आसीनं च शयानं च पिता ते पितरं मम स्तौति पृच्छति चाभीक्ष्णं नीचस्थः सुविनीतवत्
Your father, sitting and lying, constantly praises and questions my father, behaving humbly and with great propriety.
याचतस्त्वं च दुहिता स्तुवतः प्रतिगृह्णतः सुताहं स्तूयमानस्य ददतो न तु गृह्णतः
You are the daughter of one who begs, praises, and accepts; I am the daughter of one who is praised and gives, but does not accept.
अनायुधा सायुधायाः किं त्वं कुप्यसि भिक्षुकि लप्स्यसे प्रतियोद्धारं न च त्वां गणयाम्यहम्
Why do you, unarmed, become angry with one who is armed? You are a beggar and will receive retaliation, but I do not regard you at all.
सा विस्मयं देवयानीं गतां सक्तां च वाससि शर्मिष्ठा प्राक्षिपत्कूपे ततः स्वपुरमाविशत्
Sharmishtha, seeing Devayani astonished and clinging to her garment, threw her into a well and then entered her own city.
हतेयमिति विज्ञाय शर्मिष्ठा पापनिश्चया अनवेक्ष्य ययौ तस्मात् क्रोधवेगपरायणा
Knowing, 'She is slain,' Sharmishtha, intent on evil, departed without looking back, driven by the force of anger.
अथ तं देशमभ्यागाद् ययातिर्नहुषात्मजः श्रान्तयुग्यः श्रान्तरूपो मृगलिप्सुः पिपासितः
Then Yayati, son of Nahusha, arrived at that place, his horses and himself weary, desiring game and thirsty.
नाहुषिः प्रेक्षमाणो हि स निपाने गतोदके ददर्श कन्यां तां तत्र दीप्तामग्निशिखाम् इव
Nahusha's son, looking at the watering place where the water had receded, saw that maiden there, radiant like a blazing flame.
तामपृच्छत्स दृष्ट्वैव कन्याममरवर्णिनीम् सान्त्वयित्वा नृपश्रेष्ठः साम्ना परमवल्गुना
Seeing that maiden of celestial beauty, the foremost king gently questioned and consoled her with the utmost kindness.
का त्वं चारुमुखी श्यामा सुमृष्टमणिकुण्डला दीर्घं ध्यायसि चात्यर्थं कस्माच्छ्वसिषि चातुरा
Who are you, O lovely-faced, dark-skinned maiden, adorned with well-polished jeweled earrings? Why do you meditate so deeply and sigh so cleverly?
कथं च पतिता ह्य् अस्मिन् कूपे वीरुत्तृणावृते दुहिता चैव कस्य त्वं वद सर्वं सुमध्यमे
How have you fallen into this well, covered with grass and creepers? Whose daughter are you? Tell me everything, O slender-waisted one.
यो ऽसौ देवैर्हतान् दैत्यान् उत्थापयति विद्यया तस्य शुक्रस्य कन्याहं त्वं मां नूनं न बुध्यसे
I am the daughter of Shukra, who by his knowledge revives the Daityas slain by the gods; surely you do not recognize me.
एष मे दक्षिणो राजन् पाणिस् ताम्रनखाङ्गुलिः समुद्धर गृहीत्वा मां कुलीनस्त्वं हि मे मतः
Here is my right hand, O king, with copper-colored nails; lift me out, holding me, for you are considered noble by me.
जानामि त्वां च संशान्तं वीर्यवन्तं यशस्विनम् तस्मान्मां पतितां कूपाद् अस्माद् उद्धर्तुमर्हसि
I know you to be calm, powerful, and renowned; therefore, you ought to lift me out of this well, where I have fallen.
तामथ ब्राह्मणीं स्त्रीं च विज्ञाय नहुषात्मजः गृहीत्वा दक्षिणे पाणाव् उज्जहार ततो ऽवटात्
Then, recognizing her as a Brahmin woman, the son of Nahusha took her by the right hand and lifted her out of the pit.
उद्धृत्य चैनां तरसा तस्मात्कूपान्नराधिपः आमन्त्रयित्वा सुश्रोणीं ययातिः स्वपुरं ययौ
Then King Yayāti swiftly lifted her out of that well, and after addressing the lovely-hipped woman, he returned to his own city.
गते तु नाहुषे तस्मिन् देवयान्यपि निन्दिता उवाच शोकसंतप्ता घूर्णिकामागतां पुनः
When Nahusha's descendant had departed, Devayānī, scorned and tormented by grief, spoke again to Ghūrṇikā, who had come back.
त्वरितं घूर्णिके गच्छ सर्वमाचक्ष्व मे पितुः नेदानीं तु प्रवेक्ष्यामि नगरं वृषपर्वणः
Quickly go, Ghūrṇikā, and tell my father everything; I will not now enter the city of Vṛṣaparvan.
सा तु वै त्वरितं गत्वा घूर्णिकासुरमन्दिरम् दृष्ट्वा काव्यमुवाचेदं कम्पमाना विचेतना
So Ghūrṇikā hurried to the asura's palace, and, seeing Kāvya, she spoke these words, trembling and distraught.
आचख्यौ च महाभागा देवयानी वने हता शर्मिष्ठया महाप्राज्ञ दुहित्रा वृषपर्वणः
The blessed one reported: 'Devayānī has been killed in the forest by Śarmiṣṭhā, the wise daughter of Vṛṣaparvan.'
श्रुत्वा दुहितरं काव्यस् तदा शर्मिष्ठया हताम् त्वरया निर्ययौ दुःखान् मार्गमाणः सुतां वने
Hearing that his daughter had been killed by Śarmiṣṭhā, Kāvya at once went out in haste, searching for his daughter in the forest, stricken with grief.
दृष्ट्वा दुहितरं काव्यो देवयानीं तपोवने बाहुभ्यां सम्परिष्वज्य दुःखितो वाक्यमब्रवीत्
Seeing his daughter Devayānī in the forest hermitage, Kāvya embraced her with his arms and, sorrowful, spoke these words.
आत्मदोषैर् नियच्छन्ति सर्वे दुःखसुखे जनाः मन्ये दुश्चरितं ते ऽस्ति तस्येयं निष्कृतिः कृता
All people experience happiness and sorrow due to their own faults; I think you have committed a misdeed, and this is the expiation for it.
निष्कृतिर् वास्तु वा मास्तु शृणुष्वावहितो मम शर्मिष्ठया यदुक्तास्मि दुहित्रा वृषपर्वणः
Whether there is expiation or not, listen carefully to what I was told by Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan.
सत्यं किलैतत्सा प्राह दैत्यानामस्मि गायना एवं हि मे कथयति शर्मिष्ठा वार्षपर्वणी
Truly, she said this: 'I am the singer of the Daityas.' Thus Śarmiṣṭhā, daughter of Vṛṣaparvan, spoke to me.
वचनं तीक्ष्णपरुषं क्रोधरक्तेक्षणा भृशम् स्तुवतो दुहितासि त्वं याचतः प्रतिगृह्णतः
With eyes reddened by anger, she spoke harsh and cutting words: 'You are the daughter of one who praises, of one who begs and receives.'
सुताहं स्तूयमानस्य ददतो ऽप्रतिगृह्णतः इति मामाह शर्मिष्ठा दुहिता वृषपर्वणः क्रोधसंरक्तनयना दर्पपूर्णानना ततः
'I am the daughter of one who is praised, who gives but does not receive.' Thus Śarmiṣṭhā, daughter of Vṛṣaparvan, said to me, her eyes bloodshot with anger and her face full of pride.
यद्यहं स्तुवतस्तात दुहिता प्रतिगृह्णतः प्रसादयिष्ये शर्मिष्ठाम् इत्युक्ता हि सखी मया
'If I am the daughter of one who is praised, and you are the daughter of one who receives, then I will appease Śarmiṣṭhā.' Thus my friend spoke to me.
वृषपर्वैव तद्वेद शक्रो राजा च नाहुषः अचिन्त्यं ब्रह्म निर्द्वंद्वम् ऐश्वरं हि बलं मम
Vṛṣaparvan himself knows this, as do Śakra and King Nahusha; my power is divine, beyond duality, and inconceivable like Brahman.
यः परेषां नरो नित्यम् अतिवादांस्तितिक्षति देवयानि विजानीहि तेन सर्वमिदं जितम्
O Devayānī, know that the man who always endures the harsh words of others conquers all this world.
यः समुत्पतितं क्रोधं निगृह्णाति हयं यथा स यन्तेत्युच्यते सद्भिर् न यो रश्मिषु लम्बते
He who restrains rising anger as a horse is held by the reins is called a charioteer by the wise, not one who merely holds the reins.