दिव्यवस्त्रैश्च गंधैश्च चंदनैश्चारुलेपनैः । स्तूयमानो गीयमानः पुरुषस्तत्र चागतः
With divine garments, fragrances, sandalwood, and fine ointments, a man arrived there, praised and sung about.
रतिरूपा वरारोहा पीनश्रोणिपयोधरा । सर्वाभरणशोभांगी तादृशी रूपसंपदा
She was charming, with a lovely figure, full hips and breasts; her body shone with all ornaments, possessing such beauty.
द्वावेतौ तौ मया दृष्टौ विमानेनापि चागतौ । रूपलावण्यमाधुर्यौ सर्वशोभासमाविलौ
Those two I saw, arriving even in a vimana; they possessed beauty, grace, sweetness, and were filled with every splendor.
समुत्तीर्णौ विमानात्तावागतौ सरसोन्तिके । स्नातौ तात महात्मानौ स्त्रीपुंसौ कमलेक्षणौ
Those two emerged from the vimana and came near the lake; O father, the great-souled man and woman, lotus-eyed, bathed there.
प्रगृह्य तौ महाशस्त्रौ दंपती तु परस्परम् । तादृशौ च शवौ तत्र पतितौ सरसस्तटे
The couple, each holding great weapons, embraced one another; and there, such corpses lay fallen on the shore of the lake.
प्रभासे ते तदा तौ तु स्त्रीपुंसौ कमलेक्षणौ । रूपेणापि महाभाग तादृशावेव तौ शवौ
At that time in Prabhasa, those two, man and woman, lotus-eyed, even in their beauty, O blessed one, were just such corpses.
देवरूपोपमस्तात यथा पुंसस्तथा शवः । यथारूपं हि तस्यापि तादृशस्तत्र दृश्यते
Father, the corpse of the man appeared just as divine as his living form; and likewise, the woman's form was seen there.
यथारूपं तु भार्यायास्तथा शवो द्वितीयकः । स्त्रीशवस्य तु यन्मांसं शस्त्रेणोत्कृत्य सा ततः
Just as the wife's form, so was the second corpse; then, from the woman's corpse, she cut out flesh with a weapon.
भक्षते तस्य मांसानि रक्ताप्लुतानि तानि तु । पुरुषो भक्षते तद्वच्छवमांसं समातुरः
She ate pieces of flesh from him, soaked in blood; and the man, distressed, likewise ate flesh from the corpse.
क्षुधया पीड्यमानौ तौ भक्षेते पिशितं तयोः । यावत्तृप्तिं समायातौ तावन्मांसं प्रभक्षितम्
Tormented by hunger, the two ate the flesh of their own corpses; as long as satisfaction was not reached, they continued eating.
सरस्यथ जलं पीत्वा संजातौ सुखितौ पितः । कियत्कालं स्थितौ तत्र विमानेन गतौ पुनः
Then, drinking water from the lake, they became happy, O father; after staying there for some time, they departed again in the vimana.
अन्ये द्वे तु स्त्रियौ तात मया दृष्टे च तत्र वै । रूपसौभाग्यसंपन्ने ते स्त्रियौ चारुलक्षणे
Father, I saw two other women there; they were endowed with beauty and good fortune, and had lovely features.
ताभ्यां प्रभक्षितं मांसं यदा तात महावने । प्रहसेते तदा ते द्वे हास्यैरट्टाट्टकैःपुनः
When those two ate my flesh, O father, in the great forest, they laughed at that moment with loud, mocking laughter.
भक्षते च स्वमांसानि तावेतौ परिनित्यशः । कृत्वा स्नानादिकं मांसं पश्यतो मम तत्र हि
Those two continually devour their own flesh, always, after bathing and other rites, right before my eyes.
अन्ये स्त्रियौ महाभाग रौद्रा कारसमन्विते । दंष्ट्राकरालवदने तत्रैवाति विभीषणे
There were two other women, O blessed one, fierce and accompanied by cruelty, with faces distorted by fangs, exceedingly terrifying.
ऊचतुस्तौ तदा ते तु देहिदेहीति वै पुनः । एवं दृष्टं मया तात वसता वनसंनिधौ
Those two then said, 'Give us your body!' again and again; thus I saw this, father, while dwelling in the forest.
नित्यमुत्कीर्य भक्ष्येते तौ द्वौ तु मांसमेव च । जायेते च सुसंपूर्णौ कायौ च शवयोः पुनः
Always tearing off flesh, those two eat only meat, and their bodies become fully restored again from the corpses.
नित्यमुत्तीर्य तावेवं ते चाप्यन्ये च वै पितः । कुर्वंति सदृशीं चेष्टां पूर्वोक्तां मम पश्यतः
Always, in this way, those two and others, O father, perform the same actions as previously described, while I watch.
एतदाश्चर्य संजातं दृष्टं तात मया तदा । भवता पृच्छितं तात दृष्टमाश्चर्यमेव च
This wonder arose, O father, and I saw it then; you asked me, father, and I have witnessed this marvel.
मया ख्यातं तवाग्रे वै सर्वसंदेहकारणम् । कथयस्व प्रसादाच्च प्रीयमाणेन चेतसा
I have revealed it before you, the cause of all doubt; please tell me, with a gracious and delighted mind.
विमानेनागतो योसौ स्त्रिया सार्द्धं द्विजोत्तम । दिव्यरूपधरो यस्तु स कस्तु कमलेक्षणः
Who is that one who arrived in a celestial vehicle with a woman, O best of twice-born? Who is he, bearing a divine form, O lotus-eyed one?
का च नारी महाभाग महामांसं प्रभक्षति । स कश्चाप्यागतस्तात सा चैवाभ्येत्य भक्षति
Who is that woman, O blessed one, who devours great flesh? And who is that man who arrived, father, and she too comes and eats?
प्रहसेते तदा ते द्वे स्त्रियौ तात वदस्व नः । ऊचतुस्तौ तथा चान्ये देहिदेहीति वा पुनः
Then those two women laughed, O father, tell us; and those two, as well as others, said again and again, 'Give us your body!'
तेद्वेत्वं मे समाचक्ष्व महाभीषणके स्त्रियौ । एतन्मे संशयं तात छेत्तुमर्हसि सुव्रत
Tell me about those two exceedingly terrifying women; resolve this doubt for me, O father, you who are steadfast in virtue.
एवमुक्त्वा महाराज विरराम स चांडजः । एवं पृष्टस्तृतीयेन विज्वलेनात्मजेन सः
Having spoken thus, O great king, the offspring of Candaja paused; thus questioned by the third, his radiant son.
प्रोवाच सर्वं वृत्तांतं च्यवनस्यापि शृण्वतः
He narrated the entire story, even as Cyavana listened.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थे च्यवनचरित्रे त्रिनवतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the ninety-third chapter in the account of Cyavana at the Guru Tirtha, in the story of Vena, in the Bhumi Khanda of the glorious Padma Purana.
कुंजल उवाच- श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि तत्सर्वं कारणं सुत । यस्मात्तौ तादृशौ जातौ स्वमांसपरिभक्षकौ
Kunjala said: Listen, I will explain everything, the cause, O son, why those two became such, devourers of their own flesh.
सर्वत्र कारणं कर्म शुभाशुभं न संशयः । पुण्येन कर्मणा पुत्र नरः सौख्यं प्रभुंजति
The cause everywhere is karma, whether auspicious or inauspicious, there is no doubt; by virtuous actions, O son, a person attains happiness.
दुष्कृतं भुंजते चात्र पापयुक्तेन कर्मणा । सूक्ष्मवर्त्मविचार्यैवं शास्त्रज्ञानेन चक्षुषा
Here, one suffers evil through actions joined with sin; considering the subtle path with the eye of scriptural knowledge.