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.
यः सर्वकार्येषु सदा सुराणाम् अपीशविष्ण्वम्बुजसंभवानाम् पूज्यो नमस्यः परिचिन्तनीयस् तं विघ्नराजं शरणं व्रजामः
He who is always to be worshipped, saluted, and contemplated in all undertakings by the gods—even by Īśa, Viṣṇu, and the lotus-born Brahmā—to that Lord of Obstacles we take refuge.
न विघ्नराजेन समो ऽस्ति कश्चिद् देवो मनोवाञ्छितसंप्रदाता निश्चित्य चैतत् त्रिपुरान्तको ऽपि तं पूजयाम् आस वधे पुराणाम्
There is no god equal to the Lord of Obstacles, the bestower of all desired wishes; knowing this, even the destroyer of Tripura once worshipped him before slaying the ancient enemies.
करोतु सो ऽस्माकम् अविघ्नम् अस्मिन् महाक्रतौ सत्वरम् आम्बिकेयः ध्यातेन येनाखिलदेहभाजां पूर्णा भविष्यन्ति मनोभिलाषाः
May he, the son of Ambikā, swiftly remove all obstacles for us in this great sacrifice; by meditating on him, the cherished desires of all embodied beings will be fulfilled.
महोत्सवो ऽभूद् अखिलस्य देव्या जातः सुतश् चिन्तितमात्र एव अतो ऽवदन् सुरसंघाः कृतार्थाः सद्योजातं विघ्नराजं नमन्तः
A great festival arose for all when the goddess's son was born, as soon as he was conceived; then, the hosts of gods, their aims accomplished, bowed to the newly born Lord of Obstacles.
यो मातुर् उत्सङ्गगतो ऽथ मात्रा निवार्यमाणो ऽपि बलाच् च चन्द्रम् संगोपयाम् आस पितुर् जटासु गणाधिनाथस्य विनोद एषः
He, who, though restrained by his mother, climbed onto her lap and forcefully concealed the moon in the matted locks of his father, the Lord of Hosts—such is his playful nature.
पपौ स्तनं मातुर् अथापि तृप्तो यो भ्रातृमात्सर्यकषायबुद्धिः लम्बोदरस् त्वं भव विघ्नराजो लम्बोदरं नाम चकार शंभुः
He drank his mother's milk, yet, even when satisfied, harbored a mind tainted by jealousy toward his brother; you, O pot-bellied one, became the Lord of Obstacles—Śambhu gave you the name Lambodara.
संवेष्टितो देवगणैर् महेशः प्रवर्ततां नृत्यम् इतीत्य् उवाच संतोषितो नूपुररावमात्राद् गणेश्वरत्वे ऽभिषिषेच पुत्रम्
Surrounded by the hosts of gods, Maheśa said, 'Let the dance begin!' Pleased by the mere sound of anklets, he anointed his son as Lord of the Hosts.
यो विघ्नपाशं च करेण बिभ्रत् स्कन्धे कुठारं च तथा परेण अपूजितो विघ्नम् अथो ऽपि मातुः करोति को विघ्नपतेः समो ऽन्यः
He who holds the noose of obstacles in one hand and an axe on his shoulder with the other—even if not worshipped, he creates obstacles for one's mother; who else is equal to the Lord of Obstacles?
धर्मार्थकामादिषु पूर्वपूज्यो देवासुरैः पूज्यत एव नित्यम् यस्यार्चनं नैव विनाशम् अस्ति तं पूर्वपूज्यं प्रथमं नमामि
Among all pursuits—dharma, wealth, and desire—he is to be worshipped first by gods and asuras, and is always to be revered; whose worship never leads to destruction—to that foremost one, I bow first.
यस्यार्चनात् प्रार्थनयानुरूपां दृष्ट्वा तु सर्वस्य फलस्य सिद्धिम् स्वतन्त्रसामर्थ्यकृतातिगर्वं भ्रातृप्रियं त्व् आखुरथं तम् ईडे
By whose worship, seeing the fulfillment of every desired fruit according to one's prayers, even the pride born of self-reliant power is surpassed—to that beloved brother, the mouse-rider, I praise.