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?'
क्रीडंत्यः किन्नरीभिस्तु सार्द्धं संगतकं यदा । संस्थितास्तेन न ज्ञातो दिवसोऽच्छोदसरोवरे
While playing with the Kinnari women together with the companion, we did not notice the passing of the day at the clear lake.
पथि श्रांता वयं मातः संतापस्तेन नस्तनौ । मोहेन महता वक्तुं न केनाप्युत्सहामहे
On the way, we became weary, mother; that caused us distress. Due to great bewilderment, none of us had the courage to speak.
इत्युक्त्वा लुठितास्तत्र मणिभूमौ कुमारिकाः । आकारं गोपयंत्यस्ता मुग्धा जल्पंति मातृभिः
Having said this, the maidens lay there on the jeweled floor, concealing their feelings, innocently conversing with their mothers.
काचिन्नर्तयति क्रीडामयूरं न मुदा तदा । न पाठयति तं कीरं पंजरेऽन्या कुतूहलात्
One does not make the playful peacock dance with joy; another does not recite to the parrot in the cage out of curiosity.
लालयेन्नकुलं नान्या नोल्लापयति सारिकाम् । अपरातीव संमुग्धा नैव खेलति सारसैः
Another does not fondle the mongoose, nor does she converse with the myna; yet another, as if utterly enchanted, does not play with the cranes.
भेजिरे न विनोदं ता रेमिरे नैव मंदिरे । ऊचिरे बांधवैर्नालं वीणावाद्यं न चक्रिरे
They did not seek amusement, nor did they delight in the pavilion; they did not speak with their relatives, nor did they play the lute.
कल्पद्रुमप्रसूनं यत्सर्वं तच्चानलोपमम् । मंदारकुसुमामोदि न पपुर्मधुरं मधु
All the flowers of the wish-fulfilling tree, though like fire, and the fragrance of mandara blossoms, did not taste sweet to them.
योगिन्य इव ताः कन्या नासाग्रन्यस्तलोचनाः । अलक्ष्यध्यानसंतानाः पुरुषोत्तममानसाः
Like yoginis, those maidens, with their gaze fixed at the tip of their noses, their meditation unperceived, their minds absorbed in the Supreme Person.
चंद्रकांतमणिच्छन्ने स्रवद्वारिणि कंदरे । क्षणं वातायने स्थित्वा जलयंत्रगृहेक्षणम्
Covered by moonstone, in a cave with dripping water, they stood for a moment at the window, gazing at the waterworks of the house.
रचयंति क्षणं शय्यां दीर्घिकां भोजिनीदलैः । वीज्यमानाः सखीभिस्ताः शीतलैर्नलिनीदलैः
For a moment, they arranged their beds with leaves from the dining pond; fanned by their friends with cool lotus leaves.