The Origin of the Barren Land

Verse 1 (skanda.6.112.1)

सूत उवाच। ततः कतिपयाहस्य गते तस्मिन्महीपतौ। स्वगृहं प्रति दुःखार्ते परिवारसमन्विते

sūta uvāca tataḥ katipayāhasya gate tasminmahīpatau svagṛhaṁ prati duḥkhārte parivārasamanvite

Suta said: Then, after some days had passed, when that grief-stricken king, with his retinue, had gone back toward his own home...

Verse 2 (skanda.6.112.2)

पद्भ्यामेव समायाता ह्यष्टषष्टिर्द्विजोत्तमाः। परिश्रांताः कृशांगाश्च धूलिधूसरिताननाः

padbhyāmeva samāyātā hyaṣṭaṣaṣṭirdvijottamāḥ pariśrāṁtāḥ kṛśāṁgāśca dhūlidhūsaritānanāḥ

...the sixty-eight best of the twice-born arrived there on foot alone, exhausted, their bodies wasted, their faces gray with dust.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.112.3)

यावत्पश्यंति दाराः स्वा दिव्याभरणभूषिताः। दिव्यवस्त्रैः सुसंवीता राजपत्न्य इवापराः

yāvatpaśyaṁti dārāḥ svā divyābharaṇabhūṣitāḥ divyavastraiḥ susaṁvītā rājapatnya ivāparāḥ

As soon as they saw their own wives adorned with divine ornaments and well arrayed in divine garments, like so many other queens...

Verse 4 (skanda.6.112.4)

ततश्च विस्मयाविष्टाः पप्रच्छुस्ते क्षुधान्विताः। किमिदं किमिदं पापाः विरुद्धं विहितं वपुः

tataśca vismayāviṣṭāḥ papracchuste kṣudhānvitāḥ kimidaṁ kimidaṁ pāpāḥ viruddhaṁ vihitaṁ vapuḥ

...then, filled with astonishment and afflicted with hunger, they asked: "What is this, what is this, you sinful women? What contrary transformation has been wrought upon your bodies?"

Verse 5 (skanda.6.112.5)

कथं प्राप्तानि वस्त्राणि भूषणानि वराणि च। नूनमस्मद्गतेर्भ्रंशः खे जातो नाऽन्यथा भवेत्

kathaṁ prāptāni vastrāṇi bhūṣaṇāni varāṇi ca nūnamasmadgaterbhraṁśaḥ khe jāto nā'nyathā bhavet

"How have you obtained these garments and excellent ornaments? Surely it is on account of this that our power of moving through the sky has been lost — it could not be otherwise."

Verse 6 (skanda.6.112.6)

विकारमेनं संत्यक्त्वा युष्मदीयं सुगर्हिताः। अथ ताः सर्ववृत्तांतमूचुस्तापसयोषितः

vikāramenaṁ saṁtyaktvā yuṣmadīyaṁ sugarhitāḥ atha tāḥ sarvavṛttāṁtamūcustāpasayoṣitaḥ

"Abandon, O reproachable ones, this changed state of yours." Then those ascetic women told the whole account.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.112.7)

यथा राज्ञी समायाता दमयन्ती नृपप्रिया। भूषणानि च दत्तानि तया चैव यथा द्विजाः

yathā rājñī samāyātā damayantī nṛpapriyā bhūṣaṇāni ca dattāni tayā caiva yathā dvijāḥ

O brahmins, they related how the queen Damayanti, the king's beloved, had come there, and how it was she who had given these ornaments.

Verse 8 (skanda.6.112.8)

यथा शापश्च सञ्जातो ब्राह्मणानां महात्मनाम्। अथ ते मुनयः क्रुद्धास्तच्छ्रुत्वा गर्हितं वचः। राजप्रतिग्रहो निंद्यस्तापसानां विशेषतः

yathā śāpaśca sañjāto brāhmaṇānāṁ mahātmanām atha te munayaḥ kruddhāstacchrutvā garhitaṁ vacaḥ rājapratigraho niṁdyastāpasānāṁ viśeṣataḥ

And how the curse had arisen from those great-souled brahmins. Hearing this reproachable account, the sages grew angry — for acceptance of a king's gift is especially blameworthy for ascetics.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.112.9)

ततो भूपस्य राष्ट्रस्य नाशार्थं जगृहुर्जलम्। क्रोधेन महताविष्टा वेपमाना निरर्गलम्

tato bhūpasya rāṣṭrasya nāśārthaṁ jagṛhurjalam krodhena mahatāviṣṭā vepamānā nirargalam

Then, seized with great wrath and trembling uncontrollably, they took up water in their hands for the destruction of the king's realm.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.112.10)

अनेन पाप्मनाऽस्माकं कुभूपेन प्रणाशिता। खे गतिर्लोभयित्वा तु पत्न्योऽस्माकमकृत्रिमाः। सरलास्तद्गणाः सर्वे येनेदृग्व्यसनं स्थितम्

anena pāpmanā'smākaṁ kubhūpena praṇāśitā khe gatirlobhayitvā tu patnyo'smākamakṛtrimāḥ saralāstadgaṇāḥ sarve yenedṛgvyasanaṁ sthitam

"By this sinful, wicked king our power of going through the sky has been destroyed, having tempted our simple, guileless wives and all their company — and so this calamity has befallen us."

Verse 11 (skanda.6.112.11)

सूत उवाच। एवं ते मुनयो यावच्छापं तस्य महीपतेः। प्रयच्छंति च तास्तावदूचुर्भार्या रुषान्विताः

sūta uvāca evaṁ te munayo yāvacchāpaṁ tasya mahīpateḥ prayacchaṁti ca tāstāvadūcurbhāryā ruṣānvitāḥ

Suta said: Thus, just as those sages were about to pronounce a curse on that king, their wives, filled with indignation, spoke to them.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.112.12)

न देयो भूपतेस्तस्य शापो ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः। अस्मदीयं वचस्तावच्छ्रोतव्यमविशंकितैः

na deyo bhūpatestasya śāpo brāhmaṇasattamāḥ asmadīyaṁ vacastāvacchrotavyamaviśaṁkitaiḥ

"O best of brahmins, no curse should be given to that king; first, without any doubt, hear what we have to say."

Verse 13 (skanda.6.112.13)

वयं सर्वा नरेन्द्रस्य भार्यया समलंकृताः। सुवस्त्रैर्भूषणैर्दिव्यैः श्रद्धापूतेन चेतसा

vayaṁ sarvā narendrasya bhāryayā samalaṁkṛtāḥ suvastrairbhūṣaṇairdivyaiḥ śraddhāpūtena cetasā

"All of us were adorned by the king's wife, with fine garments and divine ornaments, her heart purified by faith."

Verse 14 (skanda.6.112.14)

वयं दरिद्रदोषेण सदा युष्मद्गृहे स्थिताः। कर्शिता न च संप्राप्तं सुखं मर्त्यसमुद्भवम्

vayaṁ daridradoṣeṇa sadā yuṣmadgṛhe sthitāḥ karśitā na ca saṁprāptaṁ sukhaṁ martyasamudbhavam

"By the fault of poverty we have always lived wasted away in your house, and we have never obtained the happiness that belongs to mortal life."

Verse 15 (skanda.6.112.15)

एतेषां परलोकोऽत्र विद्यते ये तपोरताः। न च मर्त्यफलं किंचिदपि स्वल्पतरं भवेत्

eteṣāṁ paraloko'tra vidyate ye taporatāḥ na ca martyaphalaṁ kiṁcidapi svalpataraṁ bhavet

"For those devoted to austerity, only the world beyond exists here; not even the smallest fruit of mortal life is theirs."

Verse 16 (skanda.6.112.16)

अन्येषां विषयस्थानामिह लोकः प्रकीर्तितः। भोगप्रसक्तचित्तानां नीचानां सुदुरात्मनाम्

anyeṣāṁ viṣayasthānāmiha lokaḥ prakīrtitaḥ bhogaprasaktacittānāṁ nīcānāṁ sudurātmanām

"For others engrossed in sense-objects, whose minds are attached to enjoyment — the base and the utterly wicked — only this world is declared to be theirs."

Verse 17 (skanda.6.112.17)

गृहस्थाश्रमिणां चैव स्वधर्मरतचेतसाम्। इह लोकः परश्चैव जायते नाऽत्र संशयः

gṛhasthāśramiṇāṁ caiva svadharmaratacetasām iha lokaḥ paraścaiva jāyate nā'tra saṁśayaḥ

"But for those in the householder's stage, whose minds are devoted to their own dharma, both this world and the next arise — of this there is no doubt."

Verse 18 (skanda.6.112.18)

ता वयं नात्र सन्देहो गृहस्थाश्रममुत्तमम्। संसेव्य साधयिष्यामो लोकद्वयमनुत्तमम्

tā vayaṁ nātra sandeho gṛhasthāśramamuttamam saṁsevya sādhayiṣyāmo lokadvayamanuttamam

"Therefore, without any doubt, we too shall attain both unsurpassed worlds by devotedly practicing the excellent householder's stage of life."

Verse 19 (skanda.6.112.19)

तस्माद्गृहाणि रम्याणि प्रवदंति समाहिताः। भूपालाद्भूमिमादाय वृत्तिं चैवाभिवांछिताम्

tasmādgṛhāṇi ramyāṇi pravadaṁti samāhitāḥ bhūpālādbhūmimādāya vṛttiṁ caivābhivāṁchitām

"Therefore, with focused minds, they counsel: take delightful homes, receiving land from the king, and a livelihood as desired."

Verse 20 (skanda.6.112.20)

ततश्चैवाथ वीक्षध्वं पुत्रपौत्रसमुद्भवम्। सौख्यं चापि कुमारीणां बांधवानां विशेषतः

tataścaivātha vīkṣadhvaṁ putrapautrasamudbhavam saukhyaṁ cāpi kumārīṇāṁ bāṁdhavānāṁ viśeṣataḥ

"And then behold the birth of sons and grandsons, and also the happiness of daughters, and of kinsmen especially."

Verse 21 (skanda.6.112.21)

न करिष्यथ चेद्वाक्यमेतदस्मदुदीरितम्। सर्वाः प्राणपरित्यागं करिष्यामो न संशयः

na kariṣyatha cedvākyametadasmadudīritam sarvāḥ prāṇaparityāgaṁ kariṣyāmo na saṁśayaḥ

"If you do not act upon this word we have spoken, we shall all, without doubt, give up our lives."

Verse 22 (skanda.6.112.22)

यूयं स्त्रीवधपापेन युक्ताः सन्तस्ततः परम्। नरकं रौरवं दुर्गं गमिष्यथ सुनिश्चितम्

yūyaṁ strīvadhapāpena yuktāḥ santastataḥ param narakaṁ rauravaṁ durgaṁ gamiṣyatha suniścitam

"And then, burdened with the sin of killing women, you will most certainly go to the dreadful hell of Raurava."

Verse 23 (skanda.6.112.23)

एवं ते मुनयः श्रुत्वा तासां वाक्यानि तानि वै। भूपृष्ठे तत्यजुस्तोयं शापार्थं यत्करैर्धृतम्

evaṁ te munayaḥ śrutvā tāsāṁ vākyāni tāni vai bhūpṛṣṭhe tatyajustoyaṁ śāpārthaṁ yatkarairdhṛtam

Thus, having heard those words of theirs, the sages released onto the surface of the earth the water they had held in their hands for the sake of the curse.

Verse 24 (skanda.6.112.24)

ततस्तत्तोयनिर्दग्धं तद्विभागं क्षितेस्तदा। ऊषरत्वमनुप्राप्तमद्यापि द्विजसत्तमाः

tatastattoyanirdagdhaṁ tadvibhāgaṁ kṣitestadā ūṣaratvamanuprāptamadyāpi dvijasattamāḥ

Then that portion of the earth, scorched by that water, attained the state of barren, saline soil — and it remains so, O best of brahmins, to this very day.

Verse 25 (skanda.6.112.25)

आस्तामन्नादिकं तत्र यदुत्पन्नं न प्ररोहति। न जन्म चाप्नुयाद्भूयः पक्षी वा कीट एव वा

āstāmannādikaṁ tatra yadutpannaṁ na prarohati na janma cāpnuyādbhūyaḥ pakṣī vā kīṭa eva vā

There, grain and the like are out of the question — whatever sprouts does not grow further; nor does a bird or even an insect take birth there again.

Verse 26 (skanda.6.112.26)

तृणं वाथ मृगस्तत्र किं पुनर्भक्तिमान्नरः। यस्तत्र कुरुते श्राद्धं श्रद्धया फाल्गुने नरः

tṛṇaṁ vātha mṛgastatra kiṁ punarbhaktimānnaraḥ yastatra kurute śrāddhaṁ śraddhayā phālgune naraḥ

There, not even grass or an animal survives — how much less a devoted man! Yet the man who, with faith, performs the shraddha rite there in the month of Phalguna...

Verse 27 (skanda.6.112.27)

पौर्णमास्यां रवैर्वारे स पितॄनुद्धरेन्निजान्। अपि स्वकर्मणा प्राप्तान्नरके दारुणाकृतौ

paurṇamāsyāṁ ravairvāre sa pitṝnuddharennijān api svakarmaṇā prāptānnarake dāruṇākṛtau

...on the full-moon day that falls on a Sunday, he delivers his own ancestors — even those who, by their own deeds, have fallen into a hell of dreadful form.