गत्वा ऋषिसमीपं तु तमुवाच जगद्गुरुः । उत्तिष्ठ वासवीपुत्र पुत्रस्ते भविता शुभः
Going to the sage, the Lord of the Universe said: 'Arise, son of Vāsavī; an auspicious son will be born to you.'
सर्वतेजोमयो ज्ञानी कीर्तिकर्ता तवानघ । अखिलस्य जनस्यात्र वल्लभस्ते सुतः सदा
'He will be filled with all brilliance, wise, and a maker of fame for you, O sinless one; your son will always be beloved by all people here.'
भविष्यति गुणैः पूर्णः सात्त्विकैः सत्यविक्रमः । सूत उवाच तदाकर्ण्य वचः श्लक्ष्णं कृष्णद्वैपायनस्तदा
'He will be endowed with all virtues, pure in nature, and truly valiant.' Sūta said: Hearing these gentle words, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana then—
शूलपाणिं नमस्कृत्य जगामाश्रममात्मनः । स गत्वाश्रममेवाशु बहुवर्षश्रमातुरः
Having bowed to the trident-bearing Lord, he went to his own hermitage; reaching his hermitage swiftly, weary from many years of austerity—
अरणीसहितं गुह्यं ममन्थाग्निं चिकीर्षया । मन्थनं कुर्वतस्तस्य चित्ते चिन्ताभरस्तदा
With the secret fire-sticks, he churned to produce fire; as he churned, his mind was filled with anxious thoughts.
प्रादुर्बभूव सहसा सुतोत्पत्तौ महात्मनः । मन्थानारणिसंयोगान्मन्थनाच्च समुद्भवः
Suddenly, as the great soul was intent on producing a son, an apparition appeared; from the union of the churning sticks and the act of churning, there arose—
पावकस्य यथा तद्वत्कथं मे स्यात्सुतोद्भवः । पुत्रारणिस्तु या ख्याता सा ममाद्य न विद्यते
'Just as fire arises thus, how will a son be born to me? The putrāraṇi, the stick for producing a son, is said to exist, but today I do not possess it.'
तरुणी रूपसम्पन्ना कुलोत्पन्ता पतिव्रता । कथं करोमि कान्तां च पादयोः शृङ्खलासमाम्
'A young woman, endowed with beauty, born of a noble family, devoted to her husband—how can I make such a beloved, adorned with anklets at her feet?'
पुत्रोत्पादनदक्षां च पातिव्रत्ये सदा स्थिताम् । पतिव्रतापि दक्षापि रूपवत्यपि कामिनी
She who is skilled in bearing children, always steadfast in fidelity to her husband—whether devoted, skilled, beautiful, or passionate—
सदा बन्धनरूपा च स्वेच्छासुखविधायिनी । शिवोऽपि वर्तते नित्यं कामिनीपाशसंयुतः
is ever a source of bondage, yet grants pleasure at will; even Shiva himself is always bound by the snare of a passionate woman.
कथं करोम्यहं चात्र दुर्घटं च गृहाश्रमम् । एवं चिन्तयतस्तस्य घृताची दिव्यरूपिणी
How shall I undertake this difficult life of a householder? While he was thus reflecting, Ghritachi, of divine form,
प्राप्ता दृष्टिपथं तत्र समीपे गगने स्थिता । तां दृष्ट्वा चञ्चलापाङ्गीं समीपस्थां वराप्सराम्
appeared within his sight, standing nearby in the sky; seeing that enchanting-eyed, nearby, excellent apsara,
पञ्चबाणपरीताङ्गस्तूर्णमासीद्धृतव्रतः । चिन्तयामास च तदा किं करोम्यद्य संकटे
his body was at once overcome by the five arrows of love, though he was firm in his vow; then he thought, 'What shall I do now in this peril?'
धर्मस्य पुरतः प्राप्ते कामभावे दुरासदे । अङ्गीकरोमि यद्येनां वञ्चनार्थमिहागताम्
When, in the presence of Dharma, the state of desire—so hard to overcome—arises, if I accept her, who has come here to deceive,
हसिष्यन्ति महात्मानस्तापसा मां तु विह्वलम् । तपस्तप्त्वा महाघोरं पूर्णवर्षशतं त्विह
'Great souls, ascetics, will laugh at me, seeing me agitated, though I have performed severe austerity for a full hundred years.'
दृष्ट्वाप्सरां च विवशः कथं जातो महातपाः । कामं निन्दापि भवतु यदि स्यादतुलं सुखम्
'How has this great ascetic become helpless at the sight of an apsara? Let there be reproach if only there is incomparable pleasure.'
गृहस्थाश्रमसम्भूतं सुखदं पुत्रकामदम् । स्वर्गदं च तथा प्रोक्तं ज्ञानिनां मोक्षदं तथा
'The householder's life brings happiness, grants sons, is said to give heaven, and, for the wise, even liberation.'
न भविष्यति तन्नूमनया देवकन्यया । नारदाच्च मया पूर्वं श्रुतमस्ति कथानकम् । यथोर्वशीवशो राजा पराभूतः पुरूरवाः
'But that will not happen with this celestial maiden; I have already heard the tale from Narada, how King Pururavas was defeated, enslaved by Urvashi.'
बुधोत्पत्तिः ऋषय ऊचुः कोऽसौ पुरूरवा राजा कोर्वशी देवकन्यका । कथं कष्टं च सम्प्राप्तं तेन राज्ञा महात्मना
The sages said: Who is this King Pururavas? Who is Urvashi, the celestial maiden? What hardship did that great-souled king encounter?
सर्वं कथानकं ब्रूहि लोमहर्षणजाधुना । श्रोतुकामा वयं सर्वे त्वन्मुखाब्जच्युतं रसम्
Tell us the whole story, O son of Lomaharshana; we all wish to hear the nectar flowing from your lotus mouth.
अमृतादपि मिष्टा ते वाणी सूत रसात्मिका । न तृप्यामो वयं सर्वे सुधया च यथामराः
Your speech, O Suta, is sweeter than nectar, full of flavor; we all never tire of it, just as the gods never tire of ambrosia.
सूत उवाच शृणुध्वं मुनयः सर्वे कथां दिव्यां मनोरमाम् । वक्ष्याम्यहं यथाबुद्ध्या श्रुतां व्यासवरोत्तमात्
Suta said: Listen, O sages, to this divine and delightful tale; I shall tell it as I have heard it from the noble Vyasa, to the best of my understanding.
गुरोस्तु दयिता भार्या तारा नामेति विश्रुता । रूपयौवनयुक्ता सा चार्वङ्गी मदविह्वला
The beloved wife of the guru, famed as Tara, was endowed with beauty and youth, graceful in form, and intoxicated with passion.
गतैकदा विधोर्धाम यजमानस्य भामिनी । दृष्टा च शशिनात्यर्थं रूपयौवनशालिनी
Once, that radiant lady went to the abode of the Moon, the sacrificer; she was seen by the Moon, resplendent with beauty and youth.
कामातुरस्तदा जातः शशी शशिमुखीं प्रति । सापि वीक्ष्य विधुं कामं जाता मदनपीडिता
Then the Moon became overwhelmed with desire for her, the moon-faced one; and she, seeing the Moon, was likewise afflicted by love.
तावन्योन्यं प्रेमयुक्तौ स्मरार्तौ च बभूवतुः । तारा शशी मदोन्मत्तौ कामबाणप्रपीडितौ
The two, filled with love for each other and tormented by passion, Tara and the Moon, maddened by desire, were both pierced by love's arrows.
रेमाते मदमत्तौ तौ परस्परस्पृहान्वितौ । दिनानि कतिचित्तत्र जातानि रममाणयोः
Those two, intoxicated with passion and mutually desiring each other, spent several days there, delighting in each other's company.
बृहस्पतिस्तु दुःखार्तस्तारामानयितुं गृहम् । प्रेषयामास शिष्यं तु नायाता सा वशीकृता
Bṛhaspati, afflicted with sorrow, sent his disciple to bring Tārā home; but she, having been enchanted, did not return.
पुनः पुनर्यदा शिष्यं परावर्तत चन्द्रमाः । बृहस्पतिस्तदा क्रुद्धो जगाम स्वयमेव हि
When the disciple repeatedly returned without her, Bṛhaspati, angered, went himself.
गत्वा सोमगृहं तत्र वाचस्पतिरुदारधीः । उवाच शशिनं क्रुद्धः स्मयमानं मदान्वितम्
Arriving at Soma's house, the noble-minded Bṛhaspati, enraged, spoke to the smiling, intoxicated Moon.