सर्वमेतत्करिष्यामि भवतः सुखमुत्तमम् । एवमाभाष्य धर्मात्मा विष्णुशर्मा महामतिः
'I will do all this, for your highest happiness.' Thus spoke Viṣṇuśarman, righteous and wise.
पितरं तं नमस्कृत्य पुनः कृत्वा प्रदक्षिणम् । बलेन महता सोपि तपसा नियमेन च
Having bowed to his father and circumambulated him, he set out with great strength, with austerity and discipline.
अंतरिक्षगतश्चासीद्गच्छमानस्य धीमतः । स महावायुवेगेन ऐंद्रं संप्रतिगच्छति
As the wise one traveled through the sky, he moved toward Indra's realm with the force of a great wind.
सूत उवाच- प्रस्थितस्तेन मार्गेण प्रविष्टो गगनांतरे । स दृष्टो देवदेवेन सहस्राक्षेण धीमता
Sūta said: Setting out on that path, entering the space between the heavens, he was seen by the wise lord of gods, the thousand-eyed one.
उद्यमं तस्य वै ज्ञात्वा चक्रे विघ्नं सुराधिराट् । मेनिकांतामुवाचेदं गच्छ त्वं मम शासनात्
Knowing his intention, the king of the gods created an obstacle. He addressed Menikā: 'Go at my command.'
समाचरस्वास्य शीघ्रं गत्वा विघ्नं सुमध्यमे । अस्यैव विप्रवर्यस्य पुत्रस्य शिवशर्मणः
'Go quickly, lovely-waisted one, and create an obstacle for this excellent brāhmaṇa, the son of Śivaśarman.'
तथा कुरुष्व भद्रं ते यथा नायाति मे गृहम् । एवमाकर्ण्य तद्वाक्यं मेनिका प्रस्थिता त्वरात्
'Do so, good lady, so that he does not come to my abode.' Hearing these words, Menikā set out swiftly.
सूत उवाच- रूपौदार्यगुणोपेता सर्वालंकारभूषिता । नंदनस्य वनस्यांते दोलायां समुपस्थिता
Sūta said: Endowed with beauty, nobility, and adorned with all ornaments, she arrived at the edge of Nandana's forest, on a swing.
सुस्वरेण प्रगायंती गीतं वीणास्वरोपमम् । तेन दृष्टा विशालाक्षी चतुरा चारुलोचना
Singing sweetly, her song rivaling the tones of the vīṇā, she was seen by him—broad-eyed, clever, and lovely-eyed.
व्यवसायं ततो ज्ञात्वा तस्या विघ्नमनुत्तमम् । इंद्रेण प्रेषिता चैषा न च भद्रकरा भवेत्
Realizing her purpose was to create a great obstacle, and that she had been sent by Indra, he knew she would not bring good.
एवं ज्ञात्वा जगामाथ सत्वरेण द्विजोत्तमः । तया दृष्टस्तथा पृष्टः क्व यास्यसि महामते
Knowing this, the best of brāhmaṇas went quickly. When she saw him, she asked: 'Where are you going, wise one?''
विष्णुशर्मा तदोवाच मेनिकां कामचारिणीम् । इंद्रलोकं प्रयास्यामि पितुरर्थे त्वरान्वितः
Viṣṇuśarman then spoke to Menikā, the free-roaming one: 'I am going to Indra's world, in haste, for my father's sake.'
मेनिका विष्णुशर्माणं प्रत्युवाच प्रियं पुनः । कामबाणैः प्रभिन्नाहं त्वामद्य शरणं गता
Menaka spoke again to Vishnu Sharma with affection: I am pierced by the arrows of desire and today I have come to you for refuge.
रक्षस्व द्विजशार्दूल यदि धर्ममिहेच्छसि । यावद्धि त्वं मया दृष्टः कामाकुलितचेतसा
Protect me, O foremost among twice-born, if you desire righteousness here; for ever since I saw you, my mind has been overwhelmed by passion.
कामानलेन संदग्धा तावदेव न संशयः । संभ्रांता कामसंतप्ता प्रसादसुमुखो भव
Burned by the fire of desire, there is no doubt about it; I am agitated and scorched by passion—be gracious and gentle-faced.
विष्णुशर्मोवाच- चरित्रं देवदेवस्य विदितं मे वरानने । भवत्याश्चप्रजानामिनाहंचैतादृशःशुभे
Vishnu Sharma said: The conduct of the Lord of gods is known to me, O beautiful-faced one; I am aware of your intentions, and I am such as you see, O auspicious lady.
भवत्यास्तेजसा रूपैरन्ये मुह्यंति शोभने । विश्वामित्रादयो देवि पुत्रोहं शिवशर्मणः
By your radiance and beauty, others are bewildered, O lovely one; O goddess, I am the son of Shiva Sharma, like Vishvamitra and others.
योगसिद्धिं गतस्यापि तपः सिद्धस्य चाबले । कामादयो महादोषा आदावेव विनिर्जिताः
Even after attaining yogic powers and perfection in austerity, O girl, great faults like desire and others were conquered right at the beginning.
अन्यं भज विशालाक्षि इंद्रलोकं व्रजाम्यहम् । एवमुक्त्वा जगामाथ त्वरितो द्विजसत्तमः
Seek another, O wide-eyed one; I am going to Indra's world. Having spoken thus, the excellent twice-born departed swiftly.
निष्फला मेनका जाता पृष्टा देवेन वज्रिणा । विभीषां दर्शयामास नानारूपां पुनः पुनः
Menaka became fruitless; questioned by the god with the thunderbolt, she repeatedly displayed various forms of terror.
यथानलेन संदग्धास्तृणानां संचया द्विजाः । भस्मीभूता भवंत्येव तथा तास्ता विभीषिकाः
Just as heaps of grass burned by fire become ashes, O twice-born, so too did those terrors.
विप्रस्य तेजसा तस्य पितृभक्तस्य सत्तमाः । प्रलयं गतास्तु घोरास्ता दारुणा भीषिका द्विजाः
By the radiance of that devoted Brahmin, O excellent ones, those fierce and dreadful terrors met their destruction.
स विघ्नान्दर्शयामास सहस्राक्षः पुनः पुनः । तेजसाऽनाशयद्विप्रः स्वकीयेन महायशाः
The thousand-eyed one repeatedly showed obstacles; but the illustrious Brahmin destroyed them with his own radiance.
एवं विघ्नान्बहूंस्तस्य इंद्रस्यापि महात्मनः । नाशयामास मेधावी तपसस्तेजसापि वा
Thus, the wise one destroyed many obstacles of even the great-souled Indra, by the power of his austerity and radiance.
नष्टेषु तेषु विघ्नेषु दारुणेषु महत्सु च । ज्ञात्वा तस्य कृतान्विघ्नान्दारुणान्भीषणाकृतीन्
When those great and dreadful obstacles were destroyed, knowing that Indra had created such terrifying impediments,
अथ क्रुद्धो महातेजा विष्णुशर्मा द्विजोत्तमः । इंद्रं प्रति महाभागो रागरक्तांतलोचनः
Then, enraged and radiant, Vishnu Sharma, the foremost Brahmin, turned toward Indra, his eyes reddened with passion.
इंद्र लोकादहं चेंद्रं पातयिष्यामि नान्यथा । निजधर्मे रतस्याद्य यो विघ्नं तु समाचरेत्
I will cast Indra down from his world; there is no other way. Whoever creates an obstacle for one devoted to his own duty today,
तस्य दंडं प्रदास्यामि यो वै हन्यात्स हन्यते । एवमन्यं करिष्यामि देवानां पालकं पुनः
I will inflict punishment upon whoever does so; whoever kills, is killed. In this way, I will appoint another protector of the gods.
एवं समुद्यतो विप्र इंद्रनाशाय सत्तमः । तावदेव समायातो देवेंद्रः पाकशासनः
Thus, the excellent Brahmin, intent on destroying Indra, was about to act; at that moment, the lord of gods, wielder of the thunderbolt, arrived.
भो भो विप्र महाप्राज्ञ तपसा नियमेन च । दमेन सत्यशौचाभ्यां त्वत्समो नास्ति चापरः
O Brahmin, O great wise one, by austerity and discipline, by restraint, truth, and purity, there is none equal to you, nor any other.