कस्मात्त्वं मां न जानासि कथं शंका प्रवर्तते । क्षुधया पीड्यमानेन पयश्चान्नं प्रतीक्ष्यते
'Why do you not recognize me? Why has doubt arisen? Afflicted by hunger, I am waiting for food and drink.'
व्याध्युवाच- बर्बरः कृष्णवर्णश्च रक्ताक्षः कृष्णकंचुकः । ईदृशश्चास्ति मे भर्ता सर्वसत्वभयंकरः
The huntress said: 'My husband is rough, dark-skinned, red-eyed, clad in black garments—such is he, terrifying to all beings.'
भवान्को दिव्यदेहस्तु प्रियेत्युक्त्वा समाह्वयेत् । एष मे संशयो जातो वद सत्यं ममाग्रतः
'But you possess a divine body and call me 'dear.' Because of this, I am uncertain. Tell me the truth before me.'
कुलं नाम स्वकं ग्रामं क्रीडां लिगं सुतं सुताम् । समाचष्ट प्रियाग्रे तु तस्याः प्रत्यय हेतवे
'State your lineage, your village, your play, your mark, your son, your daughter—declare these before your beloved to give her assurance.'
प्रत्युवाच स्वभर्तारं सा व्याधी हृष्टमानसा । कस्मात्ते ईदृशः कायः श्वेतकंचुकधारकः
Then the huntress, her mind gladdened, spoke to her husband: 'Why is your body like this, clothed in a white garment?'
कथं जातः समाचक्ष्व ममाश्चर्यं प्रवर्तते । एवं संपृच्छमानस्तु भार्यया मृगघातकः
'How did this come to be? Tell me, for I am filled with wonder.' Thus questioned by his wife, the slayer of deer—
सूत उवाच- प्रत्युवाच ततः श्रुत्वा तां प्रियां प्रश्रयान्विताम् । नर्मदा उत्तरे कूले संगमश्चास्ति सुव्रते
The charioteer said: Hearing his beloved's humble inquiry, he replied: 'On the northern bank of the Narmada, O virtuous one, there is a confluence.'
आतपेनाकुलो जीवो मम जातोति सुप्रिये । अस्मिन्वै संगमे कांते श्रमश्रांतो हि सत्वरः
'Distressed by the sun, my life was nearly ended, O beloved. At that confluence, weary and exhausted, I arrived quickly.'
गतः स्नात्वा जलं पीत्वा पश्चाच्चाहं समागतः । तदाप्रभृति मे काय ईदृशस्तेजसावृतः
'Having bathed and drunk water, I then returned. From that moment, my body became like this, enveloped in radiance.'
संजातो वस्त्रसंयुक्तः कंचुकः शुभ्रतां गतः । पूर्वोक्तलिंगसंस्थानैः कुलैः स्थानेन वै तथा
'A garment appeared, and my tunic became white, yet my previous marks, lineage, and place remained as before.'
स्वप्रियं लक्षयित्वा तु ज्ञात्वा पुण्यस्य संभवम् । प्रत्युवाचाथ भर्तारं संगमं मम दर्शय
Recognizing her beloved and understanding the arising of merit, she then said to her husband, 'Show me the confluence.'
तव पश्चात्प्रदास्यामि भोजनं पानसंयुतम् । इत्युक्तः प्रियया व्याधः सत्वरेण जगाम ह
'Afterwards, I will give you food and drink.' Thus addressed by his beloved, the hunter went at once.
संगमो दर्शितस्तेन ततोग्रे पापनाशनः । समुड्डीना महाभाग पक्षिणो लघुविक्रमाः
That meeting was shown by him, and thereafter, it was fiercely destructive of sin; the birds, noble and swift of movement, rose up together.
तया सार्द्धं ययुः सर्वे रेवासंगममुत्तमम् । तेषां तु वीक्षमाणानां पक्षिणां मम पश्यतः
Together with her, they all went to the excellent confluence of the Revā; as those birds watched, and as I looked on,
तया हि स्नापितो भर्ता पुनः स्नाता हि सा स्वयम् । दिव्यदेहधरौ चोभौ दिव्यकांतिसमन्वितौ
By her, the husband was bathed, and she herself bathed again; both bore divine bodies, endowed with radiant brilliance.
संजातौ पक्षिणां श्रेष्ठ दिव्यवस्त्रानुलेपनौ । दिव्यमालांबरधरौ दिव्यगंधानुलेपनौ
They became, O best of birds, adorned with divine garments and ointments; wearing divine garlands and ornaments, anointed with divine fragrances.
वैष्णवं यानमासाद्य मुनिगंधर्वपूजितौ । गतौ तौ वैष्णवं लोकं वैष्णवैः परिपूजितौ
Having attained a Vaiṣṇava vehicle, honored by sages and Gandharvas, those two went to the Vaiṣṇava world, revered by the Vaiṣṇavas.
स्तूयमानौ महात्मानौ दंपती दृष्टवानहम् । व्रजंतौ स्वर्गमार्गेण कूजंते पक्षिणस्तथा
I saw the noble couple being praised, proceeding along the path to heaven, while the birds also sang.
तीर्थराजं परं दृष्ट्वा हर्षव्यक्ताक्षरैस्तदा । चत्वारः कृष्णहंसास्ते संगमे पापनाशने
Having seen the supreme Tīrtharāja, then with words expressing joy, those four black swans at the confluence, the destroyer of sin,
स्नात्वा वै भावशुद्धास्ते प्राप्ता उज्ज्वलतां पुनः । स्नात्वा पीत्वा जलं ते तु पुनर्बहिर्विनिर्गताः
Having bathed, purified in mind, they again attained brightness; after bathing and drinking the water, they emerged once more.
तावत्यस्ताः स्त्रियः कृष्णा मृतास्तत्स्नानमात्रतः । क्रंदमाना विचेष्टंत्यो हाहाकार विकंपिताः
So many black women died merely from that bathing; wailing and agitated, they moved about, uttering cries of distress.
यमलोकं गतास्तास्तु तात दृष्टा मया तदा । उड्डीनास्तु ततो हंसाः स्वस्थानं प्रतिजग्मिरे
Those women went to the realm of Yama; I saw them then. The swans, having flown up, returned to their own place.
एवं तात मया दृष्टं प्रत्यक्षं कथितं तव । कृष्णपक्षा महाकाया धार्तराष्ट्रास्तु ताः स्त्रियः
Thus, O father, what I saw directly has been told to you; those black-bodied, great-bodied women were the Dhārtarāṣṭras.
कथयस्व प्रसादेन के भविष्यंति वै पितः । निर्गतान्मानसान्मध्याद्धार्तराष्ट्रान्वदस्व मे
Tell me, by your grace, who will become, O father; speak to me of the Dhārtarāṣṭras who departed from the midst of the Mānasa.
के भविष्यंति ते तात कथय त्वं तु सांप्रतम् । कस्मात्सुकृष्णतां प्राप्ता हंसाः शुद्धाश्च ते पुनः
Who will become, O father, tell me now; why did the swans attain purity and brightness again?
संजातास्तत्क्षणात्तात कस्मान्मृतास्तु ताः स्त्रियः । एवं मे संशयस्तात संजातो दारुणो हृदि
Why did they arise at that moment, O father, and why did those women die? Thus, O father, a harsh doubt has arisen in my heart.
छेत्तुमर्हसि अद्यैव भवाञ्ज्ञानविचक्षणः । प्रसादसुमुखो भूत्वा प्रणतस्य सदैव मे
You should resolve it today, you who are wise in knowledge; being gracious and always kindly disposed toward me, your devoted one.
एवं संभाष्य पितरं विरराम समुज्ज्वलः । ततः प्रवक्तुमारेभे स शुकः कुंजलाभिधः
Having thus spoken to his father, the radiant one ceased; then the parrot named Kuṃjala began to speak.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थवर्णने च्यवनचरित्रे एकोननवतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the eighty-ninth chapter in the story of Cyavana, describing the Guru Tīrtha, in the Vena narrative of the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
सूतउवाच- एवमाकर्ण्य तत्सर्वं समुज्ज्वलस्य भाषितम् । कुंजलः स हि धर्मात्मा प्रत्युवाच सुतं प्रति
Sūta said: Having heard all this, the words of the radiant one, Kuṃjala, who was righteous, replied to his son.