रत्नकांचनबद्धेन संपूर्णेन पुनः पुनः । श्वेतं नागं सुरूपं च सहस्रशिरसं वरम्
Again and again, with a conch bound with gems and gold and filled to the brim, he bathed a beautiful white serpent, splendid with a thousand heads.
महामणियुतं दीप्तं धामज्वालासमाकुलम् । क्षिप्तं तेन मुखप्रांते दत्तं मुक्ताफलं पुनः
Adorned with great jewels, blazing and surrounded by rays of light, he placed a pearl at the serpent's mouth.
कंठे तस्याः स देवेश इंदुमत्या महायशाः । पद्मं हस्ते ततो दत्वा स्वस्थानं प्रति जग्मिवान्
That lord of gods, famed Indumatī's consort, placed a lotus in her hand and then returned to his own abode.
एवंविधं महास्वप्नं तया दृष्टं सुतोत्तमम् । समाचष्ट महाभागा आयुं भूमिपतीश्वरम्
Such a great dream did she see, and the blessed Indumatī related it to Ayu, the lord of kings.
समाकर्ण्य महाराजश्चिंतयामास वै पुनः । समाहूय गुरुं पश्चात्कथितं स्वप्नमुत्तमम्
Hearing this, O King, he reflected again; then, having summoned his teacher, he recounted the excellent dream.
शौनकं सुमहाभागं सर्वज्ञं ज्ञानिनां वरम् । राजोवाच- अद्य रात्रौ महाभाग मम पत्न्या द्विजोत्तम
He called Śaunaka, greatly fortunate, all-knowing, foremost among the wise, and the king said: 'O most blessed one among twice-born, last night my wife had a dream—'
विप्रो गेहं विशन्दृष्टः किमिदं स्वप्नकारणम् । शौनक उवाच- वरो दत्तस्तु ते पूर्वं दत्तात्रेयेण धीमता
'A brāhmaṇa was seen entering the house—what is the cause of this dream?' Śaunaka said: 'A boon was formerly granted to you by the wise Dattātreya.'
आदिष्टं च फलं राज्ञां सुगुणं सुतहेतवे । तत्फलं किं कृतं राजन्कस्मै त्वया निवेदितम्
'And the fruit was ordained by the king for the sake of a virtuous son. What was done with that fruit, O King? To whom did you offer it?'
सुभार्यायै मया दत्तमिति राज्ञोदितं वचः । श्रुत्वोवाच महाप्राज्ञः शौनको द्विजसत्तमः
The king replied, 'I gave it to my virtuous wife.' Hearing this, the highly wise Śaunaka, best of the twice-born, spoke.
दत्तात्रेयप्रसादेन तव गेहे सुतोत्तमः । वैष्णवांशेन संयुक्तो भविष्यति न संशयः
'By the grace of Dattātreya, an excellent son will be born in your house, endowed with a portion of Viṣṇu—of this there is no doubt.'
स्वप्नस्य कारणं राजन्नेतत्ते कथितं मया । इंद्रोपेंद्र समः पुत्रो दिव्यवीर्यो भविष्यति
'O King, I have told you the cause of the dream: your son will be equal to Indra and Upendra, possessing divine strength.'
पुत्रस्ते सर्वधर्मात्मा सोमवंशस्य वर्द्धनः । धनुर्वेदे च वेदे च सगुणोसौ भविष्यति
'Your son will be righteous in every way, an increaser of the lunar dynasty, and he will be virtuous in the science of archery and the Vedas.'
एवमुक्त्वा स राजानं शौनको गतवान्गृहम् । हर्षेण महताविष्टो राजाभूत्प्रियया सह
Having spoken thus to the king, Śaunaka went home; the king, filled with great joy, rejoiced together with his beloved.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्ये च्यवनचरित्रे चतुरधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one hundred and fourth chapter in the story of Cyavana, in the section on the greatness of the Guru Tīrtha, in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa, in the tale of Vena.
कुञ्जल उवाच- गता सा नन्दनवनं सखीभिः सह क्रीडितुम्। तत्राकर्ण्य महद्वाक्यमप्रियं तु तदा पितुः
Kuñjala said: She went to Nandana forest with her companions to play; there she heard her father's great and unpleasant words.
चारणानां सुसिद्धानां भाषतां हर्षणेन तु। आयोर्गेहे महावीर्यो विष्णुतुल्यपराक्रमः
From the speech of the accomplished celestial bards, she heard with delight: 'In your house, a son of great valor, equal in prowess to Viṣṇu—'
भविष्यति सुतश्रेष्ठो हुण्डस्यांतं करिष्यति । एवंविधं महद्वाक्यमप्रियं दुःखदायकम्
'—will be born, the best of sons, who will bring an end to the Huṇḍa; such was the great and grievous message.'
समाकर्ण्य समायाता पितुरग्रे निवेदितम् । समासेन तया तस्य पुरतो दुःखदायकम्
Hearing this sorrowful message, she returned and reported it before her father, briefly relating the painful words in his presence.
पितुरग्रे जगादाथ पिता श्रुत्वा स विस्मितः । शापमशोकसुंदर्याः सस्मार च पुराकृतम्
Then, in her father's presence, she spoke; and her father, hearing it, was astonished and remembered the curse formerly pronounced by Aśokasundarī.
एतस्यार्थे तपस्तेपे सेयं चाशोकसुंदरी । गर्भस्य नाशनायैव इंदुमत्याः स दानवः
For this reason, Aśokasundarī performed austerities—to destroy the embryo of Indumatī, that demon undertook his effort.
विचक्रे उद्यमं दुष्टः कालाकृष्टो दुरात्मवान् । छिद्रान्वेषी ततो भूत्वा इंदुमत्यास्तु नित्यशः
That wicked demon, compelled by fate, always sought faults in Indumatī, ever searching for an opportunity.
यदा पश्यति तां राज्ञीं रूपौदार्यगुणान्विताम् । दिव्यतेजः समायुक्तां रक्षितां विष्णुतेजसा
Whenever he saw that queen, endowed with beauty, nobility, and virtues, radiant with divine splendor and protected by Viṣṇu's energy—
दिव्येन तेजसा युक्तां सूर्यबिंबोपमां तु ताम् । तस्याः पार्श्वे महाभाग रक्षणार्थं स्थितः सदा
Endowed with divine radiance, resembling the orb of the sun, O highly fortunate one, he always stood at her side for her protection.
दूरात्स दानवो दुष्टस्तस्याश्च बहुदर्शयन् । नानाविद्यां महोग्रां च भीषिकां सुविभीषिकाम्
From a distance, that wicked Dānava repeatedly displayed to her many fierce and terrifying magical illusions.
गर्भस्य तेजसा युक्ता रक्षिता विष्णुतेजसा । भयं न जायते तस्या मनस्येव कदापुनः
Endowed with the radiance of the embryo, protected by Viṣṇu’s energy, no fear ever arose in her mind.
विफलो दानवो जात उद्यमश्च निरर्थकः । मनीप्सितं नैव जातं हुंडस्यापि दुरात्मनः
The Dānava’s effort became fruitless and his undertaking was in vain; the evil-minded Huṃḍa did not achieve what he desired.
एवं वर्षशतं पूर्णं पश्यमानस्य तस्य च । प्रसूता सा हि पुत्रं च स्वर्भानोस्तनया तदा
Thus, after a full hundred years had passed while he watched, she then gave birth to a son, the offspring of Svarbhānu.
रात्रावेव सुतश्रेष्ठ तस्याः पुत्रो व्यजायत । तेजसातीव भात्येष यथा सूर्यो नभस्तले
O best of sons, at night her son was born, shining with such brilliance as the sun in the sky.
सूत उवाच- अथ दासी महादुष्टा काचित्सूतिगृहागता । अशौचाचारसंयुक्ता महामंगलवादिनी
The Sūta said: Then a certain extremely wicked maidservant, who had come to the birthing chamber, engaged in impure conduct but uttering auspicious words.
तस्याः सर्वं समाज्ञाय स हुंडो दानवाधमः । दास्या अंगं प्रविश्यैव प्रविष्टश्चायुमन्दिरे
Knowing everything about her, that vile Dānava Huṃḍa entered the maidservant’s body and thus entered the inner chambers.