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.
यस्मिन् काले सुरेशस्य उमा पत्न्य् अभवत् प्रिया तस्मिन्न् एवाभवद् गङ्गा प्रिया शंभोर् महामते
At the time when Umā became the beloved wife of the lord of the gods, O wise one, Gaṅgā too became the beloved of Śaṃbhu.
मम दोषापनोदाय चिन्तयानः शिवस् तदा उमया सहितः श्रीमान् देवीं प्रेक्ष्य विशेषतः
Desiring to remove my faults, Śiva, together with Umā, especially beheld the goddess at that time.
रसवृत्तौ स्थितो यस्मान् निर्ममे रसम् उत्तमम् रसिकत्वात् प्रियत्वाच् च स्त्रैणत्वात् पावनत्वतः
Because he dwelt in the essence of rasa, he created the supreme rasa, due to his appreciation, affection, inclination toward women, and purity.
सर्वाभ्यो ह्य् अधिकप्रीतिर् गङ्गाभूद् द्विजसत्तम सैवोद्भूता जटामार्गात् कस्मिंश्चित् कारणान्तरे स तु संगोपयाम् आस गङ्गां शंभुर् जटागताम्
O best of twice-born, among all, Ganga became the most beloved; she emerged from the path of the matted locks for some other reason, and Shambhu kept Ganga, who had entered his hair, concealed.
शिरसा च धृतां ज्ञात्वा न शशाक उमा तदा सोढुं ब्रह्मञ् जटाजूटे स्थितां दृष्ट्वा पुनः पुनः
Knowing that she was held upon his head, Uma could not endure, O Brahman, seeing her repeatedly remaining in the matted locks.
अमर्षेण भवं गोरी प्रेरयस्वेत्य् अभाषत नैवासौ प्रैरयच् छंभू रसिको रसम् उत्तमम्
Out of indignation, Gauri said to Bhava, 'Send her forth!' But Shambhu, being a connoisseur of rasa, did not release the supreme rasa.
जटास्व् एव तदा देवीं गोपायन्तं विमृश्य सा विनायकं जयां स्कन्दं रहो वचनम् अब्रवीत्
Reflecting that he was keeping the goddess within his matted locks, she spoke privately to Vinayaka, Jaya, and Skanda.
नैवायं त्रिदशेशानो गङ्गां त्यजति कामुकः सापि प्रिया शिवस्याद्य कथं त्यजति तां प्रियाम्
This lord of the gods, enamored, does not abandon Ganga; and she, being dear to Shiva, how could she forsake her beloved today?
एवं विमृश्य बहुशो गौरी चाह विनायकम्
Thus, having considered much, Gauri spoke to Vinayaka.
न देवैर् नासुरैर् यक्षैर् न सिद्धैर् भवतापि च न राजभिर् अथान्यैर् वा न गङ्गां त्यजति प्रभुः
Neither by gods, nor by asuras, nor by yakshas, nor by siddhas, nor even by you, nor by kings or others, can the Lord be made to abandon Ganga.