Read the previous part here…
“My dear, we have now saved the king and the kingdom, but both my children lie dead. Poor Vīravatī, that child did not know anything about handling her grief, she was but a child…With both of them gone, what do I have to live for? I was so foolish! I should have offered my own head to the Devi, so that she could accept my sacrifice and still save the king. But now, please do not stop me. Please allow me to die along with my children!
एवं कुरुष्व भद्रं ते का हि संप्रति ते रतिः ।
अपत्यदुःखैकमये जीवितव्ये मनस्विनि ॥ १२,११.७९ ॥
किं न दत्तो मयैवात्मेत्य् एषा मा भूच् च ते व्यथा ।
दद्यां किं नाहम् आत्मानम् अन्यसाध्यं भवेद् यदि ॥ १२,११.८० ॥
तत् प्रतीक्षस्व यावत् ते चिताम् अत्र करोम्य् अहम् ।
अमीभिर् दारुभिर् देवीक्षेत्रनिर्माणसंभृतैः ॥ १२,११.८१ ॥
इत्य् उक्त्वा दारुभिस् तैः स कृत्वा वीरवरश् चिताम् ।
दीपाग्रे ज्वालयामास न्यस्तापत्यशवद्वयाम् ॥ १२,११.८२ ॥
ततो धर्मवती पत्नी पतित्वा सास्य पादयोः ।
प्रणम्य देवीं चण्डीं तां व्यजिज्ञपद् अपांसुला ॥ १२,११.८३ ॥
जन्मान्तरे ऽप्य् अयं भूयाद् आर्यपुत्रः पतिर् मम ।
एतत् प्रभोस् तु राज्ञो ऽस्तु मद्देहेनामुना शिवम् ॥ १२,११.८४ ॥
इत्य् उदीर्यैव सा साध्वी तस्मिन्न् अम्भोवहेलया ।
ज्वालाकलापजटिले निपपात चितानले ॥ १२,११.८५ ॥
When he heard her say this, Vīravara replied…
“My dear, if you choose to do so, then you may go ahead. What happiness remains in continuing to live with the death of your own two children haunting you at every step? But no, don’t blame yourself for not offering yourself to the Devi. Would I not have sacrificed myself, if it would help to save our king? It was not possible, there was only one way this could end.”
And saying this, he collected some pieces of timber, made a funeral pyre, and laid down his two children on it. He then lit it with the flame of a lamp, and watched as the fire rose into the heavens, starting to carry his young children’s aatma along with it.
Dharmavatī fell to her feet in front of the Devi, and prayed to her, saying “May I have the same husband for my next birth as well! May the sacrifice of my life ensure prosperity for the kingdom and it’s people!”
Saying this, she threw herself onto the burning pyre, it’s flames engulfing her and taking her into it’s fiery embrace.
ततश् च चिन्तयामास वीरो वीरवरो ऽत्र सः ।
निष्पन्नं राजकार्यं मे वाग् दिव्या ह्य् उद्गता यथा ॥ १२,११.८६ ॥
भुक्तस्य चान्नपिण्डस्य जातो ऽहम् अनृणः प्रभोः ।
तद् इदानीं ममैकस्य केयं जीवितगृध्नुता ॥ १२,११.८७ ॥
भरणीयं प्रियं कृत्स्नं व्ययीकृत्य कुटुम्बकम् ।
जीवयन्न् एकम् आत्मानं मादृशः को हि शोभते ॥ १२,११.८८ ॥
तत् किम् आत्मोपहारेणाप्य् एतां प्रीणामि नाम्बिकाम् ।
इत्य् आलोच्य स देवीं तां स्तुत्या प्राग् उपतस्थिवान् ॥ १२,११.८९ ॥
जय महिषासुरमारिणि दारिणि रुरुदानवस्य शूलकरे ।
जय विबुधोत्सवकारिणि धारिणि भुवनत्रयस्य मातृवरे ॥ १२,११.९० ॥
जय जगद् अर्चितचरणे शरणे निःश्रेयसस्य भक्तानाम् ।
जय धृतभास्करकिरणे हरणे दुरितान्धकारवृन्दानाम् ॥ १२,११.९१ ॥
जय कालि जय कपालिनि जय कङ्कालिनि शिवे नमस् ते ऽस्तु ।
शूद्रकनृपतेर् अधुना प्रसीद मन्मस्तकोपहारेण ॥ १२,११.९२ ॥
इत्य् उपस्थाय देव्यां स तस्यां वीरवरः पुनः ।
सद्यः करतलाघातेनोत्तमाङ्गं स्वमच्छिनत् ॥ १२,११.९३ ॥
Vīravara then though to himself “I have done all I can to ensure that the king and the kingdom are protected, and as the voice I heard from the skies confirmed, I have also repaid my debt to my master. Bur now I am left alone, and so what do I have to live for? It was my duty to protect my family, and they are all gone. So it is not right for me to live any longer. It is better that I sacrifice myself and offer my own life to Devi Caṇḍī…”
And so he stood in front of the Devi, and sang…
“Hail oh Devi Caṇḍī, the slayer of the Mahiṣa Asura, destroyer of the Dānava Ruru, the trident-bearing Devi! Hail to you, the best of mothers, that cause of rejoicing among the gods, and one who upholds the three worlds! Hail to you whose feet are worshipped by the whole earth, the refuge of those that are intent on moksha! Hail to you who wears the rays of the sun, and dispels the accumulated darkness of despair! Hail to you, Kālī ! Hail, Śivā!”
With these words, he cut off his own head with a swift stroke of his sword.
तद् आलोक्याखिलं तत्र छन्नस्थः शुद्रको नृपः ।
साकुलश् च सदुःखश् च साश्चर्यश् च व्यचिन्तयत् ॥ १२,११.९४ ॥
अहो किम् अप्य् अनेनैतद् अन्यत्रादृष्टम् अश्रुतम् ।
साधुना सकुटुम्बेन दुःकरं मत्कृते कृतम् ॥ १२,११.९५ ॥
विचित्रे ऽप्य् अत्र संसारे धीरः स्यादीदृशः कुतः ।
अख्यापयन् प्रभो अर्थे परोक्षं यो ददात्य् असून् ॥ १२,११.९६ ॥
एतस्य चोपकारोस्य न कुर्यां सदृशं यदि ।
तन् मे का प्रभुता किं च जीवितव्यं पशोर् इव ॥ १२,११.९७ ॥
इति संचिन्त्य नृपतिः खड्गम् आकृष्य कोपतः ।
उपेत्य शूद्रको देवीं तां प्रवीरो व्यजिज्ञपत् ॥ १२,११.९८ ॥
सततानुप्रपन्नस्य भगवत्य् अधुनामुना ।
मम मूर्धोपहारेण सुप्रीता कुर्व् अनुग्रहम् ॥ १२,११.९९ ॥
अयं वीरवरो विप्रो नामानुगुणचेष्टितः ।
मदर्थम् उज्झितप्राणः सकुटुम्बो ऽपि जीवतु ॥ १२,११.१०० ॥
King Śūdraka, who was a witness of all this from where he was hiding, was full of sorrow and anguish, and said to himself…
“That brave man and his family did something that the world has not seen, and may never see again. I doubt if such a man ever existed, one who would sacrifice the lives of his children and his wife, for his king and kingdom! What is the use of my being a king, if I am unable to repay this huge debt that he has left on me? How would I live with myself?”
Saying this, Śūdraka drew his sword and approached the Devi, and prayed to her, saying…
“Oh Devi, you are the protector of this whole world, and so please confer a boon on me. Let this heroic and brave Vīravara, the one with many virtues, come to life once again, along with his family. And in return, please accept the offering of my own head!”
Saying , this, King Śūdraka raised his sword and…
to be continued…