SánscritoIASTSignificado
यथा तस्य च्यवनत्वं परिख्यातं तत् मम आचक्ष्वyathā tasya cyavanatvaṃ parikhyātaṃ tat mama ācakṣvahow the name "Cyavana" came to be -- tell me of that
भृगोः भार्या पुलोमा इति अभिविश्रुताbhṛgoḥ bhāryā pulomā iti abhiviśrutāBhrigu's wife, renowned as Puloma
तस्यां गर्भः समभवत् भृगोः वीर्य-समुद्भवःtasyāṃ garbhaḥ samabhavat bhṛgoḥ vīrya-samudbhavaḥin her a child was conceived, begotten of Bhrigu's seed
तस्मिन् गर्भे संभृते धर्म-पत्न्यां यशस्विनःtasmin garbhe saṃbhṛte dharma-patnyāṃ yaśasvinaḥwhen the child was maturing in the lawful wife of the glorious [Bhrigu]
अभिषेकाय निष्क्रान्ते भृगौabhiṣekāya niṣkrānte bhṛgauwhen Bhrigu had gone out for [ritual] bathing
आश्रमं तस्य रक्षः पुलोमा अभ्याजगामāśramaṃ tasya rakṣaḥ pulomā abhyājagāmainto his hermitage came a rakshasa [named] Puloma
दृष्ट्वा भृगोः भार्याम् अनिन्दिताम् हृच्छयेन समाविष्टःdṛṣṭvā bhṛgoḥ bhāryām aninditām hṛcchayena samāviṣṭaḥseeing Bhrigu's blameless wife, he was seized by passion
विचेताः समपद्यतvicetāḥ samapadyatahe lost his senses
पुलोमा चारु-दर्शना वन्येन फल-मूल-आदिना न्यमन्त्रयतpulomā cāru-darśanā vanyena phala-mūla-ādinā nyamantrayatathe lovely Puloma honored [the guest] with forest fruits, roots, and the like
रक्षः हृच्छयेन अभिपीडितं जिहीर्षुः ताम् अनिन्दिताम्rakṣaḥ hṛcchayena abhipīḍitaṃ jihīrṣuḥ tām aninditāmthe rakshasa, tormented by passion, desired to abduct the blameless woman
शौनकśaunakaoriginal form "śaunaka", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सूतपुत्रsūtaputraoriginal form "sūtaputra", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
भार्गवस्यbhārgavasyaoriginal form "bhārgavasya", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
महात्मनःmahātmanaḥoriginal form "mahātmanaḥ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तन्tanoriginal form "tan", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ममाचक्ष्वmamācakṣvaoriginal form "mamācakṣva", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
पृच्छतःpṛcchataḥoriginal form "pṛcchataḥ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सूतsūtaoriginal form "sūta", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सुदयिताsudayitāoriginal form "sudayitā", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
पुलोमेत्य्pulometyoriginal form "pulomety", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
समभवद्samabhavadoriginal form "samabhavad", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
भृगोर्bhṛgororiginal form "bhṛgor", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
वीर्यसमुद्भवःvīryasamudbhavaḥoriginal form "vīryasamudbhavaḥ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ऽथ'thaoriginal form "'tha", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
पुलोमायांpulomāyāṃoriginal form "pulomāyāṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
भृगूद्वहbhṛgūdvahaoriginal form "bhṛgūdvaha", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
समयेsamayeoriginal form "samaye", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
समशीलिन्यांsamaśīlinyāṃoriginal form "samaśīlinyāṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
धर्मपत्न्यांdharmapatnyāṃoriginal form "dharmapatnyāṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
धर्मभृतांdharmabhṛtāṃoriginal form "dharmabhṛtāṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
वरेvareoriginal form "vare", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
रक्षोrakṣooriginal form "rakṣo", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ऽथ'thaoriginal form "'tha", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
पुलोमाभ्याजगामpulomābhyājagāmaoriginal form "pulomābhyājagāma", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
हhaoriginal form "ha", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तंtaṃoriginal form "taṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
प्रविश्याश्रमंpraviśyāśramaṃoriginal form "praviśyāśramaṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
भृगोर्bhṛgororiginal form "bhṛgor", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
समाविष्टोsamāviṣṭooriginal form "samāviṣṭo", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
अभ्यागतंabhyāgataṃoriginal form "abhyāgataṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तुtuoriginal form "tu", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तद्tadoriginal form "tad", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
चारुदर्शनाcārudarśanāoriginal form "cārudarśanā", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
फलमूलादिनाphalamūlādināoriginal form "phalamūlādinā", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तदाtadāoriginal form "tadā", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तांtāṃoriginal form "tāṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तुtuoriginal form "tu", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
रक्षस्rakṣasoriginal form "rakṣas", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ब्रह्मन्brahmanoriginal form "brahman", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
हृच्छयेनाभिपीडितम्hṛcchayenābhipīḍitamoriginal form "hṛcchayenābhipīḍitam", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
दृष्ट्वाdṛṣṭvāoriginal form "dṛṣṭvā", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
हृष्टम्hṛṣṭamoriginal form "hṛṣṭam", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
अभूत्abhūtoriginal form "abhūt", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तत्रtatraoriginal form "tatra", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
जिहीर्षुस्jihīrṣusoriginal form "jihīrṣus", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
Here begins the tale of Puloma -- an example of feminine virtue and of how lust destroys the mind. It is significant that even while regarding the woman of the house as the object of his unlawful passion, the rakshasa remains a guest, and Puloma, faithful to the dharma of a hostess, respectfully serves him fruits and roots -- for the guest is sacred (atithi-deva), and the duty of hospitality is not set aside even in the face of danger. Thus scripture shows the steadfastness of dharma in a noble soul. Lust (kama), meanwhile, is depicted as a darkening of the mind: the rakshasa, having "lost his senses," is a vivid illustration of the Gita's teaching that from lust is born delusion, and from delusion, ruin. The defenseless, pregnant wife of the ascetic, left alone by her husband only for the time of his bathing, finds herself in danger -- but as the story will show, virtue and the power of tapas protect the faithful wife. Here stands the age-old confrontation between purity rooted in dharma and lust born of forgetfulness of God.