Ashokasundari Beholds a Radiant Stranger

Verse 1 (padma.2.112.1)

कुंजल उवाच । तदेव गानं च सुरांगनाभिर्गीतं समाकर्ण्य च गीतकैर्ध्रुवैः । समाकुला चापि बभूव तत्र सा शंभुपुत्री परिचिंतयाना

kuṁjala uvāca tadeva gānaṁ ca surāṁganābhirgītaṁ samākarṇya ca gītakairdhruvaiḥ samākulā cāpi babhūva tatra sā śaṁbhuputrī pariciṁtayānā

Kunjala said: Hearing that very song, sung by the celestial women with its refrains, Shambhu's daughter grew restless, and fell to wondering.

Verse 2 (padma.2.112.2)

आसनात्तूर्णमुत्थाय महोत्साहेन संयुता । तूर्णं गता वरारोहा तपोभावसमन्विता

āsanāttūrṇamutthāya mahotsāhena saṁyutā tūrṇaṁ gatā varārohā tapobhāvasamanvitā

That fine woman, still imbued with the mood of her austerity, rising swiftly from her seat, filled with great eagerness, went there at once.

Verse 3 (padma.2.112.3)

तं दृष्ट्वा देवसंकाशं दिव्यरूपसमप्रभम् । दिव्यगंधानुलिप्तांगं दिव्यमालाभिशोभितम्

taṁ dṛṣṭvā devasaṁkāśaṁ divyarūpasamaprabham divyagaṁdhānuliptāṁgaṁ divyamālābhiśobhitam

She beheld him — godlike, of divine form and divine splendor, his limbs anointed with divine fragrance, adorned with divine garlands —

Verse 4 (padma.2.112.4)

दिव्यैराभरणैर्वस्त्रैः शोभितं नृपनंदनम् । दीप्तिमंतं यथा सूर्यं दिव्यलक्षणसंयुतम्

divyairābharaṇairvastraiḥ śobhitaṁ nṛpanaṁdanam dīptimaṁtaṁ yathā sūryaṁ divyalakṣaṇasaṁyutam

— that prince, adorned with divine ornaments and garments, radiant as the sun, endowed with divine marks.

Verse 5 (padma.2.112.5)

किं वा देवो महाप्राज्ञो गंधर्वो वा भविष्यति । किं वा नागसुतः सोयं किंवा विद्याधरो भवेत्

kiṁ vā devo mahāprājño gaṁdharvo vā bhaviṣyati kiṁ vā nāgasutaḥ soyaṁ kiṁvā vidyādharo bhavet

'Is this some greatly wise god, or a gandharva? Or is he perhaps the son of some naga, or a vidyadhara?'

Verse 6 (padma.2.112.6)

देवेषु नैव पश्यामि कुतो यक्षेषु जायते । अनया लीलया वीरः सहस्राक्षोपि जायते

deveṣu naiva paśyāmi kuto yakṣeṣu jāyate anayā līlayā vīraḥ sahasrākṣopi jāyate

'Among the gods I see none like him — how then could he be born among the yakshas? By such very grace as this, even the thousand-eyed Indra was born.'

Verse 7 (padma.2.112.7)

शंभुरेष भवेत्किंवा किंवा चायं मनोभवः । किंवा पितुः सखा मे स्यात्पौलस्त्योऽयं धनाधिपः

śaṁbhureṣa bhavetkiṁvā kiṁvā cāyaṁ manobhavaḥ kiṁvā pituḥ sakhā me syātpaulastyo'yaṁ dhanādhipaḥ

'Could this be Shambhu himself? Or could this be the god of love? Or my father's friend, Kubera, lord of wealth, son of Pulastya?'

Verse 8 (padma.2.112.8)

एवं समा चिंतयती च यावत्तावत्त्वरं रूपगुणाधिपा सा । समेत्य रंभासु महासखीभिरुवाच तां शंभुसुतां प्रहस्य

evaṁ samā ciṁtayatī ca yāvattāvattvaraṁ rūpaguṇādhipā sā sametya raṁbhāsu mahāsakhībhiruvāca tāṁ śaṁbhusutāṁ prahasya

While that goddess, foremost in beauty and virtue, was pondering thus, at that very moment Rambha and her other close companions approached, and, smiling, spoke to Shambhu's daughter —