ददामि परमप्रीतो युद्धेन युवयोः किल । दानवा बहवो दृष्टा युध्यमाना मया पुरा
I grant, with utmost delight, whatever you wish for in battle; many demons have fought with me before.
युवयोः सदृशः कोऽपि न दृष्टो न च वै श्रुतः । तस्मात्तुष्टोऽस्मि कामं वै निस्तुलेन बलेन च
But none have been seen or heard who are equal to you two; therefore, I am pleased with your incomparable strength.
भ्रात्रोश्च वाञ्छितं कामं प्रयच्छामि महाबलौ । सूत उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं विष्णोः साभिमानौ स्मरातुरौ
O mighty ones, I will grant whatever desire you brothers have; Sūta said: Hearing Viṣṇu's words, proud and love-stricken—
वीक्षमाणौ महामायां जगदानन्दकारिणीम् । तमूचतुश्च कामार्तौ विष्णुं कमललोचनौ
Gazing at Mahāmāyā, who brings joy to the world, those two, overwhelmed by desire, spoke to Viṣṇu, lotus-eyed.
हरे न याचकावावां त्वं किं दातुमिहेच्छसि । ददाव तुल्यं देवेश दातारौ नौ न याचकौ
'O Hari, we are not petitioners; why do you wish to give? O Lord of the gods, give equally; we are givers, not beggars.'
प्रार्थय त्वं हृषीकेश मनोऽभिलषितं वरम् । तुष्टौ स्वस्तव युद्धेन वासुदेवाद्भुतेन च
'You, Hṛṣīkeśa, request whatever boon your mind desires; be pleased with the wondrous battle with Vāsudeva.'
तयोस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रत्युवाच जनार्दनः । भवेतामद्य मे तुष्टौ मम वध्यावुभावपि
Hearing their words, Janārdana replied: 'Let it be today that you are pleased with me; both of you shall be slain by me.'
सूत उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं विष्णोर्दानवौ चातिविस्मितौ । वञ्चिताविति मन्वानौ तस्थतुः शोकसंयुतौ
Sūta said: Hearing Viṣṇu's words, the two demons were utterly astonished; thinking themselves deceived, they stood, filled with sorrow.
विचार्य मनसा तौ तु दानवौ विष्णुमूचतुः । प्रेक्ष्य सर्वं जलमयं भूमिं स्थलविवर्जिताम्
Reflecting in their minds, the two demons spoke to Viṣṇu, seeing the whole earth as water, devoid of dry land.
हरे योऽयं वरो दत्तस्त्वया पूर्वं जनार्दन । सत्यवागसि देवेश देहि तं वाञ्छितं वरम्
'O Hari, the boon you granted before, O Janārdana, you are truthful, O Lord of the gods; give us that desired boon.'
निर्जले विपुले देशे हनस्व मधुसूदन । वध्यावावां तु भवतः सत्यवाग्भव माधव
'In a vast waterless place, slay us, O Madhusūdana; let us be slain by you, O Mādhava, be truthful to your word.'
स्मृत्वा चक्रं तदा विष्णुस्तावुवाच हसन्हरिः । हन्म्यद्य वां महाभागौ निर्जले विपुले स्थले
Then Viṣṇu, remembering his discus, spoke, smiling: 'Today, O mighty ones, I shall slay you both in a vast waterless place.'
इत्युक्त्या देवदेवेश ऊरू कृत्वातिविस्तरौ । दर्शयामास तौ तत्र निर्जलं च जलोपरि
Having spoken thus, the Lord of the gods made his thighs exceedingly vast and showed them there, dry above the water.
नास्त्यत्र दानवौ वारि शिरसी मुञ्चतामिह । सत्यवागहमद्यैव भविष्यामि च वां तथा
There is no water here, O demons; place your heads upon my thighs. I am truthful, and today I shall be so for you as well.
तदाकर्ण्य वचस्तथ्यं विचिन्त्य मनसा च तौ । वर्धयामासतुर्देहं योजनानां सहस्रकम्
Hearing these truthful words and reflecting in their minds, the two demons expanded their bodies to a thousand yojanas.
भगवान्द्विगुणं चक्रे जघनं विस्मितौ तदा । शीर्षे सन्दधतां तत्र जघने परमाद्भुते
The Lord then made his thighs twice as large, astonishing them; and they placed their wondrous heads upon those thighs.
रथांगेन तदा छिन्ने विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना । जघनोपरि वेगेन प्रकृष्टे शिरसी तयोः
Then, with the axle of a chariot, mighty Vishnu swiftly severed their heads, which were placed upon the thighs.
गतप्राणौ तदा जातौ दानवौ मधुकैटभौ । सागरः सकलो व्याप्तस्तदा वै मेदसा तयोः
At that moment, the demons Madhu and Kaitabha lost their lives; the entire ocean was filled with their fat.
मेदिनीति ततो जातं नाम पृथ्व्याः समन्ततः । अभक्ष्या मृत्तिका तेन कारणेन मुनीश्वराः
From that fat, the name 'medinī' arose for the earth everywhere; thus, the sages declared the soil to be unfit for consumption.
इति वः कथितं सर्वं यत्पृष्टोऽस्मि सुनिश्चितम् । महाविद्या महामाया सेवनीया सदा बुधैः
Thus, I have told you everything you asked, with certainty; the great knowledge and the great illusion should always be revered by the wise.
आराध्या परमा शक्तिः सर्वैरपि सुरासुरैः । नातः परतरं किञ्चिदधिकं भुवनत्रये
The supreme power is to be worshipped by all gods and demons; there is nothing higher or greater in the three worlds.
सत्यं सत्यं पुनः सत्यं वेदशास्त्रार्थनिर्णयः । पूजनीया परा शक्तिर्निर्गुणा सगुणाथवा
Truth, truth, again truth: this is the determination of the meaning of the Vedas and scriptures; the supreme power, whether without qualities or with qualities, is to be worshipped.
शिववरदानवर्णनम् ऋषय ऊचुः सूत पूर्वं त्वया प्रोक्तं व्यासेनामिततेजसा । कृत्वा पुराणमखिलं शुकायाध्यापितं शुभम्
Description of Shiva's boon to the demons. The sages said: Sūta, you previously told us that Vyāsa, of immeasurable brilliance, composed the entire Purāṇa and taught it to Śuka, the auspicious one.
व्यासेन तु तपस्तप्त्वा कथमुत्पादितः शुकः । विस्तरं ब्रूहि सकलं यच्छ्रुतं कृष्णतस्त्वया
But how did Vyāsa, after performing austerities, produce Śuka? Tell us in detail everything you heard from Kṛṣṇa.
सूत उवाच प्रवक्ष्यामि शुकोत्पत्तिं व्यासात्सत्यवतीसुतात् । यथोत्पन्नः शुकः साक्षाद्योगिनां प्रवरो मुनिः
Sūta said: I shall relate the origin of Śuka, born from Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī, and how Śuka arose as the foremost sage among yogis.
मेरुशृङ्गे महारम्ये व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः । तपश्चचार सोऽत्युग्रं पुत्रार्थं कृतनिश्चयः
On the beautiful summit of Meru, Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī, performed severe austerities, firmly resolved to obtain a son.
जपन्नेकाक्षरं मन्त्रं वाग्बीजं नारदाच्छ्रुतम् । ध्यायन्परां महामायां पुत्रकामस्तपोनिधिः
Reciting the one-syllabled mantra, the seed of speech, learned from Nārada, he meditated upon the supreme great illusion, desiring a son, a treasury of austerity.
अग्नेर्भूमेस्तथा वायोरन्तरिक्षस्य चाप्ययम् । वीर्येण सम्मितः पुत्रो मम भूयादिति स्म ह
May my son be equal in strength to fire, earth, wind, and the sky—so he prayed.
अतिष्ठत्स गताहारः शतसंवत्सरं प्रभुः । आराधयन्महादेवं तथैव च सदाशिवाम्
He remained without food for a hundred years, worshipping Mahādeva and likewise Sadāśiva.
शक्तिः सर्वत्र पूज्येति विचार्य च पुनः पुनः । अशक्तो निन्द्यते लोके शक्तस्तु परिपूज्यते
Considering again and again that power is to be worshipped everywhere, he saw that the powerless are despised in the world, but the powerful are greatly honored.