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.
शिरोमात्रं तु यः पश्येत् स गच्छेद् ब्रह्मणः पदम् यत्र स्थित्वा स्वयं रुद्रो लूनवान् ब्रह्मणः शिरः
Whoever sees only the head attains the abode of Brahma, where Rudra himself stood and severed Brahma's head.
रुद्रतीर्थं तद् एव स्यात् तत्र साक्षाद् दिवाकरः देवानां च स्वरूपेण स्थितो यस्मात् तद् उत्तमम्
That is called Rudratirtha; there, the sun is visibly present, and the gods are established in their own forms, therefore it is the highest.
सौर्यं तीर्थं तद् आख्यातं सर्वक्रतुफलप्रदम् तत्र स्नात्वा रविं दृष्ट्वा पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते
That holy place is called Saurya, bestowing the fruit of all sacrifices; bathing there and seeing the sun, one does not experience rebirth.
महादेवेन यच् छिन्नं ब्रह्मणः पञ्चमं शिरः क्षेत्रे ऽविमुक्ते संस्थाप्य देवतानां हितं कृतम्
The fifth head of Brahma, which was severed by Mahadeva, was established in the field of Avimukta, for the benefit of the gods.
ब्रह्मतीर्थे शिरोमात्रं यो दृष्ट्वा गौतमीतटे क्षेत्रे ऽविमुक्ते तस्यैव स्थापितं यो ऽनुपश्यति कपालं ब्रह्मणः पुण्यं ब्रह्महा पूततां व्रजेत्
Whoever sees only the head at Brahmatirtha, on the bank of the Gautami, in the field of Avimukta, and observes the skull of Brahma, attains merit; even a slayer of Brahma becomes purified.
अविघ्नं तीर्थम् आख्यातं सर्वविघ्नविनाशनम् तत्रापि वृत्तम् आख्यास्ये शृणु नारद भक्तितः
That holy place is called Avighna, the remover of all obstacles; I will narrate what happened there, listen, O Narada, with devotion.
देवसत्त्रे प्रवृत्ते तु गौतम्याश् चोत्तरे तटे समाप्तिर् नैव सत्त्रस्य संजाता विघ्नदोषतः
When the divine sacrifice was underway on the northern bank of the Gautami, the completion of the sacrifice did not occur due to the fault of obstacles.
ततः सुरगणाः सर्वे माम् अवोचन् हरिं तदा ततो ध्यानगतो ऽहं तान् अवोचं वीक्ष्य कारणम्
Then all the hosts of gods addressed me, Hari, at that time; then, absorbed in meditation, I spoke to them after perceiving the cause.
विनायककृतैर् विघ्नैर् नैतत् सत्त्रं समाप्यते तस्मात् स्तुवन्तु ते सर्वे आदिदेवं विनायकम्
Because of obstacles caused by Vinayaka, this sacrifice cannot be completed; therefore, let all of them praise the primordial god Vinayaka.
तथेत्य् उक्त्वा सुरगणाः स्नात्वा ते गौतमीतटे अस्तुवन् भक्तितो देवा आदिदेवं गणेश्वरम्
Having said 'so be it,' the hosts of gods, after bathing on the bank of the Gautami, praised with devotion the primordial god, lord of the Ganas.