कार्यं नु दैवाद्यदि सिद्धिमागतं तस्मिन्नुपेक्षां न च यांति नीतिगाः । यस्मादुपेक्षा न पुनः फलप्रदा तस्मान्न दीर्घीकरणं प्रशस्यते
If, by fate or other means, success has come, those who follow reason do not neglect it; for neglect does not again yield fruit, therefore prolonging is not praised.
विषादप्यमृतं ग्राह्यममेध्यादपि कांचनम् । नीचादप्युत्तमां विद्यां स्त्रीरत्नं दुष्कुलादपि
Even nectar may be taken from poison, gold from filth, excellent knowledge from the lowly, and a jewel among women from a bad family.
सांद्रानुरागाः कुलजन्मनिर्मलाः स्नेहार्द्रचित्ता सुगिरः स्वयंवराः । कन्या सुरूपाः खलु चारुयौवना धन्या लभंतेऽत्र नरास्तु नेतरे
Girls of pure lineage, full of deep affection, tender-hearted, sweet-voiced, choosing their own husbands, beautiful and in lovely youth—truly, only fortunate men obtain them here, not others.
क्व वयं सुरसुंदर्य्यः क्व भवांस्तापसो बटुः । दुर्घटस्य विधानेन मन्ये धातैव पंडितः
Where are we, divine beauties, and where are you, ascetic youth? By the arrangement of the impossible, I think the Creator is indeed wise.
तस्मादस्मानिदानीं तु स्वीकुर्य्यात्मंगलं भवान् । गांधर्वेण विवाहेन अन्यथा नोपजीवनम्
Therefore, now you should accept auspiciousness for yourself, by Gandharva marriage; otherwise, there is no livelihood.
श्रुत्वा वाक्यं ततः प्राह ब्राह्मणो धर्मवित्तमः । भो मृगाक्ष्यः कथं त्याज्यो धर्मो धर्मधनैर्नरैः
Hearing these words, the Brahmin, most knowledgeable in dharma, spoke: 'O doe-eyed ones, how can dharma be abandoned by those who possess dharma and wealth?'
धर्मश्चार्थश्चकामश्च मोक्षश्चैतच्चतुष्टयम् । यथोक्तं फलदं ज्ञेयं विपरीतं तु निष्फलम्
Dharma, wealth, desire, and liberation—this fourfold set, as stated, is to be known as fruitful; the contrary is fruitless.
नाकालेऽहं व्रती कुर्यामतो दारपरिग्रहम् । न क्रिया फलमाप्नोति क्रियाकालं न वेत्ति यः
I would not take a wife at the wrong time while observing a vow; an act does not bear fruit if one does not know its proper time.
यतो धर्मविचारेऽस्मिन्प्रसक्तं मम मानसम् । तस्माच्छृणुत हे कन्या न समीहे स्वयंवरम्
Since my mind is engaged in the inquiry of dharma, therefore, listen, O maidens—I do not desire a self-choice marriage.
एवं ज्ञात्वाशयं तस्य समीक्ष्यैव परस्परम् । करात्करं विमुच्याथ जग्राहांघ्रिं प्रमोहिनी
Thus understanding his intention, and looking at each other, the enchantress released her hand from his and seized his feet.
भुजौ जगृहतुस्तस्य सुशीला सुस्वरा तथा । आलिलिंग सुतारा च वक्त्रं चुंबति चंद्रिका
The virtuous and sweet-voiced women embraced his arms; Sutara embraced him, and Chandrika kissed his face.
तथापि निर्विकारोऽसौ प्रलयानलसन्निभः । शशाप ब्रह्मचारी ताः क्रोधेनात्यंतमूर्छितः
Still, he remained unmoved, like the fire of dissolution; the celibate cursed them, overwhelmed with extreme anger.
पिशाच्य इव मां लग्ना तत्पिशाच्यो भविष्यथ । एवं तेनाशु शप्तास्तास्तं त्यक्त्वा पुरतः स्थिताः
Like fiendesses, you have clung to me; therefore, you shall become fiendesses. Thus, he quickly cursed them, and they stood before him, abandoning him.
किमेतच्चेष्टितं पापं ह्यनागसि विचेष्टया । प्रियंकृतोऽप्रियंकृत्वा धिक्त्वां धर्मकृतांतकम्
What is this sinful act, committed against one innocent? Having done what is unkind to one who was kind, shame on you, destroyer of dharma!
अनुरक्तेषु भक्तेषु मित्रेषु द्रोहकारिणः । पुंसो लोकोभयोः सौख्यं नाशमेतीति नः श्रुतम्
It is heard by us that happiness is destroyed for a person who acts treacherously among those who are loving, devoted, and friendly, both in this world and the next.
तस्मात्त्वमपि नः शापात्पिशाचो भव सत्वरम् । इत्युक्त्वापि च ता बाला निःश्वसंत्यः क्रुधाकुलाः
Therefore, you too, because of our curse, become a piśāca at once; having spoken thus, those girls, overwhelmed with anger, sighed deeply.
तदेवान्योन्यसंरंभात्तस्मिन्सरसि पार्थिव । ताः कन्या ब्रह्मचारी च सर्वे पैशाच्यमागताः
Then, O king, because of mutual agitation, in that lake, those maidens and the celibate all became piśācas.
स पिशाचः पिशाच्यस्ताः क्रंदमानाः सुदारुणम् । क्षपयंति विपाकांस्तान्पूर्वोपात्तस्य कर्म्मणः
That piśāca and those piśācis, wailing terribly, undergo the consequences of actions previously committed.
स्वकाले प्रभवत्येव पूर्वोपात्तं शुभाशुभम् । स्वच्छायामिव दुर्वारं देवानामपि पार्थिव
At its proper time, the good and bad previously acquired surely manifest, O king, just as one's own shadow, irresistible 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, lament here and there; for destiny is difficult to overcome.
अतऊर्ध्वं पिशाचास्ते आहारार्थं सुदुःखिताः । इतस्ततश्च धावंतो वसंति सरसस्तटे
From then on, those piśācas, greatly distressed for food, wander here and there, dwelling on the banks of the lake.
नारद उवाच- एवं बहुतिथे काले लोमशो मुनिसत्तमः । आगतश्च महाभागस्तत्र यादृच्छिको मुनि
Nārada said: After a long time, the eminent sage Lomaśa, endowed with great fortune, 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 groups, desiring to eat.
दह्यमानास्तु तीव्रेण तेजसा लोमशस्य तु । असमर्थाः पुरः स्थातुं ते सर्वे दूरतः स्थिताः
Burned by the intense radiance of Lomaśa, they were unable to stand before him and all remained at a distance.
तत्र पूर्वकर्मबलात्पिशाचः सह वै द्विजः । समीक्ष्य लोमशं राजन्साष्टांगं प्रणिपत्य च
There, by the force of previous karma, the piśāca along with the twice-born, seeing Lomaśa, O king, 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 fortunate one, the association of the virtuous is auspicious.'
गंगादिपुण्यतीर्थेषु यो नरः स्नाति सर्वथा । यः करोति सतां संगं तयोः सत्संगमो वरः
Whoever bathes at the holy fords like the Ganges, and whoever associates with the virtuous—of these, association with the virtuous is superior.
गुरूणां संगमो विप्र दृष्टादृष्टफलो भुवि । स्वर्गदो रोगहारी च किं तमोपहरो मतः
Association with gurus, O brāhmaṇa, 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 said this, he began to recount the wondrous previous events: 'These are Gandharva maidens, O sage, and I am the son of a twice-born.'
सर्वे पिशाचरूपेण मिथः शापविमोहिताः । दीनाननास्सुतिष्ठामस्तवाग्रे मुनिसत्तम
All, bewildered by the curse, have taken the form of piśācas; with miserable faces, we stand before you, O eminent sage.