गाधिसंभवपराशरादयः कंडुदेवलमुखाश्च ये द्विजाः । तेऽपि योगि बलिनो विमोहिताः लीलया तदबलाभिरद्भुतम्
Even the twice-born, such as Paraśara descended from Gādhi, and Kaṇḍu and Devala and others, though powerful in yoga, were wondrously deluded by those women, as if in play.
योषितां नयनतीक्ष्णसायकैर्भ्रूलतासुदृढचापनिर्गतैः । धन्विना मकरकेतुना हतः कस्य नो पतति वामनो मृगः
Who is not struck down by the archer Makaradhvaja, with his sharp arrows of women's glances, loosed from the strong bows of their arched brows? Even the little deer falls.
तावदेव नयधीर्विराजते तावदेव जनताभयं भवेत् । तावदेव धृतचित्तता भृशं तावदेव गणना कुलस्य च
So long does wisdom shine, so long does a person's reputation remain safe, so long does steadfastness of mind endure, and so long is family honor counted—
तावदेव तपसः प्रगल्भता तावदेव शमसेवनं नृणाम् । यावदेव ललनेक्षणा स वैर्माद्यते द्रुतमदैर्न पूरुषः
So long does ascetic power flourish, so long do men practice self-restraint, 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 ways; but these here delight and intoxicate me with their virtues, for I am devoted to the protection of dharma.
मांसरक्तमलमूत्रनिर्मिते योषितां वपुषि निर्गुणेऽशुचौ । कामिनस्तु परिकल्प्य चारुतामाविशंति सुविमूढचेतसः
Those whose minds are truly deluded imagine beauty in the bodies of women, which are made of flesh, blood, filth, and urine, and are without real 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 and clear; as long as these do not come near, I will return home.
समीपं तस्य यावन्न आगच्छंति वरस्त्रियः । वैष्णवेन प्रभावेण तावदंतर्दधे द्विजः
Before those noble women could approach, the brahmin vanished by the power of Viṣṇu.
तस्य योगबलाद्भूप गतस्यादर्शनं तदा । दृष्ट्वा तदद्भुतं कर्म वैष्णवब्रह्मचारिणः
By the strength of his yoga, O king, he became invisible; seeing that wondrous act of the Viṣṇu-devoted celibate—
वित्रस्तनयना बाला कुरंग्य इव कातराः । संक्रांतनयनाः शून्या ददृशुस्ता दिशोदश
The young women, their eyes filled with fear, timid as deer, looked around in all directions with anxious, wandering gazes.
कन्या ऊचुः-। इंद्रजालं स्फुटं वेत्ति मायां जानाति वा पुनः । दृष्टोऽप्यदृष्टरूपोभूदित्यूचुस्ताः परस्परम्
The maidens said: 'He clearly knows magic and understands illusion; though seen, he became invisible in form—so 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 set ablaze by a raging wildfire.
त्यजेंद्रजालिकां विद्यां कांत दर्शय सत्वरम् । आत्मानं न हि ते युक्तं प्राग्ग्रासे मक्षिकोपमम्
Abandon your magical arts, beloved, and show yourself quickly; it is not fitting for you to vanish like a fly before our eyes.
हा कष्टं दर्शितः कस्माद्धात्रा त्वं घटितः कुतः । ज्ञातं महानुसंतापहेतुर्नः स्वं विनिर्मितः
Alas, how painful! Why were you shown to us? By whom were you brought here? We now know you were created only to be the cause of our great sorrow.
कच्चित्ते निर्दयं चेतः कच्चिदस्मासु नो मतिः । कच्चित्क्रूरोऽसि हे कांत कच्चिन्मुष्णासि नो मनः
Is your heart truly merciless? Do you have no thought for us? Are you cruel, beloved? Have you stolen our minds?
कच्चिन्न प्रत्ययोस्मा सु कच्चिदस्मान्परीक्षसे । कच्चिन्निर्ममता शीलः कच्चिन्मायाविशारदः
Have you not come to meet us? Are you testing us? Is your nature devoid of affection? Are you an expert in deception?
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 is it so?
कच्चिद्विनापराधं तु किमस्मासु प्रकुप्यसे । कच्चिद्दुःखं न जानासि परेषां विप्रलंभनम्
Do you become angry with us without cause? Do you not know the pain of others who are separated and deceived?
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, yet we live on 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 deprived us of your sight has destroyed 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. Good people never see the end of longing for anyone.
इत्थं विलप्यताः कन्याः प्रतीक्ष्य च बहुक्षणम् । पितुर्भयाद्गृहं गंतुं शीघ्रमारेभिरे ततः
Thus lamenting, the maidens, after waiting a long time, out of fear of their father, quickly set out to return home.
तत्प्रेमनिगडैर्बद्धा भृशं विरहविक्लवाः । कथंचिद्धैर्यमालंब्य ताः स्वंस्वं गृहमागताः
Bound tightly by the chains of love and distressed by separation, somehow regaining their composure, they each returned to their own homes.
आगत्य पतिताः सर्वा मातॄणां तु समीपतः । किमेतन्मातृभिः पृष्टाः कुतः कालात्ययोऽभवत्
Arriving, they all fell before their mothers; when asked by their mothers, 'What is this? Why have you come so late?'
क्रीडंत्यः किन्नरीभिस्तु सार्द्धं संगतकं यदा । संस्थितास्तेन न ज्ञातो दिवसोऽच्छोदसरोवरे
While playing with the Kinnari maidens, we did not notice the day passing by at the clear lake because we were absorbed with him.
पथि श्रांता वयं मातः संतापस्तेन नस्तनौ । मोहेन महता वक्तुं न केनाप्युत्सहामहे
Mother, we are weary from the journey; that encounter has exhausted us. Because of great bewilderment, none of us are able to speak.
इत्युक्त्वा लुठितास्तत्र मणिभूमौ कुमारिकाः । आकारं गोपयंत्यस्ता मुग्धा जल्पंति मातृभिः
Saying this, the maidens collapsed 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 peacock of play dance with joy, nor does another eagerly make the parrot in the cage recite its words.
लालयेन्नकुलं नान्या नोल्लापयति सारिकाम् । अपरातीव संमुग्धा नैव खेलति सारसैः
She no longer fondles the mongoose, nor does she coax the mynah bird; as if bewildered by some offense, she does not play with the cranes.
भेजिरे न विनोदं ता रेमिरे नैव मंदिरे । ऊचिरे बांधवैर्नालं वीणावाद्यं न चक्रिरे
They found no delight, nor did they take pleasure in the temple; they told their companions, 'enough,' and did not play the lute.