समागम्य यथान्यायं दम्पती तौ यथाविधि । विष्णोः पूजादिकं सर्वं कृतवन्तौ द्रिजोत्तम
The couple, having met as prescribed, performed all the worship and rites for Vishnu, O best of twice-born.
कालेन गच्छता राजा ममारासौ सपत्रजित् । अन्वारुरोह तं देवी चितास्थं भूपतिं पतिम्
As time passed, the king Sapatrajit died; the queen ascended the funeral pyre with her husband, the ruler.
स तु तेनापचारेण श्वा जज्ञ वसुधाधिपः । उपोषितेन पाषण्जसंलापी यः कृतोऽभवत्
Because of that transgression, the fasting king who conversed with the heretic was born as a dog.
सा तु जातिस्मरा जज्ञ काशीराजसुता शुभा । सर्वविझानमम्पूर्णा सर्वलक्षणपूजिता
She, the virtuous daughter of the king of Kashi, was born remembering her past life, possessing all knowledge and honored for all auspicious qualities.
तां पिता दातुकामोऽभूत् वराय विनिवारितः । तयैव तन्व्या विरतो विवाहारम्भतो नृपः
Her father wished to give her in marriage, but was restrained; by her own will, the slender maiden prevented the king from beginning the wedding.
ततः सा दिव्यया दृष्टया दृष्ट्वा श्वानं निजं पतिम् । विदिशाख्यं पुरं गत्वा तदवस्थ ददर्शतम्
Then, with divine vision, she saw her own husband as a dog; going to the city called Vidiśā, she beheld him in that state.
तं दृष्ट्ववै महाभागं श्वबूतन्तु पतिं तथा । ददौ तस्मै वराहार सत्कारप्रवणां सुभम
Seeing her husband, now a dog, she, full of reverence, gave him excellent food with honor.
भुञ्जन् दत्तं तया सोऽन्नमतिमृष्टमभीप्सितम् । स्वजातिललितं कुर्वन् बहु चाटु चकार वै
He ate the food she gave, delicious and desired, behaving in a manner befitting his own kind, and uttered many flattering words.
अतीव व्रीडिता बाला कुर्वता चाटु तेन सा । प्रणामपूर्वमाहेदं दयितं तं कुयोनिजम्
The young girl was greatly embarrassed by his flattery; with a respectful bow, she spoke to her beloved, now of low birth.
स्मर्य्यतां तन्महाराज ! दाक्षिण्यललितं त्वया । येन श्वयोनिमापन्नो मम चाटुकरो भवान्
Remember, O great king, your gentle conduct, by which you entered the dog’s womb and now flatter me.
पाषण्डिनं समाभाष्य तीर्थस्त्रानादनन्तरम् । प्राप्तोऽसि कुत्सितां योनिं किं न स्मरसि तत्प्रभो
After speaking with the heretic and bathing at the holy place, you attained this degraded birth; do you not recall that, O lord?
तयैवं स्मारिते तस्मिन् पूर्वजातिकृते तदा । दध्यौ चिरमथावाप निर्वेदमतिदुर्लभम
When she reminded him thus of his previous birth, he reflected for a long time and attained rare dispassion.
निर्विण्णाचित्त- स ततो निगम्य नगरादू बहिः । मरुप्रपतनं कृत्वा शार्गालीं योनिमागतः
Then, his mind filled with despair, he left the city and, casting himself down in the desert, was born in the womb of a jackal.
सापि द्रितीये सम्प्राप्ते वर्षे दित्येन चक्षुषा । ज्ञात्वा श्वृगालं तं द्रष्टुं ययौ कोलाहलं गिरिम्
When the second year had passed, she, perceiving with her divine sight, recognized him as a jackal and went to the mountain called Kolahala to see him.
तत्रापि दृष्ट्वा तं प्राह शार्गालीं योनिमागतम् । भर्त्तारमतिचार्वङ्गी तनया पृथितीपतेः
There, seeing him who had entered the womb of a jackal, the beautiful daughter of the king addressed her husband.
अपि स्मरसि राजेन्द्र! श्वयोनिस्थस्य यन्मया । प्रोक्तं ते पूर्वचरितं पाषण्डालापसंश्रयम्
O king, do you remember what I once told you, when you were born as a dog—your former deeds and your association with heretical speech?
पुनस्तयोक्तस्यजूज्ञात्वा सत्यं सत्यवतां वरः । कालेन स निराहारस्तत्याज स्वं कलेवरम्
Again, reminded by her words and realizing the truth—O best of the truthful—he, after some time, gave up food and abandoned his body.
भूयस्ततो वृकं जातं गत्वा तं निर्जने वने । स्मारयामास भर्त्तारं पूर्ववृत्तमनिन्दिता
Then, he was born as a wolf; and she, faultless, went to that lonely forest and reminded her husband of his previous deeds.
न त्वं वृको महभाग! राजा शतधनुर्भवान् । श्वा भूत्वा त्वं श्वृगालोऽबूर्वृकत्वं साम्प्रतं गतः
O fortunate one, you are not a wolf; you are King Shatadhanu. Having been a dog, you became a jackal, and now you have attained the state of a wolf.
स्मारितेन यदा त्यक्तस्तेनात्मा गृद्रतां गतः । अवाप सा पुनश्चैनं बोधयामास भाविनी
When he was thus reminded, he abandoned that body, and his soul entered the form of a vulture; again, she, destined, instructed him.
नरेन्द्र! स्मर्यतामात्मा ह्मलं ते गृध्रचेष्टया । पाषण्डालापजातोऽयं दोषो यदूगृध्रता गतः
O king, recall yourself—your soul—now behaving as a vulture; this fault, arising from heretical speech, has led you to this vulture birth.
ततः काकत्वमापन्नं समनन्तरजन्मति । उवाच तन्वी भर्त्तारमुपलभ्यात्मयोगतः
Then, in the very next birth, he attained the form of a crow; and the slender one, perceiving him through her own power, addressed her husband.
अशेषा भूभृतः पूर्वं वश्या यस्मै बलिं ददुः । सत्वं काकत्वमापन्नो जातोऽद्य बलिभुक् प्रभो
All the rulers of the earth, who once offered tribute to you, have now become your food, O lord, as you have taken the form of a crow.
एवमेव च काकात्वे स्मारितः स पुरातनम् । तत्याज भूपतिः प्राणान् मयूरत्वमवाप च
In that very form as a crow, when reminded by her, the king abandoned his life and attained the form of a peacock.
मयूरत्वं ततः सा वै चकारानुगतिं शुभा । दत्तैः प्रतिक्षणां ह्टद्यस्तृप्त तज्जातिभोजनेः
Then she, auspicious, followed him into the form of a peahen, always satisfied with the food appropriate to that species.
ततस्तु जनको राजा वाजिमेधं महाक्रतुम् । चकार तस्यावभृथे स्त्रपयामास तं तदा
Afterwards, King Janaka performed the great horse-sacrifice; at its concluding bath, he purified him at that time.
सस्त्रौ स्वयं च तन्वङ्गी स्मारयामास चापि तम् । यथासौ श्वश्वृगालाद्या योनीर्जग्राह पार्थिवः
There, the slender-limbed one herself reminded him, as did the king, of how he had taken on the births of dog, jackal, and so on.
स्मृतजन्मक्रमः सोऽथ तत्याज स्व कलेवरम् । जज्ञ स जनकस्यैव पुत्रोऽसौ सुमहात्मनः
Then, recalling the sequence of his births, he abandoned his body and was born as the son of the great-souled Janaka himself.
ततः सा पितरं तन्वी विवहार्थमचोदयत् । स चापि कारयामास तस्या राजा स्वयवरम्
Then she urged her father regarding her marriage, and the king arranged her svayamvara ceremony.
स्वयंवरे कृते सा तं सम्प्राप्तं पतिमात्मनः । वपरयामास भूयोऽपि भर्तृ भावेन भामिनी
At the svayamvara, she chose him, who had arrived there, as her husband; and once more, the devoted lady served him as her lord.