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.
एतत् तु त्रिकुमारीकं जगत् स्थावरजङ्गमम् एतासां तपसां वृत्तं यावद् भूमिर् धरिष्यति
This is the account of the three maidens, whose austerities will endure as long as the earth supports all that is movable and immovable.
तपःशरीरास् ताः सर्वास् तिस्रो योगं समाश्रिताः सर्वाश् चैव महाभागास् तथा च स्थिरयौवनाः
All three, their bodies shaped by austerity, embraced yoga. All are greatly fortunate and possess unfading youth.
ता लोकमातरश् चैव ब्रह्मचारिण्य एव च अनुगृह्णन्ति लोकांश् च तपसा स्वेन सर्वदा
They are mothers of the worlds and perpetual celibates, always sustaining the worlds by their own austerity.
उमा तासां वरिष्ठा च ज्येष्ठा च वरवर्णिनी महायोगबलोपेता महादेवम् उपस्थिता
Among them, Umā is the most distinguished, the eldest, of excellent complexion, endowed with great yogic power, and she approached Mahādeva.
दत्तकश् चोशना तस्य पुत्रः स भृगुनन्दनः आसीत् तस्यैकपर्णा तु देवलं सुषुवे सुतम्
Dattaka, also called Uśanā, was his son, O descendant of Bhṛgu. Ekaparṇā bore Devala as her son.
या तु तासां कुमारीणां तृतीया ह्य् एकपाटला पुत्रं सा तम् अलर्कस्य जैगीषव्यम् उपस्थिता
Of those maidens, the third, Ekapāṭalā, bore a son who became the Jaigīṣavya of Alarka.
तस्याश् च शङ्खलिखितौ स्मृतौ पुत्राव् अयोनिजौ उमा तु या मया तुभ्यं कीर्तिता वरवर्णिनी
And to her were born two sons, Śaṅkha and Likhita, not from the womb; and the splendid Uma, whom I have praised to you, O beautiful one.
अथ तस्यास् तपोयोगात् त्रैलोक्यम् अखिलं तदा प्रधूपितम् इहालक्ष्य वचस् ताम् अहम् अब्रवम्
Then, by her practice of austerity, the entire three worlds were consumed; seeing this here, I spoke these words to her.
देवि किं तपसा लोकांस् तापयिष्यसि शोभने त्वया सृष्टम् इदं सर्वं मा कृत्वा तद् विनाशय
O goddess, why do you torment the worlds with your austerity, O radiant one? All this was created by you; do not destroy it by such means.
त्वं हि धारयसे लोकान् इमान् सर्वान् स्वतेजसा ब्रूहि किं ते जगन्मातः प्रार्थितं संप्रतीह नः
For you indeed sustain all these worlds with your own splendor; tell me, O Mother of the Universe, what is your desire now from us?