संभाषां कथमस्यैव करिष्ये पापनिश्चया । रात्रौ चैव तदा तत्र पतिता दुःखसागरे
How could I, intent on sin, ever speak kindly to him? At night, I lay there, plunged in an ocean of suffering.
एवं हि चिंतमानायाः स्फुटितं हृदयं मम । गताः प्राणास्तदा कायं परित्यज्य वरानने
Thus, as I was thinking in this way, my heart broke, O beautiful-faced one, and then my life departed, leaving my body.
तत्र दूताः समायाता धर्मराजस्य वै तदा । वीराश्च दारुणाः क्रूरा गदाचक्रासिधारिणः
Then, messengers of Yama, the Lord of Dharma, arrived—fierce, cruel heroes armed with maces, discs, and swords.
तैस्तु बद्धा महाभागे शृंखलैर्दृढबंधनैः । नीता यमपुरं तैस्तु रुदमाना सुदुःखिता
By them, O noble lady, I was bound with strong chains and led, weeping and greatly distressed, to the city of Yama.
मुद्गरैस्ताड्यमानाहं दुर्गमार्गेण पीडिता । भर्त्स्यमाना यमस्याग्रे तैस्तत्राहं प्रवेशिता
Beaten with clubs, tormented along a difficult path, and scolded before Yama, by them I was brought inside.
दृष्टाहं यमराजेन सक्रोधेन महात्मना । अंगारसंचये क्षिप्ता क्षिप्ता नरकसंचये
I was seen by Yama, the great-souled one, filled with wrath, and thrown into a heap of embers, cast into a mass of hells.
लोहस्य पुरुषं कृत्वा अग्निना परितापितः । ममोरसि समुत्क्षिप्तो निजभर्तुश्च वंचनात्
A man of iron was made, heated by fire, and I was thrown upon his chest because I had deceived my own husband.
नानापीडातिसंतप्ता नरकाग्निप्रतापिता । तैलद्रोण्यां परिक्षिप्ता करम्भवालुकोपरि
Tormented by various severe pains, scorched by the fires of hell, I was cast into a cauldron of oil, upon sand mixed with gruel.
असिपत्रैश्च संच्छिन्ना जलमंत्रेण वाहिता । कूटशाल्मलिवृक्षेषु क्षिप्ता तेन महात्मना
I was cut by swords of leaves, carried away by a stream of water, and thrown by that great-souled one onto trees of sharp śālmalī thorns.
पूयशोणितविष्ठायां पतिता कृमिसंकुले । सर्वेषु नरकेष्वेवं क्षिप्ताहं नृपनंदिनि
I fell into pus, blood, and excrement, swarming with worms; in this way, O delight of kings, I was cast into all the hells.
पीडायुक्तेषु तीव्रेषु तेनैवापि महात्मना । करपत्रैः पाटिताहं शक्तिभिस्ताडिता भृशम्
In those hells filled with intense suffering, by that same great-souled one, I was torn apart by saws and struck repeatedly with spears.
अन्येष्वेव नरकेषु पातिता नृपनंदिनि । योनिगर्तेषु क्षिप्तास्मि पतिता दुःखसंकटे
In other hells as well, O delight of kings, I was thrown into pits of wombs, fallen into the midst of terrible suffering.
धर्मराजेन तेनाहं नरकेषु निपातिता । वल्गुनीयोनिमासाद्य भुक्तं दुःखं सुदारुणम्
By that King of Justice I was cast into hells; having attained a lowly birth, I endured suffering most terrible.
गताहं क्रौष्टुकीं योनिं शुनीयोनिं पुनर्गता । सकुक्कुटीं च मार्जारीमाखुयोनिं गता ह्यहम्
I entered the womb of a crane, then again that of a dog; I became a hen, a cat, and entered the womb of a mouse as well.
एवं योनिविशेषेषु पापयोनिषु तेन च । क्षिप्तास्मि धर्मराजेन पीडिता सर्वयोनिषु
Thus, among these various wombs, in sinful births, I was thrown by the King of Justice and tormented in all forms of existence.
तेनैवाहं कृता भूमौ शूकरी नृपनंदिनि । तवहस्ते महाभागे संति तीर्थान्यनेकशः
By him I was made a sow on earth, O delight of kings; in your hands, O noble lady, are many sacred places.
तेनोदकेन सिक्तास्मि त्वयैव वरवर्णिनि । मम पापं गतं देवि प्रसादात्तव सुंदरि
By that water, O woman of excellent complexion, you sprinkled me; my sin has departed, O beautiful one, by your grace.
तवैव तेजःपुण्येन जातं ज्ञानं वरानने । इदानीं मामुद्धरस्व पतितां नरकसंकटे
By your own power and merit, O lovely-faced one, knowledge has arisen in me; now, lift me up who have fallen into the distress of hell.
यदा नोद्धरसे देवि पुनर्यास्यामि दारुणम् । नरकं च महाभागे त्राहि मां दुःखभागिनीम्
If you do not rescue me, O goddess, I shall again go to dreadful hell; O noble lady, save me, who am afflicted by suffering.
गताहं पापभावेन दीनाहं च निराश्रया । सुदेवोवाच- किं कृतं हि मया भद्रे सुकृतं पुण्यसंभवम्
Through the force of sin I have fallen, I am wretched and without refuge. Sudeva said: What good deed, indeed, have I done, O gentle one, that brings about merit?
येनाहमुद्धरे त्वां वै तन्मे त्वं वद सांप्रतम् । शूकर्युवाच- अयं राजा महाभाग इक्ष्वाकुर्मनुनंदनः
By which I might rescue you—tell me that now. The sow said: This king, O noble one, is the descendant of Ikshvaku.
विष्णुरेष महाप्राज्ञो भवती श्रीर्हि नान्यथा । पतिव्रता महाभागा पतिव्रतपरायणा
He is Vishnu, most wise; you are truly Shri herself, not otherwise. O noble lady, devoted to your husband, intent on fidelity.
त्वं सती सर्वदा भद्रे सर्वतीर्थमयी प्रिया । देवि सर्वमयी नित्यं सर्वदेवमयी सदा
You are ever chaste, O gentle one, beloved, embodying all sacred waters; O goddess, you are always the essence of all, ever the embodiment of all the gods.
महापतिव्रता लोक एका त्वं नृपतेः प्रिया । यया शुश्रूषितो भर्ता भवत्या हि अहर्निशम्
You alone are the great chaste wife in the world, beloved of the king, by whom the husband was served by you day and night.
एकस्य दिवसस्यापि पुण्यं देहि वरानने । पति शुश्रूषितस्यापि यदि मे कुरुषे प्रियम्
Grant me, O lovely-faced one, the merit of even a single day in which you served your husband, if you wish to favor me.
मम माता पिता त्वं वै त्वं मे गुरुः सनातनः । अहं पापा दुराचारा असत्या ज्ञानवर्जिता
You are my mother and father, you are my eternal teacher; I am sinful, of bad conduct, untruthful, and devoid of knowledge.
मामुद्धर महाभागे भीताहं यमताडनैः । सुकलोवाच- एवं श्रुत्वा तया प्रोक्तं समालोक्य नृपं तदा
Rescue me, O noble lady, I am afraid of the torments of Yama. Sukala said: Thus, having heard what she spoke, she looked at the king then.
किं करोमि महाराज एषा किं वदते पशुः । इक्ष्वाकुरुवाच- एनां दुःखां वराकीं वै पापयोनिं गतां शुभे
"What shall I do, O great king? What does this animal say?" Ikshvaku said: "This miserable, wretched one, who has entered a sinful birth, O auspicious one—
समुद्धरस्व पुण्यैस्त्वं महच्छ्रेयो भविष्यति । एवमुक्ता वरा नारी सुदेवा चारुमंगला
Rescue her by your merits; great good will result." Thus addressed, the noble lady Sudeva, auspicious and beautiful,
उवाचैकाब्दपुण्यं ते मया दत्तं वरानने । एवमुक्तेन वाक्येन तया देव्या हि तत्क्षणात्
Said, "I have given you the merit of one year, O lovely-faced one." By that word spoken by the goddess, at that very moment—