Paumacariya 16
English (machine translation) 16
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16.1
Remembering the words of Miśrakeśī, the angry Pavanañjaya / abandoned the daughter of Mahendra, though she was innocent and sorrowful at heart.
16.2
Her limbs burned by the fire of separation, her eyes wide open, she found no sleep; / resting her face upon her left hand, she remained meditating on the prince.
16.3
Deeply lovesick, her pair of breasts stained and moistened by tears from her eyes, / like a doe terrified of a hunter, she remained watching the road.
16.4
With all her limbs extremely emaciated, her ornaments—girdle and bracelets—slackened, / she suffered great and extreme distress even from the weight of her garment.
16.5
Her pride and luster having vanished, she barely supported her limbs; / thus, absent-minded, she babbled incoherent words.
16.6
Remaining on the palace floor, the maiden fell into a faint again and again; / she was only revived when her limbs were touched by the cool breeze.
16.7
In a soft, sweet, and stammering voice, she uttered plaintive words: / “O highly renowned one! Even the slightest offense was not committed by me against you!
16.8
Abandon this resort to anger; be pleased, do not be so harsh! / Men, indeed, are compassionate toward women who bow down to them.”
16.9
Uttering these and other plaintive words there, / the daughter of Mahendra spent a very long time.
16.10
In the meantime, a hostility arose and a most terrible battle began / between Rāvaṇa and Varuṇa, both of whom had proud armies.
16.11
An envoy was dispatched in great haste to Varuṇa by the lord of Laṅkā; / having arrived and bowed, taking a seat, he spoke these words:
16.12
“O Varuṇa! Rāvaṇa, the wrathful master of the Vidyādharas, says to you: / ‘Either clearly make obeisance, or stand facing me in battle!’”
16.13
Varuṇa laughed and said: “Vile envoy! Who is this one named Rāvaṇa? / I will neither make obeisance with my head to him nor obey his command!
16.14
I am not Vaiśramaṇa, nor Yama, nor the thousand-rayed sun, / who, frightened in battle, wretchedly pays homage to you.”
16.15
Having been rebuked by Varuṇa with harsh words in this way, / the envoy went to Rāvaṇa and reported everything just as it had been said.
16.16
Hearing the envoy's words, the enraged lord of Laṅkā spoke thus: / “Without a doubt, Varuṇa must be conquered by me within a few days!”
16.17
Meanwhile, the ten-faced one set forth with all his forces marshaled, / and reached Varuṇa's city, which had ramparts adorned with gems and gold.
16.18
Hearing that Rāvaṇa had arrived, Varuṇa, joined by his sons and army, / enthusiastic and ready for battle, marched out to confront him.
16.19
Varuṇa's thirty-two thousand sons, [led by] Rājīva and Puṇḍarīka, / armed and clad in armor, charged against the Rākṣasa warriors.
16.20
A most terrible combat began, tangled with weapons breaking one another, / with sparks flying as from fire, and excellent champions falling.
16.21
Warriors on chariots, elephants, and horses fought falling upon one another in battle, / their hands grasping arrows, javelins, swords, lances, disc-weapons, and clubs.
16.22
Varuṇa's army, with its horses, elephants, and warriors falling, was broken by the Rākṣasa warriors; / seeing them fleeing, the lord of waters [Varuṇa] turned to face the front.
16.23
Seeing that his own army was broken and retreating before Varuṇa, the ten-faced one / charged forward, discharging a multitude of arrows swollen with wrath.
16.24
While a terrible great combat between Varuṇa and Rāvaṇa was taking place, / meanwhile Khara-dūṣaṇa was captured in battle by Varuṇa's sons.
16.25
Seeing Dūṣaṇa captured, the ministers spoke to Rāvaṇa: / “O lord! If you continue fighting, the prince will surely be killed!”
16.26
Having ceased fighting together with his ministers, the lord of the Rākṣasas / withdrew from the midst of the battlefield for the sake of Khara-dūṣaṇa's life.
16.27
Having reached the excellent city of Pātālapura, he assembled all his vassals / and swiftly dispatched a messenger to the Vidyādhara Prahlāda.
16.28
Going and bowing down, he related the matter to King Prahlāda: / the battle between Rāvaṇa and Varuṇa, and the capture of Dūṣaṇa as it had happened.
16.29
"The high-souled lord of the Rākṣasas has returned, and staying in Pātālapura with his vassals, / he is assembling [his forces]; and I have been dispatched to you."
16.30
Hearing this speech, Prahlāda was ready to depart that very moment, / [but] he was restrained by Pavanañjaya: "Remain here at ease for now.
16.31
While I am present, my lord, why do you make preparations to march? / I shall deliver into your hands this fruit [worthy] of your embrace."
16.32
And he was told by the king: "You are a boy, untested in battle; / stay at home, my son, amusing yourself with your own games."
16.33
"Do not speak thus, father, [saying] 'He is a boy, inexperienced in the affairs of war!' / Does a lion cub not slay rutting lordly elephants?"
16.34
Then Pavanavega was dispatched by King Prahlāda, / and he was told, "May you achieve victory over the kings, my dear son!"
16.35
Making obeisance with his head to his father and taking leave of his mother, / his body adorned with ornaments, he went forth from his palace.
16.36
All at once a great commotion arose in the city: "Pavanavega has departed!" / Hearing that sound, Añjanā too came out swiftly.
16.37
Her love overflowing, clinging to a pillar and gazing upon her husband, / the maiden was seen by the citizens like a fine śālabhañjikā statue.
16.38
And the daughter of Mahendra beheld the prince on the royal road; / gazing with eyes like blue-lotus petals, she was not satiated.
16.39
Then Añjanā was also seen by Pavanañjaya, gazing as she stood on the terrace of the palace, / deeply repulsive [to him], like a meteor.
16.40
Seeing her, Pavanagati was enraged, his body trembling with anger, / and he said, "Oh, the shameless woman, who has presented herself before me!"
16.41
Forming an añjali gesture and making obeisance at his feet, / she said reproachfully, "My lord, you are going on a distant journey!
16.42
In departing, my lord, you spoke to all the attendants; / yet, ill-fated that I am, I was not addressed even with a distracted mind.
16.43
My life and even my death depend on you—there is no doubt! / Even though you go abroad, still, please remember me!"
16.44
While she was thus lamenting, Pavanagati, mounted on a magnificent rutting elephant, / went forth from the city and arrived at Lake Mānasa.
16.45
By the power of his vidyās, he constructed an encampment there with houses, seats, and the like; / and gradually the sun sank down behind the western mountain.
16.46
Then, at twilight, Pavanagati looked through the window of the pavilion / and saw the delightful lake, filled with pure, excellent water,
16.47
its waves stirred by fish and tortoises, cranes and geese, / with buzzing bees, covered with thousand-petaled lotuses.
16.48
Having exerted intensely cruel heat upon the world throughout a long day, / the sun set, just like a king at the end of his life.
16.49
The night-blooming water lilies, opened during the day and their petals abandoned by swarms of bees, / closed up, sorrowful at the separation from the sun.
16.50
Then the birds—geese and others—that had disported in the excellent lake, / seeing the time of twilight, went to their respective roosts.
16.51
There, a single female cakravāka was seen by Pavanañjaya, / with a mind deeply agitated, her body burning with the fresh fire of separation.
16.52
She ran upward, trembled, fluttered, spreading and shaking her wings; / she clung to a tree on the bank, and again approached the water.
16.53
Thinking her beloved might be there, she tore apart a cluster of lotuses with blows of her beak; / hearing an echo, she suddenly flew up into the sky.
16.54
Seeing the cakravāka bird afflicted with severe separation from her beloved, with his mind fixed upon it, / Pavanañjaya remembered the daughter of Mahendra, abandoned long ago.
16.55
He began to say: "Alas, what a terrible deed I have done! / Fool that I am, burdened with sin, I abandoned her for twenty-two years!
16.56
Just as this female cakravāka has become deeply distressed by separation from her beloved, / so does my dearest wife spend her days with a sorrowful face.
16.57
Even if something unpleasant to the ears was said by that wicked female companion of hers, / why was this wide-eyed lady, free from fault, abandoned by me?"
16.58
Having reflected thus, he said to Prahasita, the son of the wind: / "Seeing this female cakravāka, I remembered my wife Añjanā.
16.59
As I was departing, I saw her standing on the palace terrace looking on, / her beauty and charm gone, like a lotus plant struck by frost.
16.60
Therefore, noble friend, devise a means today without delay / whereby I may see the maiden Añjanā, who is suffering from long separation!"
16.61
Understanding the nature of the matter, his friend Prahasita said to Pavanagati: / "Except for going there, I see no other means."
16.62
Pavanañjaya quickly summoned the minister Mudgara / and placed him in charge of guarding the army, saying, "I am going to Mount Meru."
16.63
With sandalwood and flowers in their hands, the two of them traveling through the sky, / swift and nimble in the night, arrived at Añjanā's palace.
16.64
Then, having stationed Prahasita at the doorway of the house, / Pavanavega entered inside and was suddenly seen by the lady.
16.65
And [Prahasita] was asked [by the maid], "Sir, who are you? For what purpose have you come here?" / Then, bowing, he said, "I am the friend of Pavanavega.
16.66
Your beloved, O fair lady, has arrived here; I was swiftly sent by him. / My name is Prahasita; do not have any doubt, my lady!"
16.67
Hearing of the arrival of Pavanañjaya, which was like a dream, the lady said: / "Why do you mock me, Prahasita, when I am already mocked by Fate?
16.68
Or rather, what fault is yours? The fault is surely that of my past deeds, / since I have been humiliated by my beloved and humiliated by the whole world."
16.69
And she was told by Prahasita: "My lady, do not be sorrowful in this way! / The one cherished in your heart has indeed arrived here in the palace."
16.70
Prince Pavanañjaya, standing in the inner apartment, / was led into the bedchamber by Vasantamālā, who bowed before him.
16.71
Seeing her beloved, the lady Añjanā rose up at once, / and bowing her head, made an añjali at his feet.
16.72
Pavanañjaya sat down on a jeweled couch covered with a sheet of flowers; / Añjanā stood beside him, her limbs thrilled with joy.
16.73
In another apartment, Vasantamālā remained together with Prahasita, / talkative and amused, conversing on various tales.
16.74
Then Pavanañjaya said: "That you were chastised by me without cause, / forgive that host of a thousand offenses of mine, O lovely woman!"
16.75
And the daughter of Mahendra said: "Lord, you have committed no offense. / Remembering the fruit of our desire, please bear love [toward me] now."
16.76
Then Pavanañjaya said: "Lovely woman, forget all offenses! / Be pleased in heart; here, I make obeisance to you!"
16.77
Embraced with affection, her tender body like a blue lotus petal, / she drank in the face of her beloved with unblinking eyes, as it were with love.
16.78
For the two of them, filled with deep love, whose passion had found free course, / there occurred sexual delight, rich with the practice of varied playful acts,
16.79
greatly enriched with the virtues of embracing, kissing, and the passion of amorous joy, / extinguishing the pain of separation, delighting the heart to their desire's content.
16.80
When the festival of love was finished, both of them, their limbs weary with fatigue, / fell into sleep with the pleasure of embracing each other in their arms.
16.81
Thus, in due course, while they were asleep, having tasted the pleasure of love, / the night came to its close, with but a little time remaining.
16.82
Awakened at the onset of dawn, his friend Pavanagati smiled and said: / "Arise quickly, noble man! Let us depart for the army camp."
16.83
Hearing his friend's words, Pavanañjaya rose from the couch. / Embracing his beloved, he said: "Listen to my words:
16.84
Remain confident; do not give yourself over to distress / while I, having quickly laid low Daśavadana [Rāvaṇa], return."
16.85
Then the young woman, afraid of the pain of separation, made obeisance at his feet with modesty, / and speaking in sweet, stammering accents, said to Pavanañjaya:
16.86
"Today is indeed the time of my season, my lord! Should a child come to be in my womb, / in your absence it will certainly become a cause of reproach.
16.87
Therefore, go and tell the elders of this conception of a child; / be far-sighted, and avert reproach!"
16.88
Then Pavanañjaya said: "Take my signet ring adorned with jewels, / O moon-faced one! This will dispel any reproach."
16.89
Taking leave of his beloved and Vasantamālā, / the smiling Pavanañjaya reached his own encampment through the path of the sky.
16.90
Knowing the fruition of dharma and adharma, the nature of union, separation, sorrow, and happiness / in the world of living beings, strive always in the pure teaching of the Jina!
16.91
Thus ends the sixteenth chapter named "The Enjoyment of Pavanañjaya and Añjanāsundarī" in the Paümacariya.
Linked texts (1)
- Paümacariya — Vimalasūri, Māhārāṣṭrī Prakrit