कुष्ठिनः पूतिगंधस्य संपर्के दुःखिता भृशम्। दिनैकं च करिष्यामि यद्यागच्छति मद्गृहम्
I am greatly distressed by contact with a leper who has a foul smell; for one day, I will do it, if he comes to my house.
पतिव्रतोवाच- आगमिष्यामि ते गेहमद्य रात्रौ च सुंदरि। भुक्तभोग्यं पतिं हृष्टं पुनर्नेष्यामि मद्गृहम्
The devoted wife said: 'I will come to your house tonight, O beautiful one; after my husband has eaten and is pleased, I will bring him again to my house.'
गणिकोवाच- गच्छ शीघ्रं महाभागे स्वगृहं च पतिव्रते। पतिस्ते चार्द्धरात्रे स आगच्छतु च मद्गृहम्
The courtesan said: 'Go quickly, O noble one, to your own house, devoted wife; let your husband come to my house at midnight.'
बहवो मे प्रियास्संति राजानस्तत्समाश्च ये। एकैको मद्गृहे नित्यं तिष्ठतीह निरंतरम्
Many beloveds are mine, kings and those equal to them; each one always stays in my house without interruption.
अद्याहं मे गृहं शून्यं करिष्यामि च त्वद्भयात्। स चागच्छतु ते भर्त्ता स चास्मान्प्राप्य गच्छतु
Today I will make my house empty because of fear of you; let your husband come, and after meeting us, let him depart.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु सा साध्वी गतासौ स्वगृहे तथा। पत्यौ निवेदयामास कृत्यं ते फलितं प्रभो
Hearing this, the virtuous woman went to her own house; she informed her husband, 'Your task has been accomplished, Lord.'
अद्य रात्रौ च तद्गेहं गंतुं ख्यातिं करोति सा। प्रभूताः पतयस्तस्यास्तव कालो न विद्यते
Tonight she will go to that house, making it known; she has many husbands, and you have no time there.
विप्र उवाच- कथं यास्यामि तद्गेहं मया गंतुं न शक्यते। एतज्ज्ञात्वा कुतः क्षांतिः कृतं कार्यं कथं भवेत्
The Brahmin said: 'How shall I go to that house? I am unable to go; knowing this, how can there be patience, and how will the task be accomplished?'
पतिव्रतोवाच- स्वपृष्ठस्थमहं कृत्वा नेष्यामि तद्गृहं प्रति। सिद्धे ह्यर्थे नयिष्यामि पुनस्ते नैव वर्त्मना
The devoted wife said: I will carry him on my back and take him to his house; once my purpose is fulfilled, I will not return by the same path.
द्विज उवाच- कल्याणि त्वत्कृतेनैव सर्वं मे कृत्यमेष्यति। इदानीं यत्कृतं कर्म स्त्रीजनैरपि दुःसहम्
The brahmin said: O auspicious one, because of you, all my tasks will be accomplished; what you have done now is unbearable even for women.
तस्मिंश्च नगरे रम्ये नित्यं च धनिनो गृहे। पौरेश्च प्रचुरं वित्तं हृतं राज्ञा श्रुतं तदा
And in that beautiful city, in the house of a wealthy man, much wealth belonging to the townspeople was stolen by the king, and this was heard at that time.
श्रुत्वा सर्वान्निशाचारानाहूय नृपती रुषा। जीवितुं यदि वो वांछा चोरं मामद्य दास्यथ
Hearing this, the king, summoning all the night-patrolling guards in anger, said: If you wish to live, today you must give me the thief.
गृहीत्वा तु नृपस्याज्ञां यत्तैर्जिघृक्षयाकुलैः। चारैश्चोरो गृहीतस्तैर्बलाच्चैव नृपाज्ञया५० 1.51.
Then, having received the king's command, those eager and anxious men, along with spies, seized the thief by force, as ordered by the king.
नगरोपांतदेशे च वृक्षमूले घने वने। समाधिस्थोमहातेजामांडव्योमुनिपुंगवः
At the edge of the city, under a tree in a dense forest, the great sage Māṇḍavya, foremost among ascetics, was absorbed in meditation, radiant with great energy.
व्यातिष्ठद्वह्निसंकाशो योगिनां प्रवरो मुनिः। अंतर्नाडीगतो वायुः किंचिन्न प्रतिभाति च
That best of sages, shining like fire, stood there; the breath within his inner channels, he was unaware of anything.
तं ब्रह्मतुल्यं तिष्ठन्तं दृष्ट्वा दुष्टा महामुनिम्। चोरोयमद्भुताकारो धूर्तस्तिष्ठति कानने
Seeing that great sage, standing there like Brahmā, the wicked men said: This is the thief, with a strange appearance, a rogue standing in the forest.
एवमुक्त्वा तु तं पापा बबन्धुर्मुनिसत्तमम्। नोक्ताश्च नेक्षितास्तेन पुरुषा अतिदारुणाः
Having said this, those evil men bound the excellent sage; he neither spoke nor looked at those exceedingly cruel men.
ततो राजा उवाचेदं संप्राप्तस्तस्करो मया। उपांते च पथिद्वारे कुरुध्वं घोरदण्डनम्
Then the king said: The thief has been caught by me; at the edge of the city, at the gate, inflict a terrible punishment.
मांडव्यश्च मुनिस्तत्र पथिशूले च कीलितः। पायुदेशे च तैर्दत्तं शूलं यावच्च मस्तकम्
There Māṇḍavya the sage was impaled on a stake at the city gate; the stake was driven from his anus up to his head by them.
व्यथां स च न जानाति शूले विद्धतनुर्यमात्। अन्यैरपि कृतो दण्डः कृतस्तैस्तु मनोहितः
He did not feel pain, though his body was pierced by the stake; others too were punished, but he was pleased by their actions.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे रात्रावंधकारे घनोन्नते। स्वपतिं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा प्रययौ सा पतिव्रता
Meanwhile, at night, in deep darkness, the devoted wife set her husband on her back and departed.
मांडव्यस्य तनौ सङ्गात्कुष्ठिनो गंध आगतः। भग्नः समाधिस्तस्यैवं कुष्ठिसंसर्गतो ध्रुवम्
From contact with Māṇḍavya's body, the husband contracted leprosy; his meditation was broken, certainly due to contact with the leper.
मांडव्य उवाच- एवं येनाधुना कृच्छ्रं कारितं गात्रवेदनम्। स एव भस्मतां यातु प्रोदिते च विरोचने
Māṇḍavya said: May the one who has now caused me such severe bodily pain be reduced to ashes when the sun rises.
मांडव्येनैवमुक्तस्स पपात धरणीतले। ततः पतिव्रता चाह ब्रध्नो नोदयतु ध्रुवं
When Māṇḍavya spoke thus, he fell to the ground; then the devoted wife said: Let my husband surely not die.
दिनत्रयं गृहं नीत्वा शापाद्वेश्मगता ततः। शयनीये स्थितं रम्ये धृत्वाऽतिष्ठत्पतिव्रता
After taking him home for three days, because of the curse, she remained in the house; the devoted wife stayed by his side on a pleasant bed.
शप्त्वा तं च मुनिश्रेष्ठो गतो देशमभीष्टकम्। सूरो नोदयते लोके यावच्चैव दिनत्रयम्
Having cursed him, the best of sages went to his desired place; for three days the sun did not rise in the world.
निखिलं व्यथितं दृष्ट्वा त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्। शतक्रतुं पुरस्कृत्य गता देवाः पितामहम्
Seeing the entire three worlds, with all moving and unmoving beings, afflicted, the gods, led by Indra, went to Grandfather Brahma.
वृत्तं न्यवेदयन्सर्वं पद्मयोनौ दिवौकसः। कारणं च न जानीमस्त्वं तु योग्यं विधेहि नः
The dwellers of heaven reported everything that had happened to the Lotus-born, saying: 'We do not know the cause; you alone are worthy—determine what should be done for us.'
ब्रह्मोवाच- पतिव्रताया यद्वृत्तं मांडव्यस्य मुनेश्च यत्। यथा नोदयते ब्रध्नो धाता देवेष्ववेदयत्
Brahma said: 'As for the conduct of the devoted wife, and what befell the sage Mandavya, and why the sun does not rise—this the Creator explained to the gods.'
ततो देवा विमानैश्च पुरस्कृत्य प्रजापतिम्। गतास्तदंतिकं विप्र तूर्णं सर्वे च भूतलम्
Then, O Brahmin, the gods, together with their celestial chariots and led by the Lord of Creatures, quickly went down to the earth.