निशम्य वचनं तस्याः सांत्वयन्प्राह तां हरिः । शृणु वृंदारिके त्वं मां विद्धि लक्ष्मीमनोहरम्
Hearing her words, Hari consoled her and said: 'Listen, Vṛndārikā, know me as the enchanter of Lakṣmī.'
तव भर्ता हरं जेतुं गौरीमानयितुं गतः । अहं शिवः शिवश्चाहं पृथक्त्वे न व्यवस्थितौ 6.15.
'Your husband went to defeat Hara and to bring Gaurī; I am Śiva, and Śiva is I—there is no real distinction between us.'
जालंधरो हतः संख्ये भज मामधुनानघे । नारद उवाच- इति विष्णोर्वचः श्रुत्वा विषण्णवदनाभवत् । ततो वृंदारिका राजन्कुपिता प्रत्युवाच ह
'Jālandhara has been slain in battle; now, sinless one, take refuge in me.' Nārada said: Hearing Viṣṇu's words, her face became downcast; then Vṛndārikā, O King, angrily replied.
रणे बद्धोऽसि येन त्वं जीवन्मुक्तः पितुर्गिरा । विविधैः सत्कृतो रत्नैर्युक्तं तस्य हृता वधूः
'You were bound in battle, released alive by your father's command; though honored with various jewels, his bride was taken away.'
पतिर्धर्मस्य यो नित्यं परदाररतः कथम् । ईश्वरोऽपि कृतं भुंक्ते कर्मेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः
'He who is ever devoted to righteousness, how can he delight in another's wife? Even a lord experiences the result of his deeds, so say the wise.'
अहं मोहं यथानीता त्वया माया तपस्विना । तथा तव वधूं माया तपस्वीकोऽपि नेष्यति
'As I was led into delusion by you, the ascetic in disguise, so too, by a deluding ascetic, your wife will be taken.'
इति शप्तस्तथा विष्णुर्जगामादृश्यतां क्षणात् । सा चित्रशालापर्यंकः स च तेऽथप्लवंगमाः
Thus, when cursed, Viṣṇu vanished from sight in an instant; the splendid hall with its couch, and those birds, all disappeared as well.
नष्टं सर्वं हरौ याते वनं शून्यं विलोक्य सा । वृंदा प्राह सखीं प्राप्य जिह्मं तद्विष्णुना कृतम्
When Hari departed, everything was lost; seeing the forest empty, Vṛndā, finding her friend, said, 'This was deceitfully done by Viṣṇu.'
त्यक्तं पुरं गतं राज्यं कांतः संदेहतां गतः । अहं वने विदित्वैतत्क्व यामि विधिनिर्मिता
The city is abandoned, the kingdom is gone, my beloved is uncertain; knowing this in the forest, where shall I go, shaped by fate?
मनोरथानां विषयमभून्मे प्रियदर्शनम् । प्राह निःश्वस्य चैवोष्णं राज्ञी वृंदातिदुःखिता
The sight of my beloved has become only the object of my longing; sighing deeply, Queen Vṛndā, greatly distressed, spoke.
मम प्राप्तं हि मरणं त्वया हि स्मरदूतिके । इत्युक्ता सा तया प्राह मम त्वं प्राणरूपिणी
Now death has come to me, messenger of Kāma, because of you; hearing this, her friend replied, 'You are my very life.'
तस्यास्तथोक्तमाकर्ण्य इतिकर्त्तव्यतां ततः । वने निश्चित्य सा वृंदा गत्वा तत्र महत्सरः
Hearing her words, Vṛndā, deciding what must be done, went with her friend into the forest and reached a great lake.
विहाय दुःखमकरोद्गात्रक्षालनमंबुना । तीरे पद्मासनं बद्ध्वा कृत्वा निर्विषयं मनः
Abandoning sorrow, she washed her body with water, sat in the lotus posture on the bank, and withdrew her mind from all objects.
शोषयामास देहं स्वं विष्णुसंगेन दूषितम् । तपश्चचारसात्युग्रं निराहारा सखीसमम्
She began to dry up her body, defiled by union with Viṣṇu, and performed extremely severe austerities, fasting, together with her friend.
गंधर्वलोकतो वृंदामथागत्याप्सरोगणः । प्राह याहीति कल्याणि स्वर्गं मा त्यज विग्रहम्
Then, from the realm of the Gandharvas, a host of Apsarases came to Vṛndā and said, 'O blessed one, go to heaven; do not abandon your body.'
गांधर्वं शस्त्रमेतत्त्रिभुवनविजयं श्रीपतिस्तोषमग्र्यं। नीतो येनेह वृंदे त्यजसि कथमिदं तद्वपुः प्राप्तकामम् । कांतं ते विद्धि शूलिप्रवरशरहतं पुण्यलाभस्य भूषास्वर्गस्य त्वं। भवाद्य द्रुतममरवनं चंडिभद्रे भज त्वम्
This Gandharva science, which brings victory over the three worlds and the highest favor of Śrīpati, has been attained here, O Vṛndā; why do you abandon this body, which has fulfilled its desire? Know that your beloved was struck down by the foremost of Śiva's arrows—this is the ornament of your merit and the path to heaven. Now, O brave one, quickly go to the abode of the immortals.
श्रुत्वा शास्त्रं वधूनां जलधिजदयिता वाक्यमाह प्रहस्य । स्वर्गादाहृत्य मुक्तात्रिदशपति वधूश्चातिवीरेण पत्या । आदौ पात्रं सुखानामहममरजिता प्रेयसा तद्वियुक्तानिर्दुष्टा तद्य। तिष्ये प्रियममृतगतं प्राप्नुयां येन चैव
Hearing the scripture for brides, the beloved of the ocean-born one spoke, smiling: 'Brought from heaven, the wives of the gods, with their heroic husbands, are the vessels of happiness; I, separated from my sinless beloved, wish to attain my dear one, who has gone to immortality.'
इत्युक्त्वा ससखी वृंदा विससर्जाप्सरोगणान् । तत्प्रीतिपाशबद्धास्ता नित्यमायांति यांति च
Having spoken thus, Vṛndā, with her friend, dismissed the host of Apsarases; bound by her love, they always come and go.
योगाभ्यासेन वृंदाथ दग्ध्वा ज्ञानाग्निना गुणान् । विषयेभ्यः समाहृत्य मनः प्राप ततः परम्
Through the practice of yoga, Vṛndā burned away the qualities with the fire of knowledge; withdrawing her mind from the senses, she attained the supreme state.
दृष्ट्वा वृंदारिकां तत्र महांतश्चाप्सरोगणाः । तुष्टुवुर्नभसस्तुष्टा ववृषुः पुष्पवृष्टिभिः
Seeing Vṛndā there, the great host of Apsarases praised her; pleased, they showered flowers from the sky.
शुष्ककाष्ठचयं कृत्वा तत्र वृंदाकलेवरम् । निधायाग्निं च प्रज्वाल्य स्मरदूती विवेश तम्
Gathering dry wood there, they placed Vṛndā's body upon it; lighting the fire, the messenger of Kāma entered it.
दग्धं वृंदांगरजसां बिंबं तद्गोलकात्मकम् । कृत्वा तद्भस्मनः शेषं मंदाकिन्यां विचिक्षिपुः
When Vṛndā's body was burned, they made a round image from her ashes and cast the remains into the Mandākinī river.
यत्र वृंदा परित्यज्य देहं ब्रह्मपथं गता । आसीद्वृंदावनं तत्र गोवर्द्धनसमीपतः
Where Vṛndā, having abandoned her body, attained the path of Brahman, there, near Govardhana, was Vṛndāvana.
देव्योऽथ स्वर्गमेत्य त्रिदशपतिवधूसत्त्वसंपत्तिमाहुर्देवीभ्यस्तन्निशम्य प्रमुदितमनसो निर्जराद्याश्च सर्वे । शत्रोर्दैत्यस्य हित्वा प्रबलतरभयं भीमभेर्यो निजघ्नुः श्रुत्वा तत्रासनस्थः । परिजननिवहोवापशोभां शुभस्य
Then the goddesses, coming to heaven, spoke of the virtue and excellence of the wives of the gods; hearing this, all the immortals, their hearts delighted, destroyed the great fear of the mighty demon enemy, and, seated there, their retinues shone with auspicious beauty.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच। कथं जालंधरो गौरीं हररूपधरो मुने । दृष्ट्वा चकार किं तत्र तन्मे कथय विस्तरात्
Yudhishthira said: O sage, how did Jalandhara, taking on the form of Shiva, approach Gauri? What did he do upon seeing her? Please tell me all this in detail.
नारद उवाच- यदा मायाशिवस्तत्र प्रार्थयद्गिरिजां प्रति । ततः सा चुक्षुभे राजन्किंचिन्नोवाच तं प्रति
Narada said: When Maya-Shiva there began to woo Girija, O King, she became agitated and spoke a few words to him.
अनातुरस्य देवस्य प्राप्तस्य तपसा मया । न युक्तमिति निश्चित्य पार्वती नाह तं नृप
Considering that it was not proper for the god, who was not distressed and had already been obtained by my austerities, Parvati did not reply to him, O King.
सा न तत्र प्रतीकारं दृष्ट्वा तस्य च पश्यतः । निर्गता तत उत्थाय ददर्शाकाशवाहिनीम्
Seeing no remedy there, and with him watching, she rose and departed, and saw the one who moves through the sky.
गंगां वासोचितां मत्वा भवानी तपसे ययौ । पुरापि तपसा लब्धो मयेशः सांप्रतं तथा
Thinking that it was Ganga, adorned as befitting her, Bhavani went to perform austerities, just as before she had obtained the Lord through penance, so now again.
इत्यव्रजच्चिंतयती सखीभिः सहिता ततः । पुरः क्षीरनिभां राजन्पार्वती गगनात्परम्
Thus, pondering and accompanied by her friends, Parvati, shining like milk, went forth, surpassing even the sky, O King.