अपां संस्पर्शनात्पानात्स्नानात्तत्र महाधियः । मुनयः सिद्धिमायांति बाह्याभ्यंतरक्षालिताः
By touching, drinking, or bathing in water, the great sages attain perfection, being cleansed both outwardly and inwardly.
शुचिष्मंतो भवंत्येते लोकाः सर्वे चराचराः । आपः शांताः सुशीताश्च मृदुगात्राः प्रियंकराः
All these worlds, moving and unmoving, become pure; the waters are calm, cool, gentle to the touch, and pleasing.
निर्मला रसवत्यश्च पुण्यवीर्या मलापहाः । तथा संतस्त्वया ज्ञेया निषेव्याश्च प्रयत्नतः
They are pure, full of flavor, endowed with virtuous power, and remove impurities; in the same way, the virtuous should be known by you and diligently served.
यथा वह्निप्रसंगाच्च मलं त्यजति कांचनम् । तथा सतां हि संसर्गात्पापं त्यजति मानवः
Just as gold, by contact with fire, casts off its impurity, so too does a person, by association with the virtuous, abandon sin.
सत्यवह्निः प्रदीप्तश्च प्रज्वलेत्पुण्यतेजसा । सत्येन दीप्ततेजास्तु ज्ञानेनापि सुनिर्मलः
The fire of truth, blazing, burns with the radiance of virtue; by truth its brilliance shines, and by knowledge it is made pure.
अत्युष्णो ध्यानभावेन अस्पृश्यः पापजैर्नरैः । सत्यवह्नेः प्रसंगाच्च पापं सर्वं विनश्यति
By the heat of meditation, it is untouchable by those tainted with sin; and by association with the fire of truth, all sin is destroyed.
तस्मात्सत्यस्य संसर्गः कर्तव्यः सर्वथा त्वया । पापभारं परित्यज्य पुण्यमेवं समाश्रय
Therefore, you must always seek the company of truth; casting off the burden of sin, take refuge only in virtue.
सूत उवाच- एवं पित्रा सुनीथा सा दुःखिता प्रतिबोधिता । नमस्कृत्य पितुः पादौ गता सा निर्जनं वनम्
Sūta said: Thus, having been instructed by her father while she was sorrowful, Sunīthā, after bowing at her father's feet, went to a solitary forest.
कामं क्रोधं परित्यज्य बाल्यभावं तपस्विनी । मोहद्रोहौ च मायां च त्यक्त्वा एकांतमास्थिता
Having abandoned desire, anger, childishness, delusion, hatred, and illusion, the ascetic woman withdrew into solitude.
तस्याः सख्यः समाजग्मुः क्रीडार्थं लीलयान्विताः । तां ददृशुर्विशालाक्ष्यः सुनीथां दुःखभागिनीम्
Her friends, adorned with playfulness, gathered together for amusement; those broad-eyed ones saw Sunitha, afflicted by sorrow.
ध्यायंतीं चिंतयानां तामूचुश्चिंतापरायणाः । कस्माच्चिंतसि भद्रे त्वमनया चिंतयान्विता
Seeing her absorbed in meditation and deep thought, those devoted to reflection spoke: 'Why, O blessed one, are you so immersed in thought?'
तन्नो वै कारणं ब्रूहि चिंतादुःखप्रदायिनी । एकैव सार्थकी चिंता धर्मस्यार्थे विचिंत्यते
'Tell us the reason for this, for such anxious thought brings sorrow. Only one kind of thought is meaningful: that which is directed toward righteousness.'
द्वितीया सार्थका चिंता योगिनां धर्मनंदिनी । अन्या निरर्थिका चिंता तां नैव परिकल्पयेत्
'A second meaningful thought is that which delights the righteous among yogis. Any other thought is fruitless and should not be entertained.'
कायनाशकरी चिंता बल तेजः प्रणाशिनी । नाशयेत्सर्वसौख्यं तु रूपहानिं निदर्शयेत्
'Thought destroys the body, saps strength and brilliance; it ruins all happiness and brings about loss of beauty.'
तृष्णां मोहं तथा लोभमेतांश्चिंता हि प्रापयेत् । पापमुत्पादयेच्चिंता चिंतिता च दिने दिने
'Thought leads to craving, delusion, and greed; when indulged in daily, it gives rise to sin.'
चिंताव्याधिप्रकाशाय नरकाय प्रकल्पयेत् । तस्माच्चिंतां परित्यज्य चानुवर्तस्व शोभने
'Thought brings about disease and leads to hell. Therefore, O beautiful one, abandon anxious thought and follow the right path.'
अर्जितं कर्मणा पूर्वं स्वयमेव नरेण तु । तदेव भुंक्तेऽसौ जंतुर्ज्ञानवान्न विचिंतयेत्
'Whatever a person has previously acquired by action, that alone he experiences; the wise do not worry.'
तस्माच्चिंतां परित्यज्य सुखदुःखादिकं वद । तासां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा सुनीथा वाक्यमब्रवीत्
'Therefore, abandon anxious thought and tell us about your happiness or sorrow.' Hearing their words, Sunitha spoke.
सूत उवाच- यथा शप्ता वने पूर्वं सुशंखेन महात्मना । तासु सर्वं समाख्यातं सखीष्वेव विचेष्टितम्
Sūta said: As she had previously been cursed in the forest by the great-souled Suśankha, Sunitha recounted everything to her friends, describing all that had happened.
आत्मनश्च महाभागा दुःखेनातिप्रपीडिता । सुनीथोवाच- अन्यच्चैव प्रवक्ष्यामि सख्यः शृण्वंतु सांप्रतम्
And, greatly afflicted by sorrow herself, the blessed Sunitha said: 'I will tell you something else as well, friends, listen now.'
मदीयरूपसंपत्ति वयः सगुणसंपदः । विलोक्य तातश्चिंतात्मा संजातो मम कारणात्
'Seeing my beauty, youth, and abundance of virtues, my father became anxious because of me.'
देवेभ्यो दातुकामोऽसौ मुनिभ्यस्तु महायशाः । मां च हस्ते विगृह्यैव सर्वान्वाक्यमुदाहरत्
'Wishing to give me to the gods or to the great sages, he took me by the hand and spoke these words to all.'
गुणयुक्ता सुता बाला ममेयं चारुलोचना । दातुकामोस्मि भद्रं वो गुणिने सुमहात्मने
'This girl, my daughter, endowed with virtues and lovely eyes, I wish to give to a worthy and noble soul—may it be well for you all.'
मृत्योर्वाक्यं ततो देवा ऋषयः शुश्रुवुस्तदा । तमूचुर्भाषमाणं ते देवा इंद्र पुरोगमाः
Then the gods and sages heard the words of Mṛtyu; the gods, led by Indra, spoke to him.
तव कन्या गुणाढ्येयं शीलानां परमो निधिः । दोषेणैकेन संदुष्टा ऋषिशापेन तेन वै
'Your daughter, rich in virtues, is the supreme treasure of good conduct, but she has been tainted by a single fault due to the curse of a sage.'
अस्यामुत्पत्स्यते पुत्रो यस्य वीर्यात्पुमान्किल । भविता स महापापी पुण्यवंशविनाशकः
'From her will be born a son, and by his power he will be a man; he will become a great sinner and the destroyer of a noble lineage.'
गंगातोयेन संपूर्णः कुंभ एव प्रदृश्यते । सुरायाबिन्दुनालिप्तो मद्यकुम्भः प्रजायते
A pot filled with water from the Ganges is seen as such; a pot of liquor, touched by a drop of alcohol, becomes liquor.
पापस्य पापसंसर्गात्कुलं पापि प्रजायते । आरनालस्य वै बिंदुः क्षीरमध्ये प्रयाति चेत्
From association with sin, a sinful person is born into a family; if a drop of buttermilk enters milk,
पश्चान्नाशयते क्षीरमात्मरूपं प्रकाशयेत् । तद्वद्विनाशयेद्वंशं पापः पुत्रो न संशयः
Afterwards, it destroys the milk and reveals its own nature; in the same way, a sinful son will destroy the lineage—there is no doubt.
अनेनापि हि दोषेण तवेयं पापभागिनी । अन्यस्मै दीयतां गच्छ देवैरुक्तः पिता मम
Because of this fault, she is a bearer of sin for you; let her be given to another, go—my father was told this by the gods.