पुरा तारकनाशाय भवरेतो ऽपिबत् कविः रेतोगर्भं कविं दृष्ट्वा ऋषिपत्न्यो ऽस्पृहन् मुने
Long ago, for the destruction of Tāraka, the sage drank Śiva's seed; seeing the embryo formed from that seed, the wives of the sages desired the sage.
सप्तर्षीणाम् ऋतुस्नातां वर्जयित्वा त्व् अरुन्धतीम् तासु गर्भः समभवत् षट्सु स्त्रीषु तदाग्नितः
Except for Arundhatī, among the wives of the seven sages who had completed their monthly purification, a pregnancy arose in six women from that fire-born seed.
तप्यमानास् तु शोभिष्ठा ऋतुस्नातास् तु ता मुने किं कुर्मः क्व नु गच्छामः किं कृत्वा सुकृतं भवेत्
Those radiant women, purified by their monthly rites, said to each other, 'What shall we do? Where shall we go? By doing what will we attain merit?'
इत्य् उक्त्वा ता मिथो गङ्गां व्यग्रा गत्वा व्यपीडयन् ताभ्यस् ते निःसृता गर्भाः फेनरूपास् तदाम्भसि
Having spoken thus among themselves, they hurried to the Gaṅgā and, distressed, released their embryos, which took the form of foam in that water.
अम्भसा त्व् एकतां प्राप्ता वायुना सर्व एव हि एकरूपस् तदा ताभ्यः षण्मुखः समजायत
All those embryos, merging together in the water and united by the wind, became one form; from them, Ṣaṇmukha was born.
स्रावयित्वा तु तान् गर्भान् ऋषिपत्न्यो गृहान् ययुः तासां विकृतरूपाणि दृष्ट्वा ते ऋषयो ऽब्रुवन्
After discharging those embryos, the wives of the sages returned to their homes; seeing their altered forms, the sages said,
गम्यतां गम्यतां शीघ्रं स्वैरी वृत्तिर् न युज्यते स्त्रीणाम् इति ततो वत्स निरस्ताः पतिभिस् तु ताः
'Go, go quickly! Independent conduct is not proper for women.' Thus, O child, those women were cast out by their husbands.
ततो दुःखं समाविष्टास् त्यक्ताः स्वपतिभिश् च षट् ता दृष्ट्वा नारदः प्राह कार्त्तिकेयो हरोद्भवः
Then, overwhelmed by sorrow, abandoned by their husbands, those six women were seen by Nārada, who said, 'Kārttikeya is born from Hara.'
गाङ्गेयो ऽग्निभवश् चेति विख्यातस् तारकान्तकः तं यान्तु न चिराद् एव प्रीतो भोगं प्रदास्यति
'He is known as the son of Gaṅgā and as fire-born, the slayer of Tāraka. Go to him without delay; pleased, he will grant you enjoyment.'
देवर्षेर् वचनाद् एव समभ्येत्य च षण्मुखम् कृत्तिकाः स्वयम् एवैतद् यथावृत्तं न्यवेदयत्
At the words of the divine sage, the Kṛttikās approached Ṣaṇmukha and themselves reported all that had happened.
ताभ्यो वाक्यं कृत्तिकाभ्यः कार्त्तिकेयो ऽनुमन्य च गौतमीं यान्तु सर्वाश् च स्नात्वापूज्य महेश्वरम्
Kārttikeya, consenting to the words of the Kṛttikās, said, 'Let all of you go to the Gautamī, bathe, and worship Maheśvara.'
एष्यामि चाहं तत्रैव यास्यामि सुरमन्दिरम् तथेत्य् उक्त्वा कृत्तिकाश् च स्नात्वा गङ्गां च गौतमीम्
'I too will come there and then go to the abode of the gods.' So saying, the Kṛttikās bathed in the Gaṅgā and the Gautamī.
देवेश्वरं च संपूज्य कार्त्तिकेयानुशासनात् देवेश्वरप्रसादेन प्रययुः सुरमन्दिरम्
Having worshipped the Lord of the gods, at Kārttikeya's instruction and by the grace of the Lord of the gods, they proceeded to the abode of the gods.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं कृत्तिकातीर्थम् उच्यते कार्त्तिक्यां कृत्तिकायोगे तत्र यः स्नानम् आचरेत्
From that time, that sacred place is called Kṛttikā-tīrtha; whoever bathes there at the conjunction of Kārttikā and Kṛttikā—
सर्वक्रतुफलं प्राप्य राजा भवति धार्मिकः तत्तीर्थस्मरणं वापि यः करोति शृणोति च सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो दीर्घम् आयुर् अवाप्नुयात्
Obtains the fruit of all sacrifices and becomes a righteous king; even by remembering or hearing of that tīrtha, one is freed from all sins and attains long life.
दशाश्वमेधिकं तीर्थं तच् छृणुष्व महामुने यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण हयमेधफलं लभेत्
Now hear of the Daśāśvamedhika tīrtha, O great sage, by merely hearing of which one obtains the fruit of a horse sacrifice.
विश्वकर्मसुतः श्रीमान् विश्वरूपो महाबलः तस्यापि प्रथमः पुत्रस् तत्पुत्रो भौवनो विभुः
Viśvarūpa, the illustrious and mighty son of Viśvakarman, was his first son; his son was the powerful Bhauvana.
पुरोधाः कश्यपस् तस्य सर्वज्ञानविशारदः तम् अपृच्छन् महाबाहुर् भौवनः सार्वभौवनः
Kaśyapa, skilled in all knowledge, was his priest; Bhauvana, the mighty sovereign, questioned him.
यक्ष्ये ऽहं हयमेधैश् च युगपद् दशभिर् मुने इत्य् अपृच्छद् गुरुं विप्रं क्व यक्ष्यामि सुरान् इति
Desiring to perform ten horse sacrifices at once, O sage, he asked his revered teacher, the learned Brahmin, 'Where shall I offer sacrifice to the gods?'
सो ऽवदद् देवयजनं तत्र तत्र नृपोत्तम यत्र यत्र द्विजश्रेष्ठाः प्रावर्तन्त महाक्रतून्
He replied, 'O best of kings, establish the sacrificial ground wherever the foremost Brahmins have commenced great rituals.'
तत्राभवन्न् ऋषिगणा आर्त्विज्ये मखमण्डले युगपद् दशमेधानि प्रवृत्तानि पुरोधसा
There, groups of seers became officiating priests in the sacrificial enclosure, and ten horse sacrifices were begun simultaneously by the chief priest.
पूर्णतां नाययुस् तानि दृष्ट्वा चिन्तापरो नृपः विहाय देवयजनं पुनर् अन्यत्र तान् क्रतून्
They brought those sacrifices to completion, but seeing this, the king became anxious and, leaving that sacrificial ground, began those rituals again elsewhere.
उपाक्रामत् तथा तत्र विघ्नदोषास् तम् आययुः दृष्ट्वापूर्णांस् ततो यज्ञान् राजा गुरुम् अभाषत
In the same way, as he commenced there, obstacles and faults arose; seeing the sacrifices incomplete, the king spoke to his teacher.
देशदोषात् कालदोषान् मम दोषात् तवापि वा पूर्णतां नाप्नुवन्ति स्म दशमेधानि वाजिनः
'Because of faults of place, of time, of myself, or perhaps of you, the ten horse sacrifices did not reach completion.'
ततश् च दुःखितो राजा कश्यपेन पुरोधसा गीष्पतेर् भ्रातरं ज्येष्ठं गत्वा संवर्तम् ऊचतुः
Then, distressed, the king and the chief priest Kaśyapa went to Saṃvarta, the elder brother of the lord of hymns, and spoke to him.
भगवन् युगपत् कार्याण्य् अश्वमेधानि मानद दश संपूर्णतां यान्ति तं देशं तं गुरुं वद
'Venerable one, where do ten horse sacrifices performed at once attain completion? Tell us that place and that teacher, O bestower of honor.'
ततो ध्यात्वा ऋषिश्रेष्ठः संवर्तो भौवनं तदा अब्रवीद् गच्छ ब्रह्माणं गुरुं देशं वदिष्यति
Then, after meditating, the best of seers, Saṃvarta, said, 'Go to Brahmā, the teacher; he will tell you the place.'
भौवनो ऽपि महाप्राज्ञः कश्यपेन महात्मना आगत्य माम् अब्रवीच् च गुरुं देशादिकं च यत्
Bhauvana, the great sage, also came to me with the noble Kaśyapa and told me all that concerned the teacher and the place.
ततो ऽहम् अब्रवं पुत्र भौवनं कश्यपं तथा गौतमीं गच्छ राजेन्द्र स देशः क्रतुपुण्यवान्
Then I said to my son Bhauvana and to Kaśyapa as well, 'Go to the Gautamī; O king of kings, that land is sanctified by sacrifices.'
अयम् एव गुरुः श्रेष्ठः कश्यपो वेदपारगः गुरोर् अस्य प्रसादेन गौतम्याश् च प्रसादतः
'Kaśyapa, master of the Vedas, is the foremost teacher there; by his grace and by the sanctity of the Gautamī, blessings will be attained.'