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.
अथार्कस् तस्य कुम्भस्य स्त्रीत्वम् उत्पादयन्न् इव । जगामास्तं जगद्दीपो दीपस् स्नेहक्षयाद् इव
Then the sun, as if producing womanhood in that pitcher, set; the lamp of the world disappeared, like a lamp when its oil is exhausted.
व्यवहारभरैस् सार्धं पद्मास् सङ्कोचम् आययुः । मार्गाश् च पथिकैस् सार्धं पान्थस्त्रीहृदयानि च
With the burdens of daily activity, the lotuses closed; the roads, along with the travelers, and the hearts of the wayfarers' wives, also contracted.
दाशवद् विहगान् सर्वान् कुर्वद् एकत्र पुञ्जितान् । तारकारत्नजालाढ्यं भुवनं श्यामतां ययौ
Like a net gathering all birds together as captives, the world, adorned with clusters of star-jewels, became dark.
खं हसन्न् इव ताराढ्यं विकासं कुमुदाकरः । ययाव् उन्नादचक्राह्वं भ्रमद्भ्रमरपेटकः
As if laughing, the sky, rich with stars, expanded; the moon, called the lord of the night, moved about like a swarm of bees circling a blossoming lotus pond.
सुहृदौ ताव् अथोत्थाय सन्ध्याम् उद्यन्निशाकराम् । वन्दयित्वा तथा कृत्वा जप्यं गुल्मान्तरे स्थितौ
Then those two friends arose, worshipped the evening as the moon was rising, performed their recitation, and stood within the thicket.
ततः कुम्भश् शनैस् तत्र स्त्रैणम् अभ्याहरन् वपुः । शिखिध्वजं पुरस्संस्थं प्रोवाच गलदक्षरम्
Then Kumbha, slowly assuming a feminine form there, spoke to Śikhidhvaja, who stood before him, his words faltering as they fell.
पतामीव स्फुरामीव द्रवामीवाङ्गयष्टिभिः । लज्जयेव च हे राजन् मन्ये स्त्रीत्वं व्रजाम्य् अहम्
O King, I feel as if I am falling, trembling, melting in my limbs, and growing shy; I think I am becoming a woman.
पश्येमे परिवर्धन्ते राजन् मम शिरोरुहाः । प्रस्फुरत्तारकामाला दिनान्ते तिमिरा इव
See, O King, my hair is growing, spreading like a garland of shining stars at the end of day, like darkness increasing.
पश्येमौ मम जायेते प्रोन्मुखाव् उरसि स्तनौ । कोरकाव् इव पद्मिन्या वसन्ते गगनोन्मुखौ
Look, two breasts are rising on my chest, facing upward, like lotus buds in spring turning toward the sky.
आगुल्फम् एव लम्बानि सम्पद्यन्ते ऽम्बराणि मे । देहाद् एव सखे पश्य स्त्रिया इव शनैश् शनैः
See, my garments now hang down only to my ankles; from my very body, friend, I am slowly becoming like a woman.