पश्य देवि शुकं प्राप्तं देववाक्याद् धुताशनम्
Look, O goddess, a parrot has come, Dhūtaśana, by the command of the gods.
लज्जिता चावदद् देवम् अलं देवेति पार्वती पुरश्चरन्तं देवेशो ह्य् अग्निं तं द्विजरूपिणम्
Ashamed, Pārvatī said to the god, 'Enough, O Lord.' The Lord of the gods then addressed Agni, who had taken the form of a twice-born.
आहूय बहुशश् चापि ज्ञातो ऽस्य् अग्ने ऽत्र मा वद विदारयस्व स्वमुखं गृहाणेदं नयस्व तत्
Calling him repeatedly, he recognized Agni and said, 'Do not speak here; open your mouth, receive this, and carry it away.'
इत्य् उक्त्वा तस्य चास्ये ऽग्ने रेतः स प्राक्षिपद् बहु रेतोगर्भस् तदा चाग्निर् गन्तुं नैव च शक्तवान्
Having said this, he cast his seed into Agni’s mouth; filled with the seed, Agni was then unable to depart.
सुरनद्यास् ततस् तीरं श्रान्तो ऽग्निर् उपतस्थिवान् कृत्तिकासु च तद् रेतः प्रक्षेपात् कार्त्तिको ऽभवत्
Then, weary, Agni approached the bank of the celestial river; by casting that seed into the Kṛttikās, Kārttikeya was born.
अवशिष्टं च यत् किंचिद् अग्नेर् देहे च शांभवम् तद् एव रेतो वह्निस् तु स्वभार्यायां द्विधाक्षिपत्
Whatever remained of Śaṃbhu’s seed in Agni’s body, that very seed Agni cast into his own wife in two parts.
स्वाहायां प्रियभूतायां पुत्रार्थिन्यां विशेषतः पुरा साश्वासिता तेन संततिस् ते भविष्यति
Into Svāhā, who was dear to him and especially desirous of a son, he placed it; she was comforted by him, and your lineage will arise from her.
तद् वह्निनाथ संस्मृत्य तत् क्षिप्तं शांभवं महः तद् अग्ने रेतसस् तस्यां जज्ञे मिथुनम् उत्तमम्
Then, recalling this, Agni cast the Śaṃbhu’s great energy; from Agni’s seed in her, a supreme pair was born.
सुवर्णश् च सुवर्णा च रूपेणाप्रतिमं भुवि अग्नेः प्रीतिकरं नित्यं लोकानां प्रीतिवर्धनम्
Suvarṇa and Suvarṇā, unmatched in form upon the earth, ever bring delight to Agni and continually increase the joy of all worlds.
अग्निः प्रीत्या सुवर्णां तां प्रादाद् धर्माय धीमते सुवर्णस्याथ पुत्रस्य संकल्पाम् अकरोत् प्रियाम् एवं पुत्रस्य पुत्र्याश् च विवाहम् अकरोत् कविः
With affection, Agni gave Suvarṇā to the wise one for the sake of righteousness; then, for Suvarṇa’s son, he made a cherished resolve, and thus the sage arranged the marriage of the son and daughter.
अन्योन्यरेतोव्यतिषङ्गदोषाद् अग्नेर् अपत्यम् उभयं तथैव पुत्रः सुवर्णो बहुरूपरूपी रूपाणि कृत्वा सुरसत्तमानाम्
Because of the mutual mingling of seed, both became Agni’s offspring; likewise, Suvarṇa, the son, took on many forms, assuming the appearances of the best among the gods.
इन्द्रस्य वायोर् धनदस्य भार्यां जलेश्वरस्यापि मुनीश्वराणाम् भार्यास् तु गच्छत्य् अनिशं सुवर्णो यस्याः प्रियं यच् च वपुः स कृत्वा
He would go, taking the form and beauty of the beloved wife of Indra, Vāyu, Kubera, Varuṇa, and the great sages, wherever Suvarṇa desired.
याति क्वचिच् चापि कवेस् तनूजस् तद्भर्तृरूपं च पतिव्रतासु कृत्वानिशं ताभिर् उदारभावः कुर्वन् कृतार्थं मदनं स रेमे
Sometimes, the son of the sage would assume the form of the husband among devoted wives, and, ever noble in conduct, he delighted in fulfilled desire with them.
कृत्वा गता क्वापि चैवं सुवर्णा धर्मस्य भार्यापि सुवर्णनाम्नी स्वाहासुता स्वैरिणी सा बभूव यस्यापि यस्यापि मनोगता या
Having done so, Suvarṇā, wife of Dharma and called by that name, daughter of Svāhā, became unrestrained, going wherever her mind wished.
भार्यास्वरूपा सैव भूत्वा सुवर्णा रेमे पतीन् मानुषान् आसुरांश् च देवान् ऋषीन् पितृरूपांस् तथान्यान् रूपौदार्यस्थैर्यगाम्भीर्ययुक्तान्
Taking the form of a wife, Suvarṇā enjoyed with husbands among men, demons, gods, sages, ancestors, and others endowed with beauty, generosity, steadiness, and depth.
याभिप्रेता यस्य देवस्य भार्या तद्रूपा सा रमते तेन सार्धम् नानाभेदैः करणैश् चाप्य् अनेकैर् आकर्षन्ती तन्मनः कामसिद्धिम्
Becoming the very form of whichever goddess a god desired as wife, she would delight with him, drawing his mind by various means and many devices, fulfilling his desires.
एवं सुवर्णस्य निरीक्ष्य चेष्टाम् अग्नेः सूनोः पुत्रिकायास् तथाग्नेः सर्वे च शेपुः कुपितास् तदाग्नेः पुत्रं च पुत्रीं च सुरासुरास् ते
Thus, seeing the conduct of Suvarṇa, daughter of Agni’s son, all the gods and demons became angry and cursed both the son and daughter of Agni.
कृतं यद् एतद् व्यभिचाररूपं यच् छद्मना वर्तनं पापरूपम् तस्मात् सुतस् ते व्यभिचारवांश् च सर्वत्र गामी जायतां हव्यवाह
This act, being of the nature of transgression and deceitful conduct, is sinful; therefore, O carrier of oblations, let your son be ever wandering and marked by transgression.
तथा सुवर्णापि न चैकनिष्ठा भूयाद् अग्ने नैकतृप्ता बहूंश् च नानाजातीन् निन्दितान् देहभाजो भजित्री स्याद् एष दोषश् च पुत्र्याः
Likewise, let Suvarṇā not be devoted to one alone, O Agni, nor satisfied with one; let her associate with many, of various kinds and despised forms—this shall be the fault of your daughter.
इत्य् एतच् छापवचनं श्रुत्वाग्निर् अतिभीतवत् माम् अभ्येत्य तदोवाच निष्कृतिं वद पुत्रयोः
Hearing these words of the curse, Agni, greatly afraid, approached me and said, 'Tell me the means of atonement for my son and daughter.'
तदाहम् अब्रवं वह्ने गौतमीं गच्छ शंकरम् स्तुत्वा तत्र महाबाहो निवेदय जगत्पतेः
Then I said, 'O Vahni, go to Gautamī and worship Śaṃkara there, O mighty-armed one, and make known to the Lord of the universe.'
माहेश्वरेण वीर्येण तव देहस्थितेन च एवंविधं त्व् अपत्यं ते जातं वह्ने ततो भवान्
By the power of Maheśvara, present within your body, such offspring has been born to you, O Vahni; therefore, you should—
निवेदयस्व देवाय देवानां शापम् ईदृशम् स्वापत्यरक्षणायासौ शंभुः श्रेयः करिष्यति
—inform the god of gods of this curse, so that Śambhu may bring about the welfare of your offspring and their protection.
स्तुहि देवं च देवीं च भक्त्या प्रीतो भवेच् छिवः ततस् त्व् अपत्यविषये प्रियान् कामान् अवाप्स्यसि
Praise the god and the goddess with devotion; Śiva will be pleased, and then you will obtain your cherished desires regarding your offspring.
ततो मद्वचनाद् अग्निर् गङ्गां गत्वा महेश्वरम् तुष्टाव नियतो वाक्यैः स्तुतिभिर् वेदसंमितैः
Then, following my words, Agni went to Gaṅgā and worshipped Maheśvara there with disciplined words and praises in accord with the Vedas.
विश्वस्य जगतो धाता विश्वमूर्तिर् निरञ्जनः आदिकर्ता स्वयंभूश् च तं नमामि जगत्पतिम्
I bow to the Lord of the universe, the creator of the world, whose form is the universe, who is stainless, the prime originator, and self-born.
यो ऽग्निर् भूत्वा संहरति स्रष्टा वै जलरूपतः सूर्यरूपेण यः पाति तं नमामि च त्र्यम्बकम्
He who becomes fire and destroys, who is the creator in the form of water, who protects in the form of the sun—I bow to that Three-eyed One.
ततः प्रसन्नो भगवान् अनन्तः शंभुर् अव्ययः वरेण च्छन्दयाम् आस पावकं सुरपूजितम्
Then the blessed, endless, auspicious, and imperishable Lord became pleased and granted a boon to Agni, honored by the gods.
स विनीतः शिवं प्राह तव वीर्यं मयि स्थितम् तेन जातः सुतो रम्यः सुवर्णो लोकविश्रुतः
Humbly, he spoke to Shiva: 'Your power resides in me; from it a beautiful son was born, Suvarna, renowned in the worlds.'
तथा सुवर्णा पुत्री च तस्माद् एव जगत्प्रभो अन्योन्यवीर्यसङ्गाच् च तद्दोषाद् उभयं त्व् इदम्
Likewise, Suvarna became a daughter from you, O Lord of the world; from the union of each other's power, and due to that fault, both these resulted.