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.
तत्र सा रमते बाला नान्यत्र सुखमाप्नुयात् । सुदूरे जाह्नवीतीरे भवन्ति कमलान्यपि
There the girl finds joy, and nowhere else does she find happiness; even far away, on the banks of the Jāhnavī, there are lotuses.
रममाणा तत्र याता मत्समेता सखीयुता । मया निवेदितं राजन् पुत्री ते कमलाकरान्
Delighting there, she would go with me and her other friends; I informed you, O King, that your daughter visits the lotus ponds.
प्रेक्षमाणातिदूरे सा प्रयाति निर्जने वने । निषेधिताथ पित्रासौ गृहे कृत्वा जलाशयान्
Seeing them at a great distance, she would go into the lonely forest; then, forbidden by her father, she created lotus ponds at home.
कमलान् वापयित्वाथ पुष्पितान् भ्रमरावृतान् । तथापि निर्ययौ बाला कमलासक्तचेतना
Having caused lotuses to bloom there, full of flowers and swarming with bees, still the girl, her mind attached to lotuses, went out.
तदा राज्ञा रक्षपालाः प्रेरिताः शस्त्रपाणयः । एवं रक्षायुता तन्वी मत्समेता सखीयुता । क्रीडार्थं जाह्नवीतोये नित्यमायाति याति च
Then, guards sent by the king, armed with weapons, would always accompany the slender maiden, together with her friends, for her protection, as she came and went to play in the waters of the Jahnavi.
; हैहयैकवीराय यशोवत्यैकावलीमोचनाय देवीस्वप्नवर्णनम् यशोवत्युवाच प्रातरुत्थाय तन्वङ्गी चलिता च सखीयुता । चामरैर्वीज्यमाना सा रक्षिता बहुरक्षिभिः
Yaśovatī said: Rising early in the morning, the slender-bodied maiden set out with her friends; she was fanned with chowries and protected by many guards.
सायुधैश्चातिसन्नद्धैः सहिता वरवर्णिनी । क्रीडार्थमत्र राजेन्द्र सम्प्राप्ता नलिनीं शुभाम्
Accompanied by well-armed and fully equipped attendants, the radiant maiden arrived here, O king, at the beautiful lotus-pond for play.
अहमप्यनया सार्धं गङ्गातीरे समागता । अप्सरोभिः समेता च कमलैः क्रीडमानया
I too came there with her to the bank of the Ganga, joined by apsarases, as she played with the lotuses.
एकावली तथा चाहं जाते क्रीडापरे यदा । सहसैव तदायातो दानवो बलसंयुतः
When Ekāvalī and I were absorbed in play, suddenly a powerful Dānava arrived.
कालकेतुरिति ख्यातो राक्षसैर्बहुभिर्युतः । परिघासिगदाचापबाणतोमरपाणिभिः
He was known as Kālaketu, surrounded by many rākṣasas, all armed with iron clubs, swords, maces, bows, arrows, and spears.