Passage 1
श्रीशुक उवाच— अथ तां सायमारात्रिक्यविधिना परमादृता। जग्राह राजिनीमाता वनात्सद्यः समागताम्॥१॥
Śrī Śuka said: Then mother Rājinī, filled with the highest affection, received Sahajā as she returned from the forest and performed the evening ārātrika rite for her.
Passage 2
आलिङ्ग्य संचुम्ब्य निवृत्तमार्गश्रमामिमां प्राणसमां सुतां सा। संध्यार्चनोत्साहमहोत्सवेन प्रवर्तयामास मनोज्ञकेलीः॥२॥
Embracing and kissing the daughter who was as dear as life, she relieved the weariness of her journey and began charming festivities with the great enthusiasm of evening worship.
Passage 3
श्रीमाङ्गल्यातिनिपुणा विरच्य विधिवत्स्वयम्। गोमयैः कामधेनोर्वै संध्यामत्यद्भुताकृतिम्॥३॥
Highly skillful Śrī Māṅgalyā herself duly fashioned an exceedingly wondrous image of Sandhyā from the sacred dung of Kāmadhenu.
Passage 4
चन्दनालिप्तभित्तिस्थां पञ्चवर्णप्रसूनकैः। प्रत्यङ्गभूषितां देवीं वरदां समपूजयत्॥४॥
She worshiped the boon-giving goddess upon a sandal-smeared wall, every limb adorned with flowers of five colors.
Passage 5
गन्धैः पुष्पैस्तथा धूपैर्दीपैर्नैवेद्यकल्पनैः। पूजान्ते मनसा रामं तस्याः पतिमयाचत॥५॥
She offered fragrances, flowers, incense, lamps, and prepared foods; at the worship's end, she inwardly asked that Rāma become Sahajā's husband.
Passage 6
महता सम्भ्रमेणैवं संध्यार्चनमहोत्सवम्। विधाय राजिनीदेवी नन्दिग्रामगताः स्त्रियः॥६॥
Goddess Rājinī and the women who had come from Nandigrāma thus performed the great festival of evening worship with immense excitement.
Passage 7
पुरन्ध्रीः श्रीमन्माङ्गल्याप्रभृतीः पर्यपूजयत्। वसनैर्भूषणैर्भोज्यैः सिन्दूरपूरणादिभिः॥७॥
Rājinī honored the matrons, beginning with glorious Māṅgalyā, with garments, ornaments, food, the filling of the hair parting with sindūra, and other gifts.
Passage 8
तां रात्रिं जागरं चक्रे पुरन्ध्रीभिः सह स्वयम्। गायन्त्यः सकला गोप्यः संध्यादेवीं शुभैः स्वरैः॥८॥
She personally kept vigil that night with the matrons while all the cowherd women sang of goddess Sandhyā in auspicious voices. Rājinī Observes Their Reciprocal Love
Passage 9
सुखं समाययांचक्रुरेवं कलितमुत्सवम्। तस्मिन् समाजे माङ्गल्यासुतस्य सहजां प्रति॥९॥
They happily brought the festival to completion. In that assembly, Rājinī observed the affection of Māṅgalyā's son toward Sahajā,
Passage 10
सहजायाश्च माङ्गल्यासुतं प्रति विशेषतः। प्रणयं राजिनीदेवी पर्यैक्षत महाशया॥१०॥
and especially Sahajā's love toward Māṅgalyā's son. The noble-hearted goddess Rājinī watched it closely.
Passage 11
अथ प्रभाते सम्प्राप्ते विसृज्य परमादरात्। माङ्गल्यां तत्सखीश्चापि तथान्याश्चोत्सवागताः॥११॥
When morning arrived, she respectfully bade farewell to Māṅgalyā, her companions, and the other women who had attended the festival.
Passage 12
एकान्ते राजिनी देवी नर्मसख्या सह स्वयम्। समचिन्तयदत्यार्ता पुत्र्याः परिणयं प्रति॥१२॥
Then goddess Rājinī withdrew with an intimate friend and, deeply distressed, pondered her daughter's marriage. The Prior Pledge and the Unequaled Groom
Passage 13
राजिन्युवाच— हन्त लोकोत्तरगुणो रामो रामो रघूद्वहः। त्रैलोक्येऽप्यस्य तुल्यो नान्यः कश्चिन्महान् वरः॥१३॥
Rājinī said: Alas, Rāma, the scion of Raghu, possesses virtues beyond this world. In all three worlds there is no other great bridegroom equal to him.
Passage 14
अजानन्त्या मया पूर्वं कान्तमेनं गुणोत्तरम्। पुत्री गुणवती चैषा कथमन्येन योजिता॥१४॥
Before I knew this noble and supremely virtuous beloved, how did I come to join my own virtuous daughter to someone else?
Passage 15
वाचा दत्तेयमन्यस्मै गोपाय कुलशालिने। माङ्गल्यातनये रामे वरे समुदिते सति॥१५॥
I verbally gave her to another well-born cowherd even though Rāma, Māṅgalyā's son, was present as the true bridegroom.
Passage 16
एतद्ध्यनुचितं मास्तु यतः कन्या स्वयंवरा। यमेव वृणुयात्स्वेच्छा स एव खलु तद्वरः॥१६॥
May this impropriety not stand, for a maiden chooses her own husband. Whomever she selects by her own desire is truly her bridegroom.
Passage 17
अनालोचितमित्येतन्मया गोपेश्वरेण तम्। अनुतापः समुदभूत्तस्य तद्विषमं फलम्॥१७॥
The cowherd lord and I acted without reflection; remorse has now arisen as the bitter fruit of that decision.
Passage 18
परावर्तयितुं शक्यं कथमेषाधुना सखि। व्रतं पूगीफलं यस्याः सुकुलीनाय गोदुहे॥१८॥
Friend, how can this pledge now be reversed, sealed as it was with the areca fruit on behalf of a cowherd from a good family?
Passage 19
प्रेमास्याः सहजं रामे किं तु पूर्वभवं महत्। रूपेणापीयमतुला रामेणैव महोचिता॥१९॥
Her innate and immense love for Rāma surely comes from a former existence. Unmatched in beauty, she is supremely suited to Rāma alone.
Passage 20
वर्धिष्णुः प्रणयाम्भोधिः सहजारामयोर्व्रजे। कुलं शीलं तथा भूमिच्छादयितुमुद्यतः॥२०॥
The swelling ocean of Sahajā and Rāma's love in Vraja is ready to overflow all restraints of family, custom, and social ground.
Passage 21
तथा ह्यस्मिन् समाजे च पर्यैक्षत मयानयोः। धात्रीभिर्वर्णितः पूर्वं प्रेमामृतमहोदधिः॥२१॥
I myself observed in this assembly the same great ocean of love-nectar between them that the nurses had described before.
Passage 22
यथा मञ्जुवटे दृष्टो मोहमूर्च्छामदावधिः। पूर्वसंस्कारजः प्रेमा प्रतीतः स मयापि च॥२२॥
At Mañjuvaṭa it reached the extremity of enchantment, swooning, and divine intoxication. I too recognize this love as born of impressions from a former life. The Crisis of Dharma
Passage 23
किं न्वस्मिन् विषये कार्यं धर्मसंकटरूपिणि। अहो अत्यद्भुतो धाता कथमेवं करिष्यति॥२३॥
What should be done in this matter, which has taken the form of a crisis of dharma? Ah, the Creator works most wondrously—how will he resolve it?
Passage 24
सहजारूपलावण्यमणिमालाकृता गिरः। रामेतरेण गोपेन भविष्यन्ति कथं नु ताः॥२४॥
How could Sahajā's beauty and loveliness, and her words formed like garlands of jewels, ever belong with a cowherd other than Rāma?
Passage 25
स्नुषामेनां साभिलाषां माङ्गल्यापि यशस्विनी। सुखितस्य व्रजेन्द्रस्य भार्योदारा महाकुला॥२५॥
Renowned Māṅgalyā, noble wife of the cowherd king Sukhita and born in a great family, also longs to have Sahajā as her daughter-in-law.
Passage 26
इत्येवं महती चिन्ता जायते मम चेतसि। तां निवारयितुं शक्तो विधिरेव हि केवलम्॥२६॥
Thus this great anxiety rises within my heart. Fate alone has the power to remove it.
Passage 27
श्रीशुक उवाच— इत्येवं राजिनीदेवी दीर्घचिन्तासमाकुला। रात्रिं दिवं समुद्विग्ना निद्रां न लभते क्वचित्॥२७॥
Śrī Śuka said: In this way goddess Rājinī became overwhelmed by prolonged anxiety. Deeply troubled day and night, she could find no sleep at all.