निवेदयस्व मे मातस् तद् एव प्रथमं मम
"Mother, tell me that very first thing of mine."
इला चैनम् उवाचेदं रहोवाचं कथं वदे तथापि पुत्र ते वच्मि पित्रोः पुत्रो यतो गतिः मग्नानां दुःखपाथोब्धौ पुत्रः प्रवहणं परम्
Ila said to him: "How can I speak this secret matter? Yet, my son, I will tell you. For parents sunk in the ocean of sorrow, a son is truly the supreme raft."
तन् मातृवचनं श्रुत्वा विनीतः प्राह मातरम् पादयोः पतितश् चापि वद मातर् यथा तथा
Hearing his mother's words, the humble one addressed his mother, falling at her feet: "Speak, mother, just as it is."
सा पुरूरवसं प्राह इक्ष्वाकूणां तथा कुलम् तत्रोत्पत्तिं स्वस्य नाम राज्यप्राप्तिं प्रियान् सुतान्
She told Pururavas about the lineage of the Ikshvakus, her own birth there, her name, attainment of the kingdom, and her beloved sons.
पुरोधसं वसिष्ठं च प्रियां भार्यां स्वकं पदम् वननिर्याणम् एवाथ अमात्यानां पुरोधसः
She spoke of the family priest Vasistha, her dear husband, her own position, her departure to the forest, and the ministers and the priest.
प्रेषणं च नगर्यां तां मृगयासक्तिम् एव च हिमवत्कन्दरगतिं यक्षेश्वरगृहे गतिम्
She told of being sent from the city, her fondness for hunting, her journey to the caves of the Himalayas, and her stay in the house of the lord of the Yakshas.
उमावनप्रवेशं च स्त्रीत्वप्राप्तिम् अशेषतः महेश्वराज्ञया तत्र चाप्रवेशं नरस्य तु
She spoke of entering the grove of Uma, her complete transformation into womanhood, and, by the command of Maheshvara, the prohibition of a man's entry there.
यक्षिणीवाक्यम् अप्य् अस्य वरदानं तथैव च बुधप्राप्तिं तथा प्रीतिं पुत्रोत्पत्त्याद्य् अशेषतः
She also told of the words of the Yakshini, the granting of a boon, the coming of Budha, the joy at the birth of a son, and all else in detail.
कथयाम् आस तत् सर्वं श्रुत्वा मातरम् अब्रवीत् पुरूरवाः किं करोमि किं कृत्वा सुकृतं भवेत्
She narrated all this; hearing it, Pururavas said to his mother: "What shall I do? By doing what will I attain merit?"
एतावता ते तृप्तिश् चेद् अलम् एतेन चाम्बिके यद् अप्य् अन्यन् मनोवर्ति तद् अप्य् आज्ञापयस्व मे
"If you are satisfied with this, O mother, let it be enough; but if anything else is in your mind, command me in that as well."
इच्छेयं पुंस्त्वम् उत्कृष्टम् इच्छेयं राज्यम् उत्तमम् अभिषेकं च पुत्राणां तव चापि विशेषतः
I desire the highest form of manhood; I desire the supreme kingdom, the consecration of your sons, and especially yours.
दानं दातुं च यष्टुं च मुक्तिमार्गस्य वीक्षणम् सर्वं च कर्तुम् इच्छामि तव पुत्र प्रसादतः
I wish to give gifts, to perform sacrifices, to contemplate the path of liberation; I wish to accomplish all this by the grace of your son.
उपायं त्वा तु पृच्छामि येन पुंस्त्वम् अवाप्स्यसि तपसो वान्यतो वापि वदस्व मम तत्त्वतः
I ask you, tell me the means by which manhood may be attained—whether by austerity or by some other way; speak to me the truth.
बुधं त्वं पितरं पृच्छ गत्वा पुत्र यथार्थवत् स तु सर्वं तु जानाति उपदेक्ष्यति ते हितम्
Go, son, and ask your father, Budha, as it is proper; he knows everything and will instruct you for your benefit.
तन्मातृवचनाद् ऐलो गत्वा पितरम् अञ्जसा उवाच प्रणतो भूत्वा मातुः कृत्यं तथात्मनः
Then, at his mother's word, Aila went directly to his father, bowed in reverence, and spoke regarding his mother's and his own purpose.
इलं जाने महाप्राज्ञ इलां जातां पुनस् तथा उमावनप्रवेशं च शंभोर् आज्ञां तथैव च
I know Ila, O greatly wise one; I know Ila was born again, the entry into the forest of Uma, and likewise the command of Shambhu.
तस्माच् छंभुप्रसादेन उमायाश् च प्रसादतः विशापो भविता पुत्र ताव् आराध्य न चान्यथा
Therefore, by the grace of Shambhu and the favor of Uma, the curse will be lifted, son, only by worshipping them—not otherwise.
पश्येयं तं कथं देवं कथं वा मातरं शिवाम् तीर्थाद् वा तपसो वापि तत् पितः प्रथमं वद
How may I see that god, or the mother Shiva? Is it through pilgrimage or austerity? Father, tell me first.
गौतमीं गच्छ पुत्र त्वं तत्रास्ते सर्वदा शिवः उमया सहितः श्रीमाञ् शापहन्ता वरप्रदः
Go to Gautamī, son; there Shiva always resides, glorious, together with Uma, destroyer of curses and bestower of boons.
पुरूरवाः पितुर् वाक्यं श्रुत्वा तु मुदितो ऽभवत् गौतमीं तपसे धीमान् गङ्गां त्रैलोक्यपावनीम्
Pururavas, hearing his father's words, became joyful; the wise one went to Gautamī for austerity, to the Ganges, purifier of the three worlds.
पुंस्त्वम् इच्छंस् तथा मातुर् जगाम तपसे त्वरन् हिमवन्तं गिरिं नत्वा मातरं पितरं गुरुम्
Desiring manhood, and at his mother's urging, he hastened to perform austerity, bowing to the mountain Himavat, to his mother, father, and teacher.
गच्छन्तम् अन्वगात् पुत्रम् इला सोमसुतस् तथा ते सर्वे गौतमीं प्राप्ता हिमवत्पर्वतोत्तमात्
Ila, son of Soma, followed his son as he went; all of them reached Gautamī from the great mountain Himavat.
तत्र स्नात्वा तपः किंचित् कृत्वा चक्रुः स्तुतिं पराम् भवस्य देवदेवस्य स्तुतिक्रमम् इमं शृणु
There, after bathing and performing some austerity, they made supreme praise; listen to this sequence of praise to Bhava, the god of gods.
बुधस् तुष्टाव प्रथमम् इला च तदनन्तरम् ततः पुरूरवाः पुत्रो गौरीं देवीं च शंकरम्
Budha praised first, then Ila afterwards; then Pururavas, the son, praised Gauri, the goddess, and Shankara.
यौ कुङ्कुमेन स्वशरीरजेन स्वभावहेमप्रतिमौ सरूपौ याव् अर्चितौ स्कन्दगणेश्वराभ्यां तौ मे शरण्यौ शरणं भवेताम्
Those two, whose forms are like gold by nature, worshipped with saffron from their own bodies, Skanda and Ganesha—may those two, worthy of refuge, be my shelter.
संसारतापत्रयदावदग्धाः शरीरिणो यौ परिचिन्तयन्तः सद्यः परां निर्वृतिम् आप्नुवन्ति तौ शंकरौ मे शरणं भवेताम्
Those two Shankaras, whom embodied beings contemplate when burned by the threefold suffering of worldly existence, immediately attain supreme bliss—may they be my refuge.
आर्ता ह्य् अहं पीडितमानसा ते क्लेशादिगोप्ता न परो ऽस्ति कश्चित् देव त्वदीयौ चरणौ सुपुण्यौ तौ मे शरण्यौ शरणं भवेताम्
I am afflicted, my mind tormented; there is no other protector from distress, O god, than your two supremely holy feet—may those two, worthy of refuge, be my shelter.
ययोः सकाशाद् इदम् अभ्युदैति प्रयाति चान्ते लयम् एव सर्वम् जगच्छरण्यौ जगदात्मकौ तु गौरीहरौ मे शरणं भवेताम्
From whom all this arises and into whom, at the end, everything dissolves; Gauri and Hara, the refuge of the world, the essence of the universe—may they be my shelter.
यौ देववृन्देषु महोत्सवे तु पादौ गृहाणेश गिरीशपुत्र्याः प्रोक्तं धृतौ प्रीतिवशाच् छिवेन तौ मे शरण्यौ शरणं भवेताम्
Those two feet, which at the great festival among the assembly of gods were grasped by the Lord, by Shiva out of affection at the request of the Daughter of the Mountain—may those feet, worthy of refuge, be my shelter.
किम् अभीष्टं प्रदास्यामि युष्मभ्यं तद् वदन्तु मे कृतकृत्याः स्थ भद्रं वो देवानाम् अपि दुष्करम्
Tell me, what boon do you desire? I will grant it to you. You have accomplished your purpose. Blessings to you! Even for the gods, this is difficult to achieve.