तामृते परमां शक्तिं ब्रह्मविष्णुहरादयः । न शक्ताः स्पन्दितुं देवाः का चिन्ता मे तदा नृपाः
Without her, the supreme power, even Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and the other gods are unable to stir. What worry should I have then, O kings?
अशक्तो वा सशक्तो वा यादृशस्तादृशस्त्वहम् । तदाज्ञया नृपाद्यैव सम्प्राप्तोऽस्मि स्वयंवरे
Whether powerless or powerful, whatever I am, I am thus. By her command, O kings, I have come today to the svayamvara.
सा यदिच्छति तत्कुर्यान्मम किं चिन्तनेन वै । नात्र शंका प्रकर्तव्या सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीम्यहम्
If she wishes, she will do it; why should I be anxious? There is no doubt to be entertained here; I speak this truthfully.
जये पराजये लज्जा न मेऽत्राण्वपि पार्थिवाः । भगवत्यास्तु लज्जास्ति तदधीनोऽस्मि सर्वथा
In victory or defeat, I feel no shame here, O kings. Shame belongs to the Goddess; I am entirely subject to her.
व्यास उवाच इति तस्य तदाकर्ण्य वचनं राजसत्तमाः । ऊचुः परस्परं प्रेक्ष्य निश्चयज्ञा नराधिपाः
Vyasa said: Hearing his words, the noble kings looked at one another and spoke among themselves, deliberating with certainty.
सत्यमुक्तं त्वया साधो न मिथ्या कर्हिचिद्भवेत् । तथाप्युज्जयनीनाथस्त्वां हन्तुं परिकाङ्क्षति
You have spoken the truth, O noble one; it can never be false. Yet, the lord of Ujjayini still desires to kill you.
त्वत्कृते न दयादिष्टा त्वां ब्रवीमो महामते । यद्युक्तं तत्त्वया कार्यं विचार्य मनसाऽनघ
Out of concern for you, we speak, O wise one; whatever is proper, you should do after considering it in your mind, O blameless one.
सुदर्शन उवाच सत्यमुक्तं भवद्भिश्च कृपावद्भिः सुहृज्जनैः । किं ब्रवीमि पुनर्वाक्यमुक्त्वा नृपतिसत्तमाः
Sudarsana said: You have spoken truthfully, and with compassion, O friends. What more can I say after speaking, O noble kings?
न मृत्युः केनचिद्भाव्यः कस्यचिद्वा कदाचन । दैवाधीनमिदं सर्वं जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम्
No one can cause death for anyone at any time. All this world, movable and immovable, is subject to fate.
स्ववशोऽयं न जीवोऽस्ति स्वकर्मवशगः सदा । तत्कर्म त्रिविधं प्रोक्तं विद्वद्भिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः
The soul is not independent; it is always subject to its own actions. That action is said by the wise, who see the truth, to be threefold.
सञ्चितं वर्तमानञ्च प्रारब्धञ्च तृतीयकम् । कालकर्मस्वभावैश्च ततं सर्वमिदं जगत्
Accumulated, current, and begun—these are the three kinds. By time, action, and nature, this entire world is woven.
न देवो मानुषं हन्तुं शक्तः कालागमं विना । हतं निमित्तमात्रेण हन्ति कालः सनातनः
No god can kill a human without the arrival of the destined time. Time, eternal, kills only when the occasion arises.
यथा पिता मे निहतः सिंहेनामित्रकर्षणः । तथा मातामहोऽप्येवं युद्धे युधाजिता हतः
Just as my father, the destroyer of enemies, was slain by a lion, so too was my maternal grandfather killed in battle by Yudhajit.
यत्नकोटिं प्रकुर्वाणो हन्यते दैवयोगतः । जीवेद्वर्षसहस्राणि रक्षणेन विना नरः
Even making countless efforts, a man is slain by the force of fate; without protection, a person cannot live a thousand years.
नाहं बिभेमि धर्मिष्ठाः कदाचिच्च युधाजितः । दैवमेव परं मत्वा सुस्थितोऽस्मि सदा नृपाः
O Yudhajit, I do not fear, nor do the righteous ever fear; considering fate to be supreme, I always remain steadfast, O kings.
स्मरणं सततं नित्यं भगवत्याः करोम्यहम् । विश्वस्य जननी देवी कल्याणं सा करिष्यति
I constantly and always remember the Goddess; she, the Mother of the universe, will bring about what is auspicious.
पूर्वार्जितं हि भोक्तव्यं शुभं वाप्यशुभं तथा । स्वकृतस्य च भोगेन कीदृक्शोको विजानताम्
Indeed, one must experience what was earned previously, whether auspicious or inauspicious; by enjoying the fruits of one’s own actions, what sorrow remains for those who understand?
स्वकर्मफलयोगेन प्राप्य दुःखमचेतनः । निमित्तकारणे वैरं करोत्यल्पमतिः किल
Through the results of his own actions, an unthinking person attains suffering; with little understanding, he makes enmity for trivial reasons.
न तथाऽहं विजानामि वैरं शोकं भयं तथा । निःशङ्कमिह सम्प्राप्तः समाजे भूभृतामिह
I do not perceive enmity, sorrow, or fear in this way; I have come here without anxiety into this assembly of kings.
एकाकी द्रष्टुकामोऽहं स्वयंवरमनुत्तमम् । भविष्यति च यद्भाव्यं प्राप्तोऽस्मि चण्डिकाज्ञया
Alone, I wish to witness the unparalleled svayamvara; whatever is destined will occur, for I have come by the command of Chandika.
भगवत्याः प्रमाणं मे नान्यं जानामि संयतः । तत्कृतञ्च सुखं दुःखं भविष्यति च नान्यथा
Restrained, I know no authority other than the Goddess; whatever happiness or sorrow comes from her will surely be, and not otherwise.
युधाजित्सुखमाप्नोतु न मे वैरं नृपोत्तमाः । यः करिष्यति मे वैरं स प्राप्स्यति फलं तथा
Let Yudhajit obtain happiness; I hold no enmity, O best of kings. Whoever bears enmity toward me will receive its result accordingly.
व्यास उवाच इत्युक्तास्ते तथा तेन सन्तुष्टा भूभुजः स्थिताः । सोऽपि स्वमाश्रमं प्राप्य सुस्थितः सम्बभूव ह
Vyasa said: Thus addressed by him, the kings remained satisfied; he too, reaching his hermitage, became well-settled.
अपरेऽह्नि शुभे काले नृपाः सम्मन्त्रिताः किल । सुबाहुना नृपेणाथ रुचिरे वै स्वमण्डपे
On another auspicious day, the kings, having consulted together, gathered in the beautiful pavilion of King Subahu.
दिव्यास्तरणयुक्तेषु मञ्चेषु रचितेषु च । उपविष्टाश्च राजानः शुभालङ्करणैर्युताः
On couches adorned with divine coverings, the kings sat, adorned with auspicious ornaments.
दिव्यवेषधराः कामं विमानेष्वमरा इव । दीप्यमानाः स्थितास्तत्र स्वयंवरदिदृक्षया
Wearing celestial garments as they pleased, shining like gods in their aerial chariots, they stood there, eager to witness the svayamvara.
इति चिन्तापराः सर्वे कदा साप्यागमिष्यति । भाग्यवन्तं नृपश्रेष्ठं श्रुतपुण्यं वरिष्यति
All of them, absorbed in thought, wondered when she would arrive and which fortunate, noble, and virtuous king she would choose.
यदा सुदर्शनं दैवात्स्रजा सम्भूषयेदिह । विवादो वै नृपाणां च भविता नात्र संशयः
When, by fate, Sudarshana is adorned with the garland here, there will surely be conflict among the kings—of this there is no doubt.
इत्येवं चिन्त्यमानास्ते भूपा मञ्चेषु संस्थिताः । वादित्रघोषः सुमहानुत्थितो नृपमण्डपे
While the kings, seated on their couches, were thinking thus, a great sound of musical instruments arose in the royal pavilion.
अथ काशीपतिः प्राह सुतां स्नातां स्वलङ्कृताम् । मधूकमालासंयुक्तां क्षौमवासोविभूषिताम्
Then the king of Kashi spoke, bringing forth his daughter, bathed and beautifully adorned, garlanded with madhuka flowers and dressed in fine silk.