HYMN XCV. Urvasi. Purūravas. – Rig Veda – Book 10

हये जाये मनसा तिष्ठ घोरे वचांसि मिश्राक्र्णवावहै नु |
न नौ मन्त्रा अनुदितास एते मयस करन्परतरे चनाहन ||

किमेता वाचा कर्णवा तवाहं पराक्रमिषमुषसामग्रियेव |
पुरूरवः पुनरस्तं परेहि दुरापना वातैवाहमस्मि ||

इषुर्न शरिय इषुधेरसना गोषाः शतसा न रंहिः |
अवीरे करतौ वि दविद्युतन नोरा न मायुं चितयन्तधुनयः ||

सा वसु दधती शवशुराय वय उषो यदि वष्ट्यन्तिग्र्हात |
अस्तं ननक्षे यस्मिञ्चाकन दिवा नक्तंश्नथिता वैतसेन ||

तरिः सम माह्नः शनथयो वैतसेनोत सम मे.अव्यत्यैप्र्णासि |
पुरूरवो.अनु ते केतमायं राजा मे वीर तन्वस्तदासीः ||

या सुजूर्णिः शरेणिः सुम्नापिर्ह्रदेचक्षुर्न गरन्थिनीचरण्युः |
ता अञ्जयो.अरुणयो न सस्रुः शरिये गावो नधेनवो.अनवन्त ||

समस्मिञ जायमान आसत गना उतेमवर्धन नद्यःस्वगूर्ताः |
महे यत तवा पुरूरवो रणायावर्धयन्दस्युहत्याय देवाः ||

सचा यदासु जहतीष्वत्कममानुषीषु मानुषो निषेवे |
अप सम मत तरसन्ती न भुज्युस्ता अत्रसन रथस्प्र्शोनाश्वाः ||

यदासु मर्तो अम्र्तासु निस्प्र्क सं कषोणीभिः करतुभिर्नप्र्ङकते |
ता आतयो न तन्वः शुम्भत सवा अश्वासो नक्रीळयो दन्दशानाः ||

विद्युन न या पतन्ती दविद्योद भरन्ती मे अप्या काम्यानि |
जनिष्टो अपो नर्यः सुजातः परोर्वशी तिरत दीर्घमायुः ||

जज्ञिष इत्था गोपीथ्याय हि दधाथ तत पुरूरवो मोजः |
अशासं तवा विदुषी सस्मिन्नहन न म आश्र्णोःकिमभुग वदासि ||

कदा सूनुः पितरं जात इछाच्चक्रन नाश्रु वर्तयद्विजानन |
को दम्पती समनसा वि यूयोदध यदग्निःश्वशुरेषु दीदयत ||

परति बरवाणि वर्तयते अश्रु चक्रन न करन्ददाध्येशिवायै |
पर तत ते हिनवा यत ते अस्मे परेह्यस्तं नहिमूर मापः ||

सुदेवो अद्य परपतेदनाव्र्त परावतं परमां गन्तवा उ |
अधा शयीत निरतेरुपस्थे.अधैनं वर्का रभसासोद्युः ||

पुरूरवो मा मर्था मा पर पप्तो मा तवा वर्कासो अशिवास उक्षन |
न वै सत्रैणानि सख्यानि सन्ति सालाव्र्काणांह्र्दयान्येता ||

यद विरूपाचरं मर्त्येष्ववसं रात्रीः शरदश्चतस्रः |
घर्तस्य सतोकं सक्र्दह्न आश्नां तादेवेदन्तात्र्पाणा चरामि ||

अन्तरिक्षप्रां रजसो विमानीमुप शिक्षाम्युर्वशींवसिष्ठः |
उप तवा रातिः सुक्र्तस्य तिष्ठान नि वर्तस्वह्र्दयं तप्यते मे ||

इति तवा देवा इम आहुरैळ यथेमेतद भवसिम्र्त्युबन्धुः |
परजा ते देवान हविषा यजाति सवर्ग उ तवमपि मादयासे ||

haye jāye manasā tiṣṭha ghore vacāṃsi miśrākṛṇavāvahai nu |
na nau mantrā anuditāsa ete mayas karanparatare canāhan ||

kimetā vācā kṛṇavā tavāhaṃ prākramiṣamuṣasāmaghriyeva |
purūravaḥ punarastaṃ parehi durāpanā vātaivāhamasmi ||

iṣurna śriya iṣudherasanā ghoṣāḥ śatasā na raṃhiḥ |
avīre kratau vi davidyutan norā na māyuṃ citayantadhunayaḥ ||

sā vasu dadhatī śvaśurāya vaya uṣo yadi vaṣṭyantighṛhāt |
astaṃ nanakṣe yasmiñcākan divā naktaṃśnathitā vaitasena ||

triḥ sma māhnaḥ śnathayo vaitasenota sma me.avyatyaipṛṇāsi |
purūravo.anu te ketamāyaṃ rājā me vīra tanvastadāsīḥ ||

yā sujūrṇiḥ śreṇiḥ sumnaāpirhradecakṣurna ghranthinīcaraṇyuḥ |
tā añjayo.aruṇayo na sasruḥ śriye ghāvo nadhenavo.anavanta ||

samasmiñ jāyamāna āsata ghnā utemavardhan nadyaḥsvaghūrtāḥ |
mahe yat tvā purūravo raṇāyāvardhayandasyuhatyāya devāḥ ||

sacā yadāsu jahatīṣvatkamamānuṣīṣu mānuṣo niṣeve |
apa sma mat tarasantī na bhujyustā atrasan rathaspṛśonāśvāḥ ||

yadāsu marto amṛtāsu nispṛk saṃ kṣoṇībhiḥ kratubhirnapṛṅkte |
tā ātayo na tanvaḥ śumbhata svā aśvāso nakrīḷayo dandaśānāḥ ||

vidyun na yā patantī davidyod bharantī me apyā kāmyāni |
janiṣṭo apo naryaḥ sujātaḥ prorvaśī tirata dīrghamāyuḥ ||

jajñiṣa itthā ghopīthyāya hi dadhātha tat purūravo maojaḥ |
aśāsaṃ tvā viduṣī sasminnahan na ma āśṛṇoḥkimabhugh vadāsi ||

kadā sūnuḥ pitaraṃ jāta ichāccakran nāśru vartayadvijānan |
ko dampatī samanasā vi yūyodadha yadaghniḥśvaśureṣu dīdayat ||

prati bravāṇi vartayate aśru cakran na krandadādhyeśivāyai |
pra tat te hinavā yat te asme parehyastaṃ nahimūra māpaḥ ||

sudevo adya prapatedanāvṛt parāvataṃ paramāṃ ghantavā u |
adhā śayīta nirterupasthe.adhainaṃ vṛkā rabhasāsoadyuḥ ||

purūravo mā mṛthā mā pra papto mā tvā vṛkāso aśivāsa ukṣan |
na vai straiṇāni sakhyāni santi sālāvṛkāṇāṃhṛdayānyetā ||

yad virūpācaraṃ martyeṣvavasaṃ rātrīḥ śaradaścatasraḥ |
ghṛtasya stokaṃ sakṛdahna āśnāṃ tādevedantātṛpāṇā carāmi ||

antarikṣaprāṃ rajaso vimānīmupa śikṣāmyurvaśīṃvasiṣṭhaḥ |
upa tvā rātiḥ sukṛtasya tiṣṭhān ni vartasvahṛdayaṃ tapyate me ||

iti tvā devā ima āhuraiḷa yathemetad bhavasimṛtyubandhuḥ |
prajā te devān haviṣā yajāti svargha u tvamapi mādayāse ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. Ho there, my consort! Stay, thou fierce-souled lady, and let us reason for a while together.
Such thoughts as these of ours, while yet unspoken in days gone by have never brought us comfort.

2 What am I now to do with this thy saying? I have gone from thee like the first of Mornings.
Purūravas, return thou to thy dwelling: I, like the wind, am difficult to capture.

3 Like a shaft sent for glory from the quiver, or swift-steed winning cattle winning hundreds.
The lightning seemed to flash, as cowards planned it. The minstrels bleated like a lamb in trouble.

4 Giving her husband’s father life and riches, from the near dwelling, when her lover craved her,
She sought the home wherein she found her pleasure, accepting day and night her lord’s embraces.

5 Thrice in the day didst thou embrace thy consort, though coldly she received thy fond caresses.
To thy desires, Purūravas, I yielded: so wast thou king, O hero, of my body.

6 The maids Sujirni, Sreni, Sumne-api, Charanyu, Granthini, and Hradecaksus,—
These like red kine have hastened forth, the bright ones, and like milch-cows have lowed in emulation.

7 While he was born the Dames sate down together, the Rivers with free kindness gave him nurture;
And then, Purūravas, the Gods increased thee for mighty battle, to destroy the Dasyus.

8 When I, a mortal, wooed to mine embraces these heavenly nymphs who laid aside their raiment,
Like a scared snake they fled from me in terror, like chariot horses when the car has touched them.

9 When, loving these Immortal Ones, the mortal hath converse with the nymphs as they allow him.
Like swans they show the beauty of their bodies, like horses in their play they bite and nibble.

10 She who flashed brilliant as the falling lightning brought me delicious presents from the waters.
Now from the flood be born a strong young hero May Uruvasi prolong her life for ever

11 Thy birth hath made me drink from earthly milch-kine: this power, Purūravas, hast thou vouchsafed me.
I knew, and, warned thee, on that day. Thou wouldst not hear me. What sayest thou, when naught avails thee?

12 When will the son be born and seek his father? Mourner-like, will he weep when first he knows him?
Who shall divide the accordant wife and husband, while fire is shining with thy consort’s parents?

13 I will console him when his tears are falling: he shall not weep and cry for care that blesses.
That which is thine, between us, will I send thee. Go home again, thou fool;ṭhou hast not won me.

14 Thy lover shall flee forth this day for ever, to seek, without return, the farthest distance.
Then let his bed be in Destruction’s bosom, and there let fierce rapacious wolves devour him.

15 Nay, do not die, Purūravas, nor vanish: let not the evil-omened wolves devour thee.
With women there can be no lasting friendship: hearts of hyenas are the hearts of women.

16 When amid men in altered shape I sojourned, and through four autumns spent the nights among them,
I tasted once a day a drop of butter; and even now with that am I am contented.

17 I, her best love, call Urvasi to meet me, her who fills air and measures out the region.
Let the gift brought by piety approach thee. Turn thou to me again: my heart is troubled.

18 Thus speak these Gods to thee, O son of Iḷā: As death hath verily got thee for his subject,
Thy sons shall serve the Gods with their oblation, and thou, moreover, shalt rejoice in Svarga.