'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.
पूर्वमाचरितं घोरं पतिकामनया तपः। तव नाशार्थमिच्छंती चरिष्ये दारुणं पुनः
The dreadful austerity I performed before, desiring the destruction of your husband, I will again undertake, wishing for your ruin.
यदा त्वां निहतं दुष्टं नहुषेण महात्मना। निििििशितैर्वज्रसङ्काशैर्बाणैराशीविषोपमैः।९१ रणे निपतितं पाप मुक्तकेशं सलोहितम् । गतासुं च प्रपश्यामि तदा यास्याम्यहं पतिम्
When I see you, wicked one, slain by the great-souled Nahuṣa with arrows sharp as thunderbolts and venomous as serpents, fallen in battle, hair disheveled, bloodied, and lifeless—then I shall go to my husband.
एवं सुनियमं कृत्वा गंगातीरमनुत्तमम्। संस्थिता हुंडनाशाय निश्चला शिवनंदिनी
Having thus firmly resolved, she stood unmoving on the excellent bank of the Ganges, intent on the destruction of Huṇḍa, steadfast as Śiva’s devotee.
वह्नेर्यथादीप्तिमती शिखोज्ज्वला तेजोभियुक्ता प्रदहेत्सुलोकान्। क्रोधेन दीप्ता विबुधेशपुत्री गङ्गातटे दुश्चरमाचरत्तपः
Just as a blazing, radiant flame of fire, endowed with energy, can burn up the worlds, so, inflamed with anger, the daughter of the lord of the gods performed fierce austerity on the bank of the Ganges.
"कुञ्जल उवाच- एवमुक्ता महाभाग शिवस्य तनया गता । गङ्गांभसि ततः स्नात्वा स्वपुरे काञ्चनाह्वये
"Kuñjala said: Thus addressed, the illustrious daughter of Śiva went, bathed in the waters of the Ganges, and then returned to her own city called Kāñcana."
तपश्चचार तन्वङ्गी हुण्डस्य वधहेतवे । अशोकसुन्दरी बाला सत्येन च समन्विता
The slender-limbed maiden, Aśokasundarī, endowed with truth, performed austerity for the destruction of Huṇḍa.
हुण्डोपि दुःखितोभूतः शापदग्धेन चेतसा। चिंतयामास सन्तप्त अतीव वचनानलैः
Huṇḍa, too, became miserable, his mind scorched by the curse; greatly tormented, he reflected upon her words, which burned like fire.
समाहूय अमात्यं तं कम्पनाख्यमथाब्रवीत् । समाचष्ट स वृत्तान्तं तस्याः शापोद्भवं महत्
Summoning his minister named Kampana, he spoke to him and related the entire story, the great origin of her curse.
शप्तोस्म्यशोकसुंदर्या शिवस्यापि सुकन्यया। नहुषस्यापि मे भर्त्तुस्त्वं तु हस्तान्मरिष्यसि
"I have been cursed by Aśokasundarī, the virtuous daughter of Śiva, and by my husband Nahuṣa as well; you will die at his hands."
नैव जातस्त्वसौ गर्भ आयोर्भार्या च गुर्विणी। यथा सत्याद्व्यलीकस्तु तस्याः शापस्तथा कुरु
That one has not yet been born, and Āyu’s wife is pregnant; as the curse was pronounced in truth, so let it be fulfilled.