गंधर्वैः स्तूयमानस्तु गतः शक्रोऽमरावतीम् । इत्थं सद्यो विपापोऽभूत्प्रयागे पाकशासनः
Praised by the Gandharvas, Śakra went to Amarāvatī; thus, at Prayāga, the subduer of Pāka was instantly freed from sin.
याहि त्वमपि कल्याणि प्रयागं देवसेवितम् । सद्यः पापविनाशाय तथा स्वर्गतये दृढम्
You too, O blessed one, go to Prayāga, revered by the gods; for the instant destruction of sin and, surely, for attaining heaven.
इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सेतिहासं समंगलम् । तदैव संभ्रमापन्ना नत्वा पादौ द्विजस्य तु
Hearing his words, together with the auspicious story, she, seized by urgency, at once bowed to the feet of the Brāhmaṇa.
त्यक्त्वा बंधुजनं सर्वं दासदासीगृहं तथा । सकलान्विषयान्रक्षो विषग्रासानिव स्फुटम्
Abandoning all her relatives and the house of servants and maids, she left behind all pleasures as one would cast off poison.
वपुश्च क्षणविध्वंसि पश्यंती निर्गता ह्यहम् । नरकार्णवसंपात दारुणांतर वह्निना
Seeing her body perishing in a moment, I departed, tormented by the dreadful inner fire of the ocean of hell.
हृदये कुणपव्याघ्र तदा तत्तप्यमानया । मया गत्वा कृतं स्नानं माघे मासि सितासिते
With a heart afflicted by the beast of a corpse, I went and bathed at the white and black fords in the month of Māgha.
तस्य स्नानस्य माहात्म्यं शृणु वृद्धनिशाचर । त्र्यहात्पापक्षयो जातः सप्तविंशतिभिर्दिनैः
Hear, O aged night-wanderer, the greatness of that bath: in three days, my sins were destroyed; in twenty-seven days—
शेषैर्मे यदभूत्पुण्यं तेन देवत्वमागता । रममाणा तु कैलासे गिरिजायाः प्रिया सखी
The merit that remained to me from that bath brought me divinity; I delighted on Kailāsa as the dear friend of Girijā.
जातिस्मरा तथा जाता प्रयागस्य प्रभावतः । स्मृत्वा प्रयागमाहात्म्यं माघे माघे व्रजाम्यहम्
By the power of Prayāga, I was born with memory of my past life; remembering the greatness of Prayāga, I go there every Māgha.
इति राक्षस यत्पृष्टं त्वया विस्मितचेतसा । तन्मया कथितं सर्वं चरितं प्रीतये तव
Thus, O Rākṣasa, all that you, amazed in mind, asked, I have told you in full, my story, for your delight.
मत्प्रीतये चरित्रं स्वं त्वं ब्रूहि मम राक्षस । कर्मणा केनजातोऽसि विरूपोऽतिभयंकरः
Now, for my delight, tell me your own story, O Rākṣasa: by what deed were you born so deformed and terribly frightening?
श्मश्रुलो दीर्घदंष्ट्रंश्च क्रव्यादो गिरिगह्वरे । राक्षस उवाच। इष्टं ददाति गृह्णाति गुह्यं वदति पृच्छति
With a beard, long fangs, a flesh-eater in the mountain caves— The Rākṣasa said: He gives what is desired, receives, speaks secrets, asks—
प्रीत्या हि सज्जनो भद्रे तच्च सर्वं त्वयि स्थितम् । त्वया संभावितो नूनं मन्येऽहं वामलोचने
Indeed, O gentle one, the virtuous rejoice, and all that is established in you; surely, O woman with beautiful eyes, you are honored by them, I believe.
भाविनी निष्कृतिः सद्यस्त्वयास्य क्रूरकर्मणः । अतो वक्ष्यामि ते भद्रे दुष्कृतं यत्स्वयंकृतम्
O auspicious one, you will promptly bring about the remedy for this cruel deed; therefore, I will tell you, O gentle lady, the wrongdoing I myself have committed.
निवेद्य सज्जने दुःखं ततः सर्वसुखी भवेत् । शृणु सुश्रोण्यहं काश्यां बह्वृचो वेदपारगः
By revealing one's sorrow to the virtuous, one then becomes entirely happy; listen, O woman with lovely hips, I am a master of the Rig Veda, learned in Vedic lore, from Kashi.
जातः पुरा द्विजः श्रेष्ठः कुले महति निर्मले । राज्ञां दुष्कृतिनां भीरु शूद्राणां च तथा विशाम्
Long ago, I was born as a foremost Brahmin in a great and pure lineage; O timid one, among sinful kings, Shudras, and also the people.
वाराणस्यां कृतो घोरो मया दुष्टप्रतिग्रहः । बहुधा बहुधा वारं निषिद्धः कुत्सितो बहु
In Varanasi, I accepted wicked gifts, a terrible act; though forbidden many times, I repeatedly took them, much reviled.
चांडालस्यापि न त्यक्तो मया दुष्टप्रतिग्रहः । अन्यच्च पातकं तत्र ममाभून्मूढचेतसः । तन्नास्ति दुष्कृतं कर्म मया यत्र न यत्कृतम्
I did not even refuse wicked gifts from a Chandala; and there, with a deluded mind, I committed other sins; there is no evil deed which I did not do.
अन्यच्च श्रूयतां दोषः क्षेत्रस्य वरवर्णिनि । अविमुक्तेऽणुमात्रं यत्तदघं मेरुतां व्रजेत् । न धर्मस्तु मया कश्चित्संचितस्तत्र जन्मनि
Hear also, O fair-complexioned one, another fault concerning the sacred field: in Avimukta, even the smallest sin becomes as weighty as Mount Meru; in that birth, I accumulated no merit at all.
ततो बहुतिथे काले मृतस्तत्रैव शोभने । अविमुक्तप्रभावेण न चाहं नरकं गतः
Then, after a long time, I died there itself, O lovely one; by the power of Avimukta, I did not go to hell.
अविमुक्ते मृतः कश्चिन्नरकं नेति किल्बिषी । अविमुक्ते कृतं किंचित्पापं वज्री भवेद्दृढम्
It is said that one who dies in Avimukta, however sinful, does not go to hell; but any sin committed there becomes firm, like a thunderbolt.
वज्रलेपेन पापेन तेन मे जन्म राक्षसम् । रौद्रं क्रूरतरं पापं संभूतं हिमपर्वते
Because of that sin, fixed like a thunderbolt, my birth became demonic; a fierce, exceedingly cruel, sinful existence arose for me in the snowy mountains.
द्विर्जातो गृध्रयोनौ प्राक्त्रिर्व्याघ्रो द्विः सरीसृपः । एकवारमुलूकस्तु विड्वराहस्ततः परम्
Twice I was born in the lineage of vultures, previously thrice as a tiger, twice as a serpent; once as an owl, then as a wild boar thereafter.
इदं तु दशमं जन्म राक्षसं मम भामिनी । अतीतानि सहस्राणि वर्षाणि मम जन्मनः
This, O radiant lady, is my tenth birth as a rakshasa; thousands of years have passed in my births.
नास्ति मे निष्कृतिर्भद्रे एतस्माद्दुःखसागरात् । अत्र त्रियोजनं सुभ्रूर्निर्जंतु हि मया कृतम्
O gentle one, there is no remedy for me from this ocean of sorrow; here, O beautiful-browed one, I have made three yojanas devoid of living beings.
अनागसां च भूतानां बहूनां च कृतः क्षयः । कर्मणा तेन मे सुभ्रूर्दह्यते सततं मनः
I have destroyed many innocent creatures; because of that deed, O beautiful-browed one, my mind is constantly tormented.
त्वद्दर्शनसुधासिक्तं गतं शैत्यं मनो मम । तीर्थं फलति कालेन सद्यः साधुसमागमः
My mind, sprinkled with the nectar of seeing you, has found coolness; a holy place bears fruit in time, but the company of the virtuous does so immediately.
अतः सत्संगतिं सुभ्रूः प्रशंसंति मनीषिणः । एतत्ते कथितं सर्वं स्वदुःखं हृद्गतं मया
Therefore, O beautiful-browed one, the wise praise association with the virtuous; all this, my heart's sorrow, I have told you.
विरलः सज्जनः सुभ्रूः स्वात्मा यस्य न खिद्यते । जानास्यत्रोचितं त्वं हि किंचिन्नो वच्म्यतः परम्
Rare is the virtuous person, O beautiful-browed one, whose own self is not afflicted; you know what is proper here, so I will say nothing further.
अस्य दुःखोदधेः पारं कथं यामीति चिंतयन् । सज्जनानां समा भूतिः सर्वेषामुपजीवनम्
Thinking, 'How can I cross this ocean of sorrow?'—the company of the virtuous is the support and sustenance for all.