शनिरुवाच शुभाशुभं च यत्कर्म कोटिकल्पैर्न लुप्यते
Shani said: The result of good or evil deeds is not destroyed even in millions of aeons.
कर्मणा जायते जन्तुर्ब्रह्मेन्द्रार्य्यममन्दिरे
By karma a being is born, whether in the abodes of Brahma, Indra, Aryaman, or Yama.
कर्मणा नरकं याति वैकुण्ठं याति कर्मणा
By karma one goes to hell, by karma one attains Vaikuntha.
कर्मणा सुन्दरः शश्वद्व्याधियुक्तः स्वकर्मणा
By karma one is always beautiful, or afflicted with disease by one's own deeds.
कर्मणा धनवाँल्लोको दैन्ययुक्तः स्वकर्मणा
By karma a person becomes wealthy, or, by his own deeds, is beset by poverty.
सुभार्यश्च सुपुत्रश्च सुखी शश्वत्स्वकर्मणा
By his own deeds, one has a good wife and good son, and is always happy.
इतिहासं चातिगोप्यं शृणु शङ्करवल्लभे
Now hear a very secret history, O beloved of Shankara.
आबाल्यात्कृष्णभक्तोऽहं कृष्णध्यानैकमानसः
From childhood I have been devoted to Krishna, my mind intent solely on meditation upon Krishna.
पिता ददौ विवाहे तु कन्यां चित्ररथस्य च
My father gave my wife in marriage to Citraratha.
एकदा सा त्वृतुस्नाता सुवेषं स्वं विधाय च
Once, after her ritual bath at the proper season, she adorned herself in her own attire.
हरेः पादं ध्यायमानं पश्यन्ती मदमोहिता
Beholding me, absorbed in meditation on the feet of Hari, she became intoxicated with passion.
शशाप मामपश्यन्तमृतुनाशाच्च कोपतः
Because I did not look at her, she cursed me in anger, causing the destruction of the season.
न दृष्टाऽहं त्वया येन न कृतं ह्यृतुरक्षणम् त्वया दृष्टं च यद्वस्तु मूढ सर्वं विनश्यति
Because I was not seen by you, you did not observe the proper time for conception; and whatever thing is seen by you, O fool, all of it is destroyed.
अहं च विरतो ध्यानात्तोषयंस्तां तदा सतीम्
And I, withdrawing from meditation, then pleased that virtuous woman.
तेन मातर्न पश्यामि किञ्चिद्वस्तु स्वचक्षुषा
For this reason, Mother, I do not look upon anything with my own eyes.
शनैश्चरवचः श्रुत्वा चाहसत्पार्वती मुने
Hearing the words of Śani, Pārvatī laughed, O sage.
नारायण उवाच ईश्वरेच्छावशीभूतं जगदेवेत्युवाच ह
Nārāyaṇa said: The world, being under the control of the will of the Lord, thus spoke.
सा च देवी दैववशा शनिं प्रोवाच कौतुकात्
And that goddess, impelled by fate, addressed Śani out of curiosity.
पार्वत्या वचनं श्रुत्वा शनिर्मेने हृदा स्वयम् यदि बालो मया दृष्टस्तस्य विघ्नो भवेद्ध्रुवम्
Hearing Pārvatī's words, Śani thought in his heart, 'If the boy is seen by me, surely there will be an obstacle for him.'
अन्यथा सुप्रशस्तं च पुरतः स्वात्मरक्षणम् बालं द्रष्टुं मनश्चक्रे न तु तन्मातरं शनिः
Otherwise, it is most auspicious to protect oneself in advance; Śani resolved to see the boy, but not his mother.
विषण्णमानसः पूर्वं शुष्ककण्ठौष्ठतालुकः
Previously, his mind was troubled, and his throat, lips, and palate were dry.
शनेश्च दृष्टिमात्रेण चिच्छिदे मस्तकं मुने
By the mere glance of Śani, O sage, the boy's head was severed.
तस्थौ च पार्वतीक्रोडे तत्सर्वाङ्गं सलोहितम्
And the entire body, covered in blood, remained on Pārvatī's lap.
मूर्च्छा संप्राप सा देवी विलप्य च भृशं मुहुः
That goddess fell unconscious, and, lamenting intensely, she cried out again and again.
विस्मितास्ते सुराः सर्वे चित्रपुत्तलिका यथा
All the gods were astonished, like painted dolls.
तान्सर्वान्मूर्च्छितान्दृष्ट्वैवारुह्य गरुडं हरिः
Seeing them all unconscious, Hari mounted Garuḍa.
पुष्पभद्रानदीतीरे ह्यपश्यत्कानने स्थितम्
On the bank of the Puṣpabhadrā river, he saw, in the forest, one standing.
तथोदक्छिरसं रम्यं मूर्च्छितं सुरतश्रमात्
There, he saw a beautiful elephant, unconscious from the fatigue of love-play, with its head in the water.
शीघ्रं सुदर्शनेनैव चिच्छिदे तच्छिरो मुदा
Swiftly, with the Sudarśana discus, he joyfully severed that head.
गजच्छिन्नाङ्गविक्षेपात्प्रबोधं प्राप्य हस्तिनी रुरोद शावकैः सार्द्धं सा विलप्य शुचातुरा
Awakening from the shock of having her limb cut off, the elephant cow wept with her calves, lamenting in her deep sorrow.