पुनरुक्तं मया वाक्यं श्रुत्वा तद्भाषितं खरम् । नाहं क्षमाप्रियं वक्तुं त्वमेनां कथय प्रभो
Hearing those harsh repeated words from me, I was unable, dear one, to speak kindly; you tell her, Lord.
इत्युक्ते वचने दुष्टो मदनक्षतमानसः । उवाच विनयादेनां सखीं क्षामोदरीं प्रियाम्
When these words were spoken, that wicked one, his mind wounded by love, addressed her—his slender-waisted beloved friend—with humility.
कृशोदरि त्वया मन्त्रो निक्षिप्तोऽस्ति ममोपरि । तेन मे हृदयं कान्ते हृतं ते वशतां गतम्
'Slender-waisted one, you have placed a spell upon me; by that, my heart, dear one, has been taken and come under your control.'
तेनाहं तव दासोऽद्य कृतोऽस्मीति विनिश्चयः । भज मां कामबाणेन पीडितं विवशं भृशम्
'Therefore, I am now made your servant—this is certain. Accept me, tormented and helpless, struck by the arrows of love.'
यौवनं याति रम्भोरु चञ्चलं दुर्लभं तदा । सफलं कुरु कल्याणि पतिं मां परिरभ्य च
'Youth, O one with thighs like plantains, is fleeting and hard to obtain. Make it fruitful, blessed one, by embracing me, your husband.'
एकावल्युवाच पित्राहं कल्पिता पूर्वं दातुं राजसुताय वै । हैहयस्तु महाभाग स मया मनसा वृतः
Ekāvalī said: 'My father had previously arranged to give me to the prince; but I, O highly fortunate one, chose Haihaya in my heart.'
कथमन्यं भजे कान्तं त्यक्त्वा धर्मं सनातनम् । कन्याधर्मं विहायाद्य वेत्सि शास्त्रविनिश्चयम्
'How can I accept another beloved, abandoning the eternal law? Forsaking the duty of a maiden today—you know the conclusion of the scriptures.'
यस्मै दद्यात्पिता कामं कन्या तं पतिमाप्नुयात् । परतन्त्रा सदा कन्या न स्वातन्त्र्यं कदाचन
'To whom a father gives a maiden willingly, she obtains him as husband. A maiden is always dependent, never independent at any time.'
इत्युक्तोऽपि तया पापी विरराम न मोहितः । न मुमोच विशालाक्षीं मां च पार्श्वस्थितां तथा
Though addressed thus by her, that sinner did not desist, being deluded; nor did he release the large-eyed one, nor me, who stood by her side.
पातालविवरे तस्य पुरं परमसङ्कटे । राक्षसै रक्षितं दुर्गं मण्डितं परिखावृतम्
In a cavern of the underworld was his city, extremely difficult to reach, guarded by rākṣasas, a fortress adorned and surrounded by moats.
तत्र तिष्ठति दुःखार्ता सखी मे प्राणवल्लभा । तेनाहं विरहेणात्र रारटीमि सुदुःखिता
There my dear friend, beloved as my own life, remains in distress; because of our separation, I cry out here, overwhelmed by sorrow.
एकवीर उवाच कथं त्वमत्र सम्प्राप्ता पुरात्तस्य दुरात्मनः । विस्मयो मे महानत्र तत्त्वं ब्रूहि वरानने
Ekavira said: How have you come here from the house of that wicked man? I am greatly astonished at this—tell me the truth, O beautiful one.
त्वया च कथितं वाक्यं सन्दिग्धं भाति भामिनि । हैहयार्थे कल्पिता सा पित्रेति मम साम्प्रतम्
And the words you have spoken, O lovely one, seem doubtful to me; now I think that the story about her being your father was invented for the sake of the Haihaya.
हैहयो नाम राजाहं नान्योऽस्ति पृथिवीपतिः । मदर्थे कथिता सा किं सखी तव सुलोचना
I am the king named Haihaya—there is no other lord of the earth; was that beautiful-eyed friend of yours mentioned for my sake?
एतन्मे संशयं सुभ्रु छेत्तुमर्हसि भामिनि । अहं तामानयिष्यामि तं हत्वा राक्षसाधमम्
You should resolve this doubt of mine, O fair-browed one; I will bring her back after slaying that wicked Rakshasa.
स्थानं दर्शय मे तस्य यदि जानासि सुव्रते । राज्ञे निवेदितं किं वा तत्पित्रे चातिदुःखिता
Show me the place where he is, if you know it, O virtuous one; has it been reported to the king, or to her father, who is greatly distressed?
यस्यैषा वल्लभा पुत्री न किं जानाति तां हृताम् । नोद्यमः किं कृतस्तेन ततो मोचनहेतवे
Whose beloved daughter she is—does he not know she has been abducted? Has he not made any effort, therefore, to rescue her?
बन्दीकृतां सुतां ज्ञात्वा कथं तिष्ठति सुस्थिरः । असमर्थो नृपः किं वा कारणं ब्रूहि सत्वरम्
Knowing his daughter has been taken captive, how does he remain calm? Is the king powerless, or what is the reason? Tell me quickly.
त्वया मेऽपहृतं चेतो गुणानुक्त्वा ह्यमानुषान् । सख्याः पङ्कजपत्राक्षि कृतः कामवशो भृशम्
You have stolen my heart by describing your friend's superhuman qualities, O lotus-eyed one, and I am now completely under the sway of desire.
कदा पश्यामि तां कान्तां मोचयित्वातिसङ्कटात् । इति मे हृदयं चाद्य करोत्यतिमनोरथम्
When will I see that beloved, having freed her from great danger? Thus, today, my heart is filled with intense longing.
ब्रूहि मे गमनोपायं पुरे तस्यातिदुर्गमे । कथं त्वमागता तस्मात्सङ्कटादत्र तद्वद
Tell me the way to enter her city, which is extremely difficult to reach; how did you come here from that peril—tell me that.
यशोवत्युवाच बालभावान्मया मन्त्रो भगवत्या विशांपते । प्राप्तोऽस्ति ब्राह्मणात्सिद्धात्सबीजध्यानपूर्वकः
Yashovati said: In my childhood, I received a mantra from a perfected Brahmin, O lord of men, to be practiced with seed-syllable meditation, dedicated to the Blessed Goddess.
तत्रावस्थितया राजन् मया चित्ते विचारितम् । आराधयामि सततं चण्डिकां चण्डविक्रमाम्
While staying there, O king, I resolved in my mind: I will constantly worship Chandika, the one of fierce valor.
सा देवी सेविता कामं बन्धमोक्षं करिष्यति । भक्तानुकम्पिनी शक्तिः समर्था सर्वसाधने
That goddess, when served, will surely grant freedom from bondage; she is the compassionate power who helps devotees and is capable of accomplishing all aims.
या विश्वं सृजते शक्त्या पालयत्येव सा पुनः । कल्पान्ते संहरत्येव निराकारा निराश्रया
She who creates the universe by her power, indeed sustains it, and at the end of the cycle, she withdraws it—formless and without support.
इति सञ्चिन्त्य मनसा देवीं विश्वेश्वरीं शिवाम् । ध्यात्वा रक्ताम्बरां सौम्यां सुरक्तनयनां हृदि
Thinking thus in my mind of the goddess, the sovereign of the universe, the auspicious one, I meditated in my heart on her gentle form, clad in red, with deeply red eyes.
संस्मृत्य मनसा रूपं मन्त्रजाप्यपराभवम् । उपासिता मया देवी मासमेकं समाधिना
Remembering her form in my mind, absorbed in reciting the mantra, I worshipped the goddess for one month in deep concentration.
स्वप्ने मम समायाता भक्तिभावेन तोषिता । मामाहामृतया वाचा किं सुप्तासीति चण्डिका
Satisfied by my devotion, the goddess Chandika appeared to me in a dream and spoke to me with nectar-like words: 'Are you asleep?'
उत्तिष्ठ याहि तरसा गङ्गातीरं मनोहरम् । आगमिष्यति तत्रासौ हैहयो नृपपुङ्गवः
Arise, go swiftly to the enchanting bank of the Ganga; there, that foremost king of the Haihayas will come.
एकवीरो महाबाहुः सर्वशत्रुविमर्दनः । दत्तात्रेयेण मन्मन्त्रो महाविद्याभिधः परः
He is a solitary hero, mighty-armed, destroyer of all enemies, empowered with a supreme mantra by Dattatreya, known as the Great Knowledge.