सिक्तायाः संगमे पुण्यम् ऐन्द्रं तद् अभिधीयते तत्र सप्त सहस्राणि तीर्थान्य् आसञ् शुभानि च
At the confluence of the sprinkled river, the sacred place is called 'Indra's'; there, seven thousand auspicious tīrthas existed.
तेषु स्नानं च दानं च विशेषेण तु संगमे सर्वं तद् अक्षयं विद्यान् नात्र कार्या विचारणा
Bathing and giving gifts in those places, especially at the confluence, all such acts are imperishable; no deliberation is needed here.
यद् एतत् पुण्यम् आख्यानं यः पठेच् च शृणोति वा सर्वपापैः स मुच्येत मनोवाक्कायकर्मजैः
Whoever recites or hears this account of merit is freed from all sins arising from mind, speech, and bodily actions.
पौलस्त्यं तीर्थम् आख्यातं सर्वसिद्धिप्रदं नृणाम् प्रभावं तस्य वक्ष्यामि भ्रष्टराज्यप्रदायकम्
The Paulastya tīrtha has been described, bestowing all accomplishments upon people; I will now speak of its power, which grants restoration of lost kingdoms.
उत्तराशापतिः पूर्वम् ऋद्धिसिद्धिसमन्वितः पुरा लङ्कापतिश् चासीज् ज्येष्ठो विश्रवसः सुतः
The lord of the northern quarter, endowed with prosperity and accomplishment, was formerly the king of Laṅkā, the eldest son of Viśravas.
तस्यैते भ्रातरश् चासन् बलवन्तो ऽमितप्रभाः सापत्ना रावणश् चैव कुम्भकर्णो विभीषणः
His brothers were powerful and of immeasurable radiance: Rāvaṇa, Kumbhakarṇa, and Vibhīṣaṇa, rivals to one another.
ते ऽपि विश्रवसः पुत्रा राक्षस्यां राक्षसास् तु ते मद्दत्तेन विमानेन धनदो भ्रातृभिः सह
They too were sons of Viśravas, born of a rākṣasī; they were rākṣasas, and with the aerial chariot granted by me, the lord of wealth went with his brothers.
ममान्तिकं भक्तियुक्तो नित्यम् एति तु याति च रावणस्य तु या माता कुपिता साब्रवीत् सुतान्
He comes to me always, devoted, and approaches; but Rāvaṇa's mother, angered, spoke to her sons.
मरिष्ये न च जीविष्ये पुत्रा वैरूप्यकारणात् देवाश् च दानवाश् चासन् सापत्ना भ्रातरो मिथः
I will die and not live, sons, because of disfigurement; the gods and the demons were rival brothers to each other.
अन्योन्यवधम् ईप्सन्ते जयैश्वर्यवशानुगाः तद्भवन्तो न पुरुषा न शक्ता न जयैषिणः सापत्न्यं यो ऽनुमन्यते तस्य जीवो निरर्थकः
Desiring mutual destruction, driven by the urge for victory and supremacy, such beings are not truly men, nor capable, nor seekers of victory; whoever accepts rivalry, his life is meaningless.
तन् मातृवचनं श्रुत्वा भ्रातरस् ते त्रयो मुने जग्मुस् ते तपसे ऽरण्यं कृतवन्तस् तपो महत्
Hearing their mother's words, the three brothers, O sage, went to the forest for austerity and undertook great penance.
मत्तो वरान् अवापुश् च त्रय एते च राक्षसाः मातुलेन मरीचेन तथा मातामहेन तु
From me, these three rākṣasas obtained boons, as did their maternal uncle Marīca and their maternal grandfather.
तन्मातृवचनाच् चापि ततो लङ्काम् अयाचत रक्षोभावान् मातृदोषाद् भ्रात्रोर् वैरम् अभून् महत्
Then, at his mother's words, he asked for Lanka, and because of the mother's fault, there arose great enmity between the brothers, due to the nature of the demons.
ततस् तद् अभवद् युद्धं देवदानवयोर् इव युद्धे जित्वाग्रजं शान्तं धनदं भ्रातरं तथा
After that, a battle took place between the two brothers, like that of gods and demons; having conquered his elder brother, the peaceful Lord of Wealth, in that fight,
पुष्पकं च पुरीं लङ्कां सर्वं चैव व्यपाहरत् रावणो घोषयाम् आस त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे
Ravana seized the Pushpaka chariot, the city of Lanka, and everything else, and proclaimed his victory throughout the three worlds, among all beings moving and unmoving.
यो दद्याद् आश्रयं भ्रातुः स च वध्यो भवेन् मम भ्रात्रा निरस्तो वैश्रवणो नैव प्रापाश्रयं क्वचित् पितामहं पुलस्त्यं तं गत्वा नत्वाब्रवीद् वचः
He declared: 'Whoever gives refuge to my brother shall be put to death by me.' Driven out by his brother, Vaisravana found no shelter anywhere; then, going to his grandfather Pulastya, he bowed and spoke these words:
भ्रात्रा निरस्तो दुष्टेन किं करोमि वदस्व मे आश्रयः शरणं यत् स्याद् दैवं वा तीर्थम् एव च
'Driven out by my wicked brother, what should I do? Tell me where I might find refuge or sanctuary, whether by fate or at a holy place.'
तत् पौत्रवचनं श्रुत्वा पुलस्त्यो वाक्यम् अब्रवीत्
Hearing his grandson's words, Pulastya spoke these words:
गौतमीं गच्छ पुत्र त्वं स्तुहि देवं महेश्वरम् तत्र नास्य प्रवेशः स्याद् गङ्गाया जलमध्यतः
'Go to the Gautami Ganga, my son, and praise the great god Maheshvara there; in the midst of the waters of the Ganga, he will not be able to enter.'
सिद्धिं प्राप्स्यसि कल्याणीं तथा कुरु मया सह
'You will obtain auspicious success; do this together with me.'
तथेत्य् उक्त्वा जगामासौ सभार्यो धनदस् तथा पित्रा मात्रा च वृद्धेन पुलस्त्येन धनेश्वरः
Saying 'so be it,' the Lord of Wealth went there with his wife, and with his aged father and mother, Pulastya.
गत्वा तु गौतमीं गङ्गां शुचिः स्नात्वा यतव्रतः तुष्टाव देवदेवेशं भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं शिवम्
Having gone to the Gautami Ganga, purified by bathing and observing vows, he praised Shiva, the Lord of gods, the giver of enjoyment and liberation.
स्वामी त्वम् एवास्य चराचरस्य विश्वस्य शंभो न परो ऽस्ति कश्चित् त्वाम् अप्य् अवज्ञाय यदीह मोहात् प्रगल्भते कोपि स शोच्य एव
'You alone, O Shambhu, are the Lord of all that moves and does not move in the universe; there is no other. If anyone here, out of delusion, acts arrogantly, disregarding even you, he is truly to be pitied.'
त्वम् अष्टमूर्त्या सकलं बिभर्षि त्वदाज्ञया वर्तत एव सर्वम् तथापि वेदेति बुधो भवन्तं न जात्व् अविद्वान् महिमा पुरातनम्
'With your eight forms you sustain all; by your command everything exists. Even so, the wise know you as the Veda itself, and never does one ignorant of your ancient greatness exist.'
मलप्रसूतं यद् अवोचद् अम्बा हास्यात् सुतो ऽयं तव देव शूरः त्वत्प्रेक्षिताद् यः स च विघ्नराजो जज्ञे त्व् अहो चेष्टितम् ईशदृष्टेः
'What the Mother said in jest, that your son would be born from impurity, O God, that son became the Lord of Obstacles by your glance. Ah, such is the play of your divine sight!'
अश्रुप्लुताङ्गी गिरिजा समीक्ष्य वियुक्तदांपत्यम् इतीशम् ऊचे मनोभवो ऽभून् मदनो रतिश् च सौभाग्यपूर्वत्वम् अवाप सोमात्
Seeing Girija with her body bathed in tears, separated from her husband, the Lord spoke: 'Manmatha, the god of love, and Rati, his consort, regained their former good fortune from Soma.'
इत्यादि स्तुवतस् तस्य पुरतो ऽभूत् त्रिलोचनः वरेण च्छन्दयाम् आस हर्षान् नोवाच किंचन
As he was thus praising, the Three-eyed Lord appeared before him and, delighted, offered him a boon of his choice, without saying anything further.
तूष्णींभूते तु धनदे पुलस्त्ये च महेश्वरे पुनः पुनर् वरस्वेति शिवे वादिनि हर्षिते
When Dhanada and Pulastya remained silent, Shiva, being pleased, repeatedly said, 'Ask for a boon!'
एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे तत्र वाग् उवाचाशरीरिणी प्राप्तव्यं धनपालत्वं वदन्तीदं महेश्वरम्
At that moment, a bodiless voice spoke there, declaring to Maheshvara that the office of Lord of Wealth was to be attained.
पुलस्त्यस्य तु यच् चित्तं पितुर् वैश्रवणस्य तु विदित्वेव तदा वाणी शुभम् अर्थम् उदीरयत्
Knowing the mind of Pulastya and of Vaisravana's father, the divine voice then uttered auspicious words.