King Brihadbala of Dasharna's Journey to the City of the Lord of Anarta

Verse 1 (skanda.6.196.1)

सूत उवाच अथ तां यौवनोपेतां स्वसुतां प्रेक्ष्य पार्थिवः अनौपम्येन रूपेण संयुक्तां वरवर्णिनीम् आनर्तश्चिन्तयामास कन्यकां प्रददाम्यहम्

sūta uvāca atha tāṁ yauvanopetāṁ svasutāṁ prekṣya pārthivaḥ anaupamyena rūpeṇa saṁyuktāṁ varavarṇinīm ānartaścintayāmāsa kanyakāṁ pradadāmyaham

Suta said: Then King Anarta, beholding his own daughter, now come to youth, endowed with matchless beauty, that maiden of excellent hue, thought: 'To whom shall I give this daughter?'

Verse 2 (skanda.6.196.2)

अनर्हाय च यो दद्या द्वराय निजकन्यकाम् कार्यकारणलोभेन नरकं स प्रगच्छति

anarhāya ca yo dadyā dvarāya nijakanyakām kāryakāraṇalobhena narakaṁ sa pragacchati

Whoever, out of greed for some worldly purpose, gives his own daughter to an unworthy bridegroom, goes to hell.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.196.3)

एवं चिंतयतस्तस्य महान्कालो व्यवस्थितः न पश्यति च तद्योग्यं कंचिद्वरमनुत्तमम्

evaṁ ciṁtayatastasya mahānkālo vyavasthitaḥ na paśyati ca tadyogyaṁ kaṁcidvaramanuttamam

As he pondered thus, a great length of time passed, and yet he could see no bridegroom whatsoever worthy and supreme enough for her.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.196.4)

अथ संप्रेषयामास सर्वभूताश्रयेषु ये चित्रकर्मणि विख्यातान्नरांश्चित्रकरांस्तदा

atha saṁpreṣayāmāsa sarvabhūtāśrayeṣu ye citrakarmaṇi vikhyātānnarāṁścitrakarāṁstadā

Then he sent forth, to every region inhabited by living beings, those painters renowned for their skill in the art of painting.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.196.5)

गच्छध्वं मम वाक्येन सर्वान्भूमितले नृपान् लिखित्वा पट्टमध्ये तु दर्शयध्वं ततः परम्

gacchadhvaṁ mama vākyena sarvānbhūmitale nṛpān likhitvā paṭṭamadhye tu darśayadhvaṁ tataḥ param

'Go, at my word, and paint all the kings upon the earth; then show their likenesses to me upon a canvas.'

Verse 6 (skanda.6.196.6)

सुताया मम येनाऽसौ दृष्ट्वाऽभीष्टं नराधिपम् पत्यर्थं वरयेत्साध्वी मम दोषो भवेन्न हि

sutāyā mama yenā'sau dṛṣṭvā'bhīṣṭaṁ narādhipam patyarthaṁ varayetsādhvī mama doṣo bhavenna hi

'So that my virtuous daughter, having seen the king she desires, may choose him as her husband, and no fault shall fall upon me.'

Verse 7 (skanda.6.196.7)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा सर्वे चित्रकरास्तदा प्रस्थिता धरणीपृष्ठे पार्थिवानां गृहेषु च

tasya tadvacanaṁ śrutvā sarve citrakarāstadā prasthitā dharaṇīpṛṣṭhe pārthivānāṁ gṛheṣu ca

Hearing his words, all the painters then set out across the surface of the earth, to the palaces of kings.

Verse 8 (skanda.6.196.8)

ते लिखित्वा महीपालान्यौवनस्थान्वयोऽन्वितान् रूपौदार्यगुणोपेतान्दर्शयामासुरग्रतः रत्नवत्याः क्रमेणैव तस्य भूपस्य शासनात्

te likhitvā mahīpālānyauvanasthānvayo'nvitān rūpaudāryaguṇopetāndarśayāmāsuragrataḥ ratnavatyāḥ krameṇaiva tasya bhūpasya śāsanāt

They painted the kings who were in the prime of youth, of noble lineage, endowed with beauty, generosity, and every virtue, and showed them one after another before Ratnavati, by the command of that king.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.196.9)

अथ तेषां तु सर्वेषां मध्ये राजा वृहद्बलः दशार्णाधिपतिर्भव्यः पत्यर्थं च वृतस्तया

atha teṣāṁ tu sarveṣāṁ madhye rājā vṛhadbalaḥ daśārṇādhipatirbhavyaḥ patyarthaṁ ca vṛtastayā

Then, among all of them, she chose the splendid King Brihadbala, lord of Dasharna, to be her husband.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.196.10)

तदाऽऽनर्ताधिपो हृष्टः प्रेषयामास तं प्रति विवाहार्थं सुविज्ञाय वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह

tadā''nartādhipo hṛṣṭaḥ preṣayāmāsa taṁ prati vivāhārthaṁ suvijñāya vākyametaduvāca ha

Then the lord of Anarta, delighted, having well ascertained this, sent word to him and had this message spoken, for the sake of the marriage.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.196.11)

गच्छध्वं मम वाक्येन दशार्णाधिपतिं प्रति वाच्यः स विनयाद्गत्वा विवाहार्थं ममांतिकम्

gacchadhvaṁ mama vākyena daśārṇādhipatiṁ prati vācyaḥ sa vinayādgatvā vivāhārthaṁ mamāṁtikam

'Go, at my word, to the lord of Dasharna. Go respectfully and tell him this: that he should come to my presence for the marriage.'

Verse 12 (skanda.6.196.12)

समागच्छ निजां कन्यां येन यच्छाम्यहं तव नाम्ना रत्नवतीं ख्यातां त्रैलोक्यस्यापि सुन्दरीम्

samāgaccha nijāṁ kanyāṁ yena yacchāmyahaṁ tava nāmnā ratnavatīṁ khyātāṁ trailokyasyāpi sundarīm

'Come here, so that I may give you my own daughter, known by the name Ratnavati, renowned as the most beautiful woman even in the three worlds.'

Verse 13 (skanda.6.196.13)

गत्वा स सत्वरं तत्र यत्र राजा बृहद्बलः प्रोवाच सकलं वाक्यमानर्ताधिपतेः स्फुटम्

gatvā sa satvaraṁ tatra yatra rājā bṛhadbalaḥ provāca sakalaṁ vākyamānartādhipateḥ sphuṭam

That messenger went swiftly to where King Brihadbala was, and clearly related the entire message of the lord of Anarta.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.196.14)

सोऽपि तत्सहसा श्रुत्वा तेषां वाक्यमनुत्तमम् परमां तुष्टिमासाद्य प्रस्थितस्तत्पुरं प्रति सैन्येन महता युक्तश्चतुरंगेण पार्थिवः

so'pi tatsahasā śrutvā teṣāṁ vākyamanuttamam paramāṁ tuṣṭimāsādya prasthitastatpuraṁ prati sainyena mahatā yuktaścaturaṁgeṇa pārthivaḥ

He too, at once hearing their most excellent words, was filled with supreme delight, and the king set out for that city, accompanied by a great fourfold army.