Paumacariya 18
English (machine translation) 18
- Language
- English
18.1
Thus has the account of Śrīśaila's birth been told to you, O lord of Magadha! / From now on, hear the entire cause concerning Pavanañjaya.
18.2
Then Pavanañjaya went, bowed to the lord of Laṅkā, / and having received his command, fought a battle with Varuṇa.
18.3
When the battle commenced, Pavanagati, approaching Varuṇa, / brought about a treaty of peace: 'O lord of the waters, abandon your fault!'
18.4
Then, having been honoured there by the lord of Laṅkā, / Pavanagati was dismissed, and he went quickly through the sky toward his own city.
18.5
He entered his own city, paid homage with joy to his elders, / and, yearning for his beloved, eagerly reached the palace of Añjanā.
18.6
Entering that palace and greeting all his attendants, / Pavanañjaya did not see his beloved and asked his friend:
18.7
When the cause was thoroughly known, it was told by the friend: 'That woman of yours / has been taken to Mahendranagara; the young lady stays there in her father's house.'
18.8
As soon as this was said, Pavanavega went to Mahendranagara; / not having seen his father-in-law, he then went straight to Añjanā's palace.
18.9
Not seeing her there either, his limbs burning with the fire of separation from his beloved, / he asked an excellent young maiden in the palace: 'Where is my wife?'
18.10
She too told him: 'That lady of yours, on account of the fault of pregnancy, / stricken with grief caused by slander, was cast out by the elders and went into the wilderness.'
18.11
Hearing this speech, Pavanagati, his body tormented by grief, / went out by a secret passage and wandered about searching for his beloved.
18.12
Having roved over the earth without obtaining news of Añjanā, / Pavanañjaya said to his friend: 'Go to Ādityapura!
18.13
Go and relate this whole matter to the elders, / while I continue to wander over the face of the earth, searching for my beloved.
18.14
If I do not see that daughter of Mahendra while wandering about here, / then my death is certain; O friend, this is my vow!'
18.15
Leaving him, Prahasita reached Ādityapura in an instant / and reported to the elders the whole matter concerning Pavanañjaya.
18.16
Meanwhile Pavanañjaya, mounting an excellent sky-going elephant, / wandered over the earth, and then, dejected in mind, lamented:
18.17
'Scorched by the heat of grief, her body tender like a lotus petal or a lotus fibre, / like a doe fallen from the herd, where has my beloved gone?
18.18
With limbs exhausted by her heavy burden, her feet pierced by Darbha needles, / unwilling to take a step—has she been devoured by a wicked beast?
18.19
Or did she die in the forest, tormented by lack of food and thirst? / Or has that beloved of mine been abducted by some Vidyādhara?'
18.20
Having lamented in many ways in this manner with a dejected face, / Pavanagati, while searching, arrived at the forest named Bhūtarava.
18.21
Not seeing the woman there either, Pavanañjaya, his laughter gone, / then recalled his vow, and let go of the elephant along with his weapons:
18.22
'Indeed a great humiliation was done to you through being tied down as a mount and so forth; / forgive that of mine, O noble elephant! Roam the wilderness at your will!'
18.23
In this manner the night passed for Pavanañjaya in that forest. / Listen now, O lord of Magadha, to what was done by his father!
18.24
Then, when the report of Pavanañjaya was related by the friend to the elders, / all the kinfolk and attendants became extremely sorrowful and downcast.
18.25
With a voice choked with grief for her son, Ketumatī then said to Prahasita: / 'Having left my son, why have you come alone?'
18.26
He said: 'O queen, by him, distressed with grief over the pain of separation, / I was sent here in haste, after he had made this vow:
18.27
"If I do not see that fair-formed lady with the face of a gentle moon here, / then death will be mine here"—so it was said by your son.'
18.28
Hearing this speech, Ketumatī fainted; when she regained consciousness, / surrounded by young women, she then uttered a plaintive lament:
18.29
'I, a sinful woman, not understanding the matter, did such a deed / because of which even the life of my son has been put in doubt!
18.30
This Ādityapura, rich in pleasure-grounds, gardens, and groves, / deprived of my son, appears just like a wilderness!'
18.31
Having consoled his wife, Prahlāda set out from the excellent city / to search for his son, placing Prahasita at the head.
18.32
All the Vidyādhara lords residing on both ranges were summoned, / and they arrived quickly in the presence of King Prahlāda.
18.33
They roamed all around the earth searching for Pavanagati; / the messengers of King Prahlāda were seen by Pratisūrya.
18.34
When questioned, they related the story of Pavanañjaya in its entirety; / having heard it, Añjanā too became exceedingly grief-stricken.
18.35
Weeping, she then said: 'Alas, my lord! Where has he gone on account of me, a luckless woman, / one who shares in much sorrow, whose hope for happy union was never attained?'
18.36
Meanwhile Pratisūrya, having quickly consoled Añjanā, / flew up into the vault of the sky and saw all the Vidyādharas.
18.37
Now, as they searched, having reached the forest of Bhūtāraṇya, / they saw there the elephant in musth belonging to Pavanañjaya.
18.38
Seeing that excellent elephant, all the Vidyādharas rejoiced greatly / and said to one another: 'Pavanagati is certainly here!'
18.39
Resembling Mount Añjana, with white tusks and a swift, steady gait, / roaming around at his sides, he guarded his master like a devoted servant.
18.40
Seeing Pavanavega, the Vidyādharas descended from the sky; / that noble elephant kept them back as they approached near him.
18.41
Having brought the elephant under control, the Vidyādharas reached the presence of Pavana; / they saw him motionless in his limbs, like an ascetic engaged in meditation.
18.42
Embracing his son, Prahlāda wept with many kinds of laments: / 'Alas, my child! On account of a woman, you have reached this sorrow!'
18.43
Knowing that he had given up food, kept silence, and resolved upon death, / Pratisūrya clearly explained what had happened to Añjanā:
18.44
'Now, O prince, listen! On the crest of Mount Saṁjhyā, to an excellent sage / named Anantavīrya, supreme knowledge had arisen.
18.45
Having paid homage to that ascetic, as I was returning there in the night, / in the cave of Pālīyaṅka, I saw Añjanā weeping.
18.46
When questioned, she related the entire reason for her dwelling there; / bearing the affection of a relative, I immediately consoled her.
18.47
On that very day, a son endowed with beauty and charm was born to her; / mounted on a divine aerial car, while being carried along, he fell to the earth.
18.48
Having descended at once from the sky along with Añjanā, / I saw that child lying in a place within the mountain cave.'
18.49
And the rock was shattered immediately as the boy merely fell upon it; / on that very account, the name Śrīśaila was given to the prince.
18.50
Together with her friend, the young woman took up her son with loving grace, / and they were conveyed to Hanuruhanagara; there, boundless joy arose.
18.51
And then, because that boy was brought up in Hanuruhapura, / the second name 'Hanu' became renowned for him.
18.52
"Thus the young woman, the daughter of Mahendra, resides together with her son in my city; / do not harbor any doubt in your mind!"
18.53
Hearing this speech, Pavanañjaya departed, exceedingly delighted; / accompanied by Vidyādharas, he arrived at Hanuruhanagara.
18.54
Right there, the Vidyādharas held a supreme festival of reunion, / splendid with abundant food, drink, feasts, actors, dances, and merrymaking.
18.55
When two months had passed, the Vidyādharas departed thence for their own cities; / Pavanañjaya also remained in that city, united with Añjanā.
18.56
Right there, Hanumat reached youth along with mastery of the arts; / having mastered the sciences, he became endowed with strength and vigor.
18.57
Together with his wife and son, Pavanañjaya lived in Hanuruha, / enjoying an abundance of worldly pleasures just like a prince among gods.
18.58
Those who gladly listen to the story of the severe suffering Añjanāsundarī endured in separation from Pavanañjaya, born of a previous existence, / and to the cycle of Hanu's rebirths, their actions rendered pure, attain happiness indeed.
18.59
Thus ends the eighteenth uddesa in the Paümacariya, entitled 'The Ordinance of the Reunion of Pavanañjaya and Añjanāsundarī'.
Linked texts (1)
- Paümacariya — Vimalasūri, Māhārāṣṭrī Prakrit