अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रं प्रियाहीनो लभेत्प्रियाम्
A childless person obtains a child; one deprived of a beloved attains a beloved.
रोगी प्रमुच्यते रोगाद्बद्धो मुच्येत बन्धनात्
The sick are freed from illness; the bound are released from bondage.
इप्येवं कथितं स्तोत्रं ध्यानपूजाविधिं शृणु
Thus this hymn has been described; now hear the method of meditation and worship.
यद्वक्ष्ये पूजयेत्तां च भक्त्या चावाहनं विना 2.22.
What I shall declare, one should worship her with devotion, even without formal invocation.
तुलसीं पुष्पसारां च सतीं पूज्यां मनोहराम्
Tulasī, essence of flowers, chaste, worthy of worship, and enchanting,
पुष्पेषु तुलनाप्यस्या नासीद्देवीषु वा मुने
Among flowers there is no equal to her, nor among goddesses, O sage.
शिरोधार्य्या च सर्वेषामीप्सितां विश्वपावनीम्
She is to be worn on the head by all, the purifier of the world, fulfilling desires.
इति ध्यात्वा च संपूज्य स्तुत्वा च प्रणमेद्बुधः
Having meditated, worshipped, and praised her, the wise should bow down.
नारद उवाच यत्तु सावित्र्युपाख्यानं तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
Nārada said: You ought to explain to me the story of Sāvitrī.
पुरा येन समुद्भूता सा श्रुता च श्रुतिप्रसूः
How she arose in ancient times and was heard, the origin of the Vedas.
नारायण उवाच द्वितीये च देवगणैस्तत्पश्चाद्विदुषां गणैः
Nārāyaṇa said: In the second age, by the hosts of gods, and afterwards by groups of the learned,
तथा चाश्वपतिः पूर्वं पूजयामास भारते
So also, in former times, Aśvapati worshipped her in Bhārata.
नारद उवाच सर्वपूज्या च सावित्री तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
Nārada said: Sāvitrī, who is worthy of all worship—please explain this to me.
नारायण उवाच वैरिणां बलहर्त्ता च मित्राणां दुःखनाशनः
Nārāyaṇa said: She takes away the strength of enemies and destroys the suffering of friends.
आसीत्तस्य महाराज्ञी महिषी धर्मचारिणी
He had a chief queen, a righteous consort devoted to dharma.
सा च राज्ञी महासाध्वी वसिष्ठस्योपदेशतः
That queen, a woman of great virtue, followed the instructions of Vasiṣṭha.
प्रत्यादेशं न सा प्राप महिषी न ददर्श ताम्
Yet she did not receive any command, nor did the queen see her.
राजा तां दुःखितां दृष्ट्वा बोधयित्वा नयेन वै 2.23.
The king, seeing her distressed, consoled her with wise counsel.
तपश्चचार तत्रैव संयतः शतवत्सरम्
There itself, with self-restraint, he performed austerities for a hundred years.
शुश्रावाकाशवाणीं च नृपेन्द्रश्चाशरीरिणीम्
And the king heard a voice from the sky, bodiless.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तत्र प्रजगाम पराशरः
Meanwhile, at that place, Parāśara arrived.
पराशर उवाच दशधा प्रजपान्नॄणां दिवारात्र्यघमेव च
Parāśara said: By reciting ten times, a person removes the sins of day and night.
शतधा च जपाच्चैवं पापं मासार्जितं परम्
And by reciting a hundred times, the gravest sin accumulated in a month is destroyed.
करोति मुक्तिं विप्राणां जपो दशगुणस्ततः
Recitation grants liberation to brāhmaṇas, and is ten times more effective than that.
आनम्रमूर्द्धमचलं प्रजपेत्प्राङ्मुखो द्विजः
A twice-born should recite facing east, with head bowed and body steady.
तर्जनीमूलपर्य्यन्तं जपस्यैष क्रमः करे
This is the method of recitation on the hand, from the root to the tip of the index finger.
कृत्वा वा मालिकां राजञ्जपेत्तीर्थे सुरालये 2.23.
Or, O King, having made a rosary, one should recite at a sacred place or in a temple.
कृत्वा गोरोचनाक्तां च गायत्र्या स्नापयेत्सुधीः
Having smeared it with cow's yellow pigment, the wise should bathe the rosary with the Gāyatrī.
अथवा पञ्चगव्येन स्नाता माला च संस्कृता
Or, after bathing with pañcagavya, the rosary should also be properly purified.
एवं क्रमेण राजर्षे दशलक्षं जपं कुरु
In this manner, O royal sage, perform a hundred thousand recitations in sequence.