एवं श्रुत्वा गता सा च मेनका तत्र प्रेषिता । समाचष्ट तु तत्सर्वं देवराजस्य भाषितम्
Having heard this, Menakā, who was sent, went there and conveyed all that the king of the gods had spoken.
एवमुक्ता गता सा च मेनका तत्प्रचोदिता । गतायां मेनकायां तु रतिपुत्री मनस्विनी
Thus addressed and urged, Menakā departed; after Menakā had gone, the wise daughter of Rati—
राजानं धर्मसंकेतं प्रत्युवाच यशस्विनी । राजंस्त्वयाहमानीता सत्यवाक्येन वै पुरा
—spoke to the king at the place of righteousness: 'O king, I was once brought here by you with truthful words.'
स्वकरश्चांतरे दत्तो भवनं च समाहृता । यद्यद्वदाम्यहं राजंस्तत्तत्कार्यं हि वै त्वया
'You placed your hand in mine and brought me to your house; whatever I say, O king, you must indeed do.'
तदेवं हि त्वया वीर न कृतं भाषितं मम । त्वामेवं तु परित्यक्ष्ये यास्यामि पितृमंदिरम्
'But, O hero, you have not done as I have spoken; thus I will abandon you and return to my father's house.'
राजोवाच- यथोक्तं हि त्वया भद्रे तत्ते कर्त्ता न संशयः । असाध्यं तु परित्यज्य साध्यं देवि वदस्व मे
The king said: 'O blessed one, as you have spoken, so I shall do for you, without doubt; tell me, O goddess, what is possible, setting aside what cannot be done.'
अश्रुबिंदुमत्युवाच- एतदर्थे महीकांत भवानिह मया वृतः । सर्वलक्षणसंपन्नः सर्वधर्मसमन्वितः
Aśrubindumatī said: 'For this purpose, O beloved of the earth, I have chosen you; endowed with all auspicious marks and possessing all virtues.'
सर्वं साध्यमिति ज्ञात्वा सर्वधर्तारमेव च । कर्त्तारं सर्वधर्माणां स्रष्टारं पुण्यकर्मणाम्
'Knowing that everything is possible and that you are the sustainer of all, the doer of all duties, the creator of meritorious deeds—'
त्रैलोक्यसाधकं ज्ञात्वा त्रैलोक्येऽप्रतिमं च वै । विष्णुभक्तमहं जाने वैष्णवानां महावरम्
'Knowing you as the accomplisher of the three worlds, and truly unrivaled in the three worlds, I know you to be devoted to Viṣṇu, the greatest among the Vaiṣṇavas.'
इत्याशया मया भर्त्ता भवानंगीकृतः पुरा । यस्य विष्णुप्रसादोऽस्ति स सर्वत्र परिव्रजेत्
'With this intention, I accepted you as my husband before; whoever has Viṣṇu's favor may go anywhere.'
दुर्लभं नास्ति राजेंद्र त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे । सर्वेष्वेव सुलोकेषु विद्यते तव सुव्रत
'O king of kings, there is nothing unattainable in the three worlds, moving or unmoving; in all the excellent realms, it is found for you, O virtuous one.'
विष्णोश्चैव प्रसादेन गगने गतिरुत्तमा । मर्त्यलोकं समासाद्य त्वयैव वसुधाधिप
'By the grace of Viṣṇu, the highest path in the heavens is attained; having reached the world of mortals, you alone, O lord of the earth—'
जरापलितहीनास्तु मृत्युहीना जनाः कृताः । गृहद्वारेषु सर्वेषु मर्त्यानां च नरर्षभ
'have made people free from old age and gray hair, and free from death, at the doors of all houses of mortals, O best of men.'
कल्पद्रुमा अनेकाश्च त्वयैव परिकल्पिताः । येषां गृहेषु मर्त्यानां मुनयः कामधेनवः
'By you alone, many wish-fulfilling trees have been established; in the houses of mortals, sages and wish-granting cows are found.'
त्वयैव प्रेषिता राजन्स्थिरीभूताः सदा कृताः । सुखिनः सर्वकामैश्च मानवाश्च त्वया कृताः
'By you alone, O king, they have been sent and made firm forever; by you, people have been made happy with all desires fulfilled.'
गृहैकमध्ये साहस्रं कुलीनानां प्रदृश्यते । एवं वंशविवृद्धिश्च मानवानां त्वया कृता
'In the midst of a single house, a thousand noble families are seen; thus, the increase of mankind's lineage has been accomplished by you.'
यमस्यापि विरोधेन इंद्रस्य च नरोत्तम । व्याधिपापविहीनस्तु मर्त्यलोकस्त्वया कृतः
O best of men, even in opposition to Yama and Indra, you have made the world of mortals free from disease and sin.
स्वतेजसाहंकारेण स्वर्गरूपं तु भूतलम् । दर्शितं हि महाराज त्वत्समो नास्ति भूपतिः
By your own brilliance and pride, O great king, you have made the earth resemble heaven; truly, there is no king equal to you.
नरो नैव प्रसूतो हि नोत्पत्स्यति भवादृशः । भवंतमित्यहं जाने सर्वधर्मप्रभाकरम्
No man has ever been born, nor will be born, like you; I know you to be the illuminator of all dharma.
तस्मान्मया कृतो भर्ता वदस्वैवं ममाग्रतः । नर्ममुक्त्वा नृपेंद्र त्वं वद सत्यं ममाग्रतः
Therefore, I have accepted you as my lord—declare this before me; O king of men, speak the truth before me, without jest.
यदि ते सत्यमस्तीह धर्ममस्ति नराधिप । देवलोकेषु मे नास्ति गगने गतिरुत्तमा
If you have truth and dharma here, O king of men, then for me there is no highest path in the heavens or among the gods.
सत्यं त्यक्त्वा यदा च त्वं नैव स्वर्गं गमिष्यसि । तदा कूटं तव वचो भविष्यति न संशयः
If you abandon truth, you will not go to heaven; then your word will be false, without doubt.
पूर्वंकृतं हि यच्छ्रेयो भस्मीभूतं भविष्यति । राजोवाच- सत्यमुक्तं त्वया भद्रे साध्यासाध्यं न चास्ति मे
Whatever good was done before will be reduced to ashes; The king said: You have spoken the truth, O gentle one; for me, nothing is impossible or unattainable.
सर्वंसाध्यं सुलोकं मे सुप्रसादाज्जगत्पते । स्वर्गं देवि यतो नैमि तत्र मे कारणं शृणु
Everything is possible for me in this world by the supreme grace of the Lord of the universe; O goddess, hear the reason why I do not go to heaven.
आगंतुं तु न दास्यंति लोके मर्त्ये च देवताः । ततो मे मानवाः सर्वे प्रजाः सर्वा वरानने
The gods will not allow me to come to the world of mortals; therefore, O beautiful-faced one, all my human subjects will be deprived of me.
मृत्युयुक्ता भविष्यंति मया हीना न संशयः । गंतुं स्वर्गं न वाञ्छामि सत्यमुक्तं वरानने
They will be subject to death, being bereft of me, without doubt; I do not desire to go to heaven—this is the truth, O beautiful-faced one.
देव्युवाच-। लोकान्दृष्ट्वा महाराज आगमिष्यसि वै पुनः । पूरयस्व ममाद्यत्वं जातां श्रद्धां महातुलाम्
The goddess said: O great king, having seen the worlds, you will indeed return again; now fulfill the great faith that has arisen in me.
राजोवाच-। सर्वमेवं करिष्यामि यत्त्वयोक्तं न संशयः । समालोक्य महातेजा ययातिर्नहुषात्मजः
The king said: I will do everything you have said, without doubt; the mighty Yayati, son of Nahusha, having seen all, replied.
एवमुक्त्वा प्रियां राजा चिंतयामास वै तदा । अंतर्जलचरो मत्स्यः सोपि जाले न बध्यते
Having thus spoken to his beloved, the king then reflected; even a fish that lives in water is not caught in a net.
मरुत्समानवेगोपि मृगः प्राप्नोति बंधनम् । योजनानां सहस्रस्थमामिषं वीक्षते खगः
Even a deer, swift as the wind, is captured; a bird sees flesh a thousand yojanas away.