यस्मात् परं नान्यद् अस्ति प्रशस्तं यस्मात् परं नैव सुसूक्ष्मम् अन्यत् यस्मात् परं नो महतां महच् च सोमेश्वरं तं शरणं व्रजामि
Beyond whom there is nothing more excellent, beyond whom there is nothing subtler, beyond whom there is nothing greater among the great—to that Lord of Soma I take refuge.
यस्याज्ञया विश्वम् इदं विचित्रम् अचिन्त्यरूपं विविधं महच् च एकक्रियं यद्वद् अनुप्रयाति सोमेश्वरं तं शरणं व्रजामि
By whose command this wondrous, diverse, and inconceivable universe, both great and small, proceeds in a single course—to that Lord of Soma I take refuge.
यस्मिन् विभूतिः सकलाधिपत्यं कर्तृत्वदातृत्वमहत्त्वम् एव प्रीतिर् यशः सौख्यम् अनादिधर्मः सोमेश्वरं तं शरणं व्रजामि
In whom are all powers, lordship over all, the greatness of being creator and giver, affection, fame, happiness, and the primordial law—to that Lord of Soma I take refuge.
नित्यं शरण्यः सकलस्य पूज्यो नित्यं प्रियो यः शरणागतस्य नित्यं शिवो यः सकलस्य रूपं सोमेश्वरं तं शरणं व्रजामि
He is always the refuge, always worthy of worship by all, always dear to those who seek refuge, always auspicious, the form of all—to that Lord of Soma I take refuge.
ततः प्रसन्नो भगवान् आह नारद तं मुनिम् आत्मार्थं च परार्थं च आपस्तम्बो ऽब्रवीच् छिवम्
Then the blessed Lord, pleased, spoke to the sage Nārada; for his own sake and for the sake of others, Āpastamba addressed Śiva.
सर्वान् कामान् आप्नुयुस् ते ये स्नात्वा देवम् ईश्वरम् पश्येयुर् जगताम् ईशम् अस्त्व् इत्य् आह शिवो मुनिम्
Those who, having bathed, behold the divine Lord, the ruler of the worlds, may attain all desires—so said Śiva to the sage.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थम् आपस्तम्बम् उदाहृतम् अनाद्य् अविद्यातिमिरव्रातनिर्मूलनक्षमम्
From that time onward, that sacred place has been called Āpastamba, capable of dispelling the multitude of beginningless darkness born of ignorance.
यमतीर्थम् इति ख्यातं पितॄणां प्रीतिवर्धनम् अशेषपापशमनं तत्र वृत्तम् इदं शृणु
It is known as Yama's Tīrtha, increasing the satisfaction of the ancestors, removing all sins; hear now what happened there.
तत्राख्यानम् इदं त्व् आसीद् इतिहासं पुरातनम् सरमेति प्रसिद्धास्ति नाम्ना देवशुनी मुने
There was an ancient story, O sage, called Sarameti, well-known by name as the divine dog.
तस्याः पुत्रौ महाश्रेष्ठौ श्वानौ नित्यं जनान् अनु गामिनौ पवनाहारौ चतुरक्षौ यमप्रियौ
She had two illustrious sons, dogs who always followed people, subsisting on wind, four-eyed, beloved of Yama.
गा रक्षति स्म देवानां यज्ञार्थं कल्पितान् पशून् रक्षन्तीम् अनुजग्मुस् ते राक्षसा दैत्यदानवाः
She guarded the cattle appointed for sacrifice by the gods; those who followed her were the Rākṣasas, Daityas, and Dānavas.
रक्षन्तीं तां महाप्राज्ञाः श्वानयोर् मातरं शुनीम् प्रलोभयित्वा विविधैर् वाक्यैर् दानैश् च यत्नतः
Those wise ones, having tempted the mother of the two dogs, the bitch who guarded, with various words and gifts, tried earnestly.
हृता गा राक्षसैः पापैः पश्वर्थे कल्पिताः शुभाः तत आगत्य सा देवान् इदम् आह क्रमाच् छुनी
The cattle, appointed for sacrifice and auspicious, were stolen by sinful Rākṣasas; then, coming forth, the bitch gradually spoke to the gods.
मां बद्ध्वा राक्षसैः पाशैस् ताडयित्वा प्रहारकैः नीता गा यज्ञसिद्ध्यर्थं कल्पिताः पशवः सुराः
Bound by the Rākṣasas with ropes, struck with blows, I was led away; the cattle appointed for the completion of sacrifice, O gods.
तस्या वाचं निशम्याशु सुरान् प्राह बृहस्पतिः
Hearing her words, Bṛhaspati quickly addressed the gods.
इयं विकृतरूपास्ते अस्याः पापं च लक्षये अस्या मतेन ता गावो नीता नान्येन हेतुना पापेयं सुकृतीवेति लक्ष्यते देहचेष्टितैः
This one appears altered in form; I perceive her sin. By her intention, those cattle were led away, not for any other reason. This sin is evident, as if she were virtuous, by her bodily actions.
तद् गुरोर् वचनाच् छक्रः पदा तां प्राहरच् छुनीम् पदाघातात् तदा तस्या मुखात् क्षीरं प्रसुस्रुवे
Then, at the teacher's command, Indra struck the bitch with his foot; from the blow of his foot, milk flowed from her mouth.
पुनः प्राह शचीभर्ता क्षीरं पीतं त्वया शुनि राक्षसैश् च तदा दत्तं तस्मान् नीतास् तु गा मम
Again, the husband of Śacī spoke: 'You drank the milk, O bitch, and gave it to the Rākṣasas; therefore, my cattle have been taken away.'
नापराधो ऽस्ति मे नाथ न चान्यस्यापि कस्यचित् नापराधो न चोपेक्षा ममास्ति त्रिदशेश्वर तस्माद् रुष्टो ऽसि किं नाथ रिपवो बलिनस् तु ते
O Lord, I have committed no offense, nor has anyone else; there is neither offense nor neglect on my part, O ruler of the gods. Why then are you angry, O Lord? Your enemies are indeed powerful.
ततो ध्यात्वा देवगुरुर् ज्ञात्वा तस्या विचेष्टितम् सत्यं शक्र त्व् इयं दुष्टा रिपूणां पक्षकारिणी
Then, having meditated, the teacher of the gods, knowing her actions, said: 'It is true, O Śakra, this one is wicked, siding with the enemies.'
ततः शशाप तां शक्रः पापिष्ठे त्वं शुनी भव मर्त्यलोके पापभूता अज्ञानात् पापकारिणी
Then Śakra cursed her: 'You, O bitch, become most sinful in the world of mortals, sinful and ignorant, a doer of evil.'
तदेन्द्रस्य तु शापेन मानुषे सा व्यजायत यथा शप्ता मघवता पापात् सा ह्य् अतिभीषणा
By Indra's curse, she was born among humans; as she was cursed by Maghavan, she became exceedingly dreadful due to sin.
गावो या राक्षसैर् नीतास् तासाम् आनयनाय च यत्नं कुर्वन् सुरपतिर् विष्णवे तन् न्यवेदयत्
The lord of the gods, striving to bring back the cows that had been taken away by the rākṣasas, reported this to Viṣṇu.
विष्णुर् दैत्यांश् च दनुजान् गोहर्तॄंश् चैव राक्षसान् हन्तुं प्रयत्नम् अकरोज् जगृहे च महद् धनुः
Viṣṇu made effort to slay the daityas, danujas, and the rākṣasas who had stolen the cows, and he took up his great bow.
शार्ङ्गं यल् लोकविख्यातं दैत्यनाशनम् एव च जितारिः पूजितो देवैः स्वयं स्थित्वा जनार्दनः
That bow, Śārṅga, renowned in the worlds and destroyer of daityas, was taken up by Janārdana himself, worshipped by the gods, the conqueror of enemies.
यत्र वै दण्डकारण्ये शार्ङ्गपाणिर् जगत्प्रभुः तत्रस्थान् दैत्यदनुजान् राक्षसांश् च बलीयसः
There in the Daṇḍaka forest, the lord of the universe, holding Śārṅga in his hand, confronted the powerful daityas, danujas, and rākṣasas who were present.
पुनर् जघ्ने स वै विष्णुर् गा यैर् नीताश् च राक्षसैः तत्र वै दण्डकारण्ये शार्ङ्गपाणिर् इति श्रुतः
There again, in the Daṇḍaka forest, Viṣṇu slew those rākṣasas who had taken away the cows; thus he is known as Śārṅgapāṇi in that place.
युध्यमानस् ततो विष्णुर् दितिजै राक्षसैः सह ते जग्मुर् दक्षिणाम् आशां विष्णोस् त्रासान् महामुने
Then Viṣṇu, fighting with the sons of Diti and the rākṣasas, caused them, out of fear of Viṣṇu, to flee toward the southern direction, O great sage.
अन्वगच्छत् ततो विष्णुस् तान् एव परमेश्वरः गरुत्मता तान् अवाप्य शार्ङ्गमुक्तैर् मनोजवैः
Thereafter, Viṣṇu, the supreme lord, pursued them, mounted on Garuḍa, and, reaching them, struck with arrows from Śārṅga, swift as the mind.
बाणैस् तान् व्याहनद् विष्णुर् गङ्गाया उत्तरे तटे देवारयः क्षयं नीता विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना
Viṣṇu struck them with arrows on the northern bank of the Gaṅgā; the enemies of the gods were destroyed by the mighty Viṣṇu.