वेदा वदन्त्व् एतद् एव सर्वम् एव यथार्थतः सर्वान् प्राप्स्ये तलं नीतान् अलं तेभ्यो नमो ऽस्तु वः
The Vedas declare this alone, all of it truly; I will recover all those who were taken to the netherworld—enough of them, I bow to you all.
गौतमीं गच्छ देवापे तत्र स्तुहि महेश्वरम् सुप्रसन्नस् तवाभीष्टं दास्यत्य् एव कृपाकरः
Go to the Gautamī river, O Devāpi, and there praise the Great Lord; when well-pleased, the compassionate one will surely grant your wish.
भवेद् देवः शिवः प्रीतः स्तुतः सत्यं महामते आर्ष्टिषेणश् च नृपतिस् तस्य जाया जया सती
If the god Śiva is pleased by your praise, O wise one, then King Ṛṣṭiṣeṇa and his wife Jayā will be restored.
पिता तवाप्य् उपमन्युस् तले तिष्ठन्त्य् अरोगिणः वरदानान् महेशस्य मिथुं हत्वा च राक्षसम् यशः प्राप्स्यसि धर्मं च एतच् छक्यं न चेतरत्
Your father Upamanyu also dwells in the netherworld, unharmed; by the boons of the Great Lord, and by slaying the demon, you will obtain fame and righteousness—this alone is possible, nothing else.
तद् वेदवचनाद् बालो देवापिर् गौतमीं गतः स्नात्वा कृतक्षणो विप्रस् तुष्टाव च महेश्वरम्
Then, by the word of the Vedas, the boy Devāpi went to the Gautamī; having bathed and performed the proper rites, the brāhmaṇa praised the Great Lord.
बालो ऽहं देवदेवेश गुरूणां त्वं गुरुर् मम न मे शक्तिस् त्वत्स्तवने तुभ्यं शंभो नमो ऽस्तु ते
I am but a boy, O Lord of gods; you are the guru of all gurus; I have no power to praise you—O Śambhu, I bow to you.
न त्वां जानन्ति निगमा न देवा मुनयो न च न ब्रह्मा नापि वैकुण्ठो यो ऽसि सो ऽसि नमो ऽस्तु ते
The scriptures do not know you, nor do the gods, nor the sages, nor Brahmā, nor even Viṣṇu; you are who you are—salutations to you.
ये ऽनाथा ये च कृपणा ये दरिद्राश् च रोगिणः पापात्मानो ये च लोके तांस् त्वं पासि महेश्वर
Those who are helpless, those who are afflicted, those who are poor and sick, and those who are sinful in this world—you protect them, O Great Lord.
तपसा नियमैर् मन्त्रैः पूजितास् त्रिदिवौकसः त्वया दत्तं फलं तेभ्यो दास्यन्ति जगतां पते
The gods of heaven, worshipped with austerity, discipline, and mantras, receive from you the fruits they desire, O Lord of the worlds.
याचितारश् च दातारस् तेभ्यो यद् यन् मनीषितम् भवतीति न चित्रं स्यात् त्वं विपर्ययकारकः
Those who ask and those who give—whatever they desire from them, it is not surprising if it comes to be, for you reverse their fortunes.
ये ऽज्ञानिनो ये च पापा ये मग्ना नरकार्णवे शिवेति वचनान् नाथ तान् पासि त्वं जगद्गुरो
Those who are ignorant, sinful, or sunk in the ocean of hell—by the utterance of 'Śiva,' O Lord of the universe, you protect them.
एवं तु स्तुवतस् तस्य पुरः प्राह त्रिलोचनः
Thus, as he was praising, the Three-eyed One spoke before him.
वरं ब्रूह्य् अथ देवापे अलं दैन्येन बालक
Speak your boon, then, O Devāpi; enough of this dejection, child.
राजानं राजपत्नीं च पितरं च गुरुं मम प्राप्तुम् इच्छे जगन्नाथ निधनं च रिपोर् मम
O Lord of the universe, I wish to obtain the king, the queen, my father, my teacher, and the death of my enemy.
देवापिवचनं श्रुत्वा तथेत्य् आहाखिलेश्वरः देवापेः सर्वम् अभवद् आज्ञया शंकरस्य तत्
Hearing Devāpi's words, the Lord of all said, 'So be it,' and by Śaṃkara's command, all was accomplished for Devāpi.
पुनर् अप्य् आह तं शंभुर् देवापिकरुणाकरः नन्दिनं प्रेषयाम् आस शंभुः शूलेन नारद
Again, Śaṃbhu, the ocean of compassion for Devāpi, spoke to him; Śaṃbhu sent Nandin, bearing the trident, O Nārada.
रसातलं मिथुं नन्दी हत्वा चासुरपुंगवान् तत्पित्रादीन् समानीय तस्मै तान् स न्यवेदयत्
Nandin went to Rasātala, slew the foremost of the Asuras, brought back their fathers and others, and presented them to him.
हयमेधश् च तत्रासीद् आर्ष्टिषेणस्य धीमतः अग्निश् च ऋत्विजो देवा वेदाश् च ऋषयो ऽब्रुवन्
There was also an Aśvamedha sacrifice performed by the wise Ārṣṭiṣeṇa; fire, priests, gods, and sages recited the Vedas.
यत्र साक्षाद् अभूच् छंभुर् देवापे भक्तवत्सलः देवदेवो जगन्नाथो देवतीर्थम् अभूच् च तत्
There, Śaṃbhu himself appeared, devoted to his follower Devāpi; that place became the divine tīrtha of the Lord of the universe.
सर्वपापक्षयकरं सर्वसिद्धिप्रदं नृणाम् पुण्यदं तीर्थम् एतत् स्यात् तव कीर्तिश् च शाश्वती
This tīrtha destroys all sins, grants all accomplishments to people, bestows merit, and your fame there shall be eternal.
अश्वमेधे निवृत्ते तु सुरास् तेभ्यो वरान् ददुः स्नात्वा कृतार्था गङ्गायां ततस् ते दिवम् आक्रमन्
When the Aśvamedha was completed, the gods granted boons to them; having bathed in the Gaṅgā, fulfilled, they then ascended to heaven.
ततः प्रभृति तत्रासंस् तीर्थानि दश पञ्च च सहस्राणि शतान्य् अष्टाव् उभयोर् अपि तीरयोः तेषु स्नानं च दानं च ह्य् अतीव फलदं विदुः
From that time, there have been fifteen thousand and eight hundred tīrthas at both tīrthas; bathing and giving there are known to yield great fruit.
तपोवनम् इति ख्यातं नन्दिनीसंगमं तथा सिद्धेश्वरं तत्र तीर्थं गौतम्या दक्षिणे तटे
The place known as Tapovana, the confluence of the Nandinī, and Siddheśvara are there; the tīrtha of Gautamī is on the southern bank.
शार्दूलं चेति विख्यातं तेषां वृत्तम् इदं शृणु यस्याकर्णनमात्रेण सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
Śārdūla is also renowned; listen to their story, by hearing which alone one is freed from all sins.
अग्निर् होता पुरा त्व् आसीद् देवानां हव्यवाहनः भार्यां प्राप्तो दक्षसुतां स्वाहानाम्नीं सुरूपिणीम्
In ancient times, Agni was the hotṛ, the carrier of oblations for the gods; he obtained as wife the beautiful Svāhā, daughter of Dakṣa.
सानपत्या पुरा चासीत् पुत्रार्थं तप आविशत् तपश् चरन्तीं विपुलं तोषयन्तीं हुताशनम् स भर्ता हुतभुक् प्राह भार्यां स्वाहाम् अनिन्दिताम्
She was once childless and undertook austerities for a son; as she performed great penance, pleasing the fire-god, her husband, the blameless Svāhā was addressed by him.
अपत्यानि भविष्यन्ति मा तपः कुरु शोभने
Children will be born; do not perform austerities, O beautiful one.
एतच् छ्रुत्वा भर्तृवाक्यं निवृत्ता तपसो ऽभवत् स्त्रीणाम् अभीष्टदं नान्यद् भर्तृवाक्यं विना क्वचित्
Hearing her husband's words, she ceased her penance; for women, nothing else is desirable apart from their husband's word.
ततः कतिपये काले तारकाद् भय आगते अनुत्पन्ने कार्त्तिकेये चिरकालरहोगते
Then, after some time, when fear from Tāraka arose, and Kārttikeya had not yet been born, with a long time having passed in secrecy—
महेश्वरे भवान्या च त्रस्ता देवाः समागताः देवानां कार्यसिद्ध्यर्थम् अग्निं प्रोचुर् दिवौकसः
The gods, frightened of Maheśvara and Bhavānī, assembled; for the accomplishment of the gods' purpose, the celestials addressed Agni.