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.
गङ्गासमीपे यो दद्यात् सर्वकामान् अवाप्नुयात् भूमिं सस्यवतीं गाश् च ओषधीश् च मुदान्वितः
Whoever gives near the Ganga attains all desires—fertile land, cows, and herbs, all with joy.
विष्णुब्रह्मेशरूपाय यो दद्याद् भक्तिमान् नरः सर्वं तद् अक्षयं विद्यात् सर्वकामान् अवाप्नुयात्
A devoted person who gives to one of the form of Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva, should know that all that is imperishable, and he attains all desires.
ओषध्यः सोमराजन्याः सोमश् चाप्य् ओषधीपतिः इति ज्ञात्वा ब्रह्मविद ओषधीर् यः प्रदास्यति
Knowing that the herbs belong to Soma's lineage, and Soma is the lord of herbs, whoever, understanding this, gives herbs as taught by Brahman,
सर्वान् कामान् अवाप्नोति ब्रह्मलोके महीयते ता एव सोमराजन्याः प्रीताः प्रोचुः पुनः पुनः
Attains all desires and is honored in the world of Brahma; those same herbs of Soma's lineage, pleased, spoke again and again.
यो ऽस्मान् ददाति गङ्गायां तं राजन् पारयामसि त्वम् उत्तमश् चौषधीश त्वदधीनं चराचरम्
O King, whoever gives us in the Ganga, we carry him across; and you, supreme lord of herbs, all that moves and does not move is under your dominion.
ओषधयः संवदन्ते सोमेन सह राज्ञा यो ऽस्मान् ददाति विप्रेभ्यस् तं राजन् पारयामसि
The herbs converse with Soma, the king; O King, whoever gives us to the Brahmins, we carry him across.
वयं च ब्रह्मरूपिण्यः प्राणरूपिण्य एव च यो ऽस्मान् ददाति विप्रेभ्यस् तं राजन् पारयामसि
We are of the form of Brahman, and indeed of the form of life itself; O King, whoever gives us to the Brahmins, we carry him across.
अस्मान् ददाति यो नित्यं ब्राह्मणेभ्यो जितव्रतः उपास्तिर् अस्ति सास्माकं तं राजन् पारयामसि
Whoever, steadfast in vows, always gives us to the Brahmins, O King, he has our devotion; we carry him across.
स्थावरं जङ्गमं किंचिद् अस्माभिर् व्यापृतं जगत् यो ऽस्मान् ददाति विप्रेभ्यस् तं राजन् पारयामसि
Whatever in the world, fixed or moving, is engaged by us—O King, whoever gives us to the Brahmins, we carry him across.
हव्यं कव्यं यद् अमृतं यत् किंचिद् उपभुज्यते तद्गरीयश् च यो दद्यात् तं राजन् पारयामसि
Whatever is offered as oblation, ancestral offering, nectar, or anything enjoyed—whoever gives that which is most excellent, O King, we carry him across.