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.
सर्वांगसुंदरो राजन्हेमरूपतनूरुहः । रत्नज्योतिः सुचित्रांगो दर्शनीयो मनोहरः
O king, it was beautiful in every limb, with golden-colored hair, radiant with jewels, of wondrous form, delightful and captivating to behold.
अभ्यधावत्स वेगेन बाणपाणिर्धनुर्द्धरः । इत्यमन्यत मेधावी कोपि दैत्यः समागतः
With bow in hand and an arrow ready, he rushed swiftly toward it, thinking, 'Surely some cunning demon has come here.'
मृगेण च स तेनापि दूरमाकर्षितो नृपः । गतः सरथवेगेन श्रमेण परिखेदितः
Drawn far away by that deer, the king went at full chariot speed, exhausted by the effort.
वीक्षमाणस्य तस्यापि मृगश्चांतरधीयत । स पश्यति वनं तत्र नंदंनोपममद्भुतम्
As he looked around, the deer vanished from his sight; there, he beheld a wondrous forest, delightful like Nandana.
चारुवृक्षसमाकीर्णं भूतपंचकशोभितम् । गुरुभिश्चंदनैः पुण्यैः कदलीखंडमंडितैः
It was filled with lovely trees, adorned by the five elements, and graced with noble, auspicious sandalwoods and clusters of banana trees.
बकुलाशोकपुंनागैर्नालिकेरैश्च तिंदुकैः । पूगीफलैश्च खर्जूरैः कुमुदैः सप्तपर्णकैः
There were bakula, ashoka, punnaga, coconut, tinduka, areca nut, date palms, white lotuses, and saptaparna trees.
पुष्पितैः कर्णिकारैश्च नानावृक्षैः सदाफलैः । पुष्पितामोदसंयुक्तैः केतकैः पाटलैस्ततः
There were blooming karnikara trees and various ever-fruiting trees, with fragrant blossoms of ketaka and patala everywhere.
वीक्षमाणो महाराज ददर्श सर उत्तमम् । पुण्योदकेन संपूर्णं विस्तीर्णं पंचयोजनम्
Beholding this, the great king saw an excellent lake, filled with holy water, vast and five yojanas wide.
हंसकारंडवाकीर्णं जलपक्षिविनादितम् । कमलैश्चापि मुदितं श्वेतोत्पलविराजितम्
It was filled with swans and cranes, resounding with the cries of water birds, adorned with lotuses and radiant with white water lilies.
रक्तोत्पलैः शोभमानं हाटकोत्पलमंडितम् । नीलोत्पलैः प्रकाशितं कल्हारैरतिशोभितम्
It shone with red lotuses, decorated with golden lotuses, illuminated by blue lotuses, and was further beautified by kalhara flowers.