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."
प्रयामि निधनं वक्त्रे ग्राहस्यास्य दुरात्मनः शोचामि न स्वकं देहं ग्राहग्रस्तः सुदुःखितः
"I am going to my end in the jaws of this wicked crocodile. I do not grieve for my own body, though seized by the crocodile and greatly afflicted."
यथा शोचामि पितरं मातरं च तपस्विनीम् ग्राहगृहीतं मां श्रुत्वा प्राप्तं निधनम् उत्सुकौ
"As I grieve for my ascetic mother and father, who, hearing that I have been seized by the crocodile and have met my end, will be overcome with longing."
प्रियपुत्राव् एकपुत्रौ प्राणान् नूनं त्यजिष्यतः अहो बत सुकष्टं वै यो ऽहं बालो ऽकृताश्रमः अन्तर्ग्राहेण ग्रस्तस् तु यास्यामि निधनं किल
"Their beloved only son, their sole child, will surely give up their lives. Alas, what terrible suffering! I, a child, not yet initiated, will perish, seized by the crocodile from within."
श्रुत्वा तु देवी तं नादं विप्रस्यार्तस्य शोभना उत्थाय प्रस्थिता तत्र यत्र तिष्ठत्य् असौ द्विजः
Hearing that sound of the distressed and excellent child, the Goddess arose and went to where that brahmin boy was.
सापश्यद् इन्दुवदना बालकं चारुरूपिणम् ग्राहस्य मुखम् आपन्नं वेपमानम् अवस्थितम्
She saw, with a face like the moon, the beautiful boy, caught in the mouth of the crocodile, trembling and helpless.
सो ऽपि ग्राहवरः श्रीमान् दृष्ट्वा देवीम् उपागताम् तं गृहीत्वा द्रुतं यातो मध्यं सरस एव हि
And that illustrious king of crocodiles, seeing the Goddess approach, seized the boy and swiftly went to the middle of the lake.
स कृष्यमाणस् तेजस्वी नादम् आर्तं तदाकरोत् अथाह देवी दुःखार्ता बालं दृष्ट्वा ग्रहावृतम्
As he was being dragged away, the radiant boy uttered a cry of distress. Then the Goddess, seeing the boy seized by the crocodile, spoke in anguish.
ग्राहराज महासत्त्व बालकं ह्य् एकपुत्रकम् विमुञ्चेमं महादंष्ट्र क्षिप्रं भीमपराक्रम
"O king of crocodiles, mighty one, release this only child! O great-fanged, swift and terrible one, let him go at once!"
यो देवि दिवसे षष्ठे प्रथमं समुपैति माम् स आहारो मम पुरा विहितो लोककर्तृभिः
"O Goddess, whoever first approaches me on the sixth day is my food, as ordained long ago by the creators of the worlds."
सो ऽयं मम महाभागे षष्ठे ऽहनि गिरीन्द्रजे ब्रह्मणा प्रेरितो नूनं नैनं मोक्ष्ये कथंचन
"This one, O highly fortunate daughter of the mountain, on the sixth day, has surely been sent to me by Brahmā. I will not release him by any means."
यन् मया हिमवच्छृङ्गे चरितं तप उत्तमम् तेन बालम् इमं मुञ्च ग्राहराज नमो ऽस्तु ते
By the supreme austerity I performed on the peak of the Himalayas, release this child, O king of the Grahas; salutations to you.
मा व्ययस् तपसो देवि भृशं बाले शुभानने यद् ब्रवीमि कुरु श्रेष्ठे तथा मोक्षम् अवाप्स्यति
Do not waste your austerity, O goddess, O auspicious-faced maiden; do as I say to the best, and thus you will attain liberation.
ग्राहाधिप वदस्वाशु यत् सताम् अविगर्हितम् तत् कृतं नात्र संदेहो यतो मे ब्राह्मणाः प्रियाः
O lord of the Grahas, quickly speak what is blameless among the virtuous; let that be done without doubt, for Brahmins are dear to me.
यत् कृतं वै तपः किंचिद् भवत्या स्वल्पम् उत्तमम् तत् सर्वं मे प्रयच्छाशु ततो मोक्षम् अवाप्स्यति
Whatever austerity you have performed, whether little or supreme, grant it all to me at once; then you will attain liberation.
जन्मप्रभृति यत् पुण्यं महाग्राह कृतं मया तत् ते सर्वं मया दत्तं बालं मुञ्च महाग्रह
All the merit I have accumulated since birth, O great Graha, I give to you; release the child, O mighty Graha.
प्रजज्वाल ततो ग्राहस् तपसा तेन भूषितः आदित्य इव मध्याह्ने दुर्निरीक्षस् तदाभवत् उवाच चैवं तुष्टात्मा देवीं लोकस्य धारिणीम्
Then the Graha blazed forth, adorned by that austerity, and became as difficult to look upon as the midday sun; with a satisfied heart, he spoke to the goddess, sustainer of the world.
देवि किं कृत्यम् एतत् ते सुनिश्चित्य महाव्रते तपसो ऽप्य् अर्जनं दुःखं तस्य त्यागो न शस्यते
O goddess, what is this act of yours, so firmly resolved, O great-vowed one? Even the acquisition of austerity is difficult; its renunciation is not praised.
गृहाण तप एव त्वं बालं चेमं सुमध्यमे तुष्टो ऽस्मि ते विप्रभक्त्या वरं तस्माद् ददामि ते सा त्व् एवम् उक्ता ग्राहेण उवाचेदं महाव्रता
You yourself should take back your austerity, O slender-waisted one, and this child as well; I am pleased by your devotion to Brahmins, so I grant you a boon. Thus addressed by the Graha, the great-vowed one replied.
देहेनापि मया ग्राह रक्ष्यो विप्रः प्रयत्नतः तपः पुनर् मया प्राप्यं न प्राप्यो ब्राह्मणः पुनः
Even with my body, O Graha, I must protect the Brahmin with utmost care; I must regain my austerity, but the Brahmin cannot be taken again.
सुनिश्चित्य महाग्राह कृतं बालस्य मोक्षणम् न विप्रेभ्यस् तपः श्रेष्ठं श्रेष्ठा मे ब्राह्मणा मताः
Having firmly resolved, O great Graha, the liberation of the child has been accomplished; the highest austerity is not to be withheld from Brahmins, who are esteemed by me as the best.