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?
यदर्थं तपसो ह्य् अस्य चरणं मे पितामह त्वम् एव तद् विजानीषे ततः पृच्छसि किं पुनः
O Grandfather, you already know the purpose for which I undertake this austerity; so why do you ask me again?
ततस् ताम् अब्रवं चाहं यदर्थं तप्यसे शुभे स त्वां स्वयम् उपागम्य इहैव वरयिष्यति
Then I said to her, 'O auspicious one, for the purpose for which you perform austerity, he himself will come to you here and choose you.'
शर्व एव पतिः श्रेष्ठः सर्वलोकेश्वरेश्वरः वयं सदैव यस्येमे वश्या वै किंकराः शुभे
Śarva alone is the supreme lord, the lord of all lords in all the worlds; we are always under his command, O auspicious one, his servants indeed.
स देवदेवः परमेश्वरः स्वयं स्वयंभुर् आयास्यति देवि ते ऽन्तिकम् उदाररूपो विकृतादिरूपः समानरूपो ऽपि न यस्य कस्यचित्
That god of gods, the supreme lord, the self-born, will himself come to you, O goddess, of noble form, of manifold and unique appearance, like none other.
महेश्वरः पर्वतलोकवासी चराचरेशः प्रथमो ऽप्रमेयः विनेन्दुना हीन्द्रसमानवर्चसा विभीषणं रूपम् इवास्थितो यः
Maheśvara, the dweller of the mountain realm, lord of the moving and unmoving, the first, immeasurable, shining like the moon and Indra, assuming a fearsome form.
ततस् ताम् अब्रुवन् देवास् तदा गत्वा तु सुन्दरीम् देवि शीघ्रेण कालेन धूर्जटिर् नीललोहितः
Then the gods spoke to her, and having gone, said: 'O beautiful goddess, soon Dhūrjaṭi, blue and red in hue, will come.'
स भर्ता तव देवेशो भविता मा तपः कृथाः ततः प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य देवा विप्रा गिरेः सुताम्
'He, the lord of the gods, will become your husband; do not continue your austerity.' Then the gods and sages, having circumambulated the daughter of the mountain, departed.
जग्मुश् चादर्शनं तस्याः सा चापि विरराम ह सा देवी सूक्तम् इत्य् एवम् उक्त्वा स्वस्याश्रमे शुभे
They became invisible to her, and she too ceased her recitation of hymns, remaining in her own auspicious hermitage.
द्वारि जातम् अशोकं च समुपाश्रित्य चास्थिता अथागाच् चन्द्रतिलकस् त्रिदशार्तिहरो हरः
At the door, she stood near an aśoka tree; then came Hara, the remover of the gods' distress, adorned with a crescent moon.
विकृतं रूपम् आस्थाय ह्रस्वो बाहुक एव च विभग्ननासिको भूत्वा कुब्जः केशान्तपिङ्गलः
Assuming a deformed form, short and with small arms, his nose broken, hunchbacked, with tawny hair at the ends.
उवाच विकृतास्यश् च देवि त्वां वरयाम्य् अहम् अथोमा योगसंसिद्धा ज्ञात्वा शंकरम् आगतम्
With a distorted face he spoke: 'O goddess, I choose you as my bride.' But Uma, accomplished in yoga, recognized Śaṅkara had come.
अन्तर्भावविशुद्धात्मा कृपानुष्ठानलिप्सया तम् उवाचार्घपाद्याभ्यां मधुपर्केण चैव ह
With a pure heart, intent on compassion, she addressed him with offerings of water for washing the feet and for welcome, and with honeyed beverage.
संपूज्य सुमनोभिस् तं ब्राह्मणं ब्राह्मणप्रिया
She worshipped him with fragrant flowers, for she was devoted to brahmins and dear to them.
भगवन् न स्वतन्त्राहं पिता मे त्व् अग्रणीर् गृहे स प्रभुर् मम दाने वै कन्याहं द्विजपुंगव
'O lord, I am not independent; my father is the head of the household. He alone has authority in giving me away; I am a maiden, O best of brahmins.'
गत्वा याचस्व पितरं मम शैलेन्द्रम् अव्ययम् स चेद् ददाति मां विप्र तुभ्यं तद् उचितं मम
Go and ask my father, the imperishable lord of mountains. If he gives me to you, O Brahmin, then that is proper for me.
ततः स भगवान् देवस् तथैव विकृतः प्रभुः उवाच शैलराजानं सुतां मे यच्छ शैलराट्
Then that blessed god, still in his altered form, spoke to the king of mountains: 'O king of mountains, give me your daughter.'
स तं विकृतरूपेण ज्ञात्वा रुद्रम् अथाव्ययम् भीतः शापाच् च विमना इदं वचनम् अब्रवीत्
Recognizing him, even in his strange form, as the imperishable Rudra, the king, afraid and troubled by the threat of a curse, spoke these words:
भगवन् नावमन्ये ऽहं ब्राह्मणान् भुवि देवताः मनीषितं तु यत् पूर्वं तच् छृणुष्व महामते
O Lord, I do not disregard Brahmins or gods on earth. But listen, O wise one, to what was decided before.
स्वयंवरो मे दुहितुर् भविता विप्रपूजितः वरयेद् यं स्वयं तत्र स भर्तास्या भविष्यति
A svayaṃvara will be held for my daughter, with Brahmins honored. Whomever she chooses herself there, he will be her husband.
तच् छ्रुत्वा शैलवचनं भगवान् वृषभध्वजः देव्याः समीपम् आगत्य इदम् आह महामनाः
Hearing the words of the mountain king, the Lord, bull-bannered, of great mind, went to the goddess and spoke this: