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.
वसिष्ठो ज्ञातवृत्तांतो गत्वा कैलासपर्वतम् । संपूज्य शंभुं तुष्टाव भक्त्या परमया युतः
Vasistha, knowing her story, went to Mount Kailasa, worshipped Shambhu, and praised him with utmost devotion.
वसिष्ठ उवाच। नमो नमः शिवायास्तु शंकराय कपर्दिने । गिरिजार्द्धाङ्गदेहाय नमस्ते चंद्रमौलये
Vasistha said: 'Salutations, salutations to Shiva, to Shankara, the matted-haired one; to him whose body is half united with Girija, to the moon-crested one, I bow.'
मृडाय सुखदात्रे ते नमः कैलासवासिने । नीलकण्ठाय भक्तानां भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायिने
Salutations to you, the giver of happiness, the gracious one who dwells on Kailāsa, the blue-throated one who grants enjoyment and liberation to devotees.
शिवाय शिवरूपाय प्रपन्नभयहारिणे । नमो वृषभवाहाय शरण्याय परात्मने
Salutations to Śiva, of auspicious form, remover of fear for those who take refuge; to the bull-rider, the shelter of all, the supreme self.
ब्रह्मविष्ण्वीशरूपाय सर्गस्थितिलयेषु च । नमो देवाधिदेवाय वरदाय पुरारये
Salutations to the one who is the forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Īśa, in creation, preservation, and dissolution; to the god of gods, the bestower of boons, the enemy of Tripura.
यज्ञरूपाय यजतां फलदात्रे नमो नमः । गंगाधराय सूर्येन्दुशिखिनेत्राय ते नमः
Repeated salutations to the one who is the form of sacrifice, the giver of fruits to those who perform sacrifices; to the bearer of Gaṅgā, to you whose hair, sun, moon, and fire are your eyes.
एवं स्तुतः स भगवान्प्रादुरासीज्जगत्पतिः । वृषारूढोऽम्बिकोपेतः कोटिसूर्यसमप्रभः
Thus praised, the blessed Lord, master of the universe, appeared, mounted on a bull, accompanied by Ambikā, shining with the brilliance of millions of suns.
रजताचलसंकाशस्त्रिनेत्रश्चंद्रशेखरः। प्रणतं परितुष्टात्मा प्रोवाच मुनिसत्तमम्
He resembled a silver mountain, three-eyed, adorned with the crescent moon; his heart content, he spoke to the foremost sage who had bowed before him.
श्रीभगवानुवाच। वरं वरय विप्रर्षे यत्ते मनसि वर्तते । इत्युक्तस्तं प्रणम्येला पुँस्त्वमभ्यर्थयन्मुनिः
The Blessed Lord said: 'Choose a boon, O best of sages, whatever is in your mind.' Thus addressed, the sage bowed and requested manhood.
अथ प्रसन्नो भगवानुवाच मुनिसत्तमम् । मासं पुमान्स भविता मासं नारी भविष्यति
Then the gracious Lord spoke to the foremost sage: 'For one month you will be a man, for one month a woman.'