प्राक्षालयच् च स्वाङ्गानि असृग्लिप्तानि नारद गङ्गाम्भसा तत्र कुण्डं वाराहम् अभवत् ततः
And there, O Narada, he washed his limbs, smeared with blood, with the waters of the Ganga; there a pool called Varaha was formed.
मुखे न्यस्तं महायज्ञं देवानां पुरतो हरिः दत्तवांस् त्रिदशश्रेष्ठो मुखाद् यज्ञो ऽभ्यजायत
Having placed the great sacrifice in his mouth, Hari, before the gods, the best among the immortals, gave forth the sacrifice, and from his mouth the yajna was born.
ततः प्रभृति यज्ञाङ्गं प्रधानं स्रुव उच्यते वाराहरूपम् अभवद् एवं वै कारणान्तरात्
From that time onward, the principal ladle of the sacrifice is called Varaha-form; thus it became so for another reason.
तस्मात् पुण्यतमं तीर्थं वाराहं सर्वकामदम् तत्र स्नानं च दानं च सर्वक्रतुफलप्रदम्
Therefore, the Varaha tirtha is most holy and grants all desires; bathing and giving gifts there bestow the fruit of all sacrifices.
तत्र स्थितो ऽपि यः कश्चित् पितॄन् स्मरति पुण्यकृत् विमुक्ताः सर्वपापेभ्यः पितरः स्वर्गम् आप्नुयुः
Whoever, even while staying there, remembers their ancestors with pious intent, their forefathers, freed from all sins, attain heaven.
कुशावर्तस्य माहात्म्यम् अहं वक्तुं न ते क्षमः तस्य स्मरणमात्रेण कृतकृत्यो भवेन् नरः
I am not able to speak of the greatness of Kushavarta; by merely remembering it, a person becomes fulfilled.
कुशावर्तम् इति ख्यातं नराणां सर्वकामदम् कुशेनावर्तितं यत्र गौतमेन महात्मना
Kushavarta is renowned among men as granting all desires, where the great-souled Gautama formed a whirl with kusa grass.
कुशेनावर्तयित्वा तु आनयाम् आस तां मुनिः तत्र स्नानं च दानं च पितॄणां तृप्तिदायकम्
Having formed a whirl with kusa grass, the sage brought her there; bathing and giving gifts at that place satisfy the ancestors.
नीलगङ्गा सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा निःसृता नीलपर्वतात् तत्र स्नानादि यत् किंचित् करोति प्रयतो नरः
The Nila Ganga, best of rivers, flows forth from the Nila mountain; whatever a devoted person does there—bathing and so forth—
सर्वं तद् अक्षयं विद्यात् पितॄणां तृप्तिदायकम् विश्रुतं त्रिषु लोकेषु कपोतं तीर्थम् उत्तमम्
All that should be known as imperishable, bringing satisfaction to the ancestors; the Kapota tirtha is famed as the highest among holy places in the three worlds.
तस्य रूपं च वक्ष्यामि मुने शृणु महाफलम् तत्र ब्रह्मगिरौ कश्चिद् व्याधः परमदारुणः
I will describe its form, O sage; listen to its great merit. There, on Brahmagiri, was a certain hunter, exceedingly cruel.
हिनस्ति ब्राह्मणान् साधून् यतीन् गोपक्षिणो मृगान् एवंभूतः स पापात्मा क्रोधनो ऽनृतभाषणः
He harmed Brahmins, the virtuous, ascetics, cowherds, and animals; such was that sinful soul, wrathful and speaking falsehood.
भीषणाकृतिर् अत्युग्रो नीलाक्षो ह्रस्वबाहुकः दन्तुरो नष्टनासाक्षो ह्रस्वपात् पृथुकुक्षिकः
He was terrifying in form, exceedingly fierce, dark-eyed, with short arms, having protruding teeth, missing nose and eyes, short-legged, and broad-bellied.
ह्रस्वोदरो ह्रस्वभुजो विकृतो गर्दभस्वनः पाशहस्तः पापचित्तः पापिष्ठः सधनुः सदा
With a small belly, short arms, deformed, braying like a donkey, holding a noose, evil-minded, most sinful, always carrying a bow.
तस्य भार्या तथाभूता अपत्यान्य् अपि नारद तया तु प्रेर्यमाणो ऽसौ विवेश गहनं वनम्
His wife was of similar nature, and so were his children, O Nārada; urged by her, he entered a dense forest.
स जघान मृगान् पापः पक्षिणो बहुरूपिणः पञ्जरे प्राक्षिपत् कांश्चिज् जीवमानांस् तथेतरान्
That wicked man killed many animals and birds of various forms, threw some living ones into cages, and did likewise with others.
क्षुधया परितप्ताङ्गो विह्वलस् तृषया तथा भ्रान्तदेशो बहुतरं न्यवर्तत गृहं प्रति
Tormented by hunger, overwhelmed by thirst, wandering in confusion, he turned back toward home after a long time.
ततो ऽपराह्णे संप्राप्ते निवृत्ते मधुमाधवे क्षणात् तडिद् गर्जितं च साभ्रं चैवाभवत् तदा
Then, when afternoon arrived and the spring season had ended, suddenly there was thunder and lightning, and clouds gathered.
ववौ वायुः साश्मवर्षो वारिधारातिभीषणः स गच्छंल् लुब्धकः श्रान्तः पन्थानं नावबुध्यत
A wind blew, terrifying with showers of stones and torrents of water; as the weary hunter went, he could not find his path.
जलं स्थलं गर्तम् अथो पन्थानम् अथवा दिशः न बुबोध तदा पापः श्रान्तः शरणम् अप्य् अथ
He could not discern water, land, pit, path, or even directions; at that time, exhausted and sinful, he could not find shelter.
क्व गच्छामि क्व तिष्ठेयं किं करोमीत्य् अचिन्तयत् सर्वेषां प्राणिनां प्राणान् आहर्ताहं यथान्तकः
He thought, 'Where shall I go? Where shall I stay? What should I do? I am the taker of the lives of all beings, just like Death.'
ममाप्य् अन्तकरं भूतं संप्राप्तं चाश्मवर्षणम् त्रातारं नैव पश्यामि शिलां वा वृक्षम् अन्तिके
'Now, that which brings my end has come—this shower of stones; I see no savior, neither a rock nor a tree nearby.'
एवं बहुविधं व्याधो विचिन्त्यापश्यद् अन्तिके वने वनस्पतिम् इव नक्षत्राणां यथात्रिजम्
Thinking in many such ways, the hunter saw nearby in the forest a great tree, like the sage Atri among the stars.
मृगाणां च यथा सिंहम् आश्रमाणां गृहाधिपम् इन्द्रियाणां मन इव त्रातारं प्राणिनां नगम्
Like a lion among animals, a householder among hermitages, the mind among the senses, that tree was the protector of living beings.
श्रेष्ठं विटपिनं शुभ्रं शाखापल्लवमण्डितम् तम् आश्रित्योपविष्टो ऽभूत् क्लिन्नवासा स लुब्धकः
He took shelter under that excellent, bright tree, adorned with branches and fresh leaves, and sat down, his clothes soaked.
स्मरन् भार्याम् अपत्यानि जीवेयुर् अथवा न वा एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे तत्र चास्तं प्राप्तो दिवाकरः
Remembering his wife and children, wondering whether they would live or not, in that very moment, the sun set there.
तम् एव नगम् आश्रित्य कपोतो भार्यया सह पुत्रपौत्रैः परिवृतो ह्य् आस्ते तत्र नगोत्तमे
Taking shelter of that very tree, a dove, together with his wife, surrounded by sons and grandsons, dwelled there on that noble tree.
सुखेन निर्भयो भूत्वा सुतृप्तः प्रीत एव च बहवो वत्सरा याता वसतस् तस्य पक्षिणः
Living there, that bird passed many years, being happy, fearless, fully satisfied, and content.
पतिव्रता तस्य भार्या सुप्रीता तेन चैव हि कोटरे तन्नगे श्रेष्ठे जलवाय्वग्निवर्जिते
His wife was devoted and faithful, greatly pleased with him; in a hollow of that excellent tree, free from water, wind, and fire.
भार्यापुत्रैः परिवृतः सर्वदास्ते कपोतकः तस्मिन् दिने दैववशात् कपोतश् च कपोतकी
Surrounded always by his wife and children, the little dove lived there; on that day, by fate, both the dove and his mate...