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.
मायारूपां तु प्रमदां भक्षयाम् आस नारद तद् अद्भुतम् अतीवासीत् तन्मायाबलदर्शिनाम्
He devoured the woman in the form of illusion, O Nārada; it was exceedingly wondrous for those who witnessed the power of that illusion.
मखे विध्वंस्यमाने तु ते विष्णुं शरणं ययुः प्रादाद् विष्णुश् चक्रम् अथो मुनीनां रक्षणाय तु
When the sacrifice was being destroyed, they sought refuge in Viṣṇu; then Viṣṇu gave the discus for the protection of the sages.
चक्रं तद् राक्षसान् आजौ दैत्यांश् च दनुजांस् तथा चिच्छेद तद्भयाद् एव मृता राक्षसपुंगवाः
That discus, in battle, cut down the Rākṣasas, the Daityas, and the Dānavas; out of fear of it, the foremost among the Rākṣasas perished.
ऋषिभिस् तन् महासत्त्रं संपूर्णम् अभवत् तदा विष्णोः प्रक्षालितं चक्रं गङ्गाम्भोभिः सुदर्शनम्
Then, through the great sacrifice performed by the sages, Viṣṇu’s discus, the Sudarśana, was purified with the waters of the Gaṅgā.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं चक्रतीर्थम् उदाहृतम् तत्र स्नानेन दानेन सत्त्रयागफलं लभेत्
From that time, that holy place has been known as Cakratīrtha; by bathing and giving gifts there, one obtains the fruit of a sacrificial session.
तत्र पञ्च शतान्य् आसंस् तीर्थानां पापहारिणाम् तेषु स्नानं तथा दानं प्रत्येकं मुक्तिदायकम्
There were five hundred holy bathing places there, destroyers of sin; bathing and giving gifts at each one grants liberation.
वाणीसंगमम् आख्यातं यत्र वागीश्वरो हरः तत् तीर्थं सर्वपापानां मोचनं सर्वकामदम्
It is called the meeting of Vāṇī, where the Lord of Speech, Hara, resides; that holy place frees from all sins and grants all desires.
तत्र स्नानेन दानेन ब्रह्महत्यादिनाशनम् ब्रह्मविष्ण्वोश् च संवादे महत्त्वे च परस्परम्
There, by bathing and giving gifts, the destruction of even brahminicide and other sins occurs, as is told in the dialogue and mutual greatness of Brahmā and Viṣṇu.
तयोर् मध्ये महादेवो ज्योतिर्मूर्तिर् अभूत् किल तत्रैव वाग् उवाचेदं दैवी पुत्र तयोः शुभा
Between the two, the great god appeared in the form of light; there, the divine speech, their auspicious daughter, spoke these words.
अहम् अस्मि महांस् तत्र अहम् अस्मीति वै मिथः दैवी वाक् ताव् उभौ प्राह यस् त्व् अस्यान्तं तु पश्यति
There, each declared, 'I am the greatest,' and thus, the divine speech said to both, 'Whoever perceives the end of this will be the elder.'
स तु ज्येष्ठो भवेत् तस्मान् मा वादं कर्तुम् अर्हथः तद्वाक्याद् विष्णुर् अगमद् अधो ऽहं चोर्ध्वम् एव च
'He will be the elder; therefore, you should not argue.' At her words, Viṣṇu went downward and I went upward.
ततो विष्णुः शीघ्रम् एत्य ज्योतिःपार्श्व उपाविशत् अप्राप्यान्तम् अहं प्रायां दूराद् दूरतरं मुने
Then Viṣṇu quickly approached and sat beside the light; unable to reach its end, I went farther and farther, O sage.
ततः श्रान्तो निवृत्तो ऽहं द्रष्टुम् ईशं तु तं प्रभुम् तदैवं मम धीर् आसीद् दृष्टश् चान्तो मया भृशम्
Then, weary, I turned back, unable to see that Lord; yet, in my mind I thought I had truly seen the end.
अस्य देवस्य तद् विष्णोर् मम ज्यैष्ठ्यं स्फुटं भवेत् पुनश् चापि मम त्व् एवं मतिर् आसीन् महामते
'Thus, my seniority over this god Viṣṇu is clear.' Again, O wise one, this was my thought.
सत्यैर् वक्त्रैः कथं वक्ष्ये पीडितो ऽप्य् अनृतं वचः नानाविधेषु पापेषु नानृतात् पातकं परम्
How can I, with truthful mouths, speak a false word, even under pressure? Among all kinds of sins, there is none greater than falsehood.
सत्यैर् वक्त्रैर् असत्यां वा वाचं वक्ष्ये कथं त्व् इति ततो ऽहं पञ्चमं वक्त्रं गर्दभाकृतिभीषणम्
How can I, with truthful mouths, speak an untruth? So, I created a fifth mouth, terrifying in the form of a donkey.
कृत्वा तेनानृतं वक्ष्य इति ध्यात्वा चिरं तदा अब्रवं तं हरिं तत्र आसीनं जगतां प्रभुम्
Having made that, I resolved to speak a falsehood with it; after pondering for a long time, I addressed Hari, the Lord of the worlds, seated there.
अस्य चान्तो मया दृष्टस् तेन ज्यैष्ठ्यं जनार्दन ममेति वदतः पार्श्वे उभौ तौ हरिशंकरौ
'I have seen its end; therefore, Janārdana, my seniority is established.' As I spoke thus, both Hari and Śaṅkara were at my side.
एकरूपत्वम् आपन्नौ सूर्याचन्द्रमसाव् इव तौ दृष्ट्वा विस्मितो भीतश् चास्तवं ताव् उभाव् अपि ततः क्रुद्धौ जगन्नाथौ वाचं ताम् इदम् ऊचतुः
The two assumed a single form, like the sun and the moon; seeing them, I was astonished and afraid. Then, both Lords of the universe, angered, spoke these words to that speech.
दुष्टे त्वं निम्नगा भूया नानृताद् अस्ति पातकम्
'You, wicked one, become a river, for there is no sin greater than falsehood.'