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.
मत्तैर्मधुकरैश्चपि सर्वत्र परिनादितम् । एवं सर्वगुणोपेतं ददर्श सर उत्तमम्
Everywhere it resounded with the humming of intoxicated bees; thus, he saw that excellent lake endowed with all virtues.
पंचयोजनविस्तीर्णं दशयोजनदीर्घकम् । तडागं सर्वतोभद्रं दिव्यभावैरलंकृतम्
Spanning five yojanas in width and ten yojanas in length, the lake was auspicious on all sides and adorned with divine qualities.
रथवेगेन संखिन्नः किंचिच्छ्रमनिपीडितः । निषसाद तटे तस्य चूतच्छायां सुशीतलाम्
Weakened by the speed of his chariot and somewhat exhausted, he sat down on the riverbank beneath the cool shade of a mango tree.
स्नात्वा पीत्वा जलं शीतं पद्मसौगंध्यवासितम् । सर्वश्रमोपशमनममृतोपममेव तत्
After bathing and drinking the cool, lotus-fragrant water, he found all his fatigue soothed, as if by nectar itself.
वृक्षच्छाये ततस्तस्मिन्नुपविष्टेन भूभृता । गीतध्वनिः समाकर्णि गीयमानो यथा तथा
Then, as the king sat beneath the shade of that tree, he heard the sound of singing, just as it was being performed.
यथा स्त्री गायते दिव्या तथायं श्रूयते ध्वनिः । गीतप्रियो महाराज एव चिंतां परां गतः
The sound was heard just as if a celestial woman were singing; the king, who loved music, was absorbed in deep thought.
चिंताकुलस्तु धर्मात्मा यावच्चिंतयते क्षणम् । तावन्नारी वरा काचित्पीनश्रोणी पयोधरा
While the righteous king was troubled by thought and pondering for a moment, at that very time a beautiful woman with full hips and breasts appeared.
नृपतेः पश्यतस्तस्य वने तस्मिन्समागता । सर्वाभरणशोभांगी शीललक्षणसंपदा
As the king watched, she arrived in that forest, adorned with every ornament and endowed with the marks of good character.
तस्मिन्वने समायाता नृपतेः पुरतः स्थिता । तामुवाच महाराजः का हि कस्य भविष्यसि
She came into the forest and stood before the king; the king asked her, 'Who are you, and whose will you be?'
किमर्थं हि समायाता तन्मे त्वं कारणं वद । पृष्टा सती तदा तेन न किंचिदपि पिप्पल
'For what purpose have you come? Tell me your reason for being here.' Questioned thus, she said nothing at all, O Pippala.
शुभाशुभं च भूपालं प्रत्यवोचद्वरानना । प्रहस्यैव गता शीघ्रं वीणादंडकराऽबला
With a radiant face, she replied to the king about good and bad, then, smiling, the woman holding a vina departed swiftly.
विस्मयेनापि राजेंद्रो महता व्यापितस्तदा । मया संभाषिता चेयं मां न ब्रूते स्म सोत्तरम्
The king was filled with great wonder, for though I spoke with her, she did not give me any answer.
पुनश्चिंतां समापेदे ययातिः पृथिवीपतिः । यो वै मृगो मया दृष्टश्चतुःशृंगः सुवर्णकः
King Yayati again fell into thought: 'That four-horned, golden animal I saw—'
तस्मान्नारी समुद्भूता तत्सत्यं प्रतिभाति मे । मायारूपमिदं सत्यं दानवानां भविष्यति
'From that, this woman has arisen; this seems true to me. This is a magical form, surely belonging to the Danavas.'
चिंतयित्वा क्षणं राजा ययातिर्नहुषात्मजः । यावच्चिंतयते राजा तावन्नारी महावने
After pondering for a moment, King Yayati, son of Nahusha, while he was still thinking, the woman in the great forest—
अंतर्धानं गता विप्र प्रहस्य नृपनंदनम् । एतस्मिन्नंतरे गीतं सुस्वरं पुनरेव तत्
—vanished from sight, O Brahmin, smiling at the king's son. At that very moment, the melodious song was again heard.
शुश्रुवे परमं दिव्यं मूर्छनातानसंयुतम् । जगाम सत्वरं राजा यत्र गीतध्वनिर्महान्
He heard a supreme, divine music, filled with modulations and tones; the king quickly went to where the great sound of singing was.
जलांते पुष्करं चैव सहस्रदलमुत्तमम् । तस्योपरि वरा नारी शीलरूपगुणान्विता
At the edge of the water was a lotus with a thousand excellent petals, and upon it sat a noble woman, endowed with virtue, beauty, and qualities.
दिव्यलक्षणसंपन्ना दिव्याभरणभूषिता । दिव्यैर्भावैः प्रभात्येका वीणादंडकराविला
She was adorned with divine marks and celestial ornaments, radiant in her unique splendor, holding the staff of a vina.
गायंती सुस्वरं गीतं तालमानलयान्वितम् । तेन गीतप्रभावेण मोहयंती चराचरान्
She was singing a melodious song, accompanied by rhythm and tempo, enchanting all beings, moving and unmoving, by the power of her music.