एकस्मिन् दिवसे राजा मन्त्रिपुत्रैः समन्वितः । जगाम जाह्नवीतीरे हयारूढः प्रतापवान्
One day, the powerful king, accompanied by the sons of his ministers, mounted on horseback, went to the bank of the Jāhnavī.
सम्पश्यन् पादपान् रम्यान् कोकिलालापसंयुतान् । पुष्पितान् फलसंयुक्तान् षट्पदालिविराजितान्
He beheld lovely trees, filled with the calls of cuckoos, blossoming and laden with fruit, adorned with swarms of bees.
मुनीनामाश्रमान्दिव्यान् वेदध्वनिनिनादितान् । होमधूमावृताकाशान् मृगशावसमावृतान्
He saw the divine hermitages of sages, resounding with the chanting of the Vedas, their skies filled with the smoke of sacrifices, and populated by young deer.
केदाराञ्छालिसम्पक्वान् गोपिकाभिः सुरक्षितान् । प्रफुल्लपङ्कजारामान्निकुञ्जांश्च मनोरमान्
He saw fields with ripe sheaves, well-guarded by cowherd girls, groves of blooming lotuses, and delightful bowers.
प्रेक्षमाणः प्रियालांस्तु चम्पकान् पनसद्रुमान् । बकुलांस्तिलकान्नीपान्मन्दारांश्च प्रफुल्लितान्
He gazed upon priyāla, campaka, jackfruit trees, bakula, tilaka, nīpa, and fully blossomed mandāra trees.
शालांस्तालांस्तमालांश्च जम्बूचूतकदम्बकान् । स गच्छञ्जाह्नवीतोये प्रफुल्लं शतपत्रकम्
He saw śāla, tāla, tamāla, jambu, mango, and kadamba trees, and, as he went along the waters of the Jāhnavī, a blooming lotus.
पङ्कजं चातिगन्धाढ्यमपश्यदवनीपतिः । दक्षिणे जलजस्याथ पार्श्वे कमललोचनाम्
The lord of the earth saw a lotus of surpassing fragrance, and at its southern side, a woman with lotus-like eyes.
कनकाभां सुकेशीं च कम्बुग्रीवां कृशोदरीम् । बिम्बोष्ठी सुन्दरीं किञ्चित्समुद्यत्सुपयोधराम्
She was golden in complexion, with beautiful hair, a neck like a conch, slender-waisted, with lips like bimba fruit, lovely, and with slightly rising, well-formed breasts.
सुनासां चारुसर्वाङ्गीमपश्यत् कन्यकां नृपः । रुदतीं तां सखीं त्यक्त्वा विह्वलां दुःखपीडिताम्
The king saw a maiden with a lovely nose and beautiful limbs, weeping, abandoned by her companion, distressed and afflicted by sorrow.
साश्रुनेत्रां क्रन्दमानां विजने कुररीमिव । संवीक्ष्य राजा पप्रच्छ कन्यकां शोककारणम्
Seeing her, eyes filled with tears, crying out like a lonely curlew in a deserted place, the king asked the maiden the cause of her grief.
सुनसे ब्रूहि कासि त्वं कस्य पुत्री शुभानने । गन्धर्वी देवकन्याथ कथं रोदिषि सुन्दरि
O lovely-nosed one, tell me, who are you? Whose daughter are you, O auspicious-faced? Are you a Gandharvi, a celestial maiden? Why do you weep, O beautiful one?
कथमेकाकिनी बाले त्यक्ता केन पिकस्वरे । पतिस्ते क्व गतः कान्ते पिता वा ब्रूहि साम्प्रतम्
How, O young girl, have you been left alone, and by whom, you who cry with a voice like a cuckoo? Where has your husband gone, O charming one, or your father? Tell me now.
किं ते दुःखमरालभ्रु कथयाद्य ममान्तिके । करोमि दुःखनाशं ते सर्वथैव कृशोदरि
What sorrow afflicts you, O slender-browed one? Tell me here and now. I will surely remove your suffering, O slender-waisted one.
न राज्ये मम तन्वङ्गि पीडां कोऽपि करोत्यलम् । न भयं चौरजं कान्ते न राक्षसभयं तथा
In my kingdom, O slender-limbed one, no one causes such distress; there is no fear of thieves, O lovely one, nor any fear of demons.
मयि शासति भूपाले नोत्पाता दारुणा भुवि । भयं न व्याघ्रसिंहेभ्यो न भयं कस्यचिद्भवेत्
While I, the king, rule, no dreadful calamities arise on earth; there is no fear from tigers or lions, nor any fear from anyone.
वद वामोरु कस्मात्त्वं विलापं जाह्नवीतटे । करोषि त्राणहीनात्र किं ते दुःखं वदस्व मे
Tell me, O beautiful-thighed one, why you lament here on the bank of the Ganges, bereft of protection; what is your sorrow, tell me.
हन्म्यहं दुःखमत्युग्रं प्राणिनां पृथिवीतले । दैवं च मानुषं कान्ते व्रतमेतन्ममाद्भुतम्
I will destroy even the most terrible suffering of beings on earth; whether fate or human cause, O lovely one, this is my wondrous vow.
विशाललोचने ब्रूहि करोमि तव चिन्तितम् । इत्युक्ते वचने राज्ञा श्रुत्वोवाच मृदुस्वना
Speak, O wide-eyed one, I will do what you desire. Thus addressed by the king, she replied in a gentle voice.
शृणु राजेन्द्र वक्ष्यामि मम शोकस्य कारणम् । विपत्तिरहितः प्राणी कथं रुदति भूपते
Hear, O king of kings, I will tell you the cause of my sorrow. How can a being without misfortune weep, O king?
प्रब्रवीमि महाबाहो यदर्थं रुदती त्वहम् । तव राज्यादन्यदेशे राजा परमधार्मिकः
I will tell you, O mighty-armed one, why I am weeping: In a land other than your kingdom, there is a king supremely righteous.
रैभ्यो नाम महाराजः सन्तानरहितो भृशम् । तस्य भार्या सुविख्याता रुक्मरेखेति नामतः
His name is Raibhyas, a great king, who is utterly without offspring; his wife is renowned, named Rukmarekha.
सुरूपा चतुरा साध्वी सर्वलक्षणसंयुता । अपुत्रा दुःखिता कान्तमित्युवाच पुनः पुनः
She is beautiful, wise, virtuous, endowed with all auspicious marks; yet, childless and sorrowful, she spoke again and again to her beloved.
किं जीवितेन मे नाथ धिग्वृथा जीवितं मम । वन्ध्यायाः सुखहीनाया ह्यपुत्राया धरातले
"What is the use of my life, O lord? Fie upon this futile existence! For a barren, joyless, childless woman on earth—"
इत्येवं भार्यया भूपः प्रेरितो मखमुत्तमम् । चकार ब्राह्मणांस्तज्ज्ञानाहूय विधिवत्तदा
Thus urged by his wife, the king performed a great sacrifice, summoning learned Brahmins and conducting it according to the proper rites.
पुत्रकामो धनं भूरि ददावथ यथोदितम् । हूयमाने घृतेऽत्यर्थं पावकादतिसुप्रभात्
Desiring a son, he gave abundant wealth as prescribed; when the clarified butter was offered into the fire, a wondrous brilliance appeared.
आविर्बभूव चार्वङ्गी कन्यका शुभलक्षणा । बिम्बोष्ठी सुदती सुभ्रूः पूर्णचन्द्रनिभानना
Then appeared a maiden of exquisite form, adorned with auspicious marks, with lips like bimba fruit, lovely teeth, beautiful brows, and a face like the full moon.
कनकाभा सुकेशान्ता रक्तपाणितला मृदुः । सुरक्तनयना तन्वी रक्तपादतला भृशम्
She was golden in complexion, with soft, beautiful hair, her palms were red and tender; her eyes were deeply red, her form slender, and the soles of her feet were intensely red.
हुताशनात्समुद्भूता होत्रा सा स्वीकृता तदा । होता प्रोवाच राजानं गृहीत्वा तां सुमध्यमाम्
Born from the sacrificial fire, she was then accepted by the officiating priest; the priest, taking that slender-waisted girl, spoke to the king.
राजन् पुत्रीं गृहाणेमां सर्वलक्षणसंयुताम् । एकावलीव सम्भूता हूयमानाद्धुताशनात्
O King, accept this daughter endowed with all auspicious marks; she has arisen from the sacrificial fire just like a single string of pearls.
नाम्ना चैकावली लोके ख्याता पुत्री भविष्यति । सुखितो भव भूपाल पुत्र्या पुत्रसमानया
She will be known in the world by the name Ekāvalī, and will be your daughter; O ruler of the earth, be happy with this daughter who is equal to a son.