वाक्सायकैस् तथा विद्धस् तद्वधाय त्व् इयं कृतिः तदर्थं जगताम् ईश येन जेष्ये रिपुं प्रभो
I was wounded by his words and weapons; for his destruction, this act is undertaken. For that purpose, O Lord of the worlds, grant me victory over my enemy.
तद् एव देहि वीर्यं मे यच् चान्यद् रिपुनाशनम् जातः पराभवो यस्मात् तद्विनाशे कृते सति पुनर्जातम् अहं मन्ये वरं कीर्तिर् जयश्रियोः
Grant me that strength which destroys enemies, and whatever else brings about their end. Since I have been defeated, I consider it best that, upon their destruction, I may again attain fame and the glory of victory.
स शिवः शक्रम् आहेदं न मयैकेन ते रिपुः वधम् आप्नोति तस्मात् त्वं विष्णुम् अप्य् अव्ययं हरिम्
Then Śiva said to Indra: 'Your enemy cannot be slain by me alone. Therefore, you too, along with Viṣṇu, the imperishable Hari—'
आराधयस्व पौलोम्या सह देवं जनार्दनम् लोकत्रयैकशरणं नारायणम् अनन्यधीः
'—worship, together with Paulomī, the god Janārdana, Nārāyaṇa, the sole refuge of the three worlds, with undistracted mind.'
ततः प्राप्स्यसि तस्माच् च मत्तश् चापि प्रियं हरे पुनश् चोवाच भगवान् आदिकर्ता महेश्वरः
'Then, from that, you will obtain what is dear to you from me and from Hari as well.' Again, the blessed Maheśvara, the prime creator, spoke:
मन्त्राभ्यासस् तपो वापि योगाभ्यसनम् एव च संगमे यत्र कुत्रापि सिद्धिदं मुनयो विदुः
'The practice of mantras, austerity, or even the discipline of yoga—wherever these are performed at a confluence, sages know them to grant success.'
किं पुनः संगमे विप्र गौतमीसिन्धुफेनयोः गिरीणां गह्वरे यद् वा सरिताम् अथ संगमे
'How much more so, O brāhmaṇa, at the confluence of the Gautamī and Sindhu rivers, in the caves of mountains, or at the meeting of rivers?'
विप्रो धियैव भवति मुकुन्दाङ्घ्रिनिविष्टया गङ्गाया दक्षिणे तीर आपस्तम्बो मुनीश्वरः
'A brāhmaṇa, by intellect fixed on Mukunda’s feet, becomes so; on the southern bank of the Gaṅgā, Āpastamba, the lord of sages—'
आस्ते तस्याप्य् अहं तोषम् अगमं बलसूदन तेन त्वं भार्यया चैव तोषयस्व गदाधरम्
'—dwelt there. I too attained satisfaction, O slayer of enemies. Therefore, you also, together with your wife, please Gadādhara.'
आपस्तम्बेन सहितो गङ्गाया दक्षिणे तटे तुष्टाव देवं प्रयतः स्नात्वा पुण्ये ऽथ संगमे
Together with Āpastamba, on the southern bank of the Gaṅgā, having bathed with devotion at the sacred confluence, he praised the god.
फेनायाश् चैव गङ्गायास् तत्र देवं जनार्दनम् वैदिकैर् विविधैर् मन्त्रैस् तपसातोषयत् तदा
At the confluence of the Phenā and the Gaṅgā, he propitiated the god Janārdana with various Vedic mantras and austerity.
ततस् तुष्टो ऽभवद् विष्णुः किं देयं चेत्य् अभाषत देहि मे शत्रुहन्तारम् इत्य् आह भगवान् हरिः
Then Viṣṇu was pleased and said, 'What should be given?' He replied, 'Grant me a destroyer of enemies,' so spoke the blessed Hari.
दत्तम् इत्य् एव जानीहि तम् उवाच जनार्दनः तत्राभवच् छिवस्यैव गङ्गाविष्ण्वोः प्रसादतः
'Consider it given,' said Janārdana. There, by the grace of Śiva and Viṣṇu of the Gaṅgā, it came to be.
अम्भसा पुरुषो जातः शिवविष्णुस्वरूपधृक् चक्रपाणिः शूलधरः स गत्वा तु रसातलम्
From the waters a person was born, bearing the forms of Śiva and Viṣṇu, holding a discus and a trident; he then went to the netherworld.
निजघान तदा दैत्यम् इन्द्रशत्रुं महाशनिम् सखाभवत् स चेन्द्रस्य अब्जकः स वृषाकपिः
He slew then the demon, Indra’s enemy, with a mighty thunderbolt. He became Indra’s friend—Abjaka, the Vṛṣākapi.
दिविस्थो ऽपि सदा चेन्द्रस् तम् अन्वेति वृषाकपिम् कुपिता प्रणयेनाभूद् अन्यासक्तं विलोक्य तम् शचीं तां सान्त्वयन्न् आह शतमन्युर् हसन्न् इदम्
Though dwelling in heaven, Indra always followed Vṛṣākapi. Seeing him attached elsewhere, Śacī, angered and affectionate, spoke to him; Śatakratu, smiling, addressed her thus:
नाहम् इन्द्राणि शरणम् ऋते सख्युर् वृषाकपेः वारि वापि हविर् यस्य अग्नेः प्रियकरं सदा
'O Indrāṇī, I have no refuge except for my friend Vṛṣākapi, whose water or offering is always dear to Agni.'
नाहम् अन्यत्र गन्तास्मि प्रिये चाङ्गेन ते शपे तस्मान् नार्हसि मां वक्तुं शङ्कयान्यत्र भामिनि
'Dearest, I will not go anywhere else; I swear by your very self. Therefore, you should not speak to me with suspicion, O beautiful one.'
पतिव्रता प्रिया मे त्वं धर्मे मन्त्रे सहायिनी सापत्या च कुलीना च त्वत्तो ऽन्या का प्रिया मम
'You are my beloved, faithful in dharma and mantra, my companion, noble and with children; who else but you is dear to me?'
तस्मात् तवोपदेशेन गङ्गां प्राप्य महानदीम् प्रसादाद् देवदेवस्य विष्णोर् वै चक्रपाणिनः
'Therefore, by your instruction, having reached Gaṅgā, the great river, by the grace of the god of gods, Viṣṇu, wielder of the discus—'
तथा शिवस्य देवस्य प्रसादाच् च वृषाकपेः जलोद्भवाच् च मे मित्राद् अब्जकाल् लोकविश्रुतात्
Thus, by the grace of the god Shiva, of Vṛṣākapi, and of my friend born from water, the lotus-stemmed one renowned in the worlds, this has come to me.
उत्तीर्णदुःखः सुभगे इत इन्द्रो ऽहम् अच्युतः किं न साध्यं यत्र भार्या भर्तृचित्तानुगामिनी
O fortunate one, I have crossed over suffering; here I am Indra, the steadfast—what could be impossible where a wife follows the mind of her husband?
दुष्करा तत्र नो मुक्तिः किंत्व् अर्थादित्रयं शुभे जायैव परमं मित्रं लोकद्वयहितैषिणी
There, liberation is difficult for us; but, O auspicious one, among the three aims of life, the wife alone is the highest friend, seeking the welfare of both worlds.
सा चेत् कुलीना प्रियभाषिणी च पतिव्रता रूपवती गुणाढ्या संपत्सु चापत्सु समानरूपा तया ह्य् असाध्यं किम् इह त्रिलोक्याम्
If she is of good family, speaks sweetly, devoted to her husband, beautiful, endowed with virtues, and equal in fortune and adversity—what is impossible for her in the three worlds?
तस्मात् तव धिया कान्ते ममेदं शुभम् आगतम् इतस् तवोदितं चैव कर्तव्यं नान्यद् अस्ति मे
Therefore, O lovely one, by your wisdom this good fortune has come to me; and what you have declared must be done—there is nothing else for me.
परलोके च धर्मे च सत्पुत्रसदृशं न च आर्तस्य पुरुषस्येह भार्यावद् भेषजं नहि
In the next world and in righteousness, nothing equals a true son; and for a man in distress here, there is no remedy like a wife.
निःश्रेयसपदप्राप्त्यै तथा पापस्य मुक्तये गङ्गया सदृशं नास्ति शृणु चान्यद् वरानने
For attaining the supreme state and for liberation from sin, there is nothing like the Ganga; listen further, O beautiful-faced one.
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां प्राप्तये पापमुक्तये शिवविष्ण्वोर् अनन्यत्वज्ञानान् नास्त्य् अत्र मुक्तये
For attaining righteousness, wealth, desire, and liberation, and for freedom from sin, there is no means here like the knowledge of the non-difference of Shiva and Vishnu.
तस्मात् तव धिया साध्वि सर्वम् एतन् मनोगतम् अवाप्तं च शिवाद् विष्णोर् गङ्गायाश् च प्रसादतः
Therefore, O virtuous one, by your understanding, all this that was in your mind has been obtained by the grace of Shiva, Vishnu, and Ganga.
इन्द्रत्वं मे स्थिरं चेतो मन्ये मित्रबलात् पुनः वृषाकपिर् मम सखा यो जातस् त्व् अप्सु भामिनि
My position as Indra is now secure, I think, again by the strength of my friend; Vṛṣākapi is my companion, who was born in the waters, O beautiful one.