पुत्रकामस्तपस्तेपे नृपो दीर्घतपास्तथा
Desiring a son, the king performed austerities for a long time.
वरेण च्छन्दयामास ततो धन्वन्तरिर्नृपम्
Then Dhanvantari offered the king a boon of his choosing.
तथेति समनुज्ञाय तत्रैवान्तरधात्प्रभुः
Having consented, the Lord vanished right there.
काशिराजो महाराजः सर्व रोगप्रणाशनः
The king of Kāśī, the great king, destroyer of all diseases.
तमष्टधा पुनर्व्यस्य शिष्येभ्यः प्रत्यपादयत्
He divided it again into eight parts and imparted them to his disciples.
अथ केतुमतः पुत्रो जज्ञे भीमरथो नृपः
Then, Ketumat's son was born, the king Bhīmaratha.
दिवोदास इति ख्यातो वाराणस्यधिपो ऽभवत्
He became known as Divodāsa, the lord of Vārāṇasī.
शून्यां निवेशयामास क्षेमको नाम राक्षसः
A rakshasa named Kṣemaka settled the city when it was empty.
शून्या वर्षसहस्रं वै भवित्रीति पुनः पुनः
Again and again it was said: 'It will remain empty for a thousand years.'
विषयान्ते पुरीं रम्यां गोमत्यां संन्यवेशयत्
At the edge of the territory, he established a delightful city on the Gomati.
निकुंभश्चापि धर्मात्मा सिद्धक्षेत्रं शशाप यः
And Nikumbha, righteous in soul, cursed the sacred region.
वसते स महातेजाः स्फीतायां वै नराधिपः
That mighty king dwelled there, in the prosperous land.
देव्याः स प्रियकामस्तु वसन्वै श्वशुरान्तिके
He, desiring his beloved wife, lived near his father-in-law.
पूर्वोक्तरूपसंवेषैस्तोषयन्ति महेश्वरीम्
They pleased Maheśvarī with attire as previously described.
जुगुप्सते सा नित्यं वै देवं देवीं तथैव च
She always despises both the god and the goddess.
दरिद्रः सर्वथैवेह हा कष्टं लज्जते न वै
He is utterly poor here; alas, he feels no shame at all.
स्मितं कृत्वा तु वरदा हरपार्श्वमथागमत्
Smiling, the giver of boons then approached the side of Hara.
नेह वत्स्याम्यहं देव नय मां स्वं निवेशनम्
O god, I will not stay here; take me to my own abode.
वासार्थं रोचयामास पृथिव्यां तु द्विजोत्तमाः
For the sake of residence, the excellent twice-born ones desired a place on earth.
दिवोदासेन तां ज्ञात्वा निविष्टां नगरीं भवः
Knowing that the city had been settled by Divodāsa, Bhava (Śiva) acted.
गणेश्वर पुरीं गत्वा शून्यां वाराणसीं कुरु
O lord of the hosts, go to the city and make Vārāṇasī empty.
ततो गत्वा निकुंभस्तु पुरीं वाराणसीं पुरा
Then Nikumbha went to the city of Vārāṇasī in ancient times.
श्रेयस्ते ऽहं करिष्यामि स्थानं मे रोचयानघ
I will create a place for your welfare, O sinless one, which pleases me.
तथा स्वप्ने यथा दृष्टं सर्वं कारितवान्द्विजः
Just as it was seen in the dream, the twice-born carried out everything.
पूजा तुमहती चैव नित्यमेव प्रयुज्यते
A very great worship was indeed performed constantly.
अन्नप्रदानयुक्तैश्च ह्यत्यद्भुतमिवाभवत्
With offerings of food, it became as if exceedingly wondrous.
ततो वरसहस्राणि नागराणां प्रयच्छति
Then he granted thousands of boons to the citizens.
राज्ञस्तु महिषी श्रेष्टा सुयशा नाम विश्रुता
The king’s chief queen, renowned as Suyaśā, was the best.
पूजां तु विपुलां कृत्वा देवी पुत्रानयाचत
Having performed abundant worship, the queen petitioned for sons.
न प्रयच्छति पुत्रांस्तु निकुंभः कारणेन तु
Nikuṃbha did not grant sons, however, for a certain reason.