व्यास उवाच अश्वासक्तमतिं वीक्ष्य कामिनीमतिमोहिताम् । पश्यन्तीं परमप्रेम्णा चञ्चलाक्षीं च चञ्चलाम्
Vyāsa said: Seeing her mind attached to the horse, utterly bewildered like a passionate woman, gazing with restless, love-filled eyes,
तामाह भगवान्कुद्धः किं पश्यसि सुलोचने । मोहिता च हरिं दृष्ट्वा पृष्टा नैवाभिभाषसे
The Blessed Lord, angered, said to her: "Why do you gaze so, O lovely-eyed one? Bewildered by seeing the horse, though questioned, you do not reply."
सर्वत्र रमसे यस्माद्रमा तस्माद्भविष्यसि । चञ्चलत्वाच्चलेत्येवं सर्वथैव न संशयः
"Because you delight everywhere, O Ramā, therefore you will be ever unsteady; due to your fickleness, you will always be called inconstant—of this there is no doubt."
प्राकृता च यथा नारी नूनं भवति चञ्चला । तथा त्वमपि कल्याणि स्थिरा नैव कदाचन
"Just as an ordinary woman is indeed fickle, so too, O blessed one, you will never be steadfast."
त्वं हयं मत्समीपस्था समीक्ष्य यदि मोहिता । वडवा भव वामोरु मर्त्यलोकेऽतिदारुणे
"If, O slender-thighed one, you have been enchanted by seeing the horse near me, then become a mare in the harsh world of mortals."
इति शप्ता रमा देवी हरिणा दैवयोगतः । रुरोद वेपमाना सा भयभीतातिदुःखिता
Thus cursed by Hari through divine will, the goddess Ramā trembled, overwhelmed by fear and sorrow, and wept.
तमुवाच रमानाथ शङ्किता चारुहासिनी । प्रणम्य शिरसा देवं स्वपतिं विनयान्विता
With suspicion, the lovely-smiling Ramā, bowing her head to her Lord with humility, addressed the Lord of Ramā.
देवदेव जगन्नाथ करुणाकर केशव । स्वल्पेऽपराधे गोविन्द कस्माच्छापं ददासि मे
"O God of gods, Lord of the universe, ocean of compassion, Keśava, for such a slight fault, Govinda, why do you curse me?"
न कदाचिन्मया दृष्टः क्रोधस्ते हीदृशः प्रभो । क्व गतस्ते मयि स्नेहः सहजो न तु नश्वरः
"Never before have I seen such anger from you, O Lord; where has your natural, enduring affection for me gone?"
वज्रपातस्तु शत्रौ वै कर्तव्यो न सुहृज्जने । सदाहं वरयोग्या ते शापयोग्या कथं कृता
"A thunderbolt should be cast upon an enemy, not upon a friend; I have always been worthy of your favor—how have I become worthy of a curse?"
प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्यामि गोविन्द पश्यतोऽद्य तवाग्रतः । कथं जीवे त्वया हीना विरहानलतापिता
O Govinda, today I will relinquish my life before your eyes; how can I live, deprived of you, tormented by the fire of separation?
प्रसादं कुरु देवेश शापादस्मात्सुदारुणात् । कदा मुक्ता समीपं ते प्राप्नोमि सुखदं विभौ
Grant me your grace, O Lord of the gods, from this most dreadful curse; when will I be freed and attain your blissful presence, O Sovereign?
हरिरुवाच यदा ते भविता पुत्रः पृथिव्यां मत्समः प्रिये । तदा मां प्राप्य तन्वङ्गि सुखिता त्वं भविष्यसि
Hari said: Dearest, when you have a son on earth equal to me, then, O slender-waisted one, you will reach me and be happy.
शिवप्रसादेन लक्ष्मीद्वारा भगवत्याः समाराधनवर्णनम् जनमेजय उवाच इति शप्ता भगवता सिन्धुजा कोपयोगतः । कथं सा वडवा जाता रेवन्तेन च किं कृतम्
Janamejaya said: Thus cursed by the Lord, Sindhuja, in a fit of anger, how did she become a mare, and what did Revanta do?
कस्मिन्देशेऽब्धिजा देवी वडवारूपधारिणी । संस्थितैकाकिनी बाला परोषित्पतिका यथा
In which land did the goddess born from the ocean, assuming the form of a mare, dwell alone, like a young woman separated from her husband?
कालं कियन्तमायुष्मन् वियुक्ता पतिना रमा । संस्थिता विजनेऽरण्ये किं कृतं च तया पुनः
O blessed one, for how long did Rama, separated from her husband, remain in that desolate forest, and what did she do there?
समागमं कदा प्राप्ता वासुदेवस्य सिन्धुजा । पुत्रः कथं तया प्राप्तो नारायणवियुक्तया
When did Sindhuja attain union with Vasudeva, and how did she, separated from Narayana, obtain a son?
एतद्वृत्तान्तमार्येश कथयस्व सविस्तरम् । श्रोतुकामोऽस्मि विप्रेन्द्र कथाख्यानमनुत्तमम्
O noble lord, narrate this story in detail; I am eager to hear this excellent tale, O chief of the twice-born.
सूत उवाच इति पृष्टस्तदा व्यासः परीक्षित्तनयेन वै । कथयामास भो विप्राः कथामेतां सुविस्तराम्
Suta said: Thus questioned by the son of Parikshit, Vyasa began to narrate this story, O brahmins, in great detail.
व्यास उवाच शृणु राजन् प्रवक्ष्यामि कथां पौराणिकीं शुभाम् । पावनीं सुखदां कर्णे विशदाक्षरसंयुताम्
Vyasa said: Listen, O king, I will tell you the auspicious ancient tale, purifying and bringing happiness, adorned with clear words.
रेवन्तस्तु रमां दृष्ट्वा शप्ता देवेन कामिनीम् । भयार्तः प्रययौ दूरात्प्रणम्य जगतां पतिम्
Revanta, seeing Rama, who had been cursed by the god and was desirous, terrified, departed after bowing from afar to the Lord of the worlds.
पितुः सकाशं त्वरितो वीक्ष्य कोपं जगत्पतेः । निवेदयामास कथां भास्कराय स शापजाम्
Quickly approaching his father and seeing the wrath of the Lord of the worlds, he reported to Bhaskara the story of the curse.
दुःखिता सा रमा देवी प्रणम्य जगदीश्वरम् । आज्ञप्ता मानुषं लोकं प्राप्ता कमललोचना
The goddess Rama, distressed, bowed to the Lord of the universe; commanded, the lotus-eyed one reached the human world.
सूर्यपत्न्या तपस्तप्तं यत्र पूर्वं सुदारुणम् । तत्रैव सा ययावाशु वडवारूपधारिणी
Where the wife of the sun had previously performed severe austerities, there she swiftly went, assuming the form of a mare.
कालिन्दीतमसासङ्गे सुपर्णाक्षस्य चोत्तरे । सर्वकामप्रदे स्थाने सुरम्यवनमण्डिते
In the place north of Suparnaksha, where the Kalindi and Tamasa meet, endowed with all desires, adorned with a delightful forest.
तत्र स्थिता महादेवं शङ्करं वाञ्छितप्रदम् । दध्यौ चैकेन मनसा शूलिनं चन्द्रशेखरम्
There she remained, meditating with single-mindedness on Mahadeva Shankara, the fulfiller of wishes, the wielder of the trident, crowned with the moon.
पञ्चाननं दशभुजं गौरीदेहार्धधारिणम् । कर्पूरगौरदेहाभं नीलकण्ठं त्रिलोचनम्
She contemplated the five-faced, ten-armed one, who bears half the body of Gauri, whose form is like camphor, blue-throated, and three-eyed.
व्याघ्राजिनधरं देवं गजचर्मोत्तरीयकम् । कपालमालाकलितं नागयज्ञोपवीतिनम्
The god clad in tiger skin, with an upper garment of elephant hide, adorned with a garland of skulls, and wearing a serpent as sacred thread.
सागरस्य सुता कृत्वा हयीरूपं मनोहरम् । तस्मिंस्तीर्थे रमादेवी चकार दुश्चरं तपः
The daughter of the ocean, taking on a beautiful form as a horse, performed severe austerities at that holy place, O King.
ध्यायमाना परं देवं वैराग्यं समुपाश्रिता । दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं तु गतं तत्र महीपते
Absorbed in meditation on the Supreme Lord, embracing renunciation, she spent a thousand divine years there, O ruler of the earth.