अन्यैश्चैव महारत्नैर्गजाश्वैश्च विराजितम् । सुनारीभिः समाकीर्णं पुरुषैश्च महाप्रभैः
It was also adorned with other great gems, elephants, and horses, crowded with noble women and men of great majesty.
नानाप्रभावैर्दिव्यैश्च शोभमानं महोदयम् । राजश्रेष्ठो महावीरो नहुषो ददृशे पुरम्
Mahodaya shone with various divine splendors; the great king and mighty hero Nahusha beheld the city.
पुरप्रांते वनं दिव्यं दिव्यवृक्षैरलंकृतम् । तद्विवेश महावीरो नंदनं हि यथाऽमरः
At the edge of the city was a divine forest, adorned with celestial trees; the mighty hero entered it, just as an immortal enters Nandana.
रथेन सह धर्मात्मा तेन मातलिना सह । प्रविष्टः स तु राजेंद्रो वनमध्ये सरित्तटे
Together with Matali, the righteous king entered, with his chariot, into the midst of the forest, by the riverbank.
तत्र ता रूपसंयुक्ता दिव्या नार्यः समागताः । गंधर्वा गीततत्त्वज्ञा जगुर्गीतैर्नृपोत्तमम्
There, divine women endowed with beauty gathered; the gandharvas, skilled in the essence of song, sang to the foremost king.
सूताश्च मागधाः सर्वे तं स्तुवंति नृपोत्तमम् । राजानमायुपुत्रं तं भ्राजमानं यथा रविम्
All the bards and Magadha singers praised the foremost king, the radiant son of Ayu, shining like the sun.
शुश्राव गीतं मधुरं नहुषः किन्नरेरितम्
Nahuṣa heard a sweet song sung by the Kinnaras.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्ये च्यवनचरित्रे नहुषाख्याने एकादशाधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one hundred and eleventh chapter in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the Padma Purāṇa, in the story of Vena, in the greatness of the Guru Tīrtha, in the account of Cyavana, in the narrative of Nahuṣa.
कुंजल उवाच- तदेव गानं च सुरांगनाभिर्गीतं समाकर्ण्य च गीतकैर्ध्रुवैः । समाकुला चापि बभूव तत्र सा शंभुपुत्री परिचिंतयाना
Kuñjala said— Upon hearing that same song sung by the celestial maidens, with fixed melodies and refrains, the daughter of Śambhu became agitated, pondering deeply.
आसनात्तूर्णमुत्थाय महोत्साहेन संयुता । तूर्णं गता वरारोहा तपोभावसमन्विता
Rising swiftly from her seat, filled with great enthusiasm, the noble lady, endowed with the power of austerity, quickly departed.
तं दृष्ट्वा देवसंकाशं दिव्यरूपसमप्रभम् । दिव्यगंधानुलिप्तांगं दिव्यमालाभिशोभितम्
Seeing him, who resembled the gods, radiant with a divine form, his body anointed with celestial fragrances, adorned with heavenly garlands,
दिव्यैराभरणैर्वस्त्रैः शोभितं नृपनंदनम् । दीप्तिमंतं यथा सूर्यं दिव्यलक्षणसंयुतम्
Adorned with divine ornaments and garments, the delight of kings shone like the sun, endowed with all auspicious marks.
किं वा देवो महाप्राज्ञो गंधर्वो वा भविष्यति । किं वा नागसुतः सोयं किंवा विद्याधरो भवेत्
Is he a god, a great sage, or perhaps a Gandharva? Could he be the son of a Nāga, or maybe a Vidyādhara?
देवेषु नैव पश्यामि कुतो यक्षेषु जायते । अनया लीलया वीरः सहस्राक्षोपि जायते
Among the gods I do not see anyone like him; how then could he be among the Yakṣas? Even the thousand-eyed Indra is not born with such ease and playfulness.
शंभुरेष भवेत्किंवा किंवा चायं मनोभवः । किंवा पितुः सखा मे स्यात्पौलस्त्योऽयं धनाधिपः
Could this be Śambhu himself, or perhaps Kāmadeva? Or is he a friend of my father, or the son of Pulastya, the lord of wealth?
एवं समा चिंतयती च यावत्तावत्त्वरं रूपगुणाधिपा सा । समेत्य रंभासु महासखीभिरुवाच तां शंभुसुतां प्रहस्य
While she was thus thinking, the mistress of beauty, possessing all virtues, approached with her great companions, and Rambhā, smiling, spoke to the daughter of Śambhu.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्ये च्यवनचरित्रे नहुषाख्याने द्वादशाधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one hundred and twelfth chapter in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the Padma Purāṇa, in the story of Vena, in the greatness of the Guru Tīrtha, in the account of Cyavana, in the narrative of Nahuṣa.
रंभोवाच- तप एतत्परित्यज्य किंवा लोकयसे शुभे । तपसः क्षरणं स्याद्वै पुरुषस्यापि चिंतनात्
Rambhā said— O auspicious one, why do you abandon your austerities or look about? Even for a man, the mind's distraction causes the loss of ascetic power.
अशोकसुंदर्युवाच- तपसि मे मनो लीनं नहुषस्यापि काम्यया । न मां चालयितुं शक्ता देवासुरमहोरगाः
Aśokasundarī said— My mind is absorbed in austerity, yet, out of desire for Nahuṣa, not even gods, demons, or great serpents can shake me.
एनं दृष्ट्वा महाभागे मे मनश्चलते भृशम् । रंतुमिच्छाम्यहं गत्वा एवमुत्सुकतां गतम्
But seeing him, O noble one, my mind is greatly disturbed; I wish to go and unite with him, so intense is my longing.
एवं विपर्ययश्चासीन्मनसो मे वरावने । तन्मे त्वं कारणं ब्रूहि यद्यस्ति ज्ञानमुत्तमम्
Thus, my mind has become unsettled, O best of women; tell me the reason for this, if you possess supreme knowledge.
आयुपुत्रस्य भार्याहं देवैः सृष्टा महात्मभिः । कस्मान्मे धावते चेत उत्सुकं रंतुमेव च
I am the wife of the son of Āyu, created by the great gods; why then does my heart run restlessly, eager only for union?
रंभोवाच- सर्वेष्वेव महाभागे देहरूपेषु भामिनि । वसत्यात्मा स्वयं ब्रह्मज्ञानरूपः सनातनः
Rambhā said— In all bodies and forms, O beautiful one, the self, which is of the nature of eternal knowledge of Brahman, abides.
यद्यपि प्रक्रियाबद्धैरिंद्रियैरुपकारिभिः । मोहपाशमयैर्बद्धस्तथा सिद्धस्तु सर्वदा
Even though bound by the senses, which are engaged in their respective functions, and by the fetters of delusion, still, the perfected self remains always free.
प्रकृतिं नैव जानाति ज्ञानविज्ञानकीं कलाम् । अयं शुद्धश्च धर्मज्ञ आत्मा वेत्ति च सुंदरि
He does not know the nature, nor even a fraction of knowledge or discernment; this self is pure and knows righteousness, O beautiful one.
गच्छंत्यपि मनस्तापमेनं दृष्ट्वा महामतिम् । पापमेवं परित्यज्य सत्यमेवं प्रधावति
Even when going, the mind runs toward this great-minded one, seeing him; thus, abandoning sin, it hastens only to truth.
भर्तायमायुपुत्रस्ते एतत्सत्यं न संशयः । अन्यं दृष्ट्वा विशंकेत पुरुषं पापलक्षणम्
This is your husband, Āyu’s son; this is the truth, without doubt. Seeing another man, one should be wary if he bears the marks of evil.
एवं विधिः कृतो देवैः सत्यपाशेन बंधितः । यदस्या आयुपुत्रोपि भर्तृत्वमुपयास्यति
Such is the ordinance made by the gods, bound by the fetter of truth; that even Āyu’s son will attain the status of husband to her.
एवमाकर्णितं भद्रे आत्मना तं च सुंदरि । तद्भावसत्यसंबंधं परिगृह्य स्थितः स्वयम्
Thus, having heard this, O fortunate one, and you too, O beautiful lady, he himself remained, embracing the bond of true feeling.
अन्यं भावं न जानाति आयुपुत्रं च विंदति । प्रकृतिर्नैव ते देवि पतिं जानाति चागतम्
She does not know any other feeling, and finds only Āyu’s son; O goddess, her nature does not recognize any other husband who has come.