Pushpa's Confession and His Resolve to Seek Purification at Hatakeshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.6.160.1)

सूत उवाच। अन्यस्मिन्नहनि प्राप्ते रहस्युक्तः स भार्यया ॥ रात्रौ प्रसुप्तः पार्श्वे च पादौ संस्पृश्य तत्क्षणात्

sūta uvāca anyasminnahani prāpte rahasyuktaḥ sa bhāryayā rātrau prasuptaḥ pārśve ca pādau saṁspṛśya tatkṣaṇāt

Suta said: When another day had come, spoken to in private by his wife, as he lay asleep at night, she at once touched both his feet beside him and spoke —

Verse 2 (skanda.6.160.2)

त्वं तावन्मम भर्त्तासि यावज्जीवमसंशयम् ॥ तद्वदस्व विभोऽस्माकं त्वदर्थं स मयोज्झितः

tvaṁ tāvanmama bharttāsi yāvajjīvamasaṁśayam tadvadasva vibho'smākaṁ tvadarthaṁ sa mayojjhitaḥ

"You are without doubt my husband only so long as you live; therefore, O lord, tell us this — for your sake he was cast aside by me; what is this?

Verse 3 (skanda.6.160.3)

इन्द्रजालमिदं किं ते किं वा मंत्रप्रसाधनम् ॥ देवानां वा प्रसादोऽयं यत्त्वं चैतादृशः स्थितः

indrajālamidaṁ kiṁ te kiṁ vā maṁtraprasādhanam devānāṁ vā prasādo'yaṁ yattvaṁ caitādṛśaḥ sthitaḥ

Is this some magic trick of yours, or some mantra-siddhi? Or is it the grace of the gods, that you should stand in such a state?

Verse 4 (skanda.6.160.4)

मया त्वं हि तदा ज्ञातः प्रथमेऽपि दिने स्थिते ॥ यदा संभूषिता वस्त्रैस्तथा वस्तुविभूषणैः

mayā tvaṁ hi tadā jñātaḥ prathame'pi dine sthite yadā saṁbhūṣitā vastraistathā vastuvibhūṣaṇaiḥ

I recognized you that very first day, when you were adorned in this way with garments and other ornaments.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.160.5)

यद्यहं तव वार्तां च सर्वां कपटसंभवाम् ॥ कथयामि द्वितीयस्य तत्ते पादौ स्पृशाम्यहम्

yadyahaṁ tava vārtāṁ ca sarvāṁ kapaṭasaṁbhavām kathayāmi dvitīyasya tatte pādau spṛśāmyaham

If I were to tell that other man this whole deceit-filled affair of yours, then — I swear it, touching your very feet."

Verse 6 (skanda.6.160.6)

सूत उवाच। एवमुक्तो विहस्योच्चैः स तदा ब्राह्मणोत्तमाः ॥ तामालिंग्य ततः प्राह वचनं मधुराक्षरम्

sūta uvāca evamukto vihasyoccaiḥ sa tadā brāhmaṇottamāḥ tāmāliṁgya tataḥ prāha vacanaṁ madhurākṣaram

Suta said: Thus addressed, that foremost of brahmins burst into loud laughter, then, embracing her, spoke these words in a sweet voice —

Verse 7 (skanda.6.160.7)

साधु प्रिये त्वया ज्ञातं सर्वं मम विचेष्टितम् ॥ अहं स विप्रः सुभगे मणिभद्रेण यः पुरा

sādhu priye tvayā jñātaṁ sarvaṁ mama viceṣṭitam ahaṁ sa vipraḥ subhage maṇibhadreṇa yaḥ purā

"Well done, O beloved, you have well understood my whole doing; O fair one, I am that same brahmin who was earlier, by Manibhadra —

Verse 8 (skanda.6.160.8)

विडंबितो मुखं पश्यंस्त्वदीयं चंद्रसन्निभम् ॥ चमत्कारपुरं गत्वा मया चाराधितो रविः ॥ तेन तुष्टेन मे दत्तं तद्रूपं ज्ञानमेव च

viḍaṁbito mukhaṁ paśyaṁstvadīyaṁ caṁdrasannibham camatkārapuraṁ gatvā mayā cārādhito raviḥ tena tuṣṭena me dattaṁ tadrūpaṁ jñānameva ca

— while gazing upon your very moon-like face, humiliated. Going to Chamatkarapura, I worshipped the Sun, and that satisfied Sun granted me both his form and that knowledge."

Verse 9 (skanda.6.160.9)

माहिकोवाच। त्वदीयदर्शनेनाहं कामदेववशं गता

māhikovāca tvadīyadarśanenāhaṁ kāmadevavaśaṁ gatā

Mahika said: By the very sight of you I have fallen under the sway of the god of love.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.160.10)

तस्मादाराधयिष्यामि तं गत्वा दिननायकम् ॥ येन ते तादृशं भूयः प्रतुष्टो विदधाति सः

tasmādārādhayiṣyāmi taṁ gatvā dinanāyakam yena te tādṛśaṁ bhūyaḥ pratuṣṭo vidadhāti saḥ

Therefore I too shall go and worship that lord of the day (the Sun), so that, pleased, he may again grant you that very same form.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.160.11)

किं मे चैतेन रूपेण तारुण्येनापि च प्रभो ॥ यत्ते तथाविधं रूपं संभजामि दिवानिशम्

kiṁ me caitena rūpeṇa tāruṇyenāpi ca prabho yatte tathāvidhaṁ rūpaṁ saṁbhajāmi divāniśam

O lord, what use is this form and youth to me, when it is that very form of yours that I long to serve day and night?

Verse 12 (skanda.6.160.12)

सूत उवाच। तच्छ्रुत्वा गुटिकां पुष्प समादाय मुखान्ततः ॥ दधार तादृशं रूपं यादृग्दृष्टं पुरा तया

sūta uvāca tacchrutvā guṭikāṁ puṣpa samādāya mukhāntataḥ dadhāra tādṛśaṁ rūpaṁ yādṛgdṛṣṭaṁ purā tayā

Suta said: Hearing this, Pushpa took up that pill and placed it upon his face, and assumed that very form which she had seen before.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.160.13)

ततः सा हर्षिता माही पुलकेन समन्विता ॥ तमालिंग्याभजद्गाढं वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह

tataḥ sā harṣitā māhī pulakena samanvitā tamāliṁgyābhajadgāḍhaṁ vākyametaduvāca ha

Then, rejoicing, her hair standing on end with delight, that Mahi (Mahika) embraced him tightly, and spoke these words —

Verse 14 (skanda.6.160.14)

अद्य मे सफलं जन्म यौवनं रूपमेव च ॥ यत्त्वं हृद्वांछितः कांतः प्रलब्धो मदनोपमः

adya me saphalaṁ janma yauvanaṁ rūpameva ca yattvaṁ hṛdvāṁchitaḥ kāṁtaḥ pralabdho madanopamaḥ

"Today my birth, my youth, and my beauty — all have found their fulfillment, in that I have won a beloved dear to my heart, equal to the god of love himself.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.160.15)

एतावंति दिनान्येव न मया कामजं सुखम् ॥ अपि स्वल्पतरं लब्धं कथंचिद्वृद्धसेवया

etāvaṁti dinānyeva na mayā kāmajaṁ sukham api svalpataraṁ labdhaṁ kathaṁcidvṛddhasevayā

For so many days I never had this joy of desire; not even the least of it, however hard I tried, did I gain in the service of an old man.

Verse 16 (skanda.6.160.16)

भजस्व स्वेच्छया विप्र दासी तेऽहं व्यवस्थिता

bhajasva svecchayā vipra dāsī te'haṁ vyavasthitā

O brahmin, accept me as you wish — I stand here as your servant."

Verse 17 (skanda.6.160.17)

पुष्प उवाच। प्रविशामि किमंगेषु भवन्तीं किं मिलाम्यहम् ॥ प्रिये चिरेण लब्धासि न जाने कर वाणि किम्

puṣpa uvāca praviśāmi kimaṁgeṣu bhavantīṁ kiṁ milāmyaham priye cireṇa labdhāsi na jāne kara vāṇi kim

Pushpa said: "Shall I enter into your limbs, or merge with you? O beloved, after so long I have found you — I know not what to do."

Verse 18 (skanda.6.160.18)

एवमुक्त्वा ततस्तौ च मैथुनाय कृतक्षणौ ॥ प्रवृत्तौ ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठाः कामदेववशंगतौ

evamuktvā tatastau ca maithunāya kṛtakṣaṇau pravṛttau brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ kāmadevavaśaṁgatau

So saying, the two of them made ready for union; O best of brahmins, overcome by the god of love, both gave themselves to it.

Verse 19 (skanda.6.160.19)

अथ रात्र्यां व्यतीतायामुदिते सूर्यमण्डले ॥ वक्त्रे तां गुटिकां कृत्वा स पुष्पस्तादृशोऽभवत्

atha rātryāṁ vyatītāyāmudite sūryamaṇḍale vaktre tāṁ guṭikāṁ kṛtvā sa puṣpastādṛśo'bhavat

Then, when the night had passed and the sun's orb had risen, placing that pill upon his face, Pushpa again became as before, in Manibhadra's form.

Verse 20 (skanda.6.160.20)

एवं तस्य स्थितस्यात्र महान्कालो व्यजायत ॥ पुत्राः पौत्रास्तथा जाताः कन्यकाश्च तथैव च

evaṁ tasya sthitasyātra mahānkālo vyajāyata putrāḥ pautrāstathā jātāḥ kanyakāśca tathaiva ca

In this way a very long span of time passed for him, established there; sons, grandsons, and daughters too were likewise born to him.

Verse 21 (skanda.6.160.21)

स वृद्धत्वं यदा प्राप्तो जराविप्लवतां गतः ॥ तदा स चिन्तयामास मया पापं महत्कृतम्

sa vṛddhatvaṁ yadā prāpto jarāviplavatāṁ gataḥ tadā sa cintayāmāsa mayā pāpaṁ mahatkṛtam

When he attained old age, and began advancing toward the ruin of decrepitude, he then thought within himself: "I have committed a great sin —

Verse 22 (skanda.6.160.22)

मणिभद्रो वराकोऽसौ मिथ्याचारेण घातितः ॥ तस्य भार्या हृता चैव प्रसूतिं च नियोजिता

maṇibhadro varāko'sau mithyācāreṇa ghātitaḥ tasya bhāryā hṛtā caiva prasūtiṁ ca niyojitā

I caused that poor Manibhadra to be put to death through false conduct, and I also took away his wife, and even engaged her in bearing my children.

Verse 23 (skanda.6.160.23)

हाटकेश्वरजं क्षेत्रं तस्माद्गत्वा करोम्य हम् ॥ पुरश्चरणसंज्ञं च येन शुद्धिः प्रजायते

hāṭakeśvarajaṁ kṣetraṁ tasmādgatvā karomya ham puraścaraṇasaṁjñaṁ ca yena śuddhiḥ prajāyate

Therefore, going there to the field of Hatakeshvara, I shall perform that rite called purashcharana, by which purification is attained."

Verse 24 (skanda.6.160.24)

एवं स निश्चयं कृत्वा पुष्पश्चित्ते निजे तदा ॥ असंख्यं वित्तमादाय चमत्कारपुरंगतः

evaṁ sa niścayaṁ kṛtvā puṣpaścitte nije tadā asaṁkhyaṁ vittamādāya camatkārapuraṁgataḥ

Having thus resolved in his mind, Pushpa at that very time took with him abundant wealth and set out toward Chamatkarapura.

Verse 25 (skanda.6.160.25)

पुत्रेभ्योऽपि यथासंख्यं दत्त्वा चैव पृथक्पृथक् ॥ प्रासादं कारयामास तस्य सूर्यस्य शोभनम्

putrebhyo'pi yathāsaṁkhyaṁ dattvā caiva pṛthakpṛthak prāsādaṁ kārayāmāsa tasya sūryasya śobhanam

Giving to his sons too, each according to his due, separate portions of wealth, he had built a beautiful temple to that Sun —

Verse 26 (skanda.6.160.26)

यस्मिन्सिद्धिं गतः सोऽत्र याज्ञवल्क्यप्रतिष्ठिते ॥ ततो मध्यममाहूय प्रणिपत्याभिवाद्य च ॥ सोऽब्रवीद्ब्राह्मणानां मे चातुश्चरणमानय

yasminsiddhiṁ gataḥ so'tra yājñavalkyapratiṣṭhite tato madhyamamāhūya praṇipatyābhivādya ca so'bravīdbrāhmaṇānāṁ me cātuścaraṇamānaya

— established by Yajnavalkya, where he himself had attained siddhi. Then, summoning his middle son, bowing before him in obeisance, he said: "Bring for me brahmins versed in all four Vedas,

Verse 27 (skanda.6.160.27)

येनाहमग्रतो भूत्वा प्रायश्चित्तं विशुद्धये ॥ पुरश्चरणसंज्ञं तु प्रार्थयामि यथाविधि

yenāhamagrato bhūtvā prāyaścittaṁ viśuddhaye puraścaraṇasaṁjñaṁ tu prārthayāmi yathāvidhi

— so that, standing at their head, I may duly perform that expiation for purification which is called purashcharana."