संत साहित्य · Guru Charitra · Chapters
Chapter 33 — A Devoted Concubine
Literal. The young Brahmin couple ask about the rudraksha beads. Shri Guru explains the significance of rudraksha — sins do not touch one who wears them; one should wear 1000 (for full effect), or 108 around the neck, 40 on the head, 12 in each ear. The chapter then narrates a long embedded story: King Bhadrasen of Kashmir whose son Sudharma and minister's son Tarak were friends and devotees of Shiva. Parashar Rishi tells of their previous lives — both were once Shiva-devotees. The narrative continues with a concubine in Nandigram who agrees to serve a rich Vaishya as devoted wife for three days in exchange for his Shiva-linga of precious stones. The dancing hall catches fire; the linga burns. The Vaishya commits suicide. The concubine, having promised to serve as devoted wife, also commits sati. Shiva manifests, takes them all to Kailas.
Symbolic. A vow honored beyond its literal scope is honored absolutely — even by a non-traditional agent (concubine), even when the conditions of the vow have collapsed.
Verse by verse
श्रीगणेशाय नमः ।
śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ |
Salutations to Sri Ganesha.
The text opens, as is customary, invoking Gaṇeśa (remover of obstacles) before the story continues.
Begin any undertaking by first quieting the mind and asking for grace, not by rushing in.
नामधारक शिष्यराणा । लागे सिद्धाचिया चरणा । विनवीतसे भाकूनि करुणा । भक्तिभावेकरोनि ॥१॥
nāmadhāraka śiṣyarāṇā | lāge siddhāciyā caraṇā | vinavītase bhākūni karuṇā | bhaktibhāvekaroni ||1||
Namdharak, prince among disciples, clasps the feet of Siddha; joining his palms, he entreats him with compassion, in a mood of devotion.
The seeker returns for the next chapter of teaching by going first to the teacher's feet — namaskāra (prostration) is the posture in which listening becomes possible.
Before asking for guidance, honor the one you are asking; the asking itself goes better from a bowed head.
म्हणे स्वामी सिद्धमुनि । पूर्वकथानुसंधानी । पतीसह सुवासिनी । आली श्रीगुरुसमागमे ॥२॥
mhaṇe svāmī siddhamuni | pūrvakathānusamdhānī | patīsaha suvāsinī | ālī śrīgurusamāgame ||2||
Swami Siddhamuni says: continuing the earlier story, the devoted wife together with her husband came in the company of Sri Guru.
The narrator resumes exactly where he left off — the householder couple touched by grief now travel at the guru's side, showing that grace reshapes an ordinary household, not just solitary seekers.
When you return to an unfinished conversation or task, pick it up faithfully from where it left off rather than starting over.
श्रीगुरु आले मठासी । पुढे कथा वर्तली कैसी । विस्तारोनि कृपेसी । निरोपावी स्वामिया ॥३॥
śrīguru āle maṭhāsī | puḍhe kathā vartalī kaisī | vistāroni kṛpesī | niropāvī svāmiyā ||3||
Sri Guru came to the maṭha (monastery); how did the story unfold further? Please expand it out of your grace and tell it to us, O Swami.
Namdharak's request itself models good listening: he names where the story stands and asks plainly for what comes next.
When you want someone to teach you well, ask a specific, well-framed question rather than a vague one.
सिद्ध म्हणे ऐक बाळा । दुजे दिनी प्रातःकाळी । दंपत्ये दोघे गुरूजवळी । येवोन बैसती वंदोन ॥४॥
siddha mhaṇe aika bāḷā | duje dinī prātaḥkāḷī | dampatye doghe gurūjavaḷī | yevona baisatī vamdona ||4||
Siddha says: listen, child. On the second day, at dawn, the couple came together near the Guru and sat down, bowing.
Early rising and returning promptly to the teacher's presence show the couple's earnestness — prātaḥkāla (dawn) is prized in this tradition as the clearest hour for spiritual work.
Show up early and attentively for the people and practices that matter most to you.
विनविताती कर जोडोनि । आम्हा शोक घडल्या दिनी । एके यतीने येवोनि । बुद्धिवाद सांगितला ॥५॥
vinavitātī kara joḍoni | āmhā śoka ghaḍalyā dinī | eke yatīne yevoni | buddhivāda sāmgitalā ||5||
Joining their hands they entreat: 'On the day our sorrow befell us, a wandering ascetic came to us and gave us counsel.'
The couple recounts how, in their darkest hour, an unexpected teacher appeared with guidance — grief is often the doorway through which real teaching enters.
When sorrow strikes, stay open to the wisdom a stranger or chance encounter might offer you.
रुद्राक्ष चारी आम्हासी । देता बोलिला परियेसी । कानी बांधोनि प्रेतासी । दहन करा म्हणितले ॥६॥
rudrākṣa cārī āmhāsī | detā bolilā pariyesī | kānī bāmdhoni pretāsī | dahana karā mhaṇitale ||6||
Giving us four rudrākṣa beads, he said, listen carefully: 'Tie these to the ears of the deceased and then perform the cremation,' he instructed.
The rudrākṣa (sacred berry-seed associated with Śiva) is prescribed even for the dead — a sign that its blessing is thought to reach beyond the boundary of death itself.
Extend a small, deliberate act of care even in situations that seem beyond help.
आणिक एक बोलिले । रुद्रसूक्त असे भले । अभिषेकिती विप्रकुळे । ते तीर्थ आणावे ॥७॥
āṇika eka bolile | rudrasūkta ase bhale | abhiṣekitī viprakuḷe | te tīrtha āṇāve ||7||
He said one more thing: 'The Rudrasūkta (Vedic hymn to Rudra) is most excellent; have brahmin families perform the abhiṣeka with it, and bring that consecrated water.'
Tīrtha (consecrated water) made through sacred recitation is treated as carrying real power — the sound of scripture is understood to sanctify the material it touches.
Trust that words spoken with sincerity and discipline can change the meaning of an ordinary object or moment.
आणोनिया प्रेतावरी । प्रोक्षा तुम्ही भावे करी । दर्शना जावे सत्वरी । श्रीनृसिंहसरस्वती स्वामीचे ॥८॥
āṇoniyā pretāvarī | prokṣā tumhī bhāve karī | darśanā jāve satvarī | śrīnṛsimhasarasvatī svāmīce ||8||
'Bring it and sprinkle it on the corpse with devotion; then go swiftly for the darśana of Swami Śrī Nṛsiṁha Sarasvatī,' he said.
The ascetic directs the grieving couple not merely to a ritual but onward to a living guru — right action culminates in seeking a true teacher's presence.
After doing what ritual or duty requires, don't stop there — go seek out wise counsel for what comes next.
ऐसे सांगोनि आम्हांसी । आपण गेला परियेसी । रुद्राक्ष राहिले मजपासी । पतिश्रवणी स्वामिया ॥९॥
aise sāmgoni āmhāmsī | āpaṇa gelā pariyesī | rudrākṣa rāhile majapāsī | patiśravaṇī svāmiyā ||9||
Having told us this, he himself departed, we heard; the rudrākṣa beads remained with me, tied at my husband's ear, O Swami.
The mysterious guide vanishes as suddenly as he came, leaving behind only the beads as proof and instruction — grace often arrives unannounced and departs the same way.
Don't demand to understand every helper fully; sometimes just honor what they left you to do.
ऐकोनि तियेचे वचन । श्रीगुरु सांगती हासोन । रुद्राक्ष दिल्हे आम्ही जाण । तव भक्ति देखोनिया ॥१०॥
aikoni tiyece vacana | śrīguru sāmgatī hāsona | rudrākṣa dilhe āmhī jāṇa | tava bhakti dekhoniyā ||10||
Hearing her words, Sri Guru speaks, smiling: 'Know that it was I who gave you those rudrākṣa, having seen your devotion.'
Sri Guru reveals himself as the mysterious ascetic of before — teaching is shown here as one continuous, hidden thread, testing and rewarding sincerity before showing its face.
Trust that sincere devotion is noticed, even when the giver of grace stays hidden for a time.
भक्ति अथवा अभक्तीसी । रुद्राक्ष धारण करणारासी । पापे न लागती परियेसी । उंच अथवा नीचाते ॥११॥
bhakti athavā abhaktīsī | rudrākṣa dhāraṇa karaṇārāsī | pāpe na lāgatī pariyesī | umca athavā nīcāte ||11||
Whether one be devoted or not, to whoever wears the rudrākṣa, sin does not cling — listen — be they of high or low birth.
The text asserts that the outward emblem of devotion carries protective power regardless of the wearer's inner state or social rank — a teaching that levels caste distinctions before this practice.
Choose visible daily practices of faith that anyone, of any station, can take up and benefit from.
रुद्राक्षांचा महिमा । सांगितला अनुपमा । सांगेन विस्तारून तुम्हा । एकचित्ते परियेसा ॥१२॥
rudrākṣāmcā mahimā | sāmgitalā anupamā | sāmgena vistārūna tumhā | ekacitte pariyesā ||12||
I have told you the incomparable glory of the rudrākṣa; I will now recount it further — listen with a single-pointed mind.
The Guru signals a fuller teaching is coming and asks for undivided attention — ekacitta (one-pointedness) is itself named as the condition for receiving deep instruction.
When someone is about to teach you something important, set aside distractions and listen with your whole attention.
रुद्राक्षधारणे पुण्य । मिति नाही अगण्य । आणिक नाही देवास मान्य । श्रुतिसंमत परियेसा ॥१३॥
rudrākṣadhāraṇe puṇya | miti nāhī agaṇya | āṇika nāhī devāsa mānya | śrutisammata pariyesā ||13||
The merit of wearing rudrākṣa is beyond measure, incalculable; nothing else is so acceptable to the gods — this is affirmed by the śruti (scripture), listen.
The claim is grounded in scriptural authority, not private opinion — traditional teaching often anchors extraordinary claims to a received textual source.
When you commend a practice to others, point to a trustworthy source rather than only your own say-so.
सहस्त्रसंख्या जो नर । रुद्राक्षमाळा करी हार । स्वरूपे होय तोचि रुद्र । समस्त देव वंदिती ॥१४॥
sahastrasamkhyā jo nara | rudrākṣamāḷā karī hāra | svarūpe hoya toci rudra | samasta deva vamditī ||14||
The man who wears a garland numbering a thousand rudrākṣa becomes, in form, Rudra himself; all the gods bow to him.
Total, wholehearted devotion is said to transform the devotee into the very likeness of the deity worshipped — practice at its fullest is imagined as identity with the divine.
Give a discipline your full measure, not a token gesture, if you want it to truly change you.
सहस्त्र जरी न साधती । दोही बाही षोडशती । शिखेसी एक ख्याति । चतुर्विशति दोही करी ॥१५॥
sahastra jarī na sādhatī | dohī bāhī ṣoḍaśatī | śikhesī eka khyāti | caturviśati dohī karī ||15||
If a thousand cannot be had, then sixteen on each arm; one on the topknot is renowned, and twenty-four on both [wrists].
The text gives a graded, practical scale — full devotion is the ideal, but modest, attainable measures are also honored, so no one is excluded by means.
If you cannot do the fullest version of a good practice, do a smaller, sincere version instead of none at all.
कंठी बांधा बत्तीस । मस्तकी बांधा चत्वारिंश । श्रवणद्वयी द्वादश । धारण करावे परियेसा ॥१६॥
kamṭhī bāmdhā battīsa | mastakī bāmdhā catvārimśa | śravaṇadvayī dvādaśa | dhāraṇa karāve pariyesā ||16||
Tie thirty-two around the neck, forty on the head, and twelve in each ear — wear them in this manner, listen.
Precise numeric prescriptions here function like a devotional discipline in themselves — attentiveness to detail is treated as part of the offering.
Bring the same careful attention to the small details of your practice as to its larger intention.
कंठी अष्टोत्तरशत एक । माळा करा सुरेख । रुद्रपुत्रसमान ऐक । येणे विधी धारण केलिया ॥१७॥
kamṭhī aṣṭottaraśata eka | māḷā karā surekha | rudraputrasamāna aika | yeṇe vidhī dhāraṇa keliyā ||17||
Wear one beautiful garland of one hundred and eight beads on the neck; know this equal to being Rudra's own son — one who wears it in this manner...
The number one hundred and eight recurs across many traditions as a mark of completeness; here it confers a filial closeness to the deity himself.
Let a complete, well-formed practice — however small — stand for the wholehearted love behind it.
मोती पोवळी स्फटिकेसी । रौप्य वैडूर्य सुवर्णेसी । मिळोनि रुद्राक्षमाळेसी । करावे धारण परियेसा ॥१८॥
motī povaḷī sphaṭikesī | raupya vaiḍūrya suvarṇesī | miḷoni rudrākṣamāḷesī | karāve dhāraṇa pariyesā ||18||
Mixing pearls, coral, crystal, silver, beryl (vaidūrya), and gold together with the rudrākṣa garland, one should wear it thus, listen.
Precious materials are blended with the humble rudrākṣa seed, showing that outer wealth is meant to serve devotion rather than replace it.
Let whatever resources you have — modest or rich — be placed in service of your deeper commitments, not kept apart from them.
याचे फळ असे अपार । रुद्राक्षमाला अति थोर । जे मिळती समयानुसार । रुद्राक्ष धारण करावे ॥१९॥
yāce phaḷa ase apāra | rudrākṣamālā ati thora | je miḷatī samayānusāra | rudrākṣa dhāraṇa karāve ||19||
Its fruit is boundless; the rudrākṣa garland is exceedingly great; whichever kind can be obtained as the occasion allows, that rudrākṣa should be worn.
The teaching insists that circumstance is no excuse — use what is available rather than waiting for an ideal that may never come.
Start your practice with what you have on hand today rather than postponing until conditions are perfect.
ज्याचे गळा रुद्राक्ष असती । त्यासी पापे नातळती । तया होय सद्गति । रुद्रलोकी अखंडित ॥२०॥
jyāce gaḷā rudrākṣa asatī | tyāsī pāpe nātaḷatī | tayā hoya sadgati | rudralokī akhamḍita ||20||
Whoever wears rudrākṣa around the neck, sin does not touch them; they attain a good final state, dwelling unbroken in Rudraloka (Rudra's world).
Sadgati (a good passage after death) is promised as the fruit of steady devotion — the emblem worn in life is trusted to accompany the soul afterward.
Let your daily habits be ones you'd be at peace carrying with you to your very last day.
रुद्राक्षमाळा धरोनि । जप करिती अनुष्ठानी । अनंत फळ असे जाणी । एकचित्ते परियेसा ॥२१॥
rudrākṣamāḷā dharoni | japa karitī anuṣṭhānī | anamta phaḷa ase jāṇī | ekacitte pariyesā ||21||
Holding the rudrākṣa garland, they perform japa (repeated recitation) as a disciplined practice; know the fruit of this to be endless — listen with a single-pointed mind.
The bead-string here doubles as a counting tool for repeated prayer, joining physical object and inner discipline into one act.
Use a simple physical aid — beads, a checklist, a set time — to keep a repeated practice steady and countable.
रुद्राक्षाविणे जो नर । वृथा जन्म जाणा घोर । ज्याचे कपाळी नसे त्रिपुंड्र । जन्म वाया परियेसा ॥२२॥
rudrākṣāviṇe jo nara | vṛthā janma jāṇā ghora | jyāce kapāḷī nase tripumḍra | janma vāyā pariyesā ||22||
The man without rudrākṣa, know that his birth is vain and grievous; one whose forehead bears no tripuṇḍra (the three-lined ash mark), his birth is wasted, listen.
Strong language ('wasted birth') underlines how central these outward marks of devotion are considered within this tradition — the emblem is treated as evidence of a life turned toward the sacred.
Don't let a life pass without some visible, regular sign of what you actually hold sacred.
रुद्राक्ष बांधोनि मस्तकेसी । अथवा दोन्ही श्रवणांसी । स्नान करिता नरासी । गंगास्नानफळ असे ॥२३॥
rudrākṣa bāmdhoni mastakesī | athavā donhī śravaṇāmsī | snāna karitā narāsī | gamgāsnānaphaḷa ase ||23||
Tying rudrākṣa on the head or on both ears, when a man bathes, he obtains the merit of bathing in the Gaṅgā.
A modest daily act — an ordinary bath — is elevated to the merit of a great pilgrimage simply through the presence of the sacred bead.
Bring a small sacred reminder into your ordinary routines so that even the mundane becomes meaningful.
रुद्राक्ष ठेवोनि पूजेसी । अभिषेक करावा श्रीरुद्रेसी । लिंगपूजा समानेसी । फळ असे निर्धारा ॥२४॥
rudrākṣa ṭhevoni pūjesī | abhiṣeka karāvā śrīrudresī | limgapūjā samānesī | phaḷa ase nirdhārā ||24||
Keeping rudrākṣa for worship, one should perform abhiṣeka to Śrī Rudra; the fruit is certain, equal to worship of the liṅga.
The rudrākṣa is treated as interchangeable in merit with formal temple worship of the liṅga — a portable, humble object standing in for elaborate ritual.
Trust that a simple, sincere practice at home can carry as much weight as a grand, formal observance.
एकमुख पंचमुख । एकादश असती मुख । चतुर्दशादि कौतुक । मुखे असती परियेसा ॥२५॥
ekamukha pamcamukha | ekādaśa asatī mukha | caturdaśādi kautuka | mukhe asatī pariyesā ||25||
There are one-faced, five-faced, eleven-faced beads; fourteen-faced and other wondrous kinds of faces exist, listen.
The catalog of mukhī (facet) types reflects a rich devotional taxonomy, where variety itself is treated as part of the wonder of creation.
Appreciate the many different valid forms a shared practice can take rather than insisting on only one way.
हे उत्तम मिळती जरी । अथवा असती नानापरी । धारण करावे प्रीतिकरी । पावे चतुर्विध पुरुषार्थ ॥२६॥
he uttama miḷatī jarī | athavā asatī nānāparī | dhāraṇa karāve prītikarī | pāve caturvidha puruṣārtha ||26||
If these excellent kinds can be obtained, or whichever sort is available, wear them lovingly; one attains the fourfold goals of life (puruṣārtha).
Puruṣārtha — dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (duty, prosperity, desire, liberation) — is offered as the complete reward of a devotion that need not be extravagant, only loving.
Pursue your goals with love in what you already have rather than waiting for the ideal version.
यांचे पूर्वील आख्यान । विशेष असे अति गहन । ऐकता पापे पळोन । जाती त्वरित परियेसा ॥२७॥
yāmce pūrvīla ākhyāna | viśeṣa ase ati gahana | aikatā pāpe paḷona | jātī tvarita pariyesā ||27||
The prior account concerning these is especially profound; hearing it, sins flee away swiftly, listen.
The narrator now signals a story is coming that will itself carry purifying power simply in the telling and hearing.
Take time to actually hear out a meaningful story fully rather than skimming past it.
राजा काश्मीरदेशासी । भद्रसेन नामे परियेसी । त्याचा पुत्र सुधर्म नामेसी । प्रख्यात असे अवधारा ॥२८॥
rājā kāśmīradeśāsī | bhadrasena nāme pariyesī | tyācā putra sudharma nāmesī | prakhyāta ase avadhārā ||28||
In the land of Kāśmīra there was a king named Bhadrasena; his son, named Sudharma, was renowned, understand.
The story now turns to its central characters — a king and prince whose fates will illustrate the rudrākṣa's power across lifetimes.
Notice how larger lessons often come wrapped in the story of one particular family.
त्या राजाचा मंत्रीसुत । नाम तारक विख्यात । दोघे कुमार ज्ञानवंत । परमसखे असति देखा ॥२९॥
tyā rājācā mamtrīsuta | nāma tāraka vikhyāta | doghe kumāra jñānavamta | paramasakhe asati dekhā ||29||
That king's minister had a son named Tāraka, who was famous; the two boys, both learned, were the closest of friends, behold.
A prince and a commoner's son are bound as equals in friendship and learning — true companionship here crosses rank.
Value a friendship for shared character and purpose rather than for difference in status.
उभयता एके वयासी । एके स्थानी विद्याभ्यासी । क्रीडा विनोद अति प्रीतींसी । वर्तती देखा संतोषे ॥३०॥
ubhayatā eke vayāsī | eke sthānī vidyābhyāsī | krīḍā vinoda ati prītīmsī | vartatī dekhā samtoṣe ||30||
Both of the same age, studying together in one place; they lived joyfully, sporting and jesting with much affection, behold.
Their bond is rooted in ordinary shared life — study, play, meals — the soil out of which their later shared devotion grows.
Nurture friendships through everyday shared activities, not only through grand occasions.
क्रीडास्थानी सहभोजनी । असती दोघे संतोषोनि । ऐसे कुमार महाज्ञानी । शिवभजक परियेसा ॥३१॥
krīḍāsthānī sahabhojanī | asatī doghe samtoṣoni | aise kumāra mahājñānī | śivabhajaka pariyesā ||31||
They stayed together in play and shared meals, content; such were the two boys — greatly wise, and worshippers of Śiva, listen.
Their intellectual gifts are named alongside their devotion — wisdom and worship are shown going hand in hand, not opposed.
Don't separate learning from faith; let intelligence and devotion grow together in your life.
सर्वदेहा अलंकार । रुद्राक्षमाळा सुंदर । भस्मधारण त्रिपुंड्र । टिळा असे परियेसा ॥३२॥
sarvadehā alamkāra | rudrākṣamāḷā sumdara | bhasmadhāraṇa tripumḍra | ṭiḷā ase pariyesā ||32||
The ornament of their whole bodies was the beautiful rudrākṣa garland; the application of ash and the tripuṇḍra were their forehead-mark, listen.
The boys choose ascetic emblems — ash and rudrākṣa — as their only adornment even while young princes, an early sign of where their hearts truly lie.
Let your true priorities show even in small everyday choices, like what you choose to wear or display.
रत्नाभरणे सुवर्ण । लेखिती लोहासमान । रुद्रमाळावाचून । न घेती देखा अलंकार ॥३३॥
ratnābharaṇe suvarṇa | lekhitī lohāsamāna | rudramāḷāvācūna | na ghetī dekhā alamkāra ||33||
Jeweled ornaments and gold they regarded as no better than iron; without the rudra-garland, they would accept no other ornament.
By calling precious metal 'mere iron,' the boys show that value, for them, is measured by devotion rather than material worth.
Weigh your possessions by what they mean to your inner life, not by their market price.
मातापिता बंधुजन । आणोनि देती रत्नाभरण । टाकोनि देती कोपोन । लोह पाषाण म्हणती त्यांसी ॥३४॥
mātāpitā bamdhujana | āṇoni detī ratnābharaṇa | ṭākoni detī kopona | loha pāṣāṇa mhaṇatī tyāmsī ||34||
Their parents and kin brought and offered them jeweled ornaments; the boys, angered, cast them away, calling them 'iron and stone.'
Even loving pressure from family cannot move the boys from their chosen devotion — conviction here is shown as firmer than affection's pull toward convention.
Hold your convictions steady even when well-meaning people around you push you toward what is merely customary.
वर्तता ऐसे एके दिवशी । तया राजमंदिरासी । आला पराशर ऋषि । जो का त्रिकाळज्ञ असे देखा ॥३५॥
vartatā aise eke divaśī | tayā rājamamdirāsī | ālā parāśara ṛṣi | jo kā trikāḷajña ase dekhā ||35||
One day, as things went on thus, the sage Parāśara — who is a knower of the three times — came to that royal palace, behold.
Trikālajña (knower of past, present, and future) marks Parāśara as more than an ordinary visitor; the story now brings prophecy and cosmic insight into the household.
When someone with real wisdom crosses your path, treat the encounter as significant, not incidental.
ऋषि आला देखोन । राजा संमुख जाऊन । साष्टांगी नमन करून । अभिवंदिला तये वेळी ॥३६॥
ṛṣi ālā dekhona | rājā sammukha jāūna | sāṣṭāmgī namana karūna | abhivamdilā taye veḷī ||36||
Seeing the sage arrive, the king went out to meet him; making a full eight-limbed prostration, he honored him at that moment.
Sāṣṭāṅga namaskāra (prostrating with eight parts of the body touching the ground) is the fullest gesture of reverence — the king spares nothing in honoring the sage.
Greet a person of wisdom or authority with your whole, unreserved respect, not a half-hearted gesture.
बैसवोनि सिंहासनी । अर्घ्य पाद्य देवोनि । पूजा केली विधानी । महानंदे तये वेळी ॥३७॥
baisavoni simhāsanī | arghya pādya devoni | pūjā kelī vidhānī | mahānamde taye veḷī ||37||
Seating him on the throne, offering arghya and pādya (ceremonial water for guest and feet), he performed worship according to due ritual, with great joy at that time.
The king's hospitality follows the classical guest-rites — treating a sage as a guest is itself a sacred duty in this tradition.
Make the effort to welcome a respected guest properly, attending to the small courtesies as much as the big gesture.
कर जोडोनि मुनिवरासी । विनवी राव भक्तीसी । पिसे लागले पुत्रांसी । काय करावे म्हणतसे ॥३८॥
kara joḍoni munivarāsī | vinavī rāva bhaktīsī | pise lāgale putrāmsī | kāya karāve mhaṇatase ||38||
Joining his hands to the great sage, the king entreats with devotion: 'A madness has come upon my sons; what should I do?' he says.
The king frames his sons' single-minded devotion as an affliction — a very human reaction when a child's chosen path departs sharply from parental expectation.
Before judging a loved one's unusual devotion as 'madness,' pause and try to understand it first.
रत्नाभरणे अलंकार । न घेती भुषण परिकर । रुद्राक्षमाळा कंठी हार । सर्वाभरणे तीच करिती ॥३९॥
ratnābharaṇe alamkāra | na ghetī bhuṣaṇa parikara | rudrākṣamāḷā kamṭhī hāra | sarvābharaṇe tīca karitī ||39||
'They will not accept jeweled ornaments or any other adornment; the rudrākṣa garland worn as a neck-chain is the only ornament they take.'
The king restates the boys' single devotion plainly, setting up the sage's coming explanation of its deeper cause.
State a concern about someone plainly and honestly when seeking advice, rather than softening or exaggerating it.
शिकविल्या नायकती । कैचे यांचे मती । स्वामी त्याते बोधिती । तरीच ऐकती कुमार ॥४०॥
śikavilyā nāyakatī | kaice yāmce matī | svāmī tyāte bodhitī | tarīca aikatī kumāra ||40||
'When taught otherwise, they will not listen — what wisdom of their own do they have? You, O Swami, must instruct them; only then will the boys listen.'
The king appeals to the sage's authority as greater than his own parental persuasion, trusting that a true teacher can reach where a father cannot.
Recognize when someone else's counsel might reach a loved one better than your own, and seek that help.
भूतभविष्यावर्तमानी । त्रिकाळज्ञ तुम्ही मुनि । यांचा अभिप्राय विस्तारोनि । निरोपावा दातार ॥४१॥
bhūtabhaviṣyāvartamānī | trikāḷajña tumhī muni | yāmcā abhiprāya vistāroni | niropāvā dātāra ||41||
'Knower of past, future, and present, you are a sage of the three times; please explain fully their disposition, O giver [of grace].'
The king asks not merely for behavior to be corrected but for its meaning to be understood — insight is sought before intervention.
Seek to understand the reason behind a puzzling behavior before trying to change it.
ऐकोनि रायाचे वचन । पराशरा हर्ष जाण । निरोपितसे हासोन । म्हणे विचित्र असे देखा ॥४२॥
aikoni rāyāce vacana | parāśarā harṣa jāṇa | niropitase hāsona | mhaṇe vicitra ase dekhā ||42||
Hearing the king's words, Parāśara felt joy, know this; smiling, he says: 'This is a wondrous matter, behold.'
The sage's smile signals that what seems troubling to the father is, in fact, a marvel of grace — the story invites the reader to expect a reversal of the king's worry.
Stay open to the possibility that what worries you may turn out, on fuller understanding, to be a blessing.
तुझ्या आणि मंत्रिसुताचे । वृत्तान्त असती विस्मयाचे । सांगेन ऐक विचित्र साचे । म्हणोनि निरोपी तया वेळी ॥४३॥
tujhyā āṇi mamtrisutāce | vṛttānta asatī vismayāce | sāmgena aika vicitra sāce | mhaṇoni niropī tayā veḷī ||43||
'Your story and the minister's son's story are matters of wonder; I will tell it — listen to the strange truth,' he said at that time.
The sage links father and prince, and by extension the minister's son, within a single hidden history now about to be revealed.
Be ready to learn that your own story is more intertwined with others' than you realized.
पूर्वी नंदीनाम नगरी । अति लावण्य सुंदरी । होती एक वेश्या नारी । जैसे तेज चंद्रकांति ॥४४॥
pūrvī namdīnāma nagarī | ati lāvaṇya sumdarī | hotī eka veśyā nārī | jaise teja camdrakāmti ||44||
Formerly, in a city named Nandī, there lived a very beautiful, lovely woman — a courtesan — whose radiance was like moonlight.
The story now shifts to a past life: a veśyā (courtesan) of great beauty and wealth, setting up a tale about virtue found in an unexpected place.
Be willing to find the seed of real virtue in someone whose profession or reputation seems far from holy.
जैसा चंद्र पौर्णिमेसी । तैसे छत्र असे तिसी । सुखासन सुवर्णैसी । शोभायमान असे देखा ॥४५॥
jaisā camdra paurṇimesī | taise chatra ase tisī | sukhāsana suvarṇaisī | śobhāyamāna ase dekhā ||45||
Like the full moon, so was her royal canopy; her palanquin was of gold, magnificently splendid, behold.
Her outward grandeur — canopy and golden seat, marks usually reserved for royalty — signals immense wealth and status despite her social position.
Notice that outward wealth or status says nothing certain about a person's inner character.
हिरण्यमय तिचे भुवन । पादुका सुवर्णाच्या जाण । नानापरी आभरणे । विचित्र असती परियेसा ॥४६॥
hiraṇyamaya tice bhuvana | pādukā suvarṇācyā jāṇa | nānāparī ābharaṇe | vicitra asatī pariyesā ||46||
Her mansion was of gold; her sandals were golden, know this; ornaments of many kinds, wondrous, were there, listen.
The description piles up wealth to make the coming test of her character all the more striking — she has everything material already.
Recognize that possessing everything materially still leaves the deeper question of character unanswered.
पर्यंक रत्नखचित देखा । वस्त्राभरणे अनेका । गोमहिषी दास्यादिका । बहुत असती परियेसा ॥४७॥
paryamka ratnakhacita dekhā | vastrābharaṇe anekā | gomahiṣī dāsyādikā | bahuta asatī pariyesā ||47||
Her couch was jewel-studded, behold; she had many garments and ornaments; cows, buffaloes, and maidservants and the like were plentiful, listen.
The inventory of her household wealth continues, painting a life of total material abundance before the moral turn of the story.
Take stock honestly of what you already have before chasing after more.
सर्वाभरणे तीस असती । जैसी दिसे मन्मथरति । नवयौवना सोमकांति । अतिसुंदर लावण्य ॥४८॥
sarvābharaṇe tīsa asatī | jaisī dise manmatharati | navayauvanā somakāmti | atisumdara lāvaṇya ||48||
All manner of ornaments were hers; she appeared like Rati, consort of the god of love; youthful, moon-radiant, exceedingly beautiful and lovely.
Her beauty is compared to Rati, the mythic embodiment of love and allure, underlining how completely the world saw her through appearance alone.
Look past someone's outward charm to see who they truly are underneath.
गंध कुंकुम कस्तुरी । पुष्पे असती नानापरी । अखिल भोग तिच्या घरी । ख्याति असे तया ग्रामी ॥४९॥
gamdha kumkuma kasturī | puṣpe asatī nānāparī | akhila bhoga ticyā gharī | khyāti ase tayā grāmī ||49||
Sandal-paste, vermillion, musk, and flowers of many kinds were there; every pleasure was to be had in her house — such was her fame in that town.
Sensory luxury fills her home, the very opposite backdrop from which the tale will draw out an act of extraordinary faithfulness.
Don't assume a life of pleasure and comfort has no capacity for genuine devotion.
धनधान्यादि संपत्ति । कोटिसंख्या नाही मिति । ऐशियापरी नांदती । वारवनिता तये नगरी ॥५०॥
dhanadhānyādi sampatti | koṭisamkhyā nāhī miti | aiśiyāparī nāmdatī | vāravanitā taye nagarī ||50||
Wealth, grain, and riches — uncountable, in the millions — in this way the courtesan lived prosperously in that city.
The narrator closes the catalogue of her prosperity, having established just how much this woman had to lose by later choosing an unusual devotion.
Measure a person's coming choice by what it costs them, not by how easy it looks from outside.
असोनि वारवनिता । म्हणवी आपण पतिव्रता । धर्म करी असंख्याता । अन्नवस्त्रे ब्राह्मणांसी ॥५१॥
asoni vāravanitā | mhaṇavī āpaṇa pativratā | dharma karī asamkhyātā | annavastre brāhmaṇāmsī ||51||
Though she was a courtesan, she called herself a chaste wife (pativratā); she performed countless acts of charity — food and clothing to brahmins.
Her self-description as 'chaste' despite her profession sets up the story's central irony and its eventual, surprising vindication.
Practice generosity and integrity in whatever circumstance life has placed you, whatever label others give you.
नाट्यमंडप तिचे द्वारी । रत्नखचित नानापरी । उभारिला अतिकुसरी । सदा नृत्य करी तेथे ॥५२॥
nāṭyamamḍapa tice dvārī | ratnakhacita nānāparī | ubhārilā atikusarī | sadā nṛtya karī tethe ||52||
A dance-pavilion stood at her door, jewel-studded and of many designs, built with great skill; dance was performed there constantly.
The dance-pavilion (nāṭyamaṇḍapa) — soon to catch fire — is carefully described now so its later destruction lands with full weight.
Notice how the story lingers on details before disaster; pay attention to what you might lose before it's gone.
सखिवर्गासह नित्य । नृय करी मनोरथ । कुक्कुट मर्कट विनोदार्थ । बांधिले असती मंडप्पी ॥५३॥
sakhivargāsaha nitya | nṛya karī manoratha | kukkuṭa markaṭa vinodārtha | bāmdhile asatī mamḍappī ||53||
With her companions she danced daily with delight; for amusement, a rooster and a monkey were kept tied up in the pavilion.
The rooster and monkey, kept merely for entertainment, will turn out later to carry unexpected spiritual significance — small creatures are never truly incidental in this story's moral universe.
Treat even the smallest creatures or overlooked details in your life with some care; their worth may exceed what you assume.
तया मर्कटकुक्कुटांसी । नृत्य शिकवी विनोदेसी । रुद्राक्षमाळाभूषणेसी । गळा रुद्राक्ष बांधिले ॥५४॥
tayā markaṭakukkuṭāmsī | nṛtya śikavī vinodesī | rudrākṣamāḷābhūṣaṇesī | gaḷā rudrākṣa bāmdhile ||54||
She taught that monkey and rooster to dance for amusement; she adorned them with rudrākṣa ornaments, tying rudrākṣa around their necks.
Even as playthings, the animals are marked with the sacred bead — an act of casual whimsy that the story will later reveal as unknowingly meritorious.
A small, even unthinking act of devotion may plant a seed of good you cannot yet see the fruit of.
तया मर्कटकुक्कुटांसी । नामे ठेविली सदाशिव ऐसी । वर्तता एके दिवसी । अभिनव झाले परियेसा ॥५५॥
tayā markaṭakukkuṭāmsī | nāme ṭhevilī sadāśiva aisī | vartatā eke divasī | abhinava jhāle pariyesā ||55||
She named that monkey and rooster 'Sadāśiva' [a name of Śiva]; as things went on, one day something extraordinary happened, listen.
Naming her pets after Śiva, however casually done, links these humble creatures to the divine in a way that will matter later — names given in play can carry unintended weight.
Be thoughtful even about the names and words you use in jest; they can shape how you and others come to see something.
शिवव्रत म्हणजे एक । वैश्य झाला महाधनिक । रुद्राक्षमाळा-भस्मांकित । प्रवेशला तिचे घरी ॥५६॥
śivavrata mhaṇaje eka | vaiśya jhālā mahādhanika | rudrākṣamāḷā-bhasmāmkita | praveśalā tice gharī ||56||
By a great vow of Śiva-worship, a certain merchant (vaiśya) had become greatly wealthy; adorned with the rudrākṣa garland and sacred ash, he entered her house.
A devout, prosperous merchant now enters the courtesan's world — his outward emblems of devotion mirror those the prince and minister's son will later wear.
Let prosperity, when it comes, be worn together with visible humility and devotion, not pride.
त्याचे सव्य करी देखा । रत्नखचित लिंग निका । तेजे फाके चंद्रार्का । विराजमान दिसतसे ॥५७॥
tyāce savya karī dekhā | ratnakhacita limga nikā | teje phāke camdrārkā | virājamāna disatase ||57||
In his right hand was a fine, jewel-studded liṅga, its radiance shining like the moon and sun, appearing resplendent.
The merchant carries a portable sacred liṅga (an emblem of Śiva) as his most prized possession — his devotion is literally kept close at hand.
Carry some tangible symbol of your deepest values close to you, as a constant reminder.
तया वैश्यासी देखोनि । नेले वेश्ये वंदूनि । नाट्यमंडपी बैसवोनि । उपचार केले नानापरी ॥५८॥
tayā vaiśyāsī dekhoni | nele veśye vamdūni | nāṭyamamḍapī baisavoni | upacāra kele nānāparī ||58||
Seeing that merchant, the courtesan bowed and brought him in; seating him in the dance-pavilion, she performed hospitality of many kinds.
The courtesan's professional hospitality now becomes the setting for a chance encounter that will change her fate entirely.
Treat every guest, even one you expect only briefly, with real hospitality — you never know what the encounter may become.
तया वैश्याचे करी । जे का होते लिंग भारी । रत्नखचित सूर्यापरी । दिसतसे तयाचे ॥५९॥
tayā vaiśyāce karī | je kā hote limga bhārī | ratnakhacita sūryāparī | disatase tayāce ||59||
In that merchant's hand was that weighty liṅga; jewel-studded, shining like the sun, it appeared — his very own.
The narrator repeats the description of the dazzling liṅga to fix the reader's (and the courtesan's) attention on the object that will drive the plot.
Notice what draws your eye and desire most strongly; it often reveals what you truly value.
देखोनि लिंग रत्नखचित । वारवनिता विस्मय करीत । आपुल्या सखीस म्हणत । ऐसी वस्तु पाहिजे आम्हा ॥६०॥
dekhoni limga ratnakhacita | vāravanitā vismaya karīta | āpulyā sakhīsa mhaṇata | aisī vastu pāhije āmhā ||60||
Seeing the jewel-studded liṅga, the courtesan was amazed; she says to her companion: 'I must have such a thing.'
Desire for the beautiful object, rather than for the sacred meaning behind it, is what first moves her — the story will slowly transform this desire into real faith.
Notice when admiration for a beautiful thing might become the doorway to a deeper devotion, if you follow it honestly.
पुसावे तया वैश्यासी । जरी देईल मौल्येसी । अथवा देईल रतीसी । होईन कुलस्त्री तीन दिवस ॥६१॥
pusāve tayā vaiśyāsī | jarī deīla maulyesī | athavā deīla ratīsī | hoīna kulastrī tīna divasa ||61||
'Ask that merchant whether he will give it for a price, or whether he will give it in exchange for intimacy; I will become his lawful wife for three days.'
Her proposal, framed in the transactional terms of her profession, will unexpectedly become the occasion for a sincere vow — the story uses her trade itself as the unlikely ground for genuine virtue.
Even when an arrangement begins as a mere transaction, resolve to keep whatever promise you make within it fully.
ऐकोन तियेचे वचन । पुसती वैश्यासी सखी जाण । जरि का द्याल लिंगरत्न । देईल रति दिवस तीनी ॥६२॥
aikona tiyece vacana | pusatī vaiśyāsī sakhī jāṇa | jari kā dyāla limgaratna | deīla rati divasa tīnī ||62||
Hearing her words, the friend asks the merchant, know this: 'If you give the jewel-linga, she will grant her company for three days.'
The negotiation is carried out through an intermediary, as custom required — the friend acts as go-between for what will become a fateful bargain.
When negotiating something delicate, be honest and clear about terms from the very start.
अथवा द्याल मौल्येसी । लक्षसंख्यादि द्रव्यासी । जे का वसे तुमचे मानसी । निरोपावे वेश्येप्रती ॥६३॥
athavā dyāla maulyesī | lakṣasamkhyādi dravyāsī | je kā vase tumace mānasī | niropāve veśyepratī ||63||
'Or if you will give it for a price — a hundred thousand in wealth — whatever is in your mind, tell it to the courtesan.'
The friend offers the merchant a straightforward alternative, money instead of intimacy, leaving the choice entirely to him.
When offering someone a choice, lay out the options plainly and let them decide freely.
ऐकोनि सखियांचे वचन । म्हणे वैश्य हासोन । देईन लिंग मोहन । रतिकांक्षा करुनी ॥६४॥
aikoni sakhiyāmce vacana | mhaṇe vaiśya hāsona | deīna limga mohana | ratikāmkṣā karunī ||64||
Hearing his companions' words, the merchant says, smiling: 'I will give the beguiling liṅga, desiring her companionship.'
The merchant chooses intimacy over money — but his real purpose, revealed only later, is to test the courtesan's capacity for faithfulness, not mere pleasure.
Be wary of judging someone's motive too quickly; what looks like one thing may serve a deeper purpose.
तुमची मुख्य वारवनिता । जरी होईल माझी कांता । दिवस तीन पतिव्रता । होवोनि असणे मनोभावे ॥६५॥
tumacī mukhya vāravanitā | jarī hoīla mājhī kāmtā | divasa tīna pativratā | hovoni asaṇe manobhāve ||65||
'If your chief courtesan is to become my beloved, she must remain, for three days, a faithful wife wholeheartedly.'
The merchant sets the essential condition plainly: not mere presence but true pativratā (wifely faithfulness), however brief the term.
State clearly what genuine commitment, not just appearance, would require of someone before you agree to a bargain.
म्हणोनिया मुख्य वनितेसी । पुसतसे वैश्य तिसी । व्यभिचारिणी नाम तुजसी । काय सत्य तुझे बोल ॥६६॥
mhaṇoniyā mukhya vanitesī | pusatase vaiśya tisī | vyabhicāriṇī nāma tujasī | kāya satya tujhe bola ||66||
So he asks the chief woman herself: 'Your name is the unfaithful one — is your word actually true [that you can be faithful]?'
The merchant bluntly challenges her by her profession's reputation, forcing her to answer for herself rather than let her friend speak for her.
When someone doubts your resolve, meet the doubt honestly instead of avoiding the question.
तुम्हा कैचे धर्म कर्म । बहु पुरुषांचा संगम । पतिव्रता कैचे नाम । तुज असे सांग मज ॥६७॥
tumhā kaice dharma karma | bahu puruṣāmcā samgama | pativratā kaice nāma | tuja ase sāmga maja ||67||
'What duty or virtue can you have — union with many men? What name of chaste wife could belong to you — tell me.'
His pointed challenge names the very contradiction the story is built to resolve: can a courtesan truly become, even briefly, an example of fidelity?
Don't let a person's past define what they are capable of becoming; give them the chance to prove otherwise.
प्रख्यात तुमचा कुळाचार । सदा करणे व्यभिचार । नव्हे तुमचे मन स्थिर । एका पुरुषासवे नित्य ॥६८॥
prakhyāta tumacā kuḷācāra | sadā karaṇe vyabhicāra | navhe tumace mana sthira | ekā puruṣāsave nitya ||68||
'It is well known that the custom of your kind is to practice infidelity always; your mind is never steady with one man.'
The merchant's harsh words voice the world's assumption about her — the story will let her actions, not his judgment, have the last word.
Let your actions answer unfair judgments rather than only your words.
ऐकोनि वैश्याचे वचन । वारवनिता बोले आपण । दिनत्रय सत्य जाण । होईन तुमची कुलस्त्री ॥६९॥
aikoni vaiśyāce vacana | vāravanitā bole āpaṇa | dinatraya satya jāṇa | hoīna tumacī kulastrī ||69||
Hearing the merchant's words, the courtesan herself speaks: 'For three days, truly know this, I will be your lawful wife.'
She answers the challenge not with argument but with a direct vow — the turning point where her resolve toward genuine faithfulness begins.
Answer a challenge to your integrity with a clear commitment, then live up to it.
द्यावे माते लिंगरत्न । रतिप्रसंगी तुमचे मन । संतोषवीन अतिगहन । तनमनधनेसी ॥७०॥
dyāve māte limgaratna | ratiprasamgī tumace mana | samtoṣavīna atigahana | tanamanadhanesī ||70||
'Give me the jewel-linga; at the time of union I will satisfy your mind deeply, with body, mind, and wealth.'
Her promise covers the whole of herself — body, mind, and resources — an echo of the totality traditionally expected of a devoted wife.
When you commit to something, commit with your whole self rather than holding part of yourself back.
वैश्य म्हणे तियेसी । प्रमाण द्यावे आम्हांसी । दिनत्रय दिवानिशी । वागावे पत्नीधर्मकर्मे ॥७१॥
vaiśya mhaṇe tiyesī | pramāṇa dyāve āmhāmsī | dinatraya divāniśī | vāgāve patnīdharmakarme ||71||
The merchant says to her: 'Give me your solemn promise; for three days and nights you must conduct yourself according to a wife's duties.'
He asks for a formal pledge, not just a spoken intention — the story treats a vow, once formally made, as binding regardless of who makes it.
Make your important commitments explicit and formal, not merely implied, so both sides understand what is expected.
तये वेळी वारवनिता । लिंगावरी ठेवी हाता । चंद्र सूर्य साक्षी करिता । झाली पत्नी तयाची ॥७२॥
taye veḷī vāravanitā | limgāvarī ṭhevī hātā | camdra sūrya sākṣī karitā | jhālī patnī tayācī ||72||
At that moment the courtesan places her hand upon the liṅga; making the sun and moon her witnesses, she became his wife.
She swears her vow upon the sacred liṅga itself, with sun and moon — the eternal, ever-watching witnesses of dharma — as guarantors; her promise is sanctified before it is even tested.
When you make a serious promise, anchor it to something enduring and true, so you remain accountable to it.
इतुकिया अवसरी । लिंग दिले तियेचे करी । संतोष जहाली ती नारी । करी कंकण बांधिले ॥७३॥
itukiyā avasarī | limga dile tiyece karī | samtoṣa jahālī tī nārī | karī kamkaṇa bāmdhile ||73||
At that very moment, the liṅga was placed in her hand; the woman became joyful and tied a marriage bracelet (kaṅkaṇa) on her wrist.
The bracelet, a customary marker of a wedding vow, formalizes what began as a transaction into something she now treats with full seriousness.
Mark an important commitment with some outward sign, so that both you and others remember its weight.
लिंग देवोनि वेश्येसी । बोले वैश्य परियेसी । माझ्या प्राणासमानेसी । लिंग असे जाण तुवा ॥७४॥
limga devoni veśyesī | bole vaiśya pariyesī | mājhyā prāṇāsamānesī | limga ase jāṇa tuvā ||74||
Having given the liṅga to the courtesan, the merchant speaks, listen: 'This liṅga is as dear to me as my very life-breath, know this well.'
The merchant reveals just how precious the object is to him — setting up the devastating stakes of what will happen to it.
Be honest about what truly matters most to you before entrusting it to someone else's care.
या कारणे लिंगासी । जतन करणे परियेसी । हानि होता यासी । प्राण आपुला देईन ॥७५॥
yā kāraṇe limgāsī | jatana karaṇe pariyesī | hāni hotā yāsī | prāṇa āpulā deīna ||75||
'For this reason, you must guard the liṅga carefully, listen; should any harm come to it, I will give up my own life.'
He sets impossibly high stakes on the safekeeping of the object — an unknowing test of how seriously she will treat what has been entrusted to her.
Take special care of anything entrusted to you, treating its safekeeping as seriously as the person who gave it to you.
ऐसे वैश्याचे वचन ऐकोन । अंगिकारिले आपण । म्हणे लिंग करीन जतन । प्राणापरी परियेसा ॥७६॥
aise vaiśyāce vacana aikona | amgikārile āpaṇa | mhaṇe limga karīna jatana | prāṇāparī pariyesā ||76||
Hearing the merchant's words, she accepted the charge; she says: 'I will guard the liṅga as my very life-breath, listen.'
She mirrors his own words back to him, taking on the same intensity of care he asked for — a small sign that her vow is being taken with full sincerity.
Match the seriousness of a responsibility with the same seriousness in your own promise to fulfill it.
ऐसी दोघे संतोषित । बैसले होते मंडपात । दिवस जाता अस्तंगत । म्हणती जाऊ मंदिरा ॥७७॥
aisī doghe samtoṣita | baisale hote mamḍapāta | divasa jātā astamgata | mhaṇatī jāū mamdirā ||77||
Thus the two, joyful, sat together in the pavilion; as the day drew toward evening, they said, 'Let us go into the inner chamber.'
The ordinary rhythm of an evening — the couple retiring together — sets the calm before the story's sudden crisis.
Enjoy an ordinary, peaceful moment fully; you rarely know how soon it may be tested.
संभोगसमयी लिंगासी । न ठेवावे जवळिकेसी । म्हणे वैश्य तियेसी । तये वेळी परियेसा ॥७८॥
sambhogasamayī limgāsī | na ṭhevāve javaḷikesī | mhaṇe vaiśya tiyesī | taye veḷī pariyesā ||78||
'At the time of intimacy, the liṅga must not be kept nearby,' the merchant tells her at that time, listen.
He instructs that the sacred object be set apart even from their private union — reverence requires that some things be kept undisturbed by all else.
Keep what is sacred to you set apart from the ordinary business of daily life, so it retains its special place.
ऐकोनि वैश्याचे वचन । मंडपी ठेविले लिंगरत्न । मध्यस्तंभी बैसवोन । गेली अंतर्गृहात ॥७९॥
aikoni vaiśyāce vacana | mamḍapī ṭhevile limgaratna | madhyastambhī baisavona | gelī amtargṛhāta ||79||
Hearing the merchant's words, she placed the jewel-liṅga in the pavilion, setting it upon the central pillar, and went into the inner chamber.
She obeys his instruction exactly and without hesitation — her care for the entrusted object is already visible in this small act of obedience.
Follow through precisely on instructions given for something precious, even in small details.
क्रीडा करिती दोघेजण । होते ऐका एक क्षण । उठिला अग्नि दारुण । तया नाट्यमंडपी ॥८०॥
krīḍā karitī doghejaṇa | hote aikā eka kṣaṇa | uṭhilā agni dāruṇa | tayā nāṭyamamḍapī ||80||
The two were sporting together; it had been but a single moment when a terrible fire arose in that dance-pavilion.
Disaster strikes with no warning, in the space of a single instant — the story turns abruptly from pleasure to crisis.
Remember how quickly circumstances can change, and hold your peace of mind lightly rather than taking it for granted.
अग्नि लागता मंडप । भस्म झाला जैसा धूप । वैश्य करितसे प्रलाप । देखोनि तये वेळी ॥८१॥
agni lāgatā mamḍapa | bhasma jhālā jaisā dhūpa | vaiśya karitase pralāpa | dekhoni taye veḷī ||81||
The fire caught the pavilion; it turned to ash like burnt incense; the merchant, seeing it at that moment, wailed in lament.
The image of the pavilion reduced to ash 'like burnt incense' underlines the totality and swiftness of the loss.
When loss strikes, allow yourself honest grief rather than pretending it doesn't hurt.
म्हणे हा हा काय झाले । माझे प्राणलिंग गेले । विझविताती अतिप्रबळे । नगरलोक मिळोनि ॥८२॥
mhaṇe hā hā kāya jhāle | mājhe prāṇalimga gele | vijhavitātī atiprabaḷe | nagaraloka miḷoni ||82||
He says: 'Alas, alas, what has happened! My life-liṅga is gone!' The townsfolk gathered and worked mightily to extinguish the fire.
The wider community joins in the crisis — the merchant's private devotion has become a shared concern of the whole town.
Let neighbors and community help in moments of crisis; don't try to bear every loss alone.
विझवूनिया पहाती लिंगासी । दग्ध झाले परियेसी । अग्नी कुक्कुटमर्कटांसी । दहन जहाले परियेसा ॥८३॥
vijhavūniyā pahātī limgāsī | dagdha jhāle pariyesī | agnī kukkuṭamarkaṭāmsī | dahana jahāle pariyesā ||83||
Having extinguished the fire, they searched for the liṅga; it was found burnt, they heard. The fire had also consumed the rooster and the monkey, they heard.
The loss is now total: the precious liṅga destroyed, and even the humble animal companions consumed — nothing in the pavilion is spared.
Take full stock of a loss honestly, without minimizing any part of it, before deciding how to respond.
वैश्य देखोनि तये वेळी । दुःख करी अतिप्रबळी । प्राणलिंग गेले जळोनि । आता प्राण त्यजीन म्हणे ॥८४॥
vaiśya dekhoni taye veḷī | duḥkha karī atiprabaḷī | prāṇalimga gele jaḷoni | ātā prāṇa tyajīna mhaṇe ||84||
The merchant, seeing this at that moment, grieved with overwhelming sorrow: 'My life-liṅga is burnt away; now I will give up my life,' he says.
He resolves to make good on his own earlier vow — that harm to the liṅga would cost him his life — showing that his devotion was never idle speech.
Let your words and your actions match; don't make vows you aren't prepared to keep.
म्हणोनिया निघाला बाहेरी । आयती केली ते अवसरी । काष्ठे मिळवोन अपारी । अग्नि केला परियेसा ॥८५॥
mhaṇoniyā nighālā bāherī | āyatī kelī te avasarī | kāṣṭhe miḷavona apārī | agni kelā pariyesā ||85||
So saying, he went outside; preparations were made at that time; gathering an abundance of wood, he made a fire, listen.
He methodically prepares his own self-immolation — a deliberate, unhurried act rather than a moment of impulsive despair.
Even in grief, act with deliberateness rather than blind impulse — though the story will soon show this grief was misplaced.
लिंग दग्ध झाले म्हणत । अग्निप्रवेश केला त्वरित । नगरलोक विस्मय करीत । वेश्या दुःख करीतसे ॥८६॥
limga dagdha jhāle mhaṇata | agnipraveśa kelā tvarita | nagaraloka vismaya karīta | veśyā duḥkha karītase ||86||
Saying 'the liṅga is burnt,' he entered the fire at once; the townspeople marveled, and the courtesan grieved deeply.
The community's shock and the courtesan's grief mark the emotional center of the story, just before its miraculous reversal.
Allow yourself and others real grief in the moment of loss, even when a larger meaning is not yet visible.
म्हणे हा हा काय झाले । पुरुषहत्यापाप घडले । लिंग मंडपी ठेविले । दग्ध जहाले परियेसा ॥८७॥
mhaṇe hā hā kāya jhāle | puruṣahatyāpāpa ghaḍale | limga mamḍapī ṭhevile | dagdha jahāle pariyesā ||87||
She says: 'Alas, alas, what has happened! I have committed the sin of killing a man! The liṅga kept in the pavilion has been burnt away, listen.'
She takes responsibility for the merchant's death upon herself, feeling that her carelessness with the entrusted liṅga led to his suicide.
Own your part honestly when you feel responsible for a loss, rather than deflecting the blame.
वैश्य माझा प्राणेश्वर । तया हानि जहाली निर्धार । पतिव्रताधर्मे सत्वर । प्राण त्यजीन म्हणतसे ॥८८॥
vaiśya mājhā prāṇeśvara | tayā hāni jahālī nirdhāra | pativratādharme satvara | prāṇa tyajīna mhaṇatase ||88||
'The merchant was my lord; harm has certainly come to him; by the duty of a chaste wife, I will quickly give up my life,' she says.
She now claims for herself the full duty of a pativratā — even though the marriage was only three days old and unconventional in origin, she treats her vow as fully binding.
Honor a commitment fully once made, regardless of how briefly or unusually it began.
बोलाविले विप्रांसी । संकल्पिले संपदेसी । सहगमन करावयासी । दानधर्म करीतसे ॥८९॥
bolāvile viprāmsī | samkalpile sampadesī | sahagamana karāvayāsī | dānadharma karītase ||89||
She summoned the brahmins; she resolved to give away her wealth; to perform sahagamana (following her husband in death), she performed acts of charity.
Before her act of self-sacrifice, she distributes her wealth generously — the tradition holds that dying well requires first settling one's worldly ties rightly.
Before undertaking any major, irreversible decision, first settle your obligations and give generously where you can.
वस्त्रे भूषणे भांडारा । देती झाली विप्रवरा । चंदनकाष्ठभारा । चेतविले अग्नीसी ॥९०॥
vastre bhūṣaṇe bhāmḍārā | detī jhālī vipravarā | camdanakāṣṭhabhārā | cetavile agnīsī ||90||
She gave clothes, ornaments, and treasury goods to the best of brahmins; sandalwood and firewood in quantity were gathered, and the fire was kindled.
The careful ritual preparation — sandalwood, proper gifts to brahmins — shows she means to carry out her vow with full solemnity, not haste.
When you must do something difficult and final, do it with dignity and proper preparation rather than in a rush.
आपुल्या बंधुवर्गासी । नमोनि पुसे तयासी । निरोप द्यावा आपणासी । पतीसवे जातसे ॥९१॥
āpulyā bamdhuvargāsī | namoni puse tayāsī | niropa dyāvā āpaṇāsī | patīsave jātase ||91||
Bowing to her own kinsfolk, she asked them: 'Give me your leave; I go to be with my husband.'
She seeks her family's blessing even for this drastic step, honoring the custom of taking leave before a final departure.
Even in a difficult decision, seek to part from loved ones with proper farewell rather than abruptly.
ऐकोनि तियेचे वचन । दुःख पावले बंधुजन । म्हणती तुझी बुद्धि हीन । काय धर्म करीतसे ॥९२॥
aikoni tiyece vacana | duḥkha pāvale bamdhujana | mhaṇatī tujhī buddhi hīna | kāya dharma karītase ||92||
Hearing her words, her kinsfolk grieved; they say: 'Your judgment is unsound — what dharma [righteous duty] is this you are performing?'
Her family voices the natural objection any of us might raise: is this really duty, or a tragic mistake born of confusion?
Let those who love you voice their honest concern before you commit to an irreversible choice — and truly listen.
वेश्येच्या मंदिरासी । येती पुरुष रतीसी । मिती नाही तयांसी । केवी जहाला तुझा पुरुष ॥९३॥
veśyecyā mamdirāsī | yetī puruṣa ratīsī | mitī nāhī tayāmsī | kevī jahālā tujhā puruṣa ||93||
'To a courtesan's house men come for intimacy without limit; how has this man become your true husband?'
Her family presses the same challenge the merchant himself raised earlier — can a vow made within her profession truly bind her as marriage does?
Be ready to answer, with conviction, when others question whether your commitment is genuine.
कैचा वैश्य कैचे लिंग । वाया जाळिसी आपुले अंग । वारवनिता धर्म चांग । नूतन पुरुष नित्य घ्यावा ॥९४॥
kaicā vaiśya kaice limga | vāyā jāḷisī āpule amga | vāravanitā dharma cāmga | nūtana puruṣa nitya ghyāvā ||94||
'What merchant, what liṅga — you needlessly burn your own body! The courtesan's proper duty is ever to take a new man.'
Their objection reduces her vow to mere foolishness by the standards of her old profession — the story sets this worldly logic directly against her newfound sincerity.
Don't let others' cynical view of what is 'normal' for you talk you out of a genuine change of heart.
ऐसे वैश्य किती येती । त्यांची कैशी होसी सती । हासती नगरलोक ख्याति । काय तुझी बुद्धि सांगे ॥९५॥
aise vaiśya kitī yetī | tyāmcī kaiśī hosī satī | hāsatī nagaraloka khyāti | kāya tujhī buddhi sāmge ||95||
'How many such merchants come and go — how can you be a satī [faithful widow] to them? The townspeople laugh at the very thought — what is your understanding, tell us?'
Public ridicule is added to family doubt, making her resolve to keep her vow all the more remarkable in the face of total social disapproval.
Be prepared to hold to your integrity even when the crowd around you mocks it.
येणेपरी सकळ जन । वारिताती बंधुजन । काय केलिया नायके जाण । कवणाचेही ते काळी ॥९६॥
yeṇeparī sakaḷa jana | vāritātī bamdhujana | kāya keliyā nāyake jāṇa | kavaṇācehī te kāḷī ||96||
In this way all the people, her kinsfolk, tried to dissuade her; but whatever was said, she would not listen to anyone at that time.
Her resolve holds firm against every voice of opposition — the narrative marks this as the depth of her transformed conviction.
When your conscience is truly settled, don't let a chorus of objections move you from what you know is right.
वेश्या म्हणे तये वेळी । आपुला पति वैश्य अढळी । प्रमाण केले तयाजवळी । चंद्र सूर्य साक्षी असे ॥९७॥
veśyā mhaṇe taye veḷī | āpulā pati vaiśya aḍhaḷī | pramāṇa kele tayājavaḷī | camdra sūrya sākṣī ase ||97||
The courtesan says at that time: 'My husband, the merchant, remains unshakeable [in my vow]; I made this pledge before him, with the sun and moon as witnesses.'
She grounds her answer not in social approval but in the sacred vow she herself made — once sworn before sun and moon, it cannot be undone by others' opinions.
Root your integrity in the promises you made to yourself and to what is sacred, not in others' approval.
साक्षी केली म्या हो क्षिति । दिवस तीन अहोरात्री । धर्मकर्म त्याची पत्नी । जाहले आपण परियेसा ॥९८॥
sākṣī kelī myā ho kṣiti | divasa tīna ahorātrī | dharmakarma tyācī patnī | jāhale āpaṇa pariyesā ||98||
'I made the earth itself my witness; for three days and nights, I became his dutiful wife — this I did, understand.'
She insists that even a brief, formally sworn union carries the full weight of marriage — sincerity, not duration, is what makes a vow real.
Judge the seriousness of a commitment by its sincerity, not by how long it has lasted.
माझा पति जाहला मृत । आपण विनवीतसे सत्य । पतिव्रता धर्म ख्यात । वेदशास्त्र परियेसा ॥९९॥
mājhā pati jāhalā mṛta | āpaṇa vinavītase satya | pativratā dharma khyāta | vedaśāstra pariyesā ||99||
'My husband has died; truly I entreat you — the duty of a chaste wife is well known from the Vedic scriptures, listen.'
She appeals to scriptural authority for her chosen path, situating her personal vow within a larger, sanctioned tradition.
When defending a hard personal choice, connect it to the larger values and traditions that give it meaning.
पतीसवे जे नारी । सहगमन हाय प्रीतिकरी । एकेक पाउली भूमीवरी । अश्वमेधफळ असे ॥१००॥
patīsave je nārī | sahagamana hāya prītikarī | ekeka pāulī bhūmīvarī | aśvamedhaphaḷa ase ||100||
The woman who follows her husband in death out of devotion — for every single footstep on the earth, she gains the merit of an aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice).
The text asserts an extraordinary scale of merit for this practice, each step compared to one of the grandest Vedic rites — a claim reflecting the values of its era, offered here as part of the story rather than as counsel to be followed literally today.
Recognize the weight the tradition places on faithfulness carried through to the very end, and let that inspire steadiness in your own commitments rather than any literal imitation.
आपुले माता पिता उद्धरती । एकवीस कुळे पवित्र होती । पतीची जाण तेच रीती । एकवीस कुळे परियेसा ॥१॥
āpule mātā pitā uddharatī | ekavīsa kuḷe pavitra hotī | patīcī jāṇa teca rītī | ekavīsa kuḷe pariyesā ||1||
Her own parents are uplifted; twenty-one generations become pure; know that it is the same for the husband's lineage — twenty-one generations, listen.
One person's steadfast virtue is said to radiate outward across whole generations of family — devotion here is never seen as a private matter alone.
Remember that your own integrity ripples outward to affect your whole family's legacy, not just yourself.
इतुके जरी न करिता । पातिव्रत्यपणा वृथा । केवी पाविजे पंथा । स्वर्गाचिया निश्चये ॥२॥
ituke jarī na karitā | pātivratyapaṇā vṛthā | kevī pāvije pamthā | svargāciyā niścaye ||2||
'If I do not do even this much, my claim to chastity would be in vain; how then would I reach the path to heaven with certainty?'
She reasons that a claimed virtue must be proven through action, or it remains empty words — a challenge that applies well beyond this one story.
Let your claimed values show up in costly action, not just in what you say about yourself.
ऐसे पुण्य जोडिती । काय वाचूनि राहणे क्षिती । दुःख संसारसागर ख्याति । मरणे सत्य कधी तरी ॥३॥
aise puṇya joḍitī | kāya vācūni rāhaṇe kṣitī | duḥkha samsārasāgara khyāti | maraṇe satya kadhī tarī ||3||
'Such merit is thus earned; why should I remain alive on this earth for nothing? The ocean of worldly sorrow is well known; death comes to all, someday, certainly.'
She reasons from the tradition's view of saṃsāra (the cycle of worldly suffering) that a meaningful death is preferable to an aimless life — a philosophical grounding to her resolve.
Let a clear sense of what truly matters guide your choices, rather than mere fear of loss or ending.
म्हणोनि विनवी सकळांसी । निघाली बाहेर संतोषी । आली अग्निकुंडापासी । नमन करी तये वेळी ॥४॥
mhaṇoni vinavī sakaḷāmsī | nighālī bāhera samtoṣī | ālī agnikumḍāpāsī | namana karī taye veḷī ||4||
So entreating everyone, she went outside joyfully; she came near the sacrificial fire-pit and bowed at that moment.
Her calm, even joyful, demeanor as she approaches the fire signals total conviction rather than despair — she is fulfilling a vow, not fleeing pain.
Face a difficult but rightly chosen commitment with as much peace and steadiness as you can find.
स्मरोनिया सर्वेश्वर । केला सूर्यासी नमस्कार । प्रदक्षिणे उल्हास थोर । करिती झाली तये वेळी ॥५॥
smaroniyā sarveśvara | kelā sūryāsī namaskāra | pradakṣiṇe ulhāsa thora | karitī jhālī taye veḷī ||5||
Remembering the Lord of all, she made obeisance to the Sun; with great joy she performed circumambulations at that time.
She turns her mind fully to the divine before the final act — the ritual circling of the sun anchors her personal vow within worship of the cosmic order.
Before any weighty act, turn your mind first to what is greater than yourself.
नमुनी समस्त द्विजांसी । उभी ठेली अग्निकुंडासी । उडी घातली वेगेसी । अभिनव जहाले तये वेळी ॥६॥
namunī samasta dvijāmsī | ubhī ṭhelī agnikumḍāsī | uḍī ghātalī vegesī | abhinava jahāle taye veḷī ||6||
Bowing to all the brahmins, she stood before the fire-pit; she leapt in quickly, and something extraordinary happened at that moment.
At the very moment of apparent tragedy, the story turns — the narrator signals a miracle is about to unfold.
Even at the darkest point of a story, stay open to the possibility of an unexpected turn.
सदाशिव पंचवक्त्र । दशभुजा नागसूत्र । हाती आयुधे विचित्र । त्रिशूळ डमरू जाण पा ॥७॥
sadāśiva pamcavaktra | daśabhujā nāgasūtra | hātī āyudhe vicitra | triśūḷa ḍamarū jāṇa pā ||7||
Sadāśiva [Śiva], five-faced, ten-armed, with a serpent as his sacred thread; in his hands were wondrous weapons — trident and damaru drum, know this.
Śiva himself appears in his full cosmic form — the merchant of the story is revealed, retroactively, to have been the god all along.
Trust that unseen grace may be present in ordinary encounters, even when it is not yet recognized.
भस्मांकित जटाधारी । बैसला असे नंदीवरी । धरिता झाला वरचेवरी । वेश्येशी तये वेळी ॥८॥
bhasmāmkita jaṭādhārī | baisalā ase namdīvarī | dharitā jhālā varacevarī | veśyeśī taye veḷī ||8||
Ash-smeared, with matted locks, seated upon Nandī [his bull]; he caught hold of the courtesan right at that very moment.
Śiva physically intervenes to save her from the fire — grace acts decisively at the exact instant of her total surrender.
When you give yourself fully to what is right, trust that help can arrive at the very last moment.
तया अग्निकुंडात । न दिसे अग्नि असे शांत । भक्तवत्सल जगन्नाथ । प्रसन्न झाला तये वेळी ॥९॥
tayā agnikumḍāta | na dise agni ase śāmta | bhaktavatsala jagannātha | prasanna jhālā taye veḷī ||9||
In that fire-pit no fire could now be seen — it had become calm; the world-lord, cherisher of devotees, was pleased at that moment.
The fire itself is stilled by the god's presence — the very instrument of her intended death becomes powerless before true devotion.
Trust that genuine devotion can transform even your greatest fear into something harmless.
हाती धरुनी तियेसी । कडे काढी व्योमकेशी । प्रसन्न होउनी परियेसी । वर माग म्हणतसे ॥११०॥
hātī dharunī tiyesī | kaḍe kāḍhī vyomakeśī | prasanna hounī pariyesī | vara māga mhaṇatase ||110||
Holding her hand, the ash-crowned Lord lifted her out [of the fire]; pleased, he says: 'Ask for a boon.'
The god's own hand lifts her to safety — a direct, personal rescue, and an invitation to name whatever she desires.
When grace lifts you out of a crisis, take the moment seriously enough to consider what you truly want next.
ईश्वर म्हणे तियेसी । आलो तुझे परीक्षेसी । धर्मधैर्य पाहावयासी । येणे घडले परियेसा ॥११॥
īśvara mhaṇe tiyesī | ālo tujhe parīkṣesī | dharmadhairya pāhāvayāsī | yeṇe ghaḍale pariyesā ||11||
The Lord says to her: 'I came to test you, to see your righteous steadfastness — this is why it happened, listen.'
The entire ordeal — the merchant, the fire, the loss — is revealed to have been a deliberate test of her character, not random misfortune.
Consider that a hardship you're facing may be revealing your true character rather than merely afflicting you.
झालो वैश्य आपणची । रत्नलिंग स्वयंभूची । मायाअग्नि केला म्यांची । नाट्यमंडप दग्ध केला ॥१२॥
jhālo vaiśya āpaṇacī | ratnalimga svayambhūcī | māyāagni kelā myāmcī | nāṭyamamḍapa dagdha kelā ||12||
'I myself became the merchant; the jewel-liṅga was my own self-manifest form; I created an illusory fire and burnt the dance-pavilion.'
Śiva discloses that the whole episode — merchant, sacred object, and fire — was his own māyā (divine illusion), staged entirely to reveal her heart.
Accept that the full meaning of a difficult episode in your life may only be understood much later, in hindsight.
तुझे मन पहावयासी । जहालो अग्निप्रवेशी । तूची पतिव्रता सत्य होशी । सत्य केले व्रत आपुले ॥१३॥
tujhe mana pahāvayāsī | jahālo agnipraveśī | tūcī pativratā satya hośī | satya kele vrata āpule ||13||
'To test your resolve, I entered the fire; you alone proved yourself a true chaste wife; you have kept your vow true.'
Her vow, made under unusual and even dubious circumstances, is now confirmed by the god himself as wholly genuine — the story's central irony is fully resolved in her favor.
Trust that a promise kept sincerely, whatever its origin, has real and lasting worth.
संतोषलो तुझे भक्तीसी । देईन वर जो मागसी । आयुरारोग्यश्रियेसी । जे इच्छिसी ते देईन ॥१४॥
samtoṣalo tujhe bhaktīsī | deīna vara jo māgasī | āyurārogyaśriyesī | je icchisī te deīna ||14||
'I am pleased with your devotion; I will give you whatever boon you ask; longevity, health, prosperity — whatever you desire, I will give.'
Śiva offers the full range of worldly blessings, setting up the greater surprise of what she actually chooses to ask for instead.
When offered a reward for your effort, pause and consider carefully what you truly want, rather than grabbing the first tempting option.
म्हणे वेश्या तये वेळी । नलगे वर चंद्रमौळी । स्वर्ग भूमि पाताळी । न घे भोग ऐश्वर्य ॥१५॥
mhaṇe veśyā taye veḷī | nalage vara camdramauḷī | svarga bhūmi pātāḷī | na ghe bhoga aiśvarya ||15||
The courtesan says at that moment: 'I do not need any boon, O moon-crested one; I do not wish for the enjoyments or splendor of heaven, earth, or the netherworld.'
She declines every worldly reward the god offers — her devotion has moved past desire for gain toward something far simpler and higher.
Let your deepest wishes outgrow mere reward, toward something more lasting than pleasure or wealth.
तुझे चरणकमळी भृंग । होवोनि राहीन महाभाग्य । माझे इष्ट बंधुवर्ग । सकळ तुझे सन्निधेसी ॥१६॥
tujhe caraṇakamaḷī bhṛmga | hovoni rāhīna mahābhāgya | mājhe iṣṭa bamdhuvarga | sakaḷa tujhe sannidhesī ||16||
'Let me remain a bee at your lotus feet — that is my great fortune; let all my dear kin and family also be near you.'
She asks only for nearness to the divine, for herself and for those she loves — devotion here becomes its own complete reward, not a means to something else.
Wish for closeness to what you hold most sacred not just for yourself but for those you love as well.
दासदासी माझे असती । सकळा न्यावे स्वर्गाप्रति । तव सन्निध पशुपति । सर्वदा राहो सर्वेश्वरा ॥१७॥
dāsadāsī mājhe asatī | sakaḷā nyāve svargāprati | tava sannidha paśupati | sarvadā rāho sarveśvarā ||17||
'My servants and maidservants, all of them — take them too to heaven with you; may the Lord of all creatures always remain near you, O Lord of all.'
Her request extends grace even to her household staff — true devotion here overflows generously to include everyone in her care.
When good fortune comes to you, remember to include those who serve and depend on you, not just yourself.
न व्हावी पुनरावृत्ती । न लागे संसार यातायाती । विमोचावे स्वामी त्वरिती । म्हणोनि चरणी लागली ॥१८॥
na vhāvī punarāvṛttī | na lāge samsāra yātāyātī | vimocāve svāmī tvaritī | mhaṇoni caraṇī lāgalī ||18||
'Let there be no return for me; let me not undergo the coming and going of worldly existence again; free me swiftly, O Lord' — so saying, she clasped his feet.
Her final request is for mokṣa itself — liberation from the endless cycle of birth and death, the highest of all possible goals in this tradition.
Let your deepest aspiration be lasting freedom and peace, not merely temporary comfort.
ऐकोनि तियेचे वचन । प्रसन्न झाला गौरीरमण । सकळा विमानी बैसवोन । घेऊन गेला स्वर्गाप्रती ॥१९॥
aikoni tiyece vacana | prasanna jhālā gaurīramaṇa | sakaḷā vimānī baisavona | gheūna gelā svargāpratī ||19||
Hearing her words, the consort of Gaurī [Śiva] was pleased; seating all of them in a heavenly chariot, he took them to heaven.
The god grants her complete request, carrying her whole household to heaven together — the reward matches the completeness of her devotion.
Trust that wholehearted, selfless devotion is met with an equally complete and generous grace.
तिचे नाट्यमंडपात । जो का झाला मर्कटघात । कुक्कुटसमवेत । दग्ध जहाले परियेसा ॥१२०॥
tice nāṭyamamḍapāta | jo kā jhālā markaṭaghāta | kukkuṭasamaveta | dagdha jahāle pariyesā ||120||
In her dance-pavilion, the monkey that had perished, along with the rooster, had also been burnt there, listen.
The narrator now turns back to the two small creatures burnt in the fire, whose fate the sage is about to reveal as intertwined with the present-day prince and minister's son.
Remember that even minor figures in a larger story often carry their own hidden significance.
म्हणोनि पराशर ऋषि । सांगतसे रायासी । मर्कटजन्म त्यजूनि हर्षी । तुझे उदरी जन्मला ॥२१॥
mhaṇoni parāśara ṛṣi | sāmgatase rāyāsī | markaṭajanma tyajūni harṣī | tujhe udarī janmalā ||21||
So says the sage Parāśara, telling the king: 'Having given up his monkey-birth, joyfully he was born as your son [in your queen's womb].'
The prince, it is revealed, is the very same monkey reborn — a striking claim that even a small act of ornamenting an animal with rudrākṣa can lead, over lifetimes, to a royal birth.
Take heart that no sincere small act of devotion, however humble its object, is ever wasted.
तुझे मंत्रियाचे कुशी । कुक्कुट जन्मला परियेसी । रुद्राक्षधारणफळे ऐसी । राजकुमार होऊन आले ॥२२॥
tujhe mamtriyāce kuśī | kukkuṭa janmalā pariyesī | rudrākṣadhāraṇaphaḷe aisī | rājakumāra hoūna āle ||22||
'In your minister's household, the rooster was born, understand; by the merit of wearing rudrākṣa in this way, they came to be born as royal sons.'
The minister's son is likewise revealed as the reborn rooster — both boys' present devotion to rudrākṣa is now explained as a continuation from their earlier, unknowing adornment with the same beads.
Trust that habits of devotion, once begun, tend to carry forward and deepen across a lifetime, even unconsciously.
पूर्वसंस्काराकरिता । रुद्राक्षधारण केले नित्या । इतके पुण्य घडले म्हणता । जहाले तुझे कुमार हे ॥२४॥
pūrvasamskārākaritā | rudrākṣadhāraṇa kele nityā | itake puṇya ghaḍale mhaṇatā | jahāle tujhe kumāra he ||24||
'Owing to their prior conditioning, they wear the rudrākṣa constantly; this much merit having accrued, they have become your sons.'
Saṃskāra (impressions carried from past lives) explains why the boys are drawn to rudrākṣa so instinctively now — old devotion resurfaces as present inclination.
Don't dismiss a strong, unexplained inclination toward good practice in yourself or a child — nurture it rather than question it.
आता तरी ज्ञानवंती । रुद्राक्ष धारण करिताती । त्याच्या पुण्या नाही मिती । म्हणोनि सांगे पराशरऋषि ॥२५॥
ātā tarī jñānavamtī | rudrākṣa dhāraṇa karitātī | tyācyā puṇyā nāhī mitī | mhaṇoni sāmge parāśaraṛṣi ||25||
'Now, being wise, they wear the rudrākṣa with understanding; their merit has no measure' — so says the sage Parāśara.
What began unconsciously in a past life has now ripened into conscious, wise devotion — the arc from unknowing act to deliberate faith is completed.
Aim to grow a good habit from unconscious repetition into fully conscious, understood devotion.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती दंपतीसी । येणेपरी रायासी । सांगता झाला महाऋषि । पराशर विस्तारे ॥२६॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī dampatīsī | yeṇeparī rāyāsī | sāmgatā jhālā mahāṛṣi | parāśara vistāre ||26||
Sri Guru tells the couple: in this way the great sage Parāśara told the king this story, at length.
The narrative frame returns fully to Sri Guru speaking to the grieving couple, showing that their own story has been placed within this much larger teaching.
See your own personal trials as connected to a much larger tradition of meaning, not as isolated accidents.
ऐकोनि ऋषीचे वचन । राजा विनवी कर जोडून । प्रश्न केला अतिगहन । सांगेन ऐका एकचित्ते ॥२७॥
aikoni ṛṣīce vacana | rājā vinavī kara joḍūna | praśna kelā atigahana | sāmgena aikā ekacitte ||27||
Hearing the sage's words, the king entreats with joined hands; he asked a very profound question — listen, I will tell it with one-pointed mind.
The king, having received this revelation, is moved to ask further — a natural response to a teaching that only deepens one's hunger to understand more.
Let a good answer lead you to your next honest question rather than closing the matter.
म्हणोनि सिद्ध विस्तारेसी । सांगे नामधारकासी । अपूर्व जहाले परियेसी । पुढील कथा असे ऐका ॥२८॥
mhaṇoni siddha vistāresī | sāmge nāmadhārakāsī | apūrva jahāle pariyesī | puḍhīla kathā ase aikā ||28||
So Siddha tells Namdharak at length: 'Something wondrous happened, listen — the story continues ahead, hear it.'
The narrator signals a cliffhanger, setting up the very next chapter as a direct continuation of this same conversation.
Stay curious and patient for the next part of a story or lesson still unfolding.
गंगाधराचा नंदनु । सांगे श्रीगुरुचरित्रकामधेनु । ऐका श्रोते सावधानु । लाधे चारी पुरुषार्थ ॥२९॥
gamgādharācā namdanu | sāmge śrīgurucaritrakāmadhenu | aikā śrote sāvadhānu | lādhe cārī puruṣārtha ||29||
The son of Gaṅgādhar tells this Guru-charitra story, a wish-fulfilling cow [of blessings]; listen attentively, O listeners; one attains the fourfold goals of life.
The author signs his own devotion into the text, comparing the whole narrative to kāmadhenu, the wish-granting cow, for those who truly listen.
Approach a sacred story not as mere entertainment but as something capable of fulfilling your deepest needs, if received rightly.
इति श्रीगुरुचरित्रामृत । रुद्राक्षमहिमा येथ । सांगितले निभ्रांत । पुण्यात्मक पावन जे ॥१३०॥
iti śrīgurucaritrāmṛta | rudrākṣamahimā yetha | sāmgitale nibhrāmta | puṇyātmaka pāvana je ||130||
Thus, in the nectar of Śrī Gurucaritra, the glory of the rudrākṣa has been told here truthfully, being pure and meritorious.
The chapter's teaching is formally summarized and sealed as trustworthy, sacred knowledge.
Close out a period of learning by naming clearly what you have gained from it.
इति श्रीगुरुचरित्रामृते परमकथाकल्पतरौ श्रीनृसिंहसरस्वत्युपाख्याने सिद्धनामधारकसंवादे रुद्राक्षमाहात्म्य नाम त्रयस्त्रिंशत्तमोऽध्यायः ॥३३॥
iti śrīgurucaritrāmṛte paramakathākalpatarau śrīnṛsimhasarasvatyupākhyāne siddhanāmadhārakasamvāde rudrākṣamāhātmya nāma trayastrimśattamo'dhyāyaḥ ||33||
Thus, in the nectar of the supreme story of Śrī Gurucaritra, in the dialogue of Siddha and Nāmadhāraka within the narrative of Śrī Nṛsiṁha Sarasvatī, [ends] the thirty-third chapter, named 'The Glory of the Rudrākṣa.'
This formal Sanskrit colophon closes the chapter, naming it and marking its place within the whole scripture, as is traditional at each chapter's end.
Give proper closure and acknowledgment to a completed stage of learning before moving to the next.
श्रीगुरुदत्तात्रेयार्पणमस्तु ॥ श्रीगुरुदेव दत्त ॥
śrīgurudattātreyārpaṇamastu || śrīgurudeva datta ||
May this be offered to Śrī Guru Dattātreya. Śrī Gurudev Datta.
The traditional dedication returns all credit and fruit of the story to the divine teacher, not to the human narrator.
Offer the fruits of your own effort back in gratitude to whatever source you feel truly guided you.
(ओवीसंख्या १३०)
(ovīsamkhyā 130)
(Verse count: 130)
A scribal note recording the traditional count of verses (ovīs) in this chapter, useful for copyists checking their manuscript's completeness.
Keep careful, honest record of your own progress so you can measure how far you have truly come.