अस्थ्नां च पावनं ब्रूहि अस्माकं च गवां तथा
Tell us, as well as for our cows, what is the purifier of bones.
शिवः प्राह तदा सर्वान् गङ्गाम् आप्लुत्य यत्नतः देवाश् च गावस् तत्पापान् मुच्यन्ते नात्र संशयः
Śiva then said to them all: 'By carefully bathing in the Gaṅgā, both gods and cows are freed from those sins—of this there is no doubt.'
प्रक्षालितानि चास्थीनि ऋषिदेहभवान्य् अथ तानि प्रक्षालनाद् एव तत्र प्राप्तानि पूतताम्
And the bones that came from the bodies of the sages, once washed there, became pure by that very washing.
यत्र देवा मुक्तपापास् तत् तीर्थं पापनाशनम् तत्र स्नानं च दानं च ब्रह्महत्याविनाशनम्
That holy place where the gods were freed from sin is a destroyer of sins; bathing and giving gifts there removes even the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa.
गवां च पावनं यत्र गोतीर्थं तद् उदाहृतम् तत्र स्नानान् महाबुद्धिर् गोमेधफलम् आप्नुयात्
Where the purification of cows takes place is called Gotīrtha; by bathing there, a wise person obtains the fruit of a cow-sacrifice.
यत्र तद्ब्राह्मणास्थीनि आसन् पुण्यानि नारद पितृतीर्थं तु वै ज्ञेयं पितॄणां प्रीतिवर्धनम्
Where those blessed Brāhmaṇa bones were, O Nārada, that is to be known as Pitṛtīrtha, which increases the joy of the ancestors.
भस्मास्थिनखरोमाणि प्राणिनो यस्य कस्यचित् तत्र तीर्थे संक्रमेरन् यावच् चन्द्रार्कतारकम्
Ashes, bones, and hair or nails of any living being, if transferred to that holy place, remain there as long as the moon, sun, and stars endure.
स्वर्गे वासो भवेत् तस्य अपि दुष्कृतकर्मणः तथा चक्रेश्वरात् तीर्थात् त्रीणि तीर्थानि नारद ततः पूताः सुरगणा गावः शंभुम् अथाब्रुवन्
Even one who has performed evil deeds attains residence in heaven; thus, from the holy place of Cakreśvara, three tīrthas arose. Then, O Nārada, the gods and cows were purified and addressed Śambhu.
यामः स्वं स्वम् अधिष्ठानम् अत्र सूर्यः प्रतिष्ठितः अस्मिन् स्थिते दिनकरे सुराः सर्वे प्रतिष्ठिताः
Let us go to our own abodes; here the Sun is established. While the Sun remains here, all the gods are established.
भवेयुर् जगताम् ईश तद् अनुज्ञातुम् अर्हसि सूर्यो ह्य् आत्मास्य जगतस् तस्थुषश् च सनातनः
O Lord of the worlds, may it be permitted for us to go; for the Sun is indeed the eternal self of this world, both moving and unmoving.
दिवाकरो देवमयस् तत्रास्माभिः प्रतिष्ठितः यत्र गङ्गा जगद्धात्री यत्र वै त्र्यम्बकः स्वयम् सुरवासं प्रतिष्ठानं भवेद् यत्र च त्र्यम्बकम्
The Sun, composed of divinity, is established here by us, where the Gaṅgā, the sustainer of the world, is, and where Tryambaka himself is present; where Tryambaka is, there is the abode and establishment of the gods.
आपृच्छ्य पिप्पलादं तं सुराः स्वं सदनं ययुः पिप्पलाः कालपर्याये स्वर्गं जग्मुर् अथाक्षयम्
Taking leave of Pippalāda, the gods returned to their own dwellings; and in due course, the pippala trees went to the imperishable heaven.
पादपानां पदं विप्रः पिप्पलादः प्रतापवान् क्षेत्राधिपत्ये संस्थाप्य पूजयाम् आस शंकरम्
The illustrious sage Pippalāda, lord of the field, established the worship of Śaṃkara at the place of the pippala trees.
दधीचिसूनुर् मुनिर् उग्रतेजा अवाप्य भार्यां गौतमस्यात्मजां च पुत्रान् अथावाप्य श्रियं यशश् च सुहृज्जनैः स्वर्गम् अवाप धीरः
The sage, son of Dadhīci, of fierce energy, obtained as wife the daughter of Gautama, and, having sons, wealth, and fame, together with friends, the steadfast one attained heaven.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं पिप्पलेश्वरम् उच्यते सर्वक्रतुफलं पुण्यं स्मरणाद् अघनाशनम्
From that time onward, that holy place is called Pippaleśvara, the reward of all sacrifices, meritorious, and by remembering it, sins are destroyed.
किं पुनः स्नानदानाभ्याम् आदित्यस्य तु दर्शनात् चक्रेश्वरः पिप्पलेशो देवदेवस्य नामनी
How much more so by bathing and giving gifts, and by seeing Āditya; Cakreśvara and Pippaleśa are names of the god of gods.
सरहस्यं विदित्वा तु सर्वकामान् अवाप्नुयात् सूर्यस्य च प्रतिष्ठानात् सुरवासे प्रतिष्ठिते प्रतिष्ठानं तु तत् क्षेत्रं सुराणाम् अपि वल्लभम्
By knowing this supreme secret, one attains all desires; for the establishment of the Sun is established in the abode of the gods, and that place is indeed dear even to the gods.
इतीदम् आख्यानम् अतीव पुण्यं पठेत वा यः शृणुयात् स्मरेद् वा स दीर्घजीवी धनवान् धर्मयुक्तश् चान्ते स्मरञ् शंभुम् उपैति नित्यम्
Whoever recites, hears, or remembers this most holy narrative becomes long-lived, wealthy, righteous, and at the end, remembering Śambhu, always attains him.
नागतीर्थम् इति ख्यातं सर्वकामप्रदं शुभम् यत्र नागेश्वरो देवः शृणु तस्यापि विस्तरम्
The holy place known as Nāgatīrtha is famed for granting all desires; there, the Lord of Serpents abides—listen now to its full account.
प्रतिष्ठानपुरे राजा शूरसेन इति श्रुतः सोमवंशभवः श्रीमान् मतिमान् गुणसागरः
In the city of Pratiṣṭhāna, there was a king named Śūrasena, renowned as a descendant of the lunar dynasty, illustrious, wise, and an ocean of virtues.
पुत्रार्थं स महायत्नम् अकरोत् प्रियया सह तस्य पुत्रश् चिराद् आसीत् सर्पो वै भीषणाकृतिः
Desiring a son, he made great efforts together with his beloved; after a long time, a son was born to them—a serpent of terrifying form.
पुत्रं तं गोपयाम् आस शूरसेनो महीपतिः राज्ञः पुत्रः सर्प इति न कश्चिद् विन्दते जनः
King Śūrasena kept that son hidden; no one among the people knew that the king's son was a serpent.
अन्तर्वर्ती परो वापि मातरं पितरं विना धात्रेय्य् अपि न जानाति नामात्यो न पुरोहितः
Whether an insider or an outsider, except for his mother and father, not even the nurse, nor the ministers, nor the priest knew.
तं दृष्ट्वा भीषणं सर्पं सभार्यो नृपसत्तमः संतापं नित्यम् आप्नोति सर्पाद् वरम् अपुत्रता
Seeing his dreadful serpent son, the best of kings, with his wife, was always distressed, thinking childlessness preferable to having a serpent as a son.
एतद् अस्ति महासर्पो वक्ति नित्यं मनुष्यवत् स सर्पः पितरं प्राह कुरु चूडाम् अपि क्रियाम्
Yet this great serpent always spoke like a human; he said to his father, 'Perform for me the cūḍā ceremony as well.'
तथोपनयनं चापि वेदाध्ययनम् एव च यावद् वेदं न चाधीते तावच् छूद्रसमो द्विजः
Likewise, the initiation and the study of the Veda should be performed; until one studies the Veda, a twice-born is equal to a Śūdra.
एतच् छ्रुत्वा पुत्रवचः शूरसेनो ऽतिदुःखितः ब्राह्मणं कंचनानीय संस्कारादि तदाकरोत् अधीतवेदः सर्पो ऽपि पितरं चाब्रवीद् इदम्
Hearing these words from his son, Śūrasena was deeply troubled; he brought a brāhmaṇa and performed the ceremonies. The serpent, having studied the Veda, then spoke to his father as follows:
विवाहं कुरु मे राजन् स्त्रीकामो ऽहं नृपोत्तम अन्यथापि च कृत्यं ते न सिध्येद् इति मे मतिः
'Arrange a marriage for me, O King; I desire a wife. Otherwise, your duties will not be fulfilled—this is my conviction.'
जनयित्वात्मजान् वेदविधिनाखिलसंस्कृतीः न कुर्याद् यः पिता तस्य नरकान् नास्ति निष्कृतिः
If, after begetting sons and performing all sacraments according to Vedic rule, a father does not arrange their marriage, there is no atonement for his fall into hell.
विस्मितः स पिता प्राह सुतं तम् उरगाकृतिम्
Astonished, the father spoke to his son, who had the form of a serpent.