वैशम्पायन उवाच कृतविद्ये कचे प्राप्ते हृष्टरूपा दिवौकसः। कचादधीत्य तां विद्यां कृतार्था भरतर्षभ।॥
Vaishampayana said: O best of the Bharata race, the dwellers of heaven were exceedingly glad to get back Kacha who had learnt the knowledge (of Sanjivini). The celestial then learnt the Sanjivini from Kacha and considered their object achieved.
सर्व एव समागम्य शतक्रुतमथाब्रुवन्। कालस्ते विक्रमस्याद्य जहि शत्रून् पुरन्दर॥
They all assembled together and thus spoke to Indra. “O Indra, the time has come to show your prowess. Kill your enemies."
एवमुक्तस्तु सहितैस्त्रिदशैर्मघवांस्तदा। तथेत्युक्त्वा प्रचक्राम सोऽपश्यत वने स्त्रियः॥
Having been thus addressed, Indra said “Be it so." He then, accompanied by the celestials set out. He saw many damsels in the forest.
क्रीडन्तीनां त कन्यानां वने चैत्ररथोपमे। वायुभूत: स वस्त्राणि सर्वाण्येव व्यमिश्रयत्॥
The maidens were sporting in a lake in the wood which was like that of Chitraratha. Changing himself into wind, he (Indra) mixed up their clothes.
ततो जलात् समुत्तीर्य कन्यास्ताः सहितास्तदा। वस्त्राणि जगृहुस्तानि यथासन्नान्यनेकशः॥ तत्र वासो देवयान्याः शर्मिष्ठा जगृहे तदा। व्यतिमिश्रमजानन्ती दुहिता वृषपर्वणः॥
The maidens, after rising from the water all together, put on the clothes which each got near her from the mixed up heap. The cloth of Devayani was thus taken up and worn by Sharmishtha, the daughter of king Vrishaparva, not knowing that it belonged to others.
ततस्तयोमिथस्तत्र विरोधः समजायत। देवयान्याश्च राजेन्द्र शर्मिष्ठायाश्च तत्कृते॥
O great king, a dispute, thereupon, arose between Devayani and Sharmishtha.
देवयान्युवाच कस्माद् गृह्णासि मे वस्त्रं शिष्या भूत्वा ममासुरि। समुदाचारहीनाया न ते साधु भविष्यति॥
Devayani said : O daughter of the Asura, how do you dare take my cloth, being my pupil. Destitute of good conduct, nothing good can come to you.
शर्मिष्ठोवाच आसीनं च शयानं च पिता ते पितरं मम। स्तौति वन्दीव चाभीक्ष्णं नीचैः स्थित्वा विनीतवत्॥
Sharmishtha said : Whether my father is sitting or lying your father, occupying a lower seat and casting his eyes downwards, adores him like a Vandi (a chanter of praises.)
याचतस्त्वं हि दुहिता स्तुवतः प्रतिगृह्णतः। सुताहं स्तूयमानस्य ददतोऽप्रतिगृह्णतः॥ आदुन्वस्व विदुन्वस्व दुह्य कुष्यस्व याचकि। अनायुधा सायुधाया रिक्ता क्षुभ्यसि भिक्षुकि। लप्स्यसे प्रतियोद्धारं न हि त्वां गणयाम्यहम्॥
You are the daughter of a man who begs and I am the daughter of one who bestows alms. your father chants praises of others and my father's praises are chanted. Your father lives on alms, my father bestows them. O beggar's girl, you are free to strike your breast, to use harsh words, to vow enmity to me and to give way to your wrath. O beggarly woman, you weep in vain. You cannot harm me, though I can harm you. You desire to quarrel with me, but I do not at all consider you as my equal.
वैशम्पायन उवाच समुच्छ्रयं देवयानीं गतां सक्तां च वाससि॥ शर्मिष्ठा प्राक्षिपत् कूपे ततः स्वपुरमागमत्। हतेयमिति विज्ञाय शर्मिष्ठा पापनिश्चया॥ अनवेक्ष्य ययौ वेश्म क्रोधवेगपरायणा। अथ तं देशमभ्यागाद् ययातिर्नहुषात्मजः॥
Vaishampayana said : Having heard this, Devayani became very angry and she began to tear her cloth. But Sharmishtha, throwing her into a well, went away to her home. The wicked Sharmishtha thought her to be dead and went home in a wrathful mood. When she went away, the son of Nahusha, Yayati came to that place; he was after deer.
श्रान्तयुग्यः श्रान्तहयो मृगलिप्सुः पिपासितः। स नाहुषः प्रेक्षमाण उदपानं गतोदकम्॥
The pair of horses in his car were fatigued and he himself was thirsty. That son of Nahusha (Yayati) saw a well in which there was no water.
ददर्श राजा तां तत्र कन्यामग्निशिखामिव। तामपृच्छत् स दृष्ट्वैव कन्याममरवर्णिनीम्॥
There (in that well) the king saw a maiden as effulgent as fire. Seeing her within the well, the illustrious king addressed that girl who was as beautiful as a celestial maiden.
सान्त्वयित्वा नृपश्रेष्ठः साम्ना परमवल्गुना। का त्वं ताम्रनखी श्यामा सुमृष्टमणिकुण्डला॥
Thai best of kings, pacifying her with sweet words said, O fair lady, O lady with bright nails, as burnished copper and with earrings of celestial gems, who are you?
दीर्घ ध्यायसि चात्यर्थं कस्माच्छोचसि चातुरा। कथं च पतितास्यस्मिन् कूपे वीरुत्तृणावृते॥ दुहिता चैव कस्य त्वं वद सत्यं सुमध्यमे।
Why are you in such anxiety? Why are you weeping in distress? How have you fallen into this well covered with long grass and creepers? O beauty of slender-waist, tell me truly, whose daughter are you?
देवयान्युवाच योऽसौ देवैर्हतान् दैत्यानुत्थापयति विद्यया॥ तस्य शुक्रस्य कन्याहं स मां नूनं न बुध्यते।
Devayani said : I am the daughter of Shukra who revives the Asuras, killed by the celestial. He knows not what has befallen me.
एष मे दक्षिणो राजन् पाणिस्ताननखाङ्गुलिः॥ समुद्धर गृहीत्वा मां कुलीनस्त्वं हि मे मतः। जानामि त्वां हि संशान्तं वीर्यवन्तं यशस्विनम्॥ तस्मान्मां पतितामस्मात् कूपादुद्धर्तुमर्हसि।
O king, this is my right hand with nails as bright as the burnished copper. You are nobly born, I ask you, take my hand and raise me up. I know, you are very gentle, very powerful and greatly famous. You should raise me up from this well.
वैशम्पायन उवाच तामथो ब्राह्मणी राजा विज्ञाय नहुषात्मजः॥ गृहीत्वा दक्षिणे पाणावुजहार ततोऽवटात्। उद्धृत्य चैनां तरसा तस्मात् कूपान्नराधिपः॥ आमन्त्रयित्वा सुश्रोणी ययाति स्वपुरं ययौ। गते तु नाहुषे तस्मिन् देवयान्यप्यनिन्दिता॥ उवाच शोकसंतप्ता घूर्णिकामागतां पुरः।
Vaishampayana said : The son of Nahusha, king (Yayati) having learnt that she was the daughter of a Brahmana, took hold of her right hand and raised her up from that well. The king, after speedily raising her from the well and speaking sweet and courteous words to that beauty of tapering thighs, went away to his own capital. After the departure of the son of Nahusha (Yayati), the faultless featured Devayani spoke in sorrow to Ghurnika who came there.
देवयान्युवाच त्वरितं घूर्णिके गच्छ शीघ्रमाचक्ष्व मे पितुः॥ नेदानीं सम्प्रवेक्ष्यामि नगरं वृषपर्वणः।
Devayani said : O Ghurnika, go speedily to my father and tell him as soon as possible all that had happened. I shall not enter the city of Vrishaparva.
वैशम्पायन उवाच सा तत्र त्वरितं गत्वा घूर्णिकासुरमन्दिरम्॥ दृष्ट्वा काव्यमुवाचेदं सम्भ्रमाविष्टचेतना। आचचक्षे महाप्राज्ञं देवयानी वने हताम्॥ शर्मिष्ठया महाभाग दुहित्रा वृषपर्वणः। श्रुत्वा दुहितरं काव्यस्तत्र शर्मिष्ठया हताम्॥ त्वरया निर्ययौ दुःखान्मार्गमाणः सुतां वने। दृष्ट्वा दुहितरं काव्यो देवयानीं ततो वने॥ बाहुभ्यां सम्परिष्वज्य दुःखितो वाक्यमब्रवीत्। आत्मदोषैर्नियच्छन्ति सर्वे दुःखसुखे जनाः॥ मन्ये दुश्चरितं तेऽस्ति यस्येयं निष्कृतिः कृता।
Vaishampayana said: Ghurnika speedily went to the palace of the Asura (chief). Finding the son of Kavi (Shukra), she spoke to his thus, her perception having been dimmed by anger. “O great Brahmana, O illustrious man, I tell you, Devayani had been ill-used by Sharmishtha, the daughter of Vrishaparva. Having heard that his daughter had been ill-used by Sharmishtha, he soon went to search for her with a heavy heart. And when he found her in the forest, the son of Kavi embraced her with affection and spoke to her with his voice choked with grief. “The weal and woe that befall on people is always due to their own faults. You had some fault, I am sure, which has been thus expiated."
देवयान्युवाच निष्कृतिर्मेऽस्तु वा मास्तु शृणुष्वावहितो मम॥ शर्मिष्ठया यदुक्तास्मि दुहिता वृषपर्वणः। सत्यं किलैतत् सा प्राह दैत्यानामसि गायनः॥ एवं हि मे कथयति शर्मिष्ठा वार्षपर्वणी। वचनं तीक्ष्णपरुषं क्रोधरक्तेक्षणा भृशम्॥ स्तुवतो दुहिता नित्यं याचत: प्रतिगृह्णतः। अहं तु स्तूयमानस्य ददतोऽप्रतिगृह्णतः॥
Devayani said: Be it punishment of my fault or not (O father), hear all that the daughter of Vrishaparva, Sharmishtha, had said to me. She has said, (I say) truly, that you are a Bandi (hired chanter) of the Asura king. Even thus did Sharmishtha, the daughter of Vrishaparva, speak. These cruel and piercing words, with her eyes red (with anger). (She said), “You are the daughter of one who always chants the praise of others for hire and who always asks for charity.
इदं मामाह शर्मिष्ठा दुहिता वृषपर्वणः। क्रोधसंरक्तनयना दर्पपूर्णा पुनः पुनः॥
And who accepts alms, whereas I am the daughter of one who is the adored of all, who gives alms and never receives and gift from any body.” Thus again and again spoke to me Sharmishtha, the daughter of Vrishaparva, full of pride, her eyes red in anger.
यद्यहं स्तुवतस्तात दुहिता प्रतिगृह्णतः। प्रसादयिष्ये शर्मिष्ठामित्युक्ता तु सखी मया॥
O father, if I am really the daughter of a hired chanter of others' praises and of one who accepts alms, I must adore her in the hope of getting her favour. I have already told this to her.
शुक्र उवाच स्तुवतो दुहिता न त्वं याचतः प्रतिगृह्णतः। अस्तोतुः स्तूयमानस्य दुहिता देवयान्यसि॥
Shukra said: O Devayani, you are not the daughter of a hired chanter of praises, nor that of one who asks for alms and receives them. You are the daughter of one who is adored by all and who adores none.
वृषपर्वैव तद् वेद शक्रो राजा च नाहुषः। अचिन्त्यं ब्रह्म निर्द्वन्द्वमैश्वरं हि बलं मम॥
Vrishaparva and Indra and king Yayati, (all) know my strength to be inconceivable like Brahma and unapproachable God.
यच किंचित् सर्वगतं भूमौ वा यदि वा दिवि। तस्याहमीश्वरो नित्यं तुष्टेनोक्तः स्वयम्भुवा॥
The Self created (Brahma) himself, being pleased with me said that I was the lord of that which was in all things on earth or in heaven.
अहं जलं विमुञ्चामि प्रजानां हितकाम्यया। पुष्णाम्योषधयः सर्वा इति सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते॥
I tell you truly, that it is I who pour rain for the good of all and nourish the annual plants that sustain all living creatures.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं विषादमापन्नां मन्युना सम्प्रपीडिताम्। वचनैर्मधुरैः श्लक्ष्णैः सान्त्वयामास तां पिता॥
Vaishampayana said : It was thus with such sweet and sensible words, the father tried to pacify his angry and sorrowful daughter.