यद्ययं कामदेवो हि रतिहीनः कथं भवेत् । अथवाह्यश्विनौ देवौ तावुभौ युगचारिणौ
'If he is the god of love, how can he be without his consort Rati? Or perhaps he is one of the twin Ashvin gods, who always move together.'
गंधर्वः किन्नरो वाथ सिद्धो वा कामरूपधृक् । ऋषिपुत्रोऽथवा कश्चित्कश्चिद्वा मनुजोत्तमः
'Or is he a Gandharva, a Kinnara, or a Siddha who can assume any form? Or perhaps the son of a sage, or some eminent man among men?'
अस्ति वा कश्चिदेवायं धात्रा सृष्टो हि नः कृते । यथाभाग्यवतामर्थे निधानं पूर्वकर्मभिः
'Or is he some god, created by the Creator for our sake, as a treasure for the fortunate, determined by previous deeds?'
तथास्माकं कुमारीणां गौर्यानीतो वरोत्तमः । करुणाजलकल्लोल लब्धाद्री र्कृ!तचित्तया
'Just as Gauri brought the best husband for us maidens, so too have we, with hearts moved by waves of compassion, obtained this excellent youth.'
मया वृतस्त्वया चायं त्वया वृतस्तथानया । एवं पंचसुकन्यासु वदंतीषु नृपोत्तम
'I have chosen him, and so have you; she too has chosen him.' Thus, among the five maidens, O best of kings, they spoke.
श्रुत्वा तद्वचनं तत्र कृतमाध्याह्निकक्रियः । चिंतयामास मेधावी किं कृत्वा सुकृतं भवेत्
Hearing those words, after completing his midday rites, the wise one pondered, 'What should I do to bring about a good result?'
गाधिसंभवपराशरादयः कंडुदेवलमुखाश्च ये द्विजाः । तेऽपि योगि बलिनो विमोहिताः लीलया तदबलाभिरद्भुतम्
Even the powerful sages descended from Gādhi and Parāśara, and those like Kaṇḍu and Devala, though strong in yoga, were playfully bewildered by those wondrous women.
योषितां नयनतीक्ष्णसायकैर्भ्रूलतासुदृढचापनिर्गतैः । धन्विना मकरकेतुना हतः कस्य नो पतति वामनो मृगः
Who among men is not struck down by the god of love, Makaraketana, with the sharp arrows of women's glances, their firm-browed, well-drawn bows?
तावदेव नयधीर्विराजते तावदेव जनताभयं भवेत् । तावदेव धृतचित्तता भृशं तावदेव गणना कुलस्य च
One's wisdom shines only so long, safety among people lasts only so long, steadfastness of mind endures only so long, and the reckoning of family matters only so long—
तावदेव तपसः प्रगल्भता तावदेव शमसेवनं नृणाम् । यावदेव ललनेक्षणा स वैर्माद्यते द्रुतमदैर्न पूरुषः
The strength of asceticism, the practice of self-control among men, all endure only as long as a man's mind is not maddened by the glances of women.
मोहयंति मदयंति रागिणं योषितः स्वललितैर्मनोहरैः । मोदयंति मदयंति मामिमा धर्मरक्षणपरं हि स्वैर्गुणैः
Women enchant and intoxicate the passionate with their charming and delightful gestures; yet these women delight and intoxicate me, who am devoted to the protection of dharma, by their own virtues.
मांसरक्तमलमूत्रनिर्मिते योषितां वपुषि निर्गुणेऽशुचौ । कामिनस्तु परिकल्प्य चारुतामाविशंति सुविमूढचेतसः
Fools, their minds greatly deluded, imagine beauty in the bodies of women, which are in truth made of flesh, blood, filth, and urine, devoid of qualities and impure.
दारुणा हि परिकीर्तितांगना साधुभिर्विमलबुद्धिभिर्बुधैः । यावदेव न समीपगा इमास्तावदेव हि गृहं व्रजाम्यहम्
Women have been described as harsh by the wise, whose minds are pure; as long as these women do not approach, I will return home.
समीपं तस्य यावन्न आगच्छंति वरस्त्रियः । वैष्णवेन प्रभावेण तावदंतर्दधे द्विजः
Until those noble women came near, by the power of Viṣṇu, the brāhmaṇa vanished from sight.
तस्य योगबलाद्भूप गतस्यादर्शनं तदा । दृष्ट्वा तदद्भुतं कर्म वैष्णवब्रह्मचारिणः
Then, O king, by the strength of his yoga, he became invisible; seeing this wondrous act of the Vaiṣṇava celibate, they were amazed.
वित्रस्तनयना बाला कुरंग्य इव कातराः । संक्रांतनयनाः शून्या ददृशुस्ता दिशोदश
The young women, their eyes filled with fear, timid like deer, gazed about in all directions with anxious, empty looks.
कन्या ऊचुः-। इंद्रजालं स्फुटं वेत्ति मायां जानाति वा पुनः । दृष्टोऽप्यदृष्टरूपोभूदित्यूचुस्ताः परस्परम्
The maidens said: 'He surely knows magic, or perhaps he understands illusion; though seen, he became unseen,' thus they spoke among themselves.
व्याप्तं च हृदयं तासां तदैव विरहाग्निना । ज्वलद्दावानलेनेव सुस्निग्धं सर्वकाननम्
At that very moment, their hearts were consumed by the fire of separation, just as a lush forest is burned by a blazing wildfire.
त्यजेंद्रजालिकां विद्यां कांत दर्शय सत्वरम् । आत्मानं न हि ते युक्तं प्राग्ग्रासे मक्षिकोपमम्
'Abandon your magical arts, beloved, show yourself quickly; it is not fitting for you to hide like a fly before its prey.'
हा कष्टं दर्शितः कस्माद्धात्रा त्वं घटितः कुतः । ज्ञातं महानुसंतापहेतुर्नः स्वं विनिर्मितः
'Alas, why have you been shown to us, why have you been brought here by the Creator? Now we know you are the cause of our great suffering, fashioned just for us.'
कच्चित्ते निर्दयं चेतः कच्चिदस्मासु नो मतिः । कच्चित्क्रूरोऽसि हे कांत कच्चिन्मुष्णासि नो मनः
'Is your heart truly merciless, is your mind not with us? Are you cruel, beloved, do you steal our hearts?'
कच्चिन्न प्रत्ययोस्मा सु कच्चिदस्मान्परीक्षसे । कच्चिन्निर्ममता शीलः कच्चिन्मायाविशारदः
'Do you not care for us at all, do you test us? Are you by nature without affection, are you skilled in illusion?'
कच्चिच्चित्ते प्रवेष्टुं च वेत्सि विज्ञानलाघवम् । कच्चिन्निष्क्रमणोपायं न जानासि कुतः पुनः
'Do you know how to enter the mind, understanding the subtlety of knowledge? Or do you not know the way to depart—how could that be?'
कच्चिद्विनापराधं तु किमस्मासु प्रकुप्यसे । कच्चिद्दुःखं न जानासि परेषां विप्रलंभनम्
'Without any fault of ours, why are you angry with us? Do you not know the pain of others who are separated?'
त्वद्दर्शनं विना नष्टा हृदयेश्वर सांप्रतम् । न जीवामोऽथ जीवामः पुनस्त्वद्दर्शनाशया
'O lord of our hearts, now we are lost without seeing you; we do not live, or if we live, it is only in hope of seeing you again.'
वयं च नीयतां तत्र शीघ्रं यत्र गतो भवान् । त्वद्दर्शनहरो धाता व्यधान्मोदांकुरच्छिदाम्
'Let us be taken quickly to wherever you have gone; the Creator, who has deprived us of your sight, has cut off the sprouts of our joy.'
सर्वथा दर्शनं देहि कारुण्यं भज सर्वथा । पर्य्यंतं न प्रपश्यंति कस्य चित्सुजना जनाः
'By all means, grant us your sight, show compassion in every way; for good people never see the end of their kindness toward anyone.'
इत्थं विलप्यताः कन्याः प्रतीक्ष्य च बहुक्षणम् । पितुर्भयाद्गृहं गंतुं शीघ्रमारेभिरे ततः
Thus the maidens lamented, and after waiting a long time, out of fear of their father, they quickly set out to return home.
तत्प्रेमनिगडैर्बद्धा भृशं विरहविक्लवाः । कथंचिद्धैर्यमालंब्य ताः स्वंस्वं गृहमागताः
Bound by the chains of that love, greatly distressed by separation, they somehow gathered their composure and returned to their respective homes.
आगत्य पतिताः सर्वा मातॄणां तु समीपतः । किमेतन्मातृभिः पृष्टाः कुतः कालात्ययोऽभवत्
Arriving, all of them fell at the feet of their mothers; questioned by their mothers, 'What is this? Why such a delay?'