नंदनस्य वनोद्देशे काचिन्नारी वरानना । तस्या दर्शनमात्रेण गतोऽहं कामवश्यताम्
In a certain part of the Nandana forest, there is a woman of beautiful face. Merely by seeing her, I have become subject to desire.
तया प्रोक्तोऽस्मि विप्रेंद्र पुष्पैः कामोदसंभवैः । पूजयस्व महादेवं पुष्पैस्तु सप्तकोटिभिः
She has told me, O chief of Brahmins, 'Worship Mahādeva with flowers from Kāmoda—seven crore in number.'
ततस्ते सुप्रिया भार्या भविष्यामि न संशयः । तदर्थे प्रस्थितोऽस्म्यद्य कामोदाख्यं पुरं प्रति
Then, I will become her beloved husband without doubt. For that purpose, I am now setting out toward the city called Kāmodā.
तामहं कामयिष्यामि सिंधुजां शुणु सांप्रतम् । मनोल्लासैर्महाहासैर्हासयिष्याम्यहं पुनः
I desire her, the daughter of the ocean; listen now. With delightful thoughts and great laughter, I will make her laugh again.
प्रीता सती महाभागा हसिष्यति पुनः पुनः । तद्धास्यं गद्गदं विप्र मम कार्यप्रवर्द्धनम्
Satisfied and blessed, she will laugh again and again. That laughter, broken and trembling, O Brahmin, will advance my purpose.
तस्माद्धास्यात्पतिष्यंति दिव्यानि कुसुमानि च । तैस्तु देवमुमाकांतं पूजयिष्यामि सांप्रतम्
From that laughter, divine flowers will fall. With those, I will presently worship the god beloved of Umā.
तेन पूजाप्रदानेन तुष्टो दास्यति मे फलम् । ईश्वरः सर्वभूतेशः शंकरो लोकभावनः
By offering that worship, the lord Śaṅkara, creator of the worlds and master of all beings, will be pleased and grant me the fruit.
नारद उवाच- तत्र दैत्य न गंतव्यं कामोदाख्ये पुरोत्तमे । विष्णुरस्ति सुमेधावी सर्वदैत्यक्षयावहः
Nārada said: 'O Daitya, you must not go to the excellent city called Kāmodā. Viṣṇu, wise and always destructive to Daityas, is there.'
येनोपायेन पुष्पाणि कामोदाख्यानि दानव । तव हस्ते प्रयास्यंति तमुपायं वदाम्यहम्
By what means the flowers of Kāmodā will come into your hands, O Dānava, I will tell you that method.
गंगातोयेषु दिव्यानि पतिष्यंति न संशयः । वाहितानि जलैर्दिव्यैरागमिष्यंति सांप्रतम्
Divine flowers will fall into the waters of the Gaṅgā, without doubt. Borne by the celestial waters, they will soon arrive.
तानि त्वं तु प्रतिगृहाण सुहृद्यानि महांति च । गृहीत्वा तानि पुष्पाणि साधयस्व मनीप्सितम्
You must receive those flowers, which are friendly and great. Having taken them, accomplish your desired purpose.
नारदो दानवश्रेष्ठं मोहयित्वा ततः पुनः । ततश्च स तु धर्मात्मा चिंतयामास वै पुनः
After deluding the foremost of Dānavas, Nārada again departed. Then that righteous one began to ponder once more.
कथमश्रूणि सा मुंचेत्केनोपायेन दुःखिता । चिंतयानस्य तस्यैवं क्षणं वै नारदस्य च
How might she shed tears, by what means, being distressed? He and Nārada both pondered this for a moment.
ततो बुद्धिः समुत्पन्ना कामोदाख्यं पुरं गतः
Then, an idea arose; he went to the city called Kāmodā.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्ये च्यवनचरित्रे कामोदाख्याने एकोनविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Purāṇa, in the Section on the Earth, in the story of Vena, in the greatness of the Guru Tīrtha, in the account of Cyavana, this is the one hundred nineteenth chapter, entitled 'The Story of Kāmodā'.
कुंजल उवाच- कामोदाख्यं पुरं दिव्यं सर्वदेवसमाकुलम् । सर्वकामसमृद्ध्यर्थमपश्यन्नारदस्ततः
Kunjala said: Nārada then beheld the divine city called Kāmodā, filled with all the gods, abundant in every desired object.
कामोदाया गृहं प्राप्य प्रविवेश द्विजोत्तमः । कामोदां तु ततो दृष्ट्वा सर्वकामसमाकुलाम्
Having reached the house of Kāmodā, the best of twice-born entered; and seeing Kāmodā, filled with all enjoyments,
तया संपूजितो विप्रः सुवाक्यैः स्वागतादिभिः । दिव्यासने समारूढस्तां पप्रच्छ द्विजोत्तमः
That brāhmaṇa was honored by her with sweet words of welcome and the like; seated upon a divine seat, the best of twice-born questioned her.
सुखेन स्थीयते भद्रे विष्णुतेजः समुद्भवे । अनामयं च पप्रच्छ आशीर्भिरभिनंद्य ताम्
He asked, 'Are you well, O blessed one, in whom the radiance of Viṣṇu has arisen?' And, offering blessings, he inquired about her health.
कामोदोवाच-। प्रसादाद्भवतां विष्णोः सुखेन वर्तयाम्यहम् । कथयस्व महाप्राज्ञ त्वं प्रश्नोत्तरकारणम्
Kāmodā said: By the grace of you and Viṣṇu, I am living happily. Tell me, O most wise one, the reason for your questions and answers.
महामोहः समुत्पन्नो ममांगे मुनिपुंगव । व्यापकः सर्वलोकानां ममांगे मतिनाशकः
A great delusion has arisen in my being, O foremost of sages, pervading all the worlds, destroying discernment in me.
तस्मान्निद्रा समुत्पन्ना यथा मर्त्येषु वर्तते । सुप्तया तु मया दृष्टः स्वप्नो वै दारुणो मुने
From that, sleep arose, just as it occurs among mortals; and while I slept, O sage, I saw a dreadful dream.
केनाप्युक्तं समेत्यैव पुरतो द्विजसत्तम । अव्यक्तोऽसौ हृषीकेशः संसारं स गमिष्यति
Someone, having approached, spoke before me, O best of twice-born: 'That unmanifest Hṛṣīkeśa will enter saṃsāra.'
तदा प्रभृति दुःखेन व्यापिताहं महामते । तन्मे त्वं कारणं ब्रूहि भवाञ्ज्ञानवतां वरः
From that time, O great-minded one, I have been overcome by sorrow; tell me the cause of this, for you are the foremost among the wise.
नारद उवाच- वातिकः पैत्तिकश्चैव कफजः सान्निपातिकः । स्वप्नः प्रवर्तते भद्रे मानवेषु न संशयः
Nārada said: O blessed one, among humans, dreams arise from vāta, pitta, kapha, or a combination—there is no doubt.
न जायते च देवेषु स्वप्नो निद्रा च सुंदरि । आदित्योदयवेलायां दृश्यते स्वप्न उत्तमः
But among the gods, O beautiful one, neither dream nor sleep occurs; the best dream is seen at the time of sunrise.
सत्स्वप्नो मानवानां हि पुण्यस्य फलदायकः । अन्यदेवं प्रवक्ष्यामि स्वप्नस्य कारणं शुभे
A good dream for humans indeed gives the fruit of merit; now, O auspicious one, I will tell you another cause of dreams.
महावातांदोलनैश्च चलंत्यापो वरानने । त्रुटंत्यंबुकणाः सूक्ष्मास्तस्मादुदकसंचयात्
By the agitation of great winds, O lovely-faced one, waters are disturbed; subtle drops are broken off from the mass of water.
बहिरेव पतंत्येते निर्मलांबुकणाः शुभे । पुनर्लयं प्रयांत्येते दृश्यादृश्या भवंति वै
These pure drops fall outside, O auspicious one; then they dissolve again, becoming visible or invisible.
तद्वत्स्वप्नस्य वै भावः कथ्यते शृणु भामिनि । आत्मा शुद्धो विरक्तस्तु रागद्वेषविवर्जितः
In the same way, listen, O beautiful one, to the nature of dreams: the self is pure, detached, free from passion and aversion.