तच्छ्रुत्वा लक्ष्मणेनोक्तं वाक्यं वाक्यविशारदः। प्रत्युवाच महातेजाः प्रहसनराघवो वचः॥
Hearing the words of Laksmana and smiling, the highly effulgent descendant of Raghu, Rāma, skilled in the are of speech, replied.
एवमेव नरश्रेष्ठ यथा वदसि लक्ष्मण। वृत्रघातमशेषेण वाजिमेधफलं च यत्॥
Lakşmaņa, O foremost of men, you have truly related the story of Vſtra's destruction and the fruits of horse-sacrifice.
श्रूयते हि पुरा सौम्य कर्दमस्य प्रजापतेः। पुत्रो वाह्लीश्वरः श्रीमानिलो नाम सुधार्मिकः॥
0gentle one, I have heard, that formerly in the province of Valhīka, the graceful king lla, the son of the patriarch Kardama, was highly pious.
स राजा पृथिवीं सर्वां वशे कृत्वा महायशाः। राज्यं चैव नरव्याघ्र पुत्रवत्पर्यपालयत्॥
O foremost of men, having brought the entire earth under his subjects like to his own sons.
सुरैश्च परमोदारैर्दैतेयैश्च महाधनैः। नागराक्षसगन्धर्वैर्यक्षैश्च सुमहात्मभिः॥ पूज्यते नित्यशः सौम्य भयार्ते रघुनन्दन । अबिभ्यश्च त्रयो लोकाः सरोषस्य महात्मनः॥
O descendant of Raghu, being terrified, the generous deities, the rich Daityas, the highly powerful Nägas, the irrepressible Rakşasas, Gandharvas and Yakşas used to adore him perpetually. The high-souled Ila being enraged, the three worlds used to be convulsed with terror.
स राजा तादृशोऽप्यासीद्धर्मे वीर्ये च निष्ठितः। बुद्ध्या च परमोदारो बाह्लीकेशो महायशाः॥
And albeit so very powerful the highly illustrious king of Vālhika never swerved from the path of morality nor neglected his deities and rather intelligently used to administer all business.
स प्रचक्रे महाबाहुमूंगयां रुचिरे वने। चैत्रे मनोरमे मासे सभृत्यबलवाहनः॥ प्रजघ्ने स नृपोऽरण्ये मृगाञ्छतसहस्रशः। हत्वैव तृप्ति भूच्च राज्ञस्तस्य महात्मनः॥
Once on a time in the picturesque season of spring the mighty-armed Ila, with his army and conveyances, entered into a charming forest, and on the pretext of hunting, slew hundreds and thousands of deer. With slaying deer only the high-souled king was not satisfied.
नानामृगाणामयुतं वध्यमानं महात्मना। यत्र जातो माहासेनस्तं देशमुपचक्रमे॥
He slew millions of diverse other animals. In this way being engaged in hunting the king Ila arrived where Kārtikeya was born.
तस्मिन्प्रदेशे देवेश शैलराजसुतां हरः। रमयामास दुर्धर्षः सर्वैरनुचरैः सह॥
At that time, in that hilly fountain there was sporting in the company of his followers, the irrepressible god of gods, the three-eyed deity with the daughter of the Chief of mountains.
कृत्वा स्त्रीरूपमात्मानमुमेशो गोपतिध्वजः। देव्याः प्रियचिकीर्षुः संस्तस्मिन्पर्वतनिझरे॥
Being desirous of satisfying the goddess Umă, her lord. whose emblem is bull, was sporting under the guise of a female.
यत्र यत्र वनोद्देशे सत्त्वाः पुरुषवादिनः। वृक्षाः पुरुषनामानस्ते सर्वे स्त्रीजनाभवन्॥
In that forest land, all male animals or trees were metamorphosed into the other sex at that time.
यच्च किंचन तत्सर्वं नारीसंज्ञं बभूव ह। एतस्मिन्नन्तरे राजा स इल: कर्दमात्मजः॥ निघ्नन्मृगसहस्राणि तं देशमुपचक्रमे। स दृष्ट्वा स्त्रीकृतं सर्व सव्यालमृगपक्षिणम्॥ आत्मानं स्त्रीकृतं चैव सानुगं रघुनन्दन । तस्य दुःखं महच्वासीदृष्ट्वात्मानं तथागतम्॥ उमापतेश्च तत्कर्म ज्ञात्वा त्रासमुपागमत्।
A hunting, the king Ila, the son of Kardama, arrived at that place and saw all animals and trees changed into female forms. And immediately the king and his army were changed into similar forms. Finding himself in that plight the king Ila was greatly sorry, and thinking that the misfortune was owing to the influence of the god of gods Umā's lord, he was greatly terrified.
ततो देवं महात्मानं शितिकण्ठं कपर्दिनम्।।१७ जगाम शरणं राजा सभृत्यबलवाहनः।
There with his followers and army the king took shelter or the high-souled and red-throated deity.
ततः प्रहस्य वरदः सह देव्या महेश्वरः॥ प्रजापतिसुतं वाक्यमुवाच वरदः स्वयम्।
There upon the great god, the conferror of boons, with the goddess, smiling said:
उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ राजर्षे कार्दमेय महाबल॥ पुरुषत्वमृते सौम्य वरं वरय सुव्रत। ततः स राजा शोकार्तः प्रत्याख्यातो महात्मना॥ स्त्रीभूतोऽसौ न जग्राह वरमन्यं सुरोत्तमात्।
Rise up, O son of Kardama, O you of great strength, O gentle one, do you beg of me any other boon than that of obtaining your manhood. Being thus disappointed by the great deity, the king Ila, metamorphosed into a female, became greatly sorry and did not pray for any other boon.
ततः शोकेन महता शैलराजसुतां नृपः॥ प्रणिपत्य उमां देवीं सर्वेणैवान्तरात्मना। ईशे वराणां वरदे लोकानामसि भामिनी॥ अमोघदर्शने देवी भज सौम्येन चक्षुषा।
Being stricken with great sorrow, the king, with whole heart, saluted the daughter of the mountain-chief and said:-0 goddess, you are the protectress of all-you do confer boons on all; seeing you does not become fruitless. Do you therefore have compassion on me.
हृद्गतं तस्य राजर्षेविज्ञाय हरसंनिधौ॥ प्रत्युवाच शुभं वाक्यं देवी रुद्रस्य संमता। अर्धस्य देवो वरदो वरार्धस्य तव ह्यहम्॥ तस्मादधं गृहाण त्वं स्त्रीपुंसोर्यावदिच्छसि।
There upon, cognisant of that king's intention, the goddess, with Hara's consent, said. Half of the boon, that you shall beg of us both, shall be granted by Mahādeva, and the other half shall be granted by me. Do you therefore beg of me the half.
तदद्भुततरं श्रुत्वा देव्या वरमनुत्तमम्॥ संप्रहृष्टमना भूत्वा राजा वाक्यमथाब्रवीत्। यदि देवि प्रसन्ना मे रूपेणाप्रतिमा भुवि॥ मासं स्त्रीत्वमुपासित्वा मासं स्यां पुरुषः पुनः।
Hearing of that excellent and wondrous boon the king became greatly delighted and said:-If you are pleased with me, O goddess, do you confer upon me this boon, that I may be for one month, a female gifted with wonderful beauty in the three worlds and for another month I may be a male.
ईप्सितं तस्य विज्ञाय देवी सुरुचिरानना॥ प्रत्युवाच शुभं वाक्यमेवमेव भविष्यति। राजन्पुरुषभूतस्त्वं स्त्रीभावं न स्मरिष्यसि॥ स्त्रीभूतश्च परं मासं न स्मरिष्यसि पौरुषम्।
There upon understanding king's desire, the beautiful goddess Pārvatī, mercifully said: The boon, according to your desire, shall be granted. O king, when you shall attain to the male figure, you shall not remember anything of your female form. And when you shall a assume the charming female figure you shall forget everything of your male state.
एवं स राजा पुरुषो मासं भूत्वाथ कार्दमिः। त्रैलोक्यसुन्दरी नारी मासमेकमिलाभवत्॥
O Lakşmaņa, by virtue of this boon, the king Ila for one month used to become a man and for the next used to become female, charming in the three worlds under the name of Ilă.