यद्य् एवं फुल्लपद्माक्षि परदेहैकभोजने । किं स्याच् छरीरवृत्त्या ते स्थिताया मत्समीहिते
If it is so, O lotus-eyed one, what would happen to your bodily sustenance, remaining as you wish, when you partake of another's body?
षड्भिर् वर्षशतै राजन् प्रबुद्धायास् समाधितः । जातभोजनसङ्कल्पा भोजनेच्छेयम् अद्य मे
For six hundred years, O King, after awakening and being absorbed in samadhi, the thought of eating has arisen in me, and today I desire food.
इदानीं शिखरं गत्वा तद् एव ध्याननिश्चला । यावदिच्छं सुखेनासे सजीवा सालभञ्जिका
Now, having gone to the mountain peak, she, the living Sālabhañjikā, sits in meditation, unmoving, enjoying happiness as long as she wishes.
आमृतीं धारणां बद्ध्वा धारयामि शरीरकम् । यथेच्छम् अथ कालेन त्यक्ष्यामीति मतिर् मम
Having established the practice of the nectar-holding, I sustain the body as I wish, and then, in due time, I shall abandon it—this is my resolve.
आशरीरपरित्यागम् इदानीं न मया नृप । हिंसनीयाः परप्राणास् तेनेदं मद्वचश् शृणु
Now, O King, before abandoning the body, I must not harm the lives of others; therefore, listen to my words.
हिमवान् नाम शैलो ऽस्ति रुचा चन्द्रांशुनिर्मलः । य उत्तराशाहृदये स्पृष्टपूर्वापरार्णवः
There is a mountain named Himavat, pure as moonlight in its radiance, which lies at the heart of the northern region, touching both the eastern and western oceans.
तत्राहं निवसाम्य् उग्रे हेमशृङ्गदरीगृहे । आयसी स्तम्भलेखेव कर्कटी नाम राक्षसी
There I dwell, fierce, in a house made of golden-peaked mountains, like an iron pillar, as the rakshasi named Karkaṭī.
तपसा प्रार्थितो ब्रह्मा जनतामारणेच्छया । विषूचिका प्राणहरा स्यां सूक्ष्मास्मीति वै मया
By austerity I entreated Brahma, desiring to destroy people; thus, I became subtle as the life-taking disease viṣūcikā.
तस्मात् सम्प्राप्तवरया बहून् वर्षगणान् मया । भुक्ता विषूचिकात्वेन जनता जीववेधनैः
Therefore, having obtained the boon, for many years I afflicted people as viṣūcikā, tormenting their lives.
त्वया न गुणिनो हिंस्या इति मे ब्रह्मणा कृतः । नियमार्थं महामन्त्रस् तदायत्तास्मि संस्थिता
But Brahma set a restriction for me: 'You shall not harm the virtuous'; for that purpose, I am dependent on the great mantra and remain restrained by it.
सो ऽयं प्रगृह्यतां तेन सर्वं हृदयशूलनम् । शमम् एष्यति लोके ऽस्मिन् का कथा मत्कृते भ्रमे
So now, let this mantra be taken up; by it, all heart-pain in this world will be pacified—what more need be said about my causing confusion?
विरतैवास्मि हिंसातो यत् पुरा हिंसितं मया । जनस्य हृदयं तेन नाड्यो वैधुर्यम् आगताः
Indeed, I have ceased from violence; whatever hearts I harmed before, their channels have become impaired by that.
हिंसित्वा रक्तमांसानि सन्त्यक्ता ये मया जनाः । तेभ्यो विधुरनाडिभ्यो ये जातास् ते ऽपि तादृशाः
Those people whose blood and flesh I injured and abandoned—their impaired channels have produced others who are likewise afflicted.
राजन् विषूचिकामन्त्रस् सो ऽयं सम्पन्न एव ते । न हि सत्त्ववताम् अस्ति दुस्साध्यम् इह किञ्चन
O King, this viṣūcikā-mantra is now complete for you; for those possessing virtue, nothing here is insurmountable.
अतो दुर्नाडिकोशेषु शूलानां परिशान्तये । मन्त्रो यो ब्राह्मणा प्रोक्तो राजञ् शीघ्रं गृहाण तम्
Therefore, for the relief of pain in those with impaired channels, O King, quickly take up the mantra spoken by the brāhmaṇas.
आगच्छ निकटं नद्या गच्छामस् तत्र भूपते । स्वाचान्ताभ्यां संयताभ्यां भवद्भ्यां सुव्रता ददे
Come near to the river, O King; let us go there. With your calm and restrained selves, I, devoted to virtue, offer you this.
इति तस्यां तदा रात्र्यां राक्षसीमन्त्रिभूभृतः । जग्मुस् ते सरितस् तीरं मिथस्सञ्जातसौहृदाः
Thus, during that night, the demoness, her minister, and the king, having developed mutual friendship, went to the riverbank.
अन्वयव्यतिरेकाभ्यां राक्षस्यास् सौहृदं तथा । ज्ञात्वा स्थितौ तौ स्वाचान्ताव् उभाव् अन्ते निवासिनौ
By both direct and indirect means, the two, knowing the demoness’s friendship, remained composed and at peace, dwelling there until the end.
तया ब्रह्मोपदिष्टो ऽसौ ततस् ताभ्यां यथाक्रमम् । स्नेहाद् विषूचिकामन्त्रः प्रदत्तो जपसिद्धिदः
Instructed by her in the knowledge of Brahman, they then, out of affection, received from her the mantra against cholera, which grants success when recited.
ततस् सञ्जातसौहार्दौ तौ विसृज्य निशाचरी । यदा गन्तुं प्रवृत्तासौ तदा राजाब्रवीद् वचः
Then, the two, having formed a bond of friendship, dismissed the night-wandering demoness; when they were about to depart, the king spoke these words.
गुरुस् त्वं नौ महादेवि वयस्या च सुनिर्वृता । निमन्त्रयावहे यत्नात् त्वाम् अम्भोरुहसुन्दरि
You are our teacher, O great goddess, and a contented friend as well; O lotus-faced beauty, we earnestly invite you to our home.
न प्रार्थनां तथास्माकं वितथीकर्तुम् अर्हसि । सौहार्दं सुजनानां हि दर्शनाद् एव वर्धते
You should not refuse our request; for the friendship of good people grows simply by meeting.
लघुसौभाग्यसंयुक्तं कृत्वाकारं मनोहरम् । आगच्छास्मद्गृहं भव्या तत्र तिष्ठ यथासुखम्
Assume a charming and delightful form, adorned with modest fortune, and come to our house, O noble one; there, stay as you please.
मुग्धस्त्रीरूपधारिण्यै दातुं शक्नोषि भोजनम् । सन्तर्पयसि मां केन राक्षसीरूपधारिणीम्
You are able to give food to one who has assumed the form of a naive woman; by what means do you satisfy me, who has taken on the form of a demoness?
रक्षोऽन्नम् एव मे तुष्ट्यै न सामान्यजनाशनम् । पूर्वसिद्धस् स्वभावो ऽयम् आ सर्गान्ताद् विवर्धते
Only flesh is food for my satisfaction, not the fare of ordinary people; this nature, established from the beginning, grows until the end of creation.
हेमस्रग्दामवलिता दिनानि कतिचिद् गृहे । मम स्त्रीरूपिणी तिष्ठ यावदिच्छम् अनिन्दिते
Adorned with golden garlands, remain in my house for a few days in the form of a woman, O blameless one, as long as I desire.
ततो दुष्कृतिनश् चौरान् वध्याञ् शतसहस्रशः । मण्डलेभ्यस् समानीय ददे तुभ्यं सुभोजने
Then, gathering hundreds of thousands of wicked thieves condemned to death from the districts, I gave them to you as excellent food.
कान्तारूपं परित्यज्य गृहीत्वा राक्षसं वपुः । आदाय वध्याञ् शतशः पुरुषांस् तान् स्वसञ्चितान्
Abandoning your lovely form and assuming the body of a demon, you took those hundreds of condemned men whom you had collected.
नयस्व हिमवच्छृङ्गं तत्र भुङ्क्ष्व यथासुखम् । महाशनानाम् एकान्ते भोजनं हि सुखायते
Take them to the peak of the Himalayas and there eat as you please; for solitary eating is pleasant to those who are great eaters.
सुप्ता निद्रां परित्यज्य भव भूयस् समाधिभाक् । समाधिविरता भूयो ऽप्य् आगत्य पुनर् अन्यदा
Abandoning sleep and slumber, become absorbed in meditation again; having ceased from meditation, you returned once more at another time.