आनीतात्मगृहं दिव्यमनौपम्यं सुशोभनम्। मेरोस्तु शिखरे पुत्र वैडूर्याख्यं पुरोत्तमम्
She was brought to his own home, a divine and incomparable splendid place, on the summit of Mount Meru, the foremost city called Vaiḍūrya.
अस्ति सर्वगुणोपेतं कांचनाख्यं महाशिवम्। तुंगप्रासादसंबाधैः कलशैर्दंडचामरैः
There stands the most auspicious city called Kāñcana, endowed with all virtues, crowded with lofty palaces, adorned with spires, staffs, and yak-tail fans.
नानवृक्षसमोपेतैर्वनैर्नीलैर्घनोपमैः। वापीकूपतडागैश्च नदीभिस्तु जलाशयैः
Surrounded by various kinds of trees, with forests dark as clouds, and with pools, wells, tanks, rivers, and reservoirs of water.
शोभमानं महारत्नैः प्राकारैर्हेमसंयतैः। सर्वकामसमृद्धार्थं सम्पूर्णं दानवस्य हि
Shining with great jewels, with ramparts bound with gold, it is filled with every pleasure and prosperity, truly the domain of the demon.
ददृशे सा पुरं रम्यमशोकसुन्दरी तदा। कस्य देवस्य संस्थानं कथयस्व सखे मम
Then that beautiful woman, Ashokasundarī, saw the delightful city and said: 'Friend, tell me, to which god does this city belong?'
सोवाच दानवेन्द्रस्य दृष्टपूर्वस्य वै त्वया। तस्य स्थानं महाभागे सोऽहं दानवपुङ्गवः
He replied: 'O highly fortunate one, this is the abode of the lord of the Dānavas whom you have seen before. I am that foremost of Dānavas.'
मया त्वं तु समानीता मायया वरवर्णिनि । तामाभाष्य गृहं नीता शातकौम्भं सुशोभनम्
It is by my illusion, O woman of lovely complexion, that you have been brought here by me. After speaking thus, I led her to a splendid golden mansion.
नानावेश्मैः समाजुष्टं कैलासशिखरोपमम्। निवेश्य सुंदरीं तत्र दोलायां कामपीडितः
Adorned with many mansions and resembling the peak of Kailāsa, he seated the beautiful woman there on a swing, tormented by desire.
पुनः स्वरूपी दैत्येन्द्रः कामबाणप्रपीडितः। करसम्पुटमाबध्य उवाच वचनं तदा
Again, the lord of the Daityas, afflicted by the arrows of love, assumed his true form, joined his hands in reverence, and spoke these words.
यं यं त्वं वाञ्छसे भद्रे तं तं दद्मि न संशयः। भज मां त्वं विशालाक्षिभजन्तं कामपीडितम्
'O wide-eyed one, whatever you desire, I will give you without doubt. Accept me, who am tormented by love, as your devotee.'
'श्रीदेव्युवाच- नैव चालयितुं शक्तो भवान्मां दानवेश्वरः। मनसापि न वै धार्यं मम मोहं समागतम्
Śrī Devī said: 'O lord of the Dānavas, you are not able to move me, not even in thought can delusion come upon me.'
भवादृशैर्महापापैर्देवैर्वा दानवाधमैः। दुष्प्राप्याहं न संदेहो मा वदस्व पुनः पुनः
By great sinners like you, or by gods or the lowest of Dānavas, I am difficult to attain—there is no doubt. Do not speak thus again and again.
स्कन्दानुजा सा तपसाभियुक्ता जाज्वल्यमाना महता रुषा च। संहर्तुकामा परि दानवं तं कालस्य जिह्वेव यथा स्फुरन्ती
She, the younger sister of Skanda, endowed with great austerity and blazing with intense anger, wishing to destroy that Dānava, moved like the tongue of Time itself.
पुनरुवाच सा देवी तमेवं दानवाधमम् । उग्रं कर्म कृतं पाप चात्मनाशनहेतवे
Then the goddess spoke again to that vile Dānava: 'A terrible and sinful deed has been done by you, leading to your own destruction.'
आत्मवञ्शस्य नाशाय स्वजनस्यास्य वै त्वया। दीप्ता स्वगृहमानीता सुशिखा कृष्णवर्त्मनः
For the destruction of your own lineage and your kin, you have brought here a blazing flame with a black wick into your own house.
यथाऽशुभः कूटपक्षी सर्वशोकैः समुद्गतः। गृहं तु विशते यस्य तस्य नाशं प्रयच्छति
Just as an inauspicious, deceitful bird, arising with all sorrows, enters a house and brings about its ruin—
स्वजनस्य च सर्वस्य सधनस्य कुलस्य च। स द्विजो नाशमिच्छेत विशत्येव यदा गृहम्
So too, when such a bird enters a house, the twice-born desires the destruction of all his people, wealth, and family.
तथा तेहं गृहं प्राप्ता तव नाशं समीहती । पुत्राणां धनधान्यस्य तव वंशस्य साम्प्रतम्
In the same way, I have entered your house, seeking the destruction of your sons, your wealth and grain, and your lineage at this very moment.
जीवं कुलं धनं धान्यं पुत्रपौत्रादिकं तव। सर्वं ते नाशयित्वाहं यास्यामि च न संशयः
Your life, your family, your wealth, your grain, your sons and grandsons—all these I will destroy, and then I will depart without doubt.
यथा त्वयाहमानीता चरन्ती परमं तपः । पतिकामा प्रवाञ्च्छन्ती नहुषं चायुनन्दनम्
Just as you brought me here while I was practicing supreme austerity, desiring a husband and deceiving Nahusha, son of Ayu—
तथा त्वां मम भर्ता च नाशयिष्यति दानव । मन्निमित्तउपायोऽयं दृष्टो देवेन वै पुरा
So too, O Dānava, my husband will destroy you. This means was devised by the god long ago because of me.
सत्येयं लौकिकी गाथा यां गायन्ति विदो जनाः। प्रत्यक्षं दृश्यते लोके न विन्दन्ति कुबुद्धयः
This worldly verse, which wise people recite, is true: 'Though seen directly in the world, the foolish do not understand.'
येन यत्र प्रभोक्तव्यं यस्माद्दुःखसुखादिकम्। स एव भुंजते तत्र तस्मादेव न संशयः
By whom, where, and for what reason one must speak, and from whom arise pleasure and pain and the like—he alone experiences that there, of this there is no doubt.
कर्मणोस्य फलं भुङ्क्ष्व स्वकीयस्य महीतले। यास्यसे निरयस्थानं परदाराभिमर्शनात्
On earth, endure the fruit of your own actions; because of your violation of another’s wife, you will go to the realm of hell.
सुतीक्ष्णं हि सुधारं तु सुखड्गं च विघट्टति। अङ्गुल्यग्रेण कोपाय तथा मां विद्धि साम्प्रतम्
A very sharp, keen sword is drawn for punishment, and even with the tip of a finger it causes pain—know me now to be thus.
सिंहस्य सम्मुखं गत्वा क्रुद्धस्य गर्जितस्य च। को लुनाति मुखात्केशान्साहसाकारसंयुतः।८४ सत्याचारां दमोपेतां नियतां तपसि स्थिताम्। निधनं चेच्छते यो वै स वै मां भोक्तुमिच्छति
Who, possessed of reckless courage, would go before a lion, enraged and roaring, and cut the hair from its mouth?
समणिं कृष्णसर्पस्य जीवमानस्य साम्प्रतम् । गृहीतुमिच्छते सो हि यथा कालेन प्रेषितः
Whoever wishes to seize the hood of a living black serpent is like one sent by fate at the appointed time.
भवांस्तु प्रेषितो मूढ कालेन कालमोहितः । तदा ते ईदृशी जाता कुमतिः किं नपश्यसि
You, deluded one, have been sent by Time, bewildered by the illusion of Time; thus, such evil intent has arisen in you—do you not see it?
ऋते तु आयुपुत्रेण समालोकयते हि कः। अन्यो हि निधनं याति ममरूपावलोकनात्
Except for the son of Āyu, who else, by merely looking upon my form, would meet death, while another departs from life?
एवमाभाषयित्वा तं गङ्गातीरं गता सती । सशोका दुःखसंविग्ना नियतानि यमान्विता
Having spoken thus to him, she went to the bank of the Ganges, afflicted with sorrow, distressed by suffering, steadfast, and accompanied by self-restraint.