05176001a duHkhadvayam idaM bhadre katarasya cikIrSasi 'Of these two afflictions of thine, for which, O blessed lady,
05176001c pratikartavyam abale tat tvaM vatse bravIhi me dost thou seek a remedy? Tell me!
05176002a yadi saubhapatir bhadre niyoktavyo mate tava Is it thy wish that the lord of Saubha should be urged to wed thee,
note: niyoktavya, properly "should be put under the yoke", here clearly means "should be forced to marry you"
05176002c niyokSyati mahAtmA taM rAmas tvaddhitakAmyayA the high-souled rAma will certainly urge him from desire of doing thee good?
05176003a athApageyamM bhISmanM taM rAmeNecchasi dhImatA Or, if thou wishest to behold gaGgA's son, bhISma, defeated in battle by intelligent rAma,
05176003c raNe vinirjitanM draSTuGM kuryAt tad api bhArgavaH then Bhargava will gratify even that wish of thine.
05176004a sRJjayasya vacazH zrutvA tava caiva zucismite Hearing what sRJjaya has to say, and what thou also, O thou of sweet smiles, may have to say,
05176004c yad atrAnantaraGM kAryanM tad adyaiva vicintyatAm let that be settled this very day what should be done for thee.'
05176005 ambovAca Hearing these words, ambA said,
05176005a apanItAsmi bhISmeNa bhagavann avijAnatA 'O holy one, abducted I was by bhISma acting from ignorance,
05176005c na hi jAnAti me bhISmo brahmaJ zAlvagatamM manaH for, O regenerate one, bhISma knew not that my heart had been given away to zAlva.
05176006a etad vicArya manasA bhavAn eva vinizcayam Thinking of this in thy mind, let that be resolved upon by thee
05176006c vicinotu yathAnyAyaM vidhAnaGM kriyatAnM tathA which is consistent with justice, and let steps be taken for accomplishing that resolution.
05176007a bhISme vA kuruzArdUle zAlvarAje 'tha vA punaH Towards either that tiger among the kurus, viz., bhISma, singly, or towards the ruler of the zAlvas,
05176007c ubhayor eva vA brahman yad yuktanM tat samAcara or towards both of them, do that, O brAhmaNa, which is proper to be done!
05176008a niveditamM mayA hy etad duHkhamUlaM yathAtatham I have told thee truly about the root of my grief.
05176008c vidhAnanM tatra bhagavan kartum arhasi yuktitaH It behoveth thee, O holy one, to do that which is consistent with reason.'
05176009 akRtavraNa uvAca
05176009a upapannam idamM bhadre yad evaM varavarNini
05176009c dharmamM prati vaco brUyAzH zRNu cedaM vaco mama 'Akritavrana said, 'This, O blessed lady, O thou of the fairest complexion, that thou sayest with eyes fixed upon virtue, is, indeed, worthy of thee. Listen, however, to what I say!
05176010a yadi tvAm Apageyo vai na nayed gajasAhvayam If gaGgA's son had never taken thee to the city called after the elephant,
05176010c zAlvas tvAM zirasA bhIru gRhNIyAd rAmacoditaH then, O timid girl, zAlva would have, at rAma's behest, taken thee on his head!
05176011a tena tvanM nirjitA bhadre yasmAn nItAsi bhAmini
05176011c saMzayazH zAlvarAjasya tena tvayi sumadhyame It is because bhISma bore thee away by force that king zAlva's suspicions have been awakened in respect of thee, O thou of slender-waist!
05176012a bhISmaH puruSamAnI ca jitakAzI tathaiva ca
05176012c tasmAt pratikriyA yuktA bhISme kArayitunM tvayA bhISma is proud of his manliness and is crowned with success. Therefore, thou shouldst cause thy vengeance to fall upon bhISma (and no other)!'
05176013 ambovAca Hearing these words of the sage, ambA said,
05176013a mamApy eSa mahAn brahman hRdi kAmo 'bhivartate
05176013c ghAtayeyaM yadi raNe bhISmam ity eva nityadA 'O regenerate one, this desire hath been cherished by me also in my heart, viz., that, if possible. bhISma should be caused by me to be slain in battle!
05176014a bhISmaM vA zAlvarAjaM vA yaM vA doSeNa gacchasi O thou of mighty arms, be it bhISma or be it king zAlva,
05176014c prazAdhi tamM mahAbAho yatkRte 'haM suduHkhitA punish that man whom thou thinkest to be guilty and through whose act I have been so miserable!'
05176015 bhISma uvAca 'bhISma continued,
05176015a evaGM kathayatAm eva teSAM sa divaso gataH 'In conversation such as this, that day passed
05176015c rAtriz ca bharatazreSTha sukhazItoSNamArutA and the night also, O best of bharata's race, with its delicious breeze which was neither cold nor hot.
05176016a tato rAmaH prAdurAsIt prajvalann iva tejasA Then rAma appeared there, beaming with energy.
05176016c ziSyaiH parivRto rAjaJ jaTAcIradharo muniH And that sage wearing matted-locks on his bead and attired in deer-skins was surrounded by his disciples.
05176017a dhanuSpANir adInAtmA khaDgamM bibhrat parazvadhI And endued with magnanimous soul, he had his bow in hand. And bearing also a sword and a battle-axe,
05176017c virajA rAjazArdUla so 'bhyayAt sRJjayanM nRpam that sinless one, O tiger among kings, approached the sRJjaya king (Hotravahana) in that forest.
05176018a tatas tanM tApasA dRSTvA sa ca rAjA mahAtapAH And the ascetics dwelling there and that king also who was endued with great ascetic merit, beholding him,
05176018c tasthuH prAJjalayaH sarve sA ca kanyA tapasvinI all stood up and waited, O king, with joined hands. And that helpless maiden too did the same.
05176019a pUjayAmAsur avyagrA madhuparkeNa bhArgavam And they all cheerfully worshipped Bhargava with the offer of honey and curds.
05176019c arcitaz ca yathAyoganM niSasAda sahaiva taiH Being worshipped duly by them, rAma sat with them seated round him.
05176020a tataH pUrvavyatItAni kathayete sma tAv ubhau
05176020c sRJjayaz ca sa rAjarSir jAmadagnyaz ca bhArata Then, O bharata, Jamadagni's son and Hotravahana, seated thus together, began to discourse.
05176021c uvAca madhuraGM kAle rAmaM vacanam arthavat And after their discourse was over, unto that foremost one of Bhrigu's race, viz., rAma of mighty strength, the sage Hotravahana opportunately said in a sweet voice these words of grave import --
05176022a rAmeyamM mama dauhitrI kAzirAjasutA prabho 'O rAma, this is my daughter's daughter, O lord, being the daughter of the king of Kasi.
05176022c asyAzH zRNu yathAtattvaGM kAryaGM kAryavizArada She hath something to be done for her! Oh, listen to it duly, O thou that art skilled in all tasks!'
05176023a paramaGM kathyatAJM ceti tAM rAmaH pratyabhASata
05176023c tatasH sAbhyagamad rAmaJM jvalantam iva pAvakam Hearing these words of his friend, rAma addressed that maiden saying 'Tell me what thou hast to say.'
05176024a sA cAbhivAdya caraNau rAmasya zirasA zubhA
05176024c spRSTvA padmadalAbhAbhyAmM pANibhyAm agratasH sthitA At these words, ambA approached rAma who resembled a blazing fire, and worshipping both his feet with her bent head, touched them with her two hands that resembled, in radiance, a couple of lotuses and stood silently before him.
05176025a ruroda sA zokavatI bASpavyAkulalocanA And filled with grief, she wept aloud, her eyes bathed in tears.
05176025c prapede zaraNaJM caiva zaraNyamM bhRgunandanam And she then sought the protection of that descendant of Bhrigu, who was the refuge of all distressed persons.
05176026 rAma uvAca And rAma said,
05176026a yathAsi sRJjayasyAsya tathA mama nRpAtmaje ' Princess, you are as much a granddaughter of mine as of sRJjaya here.
05176026c brUhi yat te manoduHkhaM kariSye vacanaM tava Tell me what grief is in thy heart. I will do whatever you say!'
05176027 ambovAca Thus encouraged, ambA said,
05176027a bhagavaJ zaraNanM tvAdya prapannAsmi mahAvrata 'O thou of great vows, O holy one, today I seek thy protection!
05176027c zokapaGkArNavAd ghorAd uddharasva ca mAM vibho O lord, raise me from this unfathomable ocean of sorrow.'
05176028 bhISma uvAca 'bhISma continued,
05176028a tasyAz ca dRSTvA rUpaJM ca vayaz cAbhinavamM punaH
05176028c saukumAryamM paraJM caiva rAmaz cintAparo 'bhavat 'Beholding her beauty and her youthful body and its great delicacy, rAma began to think,
05176029a kim iyaM vakSyatIty evaM vimRzan bhRgusattamaH --What will she say? And that perpetuator of Bhrigu's line, thinking inwardly of this,
05176029c iti dadhyau ciraM rAmaH kRpayAbhipariplutaH sat long in silence, filled with pity.
05176030a kathyatAm iti sA bhUyo rAmeNoktA zucismitA He then addressed that maiden of sweet smiles again, saying, 'Tell us what thou hast to say!'
05176030c sarvam eva yathAtattvaGM kathayAmAsa bhArgave Thus encouraged, she represented everything truly unto Bhargava.
05176031a tac chrutvA jAmadagnyas tu rAjaputryA vacas tadA
05176031c uvAca tAM varArohAnM nizcityArthavinizcayam And Jamadagni's son, hearing these words of the princess, and having first settled what he should do, addressed that damsel of the fairest complexion, saying,
05176032a preSayiSyAmi bhISmAya kuruzreSThAya bhAmini 'O beautiful lady, I will send word unto bhISma, that foremost one of kuru's race.
05176032c kariSyati vaco dharmyaM zrutvA me sa narAdhipaH Having beard what my behest is, that king will certainly obey it.
05176033a na cet kariSyati vaco mayoktaJM jAhnavIsutaH If, however, the son of Jahnavi do not act according to my words,
05176033c dhakSyAmy enaM raNe bhadre sAmAtyaM zastratejasA I will then consume him in battle, O blessed girl, with all his counsellors!
05176034a atha vA te matis tatra rAjaputri nivartate Or, O princess, if thou desirest it,
05176034c tAvac chAlvapatiM vIraM yojayAmy atra karmaNi I may even address the heroic ruler of the zAlvas to the matter in hand.'
05176035 ambovAca Hearing these words of rAma, ambA said,
05176035a visarjitAsmi bhISmeNa zrutvaiva bhRgunandana 'Dismissed I was by bhISma, O son of Bhrigu's race, as soon as he heard
05176035c zAlvarAjagataJM ceto mama pUrvamM manISitam that my heart had previously been freely given away to the ruler of the zAlvas.
05176036a saubharAjam upetyAham abruvanM durvacaM vacaH Approaching then the lord of Saubha, I addressed him in language that was unbecoming.
05176036c na ca mAmM pratyagRhNAt sa cAritraparizaGkitaH Doubtful of the purity of my conduct, he refused to accept me.
05176037a etat sarvaM vinizcitya svabuddhyA bhRgunandana Reflecting on all this, with the aid of thy own understanding,
05176037c yad atrpayikaGM kAryanM tac cintayitum arhasi it behoveth thee, O son of Bhrigu's race, to do that which should be done in view of these circumstances.
05176038a mamAtra vyasanasyAsya bhISmo mUlamM mahAvrataH bhISma, however, of great vows is the root of my calamity,
05176038c yenAhaM vazam AnItA samutkSipya balAt tadA for he brought me under his power taking me up (on his car) by violence!
05176039a bhISmaJM jahi mahAbAho yatkRte duHkham IdRzam Slay that bhISma, O thou of mighty arms, because of whom,
05176039c prAptAhamM bhRguzArdUla carAmy apriyam uttamam O tiger of Bhrigu's race, overwhelmed with such distress, I suffer such poignant misery!
05176040a sa hi lubdhaz ca mAnI ca jitakAzI ca bhArgava bhISma, O thou of Bhrigu's race, is covetous, and mean, and proud of his victory.
05176040c tasmAt pratikriyA kartuM yuktA tasmai tvayAnagha Therefore, O sinless one, thou shouldst give him his deserts.
05176041a eSa me hriyamANAyA bhAratena tadA vibho While, of lord, I was being abducted by him, even this was the desire that I cherished
05176041c abhavad dhRdi saGMkalpo ghAtayeyamM mahAvratam in my heart, viz., that I should cause that hero of great vows to be slain.
05176042a tasmAt kAmamM mamAdyemaM rAma saMvartayAnagha Therefore, O sinless rAma, gratify this desire of mine!
05176042c jahi bhISmamM mahAbAho yathA vRtramM puranMdaraH O thou of mighty arms, slay bhISma, even as Purandara slew vRtra.''
