Uttara Kanda, Sarga 89
तच्छ्रुत्वा लक्ष्मणेनोक्तं वाक्यं वाक्यविशारदः। प्रत्युवाच महातेजाः प्रहसन् राघवो वचः॥ १॥
Meaning
Having heard the words spoken by Lakṣmaṇa, the mighty scion of Raghu, knower of the import of words, replied smilingly to him: (1)
एवमेव नरश्रेष्ठ यथा वदसि लक्ष्मण। वृत्रघातमशेषेण वाजिमेधफलं च यत्॥ २॥
Meaning
“O best among men, Lakṣmaṇa, it is as you say, all that you say about the killing of Vṛtra and also the fruit of the horse-sacrifice. (2)
श्रूयते हि पुरा सौम्य कर्दमस्य प्रजापतेः। पुत्रो बाह्लीश्वरः श्रीमानिलो नाम सुधार्मिकः॥ ३॥
Meaning
“O gracious one, it is heard that in the former days there was prosperous and pious Ila, ruler of Bāhlīka and the son of the Prajāpati Kardama. (3)
स राजा पृथिवीं सर्वां वशे कृत्वा महायशाः। राज्यं चैव नरव्याघ्र पुत्रवत् पर्यपालयत्॥ ४॥
Meaning
“That King of high fame, having brought under his sway the whole earth, protected the kingdom like his son O tiger among men, Lakṣmaṇa. (4)
सुरैश्च परमोदारैर्दैतेयैश्च महाधनैः। नागराक्षसगन्धर्वैर्यक्षैश्च सुमहात्मभिः॥ ५॥ पूज्यते नित्यशः सौम्य भयार्तै रघुनन्दन। अबिभ्यंश्च त्रयो लोकाः सरोषस्य महात्मनः॥ ६॥
Meaning
“He was honoured always, O gracious one, by the liberal gods and the wealthy sons of Diti, and also by the Nāgas, Rākṣasas, Gandharvas and even the noble Yakṣas, possessed of fear. The three worlds were frightened when the powerful one was in rage. (5-6)
स राजा तादृशोऽप्यासीद् धर्मे वीर्ये च निष्ठितः। बुद्ध्या च परमोदारो बाह्लीकेशो महायशाः॥ ७॥
Meaning
“That king, lord of Bāhlīka, of high fame, although so proficient in righteousness and valour, was very liberal at heart. (7)
स प्रचक्रे महाबाहुर्मृगयां रुचिरे वने। चैत्रे मनोरमे मासे सभृत्यबलवाहनः॥ ८॥
Meaning
“That one of long arms went out to hunt in a beautiful forest together with his attendants, army and carriers in the charming month of Caitra. (8)
प्रजघ्ने स नृपोऽरण्ये मृगान् शतसहस्रशः। हत्वैव तृप्तिर्नाभूच्च राज्ञस्तस्य महात्मनः॥ ९॥
Meaning
“The King killed hundreds and thousands of animals in the forest. Having killed them, however, the noble king was not satisfied. (9)
नानामृगाणामयुतं वध्यमानं महात्मना। यत्र जातो महासेनस्तं देशमुपचक्रमे॥ १०॥
Meaning
“By that noble one were killed ten thousand animals of many species, he reached the place, where Mahāsena (Kārtikeya) was born. (10)
तस्मिन् प्रदेशे देवेशः शैलराजसुतां हरः। रमयामास दुर्धर्षः सर्वैरनुचरैः सह॥ ११॥
Meaning
In that place the Lord of gods, the unconquerable Hara (Śiva), living with His attendants dallied with the daughter of the lord of mountains, Pārvatī. (11)
कृत्वा स्त्रीरूपमात्मानमुमेशो गोपतिध्वजः। देव्याः प्रियचिकीर्षुः संस्तस्मिन् पर्वतनिर्झरे॥ १२॥
Meaning
Assuming himself the form of a woman, desiring to please the Devī Pārvatī, the lord, having the bull as emblem, stayed near that hilly stream: (12)
यत्र यत्र वनोद्देशे सत्त्वाः पुरुषवादिनः। वृक्षाः पुरुषनामानस्ते सर्वे स्त्रीजना भवन्॥ १३॥
Meaning
Whatever masculine beings were there in the forest, all of them and even the trees’ masculine names were changed in the form of female beings. (13)
यच्च किंचन तत् सर्वं नारीसंज्ञं बभूव ह। एतस्मिन्नन्तरे राजा स इलः कर्दमात्मजः॥ १४॥ निघ्नन् मृगसहस्राणि तं देशमुपचक्रमे। स दृष्ट्वा स्त्रीकृतं सर्वं सव्यालमृगपक्षिणम्॥ १५॥ आत्मानं स्त्रीकृतं चैव सानुगं रघुनन्दन। तस्य दुःखं महच्चासीद् दृष्ट्वाऽऽत्मानं तथागतम्॥ १६॥
Meaning
Whatever there was, was rendered feminine. In the meantime that King Ila, the son of Kardama, killing thousands of animals reached that place, and seeing all reptiles, animals and birds rendered feminine, and also himself together with his followers turned into feminine, he felt great sorrow, specially seeing himself in that form. (14—16)
उमापतेश्च तत् कर्म ज्ञात्वा त्रासमुपागमत्। ततो देवं महात्मानं शितिकण्ठं कपर्दिनम्॥ १७॥ जगाम शरणं राजा सभृत्यबलवाहनः। ततः प्रहस्य वरदः सह देव्या महेश्वरः॥ १८॥ प्रजापतिसुतं वाक्यमुवाच वरदः स्वयम्। उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ राजर्षे कार्दमेय महाबल॥ १९॥ पुरुषत्वमृते सौम्य वरं वरय सुव्रत। ततः स राजा शोकार्तः प्रत्याख्यातो महात्मना॥ २०॥
Meaning
Knowing that it was wrought by the lord of Umā, Śiva, he was afraid. Then the King together with the army and carriers sought refuge in the mighty lord, the blue-throated and skull-adorned one; the great lord Śiva, giver of boons, together with goddess Pārvatī, himself spoke to the son of Prajāpati: ‘Arise, O Ṛṣi among Kings, O mighty one, son of Kardama, performer of vows, gracious one, barring manhood ask for any boon’. Then that King being thus rebuffed, was afflicted by sorrow. (17—20)
स्त्रीभूतोऽसौ न जग्राह वरमन्यं सुरोत्तमात्। ततः शोकेन महता शैलराजसुतां नृपः॥ २१॥ प्रणिपत्य उमां देवीं सर्वेणैवान्तरात्मना। ईशे वराणां वरदे लोकानामसि भामिनी॥ २२॥ अमोघदर्शने देवि भज सौम्येन चक्षुषा। हृद्गतं तस्य राजर्षेर्विज्ञाय हरसंनिधौ॥ २३॥ प्रत्युवाच शुभं वाक्यं देवी रुद्रस्य सम्मता। अर्धस्य देवो वरदो वरार्धस्य तव ह्यहम्॥ २४॥
Meaning
Having become a woman, he did not ask for any other boon from the Lord of the gods, Śiva. Then in great sorrow, the King paying obeisance to the daughter of the lord of mountains, Pārvatī, with all his heart, said: ‘O goddess of boons, giver of boons, you are the loveliest woman of the worlds. O goddess whose vision is fruitful, with your benevolent eye favour me. Knowing what was in the mind of the Ṛṣi among kings, Ila, She spoke these auspicious words approved by Lord Śiva in his presence: ‘The giver of one half of the boon is the Lord and that of the other half I am the giver. (21—24)
तस्मादर्धं गृहाण त्वं स्त्रीपुंसोर्यावदिच्छसि। तदद्भुततरं श्रुत्वा देव्या वरमनुत्तमम्॥ २५॥ सम्प्रहृष्टमना भूत्वा राजा वाक्यमथाब्रवीत्। यदि देवि प्रसन्ना मे रूपेणाप्रतिमा भुवि॥ २६॥ मासं स्त्रीत्वमुपासित्वा मासं स्यां पुरुषः पुनः। ईप्सितं तस्य विज्ञाय देवी सुरुचिरानना॥ २७॥ प्रत्युवाच शुभं वाक्यमेवमेव भविष्यति। राजन् पुरुषभूतस्त्वं स्त्रीभावं न स्मरिष्यसि॥ २८॥ स्त्रीभूतश्च परं मासं न स्मरिष्यसि पौरुषम्। एवं स राजा पुरुषो मासं भूत्वाथ कार्दमिः। त्रैलोक्यसुन्दरी नारी मासमेकमिलाभवत्॥ २९॥
Meaning
‘Therefore, accept half of the period as a woman and the other half as man for as long as you desire.’ Hearing this most wonderful and excellent boon being granted by the goddess, highly pleased the king then said: ‘O goddess, possessed of loveliness, uncomparable on this earth, if thou art pleased with me, I may remain as man for a month, and a woman for the other,’ The goddess of lovely face, having known the desire of the king, replied in these auspicious words : ‘Thus will it be; O king, becoming a man you shall not remember your woman-hood. Becoming a woman too you shall not remember your manhood’. Thus that King, son of Kardama, became a man for one month and a most beautiful lady in the next, i.e., one month Ila and one month Ilā). (25—29)
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