कनीयांस् तु समर्थो ऽपि परिवित्तिभयान् मुने नाकरोद् दारकर्मादि नैवाग्नीनाम् उपासनम्
Though the younger was capable, O sage, out of fear of inheriting, he did not perform marriage rites nor the worship of the fires.
ततः प्रोचुः पितृगणाः पुत्रं कक्षीवतः शुभम् ज्येष्ठं चैव कनिष्ठं च पृथक् पृथग् इदं वचः
Then the hosts of ancestors spoke these words separately to the good sons of Kakṣīvat, both the elder and the younger:
ऋणत्रयापनोदाय क्रियतां दारसंग्रहः
Let marriage be undertaken for the removal of the threefold debt.
नेत्य् उवाच ततो ज्येष्ठः किम् ऋणं केन युज्यते कनीयांस् तु पितॄन् प्राह न योग्यो दारसंग्रहः
Then the elder replied, 'No; what debt, and by whom is it incurred?' But the younger said to the ancestors, 'Marriage is not suitable for me.'
ज्येष्ठे सति महाप्राज्ञः परिवित्तिभयाद् इति ताव् उभौ पुनर् अप्य् एवम् ऊचुस् ते वै पितामहाः
Since the elder is present, O wise one, it is out of fear of inheritance; thus both again spoke likewise to the ancestors.
याताम् उभौ गौतमीं तु पुण्यां कक्षीवतः सुतौ कुरुतां गौतमीस्नानं सर्वाभीष्टप्रदायकम्
Let both sons of Kakṣīvat go to the sacred Gautamī; let them perform bathing in the Gautamī, which grants all desires.
गच्छतां गौतमीं गङ्गां लोकत्रितयपावनीम् स्नानं च तर्पणं तस्यां कुरुतां श्रद्धयान्वितौ
Let those who go to the Gautamī Ganga, purifier of the three worlds, perform bathing and offerings there with faith.
दृष्टावनामिता ध्याता गौतमी सर्वकामदा न देशकालजात्यादिनियमो ऽत्रावगाहने ज्येष्ठो ऽनृणस् ततो भूयात् परिवित्तिर् न चेतरः
The Gautamī, when seen, bowed to, or meditated upon, grants all desires; there is no restriction of place, time, caste, or other conditions for entering her. The eldest who is free from debts becomes so; not otherwise.
ततः पृथुश्रवा ज्येष्ठः कृत्वा स्नानं सतर्पणम् त्रयाणाम् अपि लोकानां काक्षीवतो ऽनृणो ऽभवत्
Then Pṛthuśravas, the eldest, after bathing and making offerings, became free of debts to the three worlds, O descendant of Kakṣīvat.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थम् ऋणमोचनम् उच्यते श्रौतस्मार्त-ऋणेभ्यश् च इतरेभ्यश् च नारद तत्र स्नानेन दानेन ऋणी मुक्तः सुखी भवेत्
From that time, that sacred place is called the 'debt-releasing ford.' O Nārada, by bathing and giving there, one is freed from Vedic, ancestral, and other debts, and becomes happy.
सुपर्णासंगमं नाम काद्रवासंगमं तथा महेश्वरो यत्र देवो गङ्गापुलिनम् आश्रितः
There is the meeting place called Suparṇāsaṃgama, and also Kādravāsaṃgama, where the great god Maheśvara resides on the bank of the Ganga.
अग्निकुण्डं च तत्रैव रौद्रं वैष्णवम् एव च सौरं सौम्यं तथा ब्राह्मं कौमारं वारुणं तथा
There also are the fire-pits: the fierce, the Vaiṣṇava, the Saura, the gentle, the Brāhma, the Kaumāra, and the Vāruṇa.
अप्सरा च नदी यत्र संगता गङ्गया तथा तत्तीर्थस्मरणाद् एव कृतकृत्यो भवेन् नरः
There, the river Apsarā joins with the Ganga; merely by remembering that sacred place, a man accomplishes his purpose.
सर्वपापप्रशमनं शृणु यत्नेन नारद इन्द्रेण हिंसिताः पूर्वं वालखिल्या महर्षयः दत्तार्धतपसः सर्वे प्रोचुस् ते काश्यपं मुनिम्
Hear with care, O Nārada, about the complete removal of all sins: formerly, the Vālakhilya great sages, harmed by Indra and having given up half their austerities, spoke to the sage Kāśyapa.
पुत्रम् उत्पादयानेन इन्द्रदर्पहरं शुभम् तपसो ऽर्धं तु दास्यामस् तथेत्य् आह मुनिस् तु तान्
They said, 'By you, let a son be begotten who will humble Indra's pride; we will give half our austerity.' The sage replied, 'So be it.'
सुपर्णायां ततो गर्भम् आदधे स प्रजापतिः कद्र्वां चैव शनैर् ब्रह्मन् सर्पाणां सर्पमातरि
Then the lord of creatures placed an embryo in Suparṇā, and gradually, O brāhmaṇa, in Kadrū, the mother of serpents.
ते गर्भिण्याव् उभे आह गन्तुकामः प्रजापतिः अपराधो न च क्वापि कार्यो गमनम् एव च
To both pregnant wives, the lord of creatures, wishing to depart, said: 'No fault should occur anywhere, and you must not go elsewhere.'
अन्यत्र गमनाच् छापो भविष्यति न संशयः
If you go elsewhere, there will certainly be a curse; there is no doubt.
इत्य् उक्त्वा स ययौ पत्न्यौ गते भर्तरि ते उभे तदैव जग्मतुः सत्त्रम् ऋषीणां भावितात्मनाम्
Having said this, he departed; and as soon as their husband had gone, both wives went to the sacrificial session of the sages, who were devoted in spirit.
ब्रह्मवृन्दसमाकीर्णं गङ्गातीरसमाश्रितम् उन्मत्ते ते उभे नित्यं वयःसंपत्तिगर्विते
That place was filled with hosts of Brahmas, situated on the bank of the Ganga; both wives, intoxicated and always proud of their youth and beauty, went there.
निवार्यमाणे बहुशो मुनिभिस् तत्त्वदर्शिभिः विकुर्वत्यौ तत्र सत्त्रे समानि च हवींषि च
Though repeatedly restrained by the sages who saw the truth, both of them misbehaved at that sacrifice, as well as with the offerings.
योषितां दुर्विलसितं कः संवरितुम् ईश्वरः ते दृष्ट्वा चुक्षुभुर् विप्रा अपमार्गरते उभे
Who is able to restrain the misconduct of women? Seeing both of them engaged in improper acts, the brahmins were disturbed.
अपमार्गस्थिते यस्माद् आपगे हि भविष्यथः सुपर्णा चैव कद्रूश् च नद्यौ ते संबभूवतुः
Because you will stand in the apamārga plant by the river, Suparṇā and Kadrū both became rivers there.
स कदाचिद् गृहं प्रायात् कश्यपो ऽथ प्रजापतिः ऋषिभ्यस् तत्र वृत्तान्तं शापं ताभ्यां सविस्तरम्
Once, the lord of creatures, Kaśyapa, went home; there, the sages told him in detail about the events and the curse concerning both wives.
श्रुत्वा तु विस्मयाविष्टः किं करोमीत्य् अचिन्तयत् ऋषिभ्यः कथयाम् आस वालखिल्या इति श्रुताः
Hearing this, he was filled with wonder and thought, 'What should I do?' He spoke to the sages, saying, 'They are known as the Vālakhilyas.'
त ऊचुः कश्यपं विप्रं गत्वा गङ्गां तु गौतमीम् तत्र स्तुहि महेशानं पुनर् भार्ये भविष्यतः
They said, 'Go to the sage Kaśyapa, approach the Gaṅgā called Gautamī, and there praise the great Lord Maheśāna; then you shall again have wives.'
ब्रह्महत्याभयाद् एव यत्र देवो महेश्वरः गङ्गामध्ये सदा ह्य् आस्ते मध्यमेश्वरसंज्ञया
Out of fear of the sin of killing a Brahmin, the god Maheśvara always abides in the midst of the Gaṅgā, known as Madhyameśvara.
तथेत्य् उक्त्वा कश्यपो ऽपि स्नात्वा गङ्गां जितव्रतः तुष्टाव स्तवनैः पुण्यैर् देवदेवं महेश्वरम्
Saying, 'So be it,' Kaśyapa, steadfast in his vows, bathed in the Gaṅgā and praised the god of gods, Maheśvara, with sacred hymns.
लोकत्रयैकाधिपतेर् न यस्य कुत्रापि वस्तुन्य् अभिमानलेशः स सिद्धनाथो ऽखिलविश्वकर्ता भर्ता शिवाया भवतु प्रसन्नः
May Śiva, the Lord of all three worlds, who has not even a trace of pride in any object, who is the accomplished master, the creator and sustainer of the entire universe, and the consort of Śivā, be gracious.
तापत्रयोष्णद्युतितापितानाम् इतस् ततो वै परिधावतां च शरीरिणां स्थावरजङ्गमानां त्वम् एव दुःखव्यपनोददक्षः
You alone are skilled in removing the suffering of embodied beings, both moving and unmoving, who are afflicted here and there by the threefold torments, the heat, and the rays of the sun.