एवं हि वैष्णवः सर्वो जरामृत्युविवर्जितः । मर्त्यलोकः कृतस्तेन नहुषस्यात्मजेन वै
'Thus, every Vaiṣṇava is free from old age and death; the world of mortals has been made so by the son of Nahuṣa.'
पदभ्रष्टोस्मि संजातो व्यापारेण विवर्जितः । एतत्सर्वं समाख्यातं मम कर्मविनाशनम्
'I have become fallen from my station, deprived of my function; all this has been explained—my destruction of karma.'
एवं ज्ञात्वा सहस्राक्ष लोकस्यास्य हितं कुरु । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यथापृष्टोस्मि वै त्वया
'Knowing this, O thousand-eyed one, act for the welfare of this world. All this has been told to you, just as you have asked.'
एतस्मात्कारणादिंद्र आगतस्तव सन्निधौ । इंद्र उवाच- पूर्वमेव मया दूत आगमाय महात्मनः
'For this reason, O Indra, I have come into your presence.' Indra said: 'Already before, I had sent a messenger to summon the great-souled one.'
प्रेषितो धर्मराजेंद्र दूतेनास्यापि भाषितम् । नाहं स्वर्गसुखस्यार्थी नागमिष्ये दिवं पुनः
'The king of dharma was sent by a messenger, and this too was spoken by him: "I do not desire the pleasures of heaven, nor will I come to heaven again."'
स्वर्गरूपं करिष्यामि सर्वं तद्भूमिमंडलम् । इत्याचचक्षे भूपालः प्रजापाल्यं करोति सः
'I will make the entire realm of earth like heaven.' Thus declared the king, who now rules over his subjects.
तस्य धर्मप्रभावेण भीतस्तिष्ठामि सर्वदा । धर्म उवाच- येनकेनाप्युपायेन तमानय सुभूपतिम्
By the power of his righteousness, I always remain afraid; Dharma said: By any means whatsoever, bring that noble king here.
देवराज महाभाग यदीच्छसि मम प्रियम् । इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्य धर्मस्यापि सुराधिपः
O lord of the gods, illustrious one, if you wish to please me— having heard these words of Dharma, the lord of the gods,
चिंतयामास मेधावी सर्वतत्वेन भूपते । कामदेवं समाहूय गंधर्वांश्च पुरंदरः
The wise Indra, considering everything thoroughly, summoned Kāma and the Gandharvas.
मकरंदं रतिं देव आनिनाय महामनाः । तथा कुरुत वै यूयं यथाऽगच्छति भूपतिः
The great-minded Indra brought Makaranda and Rati, and said: 'You must act in such a way that the king comes.'
यूयं गच्छन्तु भूर्लोकं मयादिष्टा न संशयः । काम उवाच- युवयोस्तु प्रियं पुण्यं करिष्यामि न संशयः
You all must go to the earthly realm as I have instructed, without doubt; Kāma said: 'I will certainly do what is pleasing and virtuous for you both.'
राजानं पश्य मां चैव स्थितं चैव समा युधि । तथेत्युक्त्वा गताः सर्वे यत्र राजा स नाहुषिः
'See the king and me, both present equally in the contest.' Having said so, they all went to where King Nahusha was.
नटरूपेण ते सर्वे कामाद्याः कर्मणा द्विज । आशीर्भिरभिनंद्यैव ते च ऊचुः सुनाटकम्
All of them—Kāma and the others—took the form of actors, O twice-born one, and, after offering blessings, they performed a fine play.
तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा ययातिः पृथिवीपतिः । सभां चकार मेधावी देवरूपां सुपंडितैः
Hearing their words, King Yayāti, lord of the earth, the wise one, made his assembly resemble that of the gods, filled with learned men.
समायातः स्वयं भूपो ज्ञानविज्ञानकोविदः । तेषां तु नाटकं राजा पश्यमानः स नाहुषिः
The king himself, skilled in knowledge and wisdom, arrived; and that Nahusha watched their play.
चरितं वामनस्यापि उत्पत्तिं विप्ररूपिणः । रूपेणाप्रतिमा लोके सुस्वरं गीतमुत्तमम्
They enacted the deeds and birth of Vāmana, the one who took the form of a Brāhmaṇa, with unparalleled beauty and excellent, melodious singing.
गायमाना जरा राजन्नार्यारूपेण वै तदा । तस्या गीतविलासेन हास्येन ललितेन च
At that time, Jarā sang in the form of a noble lady, O king; by her graceful singing, playful gestures, and humor,
मधुरालापतस्तस्य कंदर्पस्य च मायया । मोहितस्तेन भावेन दिव्येन चरितेन च
By her sweet speech and the illusion of Kāma, the king was enchanted by that mood and the divine performance.
बलेश्चैव यथारूपं विंध्यावल्या यथा पुरा । वामनस्य यथारूपं चक्रे मारोथ तादृशम्
Just as in former times with Bales and Vindhyāvalī, so also did Māra create a form like that of Vāmana.
सूत्रधारः स्वयं कामो वसंतः पारिपार्श्वकः । नटीवेषधरा जाता सा रतिर्हृष्टवल्लभा
Kāma himself was the stage-manager, and Vasant was the assistant; Rati, joyful with her beloved, took the guise of an actress.
नेपथ्यांतश्चरी राजन्सा तस्मिन्नृत्यकर्मणि । मकरंदो महाप्राज्ञः क्षोभयामास भूपतिम्
O king, she moved behind the scenes in that dance performance; the wise Makaranda began to stir the king.
यथायथा पश्यति नृत्यमुत्तमं गीतं समाकर्णति स क्षितीशः । तथातथा मोहितवान्स भूपतिं नटीप्रणीतेन महानुभावः
The more the king beheld the excellent dance and listened to the song, the more he was enchanted by the great actress’s performance.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने मातापितृतीर्थे ययातिचरित्रे षट्सप्ततितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the seventy-sixth chapter in the story of Yayāti at the holy site of Mother and Father, in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa, in the tale of Vena.
सुकर्मोवाच- कामस्य गीतलास्येन हास्येन ललितेन च । मोहितो राजराजेंद्रो नटरूपेण पिप्पल
Sukarma said: By Kāma’s singing, dancing, humor, and grace, the king of kings, Pippala, was enchanted by the actor’s form.
कृत्वा मूत्रं पुरीषं च स राजा नहुषात्मजः । अकृत्वा पादयोः शौचमासने उपविष्टवान्
Having relieved himself of urine and excrement, that king, the son of Nahusha, sat down on his seat without cleansing his feet.
तदंतरं तु संप्राप्य संचचार जरा नृपम् । कामेनापि नृपश्रेष्ठ इंद्रकार्यं कृतं हितम्
In that interval, old age entered the king; yet, even with desire, O best of kings, the task of Indra was accomplished for his benefit.
निवृत्ते नाटके तस्मिन्गतेषु तेषु भूपतिः । जराभिभूतो धर्मात्मा कामसंसक्तमानसः
When that play was over and those people had departed, the righteous king, overcome by old age, had his mind attached to desire.
मोहितः काममोहेन विह्वलो विकलेंद्रियः । अतीव मुग्धो धर्मात्मा विषयैश्चापवाहितः
Bewildered by the delusion of desire, agitated, with his senses impaired, the righteous king was exceedingly infatuated and carried away by sensual pleasures.
एकदा तु गतो राजा मृगया व्यसनातुरः । वने च क्रीडते सोपि मोहरागवशं गतः
Once, the king, afflicted by the passion for hunting, went into the forest and played there, overcome by the power of delusion and attachment.
सरसं क्रीडमानस्य नृपतेश्च महात्मनः । मृगश्चैकः समायातश्चतुःशृंगो ह्यनौपमः
As the great-souled king was playing by the lake, a unique four-horned deer approached.