तं दृष्ट्वा प्राह सा कंठाद्विमुच्य भुजबंधनम् । कथं तापसरूपेण त्वं मां मोहितुमागतः
Seeing him, she released her embrace from his neck and arms, and said: 'How have you come to enchant me in the form of an ascetic?'
निशम्य वचनं तस्याः सांत्वयन्प्राह तां हरिः । शृणु वृंदारिके त्वं मां विद्धि लक्ष्मीमनोहरम्
Hearing her words, Hari comforted her and said: 'Listen, Vrindarika, know me as the enchanting Lakshmi's lord.'
तव भर्ता हरं जेतुं गौरीमानयितुं गतः । अहं शिवः शिवश्चाहं पृथक्त्वे न व्यवस्थितौ 6.15.
Your husband went to defeat Hara and bring Gauri; I am Shiva, and Shiva is I—there is no separation between us.
जालंधरो हतः संख्ये भज मामधुनानघे । नारद उवाच- इति विष्णोर्वचः श्रुत्वा विषण्णवदनाभवत् । ततो वृंदारिका राजन्कुपिता प्रत्युवाच ह
Jalandhara was slain in battle; now, blameless one, accept me. Narada said: Hearing Vishnu's words, her face became downcast; then, O king, Vrindarika, angered, replied.
रणे बद्धोऽसि येन त्वं जीवन्मुक्तः पितुर्गिरा । विविधैः सत्कृतो रत्नैर्युक्तं तस्य हृता वधूः
In battle you were bound, and by your father's command you were freed while still alive; though honored with many precious jewels, your wife was taken from you.
पतिर्धर्मस्य यो नित्यं परदाररतः कथम् । ईश्वरोऽपि कृतं भुंक्ते कर्मेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः
How can one who is always devoted to another's wife be called the lord of righteousness? Even the Lord himself must experience the results of his actions—so say the wise.
अहं मोहं यथानीता त्वया माया तपस्विना । तथा तव वधूं माया तपस्वीकोऽपि नेष्यति
Just as you, ascetic, led me into delusion by your magic, so too, by magic, another ascetic will take your wife.
इति शप्तस्तथा विष्णुर्जगामादृश्यतां क्षणात् । सा चित्रशालापर्यंकः स च तेऽथप्लवंगमाः
Thus cursed, Viṣṇu at once vanished from sight; the splendid hall and couch disappeared, and so did those who had come with you.
नष्टं सर्वं हरौ याते वनं शून्यं विलोक्य सा । वृंदा प्राह सखीं प्राप्य जिह्मं तद्विष्णुना कृतम्
When Hari departed, everything was lost; seeing the forest empty, Vṛndā, finding her friend, said, 'This was deceitfully done by Viṣṇu.'
त्यक्तं पुरं गतं राज्यं कांतः संदेहतां गतः । अहं वने विदित्वैतत्क्व यामि विधिनिर्मिता
The city is abandoned, the kingdom is lost, my beloved is uncertain; knowing this in the forest, where shall I go, shaped by fate?
मनोरथानां विषयमभून्मे प्रियदर्शनम् । प्राह निःश्वस्य चैवोष्णं राज्ञी वृंदातिदुःखिता
The sight of my beloved was only the fulfillment of my desires; sighing hotly, Queen Vṛndā, overwhelmed by grief, spoke.
मम प्राप्तं हि मरणं त्वया हि स्मरदूतिके । इत्युक्ता सा तया प्राह मम त्वं प्राणरूपिणी
'For me, death has come, messenger of love, because of you.' Thus addressed, her friend replied, 'You are my very life.'
तस्यास्तथोक्तमाकर्ण्य इतिकर्त्तव्यतां ततः । वने निश्चित्य सा वृंदा गत्वा तत्र महत्सरः
Hearing her speak thus, Vṛndā, uncertain what to do, resolved in the forest and went to a great lake.
विहाय दुःखमकरोद्गात्रक्षालनमंबुना । तीरे पद्मासनं बद्ध्वा कृत्वा निर्विषयं मनः
Abandoning sorrow, she washed her body with water; sitting in the lotus posture on the bank, she made her mind free from all objects.
शोषयामास देहं स्वं विष्णुसंगेन दूषितम् । तपश्चचारसात्युग्रं निराहारा सखीसमम्
She began to dry up her body, polluted by union with Viṣṇu, and undertook severe austerity, fasting, together with her friend.
गंधर्वलोकतो वृंदामथागत्याप्सरोगणः । प्राह याहीति कल्याणि स्वर्गं मा त्यज विग्रहम्
Then, from the world of the Gandharvas, a host of apsarases approached Vṛndā and said, 'O blessed one, go to heaven—do not abandon your body.'
गांधर्वं शस्त्रमेतत्त्रिभुवनविजयं श्रीपतिस्तोषमग्र्यं। नीतो येनेह वृंदे त्यजसि कथमिदं तद्वपुः प्राप्तकामम् । कांतं ते विद्धि शूलिप्रवरशरहतं पुण्यलाभस्य भूषास्वर्गस्य त्वं। भवाद्य द्रुतममरवनं चंडिभद्रे भज त्वम्
'This Gandharva weapon, which brings victory over the three worlds and the highest favor of Śrīpati, was obtained here, O Vṛndā. How can you abandon this body, which has fulfilled its desire? Know that your beloved was struck down by the foremost of trident-bearers; the reward of merit is the ornaments of heaven. Now, O brave and blessed one, quickly go to the abode of the immortals.'
श्रुत्वा शास्त्रं वधूनां जलधिजदयिता वाक्यमाह प्रहस्य । स्वर्गादाहृत्य मुक्तात्रिदशपति वधूश्चातिवीरेण पत्या । आदौ पात्रं सुखानामहममरजिता प्रेयसा तद्वियुक्तानिर्दुष्टा तद्य। तिष्ये प्रियममृतगतं प्राप्नुयां येन चैव
Hearing the scripture and the words of the ocean-born beloved, she laughed and said: 'Brought from heaven, the pearl among the wives of the gods, I was first the vessel of happiness for my unconquered beloved, but now, separated from him, I am blameless. May I attain my beloved, who has gone to immortality, in the next life.'
इत्युक्त्वा ससखी वृंदा विससर्जाप्सरोगणान् । तत्प्रीतिपाशबद्धास्ता नित्यमायांति यांति च
Having spoken thus, Vṛndā, with her friend, dismissed the host of apsarases; bound by her love, they come and go eternally.
योगाभ्यासेन वृंदाथ दग्ध्वा ज्ञानाग्निना गुणान् । विषयेभ्यः समाहृत्य मनः प्राप ततः परम्
Then Vṛndā, through the practice of yoga, burned away the qualities with the fire of knowledge; withdrawing her mind from the senses, she attained the supreme state.
दृष्ट्वा वृंदारिकां तत्र महांतश्चाप्सरोगणाः । तुष्टुवुर्नभसस्तुष्टा ववृषुः पुष्पवृष्टिभिः
Seeing Vṛndā in that state, the great host of apsarases praised her from the sky, delighted, and showered her with a rain of flowers.
शुष्ककाष्ठचयं कृत्वा तत्र वृंदाकलेवरम् । निधायाग्निं च प्रज्वाल्य स्मरदूती विवेश तम्
Gathering dry wood there, they placed Vṛndā's body upon it; lighting the fire, the messenger of love entered into it.
दग्धं वृंदांगरजसां बिंबं तद्गोलकात्मकम् । कृत्वा तद्भस्मनः शेषं मंदाकिन्यां विचिक्षिपुः
They burned the orb made of the dust from Vṛndā's body, and after reducing it to ashes, they cast the remains into the Mandākinī river.
यत्र वृंदा परित्यज्य देहं ब्रह्मपथं गता । आसीद्वृंदावनं तत्र गोवर्द्धनसमीपतः
There, where Vṛndā abandoned her body and attained the path of Brahman, Vṛndāvana arose near Govardhana.
देव्योऽथ स्वर्गमेत्य त्रिदशपतिवधूसत्त्वसंपत्तिमाहुर्देवीभ्यस्तन्निशम्य प्रमुदितमनसो निर्जराद्याश्च सर्वे । शत्रोर्दैत्यस्य हित्वा प्रबलतरभयं भीमभेर्यो निजघ्नुः श्रुत्वा तत्रासनस्थः । परिजननिवहोवापशोभां शुभस्य
Then the goddesses, having reached heaven, spoke of the virtues of the wives of the lords of the gods; hearing this, all the celestials and others, joyful in mind, destroyed the dreadful fear caused by the powerful enemy demon, and those seated there heard the sound of mighty drums, as the retinue of attendants brought forth the splendor of auspiciousness.
श्रीमहादेवउवाच- हरिद्वारं महापुण्यं शृणु देवर्षिसत्तम । यत्र गंगा वहत्येव तत्रोक्तं तीर्थमुत्तमम्
Śrī Mahādeva said: Hear, O foremost sage among the gods, of Haridvāra, the place of great merit, where the Ganges flows; there is declared the supreme holy site.
यत्र देवा वसंतीह ऋषयो मनवस्तथा । यत्र देवः स्वयं साक्षात्केशवो नित्यमाश्रितः
There, the gods dwell, as do sages and Manus; and there, the god Keśava himself is eternally present.
पुरा पूर्वं तु भो वत्स तीर्थं जातं महत्तदा । यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण दूरतो याति पातकम्
Long ago, O child, that great holy site came into being; merely seeing it from afar removes sin.
यत्र गंगा महारम्या जाता पुण्य विशेषतः । विष्णुपादोदकी जाता तच्चरणस्पर्शनात्ततः
There, the Ganges, exceedingly beautiful, arose, especially sacred; the water from Viṣṇu's feet was born there, from the touch of his feet.
भगीरथेन भो विद्वन्नानीता तत्र मार्गतः । उद्धारः पूर्वजानां तु कृतस्तेन महात्मना
O learned one, Bhagiratha brought it there by his efforts; by that great soul, the ancestors were uplifted.