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.
दत्त्वा चाहं न गृह्णामि ग्राहेन्द्र विहितं हि ते नहि कश्चिन् नरो ग्राह प्रदत्तं पुनर् आहरेत्
Having given, I do not take back, O lord of the Grahas, for what is ordained for you; no man should reclaim what has been given to a Graha.
दत्तम् एतन् मया तुभ्यं नाददानि हि तत् पुनः त्वय्य् एव रमताम् एतद् बालश् चायं विमुच्यताम्
This has been given by me to you; I do not take it back again. Let it abide in you, and let this child be released.
तथोक्तस् तां प्रशस्याथ मुक्त्वा बालं नमस्य च देवीम् आदित्यावभासस् तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
Thus addressed, he praised her, released the child, and bowed to the goddess; shining like the sun, he vanished there.
बालो ऽपि सरसस् तीरे मुक्तो ग्राहेण वै तदा स्वप्नलब्ध इवार्थौघस् तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
The child, freed by the Graha, on the bank of the lake, disappeared there as if a wealth of objects had been obtained in a dream.
तपसो ऽपचयं मत्वा देवी हिमगिरीन्द्रजा भूय एव तपः कर्तुम् आरेभे नियमस्थिता
Considering the loss of her austerity, the goddess, daughter of the king of the Himalayas, again began to perform austerity, steadfast in discipline.
कर्तुकामां तपो भूयो ज्ञात्वा तां शंकरः स्वयम् प्रोवाच वचनं विप्रा मा कृथास् तप इत्य् उत
Knowing her desire to perform austerity again, Śaṅkara himself spoke: 'O Brahmin, do not undertake austerity.'
मह्यम् एतत् तपो देवि त्वया दत्तं महाव्रते तत् तेनैवाक्षयं तुभ्यं भविष्यति सहस्रधा
This austerity, O goddess, O great-vowed one, has been given to me by you; by that, it will become inexhaustible for you a thousandfold.
इति लब्ध्वा वरं देवी तपसो ऽक्षयम् उत्तमम् स्वयंवरम् उदीक्षन्ती तस्थौ प्रीता मुदा युता
Thus, having obtained the boon of supreme, inexhaustible austerity, the goddess stood, joyful and delighted, awaiting her own choice of husband.
इदं पठेद् यो हि नरः सदैव बालानुभावाचरणं हि शंभोः स देहभेदं समवाप्य पूतो भवेद् गणेशस् तु कुमारतुल्यः
Whoever always recites this, the account of the child-like deeds of Śaṃbhu, upon departing from the body becomes purified and attains the status of Gaṇeśa, equal to Kumāra.
विस्तृते हिमवत्पृष्ठे विमानशतसंकुले अभवत् स तु कालेन शैलपुत्र्याः स्वयंवरः
On the broad slopes of Himavat, crowded with hundreds of palaces, in due course, the self-choice ceremony of the daughter of the mountain took place.