Bhūmi-khaṇḍa · Chapter 108
Sourceकुंजल उवाच- ब्रह्मपुत्रो महातेजा वशिष्ठस्तपतां वरः । नहुषं तं समाहूय इदं वचनमब्रवीत् १। वनं गच्छ स्वशीघ्रेण वन्यमानय पुष्कलम् । समाकर्ण्य मुनेर्वाक्यं नहुषो वनमाययौ २। तत्र किंचित्सुवृत्तांतं शुश्राव नहुषो बलः । अयमेष स धर्मात्मा नहुषो नाम वीर्यवान् ३। आयोः पुत्रो महाप्राज्ञो बाल्यान्मात्रा वियोजितः । अस्यैवातिवियोगेन आयुभार्या प्ररोदिति ४। अशोकसुंदरी तेपे तपः परमदुष्करम् । कदा पश्यति सा देवी पुत्रमिंदुमती शुभा ५। नाहुषं नाम धर्मज्ञं हृतं पूर्वं तु दानवैः । तपस्तेपे निरालंबा शिवस्य तनया वरा ६। अशोकसुंदरी बाला आयुपुत्रस्य कारणात् । अनेनापि कदा सा हि संगता तु भविष्यति ७। एवं सांसारिकं वाक्यं दिवि चारणभाषितम् । शुश्राव स हि धर्मात्मा नहुषो विभ्रमान्वितः ८। स गत्वा वन्यमादाय वशिष्ठस्याश्रमं प्रति । वन्यं निवेद्य धर्मात्मा वशिष्ठाय महात्मने ९। बद्धांजलिपुटोभूत्वा भक्त्या नमितकंधरः । तमुवाच महाप्राज्ञं वशिष्ठं तपतां वरम् १०। भगवञ्छ्रूयतां वाक्यमपूर्वं चारणेरितम् । एष वै नहुषो नाम्ना आयुपुत्रो वियोजितः ११। मात्रा सह सुदुःखैस्तु इंदुमत्या हि दानवैः । शिवस्य तनया बाला तपस्तेपे सुदुश्चरम् १२। निमित्तमस्य धीरस्य नहुषस्येति वै गुरो । एवमाभाषितं तैस्तु तत्सर्वं हि मया श्रुतम् १३। कोसावायुः स धर्मात्मा कासा त्विंदुमती शुभा । अशोकसुंदरी कासा नहुषेति क उच्यते १४। एतन्मे संशयं जातं तद्भवांश्छेत्तुमर्हति । अन्यः कोपि महाप्राज्ञः कुत्रासौ नहुषेति च १५। तत्सर्वं तात मे ब्रूहि कारणांतरमेव हि । वशिष्ठ उवाच- आयु राजा स धर्मात्मा सप्तद्वीपाधिपो बली १६। भार्या इंदुमती तस्य सत्यरूपा यशस्विनी । तस्यामुत्पादितः पुत्रो भवान्वै गुणमंदिरम् १७। आयुना राजराजेन सोमवंशस्य भूषणम् । हरस्य कन्या सुश्रोणी गुणरूपैरलंकृता १८। अशोकसुंदरी नाम्ना सुभगा चारुहासिनी । तस्य हेतोस्तपस्तेपे निरालंबा तपोवने १९। तस्या भर्ता भवान्सृष्टो धात्रा योगेन निश्चितः । गंगायास्तीरमाश्रित्य ध्यानयोग समाश्रिता २०। हुंडश्च दानवेंद्रो यो दृष्ट्वा चैकाकिनीं सतीम् । तपसा प्रज्वलंतीं च सुभगां कमलेक्षणाम् २१। रूपौदार्यगुणोपेतां कामबाणैः प्रपीडितः । तां बभाषेऽन्तिकं गत्वा मम भार्या भवेति च २२। एवं सा तद्वचः श्रुत्वा तमुवाच तपस्विनी । मा हुंड साहसं कार्षीर्मा जल्पस्व पुनः पुनः २३। अप्राप्याहं त्वया वीर परभार्या विशेषतः । दैवेन मे पुरा सृष्ट आयुपुत्रो महाबलः २४। नहुषो नाम मेधावी भविष्यति न संशयः । देवदत्तो महातेजा अन्यथा त्वं करिष्यसि २५। ततः शाप्रं पदास्यामि येन भस्मी भविष्यसि । एवमाकर्ण्य तद्वाक्यं कामबाणैः प्रपीडितः २६। व्याजेनापि हृता तेन प्रणीता निजमंदिरे । ज्ञात्वा तया महाभाग शप्तोऽसौ दानवाधमः २७। नहुषस्यैव हस्तेन तव मृत्युर्भविष्यति । अजाते त्वयि संजाता वदसे त्वं यथैव तत् २८। स त्वमायुसुतो वीर हृतो हुंडेन पापिना । सूदेन रक्षितो दास्या प्रेषितो मम चाश्रमम् २९। भवंतं वनमध्ये च दृष्ट्वा चारणकिन्नरैः । यत्तु वै श्रावितं वत्स मया ते कथितं पुनः ३०। जहि तं पापकर्तारं हुंडाख्यं दानवाधमम् । नेत्राभ्यां हि प्रमुंचंतीमश्रूणि परिमार्जय ३१। इतो गत्वा प्रपश्य त्वं गंगातीरं महाबलम् । निपात्य दानवेंद्रं तं कारागृहात्समानय ३२। अशोकसुंदरी याहि तस्या भर्ता भवस्व हि । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं प्रश्नस्यास्य हि कारणम् ३३। आभाष्य नहुषं विप्रो विरराम महामतिः ३४। आकर्ण्य सर्वं मुनिना प्रयुक्तमाश्चर्यभूतं स हि चिंत्यमानः । तस्यांतमेकः परिकर्तुकाम आयोः सुतः कोपमथो चकार ३५। इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्ये च्यवनचरित्रे नाहुषाख्यानेऽष्टोत्तरशततमोऽध्यायः १०८।
kuṃjala uvāca- brahmaputro mahātejā vaśiṣṭhastapatāṃ varaḥ | nahuṣaṃ taṃ samāhūya idaṃ vacanamabravīt 1| vanaṃ gaccha svaśīghreṇa vanyamānaya puṣkalam | samākarṇya munervākyaṃ nahuṣo vanamāyayau 2| tatra kiṃcitsuvṛttāṃtaṃ śuśrāva nahuṣo balaḥ | ayameṣa sa dharmātmā nahuṣo nāma vīryavān 3| āyoḥ putro mahāprājño bālyānmātrā viyojitaḥ | asyaivātiviyogena āyubhāryā praroditi 4| aśokasuṃdarī tepe tapaḥ paramaduṣkaram | kadā paśyati sā devī putramiṃdumatī śubhā 5| nāhuṣaṃ nāma dharmajñaṃ hṛtaṃ pūrvaṃ tu dānavaiḥ | tapastepe nirālaṃbā śivasya tanayā varā 6| aśokasuṃdarī bālā āyuputrasya kāraṇāt | anenāpi kadā sā hi saṃgatā tu bhaviṣyati 7| evaṃ sāṃsārikaṃ vākyaṃ divi cāraṇabhāṣitam | śuśrāva sa hi dharmātmā nahuṣo vibhramānvitaḥ 8| sa gatvā vanyamādāya vaśiṣṭhasyāśramaṃ prati | vanyaṃ nivedya dharmātmā vaśiṣṭhāya mahātmane 9| baddhāṃjalipuṭobhūtvā bhaktyā namitakaṃdharaḥ | tamuvāca mahāprājñaṃ vaśiṣṭhaṃ tapatāṃ varam 10| bhagavañchrūyatāṃ vākyamapūrvaṃ cāraṇeritam | eṣa vai nahuṣo nāmnā āyuputro viyojitaḥ 11| mātrā saha suduḥkhaistu iṃdumatyā hi dānavaiḥ | śivasya tanayā bālā tapastepe suduścaram 12| nimittamasya dhīrasya nahuṣasyeti vai guro | evamābhāṣitaṃ taistu tatsarvaṃ hi mayā śrutam 13| kosāvāyuḥ sa dharmātmā kāsā tviṃdumatī śubhā | aśokasuṃdarī kāsā nahuṣeti ka ucyate 14| etanme saṃśayaṃ jātaṃ tadbhavāṃśchettumarhati | anyaḥ kopi mahāprājñaḥ kutrāsau nahuṣeti ca 15| tatsarvaṃ tāta me brūhi kāraṇāṃtarameva hi | vaśiṣṭha uvāca- āyu rājā sa dharmātmā saptadvīpādhipo balī 16| bhāryā iṃdumatī tasya satyarūpā yaśasvinī | tasyāmutpāditaḥ putro bhavānvai guṇamaṃdiram 17| āyunā rājarājena somavaṃśasya bhūṣaṇam | harasya kanyā suśroṇī guṇarūpairalaṃkṛtā 18| aśokasuṃdarī nāmnā subhagā cāruhāsinī | tasya hetostapastepe nirālaṃbā tapovane 19| tasyā bhartā bhavānsṛṣṭo dhātrā yogena niścitaḥ | gaṃgāyāstīramāśritya dhyānayoga samāśritā 20| huṃḍaśca dānaveṃdro yo dṛṣṭvā caikākinīṃ satīm | tapasā prajvalaṃtīṃ ca subhagāṃ kamalekṣaṇām 21| rūpaudāryaguṇopetāṃ kāmabāṇaiḥ prapīḍitaḥ | tāṃ babhāṣe'ntikaṃ gatvā mama bhāryā bhaveti ca 22| evaṃ sā tadvacaḥ śrutvā tamuvāca tapasvinī | mā huṃḍa sāhasaṃ kārṣīrmā jalpasva punaḥ punaḥ 23| aprāpyāhaṃ tvayā vīra parabhāryā viśeṣataḥ | daivena me purā sṛṣṭa āyuputro mahābalaḥ 24| nahuṣo nāma medhāvī bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ | devadatto mahātejā anyathā tvaṃ kariṣyasi 25| tataḥ śāpraṃ padāsyāmi yena bhasmī bhaviṣyasi | evamākarṇya tadvākyaṃ kāmabāṇaiḥ prapīḍitaḥ 26| vyājenāpi hṛtā tena praṇītā nijamaṃdire | jñātvā tayā mahābhāga śapto'sau dānavādhamaḥ 27| nahuṣasyaiva hastena tava mṛtyurbhaviṣyati | ajāte tvayi saṃjātā vadase tvaṃ yathaiva tat 28| sa tvamāyusuto vīra hṛto huṃḍena pāpinā | sūdena rakṣito dāsyā preṣito mama cāśramam 29| bhavaṃtaṃ vanamadhye ca dṛṣṭvā cāraṇakinnaraiḥ | yattu vai śrāvitaṃ vatsa mayā te kathitaṃ punaḥ 30| jahi taṃ pāpakartāraṃ huṃḍākhyaṃ dānavādhamam | netrābhyāṃ hi pramuṃcaṃtīmaśrūṇi parimārjaya 31| ito gatvā prapaśya tvaṃ gaṃgātīraṃ mahābalam | nipātya dānaveṃdraṃ taṃ kārāgṛhātsamānaya 32| aśokasuṃdarī yāhi tasyā bhartā bhavasva hi | etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ praśnasyāsya hi kāraṇam 33| ābhāṣya nahuṣaṃ vipro virarāma mahāmatiḥ 34| ākarṇya sarvaṃ muninā prayuktamāścaryabhūtaṃ sa hi ciṃtyamānaḥ | tasyāṃtamekaḥ parikartukāma āyoḥ sutaḥ kopamatho cakāra 35| iti śrīpadmapurāṇe bhūmikhaṃḍe venopākhyāne gurutīrthamāhātmye cyavanacaritre nāhuṣākhyāne'ṣṭottaraśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ 108|
English translation
Kuñjala said :
1. Brahmā ’s son Vasiṣṭha , of great lustre and the best among the speakers, called that Nahuṣa and spoke these words (to him).
2. “Quickly go to the forest, and bring many sylvan products.” Hearing the words of the sage, Nahuṣa came (i.e. went) to the forest.
3-4. There that mighty Nahuṣa heard some good (i.e. agreeable) account: “This is that pious and mighty Nahuṣa, the very wise son ofĀyu, separated from his mother (right) from his childhood. Due to a great (i.e. painful) separation from him, the wife of Āyu is weeping.
5. Aśokasundarī practised a very difficult penance. When will that virtuous queen Indumatī see her son named Nahuṣa, conversant with the practice of righteosuness, and formerly kidnapped by the demons?
6-7. For the sake of Āyu’s son the excellent, young daughter of Śiva i.e. Aśokasundarī practised, all alone, penance. When will she be united with this one (i.e. Nahuṣa)?”
8-13. That pious Nahuṣa, full of doubt, heard such worldly words uttered by bards in the sky. Having takens ylvan products, having gone to Vasiṣṭha’s hermitage, having presented the sylvan products to pious Vasiṣṭha, and having joined the palms of his hands and with his neck devoutly bent down, he said to that wise Vasiṣṭha, the best among the ascetics: “Revered sir, listen to the words formerly uttered by a spy: ‘This is Āyu’s son, named Nahuṣa, who has been separated from his mother, Indumatī, by the very troublesome demons. That young daughter of Śiva practised very difficult penance for (obtaining) this wise Nahuṣa (as her husband).’ O preceptor, I heard all this that they talked.
14-16a. Who is that pious Āyu? Who is that virtuous Indumatī? Who is that Aśokasundarī? Who is called Nahuṣa? This is a doubt in my mind. You please dispel it. (Nahuṣa seems to be) some other very wise person. Where is that Nahuṣa? Tell me all that, O father and other things also (if any).”
Vasiṣṭha said :
16b-18a. That pious Āyu is a king, the mighty ruler of the earth. His wife is Indumatī, of a truthful nature and famous. On her, you, a son, abode of virtues and ornament of the lunar dynasty, were begotton by Āyu, the king of kings.
18b-22a. Śiva’s beautiful, amiable daughter, adorned with virtues and form, and of a charming smile, by name Aśokasundarī, all alone practised penance in a penance-grove to obtain him (as her husband). The creator has fittingly and definitely fashioned you as her husband. She practised profound meditation after resorting to the bank of the Ganges . Huṇḍa , the lord of demons, seeing that chaste, lovely lady with lotus-like eyes, and bright with penance, and endowed with beauty, generosity and virtues, all alone, was very much tormented by Cupid’s arrows.
22b-26a. Going near her, he said to her: “Be my wife.” Hearing these words of him, that devout lady said to him: “O Huṇḍa, do not do a rash act; do not talk like this again and again. O hero, you cannot get me, especially (when I am) someone else’s wife. Destiny has formerly fashioned for me (i.e. as my husband) Āyu’s son named Nahuṣa. There is no doubt that that very lustrous, intelligent Nahuṣa, a divine gift, will be (my husband). If you do otherwise (i.e. other than what I tell you), I shall give you a curse by which you will be reduced to ashes.”
26b-33a. Hearing these words of her, he, very much tormented by Cupid’s arrows, cunningly kidnapped her and took her to his own house. Having come to know about it she cursed that mean demon, O glorious one: “You will die at the hands of Nahuṣa.” When you were not born (i.e. before your birth) she was born, as you are (now) telling. O hero, you are that son of Āyu, who was kidnapped by the sinful Huṇḍa, who was protected by the cook, and was sent to my hermitage through the female attendant. O child, I have again told you what the bards and kinnaras had made (you) hear (i.e. described) in the forest on seeing you. Kill that mean demon Huṇḍa, the doer of evil things; and wipe off the tears (of your mother who is) shedding them from her eyes. From here go to the bank of the Ganges and (you will) see the very mighty one (there). Having killed the lord of the demons, bring (her) from his gaol. Be the husband of her who is (known as) Aśokasundarī.
33b-35. I have told you all this—the origin of this question.
Speaking (thus) to Nahuṣa, the very intelligent brāhmaṇa ceased (speaking). Having heard all that wonderful (account) told by that sage, the son of Āyu, thinking and desiring to kill him, became angry.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 43146, revision 335631 (2022-04-12T03:47:11Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365201.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.