आसन्नमृत्युतरुणान्तरवक्त्रकान्तिसंशीर्णजीर्णतरुपर्णवनोपमानम् । वृष्टिव्यपायपरिधूसरदेशरूक्षं जातं गृहेश्वरवियोगहतं गृहं तत्
That house, struck by the loss of its lord, had become like a forest of old trees whose leaves were withered by the fading radiance of faces near death, like a region made harsh by the retreat of rain, covered in dust.
अथ सा निर्मलज्ञानचिराभ्यासेन सुन्दरी । सम्पन्ना सत्यसङ्कल्पा सत्यकामा च देववत्
Then, through long practice of pure knowledge, that beautiful woman became endowed with true resolve and true desire, like a goddess.
चिन्तयाम् आस माम् एते देवीं चेमां स्वबान्धवाः । पश्यन्तु तावत् सामान्यललनारूपधारिणीम्
She thought, 'Let these relatives of mine see me now, appearing as an ordinary woman.'
ततो गृहजनस् तत्र स ददर्शाङ्गनाद्वयम् । लक्ष्मीगौर्योर् युगम् इव समुद्भासितमन्दिरम्
Then the household members there saw that pair of women, shining forth together like Lakshmi and Gauri in a radiant abode.
आपादं विविधाम्लानमालावलनसुन्दरम् । वसन्तलक्ष्म्योर् युगलम् इवामोदितकाननम्
From head to toe, the pair was adorned with various garlands, beautiful and fresh, like the joyful woodland of springtime goddesses.
सर्वौषधिवनग्रामं पूरयत् तं रसायनैः । शीतलाह्लादसुखदं चन्द्रद्वयम् इवोदितम्
They filled the entire village of medicinal plants with elixirs, giving coolness, delight, and comfort, like the rising of two moons.
लम्बालकलतालोललोचनालिविलोकितैः । किरत् कुवलयोन्मिश्रमालतीकुसुमोत्करान्
With glances from their long, waving, vine-like hair and restless eyes, they scattered clusters of jasmine flowers mixed with blue lotuses.
द्रुतहेमरसापूर्णसरित्सरणहारिणा । देहप्रभाप्रभावेन कनकीकृतकाननम्
With the radiance of their bodies, flowing like rivers filled with molten gold, they made the forest shine as if it were turned to gold.
सहजाया वपुर् लक्ष्म्या लीलादोलाविलासिना । तरतेव तरङ्गाढ्यनिजलावण्यवारिधेः
With natural grace and playful beauty, Lakshmi’s form seemed to cross the waves of her own ocean of loveliness.
विलोलबाहुलतिकायुगेनारुणपाणिना । प्रकिरद् वा नवं हैमकल्पवृक्षलतावनम्
With arms moving like vines and hands glowing red, she seemed to scatter a new golden forest of wish-fulfilling trees.
पादैर् अमृदिताम्लानपुष्पपल्लवकोमलैः । फुल्लाब्जदलमालाभैर् अस्पृशद्भूतलं पुनः
With feet soft as tender flower buds and fresh leaves, untouched by the ground, resembling garlands of blooming lotus petals, she again walked.
तालीतमालषण्डानां शुष्कानां शशिरोचिषाम् । आलोकनामृतासेकैर् जनयद् बालपल्लवान्
By the nectar of her gaze, she brought forth young shoots among the groves of dried palm and tamala trees, whose moonlike radiance had faded.
नमो ऽस्तु वनदेवीभ्याम् इत्य् उक्त्वा कुसुमाञ्जलिम् । तत्याज ज्येष्ठशर्माथ सार्धं गृहजनेन सः
Having spoken, 'Salutations to the forest goddesses,' and offering a handful of flowers, Jyeshtha Sharma then departed together with his household.
पपात पादयोर् देव्योस् तयोस् सकुसुमाञ्जलिः । प्रालेयशीकरासारः पद्मिन्या इव पद्मयोः
He placed the flower offering at the feet of those goddesses, like a shower of icy dew upon the lotuses of a lotus pond.
जयतं वनदेव्यौ नो दुःखनाशार्थम् आगते । प्रायः परपरित्राणम् एव कर्म निजं सताम्
May the forest goddesses be victorious, who have come to remove our suffering; for the noble, their own action is mostly for the protection of others.
देव्याव् अभवतां स्निग्धाव् इह ब्राह्मणदम्पती । सर्वातिथी कुलकरौ स्तम्भभूतौ द्विजस्थितेः
The goddesses became affectionate here toward the Brahmin couple, pillars of their lineage, hosts to all guests, and the foundation of the twice-born community.
ताव् अद्य गृहम् उत्सृज्य सपुत्रपशुबान्धवम् । स्वर्गं गतौ नः पितरौ तेन शून्यं जगत्त्रयम्
Today, our parents have left the house, along with sons, cattle, and kin, and gone to heaven; thus, the three worlds are empty for us.
पक्षिणो वृक्षम् आरुह्य विक्षिपन्तः प्रतिक्षणम् । गृहे शून्ये मृताव् उत्काश् शोचन्ति मधुरस्वनैः
Birds, perched upon the tree, scatter about every moment; in the empty house, grieving for the dead, they lament with sweet voices.
गुहा घुरघुरारावप्रलापकलनाकुला । सरित्स्थूलाश्रुधाराभिः परिरोदिति पर्वतः
The mountain wails, overwhelmed by the confused, rumbling echoes from its caves, and by the thick streams of tears flowing down like rivers.
निर्झराक्रन्दहारिण्यो मुक्ताम्बरपयोधराः । तप्तनिश्श्वासविध्वस्ताः परं कार्श्यम् इता दिशः
The waterfalls, their garments loosened and breasts exposed, cry out as they collapse, their hot sighs scattering them, and they wander in utter emaciation in all directions.
क्षतविक्षतसर्वाङ्गः करुणाक्रन्दकर्कशः । उपवासपरो ग्रामो दीनो मृतिपरस् स्थितः
The village, battered and wounded in every limb, harsh with pitiful cries, devoted to fasting, stands miserable, intent on death.
दिवसं प्रति वृक्षाणाम् अवश्यायास्रुबिन्दवः । गुच्छलोचनकोशेभ्यस् तापोष्णा निपतन्त्य् अधः
Every day, drops of dew-like tears fall downward, hot from the heat, from the clustered eyes of the trees.
प्रशान्तजनसञ्चारा रथ्याः क्षारविधूसराः । विधवा विगतानन्दास् संशून्यहृदयं गताः
The streets, deserted by peaceful people, are whitened with salt; widowed, joyless, and emptied of heart, they have become desolate.
कोकिलालिप्रलापिन्यो वृष्टिबाष्पहता लताः । उष्णोष्णश्वसना देहं घ्नन्ति पल्लवपाणिभिः
The vines, their bodies struck by the hot, burning wind, battered by rain and tears, chatter with the cries of cuckoos and bees, striking themselves with leafy hands.
आत्मानं शतधा कर्तुं बृहच्छ्वभ्राच् छिलातले । निर्झरा निपतन्त्य् एते तापतप्तशरीरकाः
These waterfalls, their bodies scorched by heat, fall from the great crevices onto the rocky ground, as if to shatter themselves into a hundred pieces.
निस्सङ्कथा गतश्रीका मूका विलुलिताशयाः । अन्धेन तमसा पूर्णा गृहा गहनतां गताः
The houses, deprived of conversation and fortune, mute, with scattered intentions, filled with blind darkness, have become dense and impenetrable.
उद्यानपुष्पषण्डेभ्यो रुदद्भ्यो भ्रमरारवैः । पूतिगन्धो विनिर्याति स्वामोदापरनामकः
From the flower clusters in the garden, as the bees cry out in lament, a foul odor arises, called by another name their former sweet fragrance.
चूतद्रुमविलासिन्यो विरसाः प्रतिवासरम् । लताः कृशा विलीयन्ते सङ्कुचद्गुच्छलोचनाः
The mango trees' companions, the vines, have lost their savor day by day; the slender creepers with shrinking bud-like eyes are fading away.
प्रक्षेप्तुम् अम्बुधौ देहं प्रवृत्ता गन्तुम् आकुलाः । कुल्याः कलकलालोला लोलयन्त्यस् तनुं भुवि
The streams, eager to cast their bodies into the ocean and longing to depart, move restlessly on the earth, their waters murmuring as they flow.
अशङ्कमषकापातस्पन्दम् अप्य् अतिचापलम् । कलयन्त्यस् स्थिता वाप्यो निस्स्पन्दानन्दम् आत्मनि
The ponds, unmoved, remain, counting even the slightest tremor from a falling gnat as excessive restlessness, delighting in the stillness within themselves.