तम् उवाच मही भीता पृथुं तं पृथुलोचनम्
Then the earth, fearful, spoke to Pṛthu, the wide-eyed one.
मयि जीर्णा महौषध्यः कथं दातुम् अहं क्षमा
The great herbs have been consumed within me; how am I able to give them?
ततः सकोपो नृपतिस् ताम् आह पृथिवीं पुनः
Then the king, angry, spoke again to the earth.
नो चेद् ददास्य् अद्य त्वां वै हत्वा दास्ये महौषधीः
If you do not give them today, I will slay you and provide the great herbs myself.
कथं हंसि स्त्रियं राजञ् ज्ञानी भूत्वा नृपोत्तम विना मया कथं चेमाः प्रजाः संधारयिष्यसि
How can you, being wise, kill a woman, O best of kings? Without me, how will you sustain these beings?
यत्रोपकारो ऽनेकानाम् एकनाशे भविष्यति न दोषस् तत्र पृथिवि तपसा धारये प्रजाः
Where the benefit of many comes from the loss of one, there is no fault in that, O Earth. By asceticism, I will sustain the beings.
न दोषम् अत्र पश्यामि नाचक्षे ऽनर्थकं वचः यस्मिन् निपातिते सौख्यं बहूनाम् उपजायते मुनयस् तद्वधं प्राहुर् अश्वमेधशताधिकम्
I see no fault here, nor do I regard these words as meaningless; for when they are enacted, happiness arises for many. The sages have declared that the killing of that one is greater than a hundred horse sacrifices.
ततो देवाश् च ऋषयः सान्त्वयित्वा नृपोत्तमम् महीं च मातरं देवीम् ऊचुः सुरगणास् तदा
Then the gods and sages, having soothed the foremost king, and the earth, the divine mother, spoke to her, the host of gods at that time.
भूमे गोरूपिणी भूत्वा पयोरूपा महौषधीः देहि त्वं पृथवे राज्ञे ततः प्रीतो भवेन् नृपः प्रजासंरक्षणं च स्यात् ततः क्षेमं भविष्यति
O Earth, taking the form of a cow, and as milk and great herbs, give to King Prithu; then the king will be pleased, and the protection of the people will occur, and thus welfare will prevail.
ततो गोरूपम् आस्थाय भूम्य् आसीत् कपिलान्तिके दुदोह च महौषध्यो राजा वेनकरोद्भवः
Then, assuming the form of a cow, the earth sat near Kapila, and the king born of Vena milked the great herbs.
यत्र देवाः सगन्धर्वा ऋषयः कपिलो मुनिः महीं गोरूपम् आपन्नां नर्मदायां महामुने
Where the gods, along with the Gandharvas, the sages, and the sage Kapila, saw the earth in the form of a cow, O great sage, at the Narmada.
सरस्वत्यां भागीरथ्यां गोदावर्यां विशेषतः महानदीषु सर्वासु दुदुहे ऽसौ पयो महत्
On the Sarasvati, Bhagirathi, and especially on the Godavari, and on all the great rivers, he milked that great milk.
सा दुह्यमाना पृथुना पुण्यतोयाभवन् नदी गौतम्या संगता चाभूत् तद् अद्भुतम् इवाभवत्
As she was milked by Prithu, the river became holy and pure, and united with Gautami; it was as if something wondrous occurred.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं कपिलासंगमं विदुः तत्राष्टाशीतिः पूज्यानि सहस्राणि महामते
From that time onward, that sacred place became known as the meeting of Kapila; there, O wise one, eighty-eight thousand revered sites are found.
तीर्थान्य् आहुर् मुनिगणाः स्मरणाद् अपि नारद पावनानि जगत्य् अस्मिंस् तानि सर्वाण्य् अनुक्रमात्
The sages declare, O Narada, that the sacred places, even by remembrance, purify the world; all of them, in succession.
देवस्थानम् इति ख्यातं तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् तस्य प्रभावं वक्ष्यामि शृणु यत्नेन नारद
The place of the gods is renowned as a sacred site, famed throughout the three worlds. I will tell you its power; listen carefully, O Narada.
पुरा कृतयुगस्यादौ देवदानवसंगरे प्रवृत्ते वा सिंहिकेति विख्याता दैत्यसुन्दरी
Long ago, at the beginning of the Krita age, when the battle between gods and demons began, there was a demon maiden known as Simhika.
तस्याः पुत्रो महादैत्यो राहुर् नाम महाबलः अमृते तु समुत्पन्ने सैंहिकेये च भेदिते
Her son was the great demon named Rahu, of immense strength. When the nectar arose and Simhika's son was divided—
तस्य पुत्रो महादैत्यो मेघहास इति श्रुतः पितरं घातितं श्रुत्वा तपस् तेपे ऽतिदुःखितः
His son was the great demon known as Meghahasa. Hearing that his father had been slain, he performed austerities, greatly afflicted.
तपस्यन्तं राहुसुतं गौतमीतीरम् आश्रितम् देवाश् च ऋषयः सर्वे तम् ऊचुर् अतिभीतवत्
While Rahu's son was performing austerities, residing on the bank of the Gautami, all the gods and sages approached him, greatly fearful.
तपो जहि महाबाहो यत् ते मनसि संस्थितम् सर्वं भवतु नामेदं शिवगङ्गाप्रसादतः शिवगङ्गाप्रसादेन किं नामास्त्य् अत्र दुर्लभम्
Abandon your austerity, O mighty-armed one; whatever is fixed in your mind, let it all be fulfilled. By the grace of Shiva-Ganga, nothing here is unattainable.
परिभूतः पिता पूज्यो युष्माभिर् मम दैवतम् तस्यापि मम चात्यन्तं प्रीतिश् च क्रियते यदि
My father, who is worthy of worship, has been insulted by you, my deities. If utmost affection is shown to him and to me—
भवद्भिस् तपसो ऽस्माच् च अहं वैरान् निवर्तये वैरनिर्यातनं कार्यं पुत्रेण पितुर् आदरात् प्रार्थयन्ते भवन्तश् चेत् पूर्णास् तन् मे मनोरथाः
By you and by my austerity, I will renounce enmity. The son must act for the removal of enmity out of respect for his father. If you desire this, then all my wishes will be fulfilled.
ततः सुरगणाः सर्वे राहुं चक्रुर् ग्रहानुगम् तं चापि मेघहासं ते चक्रू राक्षसपुंगवम्
Then all the hosts of gods made Rahu a planet, and they made Meghahasa the foremost among the Rakshasas.
ततो ऽभवद् राहुसुतो नैरृताधिपतिः प्रभुः पुनश् चाह सुरान् दैत्यो मम ख्यातिर् यथा भवेत्
Then arose Rahu's son, the lord of the Nairritas, and again spoke to the gods: 'Let my fame be established.'
तीर्थस्यास्य प्रभावश् च दातव्य इति मे मतिः तथेत्य् उक्त्वा ददुर् देवाः सर्वम् एव मनोगतम्
He said, 'The power of this sacred place must be granted.' Thus agreeing, the gods bestowed everything that was in their minds.
दैत्येश्वरस्य देवर्षे तन्नाम्ना तीर्थम् उच्यते देवा यतो ऽभवन् सर्वे तत्र स्थाने महामते
O sage among the gods, that sacred place is named after the lord of the Daityas, for all the gods were present there, O wise one.
देवस्थानं तु तत् तीर्थं देवानाम् अपि दुर्लभम् यत्र देवेश्वरो देवो देवतीर्थं ततः स्मृतम्
That sacred place of the gods is difficult even for the gods to attain; where the lord of the gods resides, it is remembered as the divine tirtha.
तत्राष्टादश तीर्थानि दैत्यपूज्यानि नारद तेषु स्नानं च दानं च महापातकनाशनम्
There, O Narada, are eighteen sacred sites worshipped by the Daityas; bathing and giving there destroy great sins.
सिद्धतीर्थम् इति ख्यातं यत्र सिद्धेश्वरो हरः तस्य प्रभावं वक्ष्यामि सर्वसिद्धिकरं नृणाम्
It is known as Siddha-tirtha, where Shiva, lord of Siddhas, abides; I will describe its power, which grants all accomplishments to people.