धन्यस् त्वदागमेनाद्य स्वर्गो ऽयं शुक्र शोभते । उष्यतां चिरम् एवेह शक्र इत्थम् उवाच तम्
Indra said to him: 'Blessed is this heaven today, Śukra, made splendid by your arrival; please remain here for a long time.'
अथ तत्रोपविश्यासौ भार्गवश् शोभिताननः । श्रियं जहार शशिनस् सकलस्यामलस्य च
Then Bhārgava, with a radiant face, sat there and surpassed the beauty of the spotless moon and all its brilliance.
सकलसुरगणाभिवन्दितो ऽसौ भृगुतनयश् शतमन्युपार्श्वसंस्थः । चिरतरम् अतुलाम् अवाप तुष्टिं नरमतिम् उज्झितवान् अलं बभूव
Honored by all the hosts of gods, the son of Bhṛgu sat beside Indra, and for a long time attained incomparable satisfaction, having abandoned all human thoughts, and became serene.
मुहूर्तम् अथ विश्रम्य तस्य पार्श्वे शचीपतेः । स्वर्गं विहर्तुम् उत्तस्थौ स्वर्वासिपरिचोदितः
After resting for a moment at the side of the lord of Śacī, prompted by the celestial residents, he rose to wander about heaven.
स्वर्गश्रियं समालोक्य लोललोचनलाञ्छितम् । स्त्रैणं द्रष्टुं जगामासौ नलिनीम् इव सारसः
Beholding the splendor of heaven, adorned with women of restless eyes, he went to see the assembly of women, like a swan approaching a lotus pond.
तत्र तां मृगशावाक्षीं कान्ताम् अध्यागताम् असौ । ददर्श विपिनान्तस्स्थां भृङ्गश् चूतलताम् इव
There he saw her, the doe-eyed beloved, who had arrived and was standing at the edge of the grove, like a bee near a mango shoot.
ताम् आलोक्य लसल्लोलविलासवलिताकृतिम् । आसीद् विलीयमानाङ्गो ज्योत्स्नयेन्दुमणिर् यथा
Seeing her, whose form was adorned with playful, graceful movements, he felt his body melting away, like the moonstone dissolving in moonlight.
विलीयमानसर्वाङ्गस् ताम् अवैक्षत कामिनीम् । चन्द्रकान्त इव ज्योत्स्नां शीतलां खे विलासिनीम्
With all his limbs dissolving, he gazed upon that desiring woman, like a moonstone beholding the cool, playful moonlight in the sky.
तेनावलोकिता सापि तत्परायणतां गता । निशान्ते चक्रवाकेन कान्तेव परिकूजिता
Seen by him in this way, she too became wholly devoted to him, like a female chakravaka bird, cooing for her beloved at the end of night.
रसाद् विकसतोर् नूनम् अन्योऽन्यम् अनुरक्तयोः । प्रातर् अर्कनलिन्योर् या शोभा सैव तयोर् अभूत्
Surely, as both were blossoming with delight and mutual affection, the radiance between them was like that of the morning sun and a lotus pond.
सङ्कल्पितार्थदायित्वाद् देशस्य मदनेन सा । सर्वाङ्गं विवशीकृत्य शुक्रायैव समर्पिता
Because the place, stirred by passion, granted the fulfillment of their imagined desires, she, overcome in every limb, was wholly offered to Shukra.
पेतुस् स्मरशरास् तस्या मृदुष्व् अङ्गेषु भूरिशः । पलाशेष्व् इव पद्मिन्या धारा नवपयोमुचः
Countless arrows of love fell softly upon her tender limbs, like fresh rain streaming upon the leaves of a lotus plant.
सा बभूव स्मराधूता लोलालिवलयालका । मन्दवातविनुन्नाया मञ्जर्यास् सहधर्मिणी
She became agitated by love, her bangles and hair swaying, like a blossom cluster gently shaken by a soft breeze.
नीलनीरजनेत्रां तां हंसवारणगामिनीम् । मदनः क्षोभयाम् आस पूरः कमलिनीम् इव
Madana stirred her, she of blue-black eyes and swan-like gait, just as a flood agitates a lotus pond.
अथ तां तादृशीं दृष्ट्वा शुक्रस् सङ्कल्पितार्थभाक् । तमस् सङ्कल्पयाम् आस संहारम् इव भूतकृत्
Then, seeing her in such a state, Shukra, who had attained his desired object, conceived of darkness, like the creator of beings envisions dissolution.
त्रिविष्टपस्य देशो ऽसौ बभूव तिमिराकुलः । भूलोकस्यान्धतमसो लोकालोकतटो यथा
That region of heaven became filled with darkness, just as the boundary of the world is enveloped in deep gloom.
लज्जान्धकारतीक्ष्णांशौ तस्मिंस् तिमिरमण्डले । प्रतिष्ठाम् आगते तस्य मिथुनस्येव मन्मथे
In that circle of darkness, where shame and intense shadow prevailed, the two stood together like a pair overcome by love.
तेषु सर्वेषु भूतेषु गतेष्व् अभिमतां दिशम् । तस्मात् प्रदेशाद् भूलोकं दिनान्ते विहगेष्व् इव
When all the beings there had departed in their chosen directions, from that place they went to the earthly realm, like birds at the end of day.
सा दीर्घधवलापाङ्गा प्रवृद्धमदना तथा । आजगाम भृगोः पुत्रं मयूरी वारिदं यथा
She, with long, bright glances and passion grown strong, approached the son of Bhrigu, as a peahen approaches a raincloud.
धवलागारमध्यस्थे पर्यङ्के परिकल्पिते । विवेश भार्गवस् तत्र क्षीरोद इव माधवः
In the midst of a white chamber, upon a prepared couch, the descendant of Bhrigu entered there, like Mādhava entering the ocean of milk.
सा पादाव् अवलम्ब्यास्य विवशेव वरानना । रराज च सुरेभस्य पादलग्नेव पद्मिनी
She, with a lovely face, clung helplessly to his feet, and shone like a lotus attached to the foot of the lord of the gods.
उवाच चेदं ललितं लसत्स्नेहोत्कया गिरा । वचो मधुरम् आनन्दि विलासवलिताक्षरम्
Then, with a playful and affectionate voice, sweet and joyful, her words adorned with charm, she spoke this:
पश्यामलेन्दुवदन मण्डलीकृतकार्मुकः । अबलाम् अनुबध्नाति माम् एष किमनङ्गकः
See, O moon-faced one, with his bow drawn, this Love-god pursues me, a helpless woman—what is this, O Ananga?
पाहि माम् अबलां नाथ दीनां त्वच्छरणाम् इह । कृपणाश्वासनं साधो विद्धि सच्चरितव्रतम्
Protect me, O Lord, helpless and destitute, who has taken refuge in you here; O noble one, know me to be devoted to true conduct, a poor soul seeking comfort.
स्नेहदृष्टिम् अजानद्भिर् मूढैर् एव महामते । प्रणया अवगण्यन्ते न रसज्ञैः कदाचन
O wise one, those who do not understand the gaze of affection—fools alone—disregard intimacy; never do those who know its true essence.
अशङ्कितोपसम्पन्नः प्रणयो ऽन्योऽन्यरक्तयोः । अधःकरोति निष्यन्दं चान्द्रम् आस्वादितं प्रिय
When affection arises without suspicion between two who are mutually enamored, it brings forth a sweet flow, like the taste of the moon savored, my beloved.
न तथा सुखयत्य् एषा चेतस् त्रिभुवनेशता । यथा परस्परानन्दी स्नेहः प्रथमरक्तयोः
Not even the sovereignty of the three worlds brings such happiness to the heart as the mutual joy of love in those first enamored.
त्वत्पादस्पर्शनेनेयं समाश्वस्तास्मि मानद । चन्द्रपादपरामृष्टा यथा निशि कुमुद्वती
By the touch of your feet, O giver of honor, I am comforted, just as the lotus at night is revived when touched by the rays of the moon.
संस्पर्शामृतपानेन तव जीवामि सुन्दर । चन्द्रांशुरसपानेन चकोरी चपला यथा
By drinking the nectar of your touch, O beautiful one, I live—just as the restless chakorī bird lives by drinking the essence of the moon's rays.
माम् इमां चरणालीनां भ्रमरीं करपल्लवैः । आलिङ्ग्यामृतसम्पूर्णे सत्पद्महृदये कुरु
Take me, who clings at your feet like a bee, and with your lotus-like hands, embrace me—your heart full of nectar and true purity.