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.
सोम उवाच यावदित्थं स विप्रर्षिस्तां ब्रवीति समुध्यमाम् । तावद्गलत्स्वेदजला साबभूवातिवेपथुः ॥ १,१५.
Soma said: As the sage thus spoke harshly to her, she began to sweat, trembling violently.
प्रवेपमानां सततं खिन्नगात्रलतां सतीम् । गच्छ गच्छेति सक्रोधमुवाच मुनिसत्तमः ॥ १,१५.
Seeing her constantly trembling, her limbs weary, and remaining chaste, the best of sages angrily said, 'Go, go!'
सा तु निर्भर्त्सिता तेन विनाष्क्रम्य तदाश्रमात् । आकाशगामिनी स्वेदं ममार्ज तरुपल्लवैः ॥ १,१५.
Thus rebuked by him, she departed from the hermitage; ascending into the sky, she wiped away her sweat with the leaves of trees.
निर्मार्जमाना गात्राणि गलत्स्वेदजलानि वै । वृक्षाद्धृक्षं ययौ बाला तदग्रारुणपल्लवैः ॥ १,१५.
As she wiped her limbs, drenched with falling sweat, the young woman went to a tree and used its tender red leaves.
ऋषिणा यस्तदा गर्भस्तस्या देहे समाहितः । निर्जगाम स रोमाञ्चस्वेदरूपी तदङ्गतः ॥ १,१५.
At that time, the embryo placed in her body by the sage emerged from her, taking the form of goosebumps and sweat.
तं वृक्षा जगृहुर्गर्भमेकं चक्रे तु मारुतः । मया चाप्यायितो गोभिः स तदा ववृधे शनैः ॥ १,१५.
The trees took up that embryo, and the wind shaped it into one; nourished by me with cow's milk, it then gradually grew.
वृक्षाग्रगर्भसम्भूता मारिषाख्या वरानना । तां प्रदास्यन्ति वो वृक्षाः कोप एष प्रशाम्यताम् ॥ १,१५.
Born from the tip of a tree, she of beautiful face was named Māriṣā; the trees will give her to you—let this anger subside.
कण्डोरपत्यमेवं सा वृक्षेभ्यश्च समुद्गता । ममापत्यं तथा वायोः प्रम्लोचातनया च सा ॥ १,१५.
Thus she became the child of Kaṇḍu, and also emerged from the trees; she is my child, and also the daughter of the wind and Pramlocā.
स चापि भगवान् कण्डुः क्षीणे तपसि सत्तमः । पुरुषोत्तमाख्यं मैत्रेय विष्णोरायतनं ययौ ॥ १,१५.
And that venerable Kaṇḍu, when his austerity was exhausted, O Maitreya, went to the abode of Viṣṇu called Puruṣottama.
तत्रैकाग्रमतिर्भूत्वा चकाराराधनं हरेः । ब्रह्मपारमयं कुर्वञ्जपमेकाग्रमानसः । ऊर्ध्वबाहुर्महायोगी स्थित्वासौ भूपनन्दनाः ॥ १,१५.
There, with one-pointed mind, he worshipped Hari, reciting the supreme Brahman hymn with focused mind, standing with arms raised, that great yogi remained, O delight of kings.
प्रचेतस ऊचुः ब्रह्मपारं मुने श्रोतुमिच्छामः परमं स्तवम् । जपता कण्डुना देवो येनाराध्यत केशवः ॥ १,१५.
The Pracetas said: O sage, we wish to hear the supreme hymn to Brahman, by which Kaṇḍu worshipped Keśava.
सोम उवाच पारं परं विष्णुरपारपारः परः परेभ्यः पामारथरूपी । सब्रह्पारः परपारभूतः परः पराणामपि पारपारः ॥ १,१५.
Soma said: Viṣṇu is the supreme, the limitless, the highest of the high, beyond all others, the form of the destroyer of evil; he is the goal of Brahman, the highest of the high, the supreme even among the supreme, and the ultimate beyond all.
स कारणं कारणतस्ततोपि तस्यापि हेतुः । कार्येषु चैवं सह कर्मकर्तृरूपैरशेषैरवतीह सर्वम् ॥ १,१५.
He is the cause, the cause of causes, and the reason even for that; in all effects, he descends here together with all forms of agents and actions.
ब्रह्म प्रभुर्ब्रह्म स सर्वभूतो ब्रह्म प्रजानां पतिरच्युतोऽसौ । ब्रह्माव्ययं नित्यमजं स विष्णुरपक्षयाद्यैरखिलैरसङ्गि ॥ १,१५.
He is Brahman, the Lord, he is all beings, he is the imperishable master of creatures; he is Viṣṇu, eternal, unborn, unchanging, untouched by any defect.
ब्रह्माक्षरमजं नित्यं यथासौ पुरुषोत्तमः । तथा रागादयो दोषः प्रयान्तु प्रशमं मम ॥ १,१५.
As he is Brahman, imperishable, unborn, and eternal, the Supreme Person, so may faults such as passion depart and be calmed within me.
सोम उवाच एतद्ब्रह्म पराख्यं वै संस्तवं परमं जपन् । अवाप परमां सिद्धिं स तमाराध्य केशवम् ॥ १,१५.
Soma said: Reciting this supreme hymn called the Supreme Brahman, Kaṇḍu attained the highest perfection, having worshipped Keśava.
इयं च मारीषा पूर्वमासीद्य तां ब्रवीमि वः । कार्यगौरवमेतस्याः कथने फलदायि वः ॥ १,१५.
This Māriṣā was formerly as I have described; I tell you about her. The importance of her story is such that its telling will bear fruit for you.
अपुत्रा प्रागियं विष्णुं मृते भर्तरि सत्तमाः । भीपपत्नी महाभागा तोषयामास भक्तितः ॥ १,१५.
Previously, she was childless, and after her husband died, O noble ones, this fortunate wife of Bhīpa devotedly pleased Viṣṇu.
आराधितस्तया विष्णुः प्राह प्रत्यक्षतां गतः । वरं वृणीष्वेति शुभे सा च प्राहात्मवाञ्छितम् ॥ १,१५.
Viṣṇu, worshipped by her, appeared before her and said, 'Choose a boon, O auspicious one.' She then spoke her heartfelt wish.
भगवन्बालवैधव्याद्वृथाजन्माहमीदृशी । मन्दभाग्या समुद्भुता विफला च जगत्पते ॥ १,१५.
O Lord, because of my early widowhood, I have been born in vain, unfortunate, fruitless, and without purpose, O Master of the world.