Skandapurana 3.3.8.80.2

3.3.8.80.2

sonukūlāsu patnīṣu labdhvā putrānmahaujasaḥ ..
cireṇa prārthitāṃ lebhe kanyāmekāṃ varānanām .. 16 ..
sa labdhvā tanayāṃ diṣṭyā himavāniva pārvatīm ..
ātmānaṃ devasadṛśaṃ mene pūrṇamanoratham .. 17 ..
sa ekadā jātakalakṣaṇajñānāhūya sādhūndvijamukhyavṛṃdān ..
kutūhalenābhiniviṣṭacetāḥ papraccha kanyājanane phalāni .. 18 ..
atha tatrābravīdeko bahujño dvijasattamaḥ ..
eṣā sīmaṃtinī nāmnā kanyā tava mahīpate .. 19 ..
umeva māṃgalyavatī damayaṃtīva rūpiṇī ..
bhāratīva kalābhijñā lakṣmīriva mahāguṇā .. .. 3.3.8.20 ..
suprajā devamāteva jānakīva dhṛtavratā ..
raviprabheva satkāṃtiścaṃdrikeva manoramā .. 21 ..
daśavarṣasahasrāṇi saha bhartrā pramodate ..
prasūya tanayānaṣṭau paraṃ sukhamavāpsyati.. 22 ..
ityuktavaṃtaṃ nṛpatirdhanaiḥ saṃpūjya taṃ dvijam ..
avāpa paramāṃ prītiṃ tadvāgamṛtasevayā .. 23 ..
athānyo'pi dvijaḥ prāha dhairyavānamitadyutiḥ ..
eṣā caturdaśe varṣe vaidhavyaṃ pratipatsyati .. 24 ..
ityākarṇya vacastasya vajranirghātaniṣṭhuram ..
muhūrtamabhavadrājā ciṃtāvyākulamānasaḥ .. 25 ..
atha sarvānsamutsṛjya brāhmaṇānbrahmavatsalaḥ ..
sarvaṃ daivakṛtaṃ mattvā niściṃtaḥ pārthivo'bhavat .. 26 ..
sāpi sīmaṃtinī bālā krameṇa gataśaiśavā ..
vaidhavyamātmano bhāvi śuśrāvātmasakhīmukhāt .. 27 ..
paraṃ nirvedamāpannā ciṃtayāmāsa bālikā ..
yājñavalkyamuneḥ patnīṃ maitreyīṃ paryapṛcchata..28..
mātastvaccaraṇāṃbhojaṃ prapannāsmi bhayākulā..
saubhāgyavardhanaṃ karma mama śaṃsitumarhasi..29..
iti prapannāṃ nṛpateḥ kanyāṃ prāha muneḥ satī..

Having obtained mighty sons from his compliant wives, / he at last obtained one fair-faced daughter, long prayed for. / 16
Having obtained that daughter, as Himavat obtained Pārvatī by good fortune, / he considered himself like a god, his desires fulfilled. / 17
Once, summoning virtuous leaders of the twice-born who knew the signs of horoscopes, / his mind filled with curiosity, he asked the consequences of the girl's birth. / 18
Then one excellent twice-born [brahmin] there, learned in many matters, said: / “This daughter of yours, O king, shall be named Sīmantinī. / 19
She will be auspicious like Umā, beautiful like Damayantī, / skilled in arts like Bhāratī, endowed with great virtues like Lakṣmī. / 20
She will have good offspring like the Mother of the Gods, be devoted to vows like Jānakī, / radiant with noble splendor like the light of the sun, delightful like the moonlight. / 21
For ten thousand years she will rejoice with her husband; / having borne eight sons, she will attain supreme happiness.” / 22
When he had spoken thus, the king, honoring that twice-born [brahmin] with wealth, / experienced supreme joy, drinking the nectar of his words. / 23
Then another twice-born [brahmin] too, steadfast and of immeasurable splendor, spoke: / “In her fourteenth year, she will meet with widowhood.” / 24
Hearing his word, harsh as a thunderbolt's crash, / the king for a moment became bewildered in his mind with sorrow. / 25
Then, dismissing all the brahmins, the king, lover of the sacred word, / considered everything to be ordained by fate and became free of anxiety. / 26
And that young girl Sīmantinī, her childhood gradually passing, / heard from the mouth of her own friend of her future widowhood. / 27
Having fallen into deep despair, the maiden pondered; / she approached Maitreyī, the wife of the sage Yājñavalkya, and questioned her: / 28
“O mother, distressed with fear, I have sought refuge at your lotus feet; / you ought to declare to me an action that promotes good fortune in marriage.” / 29
To the king's daughter who had thus sought refuge, the virtuous wife of the sage said: