स्तुहि विष्णुं जगद्योनिं शान्तं प्रीतेन चेतसा स तु प्रीतो यदि भवेत् सर्वम् इष्टं प्रदास्यति
Praise Viṣṇu, the source of the universe, peaceful, with a joyful heart; if he is pleased, he will grant all that is desired.
इति श्रुत्वा धर्मवाक्यं हर्षणो गौतमीं ययौ शुचिस् तुष्टाव देवेशं हरिं प्रीतो ऽभवद् धरिः
Having heard these words of dharma, Harṣaṇa went to Gautamī, pure, and praised the lord of gods, Hari; Hari became pleased.
हर्षणाय ततः प्रादात् कुलभद्रं ततस् तु सः सर्वाभद्रप्रशमनपूर्वकं भद्रम् अस्तु ते
Then Hari granted Harṣaṇa the welfare of the family; and, after dispelling all misfortune, said, 'May welfare be yours.'
तद् भद्रा प्रोच्यते विष्टिः पिता भद्रस् तथा सुताः ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं भद्रतीर्थं तद् उच्यते
Thus Viṣṭi is called auspicious, the father is auspicious, and so are the sons; from then on, that sacred place is called Bhadratīrtha.
सर्वमङ्गलदं पुंसां तत्र भद्रपतिर् हरिः तत्तीर्थसेविनां पुंसां सर्वसिद्धिप्रदायकम् मङ्गलैकनिधिः साक्षाद् देवदेवो जनार्दनः
There, Hari, the lord of auspiciousness, grants all blessings to men; for those who worship at that sacred place, he bestows all accomplishments, being the sole repository of auspiciousness, manifest as Janārdana, god of gods.
पतत्रितीर्थम् आख्यातं रोगघ्नं पापनाशनम् तस्य श्रवणमात्रेण कृतकृत्यो भवेन् नरः
The Patatri Tīrtha is named as destroying disease and sin; merely by hearing of it, a person becomes fulfilled.
बभूवतुः कश्यपस्य सुताव् अरुणाव् ईश्वरौ संपातिश् च जटायुश् च संभवेतां तदन्वये
Two sons of Kaśyapa were born, both divine: Saṃpāti and Jaṭāyu, who appeared in that lineage.
तार्क्ष्यप्रजापतेः पुत्राव् अरुणो गरुडस् तथा तदन्वये संभूतः च संपातिः पतगोत्तमः
The sons of Tārkṣya Prajāpati are Aruṇa and Garuḍa; and in their lineage, Saṃpāti, the best of birds, was born.
जटायुर् इति विख्यातो ह्य् अपरः सोदरो ऽनुजः अन्योन्यस्पर्धया युक्ताव् उन्मत्तौ स्वबलेन तौ
Another, named Jaṭāyu, is renowned, the younger brother; both were filled with mutual rivalry, intoxicated by their own strength.
संजग्मतुर् दिनकरं नमस्कर्तुं विहायसि यावत् सूर्यस्य सामीप्यं प्राप्तौ तौ विहगोत्तमौ
The two excellent birds went into the sky to bow to the sun; as they approached the vicinity of the sun.
दग्धपक्षाव् उभौ श्रान्तौ पतितौ गिरिमूर्धनि बान्धवौ पतितौ दृष्ट्वा निश्चेष्टौ गतचेतसौ
Both, with their wings burned and exhausted, had fallen upon the mountain summit; seeing the two kinsmen fallen, motionless and bereft of consciousness,
तावद् दुःखाभिभूतो ऽसाव् अरुणः प्राह भास्करम् तौ दृष्ट्वा त्व् अरुणः सूर्य्.अम् प्राहेदं पतितौ भुवि आश्वासयैतौ तिग्मांशो यावन् नैतौ मरिष्यतः
Aruna, overwhelmed by sorrow, spoke to Bhaskara; seeing them, Aruna addressed Surya thus: 'Console these two, O blazing one, before they perish.'
तथेत्य् उक्त्वा दिनकरो जीवयाम् आस तौ खगौ गरुडो ऽपि तयोः श्रुत्वा अवस्थां सह विष्णुना
Agreeing, the sun-god revived those two birds; Garuda, upon hearing of their condition, came together with Vishnu.
आगत्याश्वासयाम् आस सुखं चक्रे च नारद सर्व एव तदा जग्मुर् गङ्गां तापापनुत्तये
Arriving, he comforted them and brought them happiness; Narada too, and all others, then proceeded to the Ganga to dispel their suffering.
जटायुश् चारुणश् चैव संपातिर् गरुडस् तथा सूर्यो विष्णुस् तत् प्रययौ तत् तीर्थं बहुपुण्यदम्
Jatayu, Aruna, Sampati, Garuda, Surya, and Vishnu all went to that holy place, which bestows great merit.
पतत्रितीर्थम् आख्यातं विषघ्नं सर्वकामदम् स्वयं सूर्यस् तथा विष्णुः सुपर्णेनारुणेन च
It is called the Patatri Tirtha, destroyer of poison and fulfiller of all desires; there, Surya, Vishnu, Garuda, and Aruna themselves reside.
आसते गौतमीतीरे तथैव वृषभध्वजः त्रयाणाम् अपि देवानां स्थितेस् तत् तीर्थम् उत्तमम्
They dwell upon the bank of the Gautami, as does the bull-bannered god; with all three deities present, that sacred place is supreme.
तत्र स्नात्वा शुचिर् भूत्वा नमस्कुर्यात् सुरान् इमान् आधिव्याधिविनिर्मुक्तः स परं सौख्यम् आप्नुयात्
There, after bathing and becoming pure, one should bow to these gods; freed from afflictions and ailments, one attains the highest happiness.
विप्रतीर्थम् इति ख्यातं तथा नारायणं विदुः तस्याख्यानं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु विस्मयकारकम्
It is known as the Vipra Tirtha, and also as Narayana; I shall recount its story—listen, for it is wondrous.
अन्तर्वेद्यां द्विजः कश्चिद् ब्राह्मणो वेदपारगः तस्य पुत्रा महाप्राज्ञा गुणरूपदयान्विताः
Within the altar region was a certain Brahmin, accomplished in the Vedas; his sons were wise, endowed with virtue, beauty, and compassion.
तेषां कनीयान् यो भ्राता शान्तो गुणगणैर् वृतः आसन्दिव इति ख्यातः सर्वज्ञानो महामतिः
The youngest among them, surrounded by many virtues, was known as Asandiva, possessed of all knowledge and great intellect.
विवाहाय पिता तस्माऐ आसन्दिवाय यत्नवान् एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे रात्रौ सुप्तं तं द्विजपुत्रकम्
His father, intent upon arranging Asandiva's marriage, meanwhile, as night fell, the Brahmin's son was sleeping.
अविष्णुस्मरणं सौम्यशिरस्कम् असमाहितम् आसन्दिवं क्रूररूपा राक्षसी कामरूपिणी
Asandiva, lacking remembrance of Vishnu, gentle-minded and inattentive, was seized by a cruel-looking, shape-shifting Rakshasi.
तम् आदायागमच् छीघ्रं गौतम्या दक्षिणे तटे श्रीगिरेर् उत्तरे पारे बहुब्राह्मणसेवितम्
Taking him, she swiftly went to the southern bank of the Gautami, to the northern shore of Srigiri, frequented by many Brahmins.
नगरं धर्मनिलयं लक्ष्म्या निलयम् एव च तत्र राजा बृहत्कीर्तिः सर्वक्षत्रगुणान्वितः
There was a city, abode of righteousness and of Lakshmi; its king was Brihatkirti, endowed with all royal virtues.
तस्यामितक्षेमसुभिक्षयुक्तं निशावसाने द्विजपुत्रयुक्ता सा राक्षसी तत् पुरम् आससाद मनोज्ञरूपाणि बिभर्ति नित्यम्
At the end of the night, accompanied by the Brahmin's son, the Rakshasi reached that city, which was abundant in safety and prosperity, always bearing enchanting forms.
सा कामरूपेण चरत्य् अशेषां महीम् इमां तेन समं द्विजेन गोदावरीदक्षिणतीरभागे वृद्धाकृतिस् तं द्विजम् आह भीमा
She, in her shape-shifting form, roamed the entire earth; together with the Brahmin, on the southern bank of the Godavari, she, now aged in appearance, addressed him in a terrifying manner.
एषा तु गङ्गा द्विजमुख्य संध्या उपास्यतां विप्रवरैः समेत्य यथोचितं विप्रवरास् तु काले नोपासते यत्नत एव संध्याम्
This is the Ganga, O foremost of Brahmins; at dusk, let it be worshipped by the excellent Brahmins, assembling as is proper; yet, at the appointed time, the best Brahmins do not diligently worship at dusk.
नीचास् त एवाभिहिताः सुरेशैर् अन्त्यावसायिप्रवरास् त एते अहं जनित्री तव चेति वाच्यं नो चेद् इदानीं त्वम् उपैषि नाशम्
Those who are low-born, as declared by the lords of the gods, are the lowest and the best among the outcastes. Say to them: 'I am your mother, and you are my child.' If you do not, you will now meet your destruction.
मद्वाक्यकर्तासि यदि द्विजेन्द्र सुखं करिष्ये तव यत् प्रियं च पुनश् च देशं निलयं गुरूंश् च संप्रापयिष्ये ननु सत्यम् एतत्
If you act according to my words, O best of twice-born, I will make you happy and do whatever pleases you. Again, I will return you to your land, your home, and your teachers. Truly, this is so.