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.
लक्ष्मीवान् मतिमाञ् शूरः पुत्रपौत्रविवर्धनः तत्र पिण्डादिदानेन पितरो मुक्तिम् आप्नुयुः मनोवाक्कायजात् पापात् स्नानान् मुक्तो भवेन् नरः
He will be wealthy, wise, and brave, increasing sons and grandsons; there, by offering rice-balls and other gifts, the ancestors attain liberation; and by bathing, a man is freed from sins of mind, speech, and body.
यमवाक्याद् अनु तथा हव्यवाड् आह पक्षिणौ
Then, following Yama’s words, the fire-god spoke to the two birds.
मत्स्तोत्रं दक्षिणे तीरे ये पठन्ति यतव्रताः तेषाम् आरोग्यम् ऐश्वर्यं लक्ष्मीं रूपं ददाम्य् अहम्
Those who, with disciplined vows, recite my hymn on the southern bank—I grant them health, wealth, fortune, and beauty.
इदं स्तोत्रं तु यः कश्चिद् यत्र क्वापि पठेन् नरः नैवाग्नितो भयं तस्य लिखिते ऽपि गृहे स्थिते
Whoever recites this hymn anywhere, even if it is merely written and kept in the house, will have no fear from fire.
स्नानं दानं च यः कुर्याद् अग्नितीर्थे शुचिर् नरः अग्निष्टोमफलं तस्य भवेद् एव न संशयः
Whoever, pure in body, performs bathing and giving at the fire’s bank attains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice, without doubt.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं याम्यम् आग्नेयम् एव च कपोतं च तथोलूकं हेत्युलूकं विदुर् बुधाः
From that time, that holy place is known as Yāmyam and Āgneyam; and the wise know the pigeon and the owl, and the fierce owl, as well.
तत्र त्रीणि सहस्राणि तावन्त्य् एव शतानि च पुनर् नवतितीर्थानि प्रत्येकं मुक्तिभाजनम्
There are three thousand, and just as many hundreds, and again ninety holy places there; each is a vessel of liberation.
तेषु स्नानेन दानेन प्रेतीभूताश् च ये नराः पूतास् ते पुत्रवित्ताढ्या आक्रमेयुर् दिवं शुभाः
By bathing and giving there, even those who have become departed spirits are purified; they attain heaven, blessed with sons and wealth.
तपस्तीर्थम् इति ख्यातं तपोवृद्धिकरं महत् सर्वकामप्रदं पुण्यं पितॄणां प्रीतिवर्धनम्
It is known as the Tapas Tīrtha, the great place that increases austerity, grants all desires, brings merit, and increases the satisfaction of the ancestors.
तस्मिंस् तीर्थे तु यद् वृत्तं शृणु पापप्रणाशनम् अपाम् अग्नेश् च संवादम् ऋषीणां च परस्परम्
Now hear what happened at that holy place, which destroys sin—the conversation between the waters and the fire, and the mutual discourse of the sages.