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.
यस्माद् अहं समुद्भूतो न पश्येयं तम् अप्य् अथ तूष्णीं स्थिते मयि तदा अश्रौषं वाचम् उत्तमाम्
Since I was born from him, I could not see him either; then, as I remained silent, I heard a supreme voice.
ब्रह्मन् कुरु जगत्सृष्टिं स्थावरस्य चरस्य च
"Brahman, create the world, both the stationary and the moving."
ततो ऽहम् अब्रवं वाचं परुषां तत्र नारद कथं स्रक्ष्ये क्व वा स्रक्ष्ये केन स्रक्ष्य इदं जगत्
Then I spoke these harsh words there, O Nārada: 'How shall I create? Where shall I create? With what shall I create this world?'
सैव वाग् अब्रवीद् दैवी प्रकृतिर् याभिधीयते विष्णुना प्रेरिता माता जगदीशा जगन्मयी
That very voice, divine nature as she is called, prompted by Viṣṇu, the Mother, the Lady of the Universe, the One who is the world, spoke to me.
यज्ञं कुरु ततः शक्तिस् ते भवित्री न संशयः यज्ञो वै विष्णुर् इत्य् एषा श्रुतिर् ब्रह्मन् सनातनी
"Perform sacrifice; then power will arise in you, without doubt. Sacrifice indeed is Viṣṇu—this is the eternal teaching, O Brahman."
किं यज्वनाम् असाध्यं स्याद् इह लोके परत्र च
What could be unattainable for those who perform sacrifice, in this world or the next?
पुनस् ताम् अब्रवं देवीं क्व वा केनेति तद् वद यज्ञः कार्यो महाभागे ततः सोवाच मां प्रति
Again I spoke to that goddess: 'Where and with what should it be done? Tell me that. O greatly fortunate one, how should the sacrifice be performed?' Then she spoke to me.
ओंकारभूता या देवी मातृकल्पा जगन्मयी कर्मभूमौ यजस्वेह यज्ञेशं यज्ञपूरुषम्
"The goddess who is embodied as Om, mother-like, pervading the universe—on the field of action, worship here the Lord of sacrifice, the Person of sacrifice."
स एव साधनं ते स्यात् तेन तं यज सुव्रत यज्ञः स्वाहा स्वधा मन्त्रा ब्राह्मणा हविरादिकम्
That alone shall be your means; with it, O virtuous one, worship him. Sacrifice, svāhā, svadhā, mantras, brāhmaṇas, offerings, and the like—
हरिर् एवाखिलं तेन सर्वं विष्णोर् अवाप्यते
Hari alone is all; by that, everything of Viṣṇu is attained.