भवन्त एव शरणं पूतं मां कर्तुम् अर्हथ
You alone are my refuge; you ought to purify me.
ततः प्रोवाच भगवान् विघ्नराड् ब्राह्मणैर् वृतः
Then the blessed Lord of Obstacles, surrounded by Brahmins, spoke.
नैवेयं म्रियते तत्र नैव जीवति तत्र किम् वदामो ऽस्मिन् सुसंदिग्धे निष्कृतिं गतिम् एव वा
She neither dies there nor lives there; what can we say in this great uncertainty—whether of expiation or of a path forward?
कथम् उत्थास्यतीयं गौर् अथ चास्मिंश् च निष्कृतिम् वक्तुम् अर्हथ तत् सर्वं करिष्ये ऽहम् असंशयम्
How will this cow rise again, and what expiation is there in this matter? You ought to declare it; I will do all that without doubt.
सर्वेषां च मतेनायं वदिष्यति च बुद्धिमान् एतद् वाक्यम् अथास्माकं प्रमाणं तव गौतम
By the agreement of all, the wise one will declare this; and whatever he says, O Gautama, that will be our authority.
ब्राह्मणैः प्रेर्यमाणो ऽसौ गौतमेन बलीयसा विघ्नकृद् ब्रह्मवपुषा प्राह सर्वान् इदं वचः
Urged by the Brahmins and the powerful Gautama, the Remover of Obstacles, in the form of Brahma, spoke these words to all.
सर्वेषां च मतेनाहं वदिष्यामि यथार्थवत् अनुमन्यन्तु मुनयो मद्वाक्यं गौतमो ऽपि च
With the consent of all, I will speak the truth as it is; let the sages, and Gautama as well, approve my words.
महेश्वरजटाजूटे ब्रह्मणो ऽव्यक्तजन्मनः कमण्डलुस्थितं वारि तिष्ठतीति हि शुश्रुम
We have heard that in the matted locks of great Śiva, the water from Brahma’s water-pot, source of the unmanifest-born, abides.
तद् आनयस्व तरसा तपसा नियमेन च तेनाभिषिञ्च गाम् एतां भगवन् भुवम् आश्रिताम् ततो वत्स्यामहे सर्वे पूर्ववत् तव वेश्मनि
Bring that swiftly, with austerity and discipline; with it, bathe this cow who has taken refuge on earth, O Lord. Then we shall all remain as before in your dwelling.
इत्य् उक्तवति विप्रेन्द्रे ब्राह्मणानां च संसदि तत्रापतत् पुष्पवृष्टिर् जयशब्दो व्यवर्धत ततः कृताञ्जलिर् नम्रो गौतमो वाक्यम् अब्रवीत्
When the lord of Brahmins had spoken thus in the assembly of Brahmins, a shower of flowers fell there and cries of victory increased. Then Gautama, with joined palms and bowed, spoke these words.
तपसाग्निप्रसादेन देवब्रह्मप्रसादतः भवतां च प्रसादेन मत्संकल्पो ऽनुसिध्यताम्
By the grace of the fire of austerity, by the favor of the gods and Brahma, and by your grace, may my intention be fulfilled.
एवम् अस्त्व् इति तं विप्रा आपृच्छन् मुनिपुंगवम् स्वानि स्थानानि ते जग्मुः समृद्धान्य् अन्नवारिभिः
So be it, said the Brahmins, taking leave of the foremost sage. They returned to their own places, prosperous with food and water.
यातेषु तेषु विप्रेषु भ्रात्रा सह गणेश्वरः जयया सह सुप्रीतः कृतकृत्यो न्यवर्तत
When those Brahmins had departed, the Lord of Hosts, together with his brother and Victory, well pleased and his task accomplished, withdrew.
गतेषु ब्रह्मवृन्देषु गणेशे च गते तथा गौतमो ऽपि मुनिश्रेष्ठस् तपसा हतकल्मषः
When the assembly of Brahmins and the Lord of Hosts had departed, Gautama too, the foremost sage, purified of sin by austerity, withdrew.
ध्यायंस् तदर्थं स मुनिः किम् इदं मम संस्थितम् इत्य् एवं बहुशो ध्यायञ् ज्ञानेन ज्ञातवान् द्विज
Meditating on that purpose, the sage repeatedly reflected, 'What is this situation of mine?' Thus, by knowledge, he understood, O twice-born one.
निश्चित्य देवकार्यार्थम् आत्मनः किल्बिषां गतिम् लोकानाम् उपकारं च शंभोः प्रीणनम् एव च
Having determined that it was for the sake of the gods, the removal of his own sin, the welfare of the worlds, and the pleasing of Śambhu,
उमायाः प्रीणनं चापि गङ्गानयनम् एव च सर्वं श्रेयस्करं मन्ये मयि नैव च किल्बिषम्
And also the pleasing of Umā, the bringing of Gaṅgā— all this I consider to be most auspicious, and there is truly no sin in me.
इत्य् एवं मनसा ध्यायन् सुप्रीतो ऽभूद् द्विजोत्तमः आराध्य जगताम् ईशं त्रिनेत्रं वृषभध्वजम्
Thus meditating in his mind, the best of twice-born became very pleased, having worshipped the Lord of the worlds, the three-eyed one, the bull-bannered.
आनयिष्ये सरिच्छ्रेष्ठां प्रीता ऽस्तु गिरिजा मम सपत्नी जगदम्बाया महेश्वरजटास्थिता
I shall bring the best of rivers; may Girijā, my co-wife, the Mother of the world, who dwells in Maheśvara's matted locks, be pleased with me.
एवं हि संकल्प्य मुनिप्रवीरः स गौतमो ब्रह्मगिरेर् जगाम कैलासम् आधिष्ठितम् उग्रधन्वना सुरार्चितं प्रियया ब्रह्मवृन्दैः
Thus resolving, the eminent sage Gautama went to Kailāsa, the abode of the mighty-bowed one, worshipped by the gods, along with his beloved and the hosts of Brahmā.
कैलासशिखरं गत्वा गौतमो भगवान् ऋषिः किं चकार तपो वापि कां चक्रे स्तुतिम् उत्तमाम्
Having reached the peak of Kailāsa, what did the venerable sage Gautama do— did he perform austerity, or did he compose a supreme hymn?
गिरिं गत्वा ततो वत्स वाचं संयम्य गौतमः आस्तीर्य स कुशान् प्राज्ञः कैलासे पर्वतोत्तमे
Having gone to the mountain, O child, Gautama restrained his speech, spread out kuśa grass, and sat on the supreme mountain Kailāsa, wise and composed.
उपविश्य शुचिर् भूत्वा स्तोत्रं चेदं ततो जगौ अपतत् पुष्पवृष्टिश् च स्तूयमाने महेश्वरे
Sitting down, having purified himself, he then sang this hymn; as Maheśvara was being praised, a shower of flowers fell.
भोगार्थिनां भोगम् अभीप्सितं च दातुं महान्त्य् अष्टवपूंषि धत्ते सोमो जनानां गुणवन्ति नित्यं देवं महादेवम् इति स्तुवन्ति
To grant the desired enjoyments to those who seek them, Soma assumes the eight great forms, always endowed with virtues; thus they praise the god, the great Lord.
कर्तुं स्वकीयैर् विषयैः सुखानि भर्तुं समस्तं सचराचरं च संपत्तये ह्य् अस्य विवृद्धये च महीमयं रूपम् इतीश्वरस्य
To create pleasures with his own domains, to sustain all that moves and is still, for prosperity and increase, the Lord assumes the form of earth, they say.
सृष्टेः स्थितेः संहरणाय भूमेर् आधारम् आधातुम् अपां स्वरूपम् भेजे शिवः शान्ततनुर् जनानां सुखाय धर्माय जगत् प्रतिष्ठितम्
For creation, maintenance, and dissolution, to establish a support for the earth, Śiva, of peaceful form, took the form of water for the happiness and righteousness of people, and for the stability of the world.
कालव्यवस्थाम् अमृतस्रवं च जीवस्थितिं सृष्टिम् अथो विनाशनम् मुदं प्रजानां सुखम् उन्नतिं च चक्रे ऽर्कचन्द्राग्निमयं शरीरम्
He established the order of time, the flow of immortality, the existence of living beings, creation and destruction, joy, happiness, and prosperity for beings, assuming a body made of sun, moon, and fire.
वृद्धिं गतिं शक्तिम् अथाक्षराणि जीवव्यवस्थां मुदम् अप्य् अनेकाम् स्रष्टुं कृतं वायुर् इतीशरूपं त्वं वेत्सि नूनं भगवन् भवन्तम्
To create growth, movement, power, and the imperishable letters, the order of living beings, and manifold joys, the Lord took the form of wind; surely, O Lord, you know yourself.
भेदैर् विना नैव कृतिर् न धर्मो नात्मीयम् अन्यन् न दिशो ऽन्तरिक्षम् द्यावापृथिव्यौ न च भुक्तिमुक्ती तस्माद् इदं व्योमवपुस् तवेश
Without distinctions, there is no action, no righteousness, nothing of one's own, nor anything else, no directions, no space, no heaven and earth, nor enjoyment or liberation; therefore, this form of space is yours, O Lord.
धर्मं व्यवस्थापयितुं व्यवस्य ऋक्सामशास्त्राणि यजुश् च शाखाः लोके च गाथाः स्मृतयः पुराणम् इत्यादिशब्दात्मकताम् उपैति
To establish righteousness, you determined the Ṛk, Sāman, and Yajus branches, and in the world, the songs, the smṛtis, the Purāṇas— all take the form of words.