Indumati's Lament

Verse 1 (padma.2.106.1)

कुंजल उवाच । आयुभार्या महाभागा स्वर्भानोस्तनया सुतम् । अपश्यंती सुबालं तं देवोपममनौपमम्

kuṁjala uvāca āyubhāryā mahābhāgā svarbhānostanayā sutam apaśyaṁtī subālaṁ taṁ devopamamanaupamam

Kunjala said: Ayu's wife, the most blessed daughter of Svarbhanu, finding not her fine child, godlike and beyond compare,

Verse 2 (padma.2.106.2)

हाहाकारं महत्कृत्वा रुरोद वरवर्णिनी । केन मे लक्षणोपेतो हृतो बालः सुलक्षणः

hāhākāraṁ mahatkṛtvā ruroda varavarṇinī kena me lakṣaṇopeto hṛto bālaḥ sulakṣaṇaḥ

cried out in a great lament of anguish, that lovely one — 'Who has stolen away my child, so well-marked, so full of virtue?'

Verse 3 (padma.2.106.3)

तपसा दानयज्ञैश्च नियमैर्दुष्करैः सुतः । संप्राप्तो हि मया वत्स कष्टैश्च दारुणैः पुनः

tapasā dānayajñaiśca niyamairduṣkaraiḥ sutaḥ saṁprāpto hi mayā vatsa kaṣṭaiśca dāruṇaiḥ punaḥ

'My child, through austerity, through gifts and sacrifices and hard vows, and by enduring so many severe hardships, I obtained you.'

Verse 4 (padma.2.106.4)

दत्तात्रेयेण पुण्येन संतुष्टेन महात्मना । दत्तः पुत्रो हृतः केन रुरोद करुणान्विता

dattātreyeṇa puṇyena saṁtuṣṭena mahātmanā dattaḥ putro hṛtaḥ kena ruroda karuṇānvitā

'By the holy grace of the great-souled Dattatreya, pleased with me, this son was given to me — who has stolen him away?' Thus, overwhelmed with grief, she wept on.

Verse 5 (padma.2.106.5)

हा पुत्र वत्स मे तात हा बालगुणमंदिर । क्वासि केनापनीतोसि मम शब्दः प्रदीयताम्

hā putra vatsa me tāta hā bālaguṇamaṁdira kvāsi kenāpanītosi mama śabdaḥ pradīyatām

'Alas, my son! Alas, my child! Alas, treasury of childlike virtues! Where are you, who has taken you away? Answer my cry!'

Verse 6 (padma.2.106.6)

सोमवंशस्य सर्वस्य भूषणोसि न संशयः । केन त्वमपनीतोसि मम प्राणैः समन्वितः

somavaṁśasya sarvasya bhūṣaṇosi na saṁśayaḥ kena tvamapanītosi mama prāṇaiḥ samanvitaḥ

'You are the ornament of the entire lunar dynasty, of this there is no doubt. Who has torn you from me, you who are dear to me as my very life?'

Verse 7 (padma.2.106.7)

राजसुलक्षणैर्दिव्यैः संपूर्णः कमलेक्षणः । केनाद्यापहृतो वत्सः किं करोमि क्व याम्यहम्

rājasulakṣaṇairdivyaiḥ saṁpūrṇaḥ kamalekṣaṇaḥ kenādyāpahṛto vatsaḥ kiṁ karomi kva yāmyaham

'My lotus-eyed child, complete with every divine and royal mark — who has stolen him away today? What shall I do now, where shall I go?'

Verse 8 (padma.2.106.8)

स्फुटं जानाम्यहं कर्म ह्यन्यजन्मनि यत्कृतम् । न्यासनाशः कृतः कस्य तस्मात्पुत्रो हृतो मम

sphuṭaṁ jānāmyahaṁ karma hyanyajanmani yatkṛtam nyāsanāśaḥ kṛtaḥ kasya tasmātputro hṛto mama

'I understand clearly that this is the fruit of some deed done in another birth. I must have destroyed someone's trust or deposit, and so my son has been stolen from me.'

Verse 9 (padma.2.106.9)

किं वा छलं कृतं कस्य पूर्वजन्मनि पापया । कर्मणस्तस्य वै दुःखमनुभुंजामि नान्यथा

kiṁ vā chalaṁ kṛtaṁ kasya pūrvajanmani pāpayā karmaṇastasya vai duḥkhamanubhuṁjāmi nānyathā

'Or, sinfully, I must have practiced deceit upon someone in a former birth — it is the sorrow of that very deed that I now suffer, and nothing else.'

Verse 10 (padma.2.106.10)

रत्नापहारिणी जाता पुत्ररत्नं हृतं मम । तस्माद्दैवेन मे दिव्य अनौपम्य गुणाकरः

ratnāpahāriṇī jātā putraratnaṁ hṛtaṁ mama tasmāddaivena me divya anaupamya guṇākaraḥ

'I myself must have become a thief of some jewel in a former birth, and so this jewel of a son has been taken from me — this is what fate itself has dealt to one who was, in truth, an unmatched treasury of virtue.'

Verse 11 (padma.2.106.11)

किं वा वितर्कितो विप्रः कर्मणस्तस्य वै फलम् । प्राप्तं मया न संदेहः पुत्रशोकान्वितं भृशम्

kiṁ vā vitarkito vipraḥ karmaṇastasya vai phalam prāptaṁ mayā na saṁdehaḥ putraśokānvitaṁ bhṛśam

'Or I must have harbored some ill thought against a brahmin — this is the fruit of that very deed that has come upon me, there is no doubt; I am utterly overwhelmed with grief for my son.'

Verse 12 (padma.2.106.12)

किं वा शिशुविरोधश्च कृतो जन्मांतरे मया । तस्य पापस्य भुंजामि कर्मणः फलमीदृशम्

kiṁ vā śiśuvirodhaśca kṛto janmāṁtare mayā tasya pāpasya bhuṁjāmi karmaṇaḥ phalamīdṛśam

'Or in some other birth I must have done harm to some child — it is the fruit of that very sinful deed that I suffer today.'

Verse 13 (padma.2.106.13)

याचमानस्य चैवाग्रे वैश्वदेवस्य कर्मणः । किं वापि नार्पितं चान्नं व्याहृतीभिर्हुतं द्विजैः

yācamānasya caivāgre vaiśvadevasya karmaṇaḥ kiṁ vāpi nārpitaṁ cānnaṁ vyāhṛtībhirhutaṁ dvijaiḥ

'Or perhaps, when some petitioner stood before me in the rite of Vaishvadeva, I failed to offer the food that brahmins pour in oblation with the sacred mantras.'

Verse 14 (padma.2.106.14)

एवं सुदेवमानाच्च स्वर्भानोस्तनया तदा । इंदुमती महाभाग शोकेन करुणाकुला

evaṁ sudevamānācca svarbhānostanayā tadā iṁdumatī mahābhāga śokena karuṇākulā

Thus, beset by every such doubt, that daughter of Svarbhanu, O blessed one, Indumati, overwhelmed with grief and anguish,

Verse 15 (padma.2.106.15)

पतिता मूर्च्छिता शोकाद्विह्वलत्वं गता सती । निःश्वासान्मुंचमाना सा वत्सहीना यथा हि गौः

patitā mūrcchitā śokādvihvalatvaṁ gatā satī niḥśvāsānmuṁcamānā sā vatsahīnā yathā hi gauḥ

fell fainting to the ground, that virtuous woman overcome with grief — sighing deep breaths, like a cow separated from her calf.

Verse 16 (padma.2.106.16)

आयू राजा स शोकेन दुःखेन महतान्वितः । बालं श्रुत्वा हृतं तं तु धैर्यं तत्याज पार्थिवः

āyū rājā sa śokena duḥkhena mahatānvitaḥ bālaṁ śrutvā hṛtaṁ taṁ tu dhairyaṁ tatyāja pārthivaḥ

King Ayu too was overcome with grief and great sorrow. Hearing that his child had been stolen, that king abandoned all patience.

Verse 17 (padma.2.106.17)

तपसश्च फलं नास्ति नास्ति दानस्य वै फलम् । यस्मादेवं हृतः पुत्रस्तस्मान्नास्ति न संशयः

tapasaśca phalaṁ nāsti nāsti dānasya vai phalam yasmādevaṁ hṛtaḥ putrastasmānnāsti na saṁśayaḥ

'There is no fruit in austerity, no fruit in charity either — for my son has been stolen away thus, of this there is no doubt.'

Verse 18 (padma.2.106.18)

दत्तात्रेयः प्रसादेन वरं मे दत्तवान्पुरा । अजेयं च जयोपेतं पुत्रं सर्वगुणान्वितम्

dattātreyaḥ prasādena varaṁ me dattavānpurā ajeyaṁ ca jayopetaṁ putraṁ sarvaguṇānvitam

'Dattatreya, pleased before, granted me this very boon — an unconquerable son, ever victorious, endowed with every virtue.'

Verse 19 (padma.2.106.19)

तस्य वरप्रदानस्य कथं विघ्नो ह्यजायत । इति चिंतापरो राजा दुःखितः प्रारुदद्भृशम्

tasya varapradānasya kathaṁ vighno hyajāyata iti ciṁtāparo rājā duḥkhitaḥ prārudadbhṛśam

'How then did this obstacle arise in that very boon?' Thus, sunk in anxious thought, the grieving king wept most bitterly.