कथमेषा शिरोरोगे जरा ते पृथिवीपते प्रयतंतेऽस्य नाशाय तथाप्येष न शाम्यति
O King, how is it that, despite all efforts to cure this disease of the head, it still does not subside?
एवं स प्रियया प्रोक्तः सुबाहुः पृथिवीपतिः
Thus addressed by his beloved, King Subahu spoke.
सुखदुःखाश्रयं देवि शरीरं सर्वदेहिनाम्
O goddess, the body of all embodied beings is the seat of pleasure and pain.
इति संबोधिता राज्ञी तेन राज्ञा वरानने 5.2.69.
Thus addressed by the king, the queen with a beautiful face listened.
यदा सा वारितात्यर्थं पृच्छत्येव पुनःपुनः
When she, being restrained, kept asking again and again,
यदि त्वं श्रोतुकामासि रोगस्यास्य समुद्भवम्
If you wish to hear the origin of this disease,
महाकालवनं गत्वा सिद्धगंधर्वसेवितम्
Go to the great Kāla forest, attended by accomplished beings and gandharvas.
श्वः प्रभाते गमिष्यामि त्वया सार्द्धं शुचिस्मिते उत्सुका गमनार्थाय महाकालवनं शुभम्
O fair-smiling one, tomorrow morning I will go with you, eager to visit the auspicious great Kāla forest.
अथ सा रजनी वृत्ता प्रभाते नृपसत्तमः
Then, when the night had passed, the best of kings,
आजगाम क्रमेणैव महाकालवनं शुभम्
Arrived in due course at the auspicious great Kāla forest.
पातालवाहिनी तत्र गंगा त्रिपथगामिनी
There flowed the subterranean Ganga, the river of three paths.
तासां च संगमस्तत्र तल्लिंगं संगमेश्वरम्
There was their confluence, and at that confluence, the liṅga called Saṅgameśvara.
अथ प्राप्ते सुबाहौ च सा राज्ञी विस्मयान्विता यत्त्वयोक्तं पुरा देव कथयिष्यामि तत्र वै
Then, when Subahu arrived, the queen was filled with wonder and said, 'O lord, what you spoke of before, I will tell you here.'
एवमुक्तः सुबाहुस्तु प्रियया पृथिवीपतिः 5.2.69.
Thus addressed by his beloved, King Subahu,
सुखं स्वपिहि भद्रांगि श्रांता वयमनिंदिते
Rest well, O auspicious one, for we are weary, O faultless lady.
अथ सा रजनी वृत्ता प्रभाते नृपसत्तमः
Then, when the night had passed, the best of kings,
अहमासं कुशूद्रस्तु सर्वदा वेदनिंदकः
I was Kuśūdra, always a blasphemer of the Vedas.
पुत्रो जातस्तु दुःशीलो देवब्राह्मणवंचकः
A son was born to me, of bad conduct, a deceiver of gods and brahmins.
अथ दीर्घेण कालेन द्वादशाब्दं भयावहा
Then, after a long time, there came a dreadful period of twelve years.
वियोगस्तु त्वया प्राप्तो मया सार्द्धं सुतेन च
Separation from you befell me, along with our son.
इच्छता निधनं सद्यो मया प्रोक्तमिदं वचः
Desiring immediate death, I spoke these words.
सुतेन भार्यया सार्द्धं संगमो दुर्लभः पुनः
Reunion with wife and son is difficult to attain again.
कुटुंबार्थे करोत्येवमेकाकी निस्तरत्यसौ धर्मेण साध्यते सर्वं तस्माद्धर्मं समाश्रयेत्
For the sake of the family, one acts thus; alone, he survives—everything is accomplished by righteousness, therefore one should rely on righteousness.
इति चिंतयतोऽत्यर्थं मम प्राणा गताः प्रिये 5.2.69.
While I was thinking thus intensely, my life departed, beloved.
अंतकालेऽपि धर्मस्य प्रशंसा या मया कृता
Even at the moment of death, I praised righteousness.
त्वं च श्येनी ततो जाता तस्मिन्नेव वनोत्तमे
You were then born as a female hawk in that very excellent forest.
नदीत्रयरयेणैव निःसृतोऽहं जलात्ततः
By the current of the three rivers, I emerged from the water.
आनीतोऽहं त्वया देवि संगमेश्वरसंनिधौ
I was brought by you, O lady, into the presence of Saṃgameśvara.
म्रियमाणेन मे दृष्टो देवोऽसौ संगमेश्वरः
As I was dying, I saw that god, Saṃgameśvara.
तस्य दर्शन मात्रेण जातोऽहं पृथिवीपतिः
By merely seeing him, I was born as a king.