मुनयो जातसंहर्षाः सर्व एव तपस्विनः ततः प्रसन्ना ह्य् अभवन्न् ऋषयो ऽगस्त्यपूर्वकाः
All the ascetics, filled with joy, became pleased, the sages headed by Agastya.
वरान् ददुर् यथाकामं सौरये मन्दगामिने स प्रीतो ब्राह्मणान् आह शनिः सूर्यसुतो बली
They granted boons as desired to Sauri, the slow-moving one; delighted, Shani, the powerful son of the sun, addressed the Brahmins.
मद्द्वारे नियता ये च कुर्वन्त्य् अश्वत्थलम्भनम् तेषां सर्वाणि कार्याणि स्युः पीडा मद्भवा न च
Those who, through my doorway, regularly hang offerings on the ashvattha tree, all their undertakings will succeed, and they will not suffer afflictions arising from me.
तीर्थे चाश्वत्थसंज्ञे वै स्नानं कुर्वन्ति ये नराः तेषां सर्वाणि कार्याणि भवेयुर् अपरो वरः
Those men who bathe at the holy place named Ashvattha, all their undertakings will succeed; another boon is granted.
मन्दवारे तु ये ऽश्वत्थं प्रातर् उत्थाय मानवाः आलभन्ते च तेषां वै ग्रहपीडा व्यपोहतु
Those people who, at the abode of Mandavara, rise in the morning and touch the ashvattha tree, may the afflictions caused by the planets be dispelled for them.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थम् अश्वत्थं पिप्पलं विदुः तीर्थं शनैश्चरं तत्र तत्रागस्त्यं च सात्त्रिकम्
From that time onward, that holy place is known as Ashvattha and Pippala; the holy place of Shanaishcara is there, along with Agastya and Sattrika.
याज्ञिकं चापि तत् तीर्थं सामगं तीर्थम् एव च इत्याद्यष्टोत्तराण्य् आसन् सहस्राण्य् अथ षोडश तेषु स्नानं च दानं च सत्त्रयागफलप्रदम्
That holy place is also called Yajnika and Samaga; thus, there were one thousand and sixteen such places. Bathing and giving there grant the fruit of sacrificial rites.
सोमतीर्थम् इति ख्यातं तद् अप्य् उक्तं महात्मभिः तत्र स्नानेन दानेन सोमपानफलं लभेत्
That place is known as Soma Tirtha, as declared by the great souls; by bathing and giving there, one attains the fruit of drinking Soma.
जगतां मातरः पूर्वम् ओषध्यो जीवसंमताः ममापि मातरो देव्यः पूर्वासां पूर्ववत्तराः
The mothers of the world were formerly the herbs, esteemed by living beings; my mothers too, divine ones, are even older than the former ones.
आसु प्रतिष्ठितो धर्मः स्वाध्यायो यज्ञकर्म च आभिर् एव धृतं सर्वं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्
In them are established dharma, self-study, and sacrificial acts; by them, the entire three worlds, with moving and unmoving beings, are sustained.
अशेषरोगोपशमो भवत्य् आभिर् असंशयम् अन्नम् एताभिर् एव स्याद् अशेषप्राणरक्षणम् अत्रौषध्यो जगद्वन्द्या माम् ऊचुर् अनहंकृताः
By them, the removal of all diseases occurs without doubt; food is produced by them, and all living beings are protected. The herbs, revered by the world, spoke to me without pride.
अस्माकं त्वं पतिं देहि राजानं सुरसत्तम
O best among gods, grant us a husband, a king.
तच् छ्रुत्वा वचनं तासां मयोक्ता ओषधीर् इदम् पतिं प्राप्स्यथ सर्वाश् च राजानं प्रीतिवर्धनम्
Having heard their words, I said to the herbs: 'You shall all obtain a husband, a king who increases delight.'
राजानम् इति तच् छ्रुत्वा ता माम् ऊचुः पुनर् मुने गन्तव्यं क्व पुनश् चोक्ता गौतमीं यान्तु मातरः
Having heard 'a king,' they spoke to me again, O sage: 'Where should we go?' Then I told them, 'Let the mothers go to Gautami.'
तुष्टायाम् अथ तस्यां वो राजा स्याल् लोकपूजितः ताश् च गत्वा मुनिश्रेष्ठ तुष्टुवुर् गौतमीं नदीम्
When she was pleased, your king will be worshipped by the world; having gone, O best of sages, they praised the Gautami river.
किं वाकरिष्यन् भववर्तिनो जना नानाघसंघाभिभवाच् च दुःखिताः न चागमिष्यद् भवती भुवं चेत् पुण्योदके गौतमि शंभुकान्ते
What would the people living in the world do, afflicted by various groups of sins and suffering? If you do not come to earth, O Gautami, with your sacred waters at Shambhu's edge.
को वेत्ति भाग्यं नरदेहभाजां महीगतानां सरिताम् अधीशे एषां महापातकसंघहन्त्री त्वम् अम्ब गङ्गे सुलभा सदैव
Who knows the destiny of those who bear a human body, or of the rivers upon the earth, O sovereign of waters? O Mother Ganga, destroyer of great heaps of sin, you are always easily accessible.
न ते विभूतिं ननु वेत्ति को ऽपि त्रैलोक्यवन्द्ये जगदम्ब गङ्गे गौरीसमालिङ्गितविग्रहो ऽपि धत्ते स्मरारिः शिरसापि यत् त्वाम्
Who indeed knows your glory, O Ganga, revered by the three worlds, Mother of the universe? Even Smara's enemy, embraced by Gauri, bears you upon his head.
नमो ऽस्तु ते मातर् अभीष्टदायिनि नमो ऽस्तु ते ब्रह्ममये ऽघनाशिनि नमो ऽस्तु ते विष्णुपदाब्जनिःसृते नमो ऽस्तु ते शंभुजटाविनिःसृते
Salutations to you, Mother, bestower of desires; salutations to you, embodiment of Brahman, destroyer of sin; salutations to you, who issued from Vishnu's lotus feet; salutations to you, who emerged from Shambhu's matted hair.
इत्य् एवं स्तुवताम् ईशा किं ददामीत्य् अवोचत
Thus praised, the goddess said, 'What shall I grant?'
पतिं देहि जगन्माता राजानम् अतितेजसम्
'Grant us a husband, O Mother of the world, a king of great splendor.'
तदोवाच नदी गङ्गा ओषधीस् ता इदं वचः
Then the river Ganga spoke these words to the herbs:
अहं चामृतरूपास्मि ओषध्यो मातरो ऽमृताः तादृशं चामृतात्मानं पतिं सोमं ददामि वः
'I am of the nature of nectar, and you, O herbs, are immortal mothers. I shall give you Soma, whose soul is nectar, as your husband.'
देवाश् च ऋषयो वाक्यं मेनिरे सोम एव च ओषध्यश् चापि तद् वाक्यं ततो जग्मुः स्वम् आलयम्
The gods and sages, and Soma himself, accepted these words, and the herbs also; then they all returned to their own abodes.
यत्र चापुर् महौषध्यो राजानम् अमृतात्मकम् सोमं समस्तसंतापपापसंघनिवारकम्
There, the great herbs obtained as their king Soma, whose essence is immortality, who removes all suffering and heaps of sin.
सोमतीर्थं तु तत् ख्यातं सोमपानफलप्रदम् तत्र स्नानेन दानेन पितरः स्वर्गम् आप्नुयुः
That place is known as Soma-tirtha, bestower of the fruits of drinking Soma; by bathing and giving gifts there, ancestors attain heaven.
य इदं शृणुयान् नित्यं पठेद् वा भक्तितः स्मरेत् दीर्घम् आयुर् अवाप्नोति स पुत्री धनवान् भवेत्
Whoever hears this daily, or recites it with devotion, or remembers it, attains long life, becomes wealthy, and has children.
धान्यतीर्थम् इति ख्यातं सर्वकामप्रदं नृणाम् सुभिक्षं क्षेमदं पुंसां सर्वापद्विनिवारणम्
It is known as Dhanya-tirtha, bestower of all desires for people, bringing abundance, security, and removal of all calamities.
ओषध्यः सोमराजानं पतिं प्राप्य मुदान्विताः ऊचुः सर्वस्य लोकस्य गङ्गायाश् चेप्सितं वचः
The herbs, having joyfully obtained Soma as their lord, spoke the desired words of all the world and of Ganga.
वैदिकी पुण्यगाथास्ति यां वै वेदविदो विदुः भूमिं सस्यवतीं कश्चिन् मातरं मातृसंमिताम्
There is a sacred Vedic story, known to those learned in the Vedas, about someone who gives fertile land, a mother equal to one's own mother.