Shloka 67

Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ

King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt

Devanagari script

इधर वह शुभलक्षणा अप्सरा अद्विका क्षणभरमें शापमुक्त हो गयी। भगवान्‌ ब्रह्माजीने पहले ही उससे कह दिया था कि 'तिर्यगू-योनिमें पड़ी हुई तुम दो मानव-संतानोंको जन्म देकर शापसे छूट जाओगी।” अतः मछली मारनेवाले मललाहने जब उसे काटा तो वह मानव-बालकोंको जन्म देकर मछलीका रूप छोड़ दिव्य रूपको प्राप्त हो गयी। इस प्रकार वह सुन्दरी अप्सरा सिद्ध महर्षि और चारणोंके पथसे स्वर्गलोकमें चली गयी || ६४-- ६६ || सा कन्या दुहिता तस्या मत्स्या मत्स्यसगन्धिनी । राज्ञा दत्ता च दाशाय कन्येयं ते भवत्विति,उन जुड़वी संतानोंमें जो कन्या थी, मछलीकी पुत्री होनेसे उसके शरीरसे मछलीकी गन्ध आती थी। अतः राजाने उसे मल्‍लाहको सौंप दिया और कहा--“यह तेरी पुत्री होकर रहे!

Transliteration

idharā sā śubhalakṣaṇā apsarā advikā kṣaṇabhareṇa śāpamuktā babhūva | bhagavān brahmā pūrvam evāsya uvāca—“tiryagyoniṃ gatā tvam dvau mānavasantānau janayitvā śāpāt pramokṣyase” iti | ataḥ matsyaghātakena mallāhena yadā sā chinnā tadā sā mānavabālakau prasūya matsyarūpaṃ tyaktvā divyarūpaṃ prāpya | evaṃ sā sundarī apsarā siddhamaharṣicāraṇapathena svargalokaṃ jagāma || sā kanyā duhitā tasyā matsyā matsyagandhinī | rājñā dattā ca dāśāya—“kanye iyaṃ te bhavatu” iti ||

Translation

毗湿摩波衍那说道：就在那一刻，具吉祥相的天女阿德维迦脱离了诅咒。梵天早已告知她：“纵使堕入畜生之胎，你在诞下两个人类之子后，便可解脱。”因此，当渔夫（摩罗诃）剖开那鱼时，她产下两名人类婴儿；舍却鱼身，复得天界妙相。于是那绝色天女循悉达、诸大仙与查罗那之道而行，升往天界。双生子中，那女婴因是鱼之女，身带鱼腥之气；故国王将她托付给渔夫，说：“让这女孩作你的女儿。”

Word by Word

साshe/that (woman)

कन्याthe girl/daughter

दुहिताdaughter

तस्याःof her

मत्स्याfish (female)

मत्स्यसगन्धिनीhaving the smell of fish

राज्ञाby the king

दत्ताgiven

चand

दाशायto the fisherman

कन्याthe girl

इयम्this (girl)

तेof you/your

भवतुlet (her) be

इतिthus/so (quotative)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Advikā (apsaras)

Brahmā

fisherman (mallāha/dāśa)

king (rājā)

Siddhas

Mahārṣis

Cāraṇas

Svargaloka

fish (matsya)

twin children (a girl among them)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights the working of karma and divine ordinance: even a fall into an animal birth can become a means of purification when a destined act is fulfilled. It also underscores how social and familial arrangements (the king entrusting the girl to the fisherman) are framed as part of restoring order after an extraordinary event.

What is happening in the narrative?

An apsaras named Advikā, cursed to be born as a fish, is released when she gives birth to two human children as foretold by Brahmā. After the fisherman cuts open the fish, she regains her divine form and returns to heaven. The girl among the twins, noted for a fish-like odor, is given by the king to the fisherman to be raised as his daughter.