहं सततं चरामि । स चेद्ददाति प्रथितः पिता मे गृहाण पाणिं वशगास्मि तेऽहम्
Though I am the daughter of a ferryman, I am not free; I always act under my father's authority. If my renowned father gives his consent, take my hand—I am yours to command.
मनोभवस्त्वां नृप किं दुनोति यथा पुनर्मां नवयौवनां च । दुनोति तत्रापि हि रक्षणीया धृतिः कुलाचारपरम्परासु
O King, why does the god of love trouble you as he does me, now that I am in the bloom of youth? Even in such matters, one must preserve self-control and uphold the traditions of the family.
सूत उवाच इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्या नृपति काममोहितः । गतो दाशपतेर्गेहं तस्या याचनहेतवे
Sūta said: Hearing her words, the king, overcome by desire, went to the house of the ferryman to make his request.
दृष्ट्वा नृपतिमायान्तं दाशोऽतिविस्मयं गतः । प्रणामं नृपतेः कृत्वा कृताञ्जलिरभाषत
Seeing the king approaching, the ferryman was greatly astonished; bowing with joined palms, he spoke to the king.
दाश उवाच दासोऽस्मि तव भूपाल कृतार्थोऽहं तवागमे । आज्ञां देहि महाराज यदर्थमिह चागमः
The ferryman said: I am your servant, O king; your arrival has fulfilled my wishes. Command me, great king—what is the purpose of your coming here?
राजोवाच धर्मपत्नीं करिष्यामि सुतामेतां तवानघ । त्वया चेद्दीयते मह्यं सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीमि ते
The king said: O sinless one, if you give her to me, I will make your daughter my lawful wife. I speak this truthfully to you.
दाश उवाच कन्यारत्नं मदीयं चेद्यत्त्वं प्रार्थयसे नृप । दातव्यं तु प्रदास्यामि न त्वदेयं कदाचन
The ferryman said: O king, if you desire my precious daughter, I am indeed ready to give her; but she is not to be given to you under ordinary terms.
तस्याः पुत्रो महाराज त्वदन्ते पृथिवीपतिः । सर्वथा चाभिषेक्तव्यो नान्यः पुत्रस्तवेति वै
Her son, O great king, must become king after you; he alone must be anointed as your successor—no other son of yours.
सूत उवाच श्रुत्वावाक्यं तु दाशस्य राजा चिन्तातुरोऽभवत् । गाङ्गेयं मनसा कृत्वा नोवाच नृपतिस्तदा
Sūta said: Hearing the ferryman's words, the king became troubled with anxiety; thinking of Gāṅgeya, he did not reply at that time.
कामातुरो गृहं प्राप्तश्चिन्ताविष्टो महीपतिः । न सस्नौ बुभुजे नाथ न सुष्वाप गृहं गतः
Tormented by desire and filled with worry, the king returned home; he neither bathed, nor ate, nor slept after entering his house.
चिन्तातुरं तु तं दृष्ट्वा पुत्रो देवव्रतस्तदा । गत्वापृच्छन्महीपालं तदसन्तोषकारणम्
Seeing his father so troubled, Devavrata approached the king and asked him the reason for his dissatisfaction.
दुर्जयः कोऽस्ति शत्रुस्ते करोमि वशगं तव । का चिन्ता नृपशार्दूल सत्यं वद नृपोत्तम
Who is this unconquerable enemy, O king, whom I should subdue for you? What is your worry, tiger among kings? Speak the truth, best of rulers.
किं तेन जातेन सुतेन राजन् दुःखं न जानाति न नाशयेद्यः । ऋणं ग्रहीतुं समुपागतोऽसौ प्राग्जन्मजं नात्र विचारणास्ति
What is the use, O king, of a son who neither knows suffering nor removes it? He has come to take on the debt from a previous birth—there is no doubt about this.
विमुच्य राज्यं रघुनन्दनोऽपि ताताज्ञया दाशरथिस्तु रामः । वनं गतो लक्ष्मणजानकीभ्यां सहैव शैलं किल चित्रकूटम्
Even Rāma, son of Daśaratha, gave up the kingdom at his father's command and went to the forest with Lakṣmaṇa and Jānakī, to the mountain called Citrakūṭa.
सुतो हरिश्चन्द्रनृपस्य राजन् यो रोहितश्चेति प्रसिद्धनामा । क्रीतोऽथ पित्रा विपणोद्यतश्च दासार्पितो विप्रगृहे तु नूनम्
O king, the son of King Hariścandra, well known as Rohita, was sold by his father, offered as a slave, and given to a brāhmaṇa's house.
तथाजिगर्तस्य सुतो वरिष्ठो नाम्ना शुनःशेप इति प्रसिद्धः । क्रीतस्तु पित्राप्यथ यूपबद्धः सम्मोचितो गाधिसुतेन पश्चात्
Similarly, the most excellent son of Jīgarta, famed as Śunaḥśepa, was bought by his father, bound to the sacrificial post, and later released by the son of Gādhi.
पित्राज्ञया जामदग्न्येन पूर्वं छिन्नं शिरो मातुरिति प्रसिद्धम् । अकार्यमप्याचरितं च तेन गुरोरनुज्ञा च गरीयसी कृता
It is well known that Jāmadagnya, at his father's command, once cut off his mother's head. Though it was a wrongful act, he did it, for the guru's command is weightier.
इदं शरीरं तव भूपते न क्षमोऽस्मि नूनं वद किं करोम्यहम् । न शोचनीयं मयि वर्तमाने- ऽप्यसाध्यमर्थं प्रतिपादयाम्यदः
O king, this body of yours—I am surely not worthy of it. Tell me, what shall I do? While I am here, you need not grieve; I will accomplish even the impossible for you.
प्रब्रूहि राजंस्तव कास्ति चिन्ता निवारयाम्यद्य धनुर्गृहीत्वा । देहेन मे चेच्चरितार्थता वा भवत्वमोघा भवतश्चिकीर्षा
Tell me, king, what is your worry? Today I will remove it, taking up my bow. If my body can fulfill your purpose, let your wish not go in vain.