पितुरत्रोटजे तावत्स्थातव्यं हि मया मम । यावत्तु कर्मणां भुक्तः प्रारब्धानां महीतले
Here, at my father's shrine, I must remain until the fruits of my actions, begun on earth, are exhausted.
एवं विचिंतयित्वा च पितुः कृत्वा तु सत्क्रियाम् । रक्षसा तेन सहितः स्थितोऽहं मोक्षवांछया
Having thus considered, and having performed proper rites for my father, I remained here with the rākṣasa, desiring liberation.
इति श्रीपाद्मेमहापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे कालिंदीमाहात्म्ये चतुरधिकद्विशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the two hundred and fourth chapter, concerning the glory of the Kālindī, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa of the great Padma Purāṇa, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
सौभरिरुवाच- धर्मराजशिबिः श्रीमानाकर्ण्य तद्वचो मुनेः । नारदस्याब्रवीत्प्रीतमना इति तमुत्तमम्
Saubhari said: The illustrious king Śibi, having heard the sage Nārada's words, addressed him with a delighted mind, thus speaking to that noble one.
शिबिरुवाच- मुने तीर्थवरस्यास्य निगमोद्बोध कस्य ते । माहात्म्यं वर्णितं सम्यक्श्रुतं पापहरं मया
Śibi said: O sage, I have listened to you describe in detail the greatness of this foremost tīrtha, as revealed in the scriptures, and its power to remove sin.
इंद्रप्रस्थेत्र शतशः संति तीर्थानि वै मुने । अन्यस्यापि समाचक्ष्व माहात्म्यं यदि विद्यते
O sage, in Indraprastha there are indeed hundreds of tīrthas; if there is any other whose greatness is known to you, please tell me about it as well.
नारद उवाच- इंद्रप्रस्थांतरावर्तिन्येषा या द्वारका नृप । अस्यां पुरा हि यद्वृत्तं तत्ते वच्मि शृणुष्व मे
Nārada said: O king, within Indraprastha there is a place called Dvārakā; I shall tell you what happened there in ancient times—listen to me.
काम्पिल्येऽथ द्विजः कश्चित् पुष्पेषुर्मूर्तिमानिव । सर्वासां योषितां चित्तहारी स्यादग्रविभ्रमैः
In Kāmpilya, there was a certain brāhmaṇa named Puṣpeṣur, who seemed to be the very embodiment of beauty, captivating the hearts of all women with his exceptional charm.
संगीतविद्याकुशलः कोकिलामधुरध्वनिः । एकदा स करे वीणां धारयन्वादयन्मुहुः
Skilled in the art of music, with a voice as sweet as a cuckoo’s, he would often take up his vīṇā and play it repeatedly.
कंठेन कोकिलालाप मधुरेण नराधिप । गायन्बभ्राम नगरे प्रतिरथ्यं महामतिः
With a melodious voice like a cuckoo’s, that wise man wandered through the city, singing in every street.
तस्य गीतिध्वनिं श्रुत्वा मूर्छनातानसंयुतम् । त्वक्त्वा स्वगृहकार्याणि तमीयुः पौरयोषितः
Hearing the sound of his singing, adorned with notes and melodies, the city’s women abandoned their household duties and came to him.
मोहितास्तस्य रूपेण कामवेगं न सेहिरे । जाता स्खलितवीर्यास्ता गीतं श्रुत्वा समक्षतः
Enchanted by his appearance, they could not withstand the surge of desire; upon hearing his song in person, they lost control of themselves.
ब्रह्मणो मानसं येन लोभितं भारतीं प्रति । शिवस्यार्द्धशरीरं च पार्वत्यै येन दापितम्
He was the one who tempted Brahmā’s mind toward Sarasvatī, and who caused Śiva to give half his body to Pārvatī.
ताभ्यामन्यो जनो लोके वशी वा ज्ञानवानपि । यः स्मरं तं क्षमो जेतुं स्त्रियः प्रकृतिचंचलाः
Except for those two, no one else in the world—no matter how self-controlled or wise—can conquer Kāmadeva; women by nature are fickle.
ताः स्मरावेशमासोढुं न साध्योपि विषेहिरे । वक्तव्यमिति किं राजन्लोके कामो हि दुर्जयः
Even those women could not endure the onslaught of desire, though they tried; what more can be said, O king? For in this world, Kāmadeva is truly hard to overcome.
अथ तास्तत्र तत्रेयुर्यत्र यत्र व्रजत्यसौ । प्रगायन्कंठवीणाभ्यां प्रगायन्स्वरमोहितः
Then, wherever he went, singing and playing the vīṇā with his enchanting voice, they followed him there.
तासां पतिसुतभ्रातृपितरोऽथ नराधिप । आगत्य भर्त्सयित्वा ता निन्युः स्वान्स्वान्गृहान्प्रति
Their husbands, sons, brothers, and fathers, O king, came and rebuked them, then led each woman back to her own home.
तमन्विष्य पुनस्तास्तु जग्मुः सर्वास्तदंतिके । यदा तदा पौरजना वृत्तं तत्प्राहुरीश्वरे
But after searching for him, all those women again went to him; whenever this happened, the townspeople reported it to the king.
राजापि तं समाहूय पप्रच्छ रहसि द्विजम् । केन मंत्रेण भो विप्र मोहितास्ताः पुरस्त्रियः
The king summoned that brāhmaṇa in private and asked: 'O brāhmaṇa, by what mantra have you enchanted the women of the city?'
तन्ममाचक्ष्व विप्रेंद्र दास्यामि बहु ते धनम् । नोचेन्निष्कासयामि त्वां निजराज्यान्न संशयः
'Tell me this, best of brāhmaṇas, and I will give you much wealth; otherwise, without doubt, I will expel you from my kingdom.'
नारद उवाच- श्रुत्वेति नृपतेर्वाक्यं नृपतिं स द्विजोत्तमः । उवाच सत्यं तस्याग्रे वचोरूपगुणार्णवः
Nārada said: Hearing the king’s words, that foremost brāhmaṇa, an ocean of eloquence and virtue, spoke the truth before the king.
द्विज उवाच- न मंत्रं नौषधं राजन्विद्यते मयि भिक्षुके । किंतु ते नगरे सर्वा योषितो ह्यजितेंद्रियाः
The brāhmaṇa said: 'O king, I am a beggar and possess neither mantra nor medicine; but in your city, all the women are without self-control.'
रूपं मम समालोक्य श्रुत्वा गीतध्वनिं तथा । स्मरवेगं सहंते न राजंस्तव पुरे स्त्रियः
O King, seeing my form and hearing the sound of my singing, the women in your city cannot endure the surge of passion.
किं करोमि महाराज कोऽपराधोस्ति मे विभो । पुराकृतमिवोल्लंघ्यं शासनं न महीपते
What am I to do, great King? What fault is mine, O Lord? I have not transgressed any command previously established, O ruler of the earth.
नारद उवाच- उशीनरशीबे राजन्नेवं कथयति द्विजे । सर्वे पौराः समेत्याथ प्रावदन्निति भूपतिम्
Nārada said: O King of the Uśīnaras, as he thus spoke to the king, all the citizens gathered together and addressed the king as follows.
पौरा ऊचुः - राजन्ननेन विप्रेण मोहिताः पौरयोषितः । गृहेषु न हि तिष्ठंति ह्यस्माभिरनिवारिताः
The citizens said: O King, by this brāhmaṇa our city’s women have been enchanted; they no longer remain in their homes, nor can we restrain them.
यद्ययं मोहनः स्त्रीणां नगरे वत्स्यति प्रभो । तदा देशांतराण्येव यास्यामो वयमद्य वै । गतोऽस्माकं वृषो देवो हव्यकव्यक्रियात्मकः
If this enchanter of women stays in the city, O Lord, then today we will go to other lands; our divine bull, the source of sacrificial rites, has departed from us.
तमनुप्रस्थितात्क्षेत्राद्गौरियं पापिनामिव । विना तं शरणं यातं त्यक्तश्रीभिर्नरेश्वर
Just as the goddess Gaurī departs from the field of the wicked, so too, without him as refuge, those bereft of prosperity have left, O King.
अथैनमनुयास्यंति वासिताभिर्वृषं यथा । शून्यालये कथं लक्ष्मीर्यत्नतोप्यवतिष्ठति
Then, as cows follow their bull, the women, made fragrant, will follow him; how can prosperity remain in an empty house, however much one tries?
धर्मोऽर्थश्च गृहं चैतत् त्रयं स्त्रीवशगं यतः । कांताधर्म धनाधीना तयोर्नाशे न तिष्ठति
Dharma, wealth, and the household—these three are under the power of women; since dharma and wealth depend on the beloved, when they are lost, nothing remains.