आययौ यामिनी श्यामा भुवनं भस्मधूसरम् । धृतव्योमापगं शर्वम् ईर्ष्ययेव यमस्वसा
The dark night arrived, making the world ashen and dusty, holding the celestial river in the sky, like Yama’s sister, out of jealousy.
दिक्षु सन्ध्याभ्रहस्तासु स्थितासु कृतकुण्डलम् । तमोलवालकाङ्कासु ज्योत्स्नाहासोदयाङ्कितम्
In the directions, where the hands of twilight clouds were adorned with earrings, in the locks of darkness, the marks of moonlight’s smile began to rise.
गच्छतोर् अपरं पारं दम्पत्योर् मैरवं वनम् । देवोद्यानमयं रन्तुं दिनश्रीदिननाथयोः
The royal couple, Day and its Lord, went to the other side, to the Maireya forest, a divine garden, to enjoy themselves.
आगच्छतोर् इमं पारं हृद्यं तीक्ष्णकरोज्झितम् । निशानिशानाथयोश् च दम्पत्योर् मैरवं पुनः
As Night and its Lord approached this side, charming yet pierced by the sharp rays, the royal couple again entered the Maireya forest.
तारागणो ऽपि ददृशे विशीर्णो व्योमकुट्टिमे । मुक्तो मङ्गललाजानां दिग्वधूभिर् इवाञ्जलिः
The host of stars appeared scattered across the sky's expanse, as if the celestial brides had released handfuls of auspicious rice.
चन्द्रानना तमश्श्यामा शीता कुमुदहासिनी । यामिनी यौवनं प्राप सरोजमुकुलस्तनी
Night, moon-faced, dark as darkness, cool, smiling like the white water-lily, attained her youth, her breasts like unopened lotus buds.
कृतसन्ध्यासमाचारस् सह चूडालयेष्टया । सुष्वाप शयने भूपो मैनाक इव सागरे
Having performed the evening rites, the king, with his beloved crowned consort, slept on his bed like Mount Mainaka in the ocean.
अथार्धरात्रसमये देशे निश्शब्दतां गते । घननिद्राशिलाकोशनिलीने सकले जने
Then, at midnight, when silence pervaded the land and all people were hidden in the stone-casket of deep sleep,
स तस्यां सम्प्रसुप्तायां शयने कोमलांशुके । भृशं निद्राविमूढायां भ्रमर्याम् इव पङ्कजे
As she lay fast asleep on the bed, wrapped in a soft garment, deeply overcome by sleep, like a bee in a lotus,
तत्याज दयितां सुप्ताम् अङ्काद् राजा शिखिध्वजः । स्वैरं स्वैरं मुखं राहो रविचन्द्रप्रभाम् इव
King Shikhidhvaja quietly left his beloved, who slept on his lap, just as Rahu stealthily leaves the radiant faces of the sun and moon.
उत्तस्थौ शयनाल् लीनवधूकाद् धवलांशुकात् । सलक्ष्मीकाद् विलोलोर्मेर् हरिः क्षीरार्णवाद् इव
He rose from the bed, leaving behind his beloved and the white garment, like Vishnu rising from the ocean of milk, leaving Lakshmi and the waves.
निर्जगामाङ्गनं मत्तसुप्तभृत्यजनं गृहात् । वनं सुप्तमृगव्यूहं केसरी कन्दराद् इव
He departed from the house, where the servants and women were intoxicated or asleep, like a lion leaving its cave for a forest where the herds of deer slumber.
खड्गमात्रसहायो ऽसौ पटद्वयपरावृतः । अर्धसुप्तद्वारपालं द्वारदेशम् अवाप च
With only his sword for company, wrapped in two cloths, he reached the doorway, where the gatekeeper was half-asleep.
वीरक्रमार्थं यामीति तत्रैव द्वारपव्रजम् । योजयित्वा जगामासौ पुरान् निर्गत्य पूर्णधीः
For the sake of heroic action, he said, 'I go for the night-watch,' and after arranging with the gatekeeper, he left the city, his mind fully resolved.
राज्यलक्ष्म्यै नमस् तुभ्यम् इत्य् उक्त्वा मण्डलाद् गतः । विवेशोग्राम् अरण्यानीम् एको नद इवार्णवम्
Saying, 'Salutations to you, goddess of royal fortune,' he departed from the circle of the city, and entered the wild forest alone, like a river entering the ocean.
घनान्धकारगुल्माढ्या क्षुद्रभूतौघकर्कशा । सारण्यानीनिशा सा च समं तेनातिवाहिता
That night in the forest, dense with thick darkness and harsh with crowds of small creatures, was passed by him.
प्रातश् शून्यम् अरण्यानीखं तीर्त्वा विततं दिनम् । समम् अर्केण कस्याञ्चिद् विशश्राम वनावनौ
In the morning, after crossing the empty expanse of the forest, he spent the day together with the sun, resting in a woodland grove.
भानाव् अदृश्यतां याते तत्र स्नानादिपूर्वकम् । किञ्चित् फलादिकं भुक्त्वा तां निनाय तमस्वतीम्
When the sun set, after bathing and other rituals, he ate some fruit and similar food, and spent the night there in darkness.
पुनः प्रातः पुराण्य् उच्चैर् मण्डलानि गिरीन् नदीः । बलाद् उल्लङ्घयाम् आस राम द्वादशशर्वरीः
Again, at dawn, for twelve nights, he forcefully crossed ancient mountain ranges, peaks, and rivers, O Rama.
ततो मन्दरशैलस्य तटस्थं जनदुर्गमम् । प्राप काननम् अत्यन्तदूरस्थजनतापुरम्
Then he reached a forest on the slopes of Mount Mandara, a place difficult for people to access, far from any settlement.
रटत्प्रणालसलिलवापीवलितपादपम् । शीर्णवेद्यादिविज्ञातभूतपूर्वद्विजाश्रमम्
There were wells with gushing water, ponds, and trees swaying in the breeze, and the remains of old altars revealed that sages had once lived there.
क्षुद्रप्राणिविनिर्मुक्तं सिद्धसेव्यलतालयम् । आपूर्णपादपलतं प्राणवृत्तिकरैः फलैः
It was free from small creatures, a grove frequented by accomplished sages, its ground covered with fallen leaves and fruits that sustained life.
तत्रैकस्मिन् स्थले शुद्धे समे सलिलमालिते । शीतले शाद्वलश्यामे स्निग्धे सफलपादपे
In one pure, level spot, moist with water, cool, dark with lush grass, gentle, and shaded by fruit-bearing trees—
समञ्जरीभिर् वल्लीभिस् स चकारोटजालयम् । प्रावृट्कालस् सविद्युद्भिर् नीलाभ्रैर् इव पञ्जरम्
He made a hut from vines with clusters of blossoms, like a cage of blue clouds streaked with lightning in the rainy season.
मसृणं वैणवं दण्डं फलभोजनभाजनम् । अर्घपात्रं पुष्पभाण्डम् अक्षमालां कमण्डलुम्
He brought a smooth bamboo staff, a bowl for eating fruit, a vessel for offering water, a basket for flowers, a rosary, and a water pot.
कन्थां शीतापनोदाय बृसीं चैव मृगाजिनम् । आनीयायोजयत् तस्मिन् मठिकामन्दिरे नृपः
He also brought a cloak to ward off the cold, a mat, and a deerskin, and arranged them all in that hermitage dwelling.
यत् किञ्चिद् अन्यद् वा वस्तु योग्यं तापसकर्मणि । तत् तत्र स्थापयाम् आस जगतीव क्रमं विधिः
Whatever other things were suitable for ascetic practice, he arranged them there, just as the order of the world is established by law.
सन्ध्यापूर्वं जपं प्रातःप्रहरं स तदाकरोत् । पुष्पोच्चयं द्वितीयं तु स्नानं देवार्चनं ततः
At dawn, before sunrise, he performed recitation of mantras for the first quarter of the day; then, in the second quarter, he gathered flowers, bathed, and worshipped the gods.
पश्चाद् वनफलं किञ्चिद् वनकन्दं बिसादिकम् । भुक्त्वा जप्यपरो भूत्वा निनायैको निशां वशी
Afterwards, he ate some forest fruits, roots, lotus stalks, and the like; then, absorbed in recitation, the self-controlled one spent the night alone.
इति दिवसम् अखेदं मन्दरोपान्तकच्छे विरचित उटजे ऽन्तर् मालवेशो निनाय । न च नृपतिविलासं तं स सस्मार कं वा स्फुरति हृदि विवेके राज्यलक्ष्म्यो हरन्ति
In this way, he passed his days without fatigue, dwelling in a hut near the slope of Mount Mandara, clothed in bark; nor did he recall any royal pleasures, for in a discerning heart, the splendors of kingship do not arise.