एवं वदन्तं स प्राह क्रम विष्णो पुनः पुनः
As he spoke thus, Bali said again and again, 'Stride, O Viṣṇu, stride!'
कूर्मपृष्ठे पदं न्यस्य बलियज्ञे पदं न्यसत् द्वितीयं तु पदं प्राप ब्रह्मलोकं सनातनम्
He placed one foot upon the back of the tortoise, and another at the place of the Bali sacrifice; the second step reached the eternal world of Brahmā.
तृतीयस्य पदस्यात्र स्थानं नास्त्य् असुरेश्वर क्व क्रमिष्ये भुवं देहि बलिं तं हरिर् अब्रवीत् विहस्य बलिर् अप्य् आह सभार्यः स कृताञ्जलिः
For the third step, O lord of the Asuras, there is no place here. Where shall I stride? Give me the earth, said Hari to Bali with a smile. Bali, together with his wife, with joined palms, replied:
त्वया सृष्टं जगत् सर्वं न स्रष्टाहं सुरेश्वर त्वद्दोषाद् अल्पम् अभवत् किं करोमि जगन्मय
The whole world was created by you; I am not the creator, O lord of the gods. Because of your power, mine became small—what can I do, O embodiment of the universe?
तथापि नानृतपूर्वं कदाचिद् वच्मि केशव सत्यवाक्यं च मां कुर्वन् मत्पृष्ठे हि पदं न्यस
Yet, I have never spoken falsehood before, O Keśava. Make my word true—place your foot upon my back.
ततः प्रसन्नो भगवांस् त्रयीमूर्तिः सुरार्चितः
Then the blessed Lord, the three-formed one, worshipped by the gods, was pleased.
वरं वृणीष्व भद्रं ते भक्त्या प्रीतो ऽस्मि दैत्यराट्
"Choose a boon, O fortunate one; I am pleased with your devotion, O king of the Daityas."
स तु प्राह जगन्नाथं न याचे त्वां त्रिविक्रमम् स तु प्रादात् स्वयं विष्णुः प्रीतः सन् मनसेप्सितम्
But he replied to the Lord of the universe, 'I do not ask you, O Trivikrama.' Yet Viṣṇu, pleased, granted him what he desired in his heart.
रसातलपतित्वं च भावि चेन्द्रपदं पुनः आत्माधिपत्यं च हरिर् अविनाशि यशो विभुः
Falling to Rasātala, and again attaining the position of Indra, and sovereignty over oneself—these, the imperishable Hari, the glorious one, granted.
एवं दत्त्वा बलेः सर्वं ससुतं भार्ययान्वितम् रसातले हरिः स्थाप्य बलिं त्व् अमरवैरिणम्
Thus, having given everything of Bali, along with his sons and wife, Hari established Bali, the foe of the immortals, in Rasātala.
शतक्रतोस् तथा प्रादात् सुरराज्यं यथाभवम् एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे तत्र पदं प्रागात् सुरार्चितम्
Then Śatakratu restored the sovereignty of the gods as it was before; and in that moment, that worshipped foot reached there.
द्वितीयं तत् पदं विष्णोः पितुर् मम महामते यत् पदं समनुप्राप्तं गृहं दृष्ट्वाप्य् अचिन्तयम्
That second step of Viṣṇu, O wise one, which reached my father's abode—seeing that foot arrive at our house, I reflected.
किं कृत्यं यच् छुभं मे स्यात् पदे विष्णोः समागते सर्वस्वं च समालोक्य श्रेष्ठो मे स्यात् कमण्डलुः
What good deed should I do, now that Viṣṇu's foot has arrived? Considering all my possessions, I thought my water-pot would be best.
तद् वारि यत् पुण्यतमं दत्तं च त्रिपुरारिणा वरं वरेण्यं वरदं वरं शान्तिकरं परम्
That water, most holy, given by the enemy of Tripura, is the supreme boon, the best of boons, the giver of boons, the highest, and the bringer of peace.
शुभं च शुभदं नित्यं भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायकम् मातृस्वरूपं लोकानाम् अमृतं भेषजं शुचि
It is auspicious, ever bestowing good, granting both enjoyment and liberation, the very form of the Mother of the worlds, immortal, a remedy, and pure.
पवित्रं पावनं पूज्यं ज्येष्ठं श्रेष्ठं गुणान्वितम् स्मरणाद् एव लोकानां पावनं किं नु दर्शनात्
It is holy, purifying, worthy of worship, eldest, best, endowed with virtues; by mere remembrance it purifies the worlds—how much more so by sight?
तादृग् वारि शुचिर् भूत्वा कल्पये ऽर्घाय मे पितुः इति संचिन्त्य तद् वारि गृहीत्वार्घाय कल्पितम्
Thinking thus, 'Let me, having become pure, prepare that water for the offering to my father,' he took that water and prepared it for the offering.
विष्णोः पादे तु पतितम् अर्घवारि सुमन्त्रितम् तद् वारि पतितं मेरौ चतुर्धा व्यगमद् भुवम्
That water, well-consecrated, which had fallen at the feet of Viṣṇu, then fell upon Mount Meru and divided into four upon the earth.
पूर्वे तु दक्षिणे चैव पश्चिमे चोत्तरे तथा दक्षिणे यत् तु पतितं जटाभिः शंकरो मुने
To the east, south, west, and north it fell; O sage, that which fell to the south was caught by Śaṅkara in his matted locks.
जग्राह पश्चिमे यत् तु पुनः प्रायात् कमण्डलुम् उत्तरे पतितं यत् तु विष्णुर् जग्राह तज् जलम्
That which fell to the west was again taken up into the water-pot, and that which fell to the north, Viṣṇu took up as water.
पूर्वस्मिन्न् ऋषयो देवा पितरो लोकपालकाः जगृहुः शुभदं वारि तस्माच् छ्रेष्ठं तद् उच्यते
In the east, the sages, gods, ancestors, and guardians of the worlds took the auspicious water; therefore, it is called the best.
या दक्षिणां दिशं प्राप्ता आपो वै लोकमातरः विष्णुपादप्रसूतास् ता ब्रह्मण्या लोकमातरः
The waters that reached the southern direction are indeed the mothers of the worlds, born from Viṣṇu’s feet, those devoted to Brahman, the mothers of the worlds.
महेश्वरजटासंस्थाः पर्वजातशुभोदयाः तासां प्रभावस्मरणात् सर्वकामान् अवाप्नुयात्
Those established in Maheśvara’s matted locks, born at the joints and auspicious in origin—by remembering their power, one attains all desires.
कमण्डलुस्थिता देवी महेश्वरजटागता श्रुता देव यथा मर्त्यम् आगता तद् ब्रवीतु मे
O god, tell me how the goddess who was in the water-pot and entered Maheśvara’s matted locks came to the world of mortals, as I have heard.
महेश्वरजटास्था या आपो देव्यो महामते तासां च द्विविधो भेद आहर्तुर् द्वयकारणात्
O wise one, the waters that were in Maheśvara’s matted locks are divine; and there is a twofold division of them, due to the two kinds of those who brought them.
एकांशो ब्राह्मणेनात्र व्रतदानसमाधिना गोतमेन शिवं पूज्य आहृतो लोकविश्रुतः
One portion was brought here by the brāhmaṇa Gautama, renowned in the world, through observance, charity, and meditation, after worshipping Śiva.
अपरस् तु महाप्राज्ञ क्षत्रियेण बलीयसा आराध्य शंकरं देवं तपोभिर् नियमैस् तथा
But another portion, O greatly wise one, was brought by the powerful kṣatriya, having worshipped the god Śaṅkara with austerities and disciplines.
भगीरथेन भूपेन आहृतो ऽंशो ऽपरस् तथा एवं द्वैरूप्यम् अभवद् गङ्गाया मुनिसत्तम
A portion was thus brought by King Bhagīratha as well; thus, O best of sages, the Gaṅgā became twofold in form.
महेश्वरजटास्था या हेतुना केन गौतमः आहर्ता क्षत्रियेणापि आहृता केन तद् वद
Tell me, for what reason did Gautama bring down the waters established in Maheśvara’s matted locks, and for what reason did the kṣatriya bring them?
यथानीता पुरा वत्स ब्राह्मणेनेतरेण वा तत् सर्वं विस्तरेणाहं वदिष्ये प्रीतये तव
O dear one, as they were brought in ancient times, whether by a brāhmaṇa or by another, I shall tell you all that in detail for your satisfaction.