स्वर्गः सुराणाम् अभवद् असुराणाम् इलाभवत् कर्मभूमिम् अवष्टभ्य असुराः सर्वतो ऽभवन्
Heaven belonged to the gods, and the earth belonged to the asuras; having seized the realm of action, the asuras were everywhere.
देवानां यज्ञभागांश् च दातॄन् घ्नन्त्य् असुरास् ततः ततः सुरगणाः सर्वे यज्ञभागैर् विना कृताः
The asuras then killed the donors of the gods' shares of sacrifice, and thus all the hosts of gods were deprived of their sacrificial portions.
व्यथिता माम् उपाजग्मुः किं कृत्यम् इति चाब्रुवन् मया चोक्ताः सुरगणा युद्धे जित्वासुरान् बलात्
Distressed, they approached me and asked, 'What should be done?' I told the hosts of gods, 'Having defeated the asuras by force in battle—'
भुवं प्राप्स्यथ कर्माणि हवींषि च यशांसि च तथेत्य् उक्त्वा गता देवा भूमिं ते समरार्थिनः
'You shall regain the earth, your rites, offerings, and fame.' Having said so, the gods departed, those seekers of battle, to the earth.
दैत्याश् च दानवाश् चैव राक्षसा बलदर्पिताः एकीभूत्वा ययुस् ते ऽपि जयिनो युद्धकाङ्क्षिणः
The Daityas, Dānavas, and the Rākṣasas, proud of their strength, also united and set out, eager for victory in battle.
अहिर् वृत्रो बलिस् त्वाष्ट्रिर् नमुचिः शम्बरो मयः एते चान्ये च बहवो योद्धारो बलदर्पिताः
Ahi, Vṛtra, Bali, Tvaṣṭṛ, Namuci, Śambara, Maya—these and many other warriors, filled with pride in their strength.
अग्निर् इन्द्रो ऽथ वरुणस् त्वष्टा पूषा तथाश्विनौ मरुतो लोकपालाश् च नानायुद्धविशारदाः
Agni, Indra, then Varuṇa, Tvaṣṭṛ, Pūṣan, the Aśvins, the Maruts, and the guardians of the worlds—all skilled in various forms of warfare.
ते दानवाः सर्व एव याम्यां वै दिशि संगरे अकुर्वन्त महायत्नं दक्षिणार्णवसंस्थिताः
All those Dānavas, stationed in the southern ocean, exerted themselves greatly in battle, facing toward the southern direction.
त्रिकूटः पर्वतश्रेष्ठो राक्षसानां पुराभवत् तद्वनेन ययुः सर्वे तैः सार्धं दक्षिणार्णवम्
Trikūṭa, the foremost of mountains, was once the city of the Rākṣasas. Through that forest, they all went together to the southern ocean.
सर्वेषां मेलनं यत्र पर्वतो मलयस् तु सः मलयस्यापि देशो ऽसौ देवारीणाम् अभूत् तदा
There, on Mount Malaya, all assembled; that region of Malaya then became the meeting place of the enemies of the gods.
देवानां गौतमीतीरे तत्र संनिहितः शिवः इति तेषां समायोगो देवानाम् अभवत् किल
On the bank of the Gautamī, Śiva was present among the gods. Thus, it is said, the gods assembled there.
देवाः स्वरथम् आरूढास् तत्र तत्र समागमन् गौतम्याः सरिदम्बायाः पुलिने विमलाशयाः
The gods, mounting their own chariots, gathered at various places, with pure intentions, on the sandy bank of the Gautamī river.
प्रसन्नाभीष्टदा या स्यात् पितॄणाम् अखिलस्य तु ततो देवगणाः सर्वे स्तुत्वा देवं महेश्वरम् अभयं चिन्तयाम् आसुस् ते सर्वे ऽथ परस्परम्
She who is gracious and grants desired boons to all the ancestors—after praising the great god Maheśvara, all the hosts of gods then began to contemplate safety, each with the other.
अत्राप्य् उपायः को ऽस्माकं निर्जितानां परैर् हठात् एकम् एवात्र नः श्रेयो विजयो वाथवा मृतिः सपत्नैर् अभिभूतानां जीवितं धिङ् मनस्विनाम्
Here too, they wondered, 'What means is there for us, forcibly defeated by our enemies? For us, there is only one good—either victory or death. For the noble, life under the power of rivals is contemptible.'
एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे पुत्र वाग् उवाचाशरीरिणी
At that moment, O son, a bodiless voice spoke.
क्लेशेनालं सुरगणा गौतमीम् आशु गच्छत भक्त्या हरिहरौ तत्र समाराधयतेश्वरौ
'Enough of distress, O hosts of gods! Quickly go to the Gautamī. With devotion, worship Hari and Hara, the two lords, there.'
गोदावर्यास् तयोश् चैव प्रसादात् किं तु दुष्करम्
'By the grace of those two on the Godāvarī, what is difficult to attain?'
प्रसन्नाभ्यां हरीशाभ्यां देवा जयम् अभीप्सितम् अवाप्य सर्वतो जग्मुः पालयन्तो दिवौकसः
With Hari and Īśa pleased, the gods attained the victory they desired, and, protecting the dwellers of heaven, went everywhere.
यत्र देवागमो जातस् तत् तीर्थं तेन विश्रुतम् देवागमं प्रशंसन्ति मुनयस् तत्त्वदर्शिनः
Where the assembly of gods took place, that holy place became renowned as Devāgama. The seers who know the truth praise Devāgama.
तत्राशीतिसहस्राणि शिवलिङ्गानि नारद देवागमः पर्वतो ऽसौ प्रिय इत्य् अपि कथ्यते ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं देवप्रियम् अतो विदुः
There, O Nārada, are eighty thousand liṅgas of Śiva. That mountain is called Devāgama and is also known as Priya. From then on, that holy place is known as dear to the gods.
कुशतर्पणम् आख्यातं प्रणीतासंगमं तथा तीर्थं सर्वेषु लोकेषु भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायकम्
The offering to the sacred grass has been described, as well as the gathering of the initiated; this holy place, in all the worlds, bestows both enjoyment and liberation.
तस्य स्वरूपं वक्ष्यामि शृणु पापहरं शुभम् विन्ध्यस्य दक्षिणे पार्श्वे सह्यो नाम महागिरिः
I shall now speak of its true nature—listen, for it is auspicious and destroys sin—on the southern side of the Vindhya stands the great mountain called Sahya.
यदङ्घ्रिभ्यो ऽभवन् नद्यो गोदाभीमरथीमुखाः यत्राभवत् तद् विरजम् एकवीरा च यत्र सा
From its feet arose rivers, beginning with the Godā, Bhīma, and Rathī; there, too, is the pure river Virajā, and there is also the river Ekavīrā.
न तस्य महिमा कैश्चिद् अपि शक्यो ऽनुवर्णितुम् तस्मिन् गिरौ पुण्यदेशे शृणु नारद यत्नतः
Its greatness cannot be fully described by anyone; on that mountain, in that sacred region, listen carefully, O Nārada.
गुह्याद् गुह्यतरं वक्ष्ये साक्षाद् वेदोदितं शुभम् यन् न जानन्ति मुनयो देवाश् च पितरो ऽसुराः
I shall reveal a secret more hidden than the hidden, directly declared in the Veda, auspicious, which neither sages, nor gods, nor ancestors, nor demons know.
तद् अहं प्रीतये वक्ष्ये श्रवणात् सर्वकामदम् परः स पुरुषो ज्ञेयो ह्य् अव्यक्तो ऽक्षर एव तु
For your satisfaction I shall declare it, which, when heard, grants all desires; that supreme Person is to be known—unmanifest and indeed imperishable.
अपरश् च क्षरस् तस्मात् प्रकृत्यन्वित एव च निराकारात् सावयवः पुरुषः समजायत
From that arises another, perishable, endowed with nature; from the formless, the embodied Person was born.
तस्माद् आपः समुद्भूता अद्भ्यश् च पुरुषस् तथा ताभ्याम् अब्जं समुद्भूतं तत्राहम् अभवं मुने
From him the waters arose, and from the waters likewise the Person; from those two, the lotus was born, and there, O sage, I came into being.
पृथिवी वायुर् आकाश आपो ज्योतिस् तथैव च एते मत्तः पूर्वतरा एकदैवाभवन् मुने
Earth, wind, space, water, and likewise fire—these, O sage, existed before me, as the first divinities.
एतान् एव प्रपश्यामि नान्यत् स्थावरजङ्गमम् नैव वेदास् तदा चासन् नाहं द्रष्टास्मि किंचन
I saw only these, and nothing else, neither moving nor unmoving; at that time, the Vedas did not exist, nor was I able to perceive anything.