तथेत्य् उक्त्वा च वृषभो नागेन गरुडेन च शनैः स शंकरं गत्वा सर्वं तस्मै न्यवेदयत् शंकरो ऽपि गरुत्मन्तं प्रोवाच शशिशेखरः
Having said 'so be it,' the bull, together with the serpent and Garuḍa, slowly went to Śaṃkara and reported everything to him. Śaṃkara, crowned with the moon, then addressed Garutmant.
याहि गङ्गां महाबाहो गौतमीं लोकपावनीम् सर्वकामप्रदां शान्तां ताम् आप्लुत्य पुनर् वपुः
Go to the Gaṅgā, O mighty-armed one, to the Gautamī, purifier of the worlds, bestower of all desires, tranquil; after bathing there, you will regain your form.
प्राप्स्यसे सर्वकामांश् च शतधाथ सहस्रधा सर्वपापोपतप्ता ये दुर्दैवोन्मूलितोद्यमाः प्राणिनो ऽभीष्टदा तेषां शरणं खग गौतमी
You will obtain all desires, a hundredfold and a thousandfold. Those scorched by all sins, whose efforts are uprooted by misfortune, will find their wishes fulfilled; for them, O bird, Gautamī is a refuge.
तद्वाक्यं प्रणतो भूत्वा श्रुत्वा तु गरुडो ऽभ्यगात् गङ्गाम् आप्लुत्य गरुडः शिवं विष्णुं ननाम सः
Having listened to those words and bowed, Garuḍa went to the Gaṅgā, bathed, and then saluted Śiva and Viṣṇu.
ततः स्वर्णमयः पक्षी वज्रदेहो महाबलः वेगी भवन् मुनिश्रेष्ठ पुनर् विष्णुम् इयात् सुधीः
Then the golden-winged bird, with a body like thunder, of great strength and speed, O best of sages, wisely returned to Viṣṇu.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं गारुडं सर्वकामदम् तत्र स्नानादि यत् किंचित् करोति प्रयतो नरः सर्वं तद् अक्षयं वत्स शिवविष्णुप्रियावहम्
From that time onward, that sacred place called Gāruḍa grants all desires. Whatever ritual, bathing, or act is performed there with devotion, O child, all of it becomes imperishable, beloved of Śiva and Viṣṇu.
ततो गोवर्धनं तीर्थं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् पितॄणां पुण्यजननं स्मरणाद् अपि पापनुत्
Then Govardhana, the sacred place, destroys all sins, generates merit for ancestors, and even by remembrance removes sin.
तस्य प्रभाव एष स्यान् मया दृष्टस् तु नारद ब्राह्मणः कर्षकः कश्चिज् जाबालिर् इति विश्रुतः
Such is its power, O Nārada, as I have seen. There was a brāhmaṇa farmer known as Jābāli.
न विमुञ्चत्य् अनड्वाहौ मध्यं याते ऽपि भास्करे प्रतोदेन प्रतुदति पृष्ठतो ऽपि च पार्श्वयोः
He does not release the yoke from the oxen even when the sun is at its zenith; he strikes them with a goad on their backs and sides.
तौ गावाव् अश्रुपूर्णाक्षौ दृष्ट्वा गौः कामदोहिनी सुरभिर् जगतां माता नन्दिने सर्वम् अब्रवीत्
Seeing those two cows with eyes full of tears, Surabhi, the wish-fulfilling cow and mother of the world, told everything to Nandi.
स चापि व्यथितो भूत्वा शंभवे तन् न्यवेदयत् शंभुश् च वृषभं प्राह सर्वं सिध्यतु ते वचः
He, distressed, reported it to Śaṃbhu, and Śaṃbhu told the bull, 'Let all your words be fulfilled.'
शिवाज्ञासहितो नन्दी गोजातं सर्वम् आहरत् नष्टेषु गोषु सर्वेषु स्वर्गे मर्त्ये ततस् त्वरा
With Śiva’s command, Nandi brought forth all that was born of cows. When all the cows were lost in heaven and on earth, urgency arose.
माम् अवोचन् सुरगणा विना गोभिर् न जीव्यते तान् अवोचं सुरान् सर्वाञ् शंकरं यात याचत
The hosts of gods said to me, 'Without cows, life cannot be sustained.' I told all the gods, 'Go to Śaṃkara and petition him.'
तथैवेशं तु ते सर्वे स्तुत्वा कार्यं न्यवेदयन् ईशो ऽपि विबुधान् आह जानाति वृषभो मम
Thus, all of them praised the Lord and reported their concern. The Lord said to the gods, 'Nandi knows my will.'
ते वृषं प्रोचुर् अमरा देहि गा उपकारिणः वृषो ऽपि विबुधान् आह गोसवः क्रियतां क्रतुः
The gods said to the bull, 'Give us the cows, O benefactor.' The bull replied to the gods, 'Let a sacrifice called Gosava be performed.'
ततः प्राप्स्यथ गाः सर्वा या दिव्या याश् च मानुषाः ततः प्रवर्तते यज्ञो गोसवो देवनिर्मितः
Then you will obtain all cows, both celestial and earthly; from that, the Gosava sacrifice, established by the gods, will commence.
गौतम्याश् च शुभे पार्श्वे गावो ववृधिरे ततः गोवर्धनं तु तत् तीर्थं देवानां प्रीतिवर्धनम्
By the auspicious side of the Gautamī river, cows multiplied; thus, Govardhana became that sacred place, which increases the joy of the gods.
तत्र स्नानं मुनिश्रेष्ठ गोसहस्रफलप्रदम् किंचिद् दानादिना यत् स्यात् फलं तत् तु न विद्महे
O best of sages, bathing there grants the merit of a thousand cows; whatever result comes from gifts and such, that we do not know.
पापप्रणाशनं नाम तीर्थं पापभयापहम् नामधेयं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु नारद यत्नतः
There is a sacred place called Pāpapraṇāśana, destroyer of sin and fear of evil; I will tell you its name, listen attentively, O Nārada.
धृतव्रत इति ख्यातो ब्राह्मणो लोकविश्रुतः तस्य भार्या मही नाम तरुणी लोकसुन्दरी
A renowned Brahmin named Dhṛtavrata, famous in the world, had a wife named Mahī, a youthful woman of great beauty.
तस्य पुत्रः सूर्यनिभः सनाज्जात इति श्रुतः धृतव्रतं तथाकर्षन् मृत्युः कालेरितो मुने
Their son, radiant like the sun, was known as Sanājjāta; O sage, Death, prompted by time, took Dhṛtavrata away.
ततः सा बालविधवा बालपुत्रा सुरूपिणी त्रातारं नैव पश्यन्ती गालवाश्रमम् अभ्यगात्
Then she, a young widow with a small child, beautiful in form, finding no protector, went to the hermitage of Gālava.
तस्मै पुत्रं निवेद्याथ स्वैरिणी पापमोहिता सा बभ्राम बहून् देशान् पुंस्कामा कामचारिणी
After entrusting her son to him, she, overcome by sin and desire, wandered many lands, seeking men, indulging her passions.
तत्पुत्रो गालवगृहे वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः जातो ऽपि मातृदोषेण वेश्येरितमतिस् त्व् अभूत्
Her son, though born in Gālava's house and learned in the Vedas and their branches, due to his mother's fault, developed the mind of a courtesan.
जनस्थानम् इति ख्यातं नानाजातिसमावृतम् तत्रासौ पण्यवेषेण अध्यास्ते च मही तथा
He dwelled in a place called Janasthāna, inhabited by people of many kinds, and there, disguised as a merchant, Mahī also lived.
तत्सुतो ऽपि बहून् देशान् परिबभ्राम कामुकः सो ऽपि कालवशात् तत्र जनस्थाने ऽवसत् तदा
Her son too, wandering many lands as a pleasure-seeker, by the force of fate, then resided in Janasthāna.
स्त्रियम् आकाङ्क्षते वेश्यां धृतव्रतसुतो द्विजः मही चापि धनं दातॄन् पुरुषान् समपेक्षते
Dhṛtavrata's son, a twice-born, desired a courtesan woman, while Mahī sought wealth and men who would give her gifts.
मेने न पुत्रम् आत्मीयं स चापि न तु मातरम् तयोः समागमश् चासीद् विधिना मातृपुत्रयोः
He did not consider her his mother, nor did she see him as her son; by fate, there was a union between the two, mother and son.
एवं बहुतिथे काले पुत्रे मातरि गच्छति तयोः परस्परं ज्ञानं नैवासीन् मातृपुत्रयोः
Thus, as much time passed with the son living with the mother, neither of them recognized the other as mother or son.
एवं प्रवर्तमानस्य पितृधर्मेण सन्मतिः आसीत् तस्याप्य् असद्वृत्तेः शृणु नारद चित्रवत्
So, while he continued in this way, a good thought arose in him, though his conduct was improper; listen, O Nārada, to this remarkable tale.