Adhyaya 25

Verse 1

सूत उवाच । इयं हि का गायति चारुलोचना विलासभावैः परिविश्वमेव । अतीव बाला शुशुभे मनोहरा संपूर्णभावैः परिमोहयेज्जनम्

Sūta said: “Who is this lovely wide-eyed woman who sings, filling the whole world with playful expressions? Though very young, she shines enchantingly, and with her complete charm she utterly bewilders people.”

Verse 2

दृष्ट्वा स रंभां कमलायताक्षीं पीनस्तनीं चर्चितकुंकुमांगीम् । पद्माननां कामगृहं ममैषा नो वा रतिश्चारुमनोहरेयम्

Seeing Rambhā—lotus-eyed, full-breasted, her limbs adorned with applied kuṅkuma—he thought: “This lotus-faced one is surely my very abode of love; or else, could she be Rati herself, so exquisitely enchanting to the mind?”

Verse 3

संपूर्णभावां परिरूपयुक्तां कामांगशीलामतिशीलभावाम् । यास्याम्यहं वश्यमिहैव अस्या मनोभवेनाद्य इहैव प्रेषितः

Endowed with complete charms and perfect beauty, and possessed of amorous graces and an exceedingly alluring nature—I shall go at once and bring her here under my sway; for today I have been dispatched here by Manobhava (Kāma) himself.

Verse 4

इतीव दैत्यः सुविचिंतयान्वितः कामेन मुग्धो बहुकालनोदितः । समातुरस्तत्र जगाम सत्वरमुवाच तां दीनमनाः सुलोचनाम्

Thus resolved, the demon—absorbed in his own scheming, deluded by desire long stirred within him—hurried there at once in agitation, and with a dejected heart spoke to the fair-eyed woman.

Verse 5

कस्यासि वा सुंदरि केन प्रेषिता किं नाम ते पुण्यतमं वदस्व मे । तवैव रूपेण महातितेजसा मुग्धोस्मि बाले मम वश्यतां व्रज

O beautiful one, whose are you, and by whom have you been sent? Tell me your name, most auspicious one. Bewildered by your very form, radiant with great splendor, I am enchanted, O girl—come under my control.

Verse 6

एवमुक्ता विशालाक्षी वृत्रं कामाकुलं प्रति । अहं रंभा महाभाग क्रीडार्थं वनमुत्तमम्

Thus addressed, the large-eyed maiden spoke to Vṛtra, who was distressed with desire: “I am Rambhā, O fortunate one. (I have come) for play to this excellent forest.”

Verse 7

सखीसार्धं समायाता नंदनं वनमुत्तमम् । त्वं तु को वा किमर्थं हि मम पार्श्वं समागतः

I have come, together with my companions, to the excellent Nandana grove. But who are you—and for what purpose have you come into my presence?

Verse 8

वृत्र उवाच । श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि योहं बाले समागतः । हुताशनात्समुत्पन्नः कश्यपस्य सुतः शुभे

Vṛtra said: “Listen—I shall tell you who I am, O young maiden, now that I have come here. From the Fire-god I was born; I am the auspicious son of Kaśyapa.”

Verse 9

सखाहं देवदेवस्य इंद्र स्यापि वरानने । ऐंद्रं पदं वरारोहे अर्धं मे भुक्तिमागतम्

O fair-faced one, I am a companion of the God of gods; and even Indra’s sovereign station, O noble lady, has come to me only in part, as something already enjoyed.

Verse 10

अहं वृत्रः कथं देवि मामेवं न तु विंदसि । त्रैलोक्यं वशमायातं यस्यैव वरवर्णिनि

“I am Vṛtra. How is it, O Goddess, that you do not recognize me thus? O fair-complexioned one, by his very power the three worlds have come under control.”

Verse 11

अहं शरणमायातः कामाद्रक्ष वरानने । भजस्व मां विशालाक्षि कामेनाकुलितं प्रिये

I have come to you for refuge—save me from desire, O lovely-faced one. Accept me, O wide-eyed beloved; I am agitated and overwhelmed by passion, dear one.

Verse 12

रंभोवाच । वशगा हं तवैवाद्य भविष्यामि न संशयः । यं यं वदाम्यहं वीर तं तं कार्यं त्वयैव हि

Rambhā said: “From today I shall indeed be under your control—there is no doubt. Whatever I say, O hero, that very thing must be carried out by you alone.”

Verse 13

एवमस्तु महाभागे तं तं सर्वं करोम्यहम् । एवं संबंधकं कृत्वा तया सह महाबलः

“So be it, O noble lady; I shall do all that, exactly as you say.” Thus establishing this bond, the mighty one remained together with her.

Verse 14

तस्मिन्वने महापुण्ये रेमे दानवसत्तमः । तस्या गीतेन नृत्येन हास्येन ललितेन च

In that supremely sacred forest, the foremost of the Dānavas delighted himself—charmed by her singing, her dancing, her laughter, and her graceful play.

Verse 15

अतिमुग्धो महादैत्यः स तस्याः सुरतेन च । तमुवाच महाभागं वृत्रं दानवसत्तमम्

That mighty demon, utterly infatuated—also because of her lovemaking—then spoke to the greatly fortunate Vṛtra, the best of the Dānavas.

Verse 16

सुरापानं कुरुष्वेह पिबस्व मधुमाधवीम् । तामुवाच विशालाक्षीं रंभां शशिनिभाननाम्

“Drink liquor here—drink this honeyed mādhavī wine.” Thus someone addressed Rambhā, the large-eyed one, whose face was like the moon.

Verse 17

पुत्रोहं ब्राह्मणस्यापि वेदवेदांगपारगः । सुरापानं कथं भद्रे करिष्यमि विनिंदितम्

I am the son of a brāhmaṇa, and I have mastered the Vedas and their auxiliary disciplines. O noble lady, how could I commit the condemned act of drinking liquor?

Verse 18

तया तु रंभया देव्या प्रीत्या दत्ता सुरा हठात् । तस्या दाक्षिण्यभावेन सुरापानं कृतं तदा

But the goddess Rambhā, out of affection, forcibly offered him liquor; and then, out of courteous regard for her, he drank the liquor at that time.

Verse 19

अतीवमुग्धं सुरया ज्ञानभ्रष्टो यदाभवत् । तदंतरे सुरेंद्रेण वज्रेण निहतस्तदा

When he became utterly infatuated through intoxicating liquor and his discernment was lost, then, in that very moment, the Lord of the gods struck him down with the thunderbolt (vajra).

Verse 20

ब्रह्महत्यादिकैः पापैः स लिप्तो वृत्रहा ततः । ब्राह्मणास्तु ततः प्रोचुरिंद्र पापं कृतं त्वया

Then Indra, Vṛtra’s slayer, became tainted by sins such as brahmin-slaying. Thereupon the brāhmaṇas said, “Indra, sin has been committed by you.”

Verse 21

अस्माद्वाक्यात्तु विश्वस्तो वृत्रो नाम महाबलः । हतो विश्वासभावेन एवं पापं त्वया कृतम्

Trusting your words, the mighty Vṛtra—made confident thereby—was slain; thus, through that trust, this sin has been committed by you.

Verse 22

इंद्र उवाच । येन केनाप्युपायेन हंतव्योरिः सदैव हि । देवब्राह्मणहंतारं यज्ञानां धर्मकंटकम्

Indra said: “By whatever means possible, this enemy must indeed always be slain—one who kills gods and brāhmaṇas, and who is a thorn obstructing sacrifices (yajñas) and dharma.”

Verse 23

निहतं दानवं दुष्टं त्रैलोक्यस्यापि नायकम् । तदर्थं कुपिता यूयमेतन्न्यायस्य लक्षणम्

“The wicked Dānava—though a leader within the three worlds—has been slain. If you are angered on his account, that itself is a mark of your sense of justice.”

Verse 24

विचारमेवं कर्त्तव्यं भवद्भिर्द्विजसत्तमाः । पश्चात्कोपं प्रकर्त्तव्यमन्यायं मम चिंत्यताम्

O best of the twice-born, deliberate in this way; only afterward should anger be shown. Consider whether any injustice has been done to me.

Verse 25

इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वृत्रासुरवधोनाम पंचविंशोऽध्यायः

Thus ends the twenty-fifth chapter, called “The Slaying of Vṛtrāsura,” in the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa of the holy Padma Purāṇa.

Verse 26

जग्मुः स्वस्थानमेवं हि निहते धर्मकंटके

Thus, when the thorn to righteousness had been slain, they indeed returned to their own abode.