इति ते कथितं भूप सर्वाघौघविनाशनम्
Thus, O king, has been told to you that which destroys all heaps of sin.
मया श्रुतं शिवमुखात्प्रवक्तव्यं न कस्यचित्
I have heard this from the mouth of Śiva; it is not to be spoken to anyone.
कण्ठे वा दक्षिणे बाहौ सो ऽपि विष्णुर्न संशयः
Whether on the neck or on the right arm, that is Viṣṇu, without doubt.
यदि स्यात्सिद्धकवचो जीवन्मुक्तो न संशयः
If one has the perfected armor, he is liberated while living, without doubt.
राजसूर्यसहस्राणि वाजपेयशतानि च
Thousands of Rājasūya sacrifices and hundreds of Vājapeya rituals—
त्रैलोक्यविजयस्यास्य कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्
—do not equal even a sixteenth part of the victory over the three worlds gained by this.
स्नानं च सर्वतीर्थेषु नास्यार्हन्ति कलामपि
Bathing in all the sacred rivers does not equal even a fraction of this.
यदि स्यात्सिद्धकवचः सर्वं प्राप्नोति निश्चितम्
If one has the perfected armor, he certainly attains everything.
यो भवेत्सिद्धकवचो विजयी स भवेद् ध्रुवम्
He who possesses the perfected armor surely becomes victorious.
एतत्तु कवचं वत्स न देयं संकटे ऽपि च
This armor, dear one, is not to be given, even in distress.
इदं धृत्वा तु कवचं चक्रवर्त्ती भवान्भव
By wearing this armor, you shall become a universal sovereign.
यदिदं कवचं मह्यं प्रकाशितमनामयम्
This armor, which is flawless, has been revealed to me.
भवतस्तु कृपापात्रं जातो ऽहमधुना विभो
O Lord, I have now become the recipient of your compassion.
यथा समापितो वीरस्तन्मे विस्तरतो वद
Just as the heroic one was overcome, tell me that in detail.
उभौ तौ समरे वीरौ जघटाते कथं गुरो
How did those two heroes meet in battle, O teacher?
कार्त्तवीर्यस्य भूपस्य रामस्य च महात्मनः
Of Kārtavīrya, the king, and of Rāma, the great-souled one.
चकार माधनं तस्य भक्त्या परमया युतः
He performed penance for him, endowed with supreme devotion.
उवासपुष्करे राम शतवर्षमतन्द्रितः
Rāma dwelt at Puṣkara for a hundred years, untiring.
आनीय काननाद्भूप प्रायच्छदकृतव्रणः
The king, bringing him from the forest, gave him unblemished gifts.
आराधयामास विभुं कृष्णं कल्मषनाशनम्
He worshipped the Lord Kṛṣṇa, destroyer of sin.
गतं वर्षशतं तत्र ध्यानयुक्तस्य नित्यदा
A hundred years passed there, as he was always engaged in meditation.
मध्यमं पुष्करं तत्र ददर्शाश्वर्यमुत्तमम्
There, at the middle Puṣkara, he beheld supreme prosperity.
व्याधस्य मृगयां प्राप्तो धर्मतप्तो ऽतिपीडितः
A hunter, scorched by righteousness, arrived there for the hunt, greatly afflicted.
रामस्य पश्यतस्तत्र सरसस्तटमागतः
There, as Rāma watched, he came to the bank of the lake.
उभो तौ पिबतस्तत्र जलं शङ्कितमानसौ
There, both of them drank the water, their minds wary.
स दृष्ट्वा तत्र संविष्टं रामं भार्गवनन्दनम्
Seeing Rāma, the delight of the Bhṛgus, seated there,
स चिन्तयामास तदा शङ्कितो भृगुनन्दनात्
Then he became suspicious of the son of Bhṛgu and began to ponder.
कथमेतस्य हन्म्येतौ पश्यतो मृगयामृगौ
How can I kill these two deer of the hunt while he is watching?
तस्थौ तत्रैव रामस्य भयात्संत्रस्तमानसः
He stood there, his mind agitated with fear of Rāma.
तर्कयामास मेधावी किमत्र भयकारणम्
The wise one began to ponder, 'What is the cause of fear here?'