(Chaitraratha Parva continued)
" said, 'Thou you hast have addressed me (more than once) as Tapatya. I therefore wish to know what the precise significance of this word is, O virtuous Gandharva, being sons of , we are, indeed, Kaunteyas. But who is that we should be called Tapatyas?'
" continued, 'Thus addressed, the Gandharva related to , the son of , the (following) story well-known in the three worlds.'
"The Gandharva said, 'O son of , O foremost of all intelligent men, I will duly recite to you in full this charming narrative. O, listen with attention to what I say in explanation of why I have addressed thee you as Tapatya. That one in heaven who pervadeth pervades by his light the whole firmament had a daughter named equal unto to himself. , the daughter of the god , was the younger sister of , and she was celebrated throughout the three worlds and devoted to ascetic penances. There was no woman amongst the celestials, the Asuras, the Yakshas, the Rakshasas, the Apsaras, and the Gandharvas, who was equal to her in beauty. Of perfect, symmetrical and faultless features, of black and large eyes, and in beautiful attire, the girl was chaste and of perfect conduct. And, O Bharata, seeing her () thought that there was none in the three worlds who, for his beauty, accomplishments, behaviour, and learning, deserved to be her husband. Beholding her attain the age of puberty and, therefore, worthy of being bestowed on a husband, her father knew no peace of mind, always thinking of the person he should select. At that time, O son of , Riksha's son, that bull amongst the Kurus, the mighty king , was duly worshipping with offerings of Arghya and flower-garlands and scents, and with vows and fasts and ascetic penances of various kinds. Indeed, was worshipping constantly in all his glory, with devotion and humility and piety. And beholding conversant with all rules of virtue and unequalled on earth for beauty, regarded him as the fit husband for his daughter, . And, O thou you of Kuru's race, then resolved to bestow his daughter on that best of kings, viz., , the scion of a race of world-wide fame. As himself in the heavens filleth fills the firmament with his splendour, so did king on earth fill every region with the splendour of his good achievements. And all men, O , except Brahmanas, worshipped . Blest with good luck, king excelled in soothing the hearts of friends and in scorching the hearts of foes. And, O Kaurava, Tapana () himself was resolved upon bestowing his daughter upon king , who was possessed of such virtues and accomplishments.
"Once on a time, O , king , endued with beauty (of person) and immeasurable prowess, went on a hunting expedition to the under-woods on the mountain-breast. While wandering in quest of deer, the excellent steed the king rode, overcome, O , with hunger, thirst and fatigue, died on the mountains. Abandoning the steed, the king, O , began to wander about upon the mountain-breast on foot and in course of his wandering the monarch saw a maiden of large eyes and unrivalled beauty, That grinder of hostile host--that tiger among kings--himself without a companion, beholding there that maiden without a companion, stood motionless gazing at her steadfastly. For her beauty, the monarch for some moment believed her to be (the goddess) Sri herself. Next he regarded her to be the embodiment of the rays emanating from . In splendour of her person she resembled a flame of fire, though in benignity and loveliness she resembled a spotless digit of the moon. And standing on the mountain-breast, the black-eyed maiden appeared like a bright statue of gold. The mountain itself with its creepers and plants, because of the beauty and attire of that damsel, seemed to be converted into gold. The sight of that maiden inspired the monarch with a contempt for all women that he had seen before. By beholding her, the king regarded his eye-sight truly blessed. Nothing the king had seen from the day of his birth could equal, he thought, the beauty of that girl. The king's heart and eyes were captivated by that damsel, as if they were bound with a cord and he remained rooted to that spot, deprived of his senses. The monarch thought that the artificer of so much beauty had created it only after churning the whole world of gods Asuras and human beings. Entertaining these various thoughts, king regarded that maiden as unrivalled in the three worlds for wealth of beauty.
"And the monarch of pure descent, beholding the beautiful maiden, was pierced with Kama's (Cupid's) shafts and lost his peace of mind. Burnt with the strong flame of desire the king asked that charming maiden, still innocent, though in her full youth, saying, 'Who art thou you and whose? Why also dost do thou you stay here? O thou you of sweet smiles, why dost do thou you wander alone in these solitary woods? Of every feature perfectly faultless, and decked with every ornament, thou you seemest seem to be the coveted ornament of these ornaments themselves! Thou you seemest seem not to be of celestial or Asura or Yaksha or Rakshasa or Naga or Gandharva or human origin. O excellent lady, the best of women that I have ever seen or heard of would not compare with thee you in beauty! O thou you of handsome face, at sight of thee you lovelier than the moon and graced with eyes like lotus-petals, the god of desire is grinding me.'
"King thus addressed that damsel in the forest, who however, spoke not a word unto to the monarch burning with desire. Instead, like lightning in the clouds, that large-eyed maiden quickly disappeared in the very sight of the monarch. The king then wandered through the whole forest, like one out of his senses, in search of that girl of eyes like lotus-petals. Failing to find her, that best of monarchs indulged in copious lamentations and for a time stood motionless with grief.'"
(Chaitraratha Parva continued)
"The Gandharva continued, 'When that maiden disappeared, that feller of hostile ranks deprived of his senses by Kama (concupiscence) himself fell down on the earth. And as the monarch fell down, that maiden of sweet smiles and prominent and round hips appeared again before him, and smiling sweetly, said unto to that perpetuator of Kuru's race these honeyed words, 'Rise, rise, O chastiser of foes! Blest be thou you; it behoveth behooves thee you not, O tiger among kings, to lose thy your reason, a celebrated man as thou you art in the world.' Addressed in these honeyed words, the king opened his eyes and saw before him that selfsame girl of swelling hips. The monarch who was burning with the flame of desire then addressed that black-eyed damsel in accents, weak with emotion, and said, 'Blest be thou you O excellent woman of black eyes! As I am burning with desire and paying thee you court, O, accept me! My life is ebbing away. O thou you of large eyes, for thy your sake it is, O thou you of the splendour of the filaments of the lotus, that Kama is incessantly piercing me with his keen shafts without stopping for a moment! O amiable and cheerful girl, I have been bitten by Kama who is even like a venomous viper. O thou you of swelling and large hips, have mercy on me! O thou you of handsome and faultless features, O thou you of face like unto to the lotus-petal or the moon, O thou you of voice sweet as that of singing Kinnaras, my life now depends on thee you! Without thee you, O timid one, I am unable to live! O thou you of eyes like lotus-petals, Kama is piercing me incessantly! O large-eyed girl, be merciful unto to me! It becometh becomes thee you not, O black-eyed maid, to cast me off; O handsome girl, it behoveth behooves thee you to relieve me from such affliction by giving me thy your love! At first sight thou you hast have attracted my heart. My mind wandereth wanders! Beholding thee you I like not to cast my eyes on any other woman! Be merciful! I am thy your obedient slave--thy your adorer! O, accept me! O beautiful lady, O large-eyed girl at the sight of thee you, the god of desire hath has entered my heart, and is piercing me with his shafts! O thou you of lotus-eyes, the flame of desire burneth burns within me! O, extinguish that flame with the water of thy your love poured on it! O beautiful lady, by becoming mine, pacify thou you the irrepressible god of desire that hath has appeared here armed with his deadly bow and arrows and that is piercing me incessantly with those keen shafts of his! O thou you of the fairest complexion, wed me according to the Gandharva form, for, O thou you of tapering hips, of all forms of marriage the Gandharva hath has been said to be the best.'
"The Gandharva continued, 'Hearing those words of the monarch, made answer, 'O king, I am not the mistress of my own self! Be it known that I am a maiden under the control of my father. If thou you really entertainest an affection for me, demand me of my father. Thou you sayest say, O king, that thy your heart hath has been robbed by me. But thou you also hast have, at first sight, robbed me of my heart; I am not the mistress of my body, and therefore, O best of kings, I do not approach thee you; women are never independent. What girl is there in the three worlds that would not desire thee you for her husband, as thou you art kind unto to all thy your dependents and as thou you art born in a pure race? Therefore, when the opportunity comes, ask my father Aditya for my hand with worship, ascetic penances, and vows. If my father bestoweth bestows me upon thee you, then, O king, I shall ever be thy your obedient wife. My name is and I am the younger sister of , and the daughter, O bull amongst Kshatriyas of , of (Sun) the illuminator of the universe.'"