अहं कृष्णः पिता कृष्णो माता कृष्णा तथानुजः अहं मखं हनिष्यामि यूपं छेद्मि कृतान्तकः
"I am black, my father is black, my mother is black, and so is my younger brother. I will destroy the sacrifice, I will cut down the sacrificial post, I am the ender of rites."
रक्ष्यतां मे त्वया यज्ञः प्रियो धर्मः सनातनः जाने त्वां यज्ञहन्तारं सद्द्विजं रक्ष मे क्रतुम्
"Protect my sacrifice, you for whom dharma, the eternal law, is dear. I know you as a true twice-born, a destroyer of sacrifice—protect my rite."
भरद्वाज निबोधेदं वाक्यं मम समासतः ब्रह्मणाहं पुरा शप्तो देवदानवसंनिधौ
"Hear my words in brief, Bharadvāja: Long ago, in the presence of gods and demons, I was cursed by Brahmā."
ततः प्रसादितो देवो मया लोकपितामहः अमृतैः प्रोक्षयिष्यन्ति यदा त्वां मुनिसत्तमाः
"Then, when I propitiated the god, the Grandfather of the worlds, he said: 'When the best of sages anoint you with nectar...'"
तदा विशापो भविता हव्यघ्न त्वं न चान्यथा एवं करिष्यसि यदा ततः सर्वं भविष्यति
"Then, Havyaghna, the curse will end for you, and not otherwise. When you do thus, all will come to pass."
भरद्वाजः पुनः प्राह सखा मे ऽसि महामते मखसंरक्षणं येन स्यान् मे वद करोमि तत्
Bharadvāja spoke again: "You are my friend, O wise one. Tell me by what means I may protect the sacrifice; I will do that."
संभूय देवा दैतेया ममन्थुः क्षीरसागरम् अलभन्तामृतं कष्टात् तद् अस्मत्सुलभं कथम्
"The gods and the Daityas together churned the ocean of milk. With great difficulty they did not obtain the nectar—how then can it be easy for us?"
प्रीत्या यदि प्रसन्नो ऽसि सुलभं यद् वदस्व तत् तद् ऋषेर् वचनं श्रुत्वा रक्षः प्राह तदा मुदा
"If you are pleased with me in friendship, tell me what is easy to obtain." Hearing the sage's words, the demon then joyfully replied.
अमृतं गौतमीवारि अमृतं स्वर्णम् उच्यते अमृतं गोभवं चाज्यम् अमृतं सोम एव च
"Nectar is water from the Gautamī (Godāvarī), nectar is called gold, nectar is clarified butter produced from cows, and nectar is also Soma."
एतैर् माम् अभिषिञ्चस्व अथवैतैस् तथा त्रिभिः गङ्गाया वारिणाज्येन हिरण्येन तथैव च सर्वेभ्यो ऽप्य् अधिकं दिव्यम् अमृतं गौतमीजलम्
"Anoint me with these, or with these three: water from the Gaṅgā, clarified butter, and gold. Of all, the divine water from the Gautamī is the highest nectar."
एतद् आकर्ण्य स ऋषिः परं संतोषम् आगतः पाणाव् आदाय गङ्गायाः सलिलामृतम् आदरात्
Hearing this, the sage became exceedingly pleased, and with reverence took the nectar-like water of the Gaṅgā in his hand.
तेनाकरोद् ऋषी रक्षो ह्य् अभिषिक्तं तदा मखे पुनश् च यूपे च पशाव् ऋत्विक्षु मखमण्डले
With that, the sage anointed the demon in the sacrifice, and again on the sacrificial post, the animals, the priests, and the sacrificial ground.
सर्वम् एवाभवच् छुक्लम् अभिषेकान् महात्मनः तद् रक्षो ऽपि तदा शुक्लो भूत्वोत्पन्नो महाबलः
All became pure white from the anointing by the great-souled one. Then that demon also became white, and was born with great strength.
यः पुरा कृष्णरूपो ऽभूत् स तु शुक्लो ऽभवत् क्षणात् यज्ञं सर्वं समाप्याथ भरद्वाजः प्रतापवान्
He who was formerly black in form became white in an instant. Having completed the entire sacrifice, Bharadvāja, mighty in splendor, [departed].
ऋत्विजो ऽपि विसृज्याथ यूपं गङ्गोदके ऽक्षिपत् गङ्गामध्ये तद् धि यूपम् अद्याप्य् आस्ते महामते
Then the priests, having been dismissed, cast the sacrificial post into the waters of the Ganges; O wise one, that post still remains in the midst of the Ganges to this day.
अभिषिक्तं चामृतेन अभिज्ञानं तु तन् महत् तत्र तीर्थे पुना रक्षो भरद्वाजम् उवाच ह
It was consecrated with ambrosia, and its identity is great; at that sacred site, the demon again addressed Bharadvāja.
अहं यामि भरद्वाज कृतः शुक्लस् त्वया पुनः तस्मात् तवात्र तीर्थे ये स्नानदानादिपूजनम्
I depart, O Bharadvāja; the rite has been completed by you once more. Therefore, at this sacred site, those who perform bathing, giving, and worship—
कुर्युस् तेषाम् अभीष्टानि भवेयुर् यत् फलं मखे स्मरणाद् अपि पापानि नाशं यान्तु सदा मुने
—for them, whatever desired fruits there are from the sacrifice shall be obtained; even by remembrance, O sage, sins are always destroyed.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं शुक्लतीर्थम् इति स्मृतम् गौतम्यां दण्डकारण्ये स्वर्गद्वारम् अपावृतम्
From that time onward, that sacred site has been known as Śuklatīrtha; in the Gautamī river, in the Dandaka forest, the gateway to heaven stands open.
उभयोस् तीरयोः सप्त सहस्राण्य् अपराणि च तीर्थानां मुनिशार्दूल सर्वसिद्धिप्रदायिनाम्
On both banks, O tiger among sages, there are seven thousand other sacred sites, bestowing all accomplishments.
चक्रतीर्थम् इति ख्यातं स्मरणात् पापनाशनम् तस्य प्रभावं वक्ष्यामि शृणु यत्नेन नारद
It is renowned as Cakratīrtha, the destroyer of sin by remembrance; I will declare its power—listen carefully, O Nārada.
ऋषयः सप्त विख्याता वसिष्ठप्रमुखा मुने गौतम्यास् तीरम् आश्रित्य सत्त्रयज्ञम् उपासते
The seven famous sages, headed by Vasiṣṭha, O sage, having taken up residence on the bank of the Gautamī, perform a sacrificial session.
तत्र विघ्न उपक्रान्ते रक्षोभिर् अतिभीषणे माम् अभ्येत्याथ मुनयो रक्षःकृत्यं न्यवेदयन्
When an obstacle arose there, caused by exceedingly fearsome demons, the sages approached me and reported the demon menace.
तदाहं प्रमदारूपं माययासृज्य नारद यस्याश् च दर्शनाद् एव नाशं यान्त्य् अथ राक्षसाः
Then, O Nārada, I created a woman in the form of delight through my power of illusion; merely by her sight, the demons were destroyed.
एवम् उक्त्वा तु तां प्रादाम् ऋषिभ्यः प्रमदां मुने मद्वाक्याद् ऋषयो मायाम् आदाय पुनर् आगमन्
Having said this, I gave that woman to the sages, O sage; by my command, the sages took the illusion and returned.
अजैका या समाख्याता कृष्णलोहितरूपिणी मुक्तकेशीत्य् अभिधया सास्ते ऽद्यापि स्वरूपिणी
She who is called Ajaikā, with the form of black and red, is known as Muktakeśī; she remains even now in her own form.
लोकत्रितयसंमोहदायिनी कामरूपिणी तद्बलात् स्वस्थमनसः सर्वे च मुनिपुंगवः
She bestows delusion upon the three worlds, taking any form she desires; by her power, all the foremost sages became unsettled in mind.
गौतमीं सरितां श्रेष्ठां पुनर् यज्ञाय दीक्षिताः पुनस् तन्मखनाशाय राक्षसाः समुपागमन्
Again, having been initiated for sacrifice, they approached the Gautamī, the best of rivers; once more, the demons came to destroy that sacrifice.
यक्षवाटान्तिके मायां दृष्ट्वा राक्षसपुंगवाः ततो नृत्यन्ति गायन्ति हसन्ति च रुदन्ति च
Near the Yakṣa enclosure, seeing the illusion, the foremost demons began to dance, sing, laugh, and also cry.
माहेश्वरी महामाया प्रभावेणातिदर्पिता तेषां मध्ये दैत्यपतिः शम्बरो नाम वीर्यवान्
By the power of Māheśvarī, the great illusion, they became exceedingly arrogant; among them, the lord of the demons, named Śambara, was mighty.