एकदा तु मया पृष्टः कथांते प्राप्य कौतुकम्
Once, at the end of a story, curiosity arose in me and I asked him:
भगवन्सुकुमारं ते शरीरं प्रथमं वयः
Revered one, your body was delicate and you were in your early youth.
कथं सर्वं धरापृष्ठं ससमुद्रं निरीक्षितम्
How did you observe the entire surface of the earth, along with the oceans?
त्वया ये कीर्तिता द्वीपाः समुद्राः पर्वतास्तथा
The islands, oceans, and mountains you have described—
अत्र कौतूहलं जातमश्रद्धेयं वचस्तथा
This has aroused my curiosity, and your words seem incredible.
तपसः किं प्रभावोऽयं किं वा मंत्रपराक्रमः
Is this the power of austerity, or the might of mantras?
किं वा देवप्रसादस्तु तवौषधिकृतोऽथवा
Or is it the favor of the gods, or perhaps the effect of some herb?
अथ मां स मुनिः प्राह विहस्य मुनिसत्तमाः ६.२९.
Then that sage, the best among sages, smiled and spoke to me.
सदाहमष्टसंयुक्तं सहस्रं शिवसन्निधौ
I always performed a thousand eightfold acts in the presence of Śiva.
त्रिकालं तेन मे जातं सुस्थिरं यौवनं मुने
Because of this, O sage, my youth became firm and enduring at all times.
मम वर्षसहस्राणि बहूनि प्रयुतानि च
Many thousands and tens of thousands of years have passed for me.
अत्र ते कीर्तयिष्यामि विस्तरेण महामते
I will now recount this to you in detail, O wise one.
अहं हि ब्राह्मणो नाम्ना वत्सः ख्यातो महीतले
Indeed, I am a brāhmaṇa named Vatsa, known upon the earth.
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु मेनका च वराप्सराः
At that very time, Menakā, the foremost of apsarases,
सा गता भ्रममाणाथ काम्यकंनाम तद्वनम्
She, wandering about, went to the forest called Kāmyaka.
यत्रास्ते मुनिशार्दूलो देवरात इति स्मृतः
There dwells the tiger among sages, known as Devarāta.
उपविष्टो नदीतीरे देवतार्च्चापरायणः
Seated on the riverbank, devoted to the worship of the gods,
अथ सा पश्यतस्तस्य विवस्त्रा प्राविशज्जलम् ॥ ६.२९.
then, as he watched, she entered the water unclothed.
अथ तस्य मुनींद्रस्य रेतश्चस्कन्द तत्क्षणात्
At that very moment, the sage's seed was released.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे प्राप्ता सारंगी सुपिपासिता
Meanwhile, Sārāṅgī, extremely thirsty, arrived there.
अथ साऽपि दधे गर्भं मानुषं वै प्रभावतः
Then, by that power, she too conceived a human child.
जनयामास दीप्तांगी कन्यां पद्मदलेक्षणाम्
She, radiant in form and with lotus-petal eyes, gave birth to a daughter.
अथ तां स मुनिर्ज्ञात्वा स्वज्ञानेन स्ववीर्यजाम्
Then the sage, knowing by his own knowledge that she was born of his own seed,
स्नेहेन महता युक्तः कृतकौतुकमंगलः
filled with great affection, performed the auspicious rites of celebration.
आजहार सुमृष्टानि तत्कृते सुफलानि सः
He brought well-prepared, excellent fruits for her sake.
तत्रस्था ववृधे सा च नाम्ना ख्याता मृगावती
There she grew up, and became known by the name Mṛgāvatī.
अथ सा भ्रममाणेन मया दृष्टा मृगेक्षणा
Then, as I wandered, I saw her, the doe-eyed maiden.
विज्ञाय च कुमारीं तां सवर्णां चारुहासिनीम् ६.२९.
Recognizing her as a maiden of my own caste, with a lovely smile,
प्रयच्छैनां मम ब्रह्मन्पत्न्यर्थं निज कन्यकाम्
O Brahman, he gave me his own daughter to be my wife.
ततस्तेन प्रदत्ता मे तत्क्षणादेव सुन्दरी
Thus, that beautiful girl was given to me by him at that very moment.