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.
कल्पद्रुमप्रसूनं यत्सर्वं तच्चानलोपमम् । मंदारकुसुमामोदि न पपुर्मधुरं मधु
All the flowers of the wish-fulfilling tree seemed like fire; though the mandāra flowers were fragrant, they did not drink the sweet honey.
योगिन्य इव ताः कन्या नासाग्रन्यस्तलोचनाः । अलक्ष्यध्यानसंतानाः पुरुषोत्तममानसाः
Those maidens, like yoginis, kept their gaze fixed at the tip of their noses; their stream of meditation was unperceived, their minds set on the Supreme Person.
चंद्रकांतमणिच्छन्ने स्रवद्वारिणि कंदरे । क्षणं वातायने स्थित्वा जलयंत्रगृहेक्षणम्
In a cave veiled by moonstone, where water trickled down, they stood for a moment at the window, gazing at the waterworks.
रचयंति क्षणं शय्यां दीर्घिकां भोजिनीदलैः । वीज्यमानाः सखीभिस्ताः शीतलैर्नलिनीदलैः
For a moment they arranged their beds with leaves from the dining lotus pond, while their friends fanned them with cool lotus leaves.
इत्थं युगसमां रात्रिमनयंस्ता वरस्त्रियः । कथंचिद्धारणं कृत्वा विह्वलाः सज्वरा इव
Thus, those noble women passed the night, which seemed as long as an age, somehow maintaining their composure, as if feverish and distraught.
प्रातर्व्योममणिं दृष्ट्वा मन्यमानाः स्वजीवितम् । विज्ञाप्य मातरं स्वांस्वां गौरीं पूजयितुं गताः
At dawn, seeing the celestial gem in the sky, thinking of their own lives, they informed their mothers and went to worship Gaurī.
स्नात्वा तेन विधानेन पुष्पैर्धूपैस्तथा पुनः । विधाय पूजनं देव्या गायंत्यस्तत्र ताः स्थिताः
Having bathed according to the prescribed rite, with flowers and incense as before, they performed the worship of the goddess and stood there singing.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे विप्रः स्नातुं सोऽपि समागतः । पितुराश्रमतस्तस्मादच्छोदेऽत्र सरोवरे
Meanwhile, the brahmin also arrived there to bathe, having come from his father's hermitage to this pure lake.
मित्रं दृष्ट्वैव रात्र्यंते पद्मिन्य इव कन्यकाः । तत्फुल्लनयना जातास्तं दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्मचारिणम्
Seeing their friend at the end of the night, the maidens became like lotuses with blooming eyes, beholding the celibate youth.
गत्वा तत्रैव ताः कन्या समीपं ब्रह्मचारिणः । सव्यापसव्यबंधेन भुजपाशं च चक्रिरे
The maidens went right up to the celibate youth and, with their arms, encircled him from both sides.
गतोऽसि प्रिय पूर्वेद्युर्गंतुमद्य न लभ्यते । वृतस्त्वं नूनमस्माभिर्नात्र तेऽस्ति विचारणा
'You left, dear, yesterday; today you cannot go. Surely you are claimed by us; you have no choice in this matter.'
इत्युक्तो ब्राह्मणः प्राह प्रहसन्बाहुपाशगः । युष्माभिरुच्यते भद्रमनुकूलं प्रियं वचः
Thus addressed, the brahmin, smiling while held in their embrace, said: 'You speak kindly and favorably, dear ones.'
प्रथमाश्रमनिष्ठस्य किंतु नश्येत मे व्रतम् । विद्याभ्यसनशीलस्य नाभूत्पारं गुरोः कुले
'But for one devoted to the first stage of life, my vow would be destroyed; for one intent on study, there is no crossing over in the teacher's house.'
आश्रमे यत्र यो धर्मो रक्षणीयः सुपंडितैः । विवाहोऽयमतो मन्ये न धर्म इति कन्यकाः
'In the hermitage, the duty that must be protected by the learned is this: marriage, therefore, I think, is not dharma here,' said the maidens.
आकर्ण्य विप्रवाक्यानि विप्रमूचुर्वरस्त्रियः । सकलध्वनिसोत्कंठ्यो कोकिलाइव माधवे
Hearing the words of the brahmin, the noble women replied, longing for all sounds like cuckoos in spring.
धर्मादर्थोऽर्थतः कामः कामात्सुखफलोदयः । इत्येवं निश्चयज्ञास्ते वर्णयंति विपश्चितः
'From dharma comes wealth, from wealth comes desire, and from desire arises the fruit of happiness—thus, the wise describe the sequence of certainty.'
सकामो धर्मबाहुल्यात्पुरतस्ते समुत्थितः । सेव्यतां विविधैर्भोगैः स्वच्छाभूमिरियं यतः
Desiring, and due to the abundance of dharma, you arose earlier; let this pure land be enjoyed with various pleasures, for it is yours.
श्रुत्वा तद्वचनं तासां प्राह गंभीरया गिरा । तथ्यं वो वचनं किंतु ममाप्यावश्यकं व्रतम्
Hearing their words, he replied in a deep voice: 'Your words are true, but I too have a necessary vow.'
प्राप्यानुज्ञां गुरोः कुर्वे विवाहकर्म नान्यथा । इत्युक्ताः पुनरूचुस्ताः स्फुटं मूढोऽसि सुंदर
Having obtained the teacher's permission, I will perform the marriage rite, not otherwise.' Thus spoken to, they replied again, clearly: 'You are foolish, O handsome one.'
सिद्धौषधं ब्रह्मधिया रसायनं सिद्धिर्निधिः साधुकुला वरांगनाः । मंत्रस्तथा सिद्धरसश्च धर्मतो मुने निषेव्याः सुधिया समागताः
Perfect medicine, the elixir of Brahma-mind, accomplished wealth, noble families, excellent women, mantra, and the perfected essence—all these, O sage, should be enjoyed righteously by the wise when they come together.