भ्रमतात्र मया दृष्टा दारिकौदनधारिणी । गृहीतामृतसत्कुम्भा दानवेनेव माधवी
As I wandered there, I saw a maiden carrying rice, holding a golden pot of nectar, like Mādhavī seized by a demon.
तरत्तारकनेत्रां तां श्यामाम् अधवलाम्बराम् । अहम् अभ्यागतस् तत्र शर्वरीम् इव चन्द्रमाः
There I approached her, dark-skinned, with three stars for eyes, clad in pale garments, as the moon approaches the night.
मह्यम् ओदनम् आश्व् एतद् बाले बलवदापदे । देहि दीनार्तिहरणात् स्फारतां यान्ति सम्पदः
O girl, bring me some food quickly in this dire distress; by removing the suffering of the afflicted, prosperity grows.
क्षुद् अन्तर् दहतीयं मां बाले वृद्धिम् उपेयुषी । कृष्णसर्पी प्रसूतेव कोटरस्था जरद्द्रुमम्
Hunger, growing within me, burns like a black serpent coiled in the hollow of an old tree, O girl.
याच्ञयापि तया मह्यम् इत्थं दत्तं न किञ्चन । यत्नप्रार्थितया लक्ष्म्या यथा दुष्कृतिने धनम्
Even when I begged her, she gave me nothing at all, just as wealth, though earnestly sought, is given by fortune to the wicked.
केवलं चिरकालेन मय्य् अत्यन्तानुगामिनि । षण्डात् षण्डं निपतति च्छायाभूते पुरस्स्थिते
Only after a long time, as I followed her persistently, did a little fall to me, as a shadow falls before one who stands.
तयोक्तो हारकेयूरिंश् चण्डालीं विद्धि माम् इति । राक्षसीम् इव सुक्रूरां पुरुषाश्वगजाननाम्
She said to me, 'Know me as a chandala woman adorned with necklaces and armlets, fierce as a demoness, with the faces of men, horses, and elephants.'
राजन् याचनमात्रेण मत्तो नाप्नोषि भोजनम् । ग्राम्याद् अनभिजातेहात् सौजन्यम् इव सुन्दर
O king, by mere asking you will not obtain food from me, just as true nobility is not found in one born outside the village.
इत्य् उक्तवत्या गच्छन्त्या स्खलन्त्येव पदे पदे । कुञ्जकेषु निमज्जन्त्या लीलावनतयोदितम्
Having spoken thus, she departed, stumbling at every step, sinking into the thickets, her words trailing off playfully.
ददानि भोजनम् इदं भर्ता भवसि चेन् मम । लोको नोपकरोत्य् अर्थं सामान्यस् स्निग्धतां विना
I offer this food if you become my husband; the world does not grant benefit without mutual affection.
वाहयत्य् अत्र मे दान्तान् उड्डारे पुक्कसः पिता । श्मशान इव वेतालः क्षुधितो धूलिधूसरः
Here, my father, a pukkasa, drives the docile ones for slaughter, hungry and dust-covered like a ghoul in the cremation ground.
तस्येदम् अन्नं भवति भर्तृत्वे दीयते स्थिते । प्राणैर् अपि हि सम्पूज्या वल्लभाः पुरुषा यतः
This food is given to him when he is established as husband; beloved men are to be honored even with one's life.
अथोक्ता सा मया भर्ता भवामि तव सुव्रते । केनापदि विचार्यन्ते वर्णधर्मकुलक्रमाः
Then I said to her, 'I will become your husband, O virtuous one; in adversity, distinctions of caste, duty, and family are considered.'
ततस् तयौदनाद् अर्धं मह्यम् एकं समर्पितम् । माधवीवामृताद् अर्धम् इन्द्रायाग्निमते पुरा
Then she offered me half of the rice, just as half of the nectar from Mādhavī was once given to Indra and Agni.
जम्बूफलरसः पीतस् स भुक्तः पुक्कसौदनः । विश्रान्तं च मया तत्र मोहापहृतचेतसा
Having drunk the juice of the jambu fruit, I ate the pukkasa's rice, and there I rested, my mind overcome by delusion.
मां तडाकम् इवापूर्य सा प्रावृट्श्यामला गता । हस्तेन समुपादाय प्राणं बहिर् इव स्थितम्
She, dark as the monsoon, filled me like a lake, and, taking my hand, drew out my life as if it were outside.
दुराकृतिं दुरारम्भम् आससाद भयप्रदम् । पितरं पीवराकारम् अवीचिम् इव शासना
She encountered my father, of dreadful form and undertaking, terrifying, corpulent like Avīci, the hell of punishment.
तया मदनुषङ्गिण्या स्वार्थस् तस्मै निवेदितः । मातङ्गाय भ्रमर्येव निस्स्वनेनालिलग्नया
To him, she who was attached to me offered her own interest, just as a bee, silent and clinging, offers itself to the elephant.
स तस्या बाढम् इत्य् उक्त्वा दिनान्ते समुपस्थिते । मुमोच दान्ताव् आबद्धौ कृतान्तः किङ्कराव् इव
He replied to her, 'Certainly,' and when the day drew to its close, he released us, as if we were two servants of Death bound by his teeth.
नीहाराभ्रकडारासु दिक्षु प्रोद्धूलितास्व् इव । वेतालवद् वनात् तस्माद् दिनान्ते चलिता वयम्
At day's end, we departed from that forest like ghosts, scattered in all directions as mist and clouds are swept away.
क्षणेन पक्कणं प्राप्तास् सन्ध्यायां दीर्घजङ्गलात् । श्मशानाद् इव वेतालाश् श्मशानम् इतरन् महत्
In a moment, at twilight, we reached the village from the vast jungle, as if ghosts from a cremation ground had arrived at another great cremation ground.
विकर्तितवराहाश्वकपिकुक्कुटवायसम् । रक्तसिक्तोर्वराभागप्रभ्रमन्मक्षिकागणम्
There were crowds of flies swarming over blood-soaked portions of earth, and the remains of boars, horses, monkeys, fowl, and crows scattered about.
शोषार्थप्रसृतार्द्रान्त्रतन्द्रीजालपतत्खगम् । निष्कुटास्थितजम्बीरषण्डलग्नश्वजाघनि
Birds hovered over nets of moist intestines laid out for drying, and the legs of dogs clung to clusters of lemons set in the alleys.
शुष्यद्गुरुवसापिण्डपूर्णालिन्दलसत्खगम् । दृतिप्रसक्तरक्ताक्तचर्मस्रवदसृग्लवम्
Birds perched on heaps of dried, heavy lumps of fat, and their eyes were fixed on skins soaked in blood, dripping with flesh and gore.
बालहस्तस्थितक्रव्यपिण्डारणितमक्षिकम् । जर्जरज्येष्ठचण्डालतर्जितारटितार्भकम्
Children held pieces of raw flesh in their hands, attracting buzzing flies, while elder outcastes, ragged and fierce, shouted at the crying infants.
तत् प्रविष्टा वयं कीर्णशिरोऽन्त्रं भीमपक्कणम् । मृतभूतं जगत् कल्पे कृतान्तानुचरा इव
We entered that place, its floor strewn with scattered skulls and entrails, a dreadful, foul-smelling abode, as if we were attendants of Death in a world at the end of an age.
सम्भ्रमोपहितानल्पकदलीदलपीठके । अहम् आस्थितवांस् तत्र नवे श्वशुरमन्दिरे
There, in the new house of my father-in-law, I sat anxiously on a small seat made of banana leaves.
श्वश्र्वा मे केकराक्ष्यास् तु तेनास्रुलवचक्षुषा । जामातायम् इति प्रोक्तं तया तद् अभिनन्दितम्
My mother-in-law, whose eyes were moist with tears, addressed me, her son-in-law, and welcomed me with those words.
अथ विश्रम्य चण्डालभोजनान्य् अजिनासने । सञ्चितान्य् उपभुक्तानि दुष्कृतानीव भूरिशः
Then, after resting on a deerskin seat, I consumed the food of outcastes that had been gathered there, as if partaking of accumulated misdeeds in abundance.
अनन्तदुःखबीजानि नमनोज्ञतराण्य् अपि । तानि प्रणयवाक्यानि श्रुतान्य् असुभगान्य् अलम्
Even the affectionate words spoken there, though seemingly pleasant, were seeds of endless sorrow and, in truth, entirely inauspicious.