एवं विनिंद्य तं कामं तुष्टुवुस्तं द्विजोत्तमम् । शीलं स्वस्य च तासां च रक्षितं येन भूपते
Thus reviling the god of love, they praised that best of Brāhmaṇas, by whom their own virtue and that of the women was protected, O king.
धन्या सामुष्य जननी ययायं ब्राह्मणोत्तमः । स्मरजिन्निर्मितो लोके परधर्मस्य रक्षकः
Blessed is the mother of that noble Brāhmaṇa, by whom the conqueror of love was created in the world, the protector of others' virtue.
धिगस्तु नो राजलोकैर्हसिताः स्मरनिर्जिताः । याभिर्वाक्यमनोभ्यां च जनितं पापमुल्बणम्
Shame on us, laughed at by the royal people, conquered by the god of love, by whom great sin was produced through word and mind.
नारद उवाच- एवं विचिंतयंत्यस्ता एक्यमत्ययुताः स्त्रियः । जग्मुः स्वंस्वं गृहं सर्वा द्विजवाक्येन बोधिताः
Nārada said: Thus reflecting, those countless women, instructed by the words of the Brāhmaṇa, all returned to their own homes.
अथ राजापि कांपिल्यस्तं द्विजं वस्त्रभूषणैः । संपूज्य प्रेषयामास सद्गृहे संयतेंद्रियम्
Then the king of Kāmpilya, honoring that Brāhmaṇa with garments and ornaments, sent him to a noble house, self-controlled.
अथागच्छति काले तु कारूषाधिपतिर्बली । कांपिल्याधिपतिं सैन्यैर्नगरं रुरुधे तदा
Then, in due course, the mighty lord of Kārūṣa came and besieged the city of the king of Kāmpilya with his army.
तयोर्युद्धमभूद्घोरं तेन युद्धे स घातितः । नगरं लुठितं सर्वं हताः शूराश्च सर्वशः
A terrible battle took place between them; in that fight he was slain, the entire city was plundered, and all the heroes were killed.
ता स्त्रियः कालकूटं तु खादित्वा मरणं गताः । प्रायश्चित्तं तु न कृतं ताभिः पापस्य तस्य तु
Those women, having consumed deadly poison, met their death; but they did not perform any atonement for that sin.
येन पापेन ताः सर्वा भीषणाख्यस्य रक्षसः । राक्षस्यो नगरे जाता महाकाया भयानकाः
By what sin all those terrifying, great-bodied, fearsome rākṣasīs were born in the city of the dreadful-named rākṣasa,
तत्र ता निहिताः सर्वाः पुरनार्यो हनूमता । यज्ञांश्च रसतो जिष्णोस्तिष्ठतां रथकेतने
There, all those women were confined by Hanuman, the noble one of the city, while the victorious one, delighting in sacrifices, remained in the bannered chariot.
पुनस्ता एव राक्षस्यो बभूवुर्मारवेध्वनि । क्षुधार्ताश्च तृषार्ताश्च दर्शनेन भयप्रदाः
Again, those very rākṣasīs appeared on the battlefield, tormented by hunger and thirst, causing fear by their mere sight.
एवं तेन तु पापेन वाङ्मनोविहितेन तु । ताभिर्जन्मद्वयं प्राप्तं राक्षसीयोनिमिश्रितम्
Thus, through that sin, committed by word and mind, they obtained two births, mingled with the womb of rākṣasīs.
पापेन नाशितं तासां स नृपं नगरद्वयम् । अतएव न कर्त्तव्यं परकांतनिषेवणम्
By that sin, both the king and the two cities were destroyed; therefore, one must not consort with another's beloved.
नारीभिः पापभीताभिर्वाङ्मनोभ्यामपि प्रभो । रोगी जडो दरिद्रो वा नेत्राभ्यां वर्जितोऽपि वा । न त्याज्यः स्वपतिः स्त्रीभिः इच्छंतीभिस्तु सद्गतिम्
O Lord, even women who fear sin must not abandon their own husband—whether he is diseased, dull-witted, poor, or deprived of sight—by word or mind, if they desire the highest good.
कथितमिदं मया मनोवचोभ्यां जनितमघं च यदन्यकांतभक्त्या । फलमपि च यदेव लब्धमाभिस्तदपि शिबे बहुविस्तरेण तुभ्यम्
I have explained this, and also the sin produced by word and mind, as well as the fruit obtained by devotion to another's beloved, all this to you, O Śibi, in great detail.
इंद्रप्रस्थगता न ये ममनघा या द्वारका दृश्यते तास्तस्या जलबिंदुदेहपतनात्पौरस्त्रियो रेभिरे । स्वर्गं चित्तवचोऽन्यकांत भजनाज्जातं विमुच्वोल्बणं क्रव्यादत्वमवाप्य देववनिताभावं सुराह्लाददम्
Those pure women who did not go to Indraprastha but are seen in Dvārakā—when a drop of water fell from her body, the city women cried out; by devotion in thought and word to another's beloved, they attained a dreadful state as flesh-eaters, then, released, became divine women, bringing joy to the gods.
इति श्रीपाद्मेमहापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे कालिंदीमाहात्म्ये द्वारकावर्णंनंनाम षष्ठाधिकद्विशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, in the section of 55,000 verses, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa, in the greatness of Kāliṃdī, this is the two hundred and sixth chapter, named 'Description of Dvārakā.'
नारद उवाच- विमलस्तं द्विजं नीत्वा द्वारकायामिहागतः । पुनस्तौ सस्नतुं धीरौ श्रीपतेर्भक्तिकाम्यया । भूयः खे मेघगंभीरा वागासीदिति भूपते
Nārada said: Having brought that pure brāhmaṇa to Dvārakā, they came here; again, desiring devotion to the Lord, the wise ones bathed; then, O King, a voice deep as the clouds sounded in the sky.
आकाशवागुवाच- शृणुतं द्विजशार्दूलौ हरेस्तीर्थमिदं शुभम् । एतत्तीर्थ प्रसादाद्वां विष्णुभक्तिर्भविष्यति । यया जहाति लोकोऽयमविद्या मोहमुल्बणम्
The sky-voice said: Hear, O best of brāhmaṇas, this is the sacred tīrtha of Hari; by the grace of this tīrtha, you both will attain devotion to Viṣṇu, by which this world abandons ignorance and terrible delusion.
नारद उवाच- निशम्येतिद्विजश्रेष्ठौ तां वाचमशरीरिणीम् । प्रसादोऽयं हरेरासीदित्यूचाते परस्पराम्
Nārada said: Hearing that bodiless voice, the best of brāhmaṇas said to each other, 'This is the grace of Hari.'
स्नात्वा तौ विधिवत्तत्र लब्ध्वा भक्तिं हरेः पराम् । चेलतुः प्रणिपत्येदं भाषमाणौ मिथस्तदा
Having bathed there according to the proper rite, and having obtained supreme devotion to Hari, they moved about, bowing down, and spoke to each other at that time.
द्विजावूचतुः । यथावयोर्हि संयोगः पथिजातो विचारतः । यथा गृहकलत्रादि संयोगो भुवि जायते । सांप्रतं विरहोभावी यथा नौ मार्गवर्तिनौ
The two brāhmaṇas said: Just as our meeting occurred by chance on the road, so, on earth, the union of house, wife, and so on arises; now, separation is destined for us, as for travelers on a path.
तथादारसुतादीनां कालव्यास्यवर्तिनाम् । धन्यः स पुरुषो लोके यो दारसुतसंगमम्
So it is with wives, sons, and others, subject to the play of time; blessed is that man in the world who, knowing the fleeting nature of union with wife and son,
विज्ञाय क्षणिकं नित्यं संश्रयेत्श्रीपतिं भजेत् । नारद उवाच- स्मरणं करणीयं मे दासोऽहं त्वत्पदाश्रयः
Recognizing its transience, always seeks refuge in and worships the Lord; Nārada said: I must remember—I am your servant, sheltered at your feet.
संदेशः प्रेषणीयो मामित्युक्त्वा स्वगृहं गतौ । शृणु राजन्यथा तेन मित्रेण विमलस्य तु
Saying, 'A message must be sent by me,' they went to their own homes; listen, O King, to what happened next with Vimalā's friend.
मोक्षणं राक्षसीनां तु विहितं पथिगच्छता । व्रजन्स ब्राह्मणः प्राप्तस्तं देशं जलवर्जितम्
The liberation of the rākṣasīs was accomplished as he traveled the path; journeying, the brāhmaṇa reached that waterless region.
यत्र ताः पापविप्लुष्टा राक्षस्यः क्षुत्तृषाकुलाः । अथ ताः पथिगच्छंतं दूराद्दृष्ट्वा द्विजोत्तमम्
There, those demonesses, tormented by sin and overwhelmed by hunger and thirst, saw from afar the best of twice-born men walking along the path.
सजलामत्रहस्तं तं मिथस्त्विति बभाषिरे । राक्षस्य ऊचुः - आयाति पथिकः कश्चिज्जलपात्रं करे दधत्
Seeing him holding a water vessel in his hand, they spoke among themselves: The demonesses said— 'A traveler is approaching, carrying a water pot in his hand.'
अस्माकं क्षुत्तृषोः शांतिर्मनागपि भविष्यति । एनं संभक्षयिष्यामः पास्यामोऽस्य करे स्थितम्
'Perhaps our hunger and thirst will be somewhat appeased; we will devour him and drink what is in his hand.'
पात्रं जलं वयं तृष्णा क्षुधार्ताः शतवर्षतः । नारद उवाच- काचिदाहेत्यहं पूर्वमस्योष्णं कालखंडकम्
'We are parched with thirst and starving for a hundred years; the vessel, the water, and our thirst—' Narada said: 'Let one of us first eat the hot flesh from his body,'