आगच्छतु शची मह्यं क्षिप्रमद्य निवेशनम् । इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा देवा देवर्षयस्तथा
Let Śacī come to my residence quickly today. Hearing these words, the gods and the divine sages likewise—
गत्वा चिन्तातुराः प्रोचुः पौलोमीं प्रणतास्ततः । इन्द्रपत्नि दुराचारो नहुषस्त्वामिहेच्छति
Having gone, troubled with anxiety, they spoke to Paulomī, bowing before her: Indra’s wife, Nahusha, of wicked conduct, desires you here.
कुपितोऽस्मानुवाचेदं प्रेषयध्वं शचीमिह । किं कुर्मस्तदधीनाः स्मो येनेन्द्रोऽयं कृतः किल
Angry, he told us: Send Śacī here. What can we do? We are dependent on him, since he has become Indra.
तच्छ्रुत्वा दुर्मना देवी बृहस्पतिमुवाच ह । रक्ष मां नहुषाद्ब्रह्मंस्तवास्मि शरणं गता
Hearing this, the goddess, distressed, spoke to Bṛhaspati: Protect me from Nahusha, O Brahman; I have come to you for refuge.
बृहस्पतिरुवाच न भेतव्यं त्वया देवि नहुषात्पापमोहितात् । न त्वां दास्याम्यहं वत्से त्यक्त्वा धर्मं सनातनम्
Bṛhaspati said: You need not fear, O goddess, from Nahusha, deluded by sin. I will not give you up, dear one, abandoning the eternal Dharma.
शरणागतमार्तं च यो ददाति नराधमः । स एव नरकं याति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम् । स्वस्था भव पृथुश्रोणि न त्यक्ष्ये त्वां कदाचन
Whoever abandons one who has sought refuge and is afflicted, that vile man goes to hell until the dissolution of creation. Be at ease, broad-hipped one; I will never forsake you.
इन्द्राण्या शक्रदर्शनम् व्यास उवाच नहुषस्त्वथ तां श्रुत्वा गुरोस्तु शरणं गताम् । चुक्रोध स्मरबाणार्तस्तमाङ्गिरसमाशु वै
Indrāṇī’s meeting with Śakra Vyāsa said: Then Nahusha, hearing that she had sought refuge with her guru, became angry, afflicted by the arrows of love, and swiftly approached the descendant of Aṅgiras.
देवानाहाङ्गिरासूनुर्हन्तव्योऽयं मया किल । इतीन्द्राणीं गृहे मूढो रक्षतीति मया श्रुतम्
The son of Aṅgiras said to the gods: He must be slain by me. I have heard that Indrāṇī is being guarded in her house.
इति तं कुपितं दृष्ट्वा देवाः सर्षिपुरोगमाः । अब्रुवन्नहुषं घोरं सामपूर्वं वचस्तदा
Seeing him enraged, the gods, led by the sages, spoke to Nahusha, the fierce one, with conciliatory words at that time.
क्रोधं संहर राजेन्द्र त्यज पापमतिं प्रभो । निन्दन्ति धर्मशास्त्रेषु परदाराभिमर्शनम्
Restrain your anger, O king; abandon sinful intent, O lord. The Dharma scriptures condemn the pursuit of another’s wife.
शक्रपत्नी सदा साध्वी जीवमाने पतौ पुनः । कथमन्ये पतिं कुर्यात्सुभगातिपतिव्रता
Śakra’s wife is always virtuous; while her husband lives, how could she take another as husband, being supremely fortunate and devoted to her spouse?
त्रिलोकीशस्त्वमधुना शास्ता धर्मस्य वै विभो । त्वादृशोऽधर्ममातिष्ठेत्तदा नश्येत्प्रजा ध्रुवम्
You are now lord of the three worlds, ruler of Dharma, O mighty one. If one like you acts unrighteously, surely the people will perish.
सर्वथा प्रभुणा कार्यं शिष्टाचारस्य रक्षणम् । वारमुख्याश्च शतशो वर्तन्तेऽत्र शचीसमाः
In every way, the ruler must protect proper conduct. Hundreds of chief women, equal to Śacī, are present here.
रतिस्तु कारणं प्रोक्तं शृङ्गारस्य महात्मभिः । रसहानिर्बलात्कारे कृते सति तु जायते
Pleasure is said by the great to be the cause of passion. When pleasure is forced, the essence is lost.
उभयोः सदृशं प्रेम यदि पार्थिवसत्तम । तदा वै सुखसम्पत्तिरुभयोरुपजायते
If love is mutual between both, O best of kings, then happiness and prosperity arise for both.
तस्माद्भावमिमं मुञ्च परदाराभिमर्शने । सद्भावं कुरु देवेन्द्र पदं प्राप्तोऽस्यनुत्तमम्
Therefore, abandon this intention regarding another’s wife. Cultivate noble feelings, O Indra; you have attained this supreme position.
ऋद्धिक्षयस्तु पापेन पुण्येनातिविवर्धनम् । तस्मात्पापं परित्यज्य सन्मतिं कुरु पार्थिव
Loss of prosperity comes from sin, and great increase from virtue. Therefore, abandoning sin, cultivate noble intent, O king.
नहुष उवाच गौतमस्य यदा भुक्ता दाराः शक्रेण देवताः । वाचस्पतेस्तु सोमेन क्व यूयं संस्थितास्तदा
Nahusha said: When Gautama’s wife was enjoyed by Śakra, O gods, and when Vācaspati’s wife was enjoyed by Soma, where were you then?
परोपदेशे कुशला प्रभवन्ति नराः किल । कर्ता चैवोपदेष्टा च दुर्लभः पुरुषो भवेत्
People are indeed skilled in advising others, but a person who acts and instructs as well is truly rare.
मामागच्छतु सा देवी हितं स्यादद्भुतं हि वः । एतस्याः परमं देवाः सुखमेव भविष्यति
Let that goddess come to me; it will be for your benefit and truly wondrous. For her, O gods, there will be only the highest happiness.
अन्यथा न हि तुष्येऽहं सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीमि वः । विनयाद्वा बलाद्वापि तामाशु प्रापयन्त्विह
Otherwise, I will not be satisfied—this I tell you truthfully. Whether by persuasion or by force, bring her here at once.
इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा देवाश्च मुनयस्तथा । तमूचुश्चातिसन्त्रस्ता नहुषं मदनातुरम्
Hearing these words of his, the gods and sages, greatly alarmed, spoke to Nahusha, who was tormented by desire.
इन्द्राणीमानयिष्यामः सामपूर्वं तवान्तिकम् । इत्युक्त्वा ते तदा जग्मुर्बृहस्पतिनिकेतनम्
"We will bring Indrani to you, first approaching her with gentle words." Saying this, they then went to the house of Brihaspati.
व्यास उवाच ते गत्वाङ्गिरसः पुत्रं प्रोचुः प्राञ्जलयः सुराः । जानीमः शरणं प्राप्तामिन्द्राणीं तव वेश्मनि
Vyasa said: Having gone there, the gods, with joined palms, spoke to the son of Angiras: "We know that Indrani has taken refuge in your house."
सा देया नहुषायाद्य वासवोऽसौ कृतो यतः । वृणोत्वियं वरारोहा पतित्वे वरवर्णिनी
"She must be given to Nahusha today, since he has become the lord of the gods. Let this beautiful woman of excellent form choose him as her husband."
बृहस्पतिः सुरानाह तच्छ्रुत्वा दारुणं वचः । नाहं त्यक्ष्ये तु पौलोमीं सतीं च शरणागताम्
Hearing these harsh words, Brihaspati said to the gods: "I will not abandon Paulomi, who is virtuous and has sought my protection."
देवा ऊचुः उपायोऽन्यः प्रकर्तव्यो येन सोऽद्य प्रसीदति । अन्यथा कोपसंयुक्तो दुराराध्यो भविष्यति
The gods said: "Another means must be devised by which he will be pleased today. Otherwise, if he becomes angry, he will be very difficult to appease."
गुरुरुवाच तत्र गत्वा शची भूपं प्रलोभ्य वचसा भृशम् । करोतु समयं बाला पतिं ज्ञात्वा मृतं भजे
The guru said: "Let Shachi go there and, by persuasive words, strongly entice the king. Let the young woman make a condition, knowing her husband is alive, that she will accept him."
इन्द्रे जीवति मे कान्ते कथमन्यं करोम्यहम् । अन्वेषणार्थं गन्तव्यं मया तस्य महात्मनः
"While Indra, my beloved, lives, how can I take another? I must go to search for that great-souled one."
इति सा समयं कृत्वा वञ्चयित्वा च भूपतिम् । भर्तुरानयने यत्नं करोतु मम वाक्यतः
Thus, making this agreement and deceiving the king, let her strive to bring back her husband, as I have instructed.