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,
तावत्पत्नी सुतस्तावत्तावदैश्वर्य्यमीप्सितम्
wife, son, and all desired prosperity remain only so long,
कृष्णे मनसि संजाते भक्तिखड्गो दुरत्ययः
as the sword of devotion, difficult to overcome, has not arisen in the mind toward Kṛṣṇa.
भवेद्येषां सुकृतिनां पुत्राः परमवैष्णवाः
Fortunate are those whose sons are supreme devotees of Viṣṇu.
चरितार्थः पुमानेकाद्वरमिच्छुर्वरादहो
A man who desires any boon becomes fulfilled by even one such son—what a blessing!
धनं संचितमस्माकं वैष्णवानां सुदुर्लभम्
For us Vaiṣṇavas, accumulated wealth is extremely rare.
वरयान्यं वरं वत्स यत्ते मनसि वांछितम् 1.12.
Choose another boon, O child, whatever you desire in your mind.
सर्वसिद्धिं महायोगं ज्ञानं मृत्युजयादिकम्
All accomplishments, great yoga, knowledge, and victory over death—
शङ्करस्य वचः श्रुत्वा शुष्ककण्ठोष्ठतालुकः
Hearing the words of Śaṅkara, his throat, lips, and palate became dry.
गन्धर्व उवाच तद्ब्रह्मत्वं स्वप्नतुल्यं कृष्णभक्तो न चेच्छति
The Gandharva said: That state of Brahman is like a dream if one does not desire devotion to Kṛṣṇa.
इन्द्रत्वममरत्वं वा सिद्धियोगादिकं शिव
O Śiva, lordship of Indra, immortality, or yogic powers—