Danda's Crime Against Araja

Shloka 1 (uttara.80.1)

एतदाख्याय रामाय महर्षिः कुम्भसम्भवः । अस्यामेवापरं वाक्यं कथायामुपचक्रमे ।। ७.८०.१ ।।

etadākhyāya rāmāya maharṣiḥ kumbhasambhavaḥ | asyāmevāparaṃ vākyaṃ kathāyāmupacakrame || 7.80.1 ||

Having told this to Rama, the great sage born of the water-pot began the next part of this same story.

Shloka 2 (uttara.80.2)

ततः स दण्डः काकुत्स्थ बहुवर्षगणायुतम् । अकरोत्तत्र दान्तात्मा राज्यं निहतकण्टकम् ।। ७.८०.२ ।।

tataḥ sa daṇḍaḥ kākutstha bahuvarṣagaṇāyutam | akarottatra dāntātmā rājyaṃ nihatakaṇṭakam || 7.80.2 ||

"Then, Kakutstha, that self-controlled Danda ruled there, for many thousands of years, a kingdom free of thorns."

Shloka 3 (uttara.80.3)

अथ काले तु कस्मिंश्चिद्राजा भार्गवमाश्रमम् । रमणीयमुपाक्रामच्चैत्रे मासि मनोरमे ।। ७.८०.३ ।।

atha kāle tu kasmiṃścidrājā bhārgavamāśramam | ramaṇīyamupākrāmaccaitre māsi manorame || 7.80.3 ||

"Then, at a certain time, in the pleasant month of Chaitra, the king approached Bhargava's delightful hermitage."

Shloka 4 (uttara.80.4)

तत्र भार्गवकन्यां स रूपेणाप्रतिमां भुवि । विचरन्तीं वनोद्देशे दण्डो ऽपश्यदनुत्तमाम् ।। ७.८०.४ ।।

tatra bhārgavakanyāṃ sa rūpeṇāpratimāṃ bhuvi | vicarantīṃ vanoddeśe daṇḍo 'paśyadanuttamām || 7.80.4 ||

"There Danda saw Bhargava's daughter — unmatched in beauty on earth, supremely lovely — wandering in a part of the forest."

Shloka 5 (uttara.80.5)

स दृष्ट्वा तां सुदुर्मेधा अनङ्गशरपीडितः । अभिगम्य सुसंविग्नां कन्यां वचनमब्रवीत् ।। ७.८०.५ ।।

sa dṛṣṭvā tāṃ sudurmedhā anaṅgaśarapīḍitaḥ | abhigamya susaṃvignāṃ kanyāṃ vacanamabravīt || 7.80.5 ||

Seeing her, that dull-witted king, pierced by the arrows of the bodiless god of desire, approached the deeply startled maiden and spoke this word:

Shloka 6 (uttara.80.6)

कुतस्त्वमसि सुश्रोणि कस्य वा ऽसि सुता शुभे । पीडितो ऽहमनङ्गेन गच्छामि त्वां शुभानने ।। ७.८०.६ ।।

kutastvamasi suśroṇi kasya vā 'si sutā śubhe | pīḍito 'hamanaṅgena gacchāmi tvāṃ śubhānane || 7.80.6 ||

"Whence are you, fair one? Whose daughter are you, auspicious one? Afflicted by the god of desire, I come to you, fair-faced one."

Shloka 7 (uttara.80.7)

तस्य त्वेवं ब्रुवाणस्य मोहोन्मत्तस्य कामिनः । भार्गवी प्रत्युवाचेदं वचः सानुनयं नृपम् ।। ७.८०.७ ।।

tasya tvevaṃ bruvāṇasya mohonmattasya kāminaḥ | bhārgavī pratyuvācedaṃ vacaḥ sānunayaṃ nṛpam || 7.80.7 ||

To him, speaking thus, deluded and maddened with desire, Bhargava's daughter replied to the king with these conciliatory words:

Shloka 8 (uttara.80.8)

भार्गवस्य सुतां विद्धि देवस्याक्लिष्टकर्मणः । अरजां नाम राजेन्द्र ज्येष्ठामाश्रमवासिनीम् ।। ७.८०.८ ।।

bhārgavasya sutāṃ viddhi devasyākliṣṭakarmaṇaḥ | arajāṃ nāma rājendra jyeṣṭhāmāśramavāsinīm || 7.80.8 ||

"Know me, lord of kings, to be the daughter of the radiant Bhargava, whose deeds are ever unwearied — named Araja, his eldest, dwelling in this hermitage."

Shloka 9 (uttara.80.9)

मा मां स्पृश बलाद्राजन्कन्या पितृवशा ह्यहम् । गुरुः पिता मे राजेन्द्र त्वं च शिष्यो महात्मनः । व्यसनं सुमहत्क्रुद्धः स ते दद्यान्महातपाः ।। ७.८०.९ ।।

mā māṃ spṛśa balādrājankanyā pitṛvaśā hyaham | guruḥ pitā me rājendra tvaṃ ca śiṣyo mahātmanaḥ | vyasanaṃ sumahatkruddhaḥ sa te dadyānmahātapāḥ || 7.80.9 ||

"Do not touch me by force, O king; I am a maiden under my father's authority. My father is your teacher, lord of kings, and you are the disciple of that great soul; should he grow angry, that great ascetic could bring a most terrible calamity upon you."

Shloka 10 (uttara.80.10)

यदि वान्यन्मया कार्यं धर्मदृष्टेन सत्पथा । वरयस्व नरश्रेष्ठ पितरं मे महाद्युतिम् ।। ७.८०.१० ।।

yadi vānyanmayā kāryaṃ dharmadṛṣṭena satpathā | varayasva naraśreṣṭha pitaraṃ me mahādyutim || 7.80.10 ||

"But if you would have anything else of me, then, best of men, by the righteous and proper path, ask my radiant father for my hand."

Shloka 11 (uttara.80.11)

अन्यथा तु फलं तुभ्यं भवेद्घोराभिसंहितम् । क्रोधेन हि पिता मे ऽसौ त्रैलोक्यमपि निर्दहेत् ।। ७.८०.११ ।।

anyathā tu phalaṃ tubhyaṃ bhavedghorābhisaṃhitam | krodhena hi pitā me 'sau trailokyamapi nirdahet || 7.80.11 ||

"Otherwise the consequence for you would be dreadful indeed; for my father, in wrath, could burn even the three worlds to ash."

Shloka 12 (uttara.80.12)

दास्यते चानवद्याङ्ग तव मा याचितः पिता ।। ७.८०.१२ ।।

dāsyate cānavadyāṅga tava mā yācitaḥ pitā || 7.80.12 ||

"And, flawless one, my father, if entreated by you, will surely give me to you in marriage."

Shloka 13 (uttara.80.13)

एवं ब्रुवाणामरजां दण्डः कामवशं गतः । प्रत्युवाच मदोन्मत्तः शिरस्याधाय चाञ्जलिम् ।। ७.८०.१३ ।।

evaṃ bruvāṇāmarajāṃ daṇḍaḥ kāmavaśaṃ gataḥ | pratyuvāca madonmattaḥ śirasyādhāya cāñjalim || 7.80.13 ||

To Araja speaking thus, Danda, overcome by desire and maddened with passion, replied, raising his joined palms to his head:

Shloka 14 (uttara.80.14)

प्रसादं कुरु सुश्रोणि न कालं क्षेप्तुमर्हसि । त्वत्कृते हि मम प्राणा विदीर्यन्ते वरानने ।। ७.८०.१४ ।।

prasādaṃ kuru suśroṇi na kālaṃ kṣeptumarhasi | tvatkṛte hi mama prāṇā vidīryante varānane || 7.80.14 ||

"Show me grace, fair one; do not let the moment pass. For your sake, lovely-faced one, my very life-breaths are being torn apart."

Shloka 15 (uttara.80.15)

त्वां प्राप्य मे वधो वा स्याच्छापो वा यदि दारुणः । भक्तं भजस्व मां भीरु भजमानं सुविह्वलम् ।। ७.८०.१५ ।।

tvāṃ prāpya me vadho vā syācchāpo vā yadi dāruṇaḥ | bhaktaṃ bhajasva māṃ bhīru bhajamānaṃ suvihvalam || 7.80.15 ||

"Even should death, or a terrible curse, come to me for taking you, still, timid one, favor me — your devotee, utterly overcome with longing for you."

Shloka 16 (uttara.80.16)

एवमुक्त्वा तु तां कन्यां दोर्भ्यां गृह्य बलाद्बली । विस्फुरन्तीं यथाकामं मैथुनायोपचक्रमे ।। ७.८०.१६ ।।

evamuktvā tu tāṃ kanyāṃ dorbhyāṃ gṛhya balādbalī | visphurantīṃ yathākāmaṃ maithunāyopacakrame || 7.80.16 ||

Having said this, that powerful king seized the maiden by force with both arms and, though she struggled, forced himself upon her as he desired.

Shloka 17 (uttara.80.17)

एतमर्थं महाघोरं दण्डः कृत्वा सुदारुणम् । नगरं प्रययावाशु मधुमन्तमनुत्तमम् ।। ७.८०.१७ ।।

etamarthaṃ mahāghoraṃ daṇḍaḥ kṛtvā sudāruṇam | nagaraṃ prayayāvāśu madhumantamanuttamam || 7.80.17 ||

Having committed this most terrible and dreadful deed, Danda quickly departed for his supreme city of Madhumanta.

Shloka 18 (uttara.80.18)

अरजा ऽपि रुदन्ती सा आश्रमस्याविदूरतः । प्रतीक्षन्ति सुसंत्रस्ता पितरं देवसन्निभम् ।। ७.८०.१८ ।।

arajā 'pi rudantī sā āśramasyāvidūrataḥ | pratīkṣanti susaṃtrastā pitaraṃ devasannibham || 7.80.18 ||

And Araja too, weeping, not far from the hermitage, remained there greatly terrified, awaiting her god-like father.