प्रत्यक्षं तत्र दृष्टान्तं पश्यन्तु सचिवाः किल । दिवि कोऽपि पृथिव्यां वा दृश्यते पुरुषः क्वचित्
'Let the ministers see this example directly. Is there anyone seen in heaven or on earth who escapes fate?'
दैवे मतिं समाधाय यस्तिष्ठेत्तु निरुद्यमः । विरक्तस्तु यतिर्भूत्वा भिक्षार्थं याति सर्वथा
'Fixing his mind on destiny, one should remain without effort; or, becoming detached, a mendicant goes everywhere for alms.'
गृहस्थानां गृहे काममाहूतो वाथवान्यथा । यदृच्छयोपपन्नं च क्षिप्तं केनापि वा मुखे
'In the houses of householders, whether invited or otherwise, whatever comes by chance or is placed in the mouth by someone—'
उद्यमेन विना चास्यादुदरे संविशेत्कथम् । प्रयत्नश्चोद्यमे कार्यो यदा सिद्धिं न याति चेत्
'How could food enter the stomach without effort? Effort must be made, for if success does not come, then—'
तदा दैवं स्थितं चेति चित्तमालम्बयेद्बुधः । मन्त्रिण ऊचुः को मुनिर्येन दत्त्वार्धमायुषो जीविता प्रिया
'Then one should rely on destiny, so say the wise.' The ministers said: 'Which sage revived his beloved by giving half his life?'
कथं मृता महाराज तन्नो ब्रूहि सविस्तरम् । राजोवाच भृगोर्भार्या वरारोहा पुलोमा नाम सुन्दरी
'How did she die, O great king? Tell us this in detail.' The king said: 'The wife of Bhrigu, beautiful and of lovely form, was named Puloma.'
तस्यां तु च्यवनो नाम मुनिर्जातोऽतिविश्रुतः । च्यवनस्य च शर्यातेः सुकन्या नाम सुन्दरी
'From her was born the renowned sage named Cyavana. Cyavana's daughter by Sharyati was the beautiful Sukanya.'
तस्यां जज्ञे सुतः श्रीमान्प्रमतिर्नाम विश्रुतः । प्रमतेस्तु प्रिया भार्या प्रतापी नाम विश्रुता
'From her was born a famous and prosperous son named Pramati. Pramati's beloved wife was the renowned Pratapi.'
रुरुर्नाम सुतो जातस्तथा परमतापसः । तस्मिंश्च समये कश्चित्स्थूलकेशश्च विश्रुतः
A son named Ruru was born, a supreme ascetic; and at that time, there was also a renowned sage named Sthulakesha.
बभूव तपसा युक्तो धर्मात्मा सत्यसम्मतः । एतस्मिन्नन्तरे मान्या मेनका च वराप्सराः
He was devoted to austerity, righteous, and esteemed for his truthfulness; meanwhile, the honored and excellent apsaras Menaka—
क्रीडां चक्रे नदीतीरे त्रिषु लोकेषु सुन्दरी । गर्भं विश्वावसोः प्राप्य निर्गता वरवर्णिनी
—that beautiful one, delight of the three worlds, was playing on the riverbank; having conceived by Vishvavasu, the radiant one departed.
स्थूलकेशाश्रमे गत्वा विससर्ज वराप्सराः । कन्यकां च नदीतीरे त्रिषु लोकेषु सुन्दरीम्
The excellent apsaras went to the hermitage of Sthulakesha and left the beautiful maiden, delight of the three worlds, on the riverbank.
दृष्ट्वानाथां तदा कन्यां जग्राह मुनिसत्तमः । पुपोष स्थूलकेशस्तु नाम्ना चक्रे प्रमद्वराम्
Seeing the girl abandoned, the eminent sage took her in; Sthulakesha raised her and named her Pramadvara.
सा काले यौवनं प्राप्ता सर्वलक्षणसंयुता । रुरुर्दृष्ट्वाथ तां बालां कामबाणार्दितो ह्यभूत्
In time, she reached youth, endowed with all auspicious marks; seeing that maiden, Ruru was struck by the arrows of love.
परीक्षिद्राज्ञो गुप्तगृहे वासवर्णनम् परीक्षिदुवाच कामार्तः स मुनिर्गत्वा रुरुः सुप्तो निजाश्रमे । पिता पप्रच्छ दीनं तं किं रुरो विमना असि
Parikshit said: Tormented by love, Ruru went to his own hermitage while his father was asleep; his father asked him, troubled, 'Why are you so downcast, Ruru?'
स तमाहातिकामार्तः स्थूलकेशस्य चाश्रमे । कन्या प्रमद्वरा नाम सा मे भार्या भवेदिति
Greatly afflicted by love, he replied: 'In the hermitage of Sthulakesha there is a maiden named Pramadvara—may she become my wife.'
स गत्वा प्रमतिस्तूर्णं स्थूलकेशं महामुनिम् । प्रमुह्य सुमुखं कृत्वा ययाचे तां वराननाम्
Then Pramati quickly went to the great sage Sthulakesha, and, humbly and with a pleasant face, requested that radiant maiden.
ददौ वाचं स्थूलकेशः प्रदास्यामि शुभेऽहनि । विवाहार्थं च सम्भारं रचयामासतुर्वने
Sthulakesha gave his word, 'I will give her on an auspicious day'; and both began to make preparations for the wedding in the forest.
प्रमतिः स्थूलकेशश्च विवाहार्थं समुद्यतौ । बभूवतुर्महात्मानौ समीपस्थौ तपोवने
Pramati and Sthulakesha, both great souls, eagerly prepared for the wedding, remaining nearby in the forest hermitage.
तस्मिन्नवसरे कन्या रममाणा गृहाङ्गणे । प्रसुप्तं पन्नगं पादेनास्पृशच्चारुलोचना
At that moment, the maiden, delighting in the house courtyard, accidentally touched a sleeping serpent with her foot, she of lovely eyes.
दष्टा तु पन्नगेनाथ सा ममार वराङ्गना । कोलाहलस्तदा जातो मृतां दृष्ट्वा प्रमद्वराम्
Bitten by the serpent, that excellent woman died; a great commotion arose when Pramadvara was seen dead.
मिलिता मुनयः सर्वे चुक्रुशुः शोकसंयुताः । भूमौ तां पतितां दृष्ट्वा पिता तस्यातिदुःखितः
All the sages gathered, overcome with grief, and wailed; seeing her fallen on the ground, her father was overwhelmed with sorrow.
रुरोद विगतप्राणां दीप्यमानां सुतेजसा । रुरुः श्रुत्वा तदाक्रन्दं दर्शनार्थं समागतः
He wept over her, lifeless yet radiant; hearing the lamentation, Ruru came there to see.
ददर्श पतितां तत्र सजीवामिव कामिनीम् । रुदन्तं स्थूलकेशं च दृष्ट्वान्यानृषिसत्तमान्
He saw her lying there, as if alive, his beloved; and seeing Sthulakesha and the other eminent sages weeping—
रुरुः स्थानाद्बहिर्गत्वा रुरोद विरहाकुलः । अहो दैवेन सर्पोऽयं प्रेषितः परमाद्भुतः
Ruru went outside from that place and, distressed by separation, wept: 'Alas, by fate this serpent was sent—truly astonishing!'
मम शर्मविघाताय दुःखहेतुरयं किल । किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि मृता मे प्राणवल्लभा
'This indeed is the cause of my misery, the destroyer of my happiness; what shall I do, where shall I go—my beloved is dead.'
न वै जीवितुमिच्छामि वियुक्तः प्रिययानया । नालिङ्गिता वरारोहा न मया चुम्बिता मुखे
Truly, I do not wish to live, separated from my beloved; she of lovely form has not been embraced or kissed by me.
न पाणिग्रहणं प्राप्तं मन्दभाग्येन सर्वथा । लाजाहोमस्तथा चाग्नौ न कृतस्त्वनया सह
By my misfortune, I have not obtained her hand in marriage at all; nor have I performed the ritual of offering parched grain into the fire with her.
मानुष्यं धिगिदं कामं गच्छन्त्वद्य ममासवः । दुःखितस्य न वा मृत्युर्वाञ्छितः समुपैति हि
Fie upon this human life, for today my very life departs; for one who is suffering, even death does not come though it is desired.
सुखं तर्हि कथं दिव्यमाप्यते भुवि वाञ्छितम् । प्रपतामि ह्रदे घोरे पावके प्रपताम्यहम्
How, then, can the happiness I long for, whether heavenly or earthly, be attained? I will plunge into a dreadful river, or I will cast myself into fire.