देहि तं विप्रशार्दूल पापिनं मातृगामिनम् । बहिष्कृत्य स्वाश्रमाच्च तारासाध्वीसमन्वितम्
O best of brāhmaṇas, hand over that sinner, violator of another's wife, expelling him from your āśrama, along with Tārā, the virtuous lady.
शुक्र उवाच सुराणामसुराणां च सर्वेषां जगतामपि । त्वमेव शास्ता भगवान्को वा शास्ति सुरेऽसुरे
Śukra said: You alone, O Lord, are the ruler of the gods, the demons, and indeed of all the worlds; who else rules over gods or demons?
कृत्वा सुराणां साहाय्यं कथं दैत्यान्हनिष्यसि । संहर्तुः सर्वजगतां दैत्यौधे किं च पौरुषम्
Having aided the gods, how will you then slay the demons? What valor is there in destroying the demons, O destroyer of all worlds?
त्वं जयोतिः परमं ब्रह्म सगुणो निर्गुणः स्वयम् । गुणभेदान्मूर्तिभेदो ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवात्मकः
You are the supreme light, the highest Brahman, with qualities and without qualities, your very self; by difference of qualities and forms, you are Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva.
बलिद्वारे गदापाणिः स्वयमेव भवान्प्रभो । स्वयं प्रदत्ता शक्राय तस्मै श्रीरपि लीलया
At Bali’s gate, O Lord, You Yourself, bearing the mace, appeared; and by Your own will, You gave prosperity to Indra, even as a sport.
क्षमस्व भगञ्छंभो हर क्रोधं च संहर । किं पौरुषं च भवतो ब्रह्मणस्यापि हिंसया
Forgive, O Auspicious One, O Śambhu, remove your anger and restrain your wrath; what is the worth of your heroism if it brings harm even to Brahmā?
अहं जीवञ्छरीरेण न दास्यामि निशाकरम् । शरणागतदीनार्तं लज्जिर्वं पापसंयुतम्
While alive in this body, I will not give the moon; he has sought refuge, is afflicted, ashamed, and bound with sin.
अहं च त्वत्पदाम्भोजे शरणं यामि शंकर । यथोचितं कुरु विभो जगत्सर्वं तथैव च
And I take refuge at your lotus feet, O Śaṃkara; O Lord, do as is proper, for the whole world likewise depends on you.
शुक्रस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रसन्नो भगवाञ्छिवः । इत्युवाच निशानाथं समानय शुभं भवेत्
Hearing Śukra’s words, the blessed Śiva was pleased and spoke thus to the lord of night: 'Bring him here, and let there be auspiciousness.'
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे ब्रह्मा बोधयित्वा कविं विभुः । समानीय निशानाथं तारकासहितं व्रज
Meanwhile, Brahmā, having instructed the sage, brought the lord of night along with the stars.
शंभोश्च चरणाम्भोजे चकार च समर्पणम् । शंभुस्तं प्रीतियुक्तश्च वासयामास वक्षसि
He offered himself at the lotus feet of Śambhu, and Śambhu, filled with affection, embraced him to his chest.
दत्तवा तस्मै पादरेणुं निष्पापं च चकार सः । दत्तवा तन्मस्तके हस्तं कृपालुरभयं ददौ
He gave him the dust of his feet and made him free from sin; the compassionate one placed his hand upon his head and granted him fearlessness.
क्षीरोदे स्नापयित्वा च प्रायश्चित्तेन शंकरः । चकार चन्द्रं निष्पापं ब्रह्मणा सहितः शुचिम्
After bathing him in the milk ocean and performing expiation, Śaṃkara, together with Brahmā, made the moon pure and free from sin.
योगेन चन्द्रं योगीन्द्रो द्विखण्डं तं चकार सः । ररक्षार्धं ललाटे च सोऽप्यर्धं ब्रह्मणः पुरः
By his yogic power, the lord of yogis split the moon into two parts; he kept one half on his forehead, and the other before Brahmā.
अत एव महादेवो बभूव चन्द्रशेखरः । मृगाङ्को लज्जितस्तत्र कलङ्कीं देवसंसदि
Thus, the great god became known as 'Candrasekhara,' the moon-crested one; there, the moon, ashamed, bore a blemish in the assembly of the gods.
लज्जया च स्वयोगेन देहत्यागं चकार सः । तच्छरीरं च क्षीरोदे ब्रह्मणा च समर्पितम्
Out of shame and by his own yogic power, he abandoned his body; and that body was offered by Brahmā into the milk ocean.
रुरोदात्रिश्च कृबया शुचा क्षीरोदधेस्तटे । अत्रेश्चक्षुर्जलं तस्य पपात च जले व्रज
Atri wept out of compassion and grief on the shore of the milk ocean; and the water from Atri’s eyes fell into the ocean, O king.
तस्माद्बभूव चन्द्रश्च निष्पापो देवसंसदि । ब्रह्मा च भगवाञ्छंभुरभिषेकं चकार तम्
From that, the moon became pure and free from sin in the assembly of the gods; and Brahmā and the blessed Śambhu performed his consecration.
महादेव उवाच स्वस्थानं गच्छ पुत्र त्वं कुरुष्व विषयं मुदा । पश्चात्तस्याश्च शापेनयक्ष्मग्रस्तोभविष्यसि
Mahādeva said: 'Go to your own place, my son, and rule your domain with joy; but later, by her curse, you will be afflicted with consumption.'
व्यर्थं पतिव्रताशापं कर्तुमीशश्चको भुवि । मदाशिषा यक्ष्मणश्च प्रतीकारो भविष्यति
The Lord did not wish to make the chaste woman’s curse fruitless on earth; but by my blessing, there will be a remedy for consumption.
यस्माद्भाद्रचतुर्थ्यां तु गुरुपत्नीक्षतिः कृता । तस्मात्तस्मिन्दिने वत्स पापदृश्यो युगे युगे
Because on the auspicious fourth day, harm was done to the guru’s wife, therefore, O child, on that day, sin will be seen in every age.
नाभुक्तं क्षीयते कर्म कल्पकोटिशतैरपि । अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं कृतं कर्म शुभाशुभम्
Unexperienced karma does not perish, even in hundreds of millions of aeons; whatever karma is done, good or bad, must certainly be experienced.
देहत्यागेन हे वत्स कर्मभोगो न नश्यति । प्रायश्चित्तान्न संदेहो ङ्यस्तमेव भविष्यति
O dear child, with the abandonment of the body, the experience of karma does not perish; without doubt, through atonement, it will indeed be diminished.
ताराबहरणावत्स कलङ्कश्चन्द्रमण्डले । मृगाकृतिर्विलग्नश्च भविष्यति युगे युगे
O child, because of taking Tārā away, a blemish will remain on the disc of the moon; the form of a deer, attached there, will appear in every age.
शृणु वाक्यमिहाऽऽगच्छ तारके च पतिव्रते । सत्यं ब्रूहि कस्य गर्भंत्यक्त्वा शुद्धाभव प्रिये
Listen to my words and come here, O devoted Tārā; speak the truth—after abandoning whose child did you become pure, dear one?
अकामतो बलात्साध्वी न स्त्री जारेण दुष्यति । कामतो नरकं याति यावच्चन्द्रदिवाकरौ
A virtuous woman is not defiled by another man if it happens against her will and by force; but if by her own desire, she goes to hell as long as the moon and sun endure.
उवाच तारा ब्रह्माणं गर्भं चन्द्रस्य सस्मितम् । जहसुर्देवताः सर्वाः शंभुश्च मुनिसंघकाः
Tārā spoke to Brahmā, smiling: 'The child belongs to Candra.' All the gods, Śiva, and the groups of sages laughed.
ददौ तारां च गुरवे लज्जिताय व्रजेश्वर । बृहस्पतिर्ययौ गेहं गृहीत्वा च पतिव्रताम्
Then, O king of Vraja, Tārā was given back to her husband, who was ashamed; Bṛhaspati took his devoted wife and returned home.
तया प्रसूतं पुत्रं च सुन्दरं कनकप्रभम् । गृहीत्वाप्रययौ चन्दौनमस्कृत्य विधिं शिवाम्
Taking the beautiful, golden-hued son born from her, he went to Candra, bowing to the creator and to Śiva.
ययुर्देवाश्च मुनयः शंभुश्च कमलोद्भवः । प्रययौ स्वगृहं शुक्रौ दैत्ययुक्तौ मुदाऽन्वितः
The gods, sages, Śiva, and the lotus-born one departed; Śukra, accompanied by the Daityas, joyfully returned to his own house.