जटिला मुण्डिताश्चापि शुक्लयज्ञोपवीतिनः
There were ascetics with matted hair and shaven heads, wearing sacred threads of white.
ब्रह्मचर्यरताः शान्ता वेदान्तज्ञानतत्पराः
Devoted to celibacy, peaceful, intent on the knowledge of Vedānta.
पूजयित्वा यथान्यायमिदं वचनमब्रुवन्
Having worshipped as prescribed, they spoke these words.
प्रोचुः पैलादयः शिष्यास्तानृषीन् ब्रह्मभावितान्
Paila and the other disciples addressed those sages absorbed in Brahman.
व्यासः स्वयं हृषीकेशो येन वेदाः पृथक् कृताः
Vyāsa himself, Hṛṣīkeśa, by whom the Vedas were divided.
अंशांशेनाभवत् पुत्रो नाम्ना शुक इति प्रभुः
By a portion of himself, the Lord became a son named Śuka.
प्रपन्नः परया भक्त्या यस्य तज्ज्ञानमैश्वरम्
He who, having taken refuge with supreme devotion, attained his divine knowledge.
नेमुरव्यग्रमनसः प्रोचुः सत्यवतीसुतम्
With undistracted minds, they bowed and addressed the son of Satyavatī.
प्रिसादाद् देवदेवस्य यत् तन्माहेश्वरं परम्
That which is the supreme Maheśvara, the grace of the God of gods—
क्षिप्रं पश्येम तं देवं श्रुत्वा भगवतो मुखात्
May we quickly see that God, having heard from the mouth of the Blessed One.
प्रोवाच तत्परं ज्ञानं योगिभ्यो योगवित्तमः
He, the foremost knower of yoga, spoke that supreme knowledge to the yogis.
लीनास्तत्रैव ते विप्राः क्षणादन्तरधीयत
Those brāhmaṇas, absorbed there itself, vanished in a moment.
प्रोवाच मध्यमेशस्य माहात्म्यं पैलपूर्वकान्
He spoke to Paila and the others about the greatness of Madhyameśa.
रमते भगवान् नित्यं रुद्रैश्च परिवारितः
The Blessed Lord always delights there, surrounded by Rudras.
उवास वत्सरं कृष्णः सदा पाशुपतैर्वृतः
Kṛṣṇa remained for a year, always surrounded by devotees of Paśupati.
आराधयन् हरिः शंभुं कृत्वा पाशुपतं व्रतम्
Hari worshipped Śaṃbhu, undertaking the vow of Paśupati.
लब्ध्वा तद्वचनाज्ज्ञानं दृष्टवन्तो महेश्वरम्
Having received knowledge from his words, they beheld the great Lord.
ददौ कृष्णास्य भगवान वरदो वरमुत्तमम्
The blessed Lord, the granter of boons, gave Kṛṣṇa the highest boon.
तेषां तदैश्वरं ज्ञानमुत्पत्स्यति जगन्मय
For them, that divine knowledge, pervading the universe, will arise.
भविष्यसि न संदेहो मत्प्रसादाद् द्विजातिभिः
By my grace, without doubt, you will be revered by the twice-born.
ब्रह्महत्यादिकं पापं तेषामाशु विनश्यति
The sin of killing a brāhmaṇa and other such sins will quickly perish for them.
ते यान्ति तत् परं स्थानं नात्र कार्या विचारणा
They attain that supreme abode—there is no need for deliberation here.
अर्चयन्ति महादेवं मध्यमेश्वरमीश्वरम्
They worship Mahādeva, the Lord, the Lord of the middle region.
एकैकशः कृतं विप्राः पुनात्यासप्तमं कुलम्
Each brāhmaṇa, by performing it, purifies up to the seventh generation of his family.
यत् फलं लभते मर्त्यस्तस्माद् दशगुणं त्विह
Whatever fruit a mortal obtains from that, here it is tenfold.
उवास सुचिरं कालं पूजयन् वै महेश्वरम्
He remained for a long time, indeed, worshipping the great Lord.
जगाम भगवान् व्यासो जैमिनिप्रमुखैर्वृतः
The blessed Vyāsa went forth, surrounded by Jaimini and the foremost sages.
विश्वरूपं तथा तीर्थं तालतीर्थमनुत्तमम्
He visited Viśvarūpa, and likewise the holy place Tālatīrtha, unsurpassed.
स्वर्नोलं च महातीर्थं गौरीतीर्थमनुत्तमम्
And Svarnola, the great holy place, and Gaurītīrtha, unsurpassed.
जम्बुकेश्वरमित्युक्तं धर्माख्यं तीर्थमुत्तमम्
The excellent holy place called Jambukeśvara, known as Dharma.