कुलवध्वा रहः कार्यं भीतया शीलविप्लुतेः विज्ञाय तत् परिजनात् सहसोत्थाय निर्गतः
A woman of good family, fearing the loss of her virtue, should conduct her private affairs carefully; if discovered by the attendants, she should immediately rise and depart.
दृष्ट्वा तद् दुष्कृतं कर्म बृहस्पतिर् उदारधीः शशाप कोपाच् चाक्षिप्य वाग्भिर् विप्रियकारिभिः
Seeing that wrongful deed, Bṛhaspati, of noble mind, cursed in anger and reproached him with harsh words for his misdeed.
पराभिभूताम् आलोक्य कान्तां कः सोढुम् ईश्वरः युयुधे तेन जीवो ऽपि देवश् चन्द्रमसा रुषा
Who, upon seeing his beloved overcome by another, could endure it, even if he were a lord? Even the god Candra, out of anger, fought with him for her.
न शापैर् हन्यते चन्द्रो नायुधैः सुरमन्त्रितैः बृहस्पतिप्रणीतैश् च न मन्त्रैर् हन्यते शशी
The moon is not destroyed by curses, nor by weapons, nor by the spells of the gods; nor is the moon slain by the mantras composed by Bṛhaspati.
तदा चन्द्रस् तु तां तारां नीत्वा संस्थाप्य मन्दिरे बुभुजे बहुवर्षाणि रोहिणीं चाकुतोभयः
Then Candra took Tārā and established her in his palace, enjoying her for many years, and also, without fear, Rohiṇī.
न जीयेत तदा देवैर् न कोपैः शापमन्त्रकैः न राजभिर् न ऋषिभिर् न साम्ना भेददण्डनैः
At that time, he could not be overcome by the gods, nor by anger, curses, or spells; not by kings, nor by sages, nor by conciliation, division, or punishment.
यदा भार्यां न लेभे ऽसौ गुरुः सर्वप्रयत्नतः सर्वोपायक्षये जीवस् तदा नीतिम् अथास्मरत्
When the guru could not regain his wife despite every effort and all possible means being exhausted, then Jīva remembered the path of policy.
अपमानं पुरस्कृत्य मानं कृत्वा तु पृष्ठतः स्वार्थम् उद्धरते प्राज्ञः स्वार्थभ्रंशो हि मूर्खता
A wise person, putting aside honor and accepting humiliation, pursues his own interest; for the loss of one's own interest is indeed folly.
साध्यं केनाप्य् उपायेन जानद्भिः पुरुषैः फलम् वृथाभिमानिनः शीघ्रं विपद्यन्ते विमोहिताः
Those who know, by any means, should accomplish their goal; the vain and deluded quickly come to ruin.
एवं निश्चित्य मेधावी शुक्रं गत्वा न्यवेदयत् तम् आगतं कविर् ज्ञात्वा संमानेनाभ्यनन्दयत्
Having resolved thus, the wise one went to Śukra and informed him; the poet, knowing he had come, welcomed him with honor.
उपविष्टं सुविश्रान्तं पूजितं च यथाविधि पर्यपृच्छद् दैत्यगुरुस् तदागमनकारणम्
When he was seated, well-rested, and duly honored, the guru of the Daityas inquired about the reason for his coming.
गृहागतस्य विमुखाः शत्रवो ऽप्य् उत्तमा नहि तस्मै स विस्तरेणाह भार्याहरणम् आदितः
Even enemies who come to one's house should not be treated with hostility; therefore, he told him in detail about the abduction of his wife from the beginning.
बृहस्पतेस् तदा वाक्यं श्रुत्वा कोपान्वितः कविः अपराधं तु चन्द्रस्य मेने शिष्यस्य नारद अतिक्रमम् इमं श्रुत्वा कोपात् कविर् अथाब्रवीत्
Hearing Bṛhaspati's words, the poet became angry; but Nārada, hearing of this transgression by his disciple Candra, considered it an offense and, enraged, the poet spoke.
तदा भोक्ष्ये तदा पास्ये तदा स्वप्स्ये तदा वदे यदानये प्रियां भ्रातस् तव भार्यां परार्दिताम्
Then I shall eat, then I shall drink, then I shall sleep, then I shall speak—when, brother, your beloved wife, wronged by another, is restored to you.
ताम् आनीय भवं पूज्य चन्द्रं शप्त्वा गुरुद्रुहम् पश्चाद् भोक्ष्ये महाबाहो शृणु वाचं ग्रहेश्वर
Bring her here, honor her, curse Candra for betraying his teacher, and only then, O mighty-armed lord of the planets, will I eat—listen to my words.
एवम् उक्त्वा स जीवेन दैत्याचार्यो जगाम ह शिवम् आराध्य यत्नेन परं सामर्थ्यम् आप्तवान्
Having spoken thus to Jīva, the preceptor of the Daityas went away; worshipping Śiva with effort, he attained supreme power.
वरान् अवाप्य विविधाञ् शंकराद् भावपूजितात् शिवप्रसादात् किं नाम देहिनाम् इह दुर्लभम्
Having obtained various boons from Śaṅkara, worshipped by Bhāva, by the grace of Śiva, what indeed is unattainable here for embodied beings?
जगाम शुक्रो जीवेन तारया यत्र चन्द्रमाः वर्तते तं शशापोच्चैः शृणु त्वं चन्द्र मे वचः
Śukra went with Jīva to the place where the Moon abides; there he loudly cursed the Moon, saying, 'Hear my words, O Moon!'
यस्मात् पापतरं कर्म त्वया पाप मदात् कृतम् कुष्ठी भूयास् ततश् चन्द्रं शशापैवं रुषा कविः
Because you, out of sinful arrogance, have committed a deed more wicked than sin itself, therefore, O Moon, be afflicted with leprosy—thus the sage cursed him in anger.
कविशापप्रदग्धो ऽभूत् तदैव मृगलाञ्छनः प्रापुः क्षयं न के नाम गुरुस्वामिसखिद्रुहः
Burned by the sage’s curse, he immediately became marked by a deer; who indeed does not meet ruin, having betrayed teacher, master, or friend?
तत्याज तां स चन्द्रो ऽपि तां तारां जगृहे कविः शुक्रो ऽपि देवान् आहूय ऋषीन् पितृगणांस् तथा
Then the Moon abandoned her, and the sage took Tārā; Śukra, summoning the gods, the seers, and the hosts of ancestors,
नदीर् नदांश् च विविधान् ओषधीश् च पतिव्रताः ततः संप्रष्टुम् आरेभे तारावृत्तविनिष्क्रयम्
He began to question the various rivers, river-gods, and devoted herbs, seeking a way to resolve the affair concerning Tārā.
ततः श्रुतिः सुरान् आह गौतम्यां भक्तितस् त्व् इयम् स्नानं करोतु जीवेन तारा पूता भविष्यति
Then a revelation spoke to the gods: 'If Tārā bathes with devotion in the Gautamī river, she will be purified.'
रहस्यम् एतत् परमं न कथ्यं यस्य कस्यचित् सर्वास्व् अपि दशास्व् एह शरणं गौतमी नृणाम्
This is a supreme secret, not to be told to anyone; in all circumstances here, Gautamī is the refuge of people.
तथाकरोच् चैव तारा भर्त्रा स्नानं यथाविधि पुष्पवृष्टिर् अभूत् तत्र जयशब्दो व्यवर्तत
So Tārā, with her husband, performed the prescribed bath; there a shower of flowers fell, and cries of victory arose.
पुनर् वै देवा अददुः पुनर् मनुष्या उत राजानः सत्यं कृण्वाना ब्रह्मजायां पुनर् ददुः
Again the gods, again humans, and kings who uphold truth, restored the wife of Brahmā; they gave her back once more.
पुनर् दत्त्वा ब्रह्मजायां कृतां देवैर् अकल्मषाम् सर्वं क्षेमम् अभूत् तत्र तस्मात् तीर्थं महामुने
Having restored the wife of Brahmā, made pure by the gods, all was well there; therefore, O great sage, that place became a sacred ford.
पुनर् दत्त्वा ब्रह्मजायां कृतां देवैर् अकल्मषाम् सर्वं क्षेमम् अभूत् तत्र तस्मात् तीर्थं महामुने तद् अभूत् सकलाघौघध्वंसनं सर्वकामदम् आनन्दं क्षेमम् अभवत् सुराणाम् असुरारिणाम्
Having restored the wife of Brahmā, made pure by the gods, all was well there; therefore, O great sage, that ford became the destroyer of all heaps of sin, the fulfiller of all desires, the source of joy and welfare for gods and their allies.
बृहस्पतेश् च शुक्रस्य तारायाश् च विशेषतः परमानन्दम् आपन्नो गुरुर् गङ्गाम् अभाषत
And especially for Bṛhaspati, Śukra, and Tārā, the guru attained supreme bliss and spoke to the Gaṅgā.
त्वं गौतमि सदा पूज्या सर्वेषाम् अपि मुक्तिदा विशेषतस् तु सिंहस्थे मयि त्रैलोक्यपावनी
You, O Gautamī, are always worthy of worship, the giver of liberation to all, and especially, when I am in Siṃha, you purify the three worlds.