स्नात्वा शुचिर् यतमना उपविश्य कुशासने तुष्टाव गौतमीं गङ्गां क्षुधां च परमापदम्
Having bathed, purified, and with concentrated mind, he sat upon a seat of kusa grass and praised the Gautamī Ganga and his great distress of hunger.
नमो ऽस्तु गङ्गे परमार्तिहारिणि नमः क्षुधे सर्वजनार्तिकारिणि नमो महेशानजटोद्भवे शुभे नमो महामृत्युमुखाद् विनिसृते
Salutations to you, O Ganga, remover of supreme suffering; homage to you, O Hunger, cause of all people's distress; homage to you, O auspicious one, born from the matted locks of Maheshana; homage to you, who escaped from the jaws of great death.
पुण्यात्मनां शान्तरूपे क्रोधरूपे दुरात्मनाम् सरिद्रूपेण सर्वेषां तापपापापहारिणि
Of those with virtuous souls, you are the form of peace; of the wicked, you are the form of wrath. In the form of a river, you remove all heat and sin from everyone.
क्षुधारूपेण सर्वेषां तापपापप्रदे नमः नमः श्रेयस्करि देवि नमः पापप्रतर्दिनि नमः शान्तिकरि देवि नमो दारिद्र्यनाशिनि
In the form of hunger, you bestow suffering and sin upon all. Salutations to you, O goddess, who brings auspiciousness, who destroys sin, who grants peace, and who removes poverty.
इत्य् एवं स्तुवतस् तस्य पुरस्ताद् अभवद् द्वयम् एकं गाङ्गं मनोहारि ह्य् अपरं भीषणाकृति पुनः कृताञ्जलिर् भूत्वा नमस्कृत्वा द्विजोत्तमः
As he thus praised, before him appeared two forms: one enchanting, like the Ganges, and the other terrifying in appearance. Again, with joined palms and after bowing, the best of twice-born spoke.
सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्ये ब्राह्मि माहेश्वरि शुभे वैष्णवि त्र्यम्बके देवि गोदावरि नमो ऽस्तु ते
O source of all auspiciousness, O Brāhmī, O auspicious Māheśvarī, O Vaiṣṇavī, O three-eyed goddess, O Godāvarī, salutations to you.
त्र्यम्बकस्य जटोद्भूते गौतमस्याघनाशिनि सप्तधा सागरं यान्ति गोदावरि नमो ऽस्तु ते
O Godāvarī, born from the matted locks of Tryambaka, destroyer of Gautama’s sin, who flows in seven streams to the ocean, salutations to you.
सर्वपापकृतां पापे धर्मकामार्थनाशिनि दुःखलोभमयि देवि क्षुधे तुभ्यं नमो नमः
O goddess, destroyer of dharma, desire, and wealth for those who commit all sins; full of sorrow and greed, O hunger, salutations to you again and again.
तत् कण्ववचनं श्रुत्वा सुप्रीते आहतुर् द्विजम्
Hearing the words of Kaṇva, they joyfully spoke to the twice-born.
अभीष्टं वद कल्याण वरान् वरय सुव्रत
Speak your desire, O blessed one; choose boons, O virtuous one.
प्रोवाच प्रणतो गङ्गां कण्वः क्षुधां यथाक्रमम्
Kaṇva, bowing, addressed Gaṅgā and Hunger in turn.
देहि देवि मनोज्ञानि कामानि विभवं मम आयुर् वित्तं च भुक्तिं च मुक्तिं गङ्गे प्रयच्छ मे
O goddess, grant me delightful wishes, wealth, long life, riches, enjoyment, and liberation, O Gaṅgā, bestow these upon me.
इत्य् उक्त्वा गौतमीं गङ्गां क्षुधां चाह द्विजोत्तमः
Having spoken thus, the best of twice-born addressed Gautamī, Gaṅgā, and Hunger.
मयि मद्वंशजे चापि क्षुधे तृष्णे दरिद्रिणि याहि पापतरे रूक्षे न भूयास् त्वं कदाचन
O Hunger, O Thirst, O Poverty, in me and my descendants, go to those more sinful and harsh; may you never be here again.
अनेन स्तवेन ये वै त्वां स्तुवन्ति क्षुधातुराः तेषां दारिद्र्यदुःखानि न भवेयुर् वरो ऽपरः
Those afflicted by hunger who praise you with this hymn, for them, poverty and sorrow will not exist; this is another boon.
अस्मिंस् तीर्थे महापुण्ये स्नानदानजपादिकम् ये कुर्वन्ति नरा भक्त्या लक्ष्मीभाजो भवन्तु ते
Those who, with devotion, perform bathing, giving, recitation, and other acts at this most holy ford, let them become possessors of prosperity.
यस् त्व् इदं पठते स्तोत्रं तीर्थे वा यदि वा गृहे तस्य दारिद्र्यदुःखेभ्यो न भयं स्याद् वरो ऽपरः
Whoever recites this hymn, whether at the ford or at home, for him there will be no fear from poverty or sorrow; this is another boon.
एवम् अस्त्व् इति चोक्त्वा ते कण्वं याते स्वम् आलयम् ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं काण्वं गाङ्गं क्षुधाभिधम् सर्वपापहरं वत्स पितॄणां प्रीतिवर्धनम्
Having said, 'So be it,' they departed, and Kaṇva returned to his abode. From then on, that ford, called Kaṇva's Gaṅgā and named Hunger, removes all sin, O child, and increases the satisfaction of ancestors.
अस्ति ब्रह्मन् महातीर्थं चक्रतीर्थम् इति श्रुतम् तत्र स्नानान् नरो भक्त्या हरेर् लोकम् अवाप्नुयात्
O Brahman, there is a great ford known as Cakra-tīrtha. By bathing there with devotion, a man attains the world of Hari.
एकादश्यां तु शुक्लायाम् उपोष्य पृथिवीपते गणिकासंगमे स्नात्वा प्राप्नुयाद् अक्षयं पदम्
On the bright eleventh day, O lord of the earth, by fasting and bathing at the gathering of Gaṅgā, one attains the eternal abode.
पुरा तत्र यथा वृत्तं तन् मे निगदतः शृणु आसीद् विश्वधरो नाम वैश्यो बहुधनान्वितः
Long ago, what happened there—listen as I recount it to you: There was a merchant named Vishvadhara, endowed with great wealth.
उत्तरे वयसि श्रेष्ठस् तस्य पुत्रो ऽभवद् ऋषे गुणवान् रूपसंपन्नो विलासी शुभदर्शनः
In his later years, O sage, he had a son who was virtuous, handsome, playful, and of pleasing appearance.
प्राणेभ्यो ऽपि प्रियः पुत्रः काले पञ्चत्वम् आगतः तथा दृष्ट्वा तु तं पुत्रं दंपती दुःखपीडितौ
That son, dearer to them than life itself, passed away in due time; seeing their son thus, the couple was afflicted with grief.
कुर्वाते स्म तदा तेन सहैव मरणे मतिम् हा पुत्र हन्त कालेन पापेन सुदुरात्मना
At that time, they resolved to die together with him, crying, 'Alas, son! Alas, by the hand of cruel fate, you have been taken from us by a wicked destiny.'
यौवने वर्तमानो ऽपि नीतो ऽसि गुणसागर आवयोश् च तथैव त्वं प्राणेभ्यो ऽपि सुदुर्लभः
Though you were in the prime of youth, O ocean of virtues, you have been taken away; and to us as well, you were more precious than life itself, exceedingly rare.
इत्थं तु रुदितं श्रुत्वा दंपत्योः करुणं यमः त्यक्त्वा निजपुरं तूर्णं कृपयाविष्टमानसः
Hearing such pitiful weeping from the couple, Yama, his mind filled with compassion, swiftly left his own city.
गोदावर्याः शुभे तीरे स्थितो ध्यायञ् जनार्दनम् अपि स्वल्पेन कालेन प्रजा वृद्धाः समन्ततः
Standing on the sacred bank of the Godavari, meditating on Janardana, in a short time, the people everywhere grew old.
इयत इति मे पृथ्वी कथ्यतां केन पूरिता न कश्चिन् म्रियते जन्तुर् भाराक्रान्ता वसुंधरा
'Tell me, how much of the earth is there, and by whom is it filled? No creature dies; the earth, burdened, is oppressed by the weight.'
ततो देवी गता तूर्णं वसुधा मुनिसत्तम यत्रास्ति सुरसंयुक्तः शक्रः परपुरंजयः दृष्ट्वा वसुंधराम् इन्द्रः प्रणिपत्येदम् अब्रवीत्
Then, O best of sages, the goddess Earth quickly went to where Indra, conqueror of enemy cities, was present with the gods; seeing Earth, Indra bowed and spoke thus:
किम् आगमनकार्यं त इति मे पृथ्वि कथ्यताम्
'What is the purpose of your coming? Tell me, O Earth, why you are here.'