05172001a tato 'haM samanujJApya kAlIM satyavatInM tadA 'bhISma said, 'I then placed the matter before (my mother) kAlI, otherwise called gandhavatI,
05172001c mantriNaz ca dvijAMz caiva tathaiva ca purohitAn as also all our counsellors, and also before our special and ordinary priests
05172001e samanujJAsiSaGM kanyAJM jyeSThAm ambAnM narAdhipa and then permitted, O king, the eldest of those maidens, ambA, to depart.
05172002a anujJAtA yayau sA tu kanyA zAlvapateH puram Permitted by me, that maiden then went to the city of the ruler of the zAlvas.
05172002c vRddhair dvijAtibhir guptA dhAtryA cAnugatA tadA And she had for her escort a number of old brAhmaNas and was also accompanied by her own nurse.
05172002e atItya ca tam adhvAnam AsasAda narAdhipam And having travelled the whole distance (between hAstinapura and zAlva's city),
05172003a sA tam AsAdya rAjAnaM zAlvaM vacanam abravIt she approached king zAlva and said these words,
05172003c AgatAhamM mahAbAho tvAm uddizya mahAdyute 'I come, O thou of mighty arms, expectant of thee, O high-souled one!
05172004a tAm abravIc chAlvapatisH smayann iva vizAmM pate
05172004c tvayAnyapUrvayA nAhamM bhAryArthI varavarNini Unto her, however, O king, the lord of the zAlvas said with a laughter, 'O thou of the fairest complexion, I no longer desire to make a wife of thee who wast to be wedded to another.
05172005a gaccha bhadre punas tatra sakAzamM bhAratasya vai Therefore, O blessed one, go back thither unto bhISma's presence.
05172005c nAham icchAmi bhISmeNa gRhItAnM tvAmM prasahya vai I no longer desire thee that was forcibly ravished by bhISma.
05172006a tvaM hi nirjitya bhISmeNa nItA prItimatI tadA Indeed, when bhISma, having vanquished the kings, took thee away, thou didst go with him cheerfully.
05172006c parAmRzya mahAyuddhe nirjitya pRthivIpatIn When having humiliated and vanquished all the kings of the earth, bhISma took thee away,
05172006e nAhanM tvayy anyapUrvAyAmM bhAryArthI varavarNini I no longer desire thee, O thou of the fairest complexion, for a wife --thee that was to have been wedded to another!
05172007a katham asmadvidho rAjA parapUrvAmM pravezayet How can a king like myself, acquainted with all branches of knowledge
05172007c nArIM viditavijJAnaH pareSAM dharmam Adizan and who lays down laws for the guidance of others, admit (into his abode) a woman who was to have been wedded to another?
05172007e yatheSTaGM gamyatAmM bhadre mA te kAlo 'tyagAd ayam O blessed lady, go whithersoever thou wishest, without spending thy time in vain!'
05172008a ambA tam abravId rAjann anaGgazarapIDitA Hearing these words of his, ambA then, O king, afflicted with the arrows of the god of love, addressed zAlva, saying,
05172008c maivaM vada mahIpAla naitad evaGM kathaJM cana 'Say not so, O lord of the earth, for it is not so!
05172009a nAsmi prItimatI nItA bhISmeNAmitrakarzana O grinder of foes, cheerful I was not when taken away by bhISma!
05172009c balAn nItAsmi rudatI vidrAvya pRthivIpatIn He took me away by force, having routed all the kings, and I was weeping all the while.
05172010a bhajasva mAM zAlvapate bhaktAmM bAlAm anAgasam An innocent girl that I am and attached to thee, accept me, O lord of the zAlvas!
05172010c bhaktAnAM hi parityAgo na dharmeSu prazasyate The abandonment (by one) of those that are attached (to him) is never applauded in the scriptures.
05172011a sAham Amantrya gAGgeyaM samareSv anivartinam Having solicited gaGgA's son who never retreats from battle,
05172011c anujJAtA ca tenaiva tavaiva gRham AgatA and having at last obtained his permission, I came to your home!
05172012a na sa bhISmo mahAbAhur mAm icchati vizAmM pate Indeed, the mighty-armed bhISma, O king, desireth me not!
05172012c bhrAtRhetosH samArambho bhISmasyeti zrutamM mayA It hath been heard by me that his action (in this matter) hath been for the sake of his brother.
05172013a bhaginyau mama ye nIte ambikAmbAlike nRpa My two sisters Amvika and Amvalika, who were abducted with me at the same time,
05172013c prAdAd vicitravIryAya gAGgeyo hi yavIyase have, O king, been bestowed by gaGgA's son on his younger brother vicitravIrya!
05172014a yathA zAlvapate nAnyanM naranM dhyAmi kathaJM cana O lord of the zAlvas, that I have never thought of any other man
05172014c tvAm Rte puruSavyAghra tathA mUrdhAnam Alabhe than thee! O tiger among men, by touching my own head I swear!
05172015a na cAnyapUrvA rAjendra tvAm ahaM samupasthitA I do not, O great king, come to thee as one who was to have been wedded to another!
05172015c satyamM bravImi zAlvaitat satyenAtmAnam Alabhe I tell thee the truth, O zAlva, truly swearing by my soul!
05172016a bhajasva mAM vizAlAkSa svayaGM kanyAm upasthitAm Take me, O thou of large eyes, me--a maiden come to thee of her own accord--
05172016c ananyapUrvAM rAjendra tvatprasAdAbhikAGkSiNIm one unbetrothed to another, one desirous of thy grace!'
05172017a tAm evamM bhASamANAnM tu zAlvaH kAzipateH sutAm Although she spoke in this strain, zAlva, however,
05172017c atyajad bharatazreSTha tvacaJM jIrNAm ivoragaH O chief of the bharatas, rejected that daughter of the ruler of Kasi, like a snake casting off his slough.
05172018a evamM bahuvidhair vAkyair yAcyamAnas tayAnagha Indeed, although that king was earnestly solicited with diverse expressions such as these,
05172018c nAzraddadhac chAlvapatiH kanyAyA bharatarSabha the lord of the zAlvas still did not, O bull of the bharata race, manifest any inclination for accepting the girl.
05172019a tatasH sA manyunAviSTA jyeSThA kAzipatesH sutA Then the eldest daughter of the ruler of Kasi, filled with anger,
05172019c abravIt sAzrunayanA bASpavihvalayA girA and her eyes bathed in tears, said these words with a voice choked with tears and grief,
05172020a tvayA tyaktA gamiSyAmi yatra yatra vizAmM pate 'Cast off, O king, by thee, whithersoever I may go,
05172020c tatra me santu gatayasH santasH satyaM yathAbruvam the righteous will be my protectors, for truth is indestructible!'
05172021a evaM samMbhASamANAnM tu nRzaMsazH zAlvarAT tadA 'It is thus, that the lord of the zAlvas cruelly
05172021c paryatyajata kauravya karuNamM paridevatIm rejected that maiden who addressed him in language such as this and who was sobbing in grief so tenderly, O thou of kuru's race.
05172022a gaccha gaccheti tAM zAlvaH punaH punar abhASata zAlva said unto her repeatedly -- Go, go!
05172022c bibhemi bhISmAt suzroNi tvaJM ca bhISmaparigrahaH I am in terror of bhISma, O thou of fair hips, thou art bhISma's capture!
05172023a evam uktA tu sA tena zAlvenAdIrghadarzinA Thus addressed by zAlva destitute of foresight, that maiden
05172023c nizcakrAma purAd dInA rudatI kurarI yathA issued out of his city sorrowfully and wailing like a she-osprey.''
