वैशम्पायन उवाच तत: समुद्रे तीर्थानि दक्षिणे भरतर्षभ। अभ्यगच्छत् सुपुण्यानि शोभितानि तपस्विभिः॥
Vaishampayana said : That best of the Bharata race Arjuna then went to the sacred Tirthas situated on the shores of the south sea, all adorned with the ascetics.
वर्जयन्ति स्म तीर्थानि तत्र पञ्च स्म तापसाः। अवकीर्णानि यान्यासन् पुरस्तात् तु तपस्विभिः॥
There were five Tirthas where also lived many ascetics, but these sacred waters themselves were shunned by the ascetics.
अगस्त्यतीर्थं सौभद्रं पौलोमं च सुपावनम्। कारन्धमं प्रसन्नं च हयमेधफलं च तत्॥ भारद्वाजस्य तीर्थं तु पापप्रशमनं महत्। एतानि पञ्च तीर्थानि ददर्श कुरुसत्तमः॥
(They were named) Agastya, Subhadra, the greatly holy Pauloma, Karandhama which yielded the fruit of a horse-sacrifice and the great washer of sins Bharadvaja; these five Tirthas that best men saw.
विविक्तान्युपलक्ष्याथ तानि तीर्थानि पाण्डवः। दृष्ट्वा च वय॑मानानि मुनिभिर्धर्मबुद्धिभिः॥ तपस्विनस्ततोऽपृच्छत् प्राञ्जलिः कुरुनन्दनः। तीर्थानीमानि वय॑न्ते किमर्थं ब्रह्मवादिभिः॥
The Pandava, the descendant of Kuru (Arjuna), finding them uninhabited and ascertaining that they were shunned by the ascetics, asked with joined hands those pious men that lived near them, “Why these Tirthas are shunned by the Brahmavadis (the utterers of the Vedas).”
तापसा ऊचुः ग्राहाः पञ्च वसन्त्येषु हरन्ति च तपोधनान्। तत एतानि वय॑न्ते तीर्थानि कुरुनन्दन।॥
The Celestial said : O descendant of Kuru, there dwell (in their waters) five large crocodiles which carry away the ascetics (who go to bathe in them); therefore these Tirthas are shunned by all.
वैशम्पायन उवाच तेषां श्रुत्वा महाबाहुर्वार्यमाणस्तपोधनैः। जगाम तानि तीर्थानि द्रष्टुं पुरुषसत्तमः॥
Vaishampayana said: Having heard these words of the ascetics, the mighty armed hero, that best of men, though dissuaded by them, went to see those Tirthas.
ततः सौभद्रमासाद्य महर्षेस्तीर्थमुत्तमम्। विगाह्य सहसा शूरः स्नानं चक्रे परंतपः॥
Then coming to that excellent Tirtha Subhadra, named after a great Rishi, that hero, that chastiser of foes, plunged into it to take a bath.
अथ तं पुरुषव्याघ्रमन्तर्जलचरो महान्। जग्राह चरणे ग्राहः कुन्तीपुत्रं धनंजयम्॥
Thereupon a large crocodile under the water seized the leg of that best of men, the son of Kunti Dhananjaya.
स तमादाय कौन्तेयो विस्फुरन्तं जलेचरम्। उदतिष्ठन्महाबाहुर्बलेन बलिनां वरः॥
But the mighty-armed, the son of Kunti, thee foremost of all strong men, seized that aquatic animal and dragged it up to the shore.
उत्कृष्ट एव ग्राहस्तु सोऽर्जुनेन यशस्विना। बभूव नारी कल्याणी सर्वाभरणभूषिता॥
Dragged up by the illustrious Arjuna, that crocodile became a most handsome women adorned with all ornaments.
दीप्यमाना श्रिया राजन् दिव्यरूपा मनोरमा। तदद्भुतं महद् दृष्ट्वा कुन्तीपुत्रो धनंजयः॥ तां स्त्रियं परमप्रीत इदं वचनमब्रवीत्। का वै त्वमसि कल्याणि कुतो वासि जलेचरी॥ किमर्थं च महत् पापमिदं कृतवती पुरा।
O king, that charming and celestials-like damsel appeared to shine in her own beauty. Thereupon the son of Kunti Dhananjaya, seeing that wonderful sight, spoke thus in great happiness to that lady, "O beautiful lady, who are you? O lady of the lake, where do you live? Why did you commit such a dreadful sin before?"
वर्गोवाच अप्सरास्मि महाबाहो देवारण्यविहारिणी॥
Varga said : O mighty-armed hero, I am an Apsara, a sporter in the celestials gardens.
इष्टा धनपतेनित्यं वर्गा नाम महाबल। मम सख्यश्चतस्रोऽन्याः सर्वाः कामगमाः शुभाः॥
O greatly strong one, my name is Varga, I am ever beloved of the cclestials treasurer (Kubera). I had four other friends, all handsome and all capable of going everywhere at will. we
ताभिः सार्धं प्रयातास्मि लोकपालनिवेशनम्। ततः पश्यामहे सर्वा ब्राह्मणं संशितव्रतम्॥
One day accompanied by them, I was going to the abode of the protector of the world; when we were all going, we saw a Brahmana of rigid vows.
रूपवन्तमधीयानमेकमेकान्तचारिणम्। तस्यैव तपसा राजंस्तद् वनं तेजसाऽऽवृतम्॥
Who was exceedingly handsome and who was studying the Vedas in solitude. O king, the whole forest was covered with the effulgence of his asceticism.
आदित्य इव तं देशं कृत्स्नं सर्वं व्यकाशयत्। तस्य दृष्ट्वा तपस्तादृग् रूपं चाद्भुतमुत्तमम्॥ अवतीर्णाः स्म तं देशं तपोविघ्नचिकीर्षया।
He seemed to have illuminated the whole region like the sun. Seeing his that severe, excellent and wonderful asceticism, alighted in that region, wishing to disturb his asceticism.
अहं च सौरभेयी च समीची बुद्बुदा लता॥ यौगपद्येन तं विप्रमभ्यगच्छाम भारत। गायन्त्योऽथ हसन्त्यश्च लोभयित्वा च तं द्विजम्॥
O descendant of Bharata, myself Saurabhi, Samichi, Budabuda and Lata all came to that Brahmana at the same time. O hero, we sang, we laughed, we tried to tempt the Brahmana in various ways.
स च नास्मासु कृतवान् मनो वीर कथंचन। नाकम्पत महातेजाः स्थितस्तपसि निर्मले।॥
But he did not set his mind on us even for a moment. O best of the Kshatriyas, his mind, । being fixed on the meditation of the pure, the greatly effulgent (Brahmana), did not suffer his heart to waver.
सोऽशपत् कुपितोऽस्मासु ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियर्षभ। ग्राहभूता जले यूयं चरिष्यथ शतं समाः॥
Angrily looking at us, he cursed us saying, "Becoming crocodiles, live in water for one hundred years."