“My dear, this story makes my body tremble, and my heart sinks. It feels as if I long something, but I don’t understand or know what it is…what is the meaning of all this?“
तच् छ्रुत्वा सो ऽङ्गनारूपो विप्रः पुन उवाच ताम् ।
एतानि कामचिह्नानि नन्व् अपूर्वाणि ते सखि ॥ १२,२२.९१ ॥
मयैतान्य् अनुभूतानि निगूहे न ह्य् अहं तव ।
इति तेनोदितावादीत् सा मृगाङ्कवती शनैः ॥ १२,२२.९२ ॥
सखि प्राणसमा त्वं मे तत् कालज्ञा न वच्मि किम् ।
अपि पुंसः प्रवेशः स्याद् उपायेन हि केनचित् ॥ १२,२२.९३ ॥
एवम् उक्तवतीम् एतां स च लब्धाशयस् तदा ।
प्राह धूर्तपतेः शिष्यो यद्य् एवं तद् वदामि ते ॥ १२,२२.९४ ॥
वैष्णवो ऽस्ति प्रसादो मे येनाहं स्वेच्छया निशि ।
पुरुषः स्यां तद् एषो ऽद्य भवामि त्वत्कृते पुमान् ॥ १२,२२.९५ ॥
इत्य् उक्त्वा स मनःस्वामी निष्कृष्य गुलिकां मुखात् ।
यौवनोद्दामम् आत्मानं तस्यै कान्तम् अदर्शयत् ॥ १२,२२.९६ ॥
ततः कथितविस्रम्भः सर्वस्वगतयन्त्रणः ।
कालोचितरसः कोऽपि तयोर् आसीद् रतोत्सवः ॥ १२,२२.९७ ॥
अथ तत्र तया साकं स मन्त्रिसुतभार्यया ।
तस्थौ द्विजो दिवा नारी रात्रौ च पुरुषो भवन् ॥ १२,२२.९८ ॥
आसन्नागमनं तं च बुद्ध्वा मन्त्रिसुतं दिनैः ।
ताम् आदाय निशि स्वैरं पलाय्य स ययौ ततः ॥ १२,२२.९९ ॥
When Manaḥsvāmin heard this, he smiled and said…
“My dear, these are symptoms of desire for passion, something that you have not experienced yet. I know how it feels, since I have felt it too. So don’t feel shy – tell me what is on your mind.”
Mṛgāṅkavatī replied, speaking very softly…
“My dear, I love you as much as life itself, so why wouldn’t I tell you? I was wondering if there was any way that a man could enter my chambers?”
This was the opportunity that Manaḥsvāmin had been waiting for. His smile widened, and he said…
“If this is the matter, then I have something to say to you. I have a varadāna from none other than Sri Viṣṇu, by which I can become a man when I choose to. You are my closest friend, and so I will become a man for your sake…”
And saying this, he took out the pill from his mouth, and transformed into the handsome man that he was.
Mṛgāṅkavatī could not stop herself, and they spent many a night passionately, with Manaḥsvāmin transforming himself back into a woman during the day.
After a few days, they heard about the minister’s son, who was on his way back from his teerth yātrā, and was about to reach home by the end of the week.
Manaḥsvāmin convinced Mṛgāṅkavatī, and they ran away together that very night.
to be continued…