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.
एवं ज्ञात्वा प्रधानात्मा तवाद्यैव प्रधावति । आत्मा सर्वं प्रजानाति आत्मा देवः सनातनः
Thus knowing, the chief self hastens to you today; the self knows all, the self is the eternal god.
अयमेष स वीरेंद्रो नहुषो नाम वीर्यवान् । तस्माद्गच्छति चेतस्ते सत्यं संबंधमिच्छते
This is that heroic lord, named Nahuṣa, full of might; therefore, if your mind goes to him, he desires a true union.
ज्ञात्वा चायोः सुतं भद्रे अन्यं चैव न गच्छति । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं शाश्वतं त्वन्मनोगतम्
Knowing Āyu’s son, O fortunate one, she does not go to another; all this, which was in your mind, has been told to you, eternal one.
हुंडं हत्वा महाघोरं समरे दानवाधमम् । त्वां नयिष्यति स्वस्थानमायोश्च गृहमुत्तमम्
Having slain the terrible Huṇḍa, the vile Dānava, in battle, he will take you to your own place and to Āyu’s excellent house.
हृतो दैत्येन वीरेंद्रो निजपुण्येन शेषितः । बाल्यात्प्रभृति वीरेंद्रो वियुक्तः स्वजनेन वै
The heroic lord was carried off by the demon, yet preserved by his own merit; from childhood, the heroic lord was separated from his kin.
पितृमातृविहीनस्तु गतो वृद्धिं महावने । यास्यत्येव पितुर्गेहं त्वयैव सह सांप्रतम्
Bereft of father and mother, he grew up in the great forest; now, together with you, he will go to his father’s house.
एवमाभाषितं श्रुत्वा रंभायाः शिवनंदिनी । हर्षेण महताविष्टा तामुवाच समुद्रजाम्
Hearing these words spoken by Śivanandinī to Rambhā, she, overwhelmed with great joy, addressed the daughter of the ocean.
अयमेव स सत्यात्मा मम भर्ता सुवीर्यवान् । मनो मे धावतेऽत्यर्थं शोकाकुलितविह्वलम्
This indeed is the true-hearted one, my husband, mighty in valor; my mind runs exceedingly toward him, distressed and agitated by sorrow.
नास्ति चित्तसमो देवो जानाति सुविनिश्चितम् । सत्यमेतन्मया दृष्टं सुचित्रं चारुहासिनि
There is no god equal to the mind; he knows with perfect certainty. This is true, I have seen it, O lovely-smiling one, and it is wondrous.
मनोभवसमानं तु पुरुषं दिव्यलक्षणम् । न धावति महाचेत एनं दृष्ट्वा यथा सखि
A man equal to the god of love, with divine marks, does not draw the great-minded one as this one does, my friend.