किं मां दुर्जनवाक्येन त्वं ताडयसि निष्ठुरैः
Why do you strike me harshly because of the words of wicked people?
अहं त्वां शपथं कृत्वा भक्षयित्वाऽथ वा विषम् ६.७८.
I will take an oath, and either eat poison or,
अथ तां ब्राह्मणः प्राह यदि त्वं पापवर्जिता
Then the Brahmin said to her, 'If you are free from sin,'
सा तथेति प्रतिज्ञाय साहसेन समन्विता
She agreed, saying 'so be it,' and was filled with determination.
शुद्धिं च प्राप्ता सर्वेषां बन्धूनां च द्विजन्मनाम्
She attained purity in the eyes of all her relatives and the twice-born.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तस्याः साधुवादो महानभूत्
Meanwhile, great approval arose for her.
अहो पापसमाचारो दुष्टोऽयं ब्राह्मणाधमः
Ah! What sinful conduct—this wicked, fallen Brahmin!
एवं स निन्द्यमानस्तु सर्वलोकैर्द्विजोत्तमाः
Thus, being reviled by all the worlds, O best of twice-born,
शापं दातुं मतिं चक्रे ततो वह्नेः सुदुःखितः
He resolved, deeply distressed, to pronounce a curse upon Agni.
मया स्वयं प्रदृष्टेयं जारेण सह संगता
I myself have seen her united with her lover.
तस्मात्त्वां पापकर्माणमसत्यपक्षपातिनम्
Therefore, you, who act wickedly and take the side of falsehood,
सप्तार्चिर्भयसंत्रस्तः कृतांजलिरुवाच तम् ॥ ६.७८.
Terrified by the seven flames, he stood with folded hands and spoke to him.
कृतागसाऽपि मे वाक्यं शृणुष्वात्र स्फुटेरितम्
Though I have committed an offense, listen to my words spoken clearly here.
अनया परकांतेन कृतः सह समागमः
With this woman, union was made with another man.
परं यस्माद्विशुद्धैषा मया दग्धा न सा द्विज
Yet, because she is pure, I burned her; she is not a twice-born.
यत्रानया कृतः संगः परकांतेन वै द्विज
Where this woman had intercourse with another man, O twice-born,
तत्र कृत्वा रतं चित्रं परकांतसमं तदा
There, after engaging in varied pleasure equal to that with her lover,
ततः प्रक्षालयत्यंगं कुण्डे तत्राग्रतः स्थिते
Then she washed her body in the pool, with me standing before her.
अत्र पूर्वं विपाप्माऽभूद्ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः
Here, previously, Brahma, the grandsire of the worlds, was sinful.
तस्मान्नास्त्यत्र मे दोषः स्वल्पोऽपि द्विजसत्तम
Therefore, O best of twice-born, there is not even the slightest fault in me here.
तस्मादेनां समादाय संशुद्धां पापवर्जिताम्
Therefore, taking her purified and free from sin,
परकांतेन तां नाद्य शुद्धामपि गृहं नये ॥ ६.७८.
Even though she is pure, I will not bring her home today, since she was with another man.
इत्युक्त्वा च द्विजश्रेष्ठस्तां त्यक्त्वापि शुचिव्रतः
Having spoken thus, the foremost Brahmin, though devoted to purity, abandoned her.
सापि तेन परित्यक्ता पतिना हृष्टमानसा
She too, abandoned by her husband, was joyful in her heart.
तेनैव परकांतेन विशेषेण रतिक्रियाम्
With that very paramour, she engaged in the act of pleasure with special intensity.
अथान्ये परलोकस्य भीत्याऽतीव व्यवस्थिताः
Then others, out of great fear of the next world, became extremely restrained.
दूरतोऽपि समभ्येत्य ते सर्वे तत्र मंदिरे
All of them, even from a distance, approached that temple.
निमज्जंति ततः कुण्डे तस्मिन्पातकनाशने
Thereafter, they immersed themselves in that pond which destroys sins.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे नष्टो धर्मः पत्नीसमुद्भवः
Meanwhile, righteousness arising from fidelity to one's wife disappeared.
यो यां पश्यति रूपाढ्यां नारीमपि कुलोद्भवाम्
Whoever sees a woman endowed with beauty, even if she is of noble birth,