जनमेजय उवाच कथं कुमारी भगवंस्तपोयुक्ता ह्यभूत् पुरा। किमर्थं च तपस्तेपे को वास्या नियमोऽभवत्॥ सुदुष्करमिदं ब्रह्मंस्त्वत्त: श्रुतमनुत्तमम्। आख्याहि तत्त्वमखिलं यथा तपसि सा स्थिता॥
Janamejaya said "Why, O Rishi did that maiden practise ascetic penances in day of yore. Why did she practise penances and what was her vow?” Matchless and mysterious is the topic that I have already heard from you. Describe particularly how that maid practised penances."
वैशम्पायन उवाच ऋषिरासीन्महावीर्यः कुणिर्गो महायशाः। स तप्त्वा विपुलं राजस्तपो वै तपतां वरः॥ मनसाऽथ सुतां सुभुं समुत्पादितवान् विभुः। तां च दृष्ट्वा मुनिः प्रीतः कुणिर्गों महायशाः॥
Vaishampayana said "There a highly illustrious and energetic Rishi, named Kuni-Garga. Having practised the austerest of penances, O king, that best of ascetics, created a fair browed daughter by his desire. Secing her, the celebrated ascetic Kuni-Garga was filled with joy. He renounced his body, O king and then went to heaven.
जगाम त्रिदिवं राजन् संत्यज्येह कलेवरम्। सुभूः सा ह्यथ कल्याणी पुण्डीरीकनिभेक्षणा॥
Meanwhile, that faultless and amiable and fair-browed maider, having eyes like lotus petals, continued to prectise severe and very rigid penances. She adored the Pitris and the gods with fasts.
महता तपसोग्रेण कृत्वाऽऽश्रममनिन्दिता। उपवासैः पूजयन्ती पितॄन् देवांश्च सा पुरा॥ तस्यास्तु तपसोग्रेण महान् कालोऽत्यगानृप। सा पित्रा दीयमानापि तत्र नैच्छदनिन्दिता॥ आत्मनः सदृशं सा तु भर्तारं नान्वपश्यत।
She passed a long time in the practice of such severe penances. Though her father had been for giving her away in marriage, yet she did not wish for it, for she was no husband worthy of her.
ततः सा तपसोगेण पीडयित्वाऽऽत्मनस्तनुम्॥ पितृदेवार्चनरता बभूव विजने वने।
Emaciating her body with austere penances, she began to worship the Pitris and the gods in that solitary forest.
साऽऽत्मानं मन्यमानापि कृतकृत्यं श्रमान्विता॥
Although engaged in such a hard task, O king and although she cmaciated herself by age and austeritics, yet she thought herself happy.
वार्धकेन च राजेन्द्र तपसा चैव कर्शिता। सा नाशकद् यदा गन्तुं पदात् पदमपि स्वयम्॥
At last when she became very old and physically incapable to move even a single step without being helped by any one, she made up her mind to depart to the other world.
मोक्तुकामां तु तां दृष्ट्वा शरीरं नारदोऽब्रवीत्॥ असंस्कृतायाः कन्यायाः कुतो लोकास्तवानघे।
Seeing her about to relinquish her body, Narada said to her,"O sinless one, you cannot attain any blissful region since you have not cleansed yourself by the rite of marriage.
एवं तु श्रुतमस्माभिर्देवलोके महाव्रते॥ तपः परमकं प्राप्तं न तु लोकास्त्वया जिताः।
O you of great vows, we have heard this in heaven. Great has been your ascetic merit, but you have no claim to blissful regions.
तन्नारदवचः श्रुत्वा साब्रवीदृषिसंसदि॥ तपसोऽर्धं प्रयच्छामि पाणिग्राहस्य सत्तम।
Hearing these words of Narada, the old lady went to an assemblage of Rishis and said, 'I shall give him half my penances who will marry ine.'
इत्युक्ते चास्या जग्राह पाणिं गालवसम्भवः॥ ऋषिः प्राक् शृङ्गवान्नाम समयं चेममब्रवीत्। समयेन तवाद्याहं पाणिं स्प्रक्ष्यामि शोभने॥ योकगनं वस्त्वयं त्वया सह मयेति ह। तथेति सा प्रतिश्रुत्य तस्मै पाणिं ददौ तदा॥
After she had said these words. the Galava's son, a Rishi known by the name of Shringavai married her on on the following condition. 'On this term, O fair one, I shall marry you, viz., that you, shall live with me for only one night!' Having agreed to that term, she gave him her hand,
यथादृष्टेन विधिना हुत्वा चाग्निं विधानतः। चक्रे च पाणिग्रहणं तस्योद्वाहं च गालविः॥
According to the rites, and having duly poured libations on the fire, Galava's son accepted her hand and married her.
सा रात्रावभवद् राजंस्तरुणी वरवर्णिनी। दिव्याभरणवस्त्रा च दिव्यगन्धानुलेपना॥
On the night, she became a handsome young lady robed in celestial dress, decked in celestial ornaments, and smeared with celestial ungucnts and perfumes.
तां दृष्ट्वा गालविः प्रीतो दीपयन्तीमिव श्रिया। उवास च क्षपामेकां प्रभाते साऽब्रवीच तम्॥ यस्त्वया समया विप्र कृतो मे तपतां वर। तेनोषितास्मि भद्रं ते स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु व्रजाम्यहम्॥
Sceing her beauty, Galava's son became very happy and passed one night in her company. In the morning she said to him—the agreement, O Brahmana, I had made with you, has been satisfied, O best of ascetic! Blessed be you, I shall now leave you.
सा निर्गताऽब्रवीद् भूयो योऽस्मिंस्तीर्थे समाहितः। वसन्ते रजनीमेकां तर्पयित्वा दिवौकसः॥ चत्वारिंशतमष्टौ च द्वौ चाष्टौ सम्यगाचरेत्। यो ब्रह्मचर्य वर्षाणि फलं तस्य. लभेत सः॥
After getting his permission, she once more said 'He who will with attention, pass one night in this Tirtha after having satisfied the celestials it oblations of water, shall obtain that inerit which one, observing the Vow of Brahmacharya for eight and fifty years, reaps.'
एवमुक्त्वा तत: साध्वी देहं त्यक्त्वा दिवं गता। ऋषिरप्यभवद् दीनस्तस्या रूपं विचिन्तयन्॥
Having said these words, that chaste lady left for heaven. Her husband the Rishi, became very disspiiited by thinking of her beauty.
समयेन तपोऽर्धं त कृच्छ्रात् प्रतिगृहीतवान्। साधयित्वा तदाऽऽत्मानं तस्याः स गतिमन्वियात्।। २४ दुःखितो भरतश्रेष्ठ तस्या रूपबलात्कृतः।
On account of the agreement he had made, he accepted with difficulty half her penances. Casting off his body he soon followed her, O Bharata's chief, drawn by sorrow and her beauty.
एतत्ते वृद्धकन्याया व्याख्यातं चरितं महत्॥ तथैव ब्रह्मचर्यं च स्वर्गस्य च गतिः शुभा।
This is the illustrious history of the old maid that I have narrated. This is the account of her Brahmacharya and her sacred departure for the celestial regions.
तत्रस्थश्चापि शुश्राव हतं शल्यं हलायुधः॥ तत्रापि दत्त्वा दानानि द्विजातिभ्यः परंतपः। शुश्राव शल्यं संग्रामे निहतं पाण्डवैस्तदा॥
While there, Baladeva heard of the destruction of Shalya. Having made presents to the Brahmanas there, he bewailed, O destroyer of foes, for Shalya, who had been killed by the Pandavas in battle.
समन्तपञ्चकद्वारात् ततो निष्क्रम्य माधवः। पप्रच्छर्षिगणान् रामः कुरुक्षेत्रस्य यत् फलम्॥
Then having come out of Samantapanchaka, Baladeva enquired at of the Rishis about the results of the battle at Kurukshetra.
ते पृष्टा यदुसिंहेन कुरुक्षेत्रफलं विभो। समाचख्युर्महात्मानस्तस्मै सर्वं यथातथम्॥
Asked by that Yadu's chief about the results of the battle at Kurukshetra, those great ones told him everything as it had taken place.