सा च कामस्य वै पत्नी रतिर्नाम यशस्विनी । पत्युर्निर्दग्धदेहस्य देहोत्पत्तिं प्रतीक्षती ॥ ७ ॥ निरूपिता शम्बरेण सा सूदौदनसाधने । कामदेवं शिशुं बुद्ध्वा चक्रे स्नेहं तदार्भके ॥ ८ ॥
sā ca kāmasya vai patnī ratir nāma yaśasvinī patyur nirdagdha-dehasya dehotpattim pratīkṣatī nirūpitā śambareṇa sā sūdaudana-sādhane kāmadevaṁ śiśuṁ buddhvā cakre snehaṁ tadārbhake
- sā
- she
- ca
- and
- kāmasya
- of Cupid
- vai
- in fact
- patnī
- the wife
- ratiḥ nama
- named Rati
- yaśasvinī
- famous
- patyuḥ
- of her husband
- nirdagdha
- burnt to ashes
- dehasya
- whose body
- deha
- of a body
- utpattim
- the attainment
- pratīkṣatī
- waiting
- nirūpitā
- appointed
- śambareṇa
- by Śambara
- sā
- she
- sūda-odana
- of vegetables and rice
- sādhane
- in the preparation
- kāma-devam
- as Cupid
- śiśum
- the infant
- buddhvā
- understanding
- cakre
- she developed
- sneham
- love
- tadā
- then
- arbhake
- for the child
Māyāvatī was in fact Cupid’s renowned wife, Rati. While waiting for her husband to obtain a new body — his previous one having been burnt up — she had been assigned by Śambara to prepare vegetables and rice. Māyāvatī understood that this infant was actually Kāmadeva, and thus she began to feel love for Him.