एकनिष्ठा समिच्छाकगोमयेन्धनसञ्चये । म्लानकम्बलसंवीतसिरालक्षा सगात्रिका
Her sole concern is gathering cow dung and firewood for fuel; she is draped in a faded blanket, her limbs marked by the pressure of carrying heavy loads.
तर्णकीकर्णजाहस्थक्रिमिनिष्कासतत्परा । गृहशाकवनासेकसत्वरा गृहकर्मणां
She is constantly occupied with removing insects from her ears, hair, and hands, and hurries to fetch wild greens for the household, ever busy with domestic tasks.
नीलतीरतरङ्गाक्ततृणतर्पिततर्णका । प्रतिक्षणं गृहद्वारकृतचन्दनवर्णका
She feeds the cattle with grass wet from the waves of the blue river, and at every moment she marks the house door with sandalwood paste.
नीत्यर्थं गृहभृत्यानां सादिनां कृतवाच्यता । मर्यादानियमाद् अब्धिवेलेवानिशम् अच्युता
She is always ready to speak for the sake of the household servants and animals, and, unwavering in her adherence to rules and boundaries, she is like the shore that restrains the ocean.
जीर्णपर्णसवर्णैककर्णदोलाधिरूढया । कष्टतापजराभीतजीवभृत्येव चिह्निता
She is marked by the swing of an old, leaf-colored earring hanging from one ear, and, like a servant worn by hardship and age, she bears the signs of a life filled with toil and fear.
इत्य् उक्त्वा सञ्चरन्ती सा शिखरिग्रामकोटरे । सञ्चरन्त्यास् सरस्वत्या दर्शयाम् आस सा स्वयम्
Having spoken thus, she wandered in the hollow of the mountain village; as she moved about, Sarasvati herself appeared before her.
इयं मे पाटलाषण्डमण्डिता पुष्पवाटिका । इयं मे पुष्पितोद्यानमण्डपाकारवाटिका
This flower garden, adorned with clusters of crimson trees, is mine; this blossoming pavilion, shaped like a garden enclosure, is mine.
इयं पुष्करिणीतीरद्रुमग्रथिततर्णका । इयं सा कर्णिकानाम्नी तर्णिका भुक्तपर्णिका
This bank of the lotus pond, entwined with trees and lush grass, is mine; this is the tarṇikā called Karṇikā, whose leaves have been eaten.
इयं सा मेदसा क्षीणा वराकी जलहारिका । अद्याष्टमं दिनं बाष्पपूर्णाक्षी परिरोदिति
This poor one, weakened by fat and deprived of water, is mine; today is the eighth day she weeps with tear-filled eyes.
इह देवि मया प्रोक्तम् इहोषितम् इह स्थितम् । इह सुप्तम् इहातीतम् इदं दत्तम् इहाहृतम्
Here, O goddess, I have spoken, lived, stayed; here I have slept, passed time, given, and received.
एष मे ज्येष्ठशर्माख्यः पुत्रो रोदिति मन्दिरे । एषा मे जङ्गले धेनुर् दोघ्द्री चरति शाद्वलम्
This eldest son of mine, named Sharma, weeps in the house; this cow of mine, grazing in the meadow, is milking in the wilderness.
गृहे ऽवसन्नं दाहाय रूक्षं क्षारविधूसरम् । स्वं देहम् इह पञ्चाख्यं पश्येमं प्रघनं मम
In the house, settled for burning, dry and covered with alkaline dust, see this body of mine, called 'fivefold,' dense and heavy.
तुम्बीलताभिर् उग्राभिस् तृष्णाभिर् इव वेष्टितम् । महानसस्थानम् इदं मम देहम् इवापरम्
This kitchen, wrapped with fierce gourd vines, like thirsts, is mine; this place in the kitchen is like another body of mine.
एते रोदनताम्राक्षा बन्धवो भुवि बन्धनम् । अङ्गदार्पितरुद्राक्षा आहरन्त्य् अनलेन्धनम्
These relatives, their eyes reddened from weeping, are bonds in this world; those who wear rudraksha bracelets bring fuel for the fire.
अनारतं शिलाकच्छगुच्छाच्छोटनकारिभिः । तरङ्गैस् तुङ्गिताकारस्पृष्टतीरलतादलैः
Ceaselessly struck by clusters of stones and shells, with waves of lofty form touching the leaves of creepers on the shore,
शीकराकीर्णपर्यन्तशाद्वलस्थलवेल्लितैः । शिलाफलहकास्फालफेनिलोत्फालशीकरैः
Its edges are scattered with spray, swaying grassy patches, and foam rising from the collision of stones, fruits, and shells.
तुषारीकृतमध्याह्नदिवाकरकरोत्करैः । फुल्लपुष्पोत्करासारप्रदानोत्कतटद्रुमैः
The midday sun’s rays, like frost, make it glisten, while the banks are lined with trees eager to offer clusters of blossoming flowers.
विद्रुमैर् इव सङ्क्रान्तफुल्लकिंशुककान्तिभिः । व्याप्तया पुष्पराशीनां समुल्लासनकारिभिः
With the radiance of blooming kiṃśuka trees shining like coral, and filled with heaps of flowers that seem to burst forth in delight,
उह्यमानफलापूरसुव्यग्रग्रामबालया । महाकलकलावर्तसक्तया ग्राम्यकुल्यया
Children from the village, busy with gathering abundant fruit, are carried along by the village stream, absorbed in its great, noisy eddies.
वेष्टितस् तरलास्फालजलधौततलोपमः । घनपत्त्रतरुच्छत्त्रच्छायासततशीतलः
Surrounded by swiftly swirling, water-washed banks, ever cool beneath the dense shade of broad-leaved trees,
अयम् आलक्ष्यते पुष्पलतावलनसुन्दरः । ललद्गुलुच्छकच्छन्नगवाक्षो गृहमण्डपः
Here appears a house pavilion, beautiful with entwined flowering creepers, its windows shaded by overhanging branches.
अत्र मे संस्थितो भर्ता जीवाकाशलवाकृतिः । चतुस्समुद्रपर्यन्तमेखलाया भुवः पतिः
Here my lord abides, whose form is like a particle of living space, the master of the earth girdled by the four oceans.
आस्मृतं पूर्वम् एतेन किलासीद् अभिवाञ्छितम् । शीघ्रं स्याम् इव राजेति तीव्रसंवेगधर्मिणा
Previously, this was indeed intensely desired by him, with the powerful force of aspiration: 'May I swiftly become king.'
दिनैर् अष्टभिर् एवासौ तेन राज्यं समृद्धिमत् । चिरकालप्रत्ययदं प्राप्तवान् परमेश्वरि
O Supreme Lady, in just eight days, through that, he attained a prosperous kingdom, which would normally be gained only after a long time.
अत्रासौ भर्तृजीवो मे गृहे व्योम्नि स्थितो नृपः । अदृश्यः खे यथा वायुर् आमोदो वा यथानिले
Here, the vital essence of my husband, the king, remained in my house, situated in space, unseen—like the wind in the sky, or fragrance in the air.
इहैवाङ्गुष्ठमात्रान्ते तद् व्योम्नीव पदं स्थितम् । मद्भर्तृराज्यं मम तु गतं योजनकोटिताम्
Here itself, within the space of a thumb's breadth, that realm was established as if in the sky; but my husband's kingdom had extended to a distance of ten million yojanas.
आवां खम् एव तत् खं च भर्तृराज्यं ममेश्वरि । पूर्णं सहस्रैश् शैलानाम् अहो मायेयम् आतता
We two are space itself, and that kingdom of my husband is also space, O Lady; yet it appears filled with thousands of mountains—oh, what a wonder this illusion is!
तद् देवि भर्तुर् निकटं पुनर् गन्तुं ममेप्सितम् । तद् एहि तत्र गच्छावः किं दूरं व्यवसायिनाम्
O Goddess, I now wish to return again to my husband's side; so come, let us go there—what distance is there for those who are resolute?
इत्य् उक्त्वा प्रणता देवीं सा प्रविश्याशु मण्डपम् । विहङ्गीव तया सार्धं पुप्लुवे ऽसिनिभं नभः
Having said this and bowed to the goddess, she swiftly entered the pavilion; together with her, she soared into the sky, dark as a sword, like a bird.
भिन्नाञ्जनचयप्रख्यं सौम्यैकार्णवसुन्दरम् । नारायणाङ्गसदृशं भृङ्गपृष्ठामलछविम्
The sky appeared as if split by masses of collyrium, beautiful with a gentle, single ocean, resembling the body of Narayana, with the pure luster of a bee's back.