सन्ध्याहीनोऽशुचिर्नित्यं कृष्णे वा विमुखो द्विजः 1.11.
A twice-born who neglects the sandhyā, is always impure, or is averse to Kṛṣṇa—
गुरुवक्त्राद्विष्णुमंत्रो यस्य कर्णे प्रविश्यति
He into whose ear the mantra of Viṣṇu enters from the mouth of the guru—
पुंसां मातामहादीनां शतैः सार्द्धं हरेः पदम्
He, along with hundreds of ancestors and maternal grandfathers, attains the abode of Hari.
ब्रह्मक्षत्त्रियविट्शूद्राश्चतस्रो जातयो यथा
Just as there are four castes—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra—
ध्यायन्ति वैष्णवाः शश्वद्गोविन्दपदपङ्कजम्
Vaiṣṇavas always meditate on the lotus feet of Govinda.
सुदर्शनं संनियोज्य भक्तानां रक्षणाय च
Having engaged the Sudarśana (discus) for the protection of the devotees—
शौनक उवाच उपालम्भेन प्रस्तावात्कौतुकेन श्रुता मया
Śaunaka said: Through reproach, by way of introduction, and out of curiosity, I have heard these things.
प्रजा वा ससृजुः के वा ऊर्ध्वरेताश्च कश्चन
Who created the beings, and who among them were the celibate ascetics?
पितुः शापेन पुत्रस्य किं बभूव विरोधतः
What happened as a result of the father's curse upon the son, in their opposition?
सौतिरुवाच अपान्तरतमाश्चैव सनकाद्याश्च शौनक
The Sūta said: O Śaunaka, there were the Apāntaratamas and also the Sanaka and others.
एतैर्विनाऽन्ये बहवो ब्रह्मपुत्राश्च सन्ततम्
Besides these, there were many other sons of Brahmā, continuously.
अपूज्यः पुत्रशापेन स्वयं ब्रह्मा प्रजापतिः
By the curse of his son, Brahmā himself, the lord of creatures, became unworthy of worship.
नारदो गुरुशापेन गन्धर्वश्च बभूव सः
By the curse of his teacher, Nārada became a Gandharva.
गन्धर्वराजः सर्वेषां गन्धर्वाणां वरो महान्
He became the king of the Gandharvas, the greatest among all the Gandharvas.
गुर्वाज्ञया पुष्करे स परमेण समाधिना
By the command of his teacher, he practiced supreme meditation at Puṣkara.
शिवस्य कवचं स्तोत्रं मन्त्रं च द्वादशाक्षरम् 1.12.
He recited the armor hymn of Śiva and the twelve-syllabled mantra.
जजाप परमं मन्त्रं दिव्यं वर्षशतं मुने
He chanted the supreme, divine mantra for a hundred years, O sage.
विरामे शतवर्षस्य ददर्श पुरतः शिवम्
At the end of the hundred years, he saw Śiva before him.
महत्तेजस्स्वरूपं च भगवन्तं सनातनम्
He saw the Lord, eternal, of great splendor and form.
तपोरूपं तपोबीजं तपस्याफलदं फलम्
He saw the embodiment of austerity, the seed of asceticism, the fruit that grants the result of penance.
त्रिशूलपट्टिशधरं वृषभस्थं दिगम्बरम्
He saw Him bearing a trident and spear, riding a bull, clothed in the directions.
तप्तस्वर्णप्रभाजुष्टजटाजालधरं वरम्
He saw the best one whose matted locks shone with the radiance of molten gold.
संहर्तारं च सर्वेषां कालं मृत्युंजयं परम्
He saw the supreme conqueror of death, the destroyer of all, Time itself.
तत्त्वज्ञानप्रदं शांतं मुक्तिदं हरिभक्तिदम्
He saw the giver of true knowledge, tranquil, bestower of liberation, and giver of devotion to Hari.
वसिष्ठदत्तस्तोत्रेण तुष्टाव परमेश्वरम् स ययाचे हरे भक्तिं पुत्रं परमवैष्णवम्
With the hymn given by Vasiṣṭha, he praised the Supreme Lord and requested from Him devotion to Hari and a son who would be a supreme devotee of Viṣṇu.
गन्धर्वस्य वचः श्रुत्वा चाह सीच्चन्द्रशेखरः 1.12.
Hearing the words of the Gandharva, the moon-crested Lord spoke.
श्रीमहादेव उवाच गन्धर्वराज वृणुषे को वा तृप्तोऽतिमङ्गले
Śrī Mahādeva said: O king of the Gandharvas, what do you desire? Who is ever satisfied, O most inauspicious one?
यस्य भक्तिर्हरौ वत्स सुदृढा सर्वमङ्गला
O child, unwavering devotion to Hari is the source of all auspiciousness.
आत्मनः कुलकोटिं च शतं मातामहस्य च
One's own lineage, numbering in the hundreds of millions, and also that of the maternal grandfather,
त्रिविधानि च पापानि कोटिजन्मार्जितानि च
and the threefold sins accumulated over millions of births,