प्रोचुर् महेश्वरं सर्वाः खादामस् त्व् असुरान् इति ततः प्रोवाच भगवान् सर्वैः सुरगणैर् वृतः
All those mothers said to Maheśvara, "Let us devour the asuras," and then the Blessed Lord, surrounded by all the hosts of gods, spoke.
स्वर्गाद् भुवम् अनुप्राप्ता राक्षसास् ते रसातलम् अनुप्राप्तास् ततः सर्वाः शृण्वन्तु मम भाषितम्
"Those rākṣasas who have come down from heaven to earth, and those who have reached the netherworld—let all now hear my words."
यत्र यत्र द्विषो यान्ति तत्र गच्छन्तु मातरः रसातलम् अनुप्राप्ता इदानीं मद्भयाद् द्विषः भवत्यो ऽप्य् अनुगच्छन्तु रसातलम् अनु द्विषः
"Wherever the enemies go, let the mothers go there; those who have reached the netherworld out of fear of me, let you also follow them to the netherworld, along with the enemies."
ताश् च जग्मुर् भुवं भित्त्वा यत्र ते दैत्यदानवाः तान् हत्वा मातरः सर्वान् देवारीन् अतिभीषणान्
Then, breaking through the earth, those mothers went to where the daityas and dānavas were; having slain all those exceedingly fearsome enemies of the gods, the mothers destroyed them.
पुनर् देवान् उपाजग्मुः पथा तेनैव मातरः गताश् च मातरो यावद् यावच् च पुनर् आगताः
Again the gods approached, and by that same path the Mothers departed; as long as they went, so long did they return.
तावद् देवाः स्थिता आसन् गौतमीतीरम् आश्रिताः प्रस्थानात् तत्र मातॄणां सुराणां च प्रतिष्ठितेः
The gods remained there, taking refuge on the bank of the Gautamī, until the Mothers and the gods had both departed from that place.
प्रतिष्ठानं तु तत् क्षेत्रं पुण्यं विजयवर्धनम् मातॄणां यत्र चोत्पत्तिर् मातृतीर्थं पृथक् पृथक्
That place of departure is a sacred field, increasing victory, where the Mothers originated; each Mother's ford is distinct.
तत्र तत्र बिलान्य् आसन् रसातलगतानि च सुरास् ताभ्यो वरान् प्रोचुर् लोके पूजां यथा शिवः
There, in various places, were holes leading to the netherworld; the gods granted boons to the Mothers, promising them worship in the world, just as Śiva receives.
प्राप्नोति तद्वन् मातृभ्यः पूजा भवतु सर्वदा इत्य् उक्त्वान्तर्दधुर् देवा आसंस् तत्रैव मातरः
"May worship always be given to the Mothers just as it is to Śiva"—having said this, the gods disappeared, and the Mothers remained there.
यत्र यत्र स्थिता देव्यो मातृतीर्थं ततो विदुः सुराणाम् अपि सेव्यानि किं पुनर् मानुषादिभिः
Wherever the goddesses reside, that is known as the Mother's ford; even the gods should serve there—how much more so humans and others.
तेषु स्नानम् अथो दानं पितॄणां चैव तर्पणम् सर्वं तद् अक्षयं ज्ञेयं शिवस्य वचनं यथा
Bathing, giving gifts, and offering libations to the ancestors at those places—all this is to be understood as inexhaustible, just as Śiva has declared.
यस् त्व् इदं शृणुयान् नित्यं स्मरेद् अपि पठेत् तथा आख्यानं मातृतीर्थानाम् आयुष्मान् स सुखी भवेत्
Whoever hears, remembers, or recites this account of the Mother's fords regularly, becomes long-lived and happy.
इदम् अप्य् अपरं तीर्थं देवानाम् अपि दुर्लभम् ब्रह्मतीर्थम् इति ख्यातं भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं नृणाम्
Here too is another ford, difficult even for the gods to attain, known as Brahma's Ford, which grants enjoyment and liberation to people.
स्थितेषु देवसैन्येषु प्रविष्टेषु रसातलम् दैत्येषु च मुनिश्रेष्ठ तथा मातृषु तान् अनु
When the army of the gods stood firm, and the demons entered the netherworld, O best of sages, so too did the Mothers follow them.
मदीयं पञ्चमं वक्त्रं गर्दभाकृति भीषणम् तद् वक्त्रं देवसैन्येषु मयि तिष्ठत्य् उवाच ह
My fifth mouth, in the form of a terrifying donkey, spoke among the army of the gods as I stood there.
हे दैत्याः किं पलायन्ते न भयं वो ऽस्तु सत्वरम् आगच्छन्तु सुरान् सर्वान् भक्षयिष्ये क्षणाद् इति
"O demons, why are you fleeing? Let there be no fear for you. Come quickly—I will devour all the gods in an instant!"
निवारयन्तं माम् एवं भक्षणायोद्यतं तथा तं दृष्ट्वा विबुधाः सर्वे वित्रस्ता विष्णुम् अब्रुवन्
Seeing me thus, intent on devouring and restraining them, all the gods, terrified, spoke to Viṣṇu.
त्राहि विष्णो जगन्नाथ ब्रह्मणो ऽस्य मुखं लुन चक्रधृग् विबुधान् आह च्छेद्मि चक्रेण वै शिरः
"Save us, Viṣṇu, Lord of the universe! This is Brahmā's mouth. O wielder of the discus," said the gods, "I will cut off its head with my discus."
किं तु तच् छिन्नम् एवेदं संहरेत् सचराचरम् मन्त्रं ब्रूमो ऽत्र विबुधाः श्रूयतां सर्वम् एव हि
"But if that head is cut off, it will consume all that moves and does not move. Let us recite a mantra here, O gods—listen to everything."
त्रिनेत्रः कशिरश् छेत्ता स च धत्ते न संशयः मया च शंभुः सर्वैश् च स्तुतः प्रोक्तस् तथैव च
"The three-eyed one is the cutter of the donkey's head, and he will bear it—there is no doubt. I, Śambhu, have been praised and invoked by all in this way."
यागः क्षणी दृष्टफले ऽसमर्थः स नैव कर्तुः फलतीति मत्वा फलस्य दाने प्रतिभूर् जटीति निश्चित्य लोकः प्रतिकर्म यातः
A sacrifice that is momentary, with visible result, is powerless for the performer; considering that it does not bear fruit, the world, having determined that Jaṭi is the guarantor of the fruit, turned to other rites.
ततः सुरेशः संतुष्टो देवानां कार्यसिद्धये लोकानाम् उपकारार्थं तथेत्य् आह सुरान् प्रति
Then the lord of the gods, pleased, for the accomplishment of the gods' purpose and for the welfare of the worlds, said "So be it" to the gods.
तद्वक्त्रं पापरूपं यद् भीषणं लोमहर्षणम् निकृत्य नखशस्त्रैश् च क्व स्थाप्यं चेत्य् अथाब्रवीत्
That dreadful face, terrifying and hair-raising, which was evil in form, having been severed with nails and weapons, they asked, 'Where should it be placed?'
तत्रेला विबुधान् आह नाहं वोढुं शिरः क्षमा रसातलम् अथो यास्ये उदधिश् चाप्य् अथाब्रवीत्
There, Ela spoke to the gods: 'I am not able to bear the head; I will go to the netherworld.' Then the ocean also spoke.
शोषं यास्ये क्षणाद् एव पुनश् चोचुः शिवं सुराः त्वयैवैतद् ब्रह्मशिरो धार्यं लोकानुकम्पया
The ocean said, 'I will dry up at once.' Again, the gods said to Shiva, 'You alone must bear Brahma's head, out of compassion for the worlds.'
अच्छेदे जगतां नाशश् छेदे दोषश् च तादृशः एवं विमृश्य सोमेशो दधार कशिरस् तदा
If it is cut, the destruction of the worlds will occur; if it is not cut, such a fault remains. Thus reflecting, Soma's lord then bore that head.
तद् दृष्ट्वा दुष्करं कर्म गौतमीं प्राप्य पावनीम् अस्तुवञ् जगताम् ईशं प्रणयाद् भक्तितः सुराः
Seeing that difficult deed, the gods, having reached the sacred Gautami, praised the lord of the worlds with affection and devotion.
देवेष्व् अमित्रं कशिरो ऽतिभीमं तान् भक्षणायोपगतं निकृत्य नखाग्रसूच्या शकलेन्दुमौलिस् त्यागे ऽपि दोषात् कृपयानुधत्ते
Among the gods, the head of Brahma, exceedingly fearsome, approached them to devour; having severed it with the tip of his nail, the moon-crested one, despite the fault in abandoning it, bore it out of compassion.
तत्र ते विबुधाः सर्वे स्थिता ये ब्रह्मणो ऽन्तिके तुष्टुवुर् विबुधेशानं कर्म दृष्ट्वातिदैवतम्
There, all the gods who were present near Brahma praised the lord of the gods, having witnessed that supremely divine act.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं ब्रह्मतीर्थम् इति श्रुतम् अद्यापि ब्रह्मणो रूपं चतुर्मुखम् अवस्थितम्
From that time onward, that holy place has been known as Brahmatirtha; even today, Brahma's four-faced form remains established there.