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.'
भारेण गुरुणा शक्र पीडिताहं विना वधम् कारणं प्रष्टुम् आयाता किम् इदं कथ्यतां मम
'O Indra, I am oppressed by a heavy burden, not by destruction; I have come to ask the reason—tell me what this is.'
इति श्रुत्वा महीवाक्यम् इन्द्रो वचनम् अब्रवीत्
Hearing the words of Earth, Indra replied:
कारणं यदि नाम स्यात् तदानीं ज्ञायते मया सुराणां हि पतिर् यस्माद् अहं सर्वासु मेदिनि
If there is indeed a cause, then I shall know it, for I am the lord of the gods and of all the earth.
अथ पृथ्वी तदा वाक्यं श्रुत्वा चाह शचीपतिम् यम आदिश्यतां तर्हि यथा संहरते प्रजाः
Then Earth, hearing these words, spoke to the lord of Shachi: 'Let Yama be instructed, so that he may withdraw the creatures.'
इति श्रुत्वा वचो मह्या आदिष्टाः सिद्धकिंनराः यमस्यानयने शीघ्रं महेन्द्रेण महामुने
Hearing these words of mine, O great sage, the Siddhas and Kinnaras were ordered by Mahendra to quickly bring Yama.
ततस् ते सत्वरं याताः सर्वे वैवस्वतं पुरम् नैवापश्यन् यमं तत्र ते सिद्धाः सह किंनरैः तथागत्य पुनर् वेगाद् वार्त्ता शक्रे निवेदिता
Then all of them swiftly went to the city of Vaivasvata, but the Siddhas and Kinnaras did not see Yama there; returning quickly, they reported the news to Shakra.
यमो यमपुरे नाथ अस्माभिर् नावलोकितः महतापि सुयत्नेन वीक्ष्यमाणः समन्ततः
'O lord, we did not see Yama in his city, though we searched everywhere with great effort.'
इति श्रुत्वा वचस् तेषां पृष्टः शक्रेण वै तदा सविता स पिता तस्य यमः कुत्रास्त इत्य् अथ
Hearing their words, Shakra then asked Savitṛ, who is Yama's father, 'Where is Yama now?'
शक्र गोदावरीतीरे कृतान्तो वर्तते ऽधुना चरंस् तत्र तपस् तीव्रं न जाने किं नु कारणम्
O Śakra, on the bank of the Godāvarī, Death himself is now engaged in severe austerity; I do not know what the reason for this might be.
इति श्रुत्वा वचो भानोः शक्रः शङ्काम् उपाविशत्
Hearing these words from Bhānu, Śakra became filled with doubt.