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.
सन्तोषं कुरु राजेन्द्र दत्ता देवेन विष्णुना । होतुर्वाक्यं नृपः श्रुत्वा दृष्ट्वा तां कन्यकां शुभाम्
O king of kings, be satisfied, for she has been given by the god Viṣṇu; hearing the words of the priest and seeing that auspicious maiden,
जग्राह परमप्रीतो होत्रा दत्तां सुसम्मताम् । गृहीत्वा नृपतिस्तां तु ददौ पत्न्यै वराननाम्
The king, greatly delighted, accepted the well-approved girl given by the priest; taking her, the king gave her to his wife, whose face was lovely.
आभाष्य रुक्मरेखायै गृहाण सुभगे सुताम् । सा तां कमलपत्राक्षीं प्राप्य कन्यां मनोरमाम्
Addressing Rukmarekhā, he said, 'O fortunate one, accept this daughter'; she, having received that charming maiden with lotus-petal eyes,
जहर्ष मुदिता राज्ञी पुत्रं प्राप्य यथासुखम् । चकार मङ्गलं कर्म जातकर्मादिकं शुभम्
The queen rejoiced, delighted as if she had obtained a son; she performed all the auspicious rites, beginning with the birth ceremony.
पुत्रजन्मसमुत्थं यत्तत्सर्वं विधिवत्ततः । समाप्य च मखं राजा द्विजेभ्यो दक्षिणां शुभाम्
All that was to be done for the birth of a child was properly performed; and having completed the sacrifice, the king gave auspicious gifts to the Brāhmaṇas.
दत्त्वा विसृज्य विप्रेन्द्रान् मुदं प्राप महीपतिः । दिने दिनेऽसितापाङ्गी पुत्रवृद्ध्या भृशं बभौ
Having given and dismissed the foremost Brāhmaṇas, the king attained joy; day by day, the dark-eyed queen shone greatly with the daughter's growth.
मुदं च परमां प्राप नृपभार्या सुतान्विता । उत्सवस्तद्दिने तस्य प्रवृत्तः सुतजन्मजः
The king's wife, now with a child, attained supreme joy; on that day, a festival was held for the birth of the daughter.
पुत्री पुत्रसमात्यर्थं बभूव वल्लभा किल । राज्ञो मन्त्रिसुता चाहं सुबुद्धे मन्मथाकृते
The beloved daughter became, for all purposes, equal to a son; I am the daughter of the king's minister, wise and beautiful as Kāmadeva.
यशोवती च मे नाम समानं वय आवयोः । वयस्याहं कृता राज्ञा क्रीडनाय तया सह
My name is Yaśovatī, and our ages are the same; the king made me her companion for play.
सदा सहचरी जाता प्रेमयुक्ता दिवानिशम् । एकावली गन्धवन्ति यत्र पद्मानि पश्यति
I always became her close friend, filled with affection, day and night; Ekāvalī delights wherever she sees fragrant lotuses.