Chapter 195 - Story of the Daughter of Chāndogya

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The sages said:

1-3. O highly intelligent one, a Śūdra girl and another, a Brāhmaṇa girl, were cited by you as having created two excellent Tīrthas in the holy spot of Hāṭakeśvara.

How did the pair of Tīrthas originate there? By whom was it effected? Describe this in full details. The origin of the sandals has already been heard by us earlier from you. Yet narrate it too as well as the greatness thereof.

Sūta said:

4. Formerly, there was a well-known Nāgarā Brāhmaṇa by the name Chāndogya and all the leading Brāhmaṇas in his family lineage were also well-known an Chāndogyas.

5. He was conversant with the Sāmaveda and he righteously followed the duties of a householder. An excellent daughter was born to him in his old age.

6. She was fully equipped with all the good qualities and marked with splendid features. She was reddish (in complexion) in seven of her limbs and had three parts characterized with depth. Five of her parts were very subtle and her waist was not very large.

7. Her eyes were large and resembled the petals of a lotus. She appeared very splendid with long hanging tresses of hair. She had lips resembling a Biṃba fruit. Her hair on the body were short and she had lustre of the full Moon.

8-9. The father named her Brāhmaṇī, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, because she had been given to him by the Brāhmaṇas adored duly at the extremities of the Maṇḍapa.

Though he had no child for a long time, he was blessed with one in the later stage of his life. The slender-bodied girl grew up like the digit of the Moon.

10. The girl grew like the Moon in the bright half of a month. She gave delight to the eyes of the people. The Lord of Ānarta too had a daughter having the same features on the same day when this girl was born to the noble-souled Chāndogya.

11. The lying-in chamber became brightly illumined by clusters of gems as it were even during the nights due to the refulgence of the body of that girl. Therefore, the father named her Ratnavatī.

12. The splendid girl had the companionship of the Brāhmaṇa girl continuously without any separation whatsoever.

13-14. They shared the same bed and meals. They had the same type of food. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, when she became eight years old, her father thought about her marriage. He wanted to give her to a deserving bridegroom. On coming to know of this, the girl became miserable.

15. Afraid of the imminent separation from her companion, Ratnavatī became very distressed. With eyes filled with tears, she spoke in words choked and faltering due to tears:

16. “Dear friend, my father will celebrate my marriage now. After being married, I will no longer have your companionship.”

17. These words were like a blow of thunderbolt unto her. On hearing them, the companion wept clinging to her neck. Her affection caused the excitement of all her limbs and senses.

18. On hearing her lamentation, Mṛgāvatī, her mother, came there in great bewilderment and spoke these words:

19. “O daughter, why do you cry? Who has been unpleasant to you? Now itself I shall punish that ill-natured fellow.”

Ratnavatī said:

20. Listen. Brāhmaṇī is my dearest friend. She is on a par with my very vital life. The splendid girl will marry and go to the abode of her husband.

21. I will not be able to survive the separation from her. It is for this reason that I cry in distress.

Mṛgāvatī said:

22-23. O my daughter, if it is so (a way-out is possible) I will cause this dear companion of yours to be given in marriage to the son of the Brāhmaṇa engaged as the priest of the king to whose house you will be going as a bride. Thereby, your association with her can still continue.

24. After saying thus the queen summoned the excellent Brāhmaṇa Chāndogya and spoke to him politely:

25-28. “O holy Brāhmaṇa, this daughter of yours is the dearest friend of my daughter. The splendid maiden cannot endure her separation even for a short while.

Similarly, my daughter is the dearest friend of your daughter, Hence, O Brāhmaṇa of excellent Vratas, follow my words which I am going to speak now.

Your daughter should be. given to the Brāhmaṇa engaged as the priest of the king who is likely to be offered the hand of my daughter some time hereafter.

Thereby, O excellent one among Brāhmaṇas, both of them will be staying in the same place with your favour. There will no longer be any separation between them.”

Chāndogya said:

29-30. If a Nāgara gives his daughter in marriage to someone other than a Nāgara and if one (a Nāgara) accepts another (non-Nāgara) girl then he shall become sinful and a Paṅkti-Dūṣaka (a fallen defiler of the row of meal-takers). He will cease to be a Nāgara. So, I will not give ṃy daughter in marriage to anyone except a Nāgara. This decision has been made by me.

Brāhmaṇī said:

31. I will not have anyone as my husband. I will remain a virgin maintaining celibacy. I will go to that place where my dearest friend is likely to be given in marriage.

32. O my father, if you compel me to marry anyone, I will take poison or jump into fire.

33. Or, O my father, it is certain that I will kill myself with some weapon. Know this well, O father, and do what you are competent to do.

34. Realizing that determination on her part, the Brāhmaṇa became extremely vexed. He did not force her, because he was afraid of killing a lady, which is a sin, if caused forcibly. He abandoned her there and went to his own abode,

35. She diverted herself in the company of Ratnavatī, O excellent Brāhmaṇas. Though she had to deny herself the affection of a father, she remained delighted in her heart.

36. She attained the prime of her youth. She became unrivalled in the beauty of form ail over the earth.