The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 174

Section CLXXIV. ( *Chaitra-ratha Parva continued.* ) "The Gandharva continued, 'When that maiden disappeared, that feller of hostile ranks, deprived of his senses by Kama, himself fell down on the earth. And as the monarch fell down, that maiden of sweet smiles and swelling and round hips appeared again unto him. And smiling sweetly, Tapati said unto that perpetuator of the Kuru race these honeyed words:—Rise, Rise, O thou oppressor of all foes! Blest be thou, it behoveth thee not, O thou tiger among kings, to lose thy reason, celebrated as thou art in the world!—Addressed in these honeyed words, the king opened his eyes and saw before him that same girl of swelling hips. The monarch who was burned with the flame of desire then addressed that black-eyed damsel in accents weak with emotion, and said,—Blest be thou, O excellent woman of black eyes! Burning as I am with desire and paying thee court, O accept me! My life is ebbing away. O thou of large eyes, for thy sake it is, O thou of the filaments of the lotus, that this Kama incessantly pierceth me with his keen shafts without stopping for a moment. O amiable and cheerful girl, I have been bitten by Kama who is even like a venomous snake. O thou of swelling and large hips, have mercy on me! O thou of handsome and faultless features, O thou of face like unto the lotus or the moon, O thou of voice sweet as that of singing Kinnaras, my life now depends on thee! Without thee, O timid one, I am unable to live! O thou of eyes like lotus-leaves, this Kama is piercing me incessantly. O large-eyed girl, be merciful unto me! It behoveth thee not, O black-eyed maid, to cast me off. O handsome girl, it behoveth thee to relieve me from such affliction, by giving me thy love! At the first sight thou hast at- tracted my heart. My mind wandereth! Beholding thee I like not to cast my eyes on any other woman! Be merciful, I am thy obedient slave, thy adorer! O accept me! O beautiful lady, O large-eyed girl, at sight of thee, the god of desire hath entered my heart and is piercing me with his shafts. O thou of lotus eyes, the flame of desire burneth within me! O extinguish that flame by throwing on it the water of thy love! O beautiful lady, by becoming mine pacify thou the irrepressible god of desire who hath appeared here armed with his deadly bow and arrows and who pierceth me incessantly with those keen shafts of his! O thou of the fairest complexion, wed me according to the Gandharva form, for, O thou of tapering hips, of all forms of marriage the Gandharva hath been said to be the best!—' "The Gandharva continued, 'Hearing these words of the monarch, Tapati, answered,—O king, I am not the mistress of my own self! Know that I am a maiden ruled by her father! If thou really entertainest an affection for me, demand me of my father! Thou sayest, O king, that thy heart hath been robbed by me. But thou also hast, at first sight, robbed me of my heart! I am not the mistress of my body. Therefore, O best of kings, I do not approach thee. Women are never independent. What girl is there in the three worlds who would not desire thee for husband, kind as thou art unto all thy dependents and born as thou art in a pure race? Therefore when the opportunity comes ask my father Aditya for my hand, with worship, ascetic penances, and vows! If my father bestoweth me upon thee, then, O king, I shall ever be thy obedient wife! My name is Tapati, and I am the younger sister of Sāvitri, and the daughter, O thou bull of the Kshatriya race, of Sāvita the illuminator of the universe.—'" Thus ends the hundred and seventy-fourth Section in the Chaitra-ratha of the Adi Parva.