Read the previous part here...
“I didn’t know what to do, so I fell at his feet and begged him to lift the curse”, continued Mṛgāṅkavatī. “When he was finally placated, he said…”
“In time, Yaśaḥketu, the king of Aṅga, shall become your husband, and shall see you swallowed by the Rākṣasa, and shall kill him, and when you emerge from his heart, you shall be delivered from this curse, and also regain your memory of all what has happened.”
इत्य् आदिश्य स शापान्तं त्यक्त्वा माम् एककाम् इह ।
निषधाद्रिं गतस् तातो भूलोकं सपरिच्छदः ॥ १२,१९.१४२ ॥
अहं तथा चरन्ती च शापमोहाद् इहावसम् ।
क्षीणश् चैष स शापो मे जाता सर्वत्र च स्मृतिः ॥ १२,१९.१४३ ॥
तत् तातपार्श्वम् अधुना निषधाद्रिं व्रजाम्य् अहम् ।
शापान्ते स्वां गतिं याम इत्य् एष समयो हि नः ॥ १२,१९.१४४ ॥
त्वम् इहास्व स्वराष्ट्रं वा व्रज स्वातन्त्र्यम् अत्र ते ।
एवं तयोक्ते स नृपो दुःखितो ऽर्थयते स्म ताम् ॥ १२,१९.१४५ ॥
सप्ताहानि न गन्तव्यं प्रसीद सुमुखि त्वया ।
क्षिपाव तावद् औत्सुक्यम् उद्याने क्रीडनैर् इह ॥ १२,१९.१४६ ॥
त्वं गच्छाथ पितुः स्थानं यास्याम्य् अहम् अपि स्वकम् ।
एतत् तद्वचनं मुग्धा तथेत्य् अङ्गीचकार सा ॥ १२,१९.१४७ ॥
ततो ऽत्र रेमे स तया सहोद्यानेषु कान्तया ।
सजलोत्पलनेत्रासु वापीषु षडहं नृपः ॥ १२,१९.१४८ ॥
मा स्म यातं विहायास्मान् इति पूत् कुर्वतीष्व् इव ।
उत्क्षिप्तवीचिहस्तासु हंससारसनिःस्वनैः ॥ १२,१९.१४९ ॥
Mṛgāṅkavatī then said…
“And so he left me here, alone, and took his subjects and went into the mountains of Niṣadha. I did not remember anything because of the curse, and so I wondered every day as to why I lived alone in this desolate city.”
“But now I remember everything, since the curse has ended. I will go join my father in the mountains, since the laws that govern us celestial beings mandates that we go back to where we came from.”
“You can remain here, or go back to your kingdom…”
Yaśaḥketu had not anticipated this. He pleaded with her and said…
“My dear, let us not go anywhere for seven days. Instead, let us spend time together, know each other, and get over the pain that we will face when we part.”
“After seven days, you can go to your father, and I will go back to my own kingdom.”
Mṛgāṅkavatī agreed. They spent the next six days not staying even a minute away from each other. They spent time in the gardens, the beautiful lakes, and every bit of his soul screamed silently and said “do not go…do not go…”
सप्तमे ऽह्नि स युक्त्या तां प्रियां तत्रानयद् गृहे ।
भूलोकप्रापिणी यत्र सा यन्त्रद्वारवापिका ॥ १२,१९.१५० ॥
तत्र कण्ठे गृहीत्वा तां तस्यां वाप्यां निपत्य सः ।
उत्तस्थौ स्वपुरोद्यानवापीमध्यात् तया सह ॥ १२,१९.१५१ ॥
तत्र कान्तासखं प्राप्तं तं दृष्ट्वोद्यानपालकाः ।
हृष्टास् तन् मन्त्रिणे गत्वा जगदुर् दीर्घदर्शिने ॥ १२,१९.१५२ ॥
सो ऽप्य् एत्य पादपतितस् तम् आनीतेप्सिताङ्गनम् ।
दृष्ट्वा प्रावेशयन् मन्त्री सपौरो ऽभ्यन्तरं नृपम् ॥ १२,१९.१५३ ॥
अहो सैषा कथं प्राप्ता राज्ञा दिव्याङ्गनामुना ।
व्योम्नीव विद्युद् इव या क्षणदृश्या मयेक्षिता ॥ १२,१९.१५४ ॥
And on the seventh day, when Mṛgāṅkavatī was lost in his eyes, Yaśaḥketu cunningly led her to the lake that served as a portal into the world of men, and throwing his arms around her, he jumped into it, and emerged from a lake in his own kingdom.
The gardeners on duty were amazed to see the king back to his city, and were delighted at this, and so they went and informed Dīrghadarśin.
The minister hurried to the lake in the garden and fell at the king’s feet, and as he rose, noticed that the king had company – this was the same woman who had been the object of the king’s desire!
As he escorted the king and Mṛgāṅkavatī to the palace, he thought to himself…
“I wonder how the king managed to obtain this beautiful maiden, one that I caught a short glimpse of, that too in the middle of the ocean, much like one witnesses a flash of lightning. Bt, as they say…”
यद् यस्य लिखितं धात्रा ललाटाक्षरपङ्क्तिषु ।
तद् अवश्यम् असंभाव्यम् अपि तस्योपतिष्ठते ॥ १२,१९.१५५ ॥
Whatever is written on a man’s forehead, whatever is written in man’s fate, happens. However improbable it may seem!
to be continued…