62 - About the Svároch'isha Manvantara.

The young bráhman is succoured by Agni and returns home A Gandharva Kali sees Varúthini disconsolate and in the guise of the brahman gains her love. 

Márkandeya spoke:

1 Now as the young bráhman thus spoke, the Gárhapatya

2 Fire in sooth appeared at hand upon his body; and with it surmonnting him, he stood amid a circle of light, and illumined

3 that place as if he were Agni in bodily form. Now vehement love seized upon the heavenly maiden as she beheld

4 the bráhman, who stood there in so glorious a form. Then the young brábman,* surmounted by that Fire, immediately

*For dija-nandanah read dvija-nandanah. 

5 started to go as before; and he departed in haste while the slender-shaped heavenly maiden gazed after him as far as

6 her eye could reach, her throat quivering with sighs. Then in one moment from that time the bráhman reached his own abode and performed all the rites as he had mentioned.

7       Now she, the beauteous in every limb, remained with soul and mind clinging fast to him, and passed the romainder of the

8 day and also the night in almost ceaseless sighing. And the faultlessly-shaped maiden sighing and crying “Ah! Ah!” continually, reproached herself, “O luckless one that I am!”

9 Though her eyes were fascinating. Neither in sport, nor in food, nor yet on dolightsome forest, nor on the charming

10 glens did she then fix her joy. She turned her desire towards a pair of billing Chakravákas. Forsaken by him the finely-shaped maiden reproached her own youthful woman.

11 hood, “How happened it † that I came to this mountain, forcibly attracted by evil fate? And how happened it that

†Kva

12 he, such a man as that, crossed the range of my eye? If that grand man shall not come to me to-day, verily The intolerable

13 able fire of my love for him will consume me away. The song of the cock-koil which was so delightful, this solf same song when disunited †† from him is burning enough, as it were, to me to-day.”

†† Read in preference hinam for hinam, to agree with mám? 

Márkandeya spoke:

14 Thus she poured forth her words, O brábman, § absorbed in love, and her passion for him grew every moment then. 

§ The text reads, Jagáma muni-sattamam; but these words doom meaningless from the context. Jagáda muni-sattama seem preferable, and I have entered to adopt them in the translation. 

15 Now a Gandharva named Kali was enamoured of her, and

16 had been rejected by her before. He beheld her in that condition. Then he pondered, “Why now is this Varuthini who moves as gracefully as an elephant, faded by the house

17 blast of sighing on this mountain? Has she been wounded by some mani's curse, or has any one treated her with disahonour, since she keeps on bodewing her face copiously with

18 tears” Then Kali through curiosity meditated on that matter full long, and perceived the truth by the power of

19 concentrated Thought. Comprehending that matter of the muni,* Kali pondered again, “I have well accomplished this,

* Or better perhaps, for Muneḥ read Mune, “O Mani.”

20 by reason of fortunate actions done before. Though often entreated by me who love her, she, this very maiden, rejected 21 me; to-day I shall gain her. She is in lovo with a human being; by virtue of that fact she shall all-unsuspectingly bestow her love on me while I assume his shape. Why then do I delay “

Márkandeya spoke:

22 Thereupon ho assumed that brábman's shape by his inherent power, and moved to whero sits Varúthiní disconsolate.

23 Seeing bim, a little wide grew the eyes of the finely-shaped maiden. In hrr slender form she approached him and exclaimed

24 “Be kind!” again and again; “Bereft of thee I shall assuredly abandon my life; thereby Thou wilt incur very sore unrighteousness, and thy sacred ceremonies will

25 come to ruin. Joining with me in this charming glen among the great glens, thou wilt certainly acquire rightcousness

26 by saving me. Life vorily has some remnant † for me, O wise brahman! Surely Thou hast returned for that reason, and bringest gladness to my heart.”

† For savashesham read ch'avashesham? Aya-Shesha may apparently be neuter sometimes. 

                                         Kali spoke:

 27 What am I doing? My ceremonies suffer harm while I linger here. Dost Thou tell me such a tale as this, O slender- 

28 waisted maiden?  Therefore, I am fallen into a strait. Thou must do* what I say, and not otherwise, if there is to be union between me and thee, lady, to-day.

*For karoshi read kurushva?

Varuthini spoke:

29 Be kind! What thou sayest, that I will do for thee without falsehood—I say this without fear—whatever I must do now for thy sake. 

Kali spoke:

30 Thou must not gaze on me while we meet in union in the wood to-day; thou must close thine eyes, O lady with beautiful brows, the while thou dost unite with me. 

Varuthini spoke:

31 So be it as 't is good to thee! As thou wishest, so let it be! Truly I must remain submissive to thee now in every way.