तं सा प्राह महाभाग गन्तुमिच्छाम्यहं दिवम् । प्रसादसुमुखो ब्रह्मन्ननुज्ञां दातुमर्हसि ॥ १,१५.
She said to him, 'O blessed one, I wish to go to heaven; O gracious sage, you should grant me permission.'
तयैवमुक्तः स मुनिस्तस्यामासक्तमानसः । दिनानि कतिचिद्भद्रे स्थीयतामित्यभाषत ॥ १,१५.
Thus addressed by her, the sage, his mind attached to her, replied, 'Stay for a few more days, O gentle one.'
एवमुक्ता ततस्तेन साग्रं वर्षशतं पुनः । बुभुजे विषयांस्तन्वी तेन साकं महात्मना ॥ १,१५.
After being spoken to in this way, she again enjoyed sensual pleasures with the great-souled sage for another full hundred years.
अनुज्ञां देहि भगवन् व्रजामि त्रिदशालयम् । उक्तस्तथेति स पुनः स्थीयतामित्यभाषत ॥ १,१५.
She said, 'Grant me permission, O revered one, I wish to go to the abode of the gods.' He replied, 'So be it,' but again said, 'Stay a little longer.'
पुनर्गते वर्षशते साधिक सा शुभानना । यामीत्याह दिवं ब्रह्मन्प्रणयस्मितशोभनम् ॥ १,१५.
When another hundred years had passed, the beautiful-faced woman said with a loving smile, 'O sage, I wish to go to heaven.'
उक्तस्तयैवं स मुनिरुपगुह्यायते क्षणाम् । इहास्यतां क्षणं सुभु चिरकालं गमिष्यसि ॥ १,१५.
Addressed thus by her, the sage embraced her for a moment and said, 'Stay here for a moment, O lovely one; you will be gone for a long time.'
सा क्रीडमाना सुश्रोणी सह तेनर्षिणा पुनः । शतद्वयं किञ्चिदूनं वर्षणामन्वतिष्ठत ॥ १,१५.
Playing with the sage, the slender-waisted woman again remained with him for nearly two hundred years.
गमनाय महाभाग देवराजनिवेशनम् । प्रोक्तः प्रोक्तस्तया तन्व्या स्थीयतामित्यभाषत ॥ १,१५.
When she asked to go to the abode of the king of the gods, the sage, addressed by the slender woman, replied, 'Stay a little longer.'
तस्य शापभयाद्भीता दाक्षिण्येन च दक्षिणा । प्रोक्ता प्रणयभङ्गर्तिवेदिनी न जहौ मुनिम् ॥ १,१५.
Fearing his curse and out of kindness, the gentle woman, knowing the pain of separation, did not leave the sage.
तया च रमतस्तस्य परमर्षेरहर्निशम् । नवंनवमभूत्प्रम मन्मथाविष्टचेतसः ॥ १,१५.
As the great sage enjoyed her day and night, his mind, seized by love, experienced ever-new delight.
एकदा तु त्वरायुक्तो निश्चक्रामोटजान्मुनिः । निष्क्रामन्तं च कुत्रेति गम्यते प्राह सा शुभा ॥ १,१५.
Once, the sage, impelled by urgency, left his hut; and as he was departing, the auspicious lady asked, 'Where are you going?'
इत्युक्तः स तया प्राह परिवृत्तमहः शुभे । सन्ध्योपास्तिं करिष्यामि क्रियालोपोन्यथा भवेत् ॥ १,१५.
Thus addressed by her, he replied, 'The day has turned, O auspicious one; I must perform the evening worship, otherwise my rites would be neglected.'
ततः प्रहस्य सुददी तं सा प्राह महामुनिम् । किमद्य सर्वधर्मज्ञ परिवृत्तमहस्तव ॥ १,१५.
Then, smiling sweetly, she said to the great sage, 'O knower of all dharma, has your day truly turned already today?'
बहूनां विप्र वर्षाणां परिवृत्तम हस्तव । गतमेतन्न कुरुते विस्मयं कस्य कथ्यताम् ॥ १,१५.
For many years, O best of Brahmins, your day has turned; this is not surprising—let it be told whose wonder it is.
मुनिरुवाच प्रातस्त्वमागता भद्रे नदीतीरमिदं शुभम् । मया दृष्टासि तन्वङ्गि प्रविष्टासि ममाश्रमम् ॥ १,१५.
The sage said: 'You came here in the morning, O slender-waisted one, to this auspicious riverbank; I saw you, and you entered my hermitage.'
इयं च वर्तते सन्ध्या परिणाममहर्गतम् । उपहासः किमर्थोयं सद्भावः कथ्यतां मम ॥ १,१५.
And now the evening twilight has come, the day has passed; tell me, what is the reason for this jest, if your intention is sincere?
प्रम्लोचोवाच प्रत्यूषस्यागता ब्रह्मन् सत्यमेतन्न तन्मृषा । नन्वस्य तस्य कालस्य गतान्यब्दशतानि ते ॥ १,१५.
Pramloca said: 'O Brahmin, I came at dawn—this is true, not false; but for you, many hundreds of years of that time have passed.'
सोम उवाच ततः स साध्वसो विप्रस्तां पप्रच्छायतेक्षणाम् । कथ्यतां भीरु कः कालस्त्वया मे रमतः सह ॥ १,१५.
Soma said: Then, filled with fear, the sage asked her, whose eyes were like lotus petals: 'Tell me, timid one, how much time has passed while I was with you?'
प्रम्लोचोवाच सप्तोत्तराम्यतीतानि नववर्षशतानि ते । मासाश्च षट्तथैवान्यत्समतीतं दिनत्रयम् ॥ १,१५.
Pramloca said: 'Seven hundred and nine years have passed for you, and six months, and three more days have also elapsed.'
ऋषिरुवाच सत्यं भीरु वदस्येतत्परिहासोऽथवा शुभे । दिनमेकमहं मन्येत्वया सार्धमिहासितम् ॥ १,१५.
The sage said: 'Speak the truth, timid one—is this a jest, or is it so, O auspicious lady? I thought I had spent only one day here with you.'
प्रम्लोचोवाच वदिष्याम्यनृतं ब्रह्मन्कथमत्र तवान्तिके । विशेषेणाद्य भवता पृष्टा मार्गानुवर्तिना ॥ १,१५.
Pramloca said: 'How could I speak falsehood before you, O Brahmin? Especially when you, who follow the path of inquiry, have asked me today.'
सोम उवाच निशम्य तद्वचः सत्यं स मुनिर्नृपनन्दनाः । धिक्धिक्मामित्यतीवेत्थं निनिन्दात्मानमात्मना ॥ १,१५.
Soma said: Hearing those truthful words, the sage, O scion of kings, reproached himself again and again, saying, 'Shame on me!'
मुनिरुवाच तपांसि मम नष्टनि हतं ब्रह्मविदां धनम् । हतो विवेकः केनापि योषिन्मोहाय निर्मिताः ॥ १,१५.
The sage said: 'My austerities are lost, the wealth of the knowers of Brahman is destroyed; discernment is ruined by someone, created for the delusion of women.'
ऊर्मिषट्कातिगं ब्रह्म ज्ञेयमात्मजयेन मे । मतिरेषा हृता येन धिक्तं कामं महाग्रहम् ॥ १,१५.
'Brahman, which transcends the six waves, is to be known by self-mastery; but my mind has been carried away by which, alas, is this great all-consuming desire.'
व्रतानि वेदवेद्याप्तिकाराणान्यखिलानि च । नरकग्राममर्गेण सङ्गेनापहृतानि मे ॥ १,१५.
'All my vows and acts leading to Vedic knowledge have been carried away by association, along the path that leads to the multitude of hells.'
विनिन्द्येत्थं स धर्मज्ञः स्वयमात्मानमात्मना । तामप्सरसमासीनामिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ १,१५.
Thus, reproaching himself in this way, the knower of dharma spoke these words to the apsaras who was sitting there:
गच्छ पापे यथाकामं यत्कार्यं तत्कृतं त्वया । देवराजस्य मत्क्षोभं कुर्वन्त्या भावचेष्टितैः ॥ १,१५.
'Go, sinner, wherever you wish; what needed to be done by you has been done—by disturbing my mind with your gestures, as commanded by the king of the gods.'
न त्वां करोण्यहं भस्म क्रोधतीव्रेण वह्निना । सतां सप्तपदं मैत्रुमुषि तोहं त्वया सह ॥ १,१५.
'I will not reduce you to ashes with the fierce fire of my anger, for I have shared seven steps of friendship with you, as is the way of the virtuous.'
अथ वा तव को दोषः किं वा कुप्याम्यहं तव । ममैव दोषो नितरां येनाहमजितेन्द्रियः ॥ १,१५.
But what fault is yours, or why should I be angry with you? The fault is entirely mine, for I have not mastered my senses.
यया शक्रप्रियार्थिन्या कृतो मे तपसो व्ययः । त्वया धिक्तां महामोहमञ्जृषां सुजुगुप्सिताम् ॥ १,१५.
For the sake of pleasing Indra, you caused the loss of my austerities; you, who are to be censured, have fallen into great delusion, and are truly to be despised.