प्रष्टुकामोऽपि स मुनिः किंचित्स्वाभिमतं प्रियम् । नाशकत्प्रेमलावण्यप्रियभाषाप्रधर्षितः
The sage wished to ask something dear to his heart, but was unable, overwhelmed by their loving beauty and sweet words.
अथागता मुनिश्रेष्ठं कृतांजलिमवस्थितम् । भक्तिभारानतग्रीवं सविस्मयं ससंभ्रमम्
Then, one of them approached the foremost sage, standing with hands joined, her neck bowed with the weight of devotion, filled with wonder and agitation.
सुविनीततमं प्राह तत्रैव करुणान्विता । अशोकमालिनी नाम्ना अशोकवनदेवता
There, with utmost humility and compassion, she spoke; her name was Ashokamalini, the goddess of the Ashoka grove.
अशोकमालिन्युवाच। अशोककलिकायां तु वसाम्यस्यां महामुने । रक्तांबरधरा नित्यं रक्तमालानुलेपना
Ashokamalini said: In this Ashoka grove, O great sage, I dwell; I always wear red garments, red garlands, and red ointments.
रक्तसिंदूरकलिका रक्तोत्पलवतंसिनी । रक्तमाणिक्यकेयूर मुकुटादिविभूषिता
With red sindūra buds, adorned with red lotus crowns, and decorated with bracelets of red rubies and a jeweled diadem.
एकदा प्रियया सार्द्धं विहरंत्यो मधूत्सवे । तत्रैव मिलिता गोपबालिकाश्चित्रवाससः
Once, during the spring festival, while enjoying with my beloved, we met there the cowherd girls, dressed in splendid attire.
अहं चाशोकमालाभिर्गोपवेषधरं हरिम् । रमारूपाश्च ताः सर्वा भक्त्या सम्यगपूजयम्
With Ashoka garlands, I worshipped Hari, who was dressed as a cowherd, and all those women, radiant as Lakshmi, worshipped him with devotion.
ततः प्रभृति चैतासां मध्ये तिष्ठामि सर्वदा । भूषाभिर्विविधाभिश्च तोषयित्वा रमापतिम्
From that time onward, I always remain among them, pleasing the Lord of Lakshmi with various ornaments.
परात्परमहं सर्वं विजानामीह सर्वतः । गोगोपगोपिकादीनां रहस्यं चापि वेद्म्यहम्
I know everything here, the highest and the lowest; I also know the secrets of cows, cowherds, and cowherd women.
तव जिज्ञासितं सर्वं हृदि प्रत्यभिभाषितम् । तां देवीमद्भुताकारामद्भुतानंददायिनीम्
All that you have inquired is spoken within your heart; that goddess, wondrous in form and giver of wondrous joy—
हरेः प्रियां हिरण्याभां हीरकोज्ज्वलमुद्रिकाम् । कथं पश्यामि लोलाक्षीं कथं वा तत्पदांबुजम्
Hari’s beloved, golden in hue, with a radiant diamond ring—how can I see her, with restless eyes, or her lotus feet?
आराध्यतेऽतिभक्त्येति त्वया ब्रह्मन्विमर्शितम् । तत्र ते कथयिष्यामि वृत्तांतं सुमहात्मनाम्
You have pondered, O Brahman, that she is worshipped with supreme devotion; there I will tell you the story of those great souls.
मानसे सरसि स्थित्वा तपस्तीव्रमुपेयुषाम् । जपतां सिद्धमंत्रांश्च ध्यायतां हरिमीश्वरम्
Dwelling in the lake of the mind, practicing intense austerity, reciting perfected mantras, and meditating on Hari, the Lord—
मुनीनां कांक्षतां नित्यं तस्या एव पदांबुजम् । एकसप्ततिसाहस्रं संख्यातानां महौजसाम्
Among the sages who always desire her lotus feet, there were seventy-one thousand, counted, of great energy.
तत्तेऽहं कथयाम्यद्य तद्रहस्यं परं वने
Today I will tell you that supreme secret here in the forest.
ईश्वर उवाच-। तदेकाग्रमना भूत्वा शृणु देवि वरानने । आसीदुग्रतपा नाम मुनिरेको दृढव्रतः
Ishvara said: Now, with your mind focused, listen, O goddess with a radiant face. There was once a sage named Ugratapa, firm in his vows.
साग्निको ह्यग्निभक्षश्च चचारात्यद्भुतं तपः । जजाप परमं जाप्यं मंत्रं पंचदशाक्षरम्
With fire as his food and offering to fire, he performed most wondrous austerity, reciting the supreme mantra, the fifteen-syllabled formula.
काममंत्रेण पुटितं कामं कामवरप्रदात् । कृष्णायेति पदं स्वाहा सहितं सिद्धिदं परम्
Charged with the kāma-mantra, granting all desired boons, the word 'Kṛṣṇāya' together with 'svāhā'—this supreme mantra bestows success.
दध्यौ च श्यामलं कृष्णं रासोन्मत्तं वरोत्सुकम् । पीतपट्टधरं वेणुं करेणाधरमर्पितम्
He meditated on dark-hued Kṛṣṇa, intoxicated with rasa, eager for the best of boons, clad in yellow silk, holding the flute to his lips.
नवयौवनसंपन्नं कर्षंतं पाणिना प्रियाम् । एवं ध्यानपरः कल्पशतांते देहमुत्सृजन्
Endowed with fresh youth, drawing his beloved near with his hand—thus, absorbed in meditation, at the end of a hundred aeons, he relinquished his body.
सुनंद नाम गोपस्य कन्याभूत्स महामुनिः । सुनंदेति समाख्याता या वीणां बिभ्रती करे
That great sage was then born as the daughter of the cowherd Sunaṃda, known as Sunaṃdā, who held a vīṇā in her hand.
मुनिरन्यः सत्यतपा इति ख्यातो महाव्रतः । सशुष्कपत्रं भुंक्ते यः प्रजजाप परं मनुम्
Another sage, famed as Satyatapas, a great vow-keeper, ate only dry leaves and recited the supreme mantra.
रत्यंतं कामबीजेन पुटितं च दशाक्षरम् । स प्रदध्यौ मुनिवरश्चित्रवेषधरं हरिम्
He recited the ten-syllabled mantra, infused with the kāma-bīja to its limit, and that best of sages meditated on Hari, adorned in wondrous attire.
धृत्वा रमाया दोर्वल्लीद्वितयं कंकणोज्ज्वलम् । नृत्यंतमुन्मदंतं च संश्लिष्यं तं मुहुर्मुहुः
He beheld Hari wearing the two shining bangles of Ramā's arms, dancing in ecstasy, embracing her again and again.
हसंतमुच्चैरानंदतरंगं जठरांबरे । दधतं वेणुमाजानु वैजयंत्या विराजितम्
He saw him laughing aloud, waves of joy surging, his garment covering his belly, holding the flute down to his knees, splendid with the Vaijayantī garland.
स्वेदांभः कणसंसिक्त ललाटवलिताननम् । त्यक्त्वा त्यक्त्वा स वै देहं तपसा च महामुनिः
Sweat-drops moistening his brow, his face radiant, again and again that great sage abandoned his body through austerity.
दशकल्पांतरे जातो ह्ययं नंदवनादिह । सुभद्र नाम्नो गोपस्य कन्या भद्रेति विश्रुता
In another ten aeons, he was born here in Nandavana as the daughter of the cowherd Subhadra, renowned as Bhadra.
यस्याः पृष्ठतले दिव्यं व्यजनं परिदृश्यते । हरिधामाभिधानस्तु कश्चिदासीन्महामुनिः
On whose back a divine fan was seen—there was a great sage named Haridhāmābhidhāna.
सोऽप्यतप्यत्तपः कृच्छ्रं नित्यं पत्रैकभोजनम् । आशुसिद्धिकरं मंत्रं विंशत्यर्णं प्रजप्तवान्
He too performed severe austerity, subsisting always on a single leaf, reciting the twenty-syllabled mantra that swiftly grants success.
अनंतरं कामबीजादध्यारूढं तदेव तु । माया तत्पुरतो व्योम हंसासृग्द्युतिचंद्रकम्
Immediately after the kāma-bīja, he installed that very mantra; before him appeared Māyā in the sky, with the radiance of swan's blood and the moon.