आकर्ण्य सर्वं मुनिना प्रयुक्तमाश्चर्यभूतं स हि चिंत्यमानः । तस्यांतमेकः परिकर्तुकाम आयोः सुतः कोपमथो चकार
Hearing everything spoken by the sage, which was astonishing, he pondered; the son of Ayu, desiring to cut off its end, became angry.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्ये च्यवनचरित्रे नाहुषाख्यानेऽष्टोत्तरशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the Padma Purana, in the Bhumi Khanda, in the story of Vena, in the greatness of the Guru Tirtha, in the account of Cyavana, in the tale of Nahusha, this is the one hundred and eighth chapter.
कुंजल उवाच- प्रणिपत्य प्रसाद्यैव वशिष्ठं तपतां वरम् । आमंत्र्य निर्जगामाथ बाणपाणिर्धनुर्धरः
Kunjala said: Having bowed and pleased Vashishtha, the foremost of ascetics, he addressed him and then departed, holding his bow and arrows.
एणस्य मांसं सुविपाच्यभोजितं बालस्तया रक्षित एव बुद्ध्या । आयोः सुपुत्रः सगुणः सुरूपो देवोपमो देवगुणैश्च युक्तः
The meat of the deer, well-cooked and eaten, was protected by her with wisdom; Ayu's son was virtuous, handsome, like a god, endowed with divine qualities.
तेनैव मांसेन सुसंस्कृतेन मृष्टेन पक्वेन रसानुगेन । तमेव दैत्यं परिभाष्य सूदो दुष्टं सुहर्षेण व्यभोजयत्तदा
With that meat, well-prepared, delicious, cooked, and rich in flavor, the cook addressed the demon and joyfully served it to him.
बुभुजे दानवो मांसं रसस्वादुसमन्वितम् । हर्षेणापि समाविष्टो जगामाशोकसुंदरीम्
The demon ate the meat, accompanied by delicious juices; filled with joy, he went to Ashoka Sundari.
तामुवाच ततस्तूर्णं कामोपहतचेतनः । आयुपुत्रो मया भद्रे भक्षितः पतिरेव ते
Then, quickly, overcome by desire, he spoke to her: 'O beautiful one, Ayu's son has been eaten by me; he is your husband.'
मामेव भज चार्वंगि भुंक्ष्व भोगान्मनोनुगान् । किं करिष्यसि तेन त्वं मानुषेण गतायुषा
Love me, O lovely-limbed one; enjoy pleasures as your mind desires. What will you do with that mortal, whose life has ended?
प्रत्युवाच समाकर्ण्य शिवकन्या तपस्विनी । भर्ता मे दैवतैर्दत्तो अजरो दोषवर्जितः
Hearing this, the ascetic daughter of Shiva replied: 'My husband was given by the gods—he is ageless and free from faults.'
तस्य मृत्युर्न वै दृष्टो देवैरपि महात्मभिः । एवमाकर्ण्य तद्वाक्यं दानवो दुष्टचेष्टितः
His death is not seen even by the gods or the great souls. Hearing these words, the demon acted wickedly.
तामुवाच विशालाक्षीं प्रहस्यैव पुनः पुनः । अद्यैव भक्षितं मांसमायुपुत्रस्य सुंदरि
He spoke again and again, laughing, to the wide-eyed one: 'Today the meat of Ayu's son has been eaten, O beautiful one.'
जातमात्रस्य बालस्य नहुषस्य दुरात्मनः । एवमाकर्ण्य सा वाक्यं कोपं चक्रे सुदारुणम्
Of the newborn child, Nahusha, of evil mind. Hearing these words, she became fiercely angry.
प्रोवाच सत्यसंस्था सा तपसा भाविता पुनः । तप एव मया तप्तं मनसा नियमेन वै । आयुसुतश्चिरायुश्च सत्येनैव भविष्यति
Firm in truth, purified by austerity, she spoke again: 'I have performed austerity with my mind and discipline; Ayu's son will have long life by truth alone.'
इतो गच्छ दुराचार यदि जीवितुमिच्छसि । अन्यथा त्वामहं शप्स्ये पुनरेव न संशयः
Go from here, wicked one, if you wish to live; otherwise, I will curse you again—there is no doubt.
एवमाकर्णितं तस्याः सूदेन नृपतिं प्रति । परित्यज्य महाराज एतामन्यां समाश्रय
Having heard this from her, the cook said to the king: 'Abandon her, O great king, and seek another.'
सूदेन प्रेषितो दैत्यः स हुंडः पापचेतनः । निर्जगाम त्वरायुक्तः स स्वां भार्यां प्रियां प्रति
Sent by the cook, the demon Hunda, of evil mind, departed quickly toward his beloved wife.
चेष्टितं नैव जानाति दास्या सूदेन यत्कृतम् । तस्यै निवेदितं सर्वं प्रियायै वृत्तमेव च
The maid does not know what has been done by the cook; everything is reported to her, including the conduct towards the beloved.
सूत उवाच- अशोकसुंदरी सा च महता तपसा किल । दुःखशोकेन संतप्ता कृशीभूता तपस्विनी
The charioteer said: That Ashoka-sundari, indeed, through great austerity, afflicted by sorrow and grief, became emaciated, a woman devoted to penance.
चिंतयंती प्रियं कांतं तं ध्यायति पुनः पुनः । किं न कुर्वंति वै दैत्या उपायैर्विविधैरपि
Thinking of her beloved, she meditates on him again and again; what do not the demons attempt, by various means?
उपायज्ञाः सदा बुद्ध्या उद्यमेनापि सर्वदा । वर्तंते दनुजश्रेष्ठा नानाभावैश्च सर्वदा
Always skilled in strategies, with intelligence and effort, the foremost of the Danavas act in diverse ways at all times.
मायोपायेन योगेन हृताहं पापिना पुरा । तथा स घातितः पुत्र आयोश्चैव भविष्यति
By means of illusion and yoga, I was once abducted by the wicked one; likewise, her son was killed, and the same will happen to Ayu.
यं दृष्ट्वा दैवयोगेन भवितारमनामयम् । उद्यमेनापि पश्येत किं वा नश्यति वा न वा
Seeing him, through divine destiny, as the one who will be unharmed, even with effort one may see whether he perishes or not.
किं वा स उद्यमः श्रेष्ठः किं वा तत्कर्मजं फलम् । भाविभावः कथं नश्येत्ततो वेदः प्रतिष्ठति
Is effort supreme, or is the fruit born of action? How can the destined outcome be destroyed? Thus the Veda stands firm.
विशेषो भावितो देवैः स कथं चान्यथा भवेत् । एवमेवं महाभागा चिंतयंती पुनः पुनः
A special destiny has been established by the gods; how then could it be otherwise? Thus, O noble lady, she keeps pondering again and again.
किन्नरो विद्वरो नाम बृहद्वंशोमहातनुः । सनाभ्योर्धनरः कायः पक्षाभ्यां हि विवर्जितः
There was a Kinnara named Vidvara, of great lineage and mighty form; his body was human from the navel, lacking wings.
द्विभुजो वंशहस्तस्तु हारकंकणशोभितः । दिव्यगंधानुलिप्तांगो भार्यया सह चागतः
He had two arms, held a bamboo staff, adorned with necklace and bracelets; his body was smeared with divine fragrance, and he arrived with his wife.
तामुवाच निरानंदां स सुतां शंकरस्यहि । किमर्थं चिंतसे देवि विद्वरं विद्धि चागतम्
He spoke to her, the joyless daughter of Shankara: 'Why do you worry, O goddess? Know that Vidvara has arrived.'
किन्नरं विष्णुभक्तं मां प्रेषितं देवसत्तमैः । दुःखमेवं न कर्तव्यं भवत्या नहुषं प्रति
'I am the Kinnara, a devotee of Vishnu, sent by the best of the gods; you should not grieve so regarding Nahusha.'
हुंडेन पापचारेण वधार्थं तस्य धीमतः । कृतमेवाखिलं कर्म हृतश्चायुसुतः शुभे
By wicked conduct and deceit, for the purpose of killing that wise one, all actions have been performed, and Ayu, the son, has been taken, O auspicious one.
स तु वै रक्षितो देवैरुपायैर्विविधैरपि । हुंड एवं विजानाति आयुपुत्रो हृतो मया
But he was protected by the gods through various means; Huṇḍa thus knows that Ayu's son was taken by me.