तस्मादस्मानिदानीं तु स्वीकुर्य्यात्मंगलं भवान् । गांधर्वेण विवाहेन अन्यथा नोपजीवनम्
Therefore, now, accept your own good fortune, sir, by Gandharva marriage; otherwise, there will be no livelihood.
श्रुत्वा वाक्यं ततः प्राह ब्राह्मणो धर्मवित्तमः । भो मृगाक्ष्यः कथं त्याज्यो धर्मो धर्मधनैर्नरैः
Hearing their words, the Brahmin, best knower of dharma, replied: 'O doe-eyed ones, how can dharma be abandoned by men for the sake of wealth?'
धर्मश्चार्थश्चकामश्च मोक्षश्चैतच्चतुष्टयम् । यथोक्तं फलदं ज्ञेयं विपरीतं तु निष्फलम्
Dharma, wealth, desire, and liberation—these four, as stated, are to be known as fruitful; the contrary is fruitless.
नाकालेऽहं व्रती कुर्यामतो दारपरिग्रहम् । न क्रिया फलमाप्नोति क्रियाकालं न वेत्ति यः
I will not, out of season, as one under vow, take a wife; for an act does not bear fruit if one does not know the proper time for it.
यतो धर्मविचारेऽस्मिन्प्रसक्तं मम मानसम् । तस्माच्छृणुत हे कन्या न समीहे स्वयंवरम्
Because my mind is absorbed in the consideration of dharma in this matter, therefore, O maidens, listen: I do not desire a svayamvara.
एवं ज्ञात्वाशयं तस्य समीक्ष्यैव परस्परम् । करात्करं विमुच्याथ जग्राहांघ्रिं प्रमोहिनी
Understanding his intention in this way, and having observed each other, Pramohinī released his hand and then grasped his feet.
भुजौ जगृहतुस्तस्य सुशीला सुस्वरा तथा । आलिलिंग सुतारा च वक्त्रं चुंबति चंद्रिका
Suśīlā and Susvarā took hold of his arms; Sutārā embraced him, and Candrikā kissed his face.
तथापि निर्विकारोऽसौ प्रलयानलसन्निभः । शशाप ब्रह्मचारी ताः क्रोधेनात्यंतमूर्छितः
Yet, he remained unmoved, like the fire at the end of the world; the brahmacārin, overwhelmed with anger, cursed them.
पिशाच्य इव मां लग्ना तत्पिशाच्यो भविष्यथ । एवं तेनाशु शप्तास्तास्तं त्यक्त्वा पुरतः स्थिताः
You have clung to me like piśācis—therefore, you shall become piśācis! Thus, having quickly cursed them, he stood before them.
किमेतच्चेष्टितं पापं ह्यनागसि विचेष्टया । प्रियंकृतोऽप्रियंकृत्वा धिक्त्वां धर्मकृतांतकम्
What is this sinful act you have done to one who is blameless? You have done what is hateful to one who showed you favor—shame on you, destroyers of dharma!
अनुरक्तेषु भक्तेषु मित्रेषु द्रोहकारिणः । पुंसो लोकोभयोः सौख्यं नाशमेतीति नः श्रुतम्
It is heard that happiness is destroyed in both worlds for a man who betrays those who love, are devoted, or are friends.
तस्मात्त्वमपि नः शापात्पिशाचो भव सत्वरम् । इत्युक्त्वापि च ता बाला निःश्वसंत्यः क्रुधाकुलाः
Therefore, you too, because of our curse, become a piśāca at once! Saying this, the girls, agitated with anger, sighed deeply.
तदेवान्योन्यसंरंभात्तस्मिन्सरसि पार्थिव । ताः कन्या ब्रह्मचारी च सर्वे पैशाच्यमागताः
Then, due to their mutual anger, in that very lake, O king, all those maidens and the brahmacārin became piśācas.
स पिशाचः पिशाच्यस्ताः क्रंदमानाः सुदारुणम् । क्षपयंति विपाकांस्तान्पूर्वोपात्तस्य कर्म्मणः
He became a piśāca, and they became piśācis, wailing terribly; they experience the results of their previous actions.
स्वकाले प्रभवत्येव पूर्वोपात्तं शुभाशुभम् । स्वच्छायामिव दुर्वारं देवानामपि पार्थिव
At its proper time, the good or bad previously committed surely bears fruit, O king, as inescapable as one's own shadow, even for the gods.
क्रंदंति पितरस्तासां मातरस्तत्र तत्र च । भ्रातरश्चैव बालानां दैवं हि दुरतिक्रमम्
The fathers and mothers of those girls, and their brothers too, cry out here and there; for fate is hard to overcome.
अतऊर्ध्वं पिशाचास्ते आहारार्थं सुदुःखिताः । इतस्ततश्च धावंतो वसंति सरसस्तटे
From then on, those piśācas, greatly distressed for food, roam here and there and dwell on the shore of the lake.
नारद उवाच- एवं बहुतिथे काले लोमशो मुनिसत्तमः । आगतश्च महाभागस्तत्र यादृच्छिको मुनि
Nārada said: After a long time had passed, the eminent sage Lomaśa, greatly fortunate, arrived there by chance.
तं दृष्ट्वा ब्राह्मणं सर्वे पिशाचाः क्षुत्समाकुलाः । धावंतो ह्यत्तुकामास्ते मिलित्वा यूथवर्तिनः
Seeing that brāhmaṇa, all the piśācas, tormented by hunger, rushed together in a group, desiring to eat.
दह्यमानास्तु तीव्रेण तेजसा लोमशस्य तु । असमर्थाः पुरः स्थातुं ते सर्वे दूरतः स्थिताः
But, scorched by the intense radiance of Lomaśa, they were unable to stand before him and all stood at a distance.
तत्र पूर्वकर्मबलात्पिशाचः सह वै द्विजः । समीक्ष्य लोमशं राजन्साष्टांगं प्रणिपत्य च
Then, by the power of previous karma, the piśāca along with the brāhmaṇa, O king, seeing Lomaśa, prostrated himself with eight limbs.
उवाच सूनृतां वाचं बद्ध्वा शिरसि चांजलिम् । महाभाग्योदये विप्र साधूनां संगतिर्भवेत्
He spoke gentle words, joining his hands on his head: 'O brāhmaṇa, when great fortune arises, the company of the virtuous occurs.'
गंगादिपुण्यतीर्थेषु यो नरः स्नाति सर्वथा । यः करोति सतां संगं तयोः सत्संगमो वरः
Among those who bathe at the sacred fords of the Ganges and other holy rivers, and those who associate with the virtuous, the company of the good is superior.
गुरूणां संगमो विप्र दृष्टादृष्टफलो भुवि । स्वर्गदो रोगहारी च किं तमोपहरो मतः
O Brahmin, the association with teachers yields visible and invisible results on earth; it grants heaven, removes disease, and is considered to dispel darkness.
इत्युक्त्वा कथयामास पूर्ववृत्तांतमद्भुतम् । इमा गंधर्वकन्यास्ता मुने सोऽहं द्विजात्मजः
Having spoken thus, he began to recount a wondrous tale from the past: 'O sage, I am the son of a twice-born, and these are Gandharva maidens.'
सर्वे पिशाचरूपेण मिथः शापविमोहिताः । दीनाननास्सुतिष्ठामस्तवाग्रे मुनिसत्तम
All of us, bewildered by a curse, have taken the form of spirits; with sorrowful faces, we stand before you, O best of sages.
त्वद्दर्शनेन बालानां निस्तारो नो भविष्यति । सूर्योदये तमस्तोमः किं नु लीयेत पुष्करे
By your sight, deliverance will come for us, O noble one; just as a mass of darkness vanishes at sunrise, so shall our affliction dissolve.
श्रुत्वैतल्लोमशो वाक्यं कृपार्द्रीकृतमानसः । प्रत्युवाच महातेजा दुःखितं तं मुनेः सुतम्
Hearing these words, Lomaśa, his heart softened with compassion, replied to the grieving son of the sage, radiant in his ascetic power.
मत्प्रसादाच्च सर्वेषां स्मृतिः सपदि जायताम् । धर्मे च वर्ततां येन मिथः शापो लयं व्रजेत्
By my grace, may memory arise instantly for all of you; by abiding in righteousness, may the curse among you come to an end.
पिशाच उवाच- महर्षे कथ्यतां धर्मो मुच्येम येन किल्बिषात् । नायं कालो विलंबस्य शापाग्निर्दारुणो यतः
The spirit said: 'Great sage, tell us the righteous act by which we may be freed from sin; this is no time for delay, for the fire of the curse is terrible.'