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.
विषमद्मि गले पाशं कृत्वा प्राणांस्त्यजाम्यहम् । विलप्यैवं रुरुस्तत्र विचार्य मनसा पुनः
I will drink poison, or tie a noose around my neck and abandon my life; lamenting thus, he wept there, pondering again in his mind.
उपायं चिन्तयामास स्थितस्तस्मिन्नदीतटे । मरणात्किं फलं मे स्यादात्महत्या दुरत्यया
Standing on that riverbank, he began to consider a means; what fruit would there be for me from death, from this terrible act of self-destruction?
दुःखितश्च पिता मे स्याज्जननी चातिदुःखिता । दैवस्तुष्टो भवेत्कामं दृष्ट्वा मां त्यक्तजीवितम्
My father would be grieved, and my mother exceedingly sorrowful; perhaps fate would be satisfied, seeing me having abandoned my life.
सर्वः प्रमुदितश्च स्यान्मत्क्षये नात्र संशयः । उपकारः प्रियायाः कः परलोके भवेदपि
All would rejoice at my destruction, of this there is no doubt; but what benefit would there be for my beloved, even in the next world?
मृते मय्यात्मघातेन विरहात्पीडितेऽपि च । परलोके प्रिया सापि न मे स्यादात्मघातिनः
If I die by my own hand, tormented by separation, even then in the next world, that beloved would not be mine, for one who has committed self-slaughter.
एतदर्थं मृते दोषा मयि नैवामृते पुनः । विमृश्यैव रुरुस्तत्र स्नात्वाचम्य शुचिः स्थितः
For this reason, the faults would be mine if I die, but not if I do not; reflecting thus, he wept there, having bathed and purified himself, standing firm.
अब्रवीद्वचनं कृत्वा जलं पाणावसौ मुनिः । यन्मया सुकृतं किञ्चित्कृतं देवार्चनादिकम्
Having spoken these words, the sage took water in his hands and said: Whatever good I have done, such as worship of the gods—
गुरवः पूजिता भक्त्या हुतं जप्तं तपः कृतम् । अधीतास्त्वखिला वेदा गायत्री संस्कृता यदि
If I have honored my teachers with devotion, offered oblations, recited, performed austerities, studied all the Vedas, and sanctified the Gāyatrī—
रविराराधितस्तेन सञ्जीवतु मम प्रिया । यदि जीवेन्न मे कान्ता त्यजे प्राणानहं ततः
If by worshipping the Sun I have gained merit, may my beloved be restored to life; if my beloved does not live, then I will abandon my own life.
इत्युक्त्वा तज्जलं भूमौ चिक्षेपाराध्य देवताः । राजोवाच एवं विलपतस्तस्य भार्यया दुःखितस्य च
Having said this, he poured that water upon the ground, having worshipped the deities.