मद्विशिष्टः पुमान्को ऽद्य शक्रो विष्णुरथाश्विनौ । मामतीत्य हि यं च त्वं यासि भीरु न शोभनम् ।। ७.२६.
"Who is the man superior to me today—Indra, Viṣṇu, or the Aśvins? It is not proper, O timid one, that you go to anyone else, passing me by."
विश्रम त्वं पृथुश्रोणि शिलातलमिदं शुभम् ।। ७.२६.
"Rest here, O broad-hipped one, on this beautiful stone slab."
त्रैलोक्ये यः प्रभुश्चैव मदन्यो नैव विद्यते ।। ७.२६.
"In the three worlds, there is no lord other than me."
तदेवं प्राञ्जलिः प्रह्वो याचते त्वां दशाननः । भर्तुर्भर्ता विधाता च त्रैलोक्यस्य भजस्व माम् ।। ७.२६.
Thus, with joined palms and humility, Daśānana beseeches you: "Accept me as your husband, the lord of lords and creator of the three worlds."
एवमुक्ता ऽब्रवीद्रम्भा वेपमाना कृताञ्जलिः । प्रसीद नार्हसे वक्तुमीदृशं त्वं हि मे गुरुः ।। ७.२६.
Thus addressed, Rambhā, trembling and with folded hands, replied: "Be gracious; you ought not to speak thus, for you are my superior."
अन्येभ्यो हि त्वया रक्ष्या प्राप्नुयां धर्षणं यदि । तद्धर्मतः स्नुषा ते ऽहं तत्त्वमेव ब्रवीमि ते ।। ७.२६.
"If I were to suffer outrage, it is you who should protect me from others; by law, I am your daughter-in-law, and I speak this truthfully to you."
अथाब्रवीद्दशग्रीवश्चरणाधोमुखीं स्थिताम् । रोमहर्षमनुप्राप्तां दृष्टमात्रेण तां तदा ।। ७.२६.
Then Daśagrīva spoke to her, as she stood with her face turned to his feet, her body bristling with horripilation at his mere sight.
सुतस्य यदि मे भार्या ततस्त्वं हि स्नुषा भवेः । बाढमित्येव सा रम्भा प्राह रावणमुत्तरम् ।। ७.२६.
"If you are the wife of my son, then you are indeed my daughter-in-law." To this, Rambhā replied to Rāvaṇa, "So it is."
धर्मतस्ते सुतस्याहं भार्या राक्षसपुङ्गव । पुत्रः प्रियतरः प्राणैर्भ्रातुर्वैश्रवणस्य ते । विख्यातस्त्रिषु लोकेषु नलकूबर इत्ययम् ।। ७.२६.
"By law, I am the wife of your son, O foremost of Rākṣasas. Your brother Vaiśravaṇa's son, dearest to you as life itself, is renowned in the three worlds as Nalakūbara."
धर्मतो यो भवेद्विप्रः क्षत्रियो वीर्यतो भवेत् । क्रोधाद्यश्च भवेदग्निः क्षान्त्या च वसुधासमः ।। ७.२६.
"By righteousness, one is a brāhmaṇa; by valor, a kṣatriya; by anger, fire; and by forbearance, equal to the earth."
तस्यास्मि कृतसङ्केता लोकपालसुतस्य वै । तमुद्दिश्य तु मे सर्वं विभूषणमिदं कृतम् ।। ७.२६.
"I am pledged to the son of the guardian of the worlds; all these ornaments of mine are worn for him alone."
तथा तस्य हि नान्यस्य भावो मां प्रति तिष्ठति ।। ७.२६.
In the same way, no one else has such a disposition toward me as he does.
तेन सत्येन मां राजन्मोक्तुमर्हस्यरिन्दम ।। ७.२६.
By that truth, O king, subduer of enemies, you ought to release me.
स हि तिष्ठति धर्मात्मा मां प्रतीक्ष्य समुत्सुकः । तत्र विघ्नं सुतस्येह कर्तुं नार्हसि मुञ्च माम् ।। ७.२६.
He, righteous in soul, remains eagerly waiting for me; you should not create an obstacle here for your son—let me go.
सद्भिराचरितं मार्गं गच्छ राक्षसुपुङ्गव । माननीयो मम त्वं हि पालनीया तथा ऽस्मि ते ।। ७.२६.
Follow the path practiced by the virtuous, O foremost of Rākṣasas; you are to be honored by me, and I am likewise to be protected by you.
एवमुक्तो दशग्रीवः प्रत्युवाच विनीतवत् । स्नुषा ऽस्मि यदवोचस्त्वमेकपत्नीष्वयं क्रमः । देवलोकस्थितिरियं सुराणां शाश्वती मता ।। ७.२६.
Thus addressed, Daśagrīva replied humbly: 'Daughter-in-law, what you have said about monogamy—this is the way among the gods, an eternal order in the divine realms.'
पतिरप्सरसां नास्ति न चैकस्त्रीपरिग्रहः ।। ७.२६.
Among the Apsarases there is no husband, nor is there the taking of only one wife.
स्मि यदवोचस्त्वमेकपत्नीष्वयं क्रमः । एवमुक्त्वा स तां रक्षो निवेश्य च शिलातले । कामभोगाभिसंसक्तो मैथुनायोपचक्रमे ।। ७.२६.
Having said this, that Rākṣasa placed her upon a slab of stone, and, overcome by desire, began to approach her sexually.
सा विमुक्ता ततो रम्भा भ्रष्टमाल्यविभूषणा । गजेन्द्राक्रीडमथिता नदीवाकुलतां गता ।। ७.२६.
Then Rambhā, released, with her garlands and ornaments fallen away, became like a river agitated by the play of a lordly elephant.
लुलिताकुलकेशान्ता करवेपितपल्लवा । पवनेनावधूतेव लता कुसुमशालिनी ।। ७.२६.
Her hair disheveled and ends in disorder, her tender hands trembling, she was like a flowering creeper shaken by the wind, as if a bride.
सा वेपमाना लज्जन्ती भीता करकृताञ्जलिः । नलकूबरमासाद्य पादयोर्निपपात ह ।। ७.२६.
Trembling, ashamed, and fearful, with hands joined in reverence, she approached Nalakūbara and fell at his feet.
तदवस्थां च तां दृष्ट्वा महात्मा नलकूबरः । अब्रवीत्किमिदं भद्रे पादयोः पतिता ऽसि मे ।। ७.२६.
Seeing her in that condition, the great-souled Nalakūbara said: 'What is this, good lady, that you have fallen at my feet?'
सा वै निःश्वसमाना तु वेपमाना कृताञ्जलिः । तस्मै सर्वं यथातत्त्वमाख्यातुमुपचक्रमे ।। ७.२६.
She, sighing and trembling, with hands joined, began to tell him everything exactly as it had happened.
एष देव दशग्रीवः प्राप्तो गन्तुं त्रिविष्टपम् । तेन सैन्यसहायेन निशेयं परिणामिता ।। ७.२६.
'O lord, this Daśagrīva came here intending to go to heaven; with his army's help, I was forcibly taken by him.'
आयन्ती तेन दृष्टा ऽस्मि त्वत्सकाशमरिन्दम । गृहीता तेन पृष्टा ऽस्मि कस्य त्वमिति रक्षसा ।। ७.२६.
'As I was coming, he saw me, O subduer of enemies, and seized me; that Rākṣasa questioned me, asking whose I was.'
मया तु सर्वं यत्सत्यं तस्मै सर्वं निवेदितम् । काममोहाभिभूतात्मा नाश्रौषीत्तद्वचो मम ।। ७.२६.
'I told him everything truthfully, but, overpowered by desire and delusion, he did not heed my words.'
याच्यमानो मया देव स्नुषा ते ऽहमिति प्रभो । तत्सर्वं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा बलात्तेनास्मि धर्षिता ।। ७.२६.
'Though I pleaded with him, saying, "I am your daughter-in-law, O lord," he ignored all that and violated me by force.'
एवं त्वमपराधं मे क्षन्तुमर्हसि सुव्रत । न हि तुल्यं बलं सौम्य स्त्रियाश्च पुरुषस्य च ।। ७.२६.
'Thus, you should forgive my offense, O steadfast one; for, gentle one, the strength of a woman and a man is not equal.'
एतछुत्वा तु सङ्क्रुद्धस्तदा वैश्रवणात्मजः । धर्षणां तां परां श्रुत्वा ध्यानं सम्प्रविवेश ह ।। ७.२६.
Hearing this, the son of Vaiśravaṇa became enraged; upon learning of that great outrage, he entered into meditation.
तस्य तत्कर्म विज्ञाय तदा वैश्रवणात्मजः । मुहूर्तात्क्रोधताम्राक्षस्तोयं जग्राह पाणिना ।। ७.२६.
Recognizing that act, then the son of Vaiśravaṇa, his eyes reddened with anger, seized water in his hand within a moment.