गच्छध्वं राक्षसाः सर्वे सम्मुखाः शस्त्रपाणयः । तानाज्ञाप्य कालकेतुः पप्रच्छ प्रणयान्वितः
Go forth, all you demons, face the enemy with weapons in hand. After commanding them, Kālaketu asked with affection:
एकावलीं समीपस्थां विवशां भृशदुःखिताम् । कोऽयमायाति तन्वङ्गि पिता ते वापरः पुमान्
Who is this approaching, O slender one, near Ekāvalī, helpless and greatly distressed? Is it your father or another man?
त्वदर्थे सैन्यसंयुक्तो ब्रूहि सत्यं कृशोदरि । पिता ते यदि सम्प्राप्तो नेतुं त्वां विरहातुरः
Speak truthfully, O slender-waisted, for whose sake this army has come. If your father has arrived to take you, suffering from separation—
ज्ञात्वा ते पितरं सम्यक् संग्रामं न करोम्यहम् । आनयित्वा गृहे पूजां रत्नैर्वस्त्रैर्हयैः शुभैः
Knowing well that he is your father, I will not wage battle. I will bring him to my house and honor him with jewels, garments, and fine horses.
करोमि तस्य चातिथ्यं गृहे प्राप्तस्य सर्वथा । अन्यश्चेद्यदि सम्प्राप्तस्तं हन्मि निशितैः शरैः
I will offer him hospitality in every way when he arrives at my house. But if another has come, I will slay him with sharp arrows.
आनीतः किल कालेन मरणाय महात्मना । तस्माद्वद विशालाक्षि कोऽयमायाति मन्दधीः
He has surely been brought by fate for death, O great-souled one. Therefore, speak, O wide-eyed, who is this dull-minded person approaching?
अज्ञात्वा मां दुराधर्षं कालरूपं महाबलम् । एकावल्युवाच न जानेऽहं महाभाग कोऽयमायाति सत्वरः
Without knowing me, difficult to conquer, the embodiment of time, and possessing great strength— Ekāvalī said: I do not know, O illustrious one, who is coming so swiftly.
नमेऽस्ति विदितः कोऽपि स्थितायास्तव बन्धने । नायं पिता मे न भ्राता कोऽप्यन्योऽस्ति महाबलः
No one is known to me while I remain in your captivity. He is not my father, nor my brother; some other powerful person is approaching.
किमर्थमिह चायाति नाहं वेद विनिश्चयम् । दैत्य उवाच एवं वदन्त्यमी दूता वयस्या ते यशोवती
For what purpose is he coming here? I do not know for certain. The demon said: Thus speak these messengers, your friend Yaśovatī.
समानीय च तं वीरमागतेति कृतोद्यमा । क्व गता सा सखी कान्ते विदग्धा कार्यनिश्चये
Having brought that hero, she is ready, saying he has arrived. Where has that clever friend gone, so skilled in determining what must be done?
नान्यः कोऽपि ममारातिर्यो मे प्रतिबलो भवेत् । व्यास उवाच एतस्मिन्नन्तरे दूतास्तत्रान्ये वै समागताः
There is no one else who could be my rival or equal in strength. Vyāsa said: Meanwhile, other messengers arrived there.
ते होचुस्त्वरिता भीताः कालकेतुं गृहे स्थितम् । किं स्वस्थोऽसि महाराज समीपे सैन्यमागतम्
They spoke, hurried and frightened, to Kālaketu who was in his house: Why are you calm, O great king? The army has arrived nearby.
निर्गच्छ नगरात्तूर्णं सैन्येन महताऽऽवृतः । इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा कालकेतुर्महाबलः
Leave the city at once, surrounded by a great army—hearing these words, Kālketu, mighty in strength,
रथमारुह्य त्वरितो निर्ययौ स्वपुराद्बहिः । एकवीरोऽपि सहसा हयारूढः प्रतापवान्
quickly mounted his chariot and departed from his own city; though alone, he rode forth on horseback, full of valor.
आगतस्तत्र कामिन्या विरहेण समाकुलः । युद्धं तयोरभूत्तत्र वृत्रवासवयोरिव
There he arrived, agitated by separation from Kāminī; a battle took place between the two, like that of Vṛtra and Indra.
शस्त्रास्त्रैर्बहुधा मुक्तैरादीपितदिगन्तरम् । वर्तमाने तदा युद्धे कातराणां भयावहे
With many weapons and missiles released, the quarters blazed on all sides; as the battle raged, it struck terror into the fearful.
गदया ताडयामास दैत्यं सिन्धुसुतासुतः । स गतासुः पपातोर्व्यां वज्राहत इवाचलः
The son of Sindhu’s daughter struck the demon with his mace; lifeless, he fell to the ground like a mountain struck by a thunderbolt.
पलायित्वा गताः सर्वे राक्षसा भयपीडिताः । यशोवती ततो गत्वा वेगादेकावलीं तदा
All the terrified rākṣasas fled and escaped; then Yaśovatī quickly went to Ekāvalī.
उवाच मधुरां वाणीं विस्मिता मुदिता भृशम् । एह्यालि नृपपुत्रेण दानवोऽसौ निपातितः
Amazed and greatly delighted, she spoke sweet words: ‘Friend, the prince has slain that demon!’
एकवीरेण धीरेण युद्धं कृत्वा सुदारुणम् । स्कन्धावारेऽप्यसौ राजा तिष्ठत्यद्य श्रमातुरः
After fighting a fierce battle alone and bravely, that king now remains in the camp, exhausted.
दर्शनं काङ्क्षमाणस्ते श्रुतरूपगुणस्तव । पश्य तं कुटिलापाङ्गि मनोभवसमं नृपम्
Longing to see you, having heard of your beauty and virtues, O one with crooked glances, behold that king, equal to Kāmadeva.
कथिता त्वं मया पूर्वं तस्याग्रे जाह्नवीतटे । पूर्णानुरागः सञ्जातस्तेनासौ विरहातुरः
I have already spoken of you to him before, on the bank of the Jāhnavī; filled with deep love, he is now tormented by separation.
वाञ्छति त्वां चारुरूपां द्रष्टुं नृपतिनन्दनः । सा तस्या वचनं श्रुत्वा गमनाय मनो दधे
The prince, desiring to see you, beautiful one, wishes for you; hearing her words, she resolved in her mind to go.
लज्जमाना भृशं भीत्या कौमारं प्राप्तया तया । कथं तस्य मुखं द्रक्ष्ये कुमारी ह्यवशा भृशम्
Overcome by shyness and great fear, having just reached maidenhood, she thought, ‘How shall I look upon his face, helpless as I am, a young girl?’
स मां गृह्णाति कामार्त इति चिन्ताकुला सती । यशोवत्या युता तत्र नरयानस्थिता ययौ
Disturbed by the thought, ‘He will seize me, overcome by desire,’ she, together with Yaśovatī, went and stood at the camp.
स्कन्धावारेऽतिमलिना मलिनाम्बरधारिणी । तामागतां विशालाक्षीं दृष्ट्वा राजसुतोऽब्रवीत्
In the camp, wearing soiled garments and looking very unkempt, the wide-eyed prince, seeing her arrive, spoke:
दर्शनं देहि तन्वङ्गि तृषिते नयने मम । कामातुरं च तं वीक्ष्य तां च लज्जाभरावृताम्
‘Grant me your sight, slender one, for my eyes are parched with longing;’ seeing him overcome by love, and her covered with the weight of modesty,
नीतिज्ञा शिष्टमार्गज्ञा तमुवाच यशोवती । राजपुत्र पिताप्यस्यास्त्वामेनां दातुमिच्छति
Yaśovatī, wise in conduct and the ways of the virtuous, spoke to him: ‘Prince, her father also wishes to give her to you.’
एषापि त्वद्वशा नूनं भविता सङ्गमस्तव । कालं प्रतीक्ष्य राजेन्द्र नयैनां पितुरन्तिकम्
‘She too will surely become yours; your union will happen. Wait for the right time, O king, and lead her to her father.’
स विवाहविधिं कृत्वा दास्यतीति विनिश्चयः । स तस्या वचनं तथ्यं मत्वा सैन्यसमन्वितः
‘He will give her to you, performing the marriage rites—this is certain.’ Considering her words true, he, accompanied by his army,