वैशम्पायन उवाच ततोऽगच्छन्महाबाहुरेकोऽमात्यान् विसृज्य तान्। नापश्यचाश्रमे तस्मिंस्तमृषि संशितव्रतम्॥
Vaishampayana said : Having proceeded further, leaving behind him all his attendants that mighty, armed king entered the hermitage alone but he did not find there the Rishi of rigid vows, (Kanva).
सोऽपश्यमानस्तमृषि शून्यं दृष्ट्वा तथाऽऽश्रमम्। उवाच क इहेत्युचैर्वनं संनादयन्निव॥
Having seen that the Rishi's hermitage was empty, he hailed aloud, "Ho, who is here?" And his voice was echoed in the forest.
श्रुत्वाथ तस्य तं शब्दं कन्या श्रीरिव रूपिणी। निश्चक्रामाश्रमात् तस्मात् तापसीवेषधारिणी॥
Hearing his voice, a maiden, in the garb of ascetics, as beautiful as Shree (Lakshmi), came out of the hermitage.
सा तं दृष्दैव राजानं दुष्यन्तमसितेक्षणा। स्वागतं त इति क्षिप्रमुवाच प्रतिपूज्य च॥
No sooner that black-eyed damsel saw the king Dushyanta, that she instantly bade him welcome and worshipped him in due form,
आसनेनार्चयित्वा च पाद्यनायेण चैव हि। पप्रच्छानामयं राजन् कुशलं च नराधिपम्॥
She respected him with offering a seat, she gave him water to wash his feet and she then offered him the argha. Having done all this, O king, she then enquired after his health and peace.
यथावदर्चयित्वाथ पृष्ट्वा चानामयं तदा। उवाच स्मयमानेव किं कार्य क्रियतामिति॥
Having thus honoured him in due form and enquired about his health and peace, the maiden most respectfully asked the king, "What should be done?”
तामब्रवीत् ततो राजा कन्यां मधुरभाषिणीम्। दृष्ट्वा चैवानवद्यागी यथावत् प्रतिपूजितः॥
Having been thus honoured in due form, the king replied to that sweet-speeched and
आगतोऽहं महाभागमृर्षि कण्वमुपासितुम्। क्व गतो भगवान् भद्रे तन्ममाचक्ष्व शोभने।॥
"I have come to worship the greatly blessed Rishi Kanva. O amiable and beautiful lady, tell me where has the illustrious man gone?"
शकुन्तलोवाच गत: पिता मे भगवान् फलान्याहर्तुमाश्रमात्। मुहूर्तं सम्प्रतीक्षस्व द्रष्टास्येनमुपागतम्॥
Shakuntala said : My noble father has gone away from the hermitage to collect fruits. Kindly wait for a moment and you will see him when he will come.
वैशम्पायन उवाच अपश्यमानस्तमृषि तथा चोक्तस्तया च सः। तां दृष्ट्वा च वरारोहां श्रीमती चारुहासिनीम्॥ विभ्राजमानां वपुषा तपसा च दमेन च। रूपयौवनसम्पन्नामित्युवाच महीपतिः॥
Vaishampayana said : The king, having not seen the Rishi and having been thus addressed by the maiden, saw that she was exceedingly beautiful, she was an exquisite beauty of sweet smiles and a lady of perfect symmetry of shape. She was in the bloom of her youth and beauty; she was adorned with the beauty of faultless features, hard asceticism and sweet humility. The king
का त्वं कस्यासि सुश्रोणि किमर्थं चागता वनम्। एवंरूपगुणोपेता कुतस्त्वमसि शोभने॥
"Who are you? O beautiful lady, whose daughter are you? Why have you come into this forest? ( beautiful lady, accomplished and beautiful as you are, whence have you come here?"
दर्शनादेव हि शुभे त्वया मेऽपहतं मनः। इच्छामि त्वामहं ज्ञातुं तन्ममाचक्ष्व शोभने॥
O charming lady, you have stolen my heart at the very first glance. I desire to know all about you. O beautiful lady, tell me all.”
एवमुक्ता तु सा कन्या तेन राज्ञा तमाश्रमे। उवाच हसती वाक्यमिदं सुमधुराक्षरम्॥
Having been thus addressed by the king in that lermitage, the maiden smilingly replied to him in sweet words.
कण्वस्याहं भगवतो दुष्यन्त दुहिता मता। तपस्विनो धृतिमतो धर्मज्ञस्य महात्मनः॥
"O (king) Dushyanta, I am the daughter of the illustrious, virtuous, wise and high-souled ascetic Kanva.
दुष्यन्त उवाच ऊर्ध्वरेता महाभागे भगवाँल्लोकपूजितः। चलेद्धि वृत्ताद् धर्मोऽपि न चलेत् संशितव्रतः॥
Dushyanta said : The illustrious and highly blessed Rishi is worshipped by all the world. He has completely controlled his sexual passions. Even Dharma may fall from the right path, but an ascetic of rigid vows can never fall from it.
कथं त्वं तस्य दुहिता सम्भूता वरवर्णिनी। संशयो मे महानत्र तन्मे छेत्तुमिहार्हसि॥
O beautiful and charming lady, how can you be his daughter? You should dispel from my mind this great doubt of mine.
शकुन्तलोवाच यथायमागमो मह्यं यथा चेदमभूत् पुरा। शृणु राजन् यथातत्त्वं यथास्मि दुहिता मुनेः॥
Shakuntala said : O king! hear, what I have learnt (from the Rishi), regarding all that happened to me and how I became the daughter of the Rishi (Kanva).
ऋषिः कश्चिदिहागम्य मम जन्माभ्यचोदयत्। तस्मै प्रोवाच भगवान् यथा तच्छणु पार्थिव॥
Once on a time, a Rishi came here and asked about my birth. () king, hear what the illustrious Rishi (Kanva) told him about me.
कण्व उवाच तप्यमानः किल पुरा विश्वामित्रो महत् तपः। सुभृशं तापयामास शक्रं सुरगणेश्वरम्॥
Kanva said: In days of yore, Vishvamitra were engaged in austere asceticism and he thus alarmed Indra, the king of the celestials.
तपसा दीप्तवीर्योऽयं स्थानान्मां च्यावयेदिति। भीत: पुरंदरस्तस्मान्मेनकामिदमब्रवीत्॥
He (Indra) thought that the Rishi by his great ascetic penances would hurl him from his high seat in heaven. Being thus alarmed, he called Menaka and told her,
गुणैरप्सरसां दिव्यैर्मेनके त्वं विशिष्यसे। श्रेयो मे कुरु कल्याणि यत् त्वां वक्ष्यामि तच्छृणु॥२२ असावादित्यसंकाशो विश्वामित्रो महातपाः। तप्यमानस्तपो घोरं मम कम्पयते मनः॥
"O Menaka, you are the best of all celestial Apsaras. O amiable girl, do me this service. Listen to what I say. The great ascetic Vishvamitra, as effulgent as the Sun, is now engaged in great asceticism and therefore my heart is trembling.
मेनके तव भारोऽयं विश्वामित्र: सुमध्यमे। शंसितात्मा सुदुर्धर्ष उग्रे तपसि वर्तते॥
O Menaka, O slender-waisted girl, it is your business. You must see Vishvamitra, whose soul is rapt in contemplation and who is deeply engaged in the austere penances.
समां न च्यावयेत् स्थानात् तं वै गत्वा प्रलोभय। चर तस्य तपोविघ्नं कुरु मेऽविघ्नमुत्तमम्॥
He may displace me from my (high) seat (in heaven). Go and tempt him. Frustrating his asceticism, do my good.
रूपयौवनमाधुर्यचेष्टितस्मितभाषणैः। लोभयित्वा वरारोहे तपसस्तं निवर्तय॥
O beautiful girl, win him from his asceticism, by tempting him with your beauty, youth, agreeableness, arts, smiles and speech.
मेनकोवाच महातेजाः स भगवांस्तथैव च महातपाः। कोपनश्च तथा ह्येनं जानाति भगवानपि॥
Menaka said: That illustrious Rishi, is a great ascetic and is greatly effulgent; your illustrious self known also that he is very wrathful.
तेजसस्तपसश्चैव कोपस्य च महात्मनः। त्वमप्युद्विजसे यस्य नोद्विजेयमहं कथम्॥
The energy, the asceticism and the wrath of that illustrious man have made even you anxious. Why should I not be afraid of him?
महाभागं वसिष्ठं यः पुत्ररिष्टैर्व्ययोजयत्। क्षत्रजातश्च यः पूर्वमभवद् ब्राह्मणो बलात्॥ शौचार्थं यो नदी चक्रे दुर्गमां बहुभिर्जलैः। यां तां पुण्यतमां लोके कौशिकीति विदुर्जनाः॥
He made even the illustrious Vasishtha to suffer the grief of the premature death of his sons. He was originally a Kshatriya, but has become a Brahmana by his own strength (of asceticism). He created a deep river of strong currents for the purposes of ablutions. That holy river is still known in the world by the name of Kaushika.
बभार यत्रास्य पुरा काले दुर्गे महात्मनः। दारान्मतङ्गो धर्मात्मा राजर्षिाधतां गतः॥
Here (on the banks of this river) the wife (of this illustrious man) was maintained during a famine by the royal sage Matanga, who was living there as a hunter (under a curse)
अतीतकाले दुर्भिक्षे अभ्येत्य पुनराश्रमम्। मुनिः पारेति नद्या वै नाम चक्रे तदा प्रभुः॥
O Lord, this illustrious man, after the famine was over, came back to his hermitage and gave the river the name of Para,
मतङ्गं याजयाञ्चक्रे यत्र प्रीतमनाः स्वयम्। त्वं च सोमं भयाद् यस्य गतः पातुं सुरेश्वर॥
Being very much pleased with Matanga, this illustrious man became his priest for the purpose of sacrifice. O king of the celestials, out of fear you yourself went to that sacrifice to drink this Soma.
चकारान्यं च लोकं वै क्रुद्धो नक्षत्रसम्पदा। प्रतिश्रवणपूर्वाणि नक्षत्राणि चकार यः। गुरुशापहतस्यापि त्रिशङ्कोः शरणं ददौ॥
This illustrious man created in anger another world with stars; he created numerous other stars, beginning from Shravana. This illustrious man gave protection to Trishanku, cursed by his preceptor.
एतानि यस्य कर्माणि तस्याहं भृशमुद्विजे। यथासौ न दहेत् क्रुद्धस्तथाऽऽज्ञापय मां विभो॥
I am afraid to go to a man whose deeds are such. O Lord, ordain that which may prevent him from burning me in anger.
तेजसा निर्दहेल्लोकान् कम्पयेद् धरणी पदा। संक्षिपेच महामेरुं तूर्णमावर्तयेद् दिशः॥
He burn the worlds with his effulgence; he can make the earth quake by a kick; he can uproot the great Meru (mountain) and hurl it to a great distance and go round the ten points of the earth in a moment. can
तादृशं तपसा युक्तं प्रदीप्तमिव पावकम्। कथमस्मद्विधा नारी जितेन्द्रियमभिस्पृशेत्॥
How can a woman (like my humble self) touch such a man who is full of ascetic virtues, who is as blazing as the blazing fire and who has completely controlled his passions.
हुताशनमुखं दीप्तं सूर्यचन्द्राक्षितारकम्। कालजिह्व सुरश्रेष्ठ कथमस्मद्विधा स्पृशेत्॥
His mouth is as blazing as the fire, the pupils of his eyes are like the sun and the moon and his tongue is like Yama himself. O best of the celestials, how can women like ourselves touch him?
यमश्च सोमश्च महर्षयश्च साध्या विश्वे वालखिल्याश्च सर्वे। एतेऽपि यस्योद्विजन्ते प्रभावात् तस्मात् कस्मान्मादृशी नोद्विजेत॥
Yama, Soma, great Rishis, the Sadhyas, the Vishvedevas, the Valakhilyas, all are alarmed at the thought of his prowess. Why should not a woman (like myself) be afraid of him?
मृषेर्न गच्छेयमहं सुरेन्द्र। रक्षां तु मे चिन्तय देवराज यथा त्वदर्थं रक्षिताहं चरेयम्॥
O king of the celestials, commanded by you somehow or other I must go to that Rishi. But, O king of the celestials, devise some means by which, under your protection, I can safely inove about him.
काम त मे मारुतस्तत्र वास: प्रक्रीडिताया विवृणोतु देवा भवेच मे मन्मथस्तत्र कार्ये सहायभूतस्तु तव प्रसादात्॥
Ocelestial ! when I shall be near the Rishi, Maruta (wind) should be there and rob me of my cloth. Manmatha (the god of love) should at your command help me in my this work.
वनाच्च वायुः सुरभिः प्रवायात् तस्मिन् काले तमृषि लोभयन्त्याः। स्ततोययौसाऽऽश्रमं कौशिकस्य॥
Let the wind carry sweet fragrance from the wood to tempt the Rishi. Having said this and having seen that all that she wanted had been duly provided, she went to the hermitage of the great Kaushika, (Vishvamitra).