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:
देवि पित्रा त्व् अनुज्ञातः स्वयंवर इति श्रुतिः तत्र त्वं वरयित्री यं स ते भर्ता भवेद् इति
Devi, your father has permitted a svayaṃvara, so it is said. There, you will choose your own husband; whoever you select will become your spouse.
तद् आपृच्छ्य गमिष्यामि दुर्लभां त्वां वरानने रूपवन्तं समुत्सृज्य वृणोष्य् असदृशं कथम्
So, after taking leave, I will go. O beautiful-faced one, how could you abandon one so handsome and choose someone unworthy?
तेनोक्ता सा तदा तत्र भावयन्ती तदीरितम् भावं च रुद्रनिहितं प्रसादं मनसस् तथा
She, reflecting on what he had said and on the feeling placed in her heart by Rudra, replied to him there.
संप्राप्योवाच देवेशं मा ते ऽभूद् बुद्धिर् अन्यथा अहं त्वां वरयिष्यामि नाद्भुतं तु कथंचन
Having understood, she said to the lord of the gods: 'Let your mind not waver. I will choose you; there is nothing surprising in this.'
अथवा ते ऽस्ति संदेहो मयि विप्र कथंचन इहैव त्वां महाभाग वरयामि मनोगतम्
Or, if you have any doubt about me, O Brahmin, right here and now, O greatly fortunate one, I choose you in my heart.
गृहीत्वा स्तबकं सा तु हस्ताभ्यां तत्र संस्थिता स्कन्धे शंभोः समाधाय देवी प्राह वृतो ऽसि मे
She took a garland in her hands, stood there, placed it on Śambhu's shoulder, and said: 'You are chosen by me.'
ततः स भगवान् देवस् तया देव्या वृतस् तदा उवाच तम् अशोकं वै वाचा संजीवयन्न् इव
Then that blessed god, chosen by the goddess, spoke to that ashoka tree, as if reviving it with his words:
यस्मात् तव सुपुण्येन स्तबकेन वृतो ऽस्म्य् अहम् तस्मात् त्वं जरया त्यक्तस् त्व् अमरः संभविष्यसि
Because I have been chosen by you with this most auspicious garland, you will be free from old age and become immortal.
कामरूपी कामपुष्पः कामदो दयितो मम सर्वाभरणपुष्पाढ्यः सर्वपुष्पफलोपगः
You will have any form you wish, bear flowers at will, grant desires, be dear to me, adorned with all ornaments and flowers, and bear all flowers and fruits.
सर्वान्नभक्षकश् चैव अमृतस्वाद एव च सर्वगन्धश् च देवानां भविष्यसि दृढप्रियः
You will be able to consume all foods, taste like nectar, possess all fragrances, and be firmly beloved among the gods.
निर्भयः सर्वलोकेषु भविष्यसि सुनिर्वृतः आश्रमं वेदम् अत्यर्थं चित्रकूटेति विश्रुतम्
You will be fearless and content in all worlds. Your hermitage, renowned as Citrakūṭa, will be greatly revered.
यो हि यास्यति पुण्यार्थी सो ऽश्वमेधम् अवाप्स्यति यस् तु तत्र मृतश् चापि ब्रह्मलोकं स गच्छति
Whoever comes here seeking merit will obtain the fruit of an aśvamedha sacrifice. And whoever dies here will go to the world of Brahma.
यश् चात्र नियमैर् युक्तः प्राणान् सम्यक् परित्यजेत् स देव्यास् तपसा युक्तो महागणपतिर् भवेत्
And whoever here, endowed with discipline, properly relinquishes the life-breaths, he, united with the austerity of the Goddess, becomes the great Lord of Hosts.
एवम् उक्त्वा तदा देव आपृच्छ्य हिमवत्सुताम् अन्तर्दधे जगत्स्रष्टा सर्वभूतप ईश्वरः
Having spoken thus, the Lord, creator of the worlds and master of all beings, took leave of the daughter of Himavat and vanished.
सापि देवी गते तस्मिन् भगवत्य् अमितात्मनि तत एवोन्मुखी भूत्वा शिलायां संबभूव ह
And the Goddess, when that divine, immeasurable-souled one had departed, became intent from that very place and manifested herself upon a rock.
उन्मुखी सा भवे तस्मिन् महेशे जगतां प्रभौ निशेव चन्द्ररहिता न बभौ विमनास् तदा
She, intent upon that Lord, the great ruler of the worlds, shone not, like the moonless night, dispirited at that time.
अथ शुश्राव शब्दं च बालस्यार्तस्य शैलजा सरस्य् उदकसंपूर्णे समीपे चाश्रमस्य च
Then the daughter of the mountain heard the cry of a distressed child, near the hermitage, by a lake filled with water.
स कृत्वा बालरूपं तु देवदेवः स्वयं शिवः क्रीडाहेतोः सरोमध्ये ग्राहग्रस्तो ऽभवत् तदा
Thereupon, the god of gods, Śiva himself, having assumed the form of a child for the sake of play, was seized by a crocodile in the middle of the lake.
योगमायां समास्थाय प्रपञ्चोद्भवकारणम् तद् रूपं सरसो मध्ये कृत्वैवं समभाषत
Resorting to yogic illusion, the cause of the world's manifestation, he took that form in the midst of the lake and spoke thus.
त्रातु मां कश्चिद् इत्य् आह ग्राहेण हृतचेतसम् धिक् कष्टं बाल एवाहम् अप्राप्तार्थमनोरथः
"Save me, someone!" he cried, his mind overcome by the crocodile. "Alas, what misery! I am but a child, my hopes and desires unfulfilled."