Critical Edition
वर्गोवाच ततो वयं प्रव्यथिताः सर्वा भरतसत्तम आयाम शरणं विप्रं तं तपोधनमच्युतम्
M. N. Dutt: Varga said : O best of the Bharata race, we were all greatly distressed. We sought the protection of that ascetic of undeviating vows.
रूपेण वयसा चैव कन्दर्पेण च दर्पिताः अयुक्तं कृतवत्यः स्म क्षन्तुमर्हसि नो द्विज
M. N. Dutt: (We said), "O Brahmana, intoxicated with beauty and youth and maddened by the god of love, we have acted very improperly, you should pardon us.
एष एव वधोऽस्माकं सुपर्याप्तस्तपोधन यद्वयं संशितात्मानं प्रलोब्धुं त्वामिहागताः
M. N. Dutt: I was enough death to us that we had at all come here to tempt such an ascetic of controlled soul as you are.
अवध्यास्तु स्त्रियः सृष्टा मन्यन्ते धर्मचिन्तकाः तस्माद्धर्मेण धर्मज्ञ नास्मान्हिंसितुमर्हसि
M. N. Dutt: The virtuous men consider that women are created as fion-slayable, therefore you should not kill us. Grow yourself in virtue.
सर्वभूतेषु धर्मज्ञ मैत्रो ब्राह्मण उच्यते सत्यो भवतु कल्याण एष वादो मनीषिणाम्
M. N. Dutt: O virtuous man, it is said that a Brahmana has always friendly feelings over all creatures. O Rishi of blessedness, let this saying of the learned be made true.
शरणं च प्रपन्नानां शिष्टाः कुर्वन्ति पालनम् शरणं त्वां प्रपन्नाः स्म तस्मात्त्वं क्षन्तुमर्हसि
M. N. Dutt: The good man always protects those that seek protection at his hands. We solicit your protection; you should therefore pardon us."
वैशंपायन उवाच एवमुक्तस्तु धर्मात्मा ब्राह्मणः शुभकर्मकृत् प्रसादं कृतवान्वीर रविसोमसमप्रभः
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said : O hero, having been thus addressed, that virtuous-minded Brahmana of good deeds, as effulgent as the sun or the Moon, became propitious to them.
ब्राह्मण उवाच शतं सहस्रं विश्वं च सर्वमक्षयवाचकम् परिमाणं शतं त्वेतन्नैतदक्षयवाचकम्
M. N. Dutt: The Brahmana said: The words "hundreds" and "hundred thousands” all indicate cternity. The "hundred" used by me should be understood as a limited period and not as eternity.
यदा च वो ग्राहभूता गृह्णन्तीः पुरुषाञ्जले उत्कर्षति जलात्कश्चित्स्थलं पुरुषसत्तमः
AI Translation: When you, in the form of crocodiles, seize men in the water, A supreme man lifts them out of the water and onto dry land.
तदा यूयं पुनः सर्वाः स्वरूपं प्रतिपत्स्यथ अनृतं नोक्तपूर्वं मे हसतापि कदाचन
AI Translation: Then you will all be restored to your original forms. I have never told a lie, even in jest.
तानि सर्वाणि तीर्थानि इतः प्रभृति चैव ह नारीतीर्थानि नाम्नेह ख्यातिं यास्यन्ति सर्वशः पुण्यानि च भविष्यन्ति पावनानि मनीषिणाम्
M. N. Dutt: From that day all those sacred Tirthas will be known by the name of Nari Tirthas all over the world. All of them will be sacred and sincleansing in the eyes of the virtuous and the wise.
वर्गोवाच ततोऽभिवाद्य तं विप्रं कृत्वा चैव प्रदक्षिणम् अचिन्तयामोपसृत्य तस्माद्देशात्सुदुःखिताः
AI Translation: Varga said: Then, having bowed to that brahmin and circumambulated him, We approached him in great sorrow, thinking.
क्व नु नाम वयं सर्वाः कालेनाल्पेन तं नरम् समागच्छेम यो नस्तद्रूपमापादयेत्पुनः
AI Translation: Where, indeed, shall we all meet that man in a short time, who will again make us into that form?
ता वयं चिन्तयित्वैवं मुहूर्तादिव भारत दृष्टवत्यो महाभागं देवर्षिमुत नारदम्
M. N. Dutt: O descendant of Bharata, as we were, thinking, at that very moment we met with the illustrious celestials Rishi Narada.
सर्वा हृष्टाः स्म तं दृष्ट्वा देवर्षिममितद्युतिम् अभिवाद्य च तं पार्थ स्थिताः स्म व्यथिताननाः
M. N. Dutt: O Partha, seeing that celestials Rishi of immeasurable effulgence, our hearts were filled with joy. Having saluted him with revenge we stood before him with faces covered with blushes.
स नोऽपृच्छद्दुःखमूलमुक्तवत्यो वयं च तत् श्रुत्वा तच्च यथावृत्तमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्
M. N. Dutt: He asked us the cause of our sorrow and we told him all. Having heard what had happened, he thus spoke to us,
Supplementary Passages:
1.209.16 After 16ab, Ñ1 ins.: *2041 क्व गच्छामो वयं सर्वा यत्र लप्स्यामहे पुनः
दक्षिणे सागरानूपे पञ्च तीर्थानि सन्ति वै पुण्यानि रमणीयानि तानि गच्छत माचिरम्
M. N. Dutt: "In the low lands on the coast of the southern sea there are five sacred and delightful Tirthas, go there without delay.
तत्राशु पुरुषव्याघ्रः पाण्डवो वो धनंजयः मोक्षयिष्यति शुद्धात्मा दुःखादस्मान्न संशयः
AI Translation: There, the tiger among men, the son of Pandu, Dhananjaya, will surely free us from this suffering, O pure one, without a doubt.
Supplementary Passages:
1.209.18 After 18, D4 (marg. sec. m.) S (except M8) ins.: *2042 इत्युक्त्वा नारदः सर्वास्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
तस्य सर्वा वयं वीर श्रुत्वा वाक्यमिहागताः तदिदं सत्यमेवाद्य मोक्षिताहं त्वयानघ
AI Translation: Hearing your words, all of us have come here. Therefore, this is indeed true. Today, O sinless one, I am released by you.
एतास्तु मम वै सख्यश्चतस्रोऽन्या जले स्थिताः कुरु कर्म शुभं वीर एताः सर्वा विमोक्षय
M. N. Dutt: But, those others of my friends are still within the waters of the other lakes. O hero, perform a good work, deliver them all.
वैशंपायन उवाच ततस्ताः पाण्डवश्रेष्ठः सर्वा एव विशां पते तस्माच्छापाददीनात्मा मोक्षयामास वीर्यवान्
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said : O king, thereupon that best of the Pandavas (Arjuna) of great prowess gladly delivered all of them from that curse.
उत्थाय च जलात्तस्मात्प्रतिलभ्य वपुः स्वकम् तास्तदाप्सरसो राजन्नदृश्यन्त यथा पुरा
M. N. Dutt: O king, rising from the waters, they all regained their old forms and those Apsaras then all looked as they looked before.
तीर्थानि शोधयित्वा तु तथानुज्ञाय ताः प्रभुः चित्राङ्गदां पुनर्द्रष्टुं मणलूरपुरं ययौ
M. N. Dutt: Making safe those Tirthas and giving them (Apsaras) leave to go away, that lord (Arjuna) went again to Manipur to see Chitrangada once more,
तस्यामजनयत्पुत्रं राजानं बभ्रुवाहनम् तं दृष्ट्वा पाण्डवो राजन्गोकर्णमभितोऽगमत्
M. N. Dutt: He saw there on the throne Babhruvahana, begotten by him (on Chitrangada). Seeing her, O king, the Pandava (Arjuna) said to Chitravahana.
Supplementary Passages:
1.209.24 After 24, almost all edns. ins. the following stanza, which is not found in any MS. hitherto collated except Ñ2: *2043 आद्यं पशुपतेः स्थानं दर्शनादेव मुक्तिदम् यत्र पापोऽपि मनुजः प्राप्नोत्यभयदं पदम्