05188001a tatas te tApasAsH sarve tapase dhRtanizcayAm 'Then all those ascetics (that dwell in Vatsabhumi), beholding the princess of Kasi firmly resolved on ascetic austerities,
05188001c dRSTvA nyavartayaMs tAta kiGM kAryam iti cAbruvan dissuaded her and enquired of her, saying, 'What is thy business?'
05188002a tAn uvAca tataH kanyA tapovRddhAn RSIMs tadA Thus addressed, the maiden answered those ascetics, old in ascetic penances, saying,
05188002c nirAkRtAsmi bhISmeNa bhraMzitA patidharmataH 'Expelled I have been by bhISma, prevented by him from the virtue that would have been mine by living with a husband!
05188003a vadhArthanM tasya dIkSA me na lokArthanM tapodhanAH My observance of this vow is for his destruction and not for the sake of regions of bliss, ye that are endued with wealth of asceticism!
05188003c nihatya bhISmaGM gaccheyaM zAntim ity eva nizcayaH Having compassed the death of bhISma, peace will be mine. Even this is my resolve.
05188004a yatkRte duHkhavasatim imAM prAptAsmi zAzvatIm He for whom mine hath been this state of continuous grief,
05188004c patilokAd vihInA ca naiva strI na pumAn iha he for whom I have been deprived of the region that would have been mine if I could obtain a husband, he for whom I have become neither woman nor man,
05188005a nAhatvA yudhi gAGgeyanM nivarteyanM tapodhanAH without slaying in battle that son of gaGgA I will not desist, ye that are endued with wealth of asceticism.
05188005c eSa me hRdi saGMkalpo yadartham idam udyatam Even this that I have said is the purpose that is in my heart.
05188006a strIbhAve parinirviNNA puMstvArthe kRtanizcayA I'm sick of being a woman and resolved to become a man,
05188006c bhISme praticikIrSAmi nAsmi vAryeti vai punaH so that I can get back to bhISma. No one will stop me.' Unto them she said these words repeatedly.
05188007a tAnM devo darzayAmAsa zUlapANir umApatiH Soon, the divine husband of Uma, bearing the trident, showed himself
05188007c madhye teSAmM maharSINAM svena rUpeNa bhAminIm in his own form unto that female ascetic in the midst of those great RSis.
05188008a chandyamAnA vareNAtha sA vavre matparAjayam Being asked to solicit the boon she wished, she begged of the deity my defeat.
05188008c vadhiSyasIti tAnM devaH pratyuvAca manasvinIm Thou shalt slay him,--were the words the god said unto that lady of great force of mind.
05188009a tatasH sA punar evAtha kanyA rudram uvAca ha Thus assured, the maiden, however, once more said unto rudra,
05188009c upapadyet kathanM deva striyo mama jayo yudhi 'How can it happen, O god, that being a woman I shall yet be able to achieve victory in battle.
05188009e strIbhAvena ca me gADhamM manazH zAntam umApate O lord of Uma, as a woman, my heart is quite stilled.
05188010a pratizrutaz ca bhUteza tvayA bhISmaparAjayaH Thou hast, however, promised me, O lord of creatures, the defeat of bhISma.
05188010c yathA sa satyo bhavati tathA kuru vRSadhvaja O lord, having the bull for thy mount, act in such a way that promise of thine may become true,
05188010e yathA hanyAM samAgamya bhISmaM zAnMtanavaM yudhi that encountering bhISma, the son of zantanu, in battle I may be able to slay him.'
05188011a tAm uvAca mahAdevaH kanyAM kila vRSadhvajaH The god of gods, having the bull for his symbol, then said unto that maiden,
05188011c na me vAg anRtamM bhadre prAha satyamM bhaviSyati 'The words I have uttered cannot be false. O blessed lady, true they will be.
05188012a vadhiSyasi raNe bhISmamM puruSatvaJM ca lapsyase Thou shalt slay bhISma, and even obtain manhood.
05188012c smariSyasi ca tat sarvanM deham anyaGM gatA satI Thou shalt also remember all the incidents (of this life) even when thou shalt obtain a new body.
05188013a drupadasya kule jAtA bhaviSyasi mahArathaH Born in the race of drupada, thou shalt become a Maharatha.
05188013c zIghrAstraz citrayodhI ca bhaviSyasi susamMmataH Quick in the use of weapons and a fierce warrior, thou shalt be well-skilled in battle.
05188014a yathoktam eva kalyANi sarvam etad bhaviSyati O blessed lady, all that I have said will be true.
05188014c bhaviSyasi pumAn pazcAt kasmAc cit kAlaparyayAt Thou shalt become a man at the expiration of some time (from thy birth)!'
05188015a evam uktvA mahAtejAH kapardI vRSabhadhvajaH Having said so, the god of gods, called also Kapardin, having the bull for his symbol,
05188015c pazyatAm eva viprANAnM tatraivAntaradhIyata disappeared then and there, in the very sight of those brAhmaNas.
05188016a tatasH sA pazyatAnM teSAmM maharSINAm aninditA Upon this, in the very sight of those great RSis,
05188016c samAhRtya vanAt tasmAt kASThAni varavarNinI that faultless maiden of the fairest complexion, gathered wood from that forest,
05188017a citAGM kRtvA sumahatImM pradAya ca hutAzanam made a very large funeral pyre, set it on fire,
05188017c pradIpte 'gnau mahArAja roSadIptena cetasA and entered that blazing fire, O great king, with a heart burning with wrath,
05188018a uktvA bhISmavadhAyeti praviveza hutAzanam after uttering, O king, the words,--for bhISma's destruction!'',
05188018c jyeSThA kAzisutA rAjan yamunAm abhito nadIm the eldest daughter of the king of Kasi, on the banks of the Yamuna.
