The Glory of Chyavaneshvara: Chyavana's Youth Restored

Verse 1 (skanda.7.281.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य त्रिदशावश्विनौ प्रिये। कृताभिषेकां विवृतां सुकन्यां तामपश्यताम्

īśvara uvāca| kasyacittvatha kālasya tridaśāvaśvinau priye| kṛtābhiṣekāṁ vivṛtāṁ sukanyāṁ tāmapaśyatām

Ishvara said: Then, at a certain time, O beloved, the two Ashvins, gods, saw that Sukanya, having bathed, unveiled.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.281.2)

तां दृष्ट्वा दर्शनीयांगीं देवराजसुतामिव। ऊचतुः समभिद्रुत्य नासत्यावश्विनावथ

tāṁ dṛṣṭvā darśanīyāṁgīṁ devarājasutāmiva| ūcatuḥ samabhidrutya nāsatyāvaśvināvatha

Seeing her, lovely of limb, as if she were the daughter of the king of gods, the two Nasatyas, the Ashvins, rushed toward her and spoke.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.281.3)

कस्य त्वमसि वामोरु किं वनेऽस्मिंश्चिकीर्षसि। इच्छावस्त्वां च विज्ञातुं तत्त्वमाख्याहि शोभने

kasya tvamasi vāmoru kiṁ vane'smiṁścikīrṣasi| icchāvastvāṁ ca vijñātuṁ tattvamākhyāhi śobhane

'Whose are you, O fair-thighed one? What do you intend to do in this forest? We wish to know the truth about you; tell us, O lovely one.'

Verse 4 (skanda.7.281.4)

ततः सुकन्या संवीता तावुवाच सुरोत्तमौ। शर्यातितनयां वित्तं भार्यां च च्यवनस्य माम्

tataḥ sukanyā saṁvītā tāvuvāca surottamau| śaryātitanayāṁ vittaṁ bhāryāṁ ca cyavanasya mām

Then Sukanya, modestly covering herself, said to those two excellent gods: 'Know me to be the daughter of Sharyati and the wife of Chyavana.'

Verse 5 (skanda.7.281.5)

ततोऽश्विनौ प्रहस्यैनामब्रूतां पुनरेव तु। कथं त्वं च विदित्वा तु पित्रा दत्ताऽऽगता वने

tato'śvinau prahasyaināmabrūtāṁ punareva tu| kathaṁ tvaṁ ca viditvā tu pitrā dattā''gatā vane

Then the two Ashvins, laughing, said to her again: 'How is it that you, though knowingly given in marriage by your father, have come to live in the forest?'

Verse 6 (skanda.7.281.6)

भ्राजसे गगनोद्देशे विद्युत्सौदामनी यथा। न देवेष्वपि तुल्यां हि तव पश्याव भामिनि

bhrājase gaganoddeśe vidyutsaudāmanī yathā| na deveṣvapi tulyāṁ hi tava paśyāva bhāmini

'You shine like a flash of lightning in the expanse of the sky; O radiant one, we see none equal to you, even among the gods.'

Verse 7 (skanda.7.281.7)

सर्वाभरणसंपन्ना परमांबरधारिणी। मामैवमनवद्यांगि त्यजैनमविवेकिनम्

sarvābharaṇasaṁpannā paramāṁbaradhāriṇī| māmaivamanavadyāṁgi tyajainamavivekinam

'Adorned with every ornament, wearing the finest garments — O flawless-limbed one, choose me instead, and abandon this witless man.'

Verse 8 (skanda.7.281.8)

कस्मादेवंविधा भूत्वा जराजर्जरितं भुवि। त्वमुपास्ये हि कल्याणि कामभावबहिष्कृतम्

kasmādevaṁvidhā bhūtvā jarājarjaritaṁ bhuvi| tvamupāsye hi kalyāṇi kāmabhāvabahiṣkṛtam

'Why, being such as you are, should you, O auspicious one, on this earth wait upon a man worn out by old age, one excluded from the realm of desire —

Verse 9 (skanda.7.281.9)

असमर्थं परित्राणे पोषणे वा शुचिस्मिते। सा त्वं च्यवनमुत्सृज्य वरयस्वैकमावयोः

asamarthaṁ paritrāṇe poṣaṇe vā śucismite| sā tvaṁ cyavanamutsṛjya varayasvaikamāvayoḥ

'— incapable even of protecting or supporting you, O sweetly-smiling one? Abandon Chyavana, and choose one of the two of us —

Verse 10 (skanda.7.281.10)

पत्यर्थं देवगर्भाभे मा वृथा यौवनं कृथाः। एवमुक्ता सुकन्या सा सुरौ ताविदमब्रवीत्

patyarthaṁ devagarbhābhe mā vṛthā yauvanaṁ kṛthāḥ| evamuktā sukanyā sā surau tāvidamabravīt

'— as your husband, O you who resemble a child of the gods; do not let your youth go to waste in vain.' Thus addressed, Sukanya said this to those two gods.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.281.11)

रताऽहं च्यवने पत्यौ न चैवं परिशंकतम्। तावब्रूतां पुनश्चैतामावां देवभिषग्वरौ

ratā'haṁ cyavane patyau na caivaṁ pariśaṁkatam| tāvabrūtāṁ punaścaitāmāvāṁ devabhiṣagvarau

'I am devoted to Chyavana as my husband; have no doubt about this at all.' Those two, the foremost physicians of the gods, said to her again:

Verse 12 (skanda.7.281.12)

युवानं रूपसंपन्नं करिष्यावः पतिं तव। ततस्तस्यावयोश्चैव पतिमेकतमं वृणु

yuvānaṁ rūpasaṁpannaṁ kariṣyāvaḥ patiṁ tava| tatastasyāvayoścaiva patimekatamaṁ vṛṇu

'We shall make your husband young and endowed with beauty; then choose as your husband whichever one of the two you wish.'

Verse 13 (skanda.7.281.13)

एतेन समयेनावां शमं नय सुमध्यमे। सा तयोर्वचनाद्देवि उपसंगम्य भार्गवम्। उवाच वाक्यं यत्ताभ्यामुक्तं भृगुसुतं प्रति

etena samayenāvāṁ śamaṁ naya sumadhyame| sā tayorvacanāddevi upasaṁgamya bhārgavam| uvāca vākyaṁ yattābhyāmuktaṁ bhṛgusutaṁ prati

'With this agreement, O slender-waisted one, grant us peace.' On their word, O Goddess, she went to the descendant of Bhrigu and told him what those two had said concerning him, the son of Bhrigu.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.281.14)

तद्वाक्यं च्यवनो भार्यामुवाचाद्रियतामिति। इत्युक्ता च्यवनेनाथ सुकन्या तावुवाच वै

tadvākyaṁ cyavano bhāryāmuvācādriyatāmiti| ityuktā cyavanenātha sukanyā tāvuvāca vai

Chyavana said to his wife that the proposal should be accepted. Thus instructed by Chyavana, Sukanya then said to the two Ashvins,

Verse 15 (skanda.7.281.15)

एवं देवौ भवद्भ्यां यत्प्रोक्तं तत्कियतां लघु। इत्युक्तौ भिषजौ तत्र तया चैव सुकन्यया। ऊचतू राजपुत्रीं तां पतिस्तव विशत्वपः

evaṁ devau bhavadbhyāṁ yatproktaṁ tatkiyatāṁ laghu| ityuktau bhiṣajau tatra tayā caiva sukanyayā| ūcatū rājaputrīṁ tāṁ patistava viśatvapaḥ

'O gods, let what has been proposed by you be done quickly.' Thus addressed by Sukanya, the two physicians said to that princess: 'Let your husband enter the waters.'

Verse 16 (skanda.7.281.16)

ततोऽपश्च्यवनः शीघ्रं रूपार्थी प्रविवेश ह। अश्विनावपि तद्देवि ततः प्राविशतां जलम्

tato'paścyavanaḥ śīghraṁ rūpārthī praviveśa ha| aśvināvapi taddevi tataḥ prāviśatāṁ jalam

Then Chyavana, desiring beauty, quickly entered the water; and then, O Goddess, the two Ashvins also entered that same water.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.281.17)

ततो मुहूर्त्तादुत्तीर्णाः सर्वे ते सरसस्ततः। दिव्यरूपधराः सर्वे युवानो मृष्टकुण्डलाः

tato muhūrttāduttīrṇāḥ sarve te sarasastataḥ| divyarūpadharāḥ sarve yuvāno mṛṣṭakuṇḍalāḥ

Then, after a moment, all three of them emerged from that lake, all bearing divine forms, youthful, with bright earrings,

Verse 18 (skanda.7.281.18)

दिव्यवेषधराश्चैव मनसः प्रीतिवर्द्धनाः। तेऽब्रुवन्सहिताः सर्वे वृणीष्वान्यतमं शुभे

divyaveṣadharāścaiva manasaḥ prītivarddhanāḥ| te'bruvansahitāḥ sarve vṛṇīṣvānyatamaṁ śubhe

clad in divine attire, delighting the mind — all of them together said: 'Choose whichever one of us you wish, O auspicious one.'

Verse 19 (skanda.7.281.19)

अस्माकमीप्सितं भद्रे यतस्त्वं वरवर्णिनी। यत्र वाप्यभि कामासि तं वृणीष्व सुशोभने

asmākamīpsitaṁ bhadre yatastvaṁ varavarṇinī| yatra vāpyabhi kāmāsi taṁ vṛṇīṣva suśobhane

'This is our desire, O gracious one, since you are of excellent beauty; choose whomever you desire, O lovely one.'

Verse 20 (skanda.7.281.20)

सा समीक्ष्य तु तान्सर्वांस्तुल्यरूपधरान्स्थितान्। निश्चित्य मनसा बुद्ध्या देवि वव्रे पतिं स्वकम्

sā samīkṣya tu tānsarvāṁstulyarūpadharānsthitān| niścitya manasā buddhyā devi vavre patiṁ svakam

Looking upon all of them standing there, bearing identical forms, she, O Goddess, resolved with mind and intellect and chose her own husband.

Verse 21 (skanda.7.281.21)

लब्ध्वा तु च्यवनो भार्यां वयोरूपमवस्थितः। हृष्टोऽब्रवीन्महातेजास्तौ नासत्याविदं वचः

labdhvā tu cyavano bhāryāṁ vayorūpamavasthitaḥ| hṛṣṭo'bravīnmahātejāstau nāsatyāvidaṁ vacaḥ

Having regained his wife, and now established in youthful age and beauty, Chyavana, of great splendor, delighted, said this to the two Nasatyas:

Verse 22 (skanda.7.281.22)

यदहं रूपसंपन्नो वयसा च समन्वितः। कृतो भवद्भ्यां वृद्धः सन्भार्यां च प्राप्तवान्निजाम्। तद्ब्रूतं वै विधास्यामि भवतोर्यदभीप्सितम्

yadahaṁ rūpasaṁpanno vayasā ca samanvitaḥ| kṛto bhavadbhyāṁ vṛddhaḥ sanbhāryāṁ ca prāptavānnijām| tadbrūtaṁ vai vidhāsyāmi bhavatoryadabhīpsitam

'Since, though I was aged, I was made by you two endowed with beauty and youth, and I have regained my own wife — tell me, and I shall grant whatever the two of you desire.'

Verse 23 (skanda.7.281.23)

अश्विनावूचतुः। आवां तु देवभिषजौ न च शक्रः करोति नौ। सोमपानार्हतां तस्मात्कुरु नौ सोमपायिनौ

aśvināvūcatuḥ| āvāṁ tu devabhiṣajau na ca śakraḥ karoti nau| somapānārhatāṁ tasmātkuru nau somapāyinau

The Ashvins said: 'We are the physicians of the gods, yet Indra does not grant us the right to drink Soma. Therefore, make us drinkers of Soma.'

Verse 24 (skanda.7.281.24)

च्यवन उवाच। अहं वां यज्ञभागार्हौ करिष्ये सोमपायिनौ

cyavana uvāca| ahaṁ vāṁ yajñabhāgārhau kariṣye somapāyinau

Chyavana said: 'I shall make you two worthy of a share in the sacrifice, drinkers of Soma.'

Verse 25 (skanda.7.281.25)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततस्तौ हृष्टमनसौ नासत्यौ दिवि जग्मतुः। च्यवनोऽपि सुकन्या च सुराविव विजह्रतुः

īśvara uvāca| tatastau hṛṣṭamanasau nāsatyau divi jagmatuḥ| cyavano'pi sukanyā ca surāviva vijahratuḥ

Ishvara said: Then the two Nasatyas, delighted in mind, went to heaven; and Chyavana and Sukanya too sported together, like two gods.