किंचित्कम्पितमूर्धा तु वाक्यं नोवाच किंचन ततः पुनरुवाचेदं वाक्यं माता सुतां तदा
Her head slightly trembling, she spoke not a word; then again her mother addressed her with these words.
वत्से वन्दय देवर्षिं ततो दास्यामि ते शुभम् रत्नक्रीडनकं रम्यं स्थापितं यच्चिरं मया
'Child, bow to the divine sage; then I will give you the beautiful jeweled toy, delightful and long kept by me.'
इत्युक्ता तु ततो वेगाद् उद्धृत्य चरणौ तदा ववन्दे मूर्ध्नि संधाय करपङ्कजकुड्मलम्
Thus urged, she quickly rose and, placing her lotus-bud hands upon his feet, bowed, touching her head to them.
कृते तु वन्दने तस्या माता सखीमुखेन तु चोदयामास शनकैस् तस्याः सौभाग्यशंसिनाम्
When she had offered her respects, her mother, through her companions, gently encouraged those who praised her good fortune.
शरीरलक्षणानां तु विज्ञानाय तु कौतुकात् स्त्रीस्वभावाद्यद्दुहितुश् चिन्तां हृदि समुद्वहन्
Out of curiosity to know the marks on her daughter's body, and due to a woman's nature, she bore in her heart a thought about her daughter.
ज्ञात्वा तदिङ्गितं शैलो महिष्या हृदयेन तु अनुद्गीर्णो ऽक्षतिर्मेने रम्यमेतदुपस्थितम्
Understanding her wife's intention in his heart, the mountain king, though nothing was spoken, considered this a pleasing development.
चोदितः शैलमहिषीसख्या मुनिवरस्तदा स्मिताननो महाभागो वाक्यं प्रोवाच नारदः
Urged by the queen's companion, the great sage Nārada, smiling, spoke these words to the mountain king:
न जातो ऽस्याः पतिर्भद्रे लक्षणैश्च विवर्जिता उत्तानहस्ता सततं चरणैर्व्यभिचारिभिः स्वछायया भविष्येयं किमन्यद्बहु भाष्यते
'O gentle one, no husband is born for her; she is devoid of auspicious marks. Her hands are always open, her feet unsteady; by her own shadow she will exist. What more need be said?'
श्रुत्वैतत्संभ्रमाविष्टो ध्वस्तधैर्यो महाबलः नारदं प्रत्युवाचाथ साश्रुकण्ठो महागिरिः
Hearing this, overwhelmed with agitation and his courage shattered, the mighty mountain, with tears in his voice, spoke to Nārada.
संसारस्यातिदोषस्य दुर्विज्ञेया गतिर्यतः सृष्ट्यां चावश्यभाविन्यां केनाप्यतिशयात्मना
Because the course of worldly existence is exceedingly faulty and difficult to comprehend, and since creation is inevitable, it is brought about by some extraordinary agent.
कर्त्रा प्रणीता मर्यादा स्थिता संसारिणामियम् यो जायते हि यद्बीजो जनितुः स ह्यसार्थकः
A boundary has been set by the creator for beings bound to the world; for whatever is born from a seed, if the originator is absent, that birth is meaningless.
जनिता चापि जातस्य न कश्चिदिति यत्स्फुटम् स्वकर्मणैव जायन्ते विविधा भूतजातयः
And it is clear that no one is the true creator of what is born; various kinds of living beings are produced solely by their own actions.
अण्डजो ह्यण्डजाज्जातः पुनर्जायेत मानवः मानुषाच्च सरीसृप्यां मनुष्यत्वेन जायते
Indeed, an egg-born being arises from another egg-born; a human may be born again, and from a human, one may be born among reptiles, retaining human nature.
तत्रापि जातौ श्रेष्ठायां धर्मस्योत्कर्षणेन तु अपुत्रजन्मिनः शेषाः प्राणिनः समवस्थिताः
Even among these births, the highest is attained through the excellence of righteousness; the rest of the living beings remain as those who have not produced offspring.
मनुजास्तत्र जायन्ते यतो न गृहधर्मिणः क्रमेणाश्रमसंप्राप्तिर् ब्रह्मचारिव्रतादनु
Among them, humans are born who do not follow the duties of householders; in due order, they reach the stages of life, beginning with the vow of the student.
तस्य कर्तुर्नियोगेन संसारो येन वर्धितः संसारस्य कुतो वृद्धिः सर्वे स्युर्यदतिग्रहाः
By the command of the agent by whom worldly existence is increased, how can there be growth of the world if all were excessively restrained?
अतः कर्त्रा तु शास्त्रेषु सुतलाभः प्रशंसितः प्राणिनां मोहनार्थाय नरकत्राणसंश्रयात्
Therefore, in the scriptures, the begetting of sons is praised by the creator, for the delusion of beings and as a refuge from the torments of hell.
स्त्रिया विरहिता सृष्टिर् जन्तूनां नोपपद्यते स्त्रीजातिस्तु प्रकृत्यैव कृपणा दैन्यभाषिणी शास्त्रालोचनसामर्थ्यम् उज्झितं तासु वेधसा
The creation of living beings does not occur without women; by nature, the female is pitiable and speaks of her own misery, and the creator has deprived them of the ability to discern the meaning of scripture.
शास्त्रेषूक्तमसंदिग्धं बहुवारं महाफलम् दशपुत्रसमा कन्या या न स्याच्छीलवर्जिता
It is stated unmistakably and repeatedly in the scriptures, with great reward, that a daughter who is not lacking in virtue is equal to ten sons.
वाक्यमेतत्फलभ्रष्टं पुंसि ग्लानिकरं परम् कन्या हि कृपणा शोच्या पितुर्दुःखविवर्धिनी
But this statement is fruitless, brings only distress to men, for a daughter is pitiable and to be lamented, increasing her father's sorrow.
यापि स्यात्पूर्णसर्वाढ्या पतिपुत्रधनादिभिः किं पुनर्दुर्भगा हीना पतिपुत्रधनादिभिः
Even if she is endowed with all qualities—husband, sons, wealth, and so on—what then of the unfortunate one deprived of husband, sons, and wealth?
त्वं चोक्तवान्सुताया मे शरीरे दोषसंग्रहम् अहो मुह्यामि शुष्यामि ग्लामि सीदामि नारद
And you have said that my daughter is a collection of bodily faults; alas, I am bewildered, I wither, I am exhausted, I sink, O Nārada.
अयुक्तमथ वक्तव्यम् अप्राप्यमपि सांप्रतम् अनुग्रहेण मे छिन्द्धि दुःखं कन्याश्रयं मुने
It is not proper to speak what is unfit or unattainable at this time; by your compassion, sage, cut off the sorrow that has come to me through my daughter.
परिच्छिन्ने ऽप्यसंदिग्धे मनः परिभवाश्रयम् तृष्णा मुष्णाति निष्णाता फललोभाश्रयाशुभा
Even when the mind is clear and undoubting, it becomes a seat of humiliation; craving, rooted in the desire for results, seizes and corrupts it.
स्त्रीणां हि परमं जन्म कुलानामुभयात्मनाम् इहामुत्र सुखायोक्तं सत्पतिप्राप्तिसंज्ञितम्
For women, the highest birth in both noble and ordinary families is said to be for happiness here and hereafter, and is known as the attainment of a worthy husband.
दुर्लभः सत्पतिः स्त्रीणां विगुणो ऽपि पतिः किल न प्राप्यते विना पुण्यैः पतिर्नार्या कदाचन
A worthy husband is rare for women; even an unworthy husband is said to be difficult to obtain. Without merit, a husband is never attained by a woman.
यतो निःसाधनो धर्मः परिमाणोज्झिता रतिः धनं जीवितपर्याप्तं पत्यौ नार्याः प्रतिष्ठितम्
Wherever righteousness is without means, pleasure is devoid of measure, and wealth is only sufficient for life, the wife's foundation is established in her husband.
निर्धनो दुर्भगो मूर्खः सर्वलक्षणवर्जितः दैवतं परमं नार्याः पतिरुक्तः सदैव हि
A husband who is destitute, unfortunate, foolish, and lacking all marks is always declared by the gods to be the supreme for a woman.
त्वया चोक्तं हि देवर्षे न जातो ऽस्याः पतिः किल एतद्दौर्भाग्यमतुलम् असंख्यं गुरु दुःसहम्
Indeed, O divine sage, you have said that for her no husband is born; this unparalleled misfortune is countless, weighty, and hard to endure.
चराचरे भूतसर्गे यदद्यापि च नो मुने न स जात इति ब्रूषे तेन मे व्याकुलं मनः
In the creation of moving and unmoving beings, O sage, you say that even now he is not born; because of this, my mind is troubled.