भविष्यसि वृक्षरूपा त्वं पूता विश्वपावनी । प्रधाना सर्वपुष्पेषु विष्णुप्राणाधिका भवेः
You will become a tree, purified and purifier of the world. Among all flowers, you will be foremost, and more vital to Vishnu than his own breath.
त्वया विना च सर्वेषां पूजा च विफला भवेत् । वृन्दावने वृक्षरूपा नाम्ना वृन्दावनीति च
Without you, the worship of all would be fruitless. In Vrindavana, you will be in the form of a tree, and will be called Vrindavati.
त्वत्पत्रैर्गोपिगोपाश्च पूजयिष्यन्ति माधवम् । वृक्षाधिदेवीरूपेण सार्धं कृष्णेन सन्ततम्
With your leaves, the cowherd girls and boys will worship Madhava. As the goddess presiding over trees, you will always sport with Krishna.
विहरिष्यसि गोपेन स्वच्छन्दं मद्वरेण च । इत्येवं वचनं श्रुत्वा सस्मिता हृष्टमानसा
You will freely enjoy with the cowherd, by my boon. Hearing these words, she smiled, her mind delighted.
प्रणनाम च ब्रह्माणं तं च किञ्चिदुवाच सा । तुलस्युवाच यथा मे द्विभुजे कृष्णे वाञ्छा च श्यामसुन्दरे
She bowed to Brahma and spoke a little. Tulasi said: As my desire is for Krishna with two arms, for Shyamasundara,
सत्यं ब्रवीमि हे तात न तथा च चतुर्भुजे । अतृप्ताहं च गोविन्दे दैवाच्छृङ्गारभङ्गतः
I speak the truth, O father, not so for the four-armed one. I am unsatisfied with Govinda, due to the disruption of love by fate.
गोविन्दस्यैव वचनात्प्रार्थयामि चतुर्भुजम् । त्वत्प्रसादेन गोविन्दं पुनरेव सुदुर्लभम्
By Govinda's words, I ask for the four-armed one. By your grace, may I again obtain the rare Govinda.
ध्रुवमेव लभिष्यामि राधाभीतिं प्रमोचय । ब्रह्यदेव उवाच गृहाण राधिकामन्त्रं ददामि षोडशाक्षरम्
I shall certainly obtain him; release me from fear of Radha. Brahma spoke: Receive the Radha mantra, I give you the sixteen-syllable one.
तस्याश्च प्राणतुल्या त्वं मद्वरेण भविष्यसि । शृङ्गारं युवयोर्गोप्यं न ज्ञास्यति च राधिका
By my boon, you will be as dear as life to her. Your love with him will be secret, and Radha will not know.
राधासमा त्वं सुभगे गोविन्दस्य भविष्यसि । इत्येवमुक्त्वा दत्त्वा च देव्या वै षोडशाक्षरम्
You will be equal to Radha, O fortunate one, for Govinda. Having spoken thus, he gave the sixteen-syllable mantra to the goddess.
मन्त्रं चैव जगद्धाता स्तोत्रं च कवचं परम् । सर्वं पूजाविधानं च पुरश्चर्याविधिक्रमम्
He, the creator of the universe, gave the mantra, the supreme hymn, the protective armor, all the procedures of worship, and the rules for preparatory rites.
परां शुभाशिषं चैव पूजां चैव चकार सा । बभूव सिद्धा सा देवी तत्प्रसादाद्रमा यथा
She performed the highest auspicious rites and worship, and by his grace, that goddess became accomplished, like Rama.
सिद्धं मन्त्रेण तुलसी वरं प्राप यथोदितम् । बुभुजे च महाभोगं यद्विश्वेषु च दुर्लभम्
By the perfected mantra, Tulasi obtained the boon as described, and enjoyed great pleasures that are rare even among the worlds.
प्रसन्नमनसा देवी तत्याज तपसः क्लमम् । सिद्धे फले नराणां च दुःखं च सुखमुत्तमम्
With a contented mind, the goddess abandoned the fatigue of her austerities, having attained the fruit—both the suffering and the highest happiness—of mortals.
भुक्त्या पीत्वा च सन्तुष्टा शयनं च चकार सा । तल्पे मनोरमे तत्र पुष्पचन्दनचर्चिते
Satisfied by eating and drinking, she lay down to rest on a delightful bed there, adorned with flowers and sandalwood.
शङ्खचूडेन सह तुलस्याः सङ्गतिवर्णनम् नारायण उवाच तुलसी परितुष्टा च सुष्वाप हृष्टमानसा । नवयौवनसम्पन्ना वृषध्वजवराङ्गना
Nārāyaṇa said: Tulasi, content and joyful at heart, slept well, endowed with fresh youth, the best among the wives of the bull-bannered one.
चिक्षेप पञ्चबाणश्च पञ्चबाणांश्च तां प्रति । पुष्पायुधेन सा दग्धा पुष्पचन्दनचर्चिता
The five-arrowed god shot his arrows at her; struck by the god of love, she, adorned with flowers and sandalwood, was burned.
पुलकाङ्कितसर्वाङ्गी कम्पितारक्तलोचना । क्षणं सा शुष्कतां प्राप क्षणं मूर्च्छामवाप ह
Her whole body bristled with goosebumps, her trembling eyes turned red; for a moment she became parched, for a moment she fainted.
क्षणमुद्विग्नतां प्राप क्षणं तन्द्रां सुखावहाम् । क्षणं च दहनं प्राप क्षणं प्राप प्रसन्नताम्
For a moment she became anxious, for a moment she felt a pleasant drowsiness; for a moment she felt burning, for a moment she became serene.
क्षणं सा चेतनां प्राप क्षणं प्राप विषण्णताम् । उत्तिष्ठन्ती क्षणं तल्पाद् गच्छन्ती निकटे क्षणम्
For a moment she regained consciousness, for a moment she became despondent; for a moment she rose from the bed, for a moment she moved nearby.
भ्रमन्ती क्षणमुद्वेगान्निवसन्ती क्षणं पुनः । क्षणमेव समुद्वेगात्सुष्वाप पुनरेव सा
For a moment she wandered in agitation, for a moment she settled again; and for a moment, overwhelmed by distress, she slept once more.
पुष्पचन्दनतल्पं च तद् बभूवातिकण्टकम् । विषहारि सुखं दिव्यं सुन्दरं च फलं जलम्
That flower-and-sandalwood bed became like thorns; the delightful, divine pleasures, beautiful fruits, and water became unbearable.
निलयं च बिलाकारं सूक्ष्मवस्त्रं हुताशनः । सिन्दूरपत्रकं चैव व्रणतुल्यं च दुःखदम्
Her dwelling became like a cave, her fine garments like fire; the vermilion leaf became like a wound, causing her pain.
क्षणं ददर्श तन्द्रायां सुवेषं पुरुषं सती । सुन्दरं च युवानं च सस्मितं रसिकेश्वरम्
In her drowsiness, for a moment she saw a well-dressed man—handsome, youthful, smiling, lord of delights.
चन्दनोक्षितसर्वाङ्गं रत्नभूषणभूषितम् । आगच्छन्तं माल्यवन्तं पिबन्तं तन्मुखाम्बुजम्
His whole body was anointed with sandalwood, adorned with jeweled ornaments; he approached, garlanded, drinking in her lotus-like face.
कथयन्तं रतिकथां ब्रुवन्तं मधुरं मुहुः । सम्भुक्तवन्तं तल्पे च समाश्लिष्यन्तमीप्सितम्
He spoke of love's pleasures, repeatedly uttering sweet words; he enjoyed her on the bed, embracing her as he wished.
पुनरेव तु गच्छन्तमागच्छन्तं च सन्निधौ । यान्तं क्व यासि प्राणेश तिष्ठत्येवमुवाच सा
Then again, as he departed and approached her presence, she said, 'Where are you going, lord of my life? Stay here.'
पुनश्च चेतनां प्राप्य विललाप पुनः पुनः । एवं सा यौवनं प्राप्य तस्थौ तत्रैव नारद
Regaining consciousness again, she lamented repeatedly; thus, having attained youth, she remained there, O Nārada.
शङ्खचूडो महायोगी जैगीषव्यान्मनोहरम् । कृष्णमन्त्रं च सम्प्राप्य कृत्वा सिद्धं तु पुष्करे
Shankhachuda, the great yogi, having obtained the enchanting Krishna-mantra from Jaigishavya, perfected it at Pushkara.
कवचं च गले बद्ध्वा सर्वमङ्गलमङ्गलम् । ब्रह्मणश्च वरं प्राप्य यत्ते मनसि वाञ्छितम्
Fastening the auspicious armor at his throat, and having received from Brahma the boon for whatever he desired in his heart—