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,
तथा नारी सुरूपाढ्यं यं पश्यति नरं क्वचित्
Likewise, whenever a woman sees a man endowed with handsome form,
लिप्यते न च पापेन कथंचित्तकृतेन च ६.७८.
Neither is stained by sin, however it may have been committed.
कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य तत्र राजा विदूरथः
Then, at some time, there was a king named Viduratha there.
तस्य भार्याऽभवत्तन्वी तरुणी वररूपधृक्
He had a slender, youthful wife, possessing excellent beauty.
न तस्याः स जराग्रस्तश्चित्ते वसति पार्थिवः
But in her mind, the king, afflicted by old age, did not dwell.
पार्थिवोऽपि परिज्ञाय तस्यास्तच्च विचेष्टितम्
The king, having perceived her conduct,
तत्कुण्डं पूरयामास ततः पांशूत्करैर्द्रुतम्
Swiftly filled that pond with heaps of earth.
यश्चैतत्पूरितं कुण्डं पांशुना निखनिष्यति
Whoever will dig up that pond, filled with earth,
परदारकृतं पापं तस्य संपत्स्यतेऽखिलम्
All the sin arising from adultery will accrue to him.
जगाम स्वगृहं पश्चात्प्रहृष्टेनांतरात्मना
Afterwards, with a delighted heart, he went to his own house.