दुहितुः सदनं यातुं निःससार गृहागतः । तत्रैव सरसीकूले प्रविवेश च दुःखिनी
Having come home, he went out to his daughter's house, and there, by the bank of the lake, the sorrowful woman entered.
तथैनां च समानीतां यथा स्याः प्राणवल्लभाम् । तथैव पूजयामास मातृस्नेहात्पतिव्रता
And she, having been brought there as dearly as one's own life, was honored in the same way by the devoted wife, out of motherly affection.
एतस्मिन्समये विप्र लक्ष्मीवासरमुत्तमम् । श्यामाबाला कारयितुं मनश्चक्रे च मातरम्
At that time, O Brahmin, Shyamabala resolved in her mind to have her mother perform the excellent Lakshmi Vow.
तस्या माता दरिद्राणि भुक्त्वा वैकांतिकेपि च । शावकानां तु चोच्छिष्टं लक्ष्मीकोपसमन्विता
Her mother, having eaten poor food even in solitude, and the leavings of her children, was afflicted by Lakshmi's displeasure.
इंदिरायास्तृतीयानि वासराणि गतान्यपि । चतुर्थवासरे तां तत्कारयामास सा दृढम्
Even after three days of Indira's vow had passed, on the fourth day she firmly made her perform it.
आगता नगरं सा वै राज्ञी सुरतिचंद्रिका । दृष्ट्वा गृहं तथा दिव्यमिंदिरायाः प्रसादतः
Then, the queen Suratachandrika came to the city and, by the grace of Indira, saw such a divine house.
श्यामाबाला च विप्रेंद्र कदाचित्समये पुनः । मातुर्गृहं गता चाथ ऐश्वर्यस्य दिदृक्षया
O foremost of Brahmins, at another time Shyamabala went to her mother's house, desiring to see her prosperity.
श्यामाबालां ततो दूराद्दृष्ट्वा संकुपिता च सा । न पश्यामि मुखं तस्या इत्युक्त्वालक्षिता स्थिता
Then, seeing Shyamabala from afar, she became angry and, saying, 'I will not see her face,' she stood aside, unnoticed.
गत्वा गृहांतरालं च गृहीत्वा सैंधवं च सा । आगता स्वगृहं किंचित्तूष्णीं लक्ष्मीसमाश्रितम्
Having gone into another part of the house and taken some salt, she returned to her own house, remaining somewhat silent, attended by Lakshmi.
राजा स्वामी च पप्रच्छ तां साध्वीं पतिदेवताम् । किमानीतं त्वया कांते कथयस्व ममाग्रतः
The king, her lord, questioned that virtuous, devoted wife: 'What have you brought, beloved? Tell me in my presence.'
कांतोवाच- राज्यसारं समानीतं दर्शयिष्यामि भोजने । इत्युक्त्वा सा तदा पाकं कृत्वा च लवणं विना
Her beloved replied: 'I have brought the essence of the kingdom; I will show you at the meal.' Having said this, she then prepared the food without salt.
अन्नादिकं ततो दत्वा मालाधराय भूभुजे । ततो मालाधरो राजा व्यंजनं लवणवर्जितम्
Then, having served the food and other dishes to King Maladhara, King Maladhara found the dish lacking salt.
भुक्त्वा वैगुण्यतां प्राप्तो राज्यसारं ददौ च सा । तदा हृष्टमना राजा भोजनं कृतवान्द्विज
Having eaten, she attained faultlessness and gave the essence of the kingdom; then the king, his mind delighted, offered food to the brahmin.
प्रशशंस च तां नारीं धन्याधन्या इति ब्रुवन् । एतद्व्रतं च या नारी न करोति महादरात्
He praised that woman, saying 'fortunate and blessed'; and declared, 'Any woman who does not perform this vow with great reverence—'
जन्मजन्मनि सा नारी दरिद्रा दुर्भगा भवेत् । इदं या शृणुयाद्भक्त्या पठेद्यो वा समाहितः
Such a woman will be poor and unfortunate in every birth; but whoever listens to this with devotion, or recites it with concentration—
सर्वपापैर्विनिर्मुक्तो लक्ष्मीलोकं लभेच्च सः । इमां व्रतकथां या तु न श्रुत्वा क्रियते व्रतम् । तस्या व्रतफलं चैव नश्यत्येव न संशयः
He becomes free from all sins and attains the world of Lakshmi; but if one performs the vow without hearing this story, her vow's fruit is surely lost, without doubt.
शौनक उवाच- केन पुण्येन भो सूत चान्येन गतपातकः । नरो याति हरेः स्थानं तद्वदस्वानुकंपया
Śaunaka said: By what other merit, O Sūta, does a man freed from sin attain the abode of Hari? Please tell me out of compassion.
सूत उवाच- ब्राह्मणस्य धनैः प्राणान्प्राणैर्वापि द्विजोत्तम । रक्षां करोति यो मर्त्यो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति
Sūta said: Whoever protects a brahmin with wealth or even with his own life, O best of twice-born, that mortal attains the world of Viṣṇu.
पुरा राजा दीननाथो द्वापरे संज्ञके युगे । आसीदपुत्रो बलवान्वैष्णवः स तु याजकः
Long ago, in the Dvāpara age, there was a king named Dīnanātha, powerful, devoted to Viṣṇu, and a performer of sacrifices, but without a son.
एकदा गालवं राजा पप्रच्छ विनयान्वितः । केन पुण्येन जायेत पुत्रो वै करुणार्णव
One day the king, full of humility, asked Gālava: 'By what merit, O ocean of compassion, is a son born?'
वदस्व मुनिशार्दूल करिष्यामि तवाज्ञया । येषां नृणां नास्ति सुतो जीवनं हि निरर्थकम्
'Tell me, O best of sages, I will act according to your command; for the life of those men who have no son is truly without meaning.'
गालव उवाच- राजन्शृणुष्वावहितो यत्पृष्टोऽस्मि तवाग्रतः । कथयामि समासेन पुत्रस्योद्भवकारणम्
Gālava said: 'O king, listen attentively to what you have asked in my presence; I will briefly tell you the cause of a son's birth.'
क्रतुं च नरमेधाख्यं कुरुष्व राजसत्तम । तदा ते संततिः स्याद्वै सर्वलक्षणसंयुता
'Perform a sacrifice called Naramedha, O best of kings; then you will have offspring endowed with all auspicious marks.'
राजोवाच- नरमेधं महायज्ञं यज्ञानां प्रवरं द्विज । कीदृशं नरमानीय करिष्यामि गुरो वद
The king said: 'The Naramedha is a great sacrifice, the foremost of all sacrifices, O brahmin; tell me, teacher, what kind of man should be brought for it?'
गालव उवाच- सुंदरांगः सुवदनः समस्तशास्त्रविद्भवेत् । सत्कुले यदि जातः स तदा यज्ञाय कल्पते
Gālava said: 'He should be handsome in form, with a pleasant face, learned in all the scriptures; if he is born in a noble family, then he is fit for the sacrifice.'
अंगहीनः कृष्णवर्णो मूर्खो योग्यो भवेन्नहि । इत्युक्ते गालवे विप्र स राजा मनुजेश्वरः
'One who is deformed, dark-skinned, or ignorant is not suitable.' When Gālava said this, O brahmin, that king, lord of men—
प्रेषयामास दूतांश्च कथयित्वा मुनेर्वचः । द्रविणं बहु दत्वा च गालवप्रमुखान्द्विजान्
Sent messengers after telling them the sage's words, and, giving much wealth, honored the brahmins led by Gālava.
यज्ञार्थे वरयामास समस्तशास्त्रपारगान् । ततो राजाज्ञया दूताः देशं देशं मुदा गताः
For the sake of the sacrifice, he selected those who had mastered all the scriptures; then, by the king's command, the messengers joyfully went to every land.
ग्रामे ग्रामे द्विजश्रेष्ठ पत्तनेऽपि समाहिताः । कुत्रापि न प्राप्तवंतो गता जनपदं ततः
In every village and city, the best of brahmins searched attentively, but nowhere did they find such a person, so they went to another region.
नाम्ना दशपुरं विप्र प्रकीर्णं गुणिभिर्द्विजैः । यत्र नारीः सुकेशीश्च मृगशावक चक्षुषः
O brahmin, there was a city named Daśapura, renowned for its virtuous brahmins, where the women had beautiful hair and eyes like fawns.