मयि विश्रम्यताम् अस्त्रं न पुत्रे न च भर्तरि सत्यवाग् भव हव्येश जातवेदो नमो ऽस्तु ते
Let the weapon rest upon me, not upon my sons nor my husband; be truthful, O lord of offerings, Jātavedas, salutations to you.
तुष्टो ऽस्मि तव वाक्येन भर्तृभक्त्या पतिव्रते तवापि भर्तृपुत्राणां हेति क्षेमं ददाम्य् अहम्
I am pleased by your words, O faithful wife, by your devotion to your husband; for you, Heti, I grant safety to your husband and sons.
आग्नेयम् एतद् अस्त्रं मे न भर्तारं सुतान् अपि न त्वां दहेत् ततो याहि सुखेन त्वं कपोतकि
This Agni weapon of mine will not burn your husband or sons, nor you; therefore, depart happily, O pigeon-wife.
एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे तत्र उलूकी ददृशे पतिम् वेष्ट्यमानं याम्यपाशैर् यमदण्डेन ताडितम् उलूकी दुःखिता भूत्वा यमं प्रायाद् भयातुरा
Meanwhile, the owl-wife saw her husband bound by Yama's nooses and struck by Yama's staff; distressed, she approached Yama, fearful.
त्वद्भीता अनुद्रवन्ते जनास् त्वद्भीता ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति त्वद्भीताः साधु चरन्ति धीरास् त्वद्भीताः कर्मनिष्ठा भवन्ति
Out of fear of you, people flee; out of fear of you, they practice celibacy; out of fear of you, the wise act virtuously; out of fear of you, they become steadfast in their duties.
त्वद्भीता अनाशकम् आचरन्ति ग्रामाद् अरण्यम् अभि यच् चरन्ति त्वद्भीताः सौम्यताम् आश्रयन्ते त्वद्भीताः सोमपानं भजन्ते
Out of fear of you, they practice non-violence, leaving the village for the forest; out of fear of you, they embrace gentleness; out of fear of you, they partake in soma-drinking.
एवं ब्रुवत्यां तस्यां ताम् आह दक्षिणदिक्पतिः
As she spoke in this way, the guardian of the southern direction addressed her.
वरं वरय भद्रं ते दास्ये ऽहं मनसः प्रियम्
Choose a boon, auspicious one; I will grant you whatever your heart desires.
यमस्येति वचः श्रुत्वा सा तम् आह पतिव्रता
Hearing these words from Yama, the devoted wife replied to him.
भर्ता मे वेष्टितः पाशैर् दण्डेनाभिहतस् तव तस्माद् रक्ष सुरश्रेष्ठ पुत्रान् भर्तारम् एव च
My husband is bound by your nooses and struck by your staff; therefore, O best of gods, protect my sons and my husband as well.
तद्वाक्यात् कृपया युक्तो यमः प्राह पुनः पुनः
Moved by her words and filled with compassion, Yama spoke again and again.
पाशानां चापि दण्डस्य स्थानं वद शुभानने
O auspicious-faced one, tell me the place for the nooses and the staff.
सा प्रोवाच यमं देवं मयि पाशास् त्वयेरिताः आविशन्तु जगन्नाथ दण्डो मय्य् एव संविशेत् ततः प्रोवाच भगवान् यमस् तां कृपया पुनः
She said to Yama, the god: 'Let the nooses you cast enter into me, O Lord of the world; let the staff rest in me alone.' Then the blessed Yama spoke to her again with compassion.
तव भर्ता च पुत्राश् च सर्वे जीवन्तु विज्वराः
May your husband and sons all live, free from suffering.
न्यवारयद् यमः पाशान् आग्नेयास्त्रं तु हव्यवाट् कपोतोलूकयोश् चापि प्रीतिं वै चक्रतुः सुरौ आहतुश् च द्विजन्मानौ व्रियतां वर ईप्सितः
Yama restrained the nooses, and the fire-god withdrew his weapon; the pigeon and the owl, both divine, made peace, and the two twice-born said: 'Choose the boon you desire.'
भवतोर् दर्शनं लब्धं वैरव्याजेन दुष्करम् वयं च पक्षिणः पापाः किं वरेण सुरोत्तमौ
We have gained your audience, which is difficult to obtain except through enmity; but we are sinful birds—what use have we for a boon from you, O best of gods?
अथ देयो वरो ऽस्माकं भवद्भ्यां प्रीतिपूर्वकम् नात्मार्थम् अनुयाचावो दीयमानं वरं शुभम्
If a boon is to be given to us, let it be granted to you both with affection; we do not seek any boon for ourselves, even if it is auspicious and offered.
आत्मार्थं यस् तु याचेत स शोच्यो हि सुरेश्वरौ जीवितं सफलं तस्य यः परार्थोद्यतः सदा
He who asks for his own sake, O lords of the gods, is truly to be pitied; but the one whose life is always devoted to the welfare of others, his life is fruitful.
अग्निर् आपो रविः पृथ्वी धान्यानि विविधानि च परार्थं वर्तनं तेषां सतां चापि विशेषतः
Fire, water, the sun, the earth, and the various grains—all exist for the sake of others, especially in the case of the virtuous.
ब्रह्मादयो ऽपि हि यतो युज्यन्ते मृत्युना सह एवं ज्ञात्वा तु देवेशौ वृथा स्वार्थपरिश्रमः
Even Brahma and the others are subject to death; knowing this, O lords of the gods, striving for one's own sake is in vain.
जन्मना सह यत् पुंसां विहितं परमेष्ठिना कदाचिन् नान्यथा तद् वै वृथा क्लिश्यन्ति जन्तवः
Whatever is ordained by the Supreme Lord for a person at birth never happens otherwise; creatures suffer in vain.
तस्माद् याचावहे किंचिद् धिताय जगतां शुभम् गुणदायि तु सर्वेषां तद् युवाम् अनुमन्यताम्
Therefore, let us request something for the welfare of the worlds, something auspicious and bestowing virtue upon all; may you both approve of this.
ताव् आहतुर् उभौ देवौ पक्षिणौ लोकविश्रुतौ धर्मस्य यशसो ऽवाप्त्ये लोकानां हितकाम्यया
Then both the divine birds, renowned in the worlds, spoke: 'For the sake of dharma's fame and the welfare of beings...'
आवाभ्याम् आश्रमौ तीर्थे गङ्गाया उभये तटे भवेतां जगतां नाथाव् एष एव परो वरः
'May we both have hermitages at the holy place on both banks of the Ganga; let us be the protectors of the worlds—this is the highest boon.'
स्नानं दानं जपो होमः पितॄणां चापि पूजनम् सुकृती दुष्कृती वापि यः करोति यथा तथा सर्वं तद् अक्षयं पुण्यं स्याद् इत्य् एष परो वरः
Bathing, giving gifts, recitation, offering oblations, and also worship of the ancestors—whether performed by the virtuous or the sinful, however it is done—all of these become inexhaustible merit; this is the supreme boon.
एवम् अस्तु तथा चान्यत् सुप्रीतौ तु ब्रवावहै
So be it; and now, let us speak further, being well pleased.
उत्तरे गौतमीतीरे यमस्तोत्रं पठन्ति ये तेषां सप्तसु वंशेषु नाकाले मृत्युम् आप्नुयात्
Those who recite the hymn to Yama on the northern bank of the Gautamī—among their seven generations, none will meet death before their time.
पुरुषो भाजनं च स्यात् सर्वदा सर्वसंपदाम् यस् त्व् इदं पठते नित्यं मृत्युस्तोत्रं जितात्मवान्
A person who always recites this hymn to Death, with self-control, becomes a vessel of all prosperity.
अष्टाशीतिसहस्रैश् च व्याधिभिर् न स बाध्यते अस्मिंस् तीर्थे द्विजश्रेष्ठौ त्रिमासाद् गुर्विणी सती
He is not afflicted by eighty-eight thousand diseases; and at this holy place, O best of twice-born, a pregnant woman in her third month—
अर्वाग्वन्ध्या च षण्मासात् सप्ताहं स्नानम् आचरेत् वीरसूः सा भवेन् नारी शतायुः स सुतो भवेत्
And a previously barren woman, after six months, should bathe there for seven days; she will bear a heroic son, and he will live a hundred years.