गृहीत्वा तत्करे चक्रं शिरश्चिच्छेद रंहसा । हतां दृष्ट्वा तु तां शक्रो मुदितश्चाभवत्तदा
Seizing the discus in his hand, he swiftly cut off her head; seeing her slain, Indra then became joyful.
देवाश्चातीव सन्तुष्टा हरिं जय जयेति च । तुष्टुवुर्मुदिताः सर्वे सञ्जाता विगतज्वराः
The gods were exceedingly satisfied and, filled with delight and free from distress, they all praised Hari, crying, 'Victory! Victory!'
इन्द्रविष्णू तु सञ्जातौ तत्क्षणाद्धृदयव्यथौ । स्त्रीवधाच्छंकमानौ तु भृगोः शापं दुरत्ययम्
But at that very moment, Indra and Vishnu were both seized by anguish of heart, fearing the terrible curse of Bhrigu for the slaying of a woman.
जयन्त्या शुक्रसहवासवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच तं दृष्ट्वा तु वधं घोरं चुक्रोध भगवान्भृगुः । वेपमानोऽतिदुःखार्तः प्रोवाच मधुसूदनम्
Vyasa said: Seeing that dreadful killing, the venerable Bhrigu became enraged; trembling and deeply afflicted, he spoke to Madhusudana.
भृगुरुवाच अकृत्यं ते कृतं विष्णो जानन्पापं महामते । वधोऽयं विप्रजाताया मनसा कर्तुमक्षमः
Bhrigu said: O wise Vishnu, you have committed a forbidden act, knowingly doing evil; the slaying of a woman of the Brahmin class is an act unfit even to be conceived.
आख्यातस्त्वं सत्त्वगुणः स्मृतो ब्रह्मा च राजसः । तथासौ तामसः शम्भुर्विपरीतं कथं स्मृतम्
You are declared to be of the quality of sattva, Brahma is remembered as rajas, and Shiva as tamas; how then is this order reversed?
तामसस्त्वं कथं जातः कृतं कर्मातिनिन्दितम् । अवध्या स्त्री त्वया विष्णो हता कस्मान्निरागसा
How have you become tamasic, performing such a highly blameworthy deed? The woman, innocent and not to be slain, was killed by you, O Vishnu—why?
शपामि त्वां दुराचारं किमन्यत्प्रकरोमि ते । विधुरोऽहं कृतः पाप त्वयाहं शक्रकारणात्
I curse you, O evil-doer—what else should I do to you? Because of you, for Indra’s sake, I have been rendered miserable, O sinner.
न शपेऽहं तथा शक्रं शपे त्वां मधुसूदन । सदा छलपरोऽसि त्वं कीटयोनिर्दुराशयः
I do not curse Indra in the same way; I curse you, Madhusudana. You are ever deceitful, of vile intent, destined for birth among insects.
ये च त्वां सात्त्विकं प्राहुस्ते मूर्खा मुनयः किल । तामसस्त्वं दुराचारः प्रत्यक्षं मे जनार्दन
Those sages who call you sattvic are fools, indeed; you are tamasic, O evil-doer, this is evident to me, O Janardana.
अवतारा मृत्युलोके सन्तु मच्छापसम्भवाः । प्रायो गर्भभवं दुःखं भुंक्ष्व पापाज्जनार्दन
May your incarnations in the mortal world arise from my curse; mostly, endure the suffering of birth in the womb because of this sin, O Janardana.
व्यास उवाच ततस्तेनाथ शापेन नष्टे धर्मे पुनः पुनः । लोकस्य च हितार्थाय जायते मानुषेष्विह
Vyasa said: Thus, because of that curse, when righteousness was destroyed again and again, for the welfare of the world, he is born among humans here.
राजोवाच भूगुभार्या हता तत्र चक्रेणामिततेजसा । गार्हस्थ्यञ्च पुनस्तस्य कथं जातं महात्मनः
The king said: There, the wife of Bhrigu was slain by the mighty discus; how did that great soul again enter the householder’s state?
व्यास उवाच इति शप्त्वा हरिं रोषात्तदादाय शिरस्त्वरन् । काये संयोज्य तरसा भृगुः प्रोवाच कार्यवित्
Vyasa said: Having thus cursed Hari in anger, Bhrigu quickly took up her head, and, knowing what was to be done, joined it to her body with force.
अद्य त्वां विष्णुना देवि हतां सञ्जीवयाम्यहम् । यदि कृत्स्नो मया धर्मो ज्ञायते चरितोऽपि वा
Today, O Devi, slain by Vishnu, I shall revive you; if all the righteousness I have practiced is known or even exists in me.
तेन सत्येन जीवेत यदि सत्यं ब्रवीम्यहम् । पश्यन्तु देवताः सर्वा मम तेजोबलं महत्
By that truth, may she live, if I truly speak; let all the gods witness my great power and might.
अद्भिस्त्वां प्रोक्ष्य शीताभिर्जीवयामि तपोबलात् । सत्यं शौचं तथा वेदा यदि मे तपसो बलम्
Sprinkling you with cool water, I revive you by the power of my austerity; if truth, purity, and the Vedas are the strength of my penance.
व्यास उवाच अद्भिः सम्प्रोक्षिता देवी सद्यः सञ्जीविता तदा । उत्थिता परमप्रीता भृगोर्भार्या शुचिस्मिता
Vyasa said: Sprinkled with water, the goddess was immediately revived by his austerity; Bhrigu’s wife, pure-smiling, arose supremely delighted.
ततस्तां सर्वभूतानि दृष्ट्वा सुप्तोत्थितामिव । साधु साध्विति तं तां तु तुष्टुवुः सर्वतो दिशम्
Then, seeing her as if awakened from sleep, all beings from every direction praised her, exclaiming, 'Well done! Well done!'
एवं सञ्चीविता तेन भृगुणा वरवर्णिनी । विस्मयं परमं जग्मुर्देवाः सेन्द्रा विलोक्य तत्
Thus, revived by Bhrigu, the radiant lady caused the gods, along with Indra, to be filled with utmost wonder upon witnessing that.
इन्द्रः सुरानथोवाच मुनिना जीविता सती । काव्यस्तप्त्वा तपो घोरं किं करिष्यति मन्त्रवित्
Indra, lord of the gods, spoke to the deities: 'Now that she has been restored to life by the sage, what will Kavi, the master of mantras, do after performing such severe austerity?'
व्यास उवाच गता निद्रा सुरेन्द्रस्य देहेऽक्षेममभून्नृप । स्मृत्वा काव्यस्य वृत्तान्तं मन्त्रार्थमतिदारुणम्
Vyasa said: Sleep departed from Indra's body, O King, and he became uneasy, recalling the incident with Kavi and the extremely harsh intent of his mantra.
विमृश्य मनसा शक्रो जयन्तीं स्वसुतां तदा । उवाच कन्यां चार्वङ्गीं स्मितपूर्वमिदं वचः
Having considered this in his mind, Shakra then addressed his beautiful daughter Jayanti with a gentle smile, saying these words:
गच्छ पुत्रि मया दत्ता काव्याय त्वं तपस्विने । समाराधय तन्वङ्गि मत्कृते तं वशं कुरु
'Go, my daughter, I give you to Kavi, the ascetic. Please him, O slender-waisted one, and for my sake bring him under your influence.'
उपचारैर्मुनिं तैस्तैः समाराध्य मनःप्रियैः । भयं मे तरसा गत्वा हर तत्र वराश्रमे
'By serving the sage with various pleasing attentions, dispel my fear swiftly there in his excellent hermitage.'
सा पितुर्वचनं श्रुत्वा तत्रागच्छन्मनोरमा । तमपश्यद्विशालाक्षी पिबन्तं धूममाश्रमे
Hearing her father's words, the lovely Jayanti went there and saw the sage with wide eyes, drinking in the smoke within his hermitage.
तस्य देहं समालोक्य स्मृत्वा वाक्यं पितुस्तदा । कदलीदलमादाय वीजयामास तं मुनिम्
Beholding his body and recalling her father's command, she took a plantain leaf and began to fan the sage.
निर्मलं शीतलं वारि समानीय सुवासितम् । पानाय कल्पयामास भक्त्या परमया लघु
She brought pure, cool, and fragrant water, and with utmost devotion quickly prepared it for him to drink.
छायां वस्त्रातपत्रेण भास्करे मध्यगे सति । रचयामास तन्वङ्गी स्वयं धर्मे स्थिता सती
While the sun was at its height, the slender Jayanti, steadfast in righteousness, fashioned shade for him with a cloth or a leaf.
फलान्यानीय दिव्यानि पक्वानि मधुराणि च । मुमोचाग्रे मुनेस्तस्य भक्षार्थं विहितानि च
She brought divine, ripe, and sweet fruits, and placed them before the sage for him to eat as he wished.