केनाक्षयाश् च लोकाः स्युः ख्यातिश् च परमा मुने तथैव चार्चनीयत्वं सत्सु तत् कथयस्व मे
By what means, O sage, do worlds become imperishable, and supreme fame, as well as worthiness of worship among the virtuous, arise? Tell me this.
अपत्येन महाबाहो सर्वम् एतद् अवाप्यते ममाख्यातिर् अपत्येन ब्रह्मणा ऋषिभिः सह
All this is attained, O mighty-armed one, through offspring—my own fame, together with that of Brahmā and the sages, is due to offspring.
किं न पश्यसि शैलेन्द्र यतो मां परिपृच्छसि वर्तयिष्यामि यच् चापि यथादृष्टं पुराचल
Do you not see, O lord of mountains, why you question me? I shall relate to you what I have seen, O ancient mountain.
वाराणसीम् अहं गच्छन्न् अपश्यं संस्थितं दिवि विमानं सुनवं दिव्यम् अनौपम्यं महर्धिमत्
As I was going to Vārāṇasī, I saw in the sky a celestial, splendid, and incomparable palace, endowed with great majesty.
तस्याधस्ताद् आर्तनादं गर्तस्थाने शृणोम्य् अहम् तम् अहं तपसा ज्ञात्वा तत्रैवान्तर्हितः स्थितः
Beneath it, in a pit, I heard a cry of distress. By means of austerity I understood it, and remained hidden there.
अथागात् तत्र शैलेन्द्र विप्रो नियमवाञ् शुचिः तीर्थाभिषेकपूतात्मा परे तपसि संस्थितः
Then, O lord of mountains, a brāhmaṇa arrived there, disciplined and pure, his soul purified by bathing at holy places, steadfast in supreme austerity.
अथ स व्रजमानस् तु व्याघ्रेणाभीषितो द्विजः विवेश तं तदा देशं स गर्तो यत्र भूधर
As that brāhmaṇa was proceeding, threatened by a tiger, he entered that place, O mountain, where the pit was.
गर्तायां वीरणस्तम्बे लम्बमानांस् तदा मुनीन् अपश्यद् आर्तो दुःखार्तांस् तान् अपृच्छच् च स द्विजः
In the pit, on a pillar of reeds, he saw sages hanging, afflicted and distressed; that brāhmaṇa questioned them.
के यूयं वीरणस्तम्बे लम्बमाना ह्य् अधोमुखाः दुःखिताः केन मोक्षश् च युष्माकं भवितानघाः
Who are you, hanging head-down on this pillar of reeds, suffering? By what means will liberation come to you, O sinless ones?
वयं ते कृतपुण्यस्य पितरः सपितामहाः प्रपितामहाश् च क्लिश्यामस् तव दुष्टेन कर्मणा
We are your fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers, who performed meritorious deeds; we suffer because of your wicked action.
नरको ऽयं महाभाग गर्तरूपेण संस्थितः त्वं चापि वीरणस्तम्बस् त्वयि लम्बामहे वयम्
This is a hell, O highly fortunate one, existing in the form of a pit. And you are the pillar of reeds; upon you we hang.
यावत् त्वं जीवसे विप्र तावद् एव वयं स्थिताः मृते त्वयि गमिष्यामो नरकं पापचेतसः
As long as you live, O brāhmaṇa, so long do we remain here. When you die, we shall go to hell, our minds tainted by sin.
यदि त्वं दारसंयोगं कृत्वापत्यं गुणोत्तरम् उत्पादयसि तेनास्मान् मुच्येम वयम् एनसः
If you, by union with a wife, produce a virtuous son, by that act we shall be freed from this sin.
नान्येन तपसा पुत्र तीर्थानां च फलेन च एतत् कुरु महाबुद्धे तारयस्व पितॄन् भयात्
By no other austerity, O son, nor by the fruit of pilgrimages, can this be accomplished. Do this, O wise one, and deliver your ancestors from fear.
स तथेति प्रतिज्ञाय आराध्य वृषभध्वजम् पितॄन् गर्तात् समुद्धृत्य गणपान् प्रचकार ह
Having promised thus, he worshipped the Bull-bannered One, raised his ancestors from the pit, and became a leader of Gaṇas.
स्वयं रुद्रस्य दयितः सुवेशो नाम नामतः संमतो बलवांश् चैव रुद्रस्य गणपो ऽभवत्
He himself, beloved of Rudra, named Suveśa, esteemed and powerful, became a leader of Rudra’s Gaṇas.
तस्मात् कृत्वा तपो घोरम् अपत्यं गुणवद् भृशम् उत्पादयस्व शैलेन्द्र सुतां त्वं वरवर्णिनीम्
Therefore, performing severe austerity, produce a son of great virtue, O lord of mountains, by your daughter, the one of excellent complexion.
स एवम् उक्त्वा ऋषिणा शैलेन्द्रो नियमस्थितः तपश् चकाराप्य् अतुलं येन तुष्टिर् अभून् मम
Thus addressed by the sage, the lord of mountains, steadfast in discipline, performed incomparable austerity, by which I was satisfied.
तदा तम् उत्पपाताहं वरदो ऽस्मीति चाब्रवम् ब्रूहि तुष्टो ऽस्मि शैलेन्द्र तपसानेन सुव्रत
Then I appeared before him and said, 'I am the giver of boons.' Speak, for I am pleased with you, O lord of mountains, because of your austerity, O virtuous one.
भगवन् पुत्रम् इच्छामि गुणैः सर्वैर् अलंकृतम् एवं वरं प्रयच्छस्व यदि तुष्टो ऽसि मे प्रभो
O Lord, I desire a son adorned with all virtues. Grant me this boon, if you are indeed pleased with me, O master.
तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा गिरिराजस्य भो द्विजाः तदा तस्मै वरं चाहं दत्तवान् मनसेप्सितम्
Hearing these words of the king of mountains, O twice-born ones, I then granted him the boon he wished for in his mind.
कन्या भवित्री शैलेन्द्र तपसानेन सुव्रत यस्याः प्रभावात् सर्वत्र कीर्तिम् आप्स्यसि शोभनाम्
A daughter will be born to you, O lord of mountains, through your austerity, O virtuous one. By her power, you will attain renowned fame everywhere.
अर्चितः सर्वदेवानां तीर्थकोटिसमावृतः पावनश् चैव पुण्येन देवानाम् अपि सर्वतः
Honored by all the gods, surrounded by countless holy places, purified by merit, she will be revered by all the gods everywhere.
ज्येष्ठा च सा भवित्री ते अन्ये चात्र ततः शुभे
She will be your eldest, and others will follow after her, O auspicious one.
सो ऽपि कालेन शैलेन्द्रो मेनायाम् उदपादयत् अपर्णाम् एकपर्णां च तथा चैवैकपाटलाम्
In due course, the lord of mountains begot in Menā Aparnā, Ekaparṇā, and likewise Ekapāṭalā.
न्यग्रोधम् एकपर्णं तु पाटलं चैकपाटलाम् अशित्वा त्व् एकपर्णां तु अनिकेतस् तपो ऽचरत्
Nyagrodhā, Ekaparṇā, and Pāṭalā, as well as Ekapāṭalā, after consuming only Ekaparṇā, Aniketā practiced austerity.
शतं वर्षसहस्राणां दुश्चरं देवदानवैः आहारम् एकपर्णं तु एकपर्णा समाचरत्
For a hundred thousand years, which are difficult even for gods and demons, Ekaparṇā practiced austerity, subsisting on a single leaf as food.
पाटलेन तथैकेन विदधे चैकपाटला पूर्णे वर्षसहस्रे तु आहारं ताः प्रचक्रतुः
Ekapāṭalā likewise subsisted on a single pāṭala leaf, and when a thousand years were completed, they all took such food.
अपर्णा तु निराहारा तां माता प्रत्यभाषत निषेधयन्ती चो मेति मातृस्नेहेन दुःखिता
Aparṇā, however, remained without food. Her mother addressed her, forbidding her, saying 'Eat,' distressed by maternal affection.
सा तथोक्ता तया मात्रा देवी दुश्चरचारिणी तेनैव नाम्ना लोकेषु विख्याता सुरपूजिता
Thus spoken to by her mother, the goddess, performer of difficult austerities, became renowned in the worlds by that very name, worshipped by the gods.