एकदा कुंभयोनिस्तु लोपामुद्रापतिर्मुनिः । गत्वा कुमारमभ्यर्च्य पप्रच्छ विविधाः कथाः
Once, the sage who was the husband of Lopāmudrā, born from a pot, having worshipped Kumāra, asked him various stories.
स तस्मै भगवान्स्कन्दः कथयामास भूरिशः । दानतीर्थव्रतादीनां माहात्म्योपचिताः कथाः
Then the blessed Skanda told him many stories, filled with the greatness of charity, sacred places, and vows.
वाराणस्याश्च माहात्म्यं मणिकर्णीभवं तथा । गंगायाश्चापि तीर्थानां वर्णितं बहुविस्तरम्
He also described in great detail the glory of Vārāṇasī, the origin of Maṇikarṇikā, and the holy places of the Gaṅgā.
श्रुत्वाथ स मुनिः प्रीतः कुमारं भूरिवर्चसम् । पुनः पप्रच्छ लोकानां हितार्थं कुंभसंभवः
Having heard this, the sage, pleased, again questioned Kumāra, radiant with great splendor, for the welfare of the worlds.
अगस्त्य उवाच। भगवंस्तारकाराते देवीभागवतस्य तु । माहात्म्यश्रवणे तस्य विधिं चापि वद प्रभो
Agastya said: O Lord, slayer of Tāraka, please tell me the procedure for hearing the greatness of the Devī Bhāgavata.
देवीभागवतं नाम पुराणं परमोत्तमम् । त्रैलोक्यजननी साक्षाद्गीयते यत्र शाश्वती
This Purāṇa called Devī Bhāgavata is supremely excellent, in which the eternal Mother of the three worlds is directly praised.
स्कन्द उवाच। श्रीभागवतमाहात्म्यं को वक्तुं विस्तरात्क्षमः । शृणु संक्षेपतो ब्रह्मन्कथयिष्यामि सांप्रतम्
Skanda said: Who is able to describe in detail the greatness of the Śrī Bhāgavata? Listen, O Brahman, I will now tell you briefly.
या नित्या सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणी जगदम्बिका । साक्षात्समाश्रिता यत्र भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायिनी
She who is eternal, of the nature of existence, consciousness, and bliss, the Mother of the universe, is directly present there, bestowing enjoyment and liberation.
अतस्तद्वाङ्मयी मूर्तिर्देवीभागवते मुने । पठनाच्छ्रवणाद्यस्य न किंचिदिह दुर्लभम्
Therefore, O sage, the Devī Bhāgavata is the very embodiment of Her speech; by reading or hearing it, nothing in this world is difficult to obtain.
आसीद्विवस्वतः पुत्रः श्राद्धदेव इति श्रुतः । सोऽनपत्योऽकरोदिष्टिं वसिष्ठानुमतो नृपः
There was a son of Vivasvat known as Śrāddhadeva; being childless, the king performed a sacrifice as instructed by Vasiṣṭha.
होतारं प्रार्थयामास श्रद्धाऽथ दयिता मनोः । कन्या भवतु मे ब्रह्मंस्तथोपायो विधीयताम्
Śraddhā, the beloved of Manu, prayed to the priest: 'Let a daughter be born to me, O Brahman; let the means for this be arranged.'
मनसा चिन्तयन्होता कन्यामेवाजुहोद्धविः । ततस्तद्व्यभिचारेण कन्येला नाम चाभवत्
Thinking in his mind, the priest offered a daughter in the sacrifice; thus, through this irregularity, a girl named Ilā was born.
अथ राजा सुतां दृष्ट्वा प्रोवाच विमना गुरुम् । कथं सङ्कल्पवैषम्यमिह जातं प्रभो तव
Then the king, seeing his daughter, said to the guru with a troubled mind: 'O Lord, how has this discrepancy in the intention arisen here?'
तच्छ्रुत्वा स मुनिर्दध्यौ ज्ञात्वा होतुर्व्यतिक्रमम् । ईश्वरं शरणं यात इलायाः पुंस्त्वकाम्यया
Hearing this, the sage reflected and, knowing the priest's error, sought refuge in the Lord, desiring maleness for Ilā.
मुनेस्तपःप्रभावाच्च परेशानुग्रहात्तथा । पश्यतां सर्वलोकानामिला पुरुषतामगात्
By the power of the sage's austerity and by the grace of the Supreme Lord, Ila, before the eyes of all the worlds, attained manhood.
गुरुणा कृतसंस्कारः सुद्युम्नोऽथ मनोः सुतः । निधिर्बभूव विद्यानां सरितामिव सागरः
Having been consecrated by his guru, Sudyumna, the son of Manu, became a repository of knowledge, like the ocean is for rivers.
अथ कालेन सुद्युम्नस्तारुण्यं समवाप्य च । मृगयार्थं वनं यातो हयमारुह्य सैन्धवम्
Then, in due course, Sudyumna, having reached youth, went into the forest for hunting, mounting a Sindhu horse.
वनाद्वनांतरं गच्छन्बहु बभ्राम सानुगः । दैवादधस्ताद्धेमाद्रेः स कुमारो वनं ययौ
Traveling from one forest to another, he wandered much with his retinue; by fate, that prince entered a forest at the foot of Mount Hemadri.
कस्मिंश्चित्समये यत्र भार्ययाऽपर्णया सह । अरमद्देवदेवस्तु शङ्करो भगवान्मुदा
At that time, in that place, the god of gods, Shankara, was delighting with his wife Aparna.
तदा तु मुनयस्तत्र शिवदर्शनलालसाः । आजग्मुरथ तान्दृष्ट्वा गिरिजा व्रीडिताऽभवत्
Then, sages longing for a vision of Shiva arrived there, and seeing them, Girija became bashful.
रममाणौ तु तौ दृष्ट्वा गिरिशौ संशितव्रताः । निवृत्ता मुनयो जग्मुर्वैकुण्ठनिलयं तदा
Seeing the two, Girisha and his consort, engaged in pleasure, the ascetic sages withdrew and went to the abode of Vaikuntha.
प्रियायाः प्रियमन्विच्छञ्छिवोऽरण्यं शशाप ह । अद्यारभ्य विशेद्योऽत्र पुमान् योषिद्भवेदिति
Desiring privacy with his beloved, Shiva cursed the forest, saying, 'From this day, any man who enters here shall become a woman.'
तत आरभ्य तं देशं पुरुषा वर्जयंति हि । तत्र प्रविष्टः सुद्युम्नो बभूव प्रमदोत्तमा
From that time, men have avoided that region; Sudyumna, having entered there, became an excellent woman.
स्त्रीभूतानुगानश्वं वडवां वीक्ष्य विस्मितः । अथ सा सुन्दरी योषा विचचार वने वने
Seeing his horses transformed into mares and his followers into women, he was astonished; then that beautiful woman wandered from forest to forest.
एकदा सा जगामाथ बुधस्याश्रमसन्निधौ । दृष्ट्वा तां चारुसर्वाङ्गीं पीनोन्नतपयोधराम्
Once, she came near the hermitage of Budha; seeing her, lovely in every limb, with full and high breasts—
बिंबोष्ठीं कुन्ददशनां सुमुखीमुत्पलेक्षणाम् । अनङ्गशरविद्धांगश्चकमे भगवान्बुधः
With lips like bimba fruit, teeth like jasmine buds, a beautiful face, and lotus-like eyes, pierced by the arrows of love, the god Budha desired her.
सापि तं चकमे सुभ्रूः कुमारं सोमनंदनम् । ततस्तस्याश्रमेऽवात्सीद्रममाणा बुधेन सा
She too, with lovely brows, desired Budha, the son of Soma; so she remained in his hermitage, delighting with him.
अथ कालेन कियता पुरूरवसमात्मजम् । स तस्यां जनयामास मित्रावरुणसंभवः
Then, after some time, Budha, born of Mitra and Varuna, begot upon her a son named Pururavas.
अथ वर्षेषु यातेषु कदाचित्सा बुधाश्रमे । स्मृत्वा स्वं पूर्ववृत्तान्तं दुःखिता निर्जगाम ह
After some years had passed, she, recalling her former life, became sorrowful and left Budha's hermitage.
गुरोरथाश्रमं गत्वा वसिष्ठस्य प्रणम्य तम् । निवेद्य वृत्तं शरणं ययौ पुंस्त्वमभीप्सती
Going to the hermitage of her guru Vasistha, she bowed to him, reported all that had happened, and sought refuge, desiring to regain manhood.