इत्थं सुखेषु ननु दुःखदशासु चेत्थं स्थातव्यम् इत्य् अधिगतं यद् इहाङ्ग जीवैः । तज्ज्ञाज्ञभूतनिचयस् स्फुरितस् तद् एव दुर्लङ्घ्य एष नियतो नियतेर् विलासः
O dear one, whatever understanding living beings have gained here—that in happiness or in suffering, one must remain thus—this is the manifestation of knowledge and ignorance together. This alone is insurmountable; it is the inevitable play of destiny.
एवं स्थिते महाभाग कथम् उद्वेगम् ईदृशम् । लब्धवान् असि देवो ऽपि स्वर्गाद् अपि सुखास्पदात्
In this situation, O noble one, how is it that you, even as a god, have come to experience such agitation, though you possess happiness greater than that of heaven?
शृणु कार्यम् इदं चित्रं मदीयं वसुधाधिप । कथयामि तवाशेषं स्वर्गे यद् वृत्तम् अद्य मे
Listen, lord of the earth, to this remarkable event of mine; I will tell you everything that happened to me today in heaven.
सुहृद्य् आवेदितं दुःखं परम् आयाति तानवम् । घनं जडं कृष्णम् अपि मुक्तवृष्टिर् इवाम्बुदः
When a friend confides his sorrow, its intensity gradually lessens, just as a dense, dark, heavy cloud is lightened by releasing its rain.
सुहृदा पृच्छता साधु चेतो याति प्रसन्नताम् । स्निह्यतोपगतेनाशु कतकेन जलं यथा
When a friend kindly inquires, the mind quickly becomes clear, just as water is purified at once by the addition of kataka nut.
अहं तावद् इतो यातो भवते पुष्पमञ्जरीम् । दत्त्वा गगनम् उल्लङ्घ्य सम्प्राप्तश् च त्रिविष्टपम्
I, for my part, after giving you a cluster of flowers, departed from here, crossed the sky, and reached heaven.
तत्र पित्रा सहेन्द्रस्य सभास्थाने यथाक्रमम् । स्थित्वोत्थाय तथोत्थानकाले पित्रा विसर्जितः
There, in the assembly hall of Indra, I stood with my father according to custom; then, at the proper time for rising, my father dismissed me.
इहागन्तुम् अहं स्वर्गं त्यक्त्वा सम्प्राप्तवान् नभः । दिवाकरहयैस् सार्धं वहाम्य् अनिलवर्त्मनि
Leaving heaven, I came here, traveling through the sky along the path of the wind, together with the rays of the sun.
अथैकत्र गतो भानुर् एकेनान्येन वर्त्मना । आगच्छाम्य् अहम् आकाशसागरात् पतिताकृतिः
Then, having gone to one place, the sun by one path and I by another, I came, appearing as if fallen from the ocean of the sky.
अथाग्रे वारिपूर्णानां मेघानां मध्यवर्त्मना । अपश्यं मुनिम् आयान्तम् अहं दुर्वाससं जवात्
Then, proceeding through the midst of clouds filled with water, I saw the sage Durvasa swiftly approaching.
पयोधरपटच्छन्नं विद्युद्वलयभूषितम् । अभिसारिकया तुल्यं धाराधौताङ्गसञ्चयम्
Clad in a cloak of rain-clouds, adorned with a circle of lightning, he resembled a woman going to meet her lover, his limbs washed by streams of rain.
स्थितं सुमेघच्छायायां श्यामायां वसुधातले । वेगेनाभिसरन्तं तं तपोलक्ष्मीम् इव प्रियाम्
Standing on the dark earth beneath the shade of a beautiful cloud, he advanced swiftly, like ascetic glory hastening toward its beloved.
तस्य कृत्वा नमस्कारम् उक्तं च वहता मया । मुने नीलाब्दवस्त्रस् त्वम् अभिसारिकया समः
Having bowed to him, I, who was being carried along, said: 'O sage, you are like one clad in the garments of the blue ocean, resembling a woman going to meet her lover.'
इत्य् आकर्ण्य चुकोपासौ मयि मानद मानहा । विस्फार्य रक्ते नयने प्राह गम्भीरनिस्स्वनम्
Hearing this, he became angry with me, O destroyer of pride, O bestower of honor; widening his bloodshot eyes, he spoke with a deep, resonant voice.
पौत्रो ऽस्मि पद्मजस्येति गर्वितस् त्वं किम् ईदृशः । भव्या हि नतिम् आयान्ति गुणैर् वृक्षाः फलैर् इव
'You are proud, thinking yourself the grandson of the Lotus-born; but why are you like this? Truly, noble ones bow down with virtues, just as trees bend with fruit.'
वेश्याभिसारिकारूपो भवान् इत्य् अशुभं वचः । मयि वक्षि दुराचार मूढ देवकुमारक
'You, who appear like a courtesan going to her lover—such inauspicious words you speak to me, you ill-behaved, deluded son of a god!'
स्तनकेशवती कान्ता हावभावविकारिणी । गच्छानेन दुरुक्तेन रात्रौ वेश्या भविष्यसि
O lovely one with breasts and hair, displaying gestures and moods, if you go with this harsh speech, you will become a courtesan at night.
इति श्रुत्वाशुभं वाक्यम् उज्झितं जर्जरद्विजात् । विमृष्यामि मनाग् यावत् तावद् अन्तर्हितो मुनिः
Hearing these inauspicious words uttered by the decrepit twice-born, I was reflecting for a moment when the sage suddenly disappeared.
इत्य् उद्विग्नमनास् साधो सम्प्राप्तो ऽस्मि नभस्तलात् । एतत् ते कथितं सर्वं सम्पन्नो ऽस्मि निशाङ्गना
Thus, with a troubled mind, O noble one, I arrived from the sky; all this I have told you, and I have become a woman of the night.
अतिवाह्यं दिनान्तेषु स्त्रीत्वम् एतन् मया कथम् । योनिस्तनवता रात्रौ वक्तव्यं किं मया पितुः
How shall I, having endured this womanhood for many days, speak to my father at night, when I possess the form of a woman?
संसृतौ भवितव्यानाम् अहो नु विषमा गतिः । अहम् अप्य् अन्यवद् दैवाद् यूनाम् आमिषतां गतः
Alas, how difficult is the fate of those destined for transmigration! By destiny, I too, like others, have become an object of desire for the young.
कष्टं मदपहारेण कलहो जायते ऽधुना । दिवि देवकुमाराणां कामाकुलधियाम् इह
Now, due to the loss of my self-control, conflict arises among the celestial youths in heaven, whose minds are agitated by desire.
गुरुदेवद्विजातीनां लज्जापरवशात्मना । कथम् अग्रे मया सम्यक् स्थातव्यं यामिनीस्त्रिया
How shall I, overcome by shame before my revered teachers and twice-born elders, properly stand before them as a woman of the night?
इत्य् उक्त्वा क्षणम् एकं स तूष्णीं स्थित्वा मुनेस् सुतः । धैर्यम् आलम्ब्य कुम्भो ऽत्र पुनर् आह रघूद्वह
Having spoken thus, the sage's son stood silent for a moment; then, gathering his courage, Kumbha spoke again to the descendant of Raghu.
किम् अज्ञ इव शोचामि किं मम क्षतम् आत्मनः । यथागतम् अयं देहो मत्तो ऽन्यो ऽनुभविष्यति
Why do I grieve like one who is ignorant? What harm has come to my self? This body, as it has come, will be experienced by another, not by me.
परिदेवनया को ऽर्थो देवपुत्र तवैतया । यद् आयाति तद् आयातु देहस्यात्मा न लिप्यते
What is the use of this lamentation, O divine one? Let whatever comes to the body come; the self is not tainted.
कानिचिद् यानि दुःखानि सुखानि विहितानि वा । तानि सर्वाणि देहस्य देहिनो न तु कानिचित्
Whatever sufferings or pleasures are ordained, all these belong to the body, not at all to the embodied self.
यदि त्वम् अपि कार्याणाम् अखेदार्हो ऽपि खिद्यसि । तद् अन्येषाम् उपायस् स्यात् क इवागमभूषण
If even you, who are not subject to fatigue in action, become distressed, then what means would there be for others, O ornament of the wise?
खेदे ऽखेदोचितं वाच्यम् इति किं च त्वम् उक्तवान् । इदानीं समताम् एत्य तिष्ठाखिन्नो यथास्थितः
You have spoken of what should be said in distress or in its absence; now, having attained equanimity, remain untroubled as you are.
ताव् एवमादिभिर् वाक्यैर् अन्योऽन्याश्वासनं स्वयम् । कृत्वा स्थितौ वने स्निग्धौ सुहृदौ खेदिनौ मिथः
Thus, with such words, each comforted the other; the two affectionate friends, though weary, remained together in the forest.