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.
तेषां श्रिया विमानानां मुनीनां किरणैस्तथा। शतसूर्यमिवाभाति नान्यत्र च गृहोदरे
By the radiance of their chariots and the rays of the sages, it shone like a hundred suns, except within the house.
हा हतास्मि कथं सूरो मद्गृहे समुपस्थितः। अदृश्यंत तया देवा विमानैर्हंससन्निभैः
'Alas, I am ruined! How has the sun come to my house?' she cried; and the gods, with their swan-like chariots, became invisible to her.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे ब्रह्मा तामुवाच पतिव्रताम्। अखिलानां च देवानां द्विजानां च गवां तथा
At that moment, Brahma spoke to the devoted wife, as well as to all the gods, the twice-born, and the cows.
यथैव निधनं तेषां कथं ते परिरोचते। मातः क्रोधं त्यजस्वाद्य सूर्यस्योदयनं प्रति
'How does the death of all these please you? Mother, give up your anger now, for the sake of the sun's rising.'
पतिव्रतोवाच- सर्वलोकानतिक्रम्य पतिरेको गुरुर्मम। अस्य मृत्युर्मुनेश्शापादुदिते च विरोचने
The devoted wife said: 'For me, surpassing all the worlds, my husband alone is my guru; his death is due to the sage's curse, should the sun rise.'
तेनैव कारणेनैष मया शप्तो दिवाकरः। न कोपान्न च मोहाच्च लोभात्कामान्न मत्सरात्
'For this reason alone I cursed the sun—not out of anger, nor delusion, nor greed, desire, or envy.'
ब्रह्मोवाच- एकस्य निधनेनैव त्रैलोक्यस्य हितं भवेत्। ततस्ते चाधिकं पुण्यं मातरेवं भविष्यति
Brahma said: 'By the death of one alone, the welfare of the three worlds will be secured; thus, mother, you will gain even greater merit.'
सा चोवाच विधिं तत्र देवानामग्रतः सती। पतिं त्यक्त्वा च मे सत्यं शिवं मे नानुरोचते
There, in the presence of the gods, the faithful wife replied: 'Having abandoned my husband, truly, O Auspicious One, nothing is agreeable to me.'
ब्रह्मोवाच- उदिते च खगे सौम्ये पत्यौ ते भस्मतां गते। स्वस्थेभूते च त्रैलोक्ये करिष्यामि हितं तव
Brahma said: 'When the gentle sun rises and your husband is reduced to ashes, and the three worlds are at peace, I will do what is good for you.'
भस्मनः पुरुषो भाव्यः कामदेवसमप्रभः। गुणैः सर्वैर्युतो भर्ता रतिवत्त्वं च सर्वदा
'From his ashes a man will arise, radiant like the god of love, endowed with all virtues, and always possessing the qualities of a husband like Rati's.'