हरिरूपं समास्थाय पलायनपराभवत् । हरेरूपं समास्थाय अभिदुद्राव पार्थिवः
—she assumed the form of a deer and fled in panic; and the king, taking on the form of a lion, pursued her.
सोतिक्रुद्धो महाप्राज्ञो रोषारुणसुलोचनः । सुबाणैर्निशितैस्तीक्ष्णैराजघान स मेदिनीम्
Greatly enraged, the wise king, his eyes red with anger, struck the earth with sharp, keen arrows.
आकुलव्याकुला जाता बाणाघातहता तदा । माहिषं रूपमास्थाय पलायनपराभवत्
Struck by the arrows, she became agitated and distressed; then, taking the form of a buffalo, she tried to escape.
अभ्यधावत वेगेन बाणपाणिर्धनुर्धरः । सा गौर्भूत्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठा स्वर्गमेव गता ध्रुवम्
The archer, bow in hand, pursued her swiftly; she became a cow, O best of twice-born, and certainly went to heaven.
ब्रह्मणः शरणं प्राप्ता विष्णोश्चैव महात्मनः । रुद्रादीनां च देवानां त्राणस्थानं न विंदति
She sought refuge with Brahmā and the great soul Viṣṇu; but among the gods, including Rudra, she found no place of protection.
अलभंती भृशं त्राणं वैन्यमेवान्वविंदत । तस्य पार्श्वं पुनः प्राप्ता बाणघातसमाकुला
Unable to find true refuge, she turned again to Vainya; wounded by arrows, she returned to his side.
बद्धांजलिपुटाभूत्वा तं पृथुं वाक्यमब्रवीत् । त्राहित्राहीति राजेंद्र सा राजानमभाषत
With hands joined in supplication, she spoke these words to Pṛthu: 'Protect me, protect me!'—thus she addressed the king.
अहं धात्री महाभाग सर्वाधारा वसुंधरा । निहतायां मयि नृप निहतं लोकसप्तकम्
'I am the earth, O greatly fortunate one, the support of all; if I am destroyed, O king, the seven worlds are destroyed.'
कृतांजलिपुटा भूत्वा पूज्या लोकैस्त्रिभिः सदा । उवाच चैनं राजानमवध्या स्त्री सदा नृप
With hands joined in reverence, always to be honored by the three worlds, she said to the king, 'A woman is always not to be slain, O king.'
स्त्रीणां वधे महत्पापं दृष्टमस्ति द्विजोत्तमैः । गवां वधे महत्पापं दृष्टमस्ति द्विजोत्तमैः
The best of twice-born have declared that to kill a woman is a great sin; the best of twice-born have declared that to kill a cow is a great sin.
मया विना महाराज कथं धारयसे प्रजाः । अहं यदास्थिरा राजंस्तदा लोकाश्चराचराः
Without me, O great king, how will you sustain the people? When I am unstable, O king, then the worlds, both moving and unmoving, are unstable.
स्थिरत्वं यांति ते सर्वे स्थिरीभूता यदा ह्यहम् । मां विना तु इमे लोका विनश्येयुश्चराचराः
When I become stable, all these become stable; but without me, these worlds, both moving and unmoving, would perish.
ततः प्रजा विनश्येयुर्मम नाशे समागते । कथं धारयिता चासि प्रजा राजन्मया विना
Then, when I am destroyed, the people will perish; how will you sustain the subjects, O King, without me?
मयि लोकाः स्थिरा राजन्मयेदं धार्यते जगत् । मद्विनाशे विनश्येयुः प्रजाः सर्वा न संशयः
O King, the worlds are stable because of me; by me this universe is upheld. If I am destroyed, all beings will perish—of this there is no doubt.
न मामर्हसि वै हंतुं श्रेयश्चेत्त्वं चिकीर्षसि । प्रजानां पृथिवीपाल शृणु देव वचो मम
You ought not to kill me, if you desire the welfare of the people, O protector of the earth; listen, O King, to my words.
उपायैश्च महाभाग सुसिद्धिं यांत्युपक्रमाः । समालोक्य ह्युपायं त्वं प्रजा येन धरिष्यति
By various means, O greatly fortunate one, undertakings attain success; consider carefully by what means the people may be sustained.
मां हत्वा त्वं महाराज धारणे पालने सदा । पोषणे च महाप्राज्ञ मद्विना हि कथं नृप
Having killed me, O great King, how will you always support, protect, and nourish the people, O wise ruler, without me?
धरिष्यसि प्रजां चेमां कोपं यच्छ त्वमात्मनः । अन्नमयी भविष्यामि धरिष्यामि प्रजामिमाम्
Restrain your anger, O King; I will become composed of food and will sustain these people.
अहं नारी अवध्या च प्रायश्चित्ती भविष्यसि । अवध्यां तु स्त्रियं प्राहुस्तिर्यग्योनिगतामपि
I am a woman and not to be slain; you will incur expiation. Even those who enter animal wombs are said to be unfit for killing if they are women.
विचार्यैवं महाराज न धर्मं त्यक्तुमर्हसि । एवं नानाविधैर्वाक्यैरुक्तो धात्र्या नराधिपः
Having considered thus, O great King, you should not abandon righteousness. Thus addressed by the nurse with various words, the lord of men—
कोपमेनं महाराज त्यज दारुणमेव हि । प्रसन्ने त्वयि राजेंद्र तदा स्वस्था भवाम्यहम्
O great King, abandon this terrible anger; when you are calm, O lord of kings, then I will be at ease.
एवमुक्तस्तया राजा पृथुर्वैन्यः प्रजापतिः । तामुवाच महाभागां धरित्रीं द्विजसत्तमाः
Thus addressed by her, King Pṛthu, son of Vena and lord of the people, spoke to the greatly fortunate Earth, O best of twice-born.
पृथुरुवाच- हते चैव महापापे एकस्मिन्पापचारिणि । लोकाः सुखेन जीवंति साधवः पुण्यदर्शिनः
Pṛthu said: When a great sinner, a single evildoer, is slain, the worlds and the virtuous who see righteousness live in happiness.
तस्मादेकं प्रहर्तव्यं पापिष्ठं पापचेतनम् । तस्मात्त्वां हि हनिष्यामि सर्वसत्त्वप्रणाशिनीम्
Therefore, the most wicked, evil-minded one should be struck down; thus, I will kill you, who bring destruction to all beings.
त्वया बीजानि सर्वाणि लुप्तान्येतानि सांप्रतम् । ग्रासं कृत्वा स्थिरीभूत्वा प्रजां हत्वा क्व यास्यसि
By you, all seeds have now been destroyed; having consumed them and become steady, after killing the people, where will you go?
हते पापे दुराचारे सुखं जीवंतिसाधवः । तस्मात्पापं प्रहंतव्यं सत्यमेवं न संशयः
When the wicked and immoral are slain, the virtuous live happily; therefore, the wicked must be destroyed—this is the truth, without doubt.
पालितव्यं प्रयत्नेन यस्माद्धर्मः प्रवर्द्धते । भवत्या तु महत्पापं प्रजासंक्षयकारकम्
One must protect with effort, for from that righteousness grows; but through you, a great sin has arisen, causing the destruction of the people.
एकस्यार्थेन यो हन्यादात्मनो वा परस्य वा । लोकोपतापकं हत्वा न भवेत्तस्य पातकम्
If, for the sake of one, whether oneself or another, one kills a source of suffering for the world, there is no sin in that slaying.
सुखमेष्यंति बहवो यस्मिंस्तु निहते शुभे । वसुधे निहते दुष्टे पातकं नोपपातकम्
Many will attain happiness when the wicked one is slain; when the evil Earth is killed, there is no sin, nor any secondary fault.
प्रजानिमित्तं त्वामेव हनिष्यामि न संशयः । यदि मे पुण्यसंयुक्तं वचनं न करिष्यति
For the sake of the people, I will surely kill you—there is no doubt—if you do not act according to my righteous command.