Linga Purana

विचारमुग्धे तव गर्भमण्डलं करांबुजाभ्यां विनिहत्य दुर्लभम् कुलं वसिष्ठस्य समस्तमप्यहो निहन्तुमार्ये कथमुद्यता वद

O bewildered one, why have you struck your womb with your lotus-like hands, intending to destroy the entire, rare lineage of Vasiṣṭha? Tell us, noble lady, how you have become ready for such a deed.

तवात्मजं शक्तिसुतं च दृष्ट्वा चास्वाद्य वक्त्रामृतम् आर्यसूनोः त्रातुं यतो देहमिमं मुनीन्द्रः सुनिश्चितः पाहि ततः शरीरम्

Seeing your own son, the son of Śakti, and tasting the nectar of his mouth, the noble son of the sage was determined to protect this body; therefore, preserve the body.

एवं स्नुषामुपालभ्य मुनिं चारुन्धती स्थिता अरुन्धती वसिष्ठस्य प्राह चार्तेति विह्वला

Thus reproaching their daughter-in-law, Arundhatī stood beside the sage; Arundhatī, distressed and agitated, spoke to Vasiṣṭha.

त्वय्येव जीवितं चास्य मुनेर् यत् सुव्रते मम जीवितं रक्ष देहस्य धात्री च कुरु यद्धितम्

O virtuous one, the life of this sage depends on you alone; protect my life, and as the nurse of the body, do what is beneficial.

मया यदि मुनिश्रेष्ठस् त्रातुं वै निश्चितं स्वकम् ममाशुभं शुभं देहं कथंचित् पालयाम्यहम्

If I am determined to protect the great sage, then whether my body is auspicious or inauspicious, I will somehow preserve it.

प्रियदुःखमहं प्राप्ता ह्य् असती नात्र संशयः मुने दुःखादहं दग्धा यतः पुत्री मुने तव

I have received both joy and sorrow, and am unchaste—there is no doubt of this, O sage; I am burned by grief because I am your daughter, O sage.

अहो ऽद्भुतं मया दृष्टं दुःखपात्री ह्यहं विभो दुःखत्राता भव ब्रह्मन् ब्रह्मसूनो जगद्गुरो

Ah, I have seen something wondrous; I am indeed a vessel of sorrow, O Lord. Become the remover of sorrow, O Brahman, son of Brahma, teacher of the world.

तथापि भर्तृरहिता दीना नारी भवेदिह पाहि मां तत आर्येन्द्र परिभूता भविष्यति

Still, a woman deprived of her husband becomes miserable here; protect me, O noble lord, otherwise I will be dishonored.

पिता माता च पुत्राश्च पौत्राः श्वशुर एव च एते न बान्धवाः स्त्रीणां भर्ता बन्धुः परा गतिः

Father, mother, sons, grandsons, and father-in-law—these are not true relatives for women; the husband is the true relative and the highest refuge.

आत्मनो यद्धि कथितम् अप्यर्धमिति पण्डितैः तदप्यत्र मृषा ह्यासीद् गतः शक्तिरहं स्थिता

Even what has been spoken by the wise about the self is only half true; even that proved false here, for Śakti is gone and I remain.

अहो ममात्र काठिन्यं मनसो मुनिपुङ्गव पतिं प्राणसमं त्यक्त्वा स्थिता यत्र क्षणं यतः

Ah, how hard is my mind, O foremost sage, that I remain here for a moment, having abandoned my husband, who is as dear as life.

वसिष्ठाश्वत्थमाश्रित्य ह्य् अमृता तु यथा लता निर्मूलाप्यमृता भर्त्रा त्यक्ता दीना स्थिताप्यहम्

Relying on Vasiṣṭha, like a creeper on a tree, I am immortal even though uprooted; abandoned by my husband, I remain miserable.

स्नुषावाक्यं निशम्यैव वसिष्ठो भार्यया सह तदा चक्रे मतिं धीमान् यातुं स्वाश्रममाश्रमी

Hearing the words of their daughter-in-law, Vasiṣṭha, together with his wife, then resolved, being wise, to return to his own hermitage.

कृच्छ्रात्सभार्यो भगवान् वसिष्ठः स्वाश्रमं क्षणात् अदृश्यन्त्या च पुण्यात्मा संविवेश स चिन्तयन्

With difficulty, the blessed Vasiṣṭha, along with his wife, quickly went to his own hermitage; the virtuous one entered, unseen, reflecting.

सा गर्भं पालयामास कथंचिन्मुनिपुङ्गवाः कुलसंधारणार्थाय शक्तिपत्नी पतिव्रता

The wife of Śakti, devoted to her husband, somehow preserved her pregnancy, O foremost sages, for the sake of maintaining the lineage.

ततः सासूत तनयं दशमे मासि सुप्रभम् शक्तिपत्नी यथा शक्तिं शक्तिमन्तमरुन्धती

Then, in the tenth month, Śakti's wife gave birth to a radiant son, just as Arundhatī gave birth to a powerful son according to her ability.

असूत सा दितिर्विष्णुं यथा स्वाहा गुहं सुतम् अग्निं यथारणिः पत्नी शक्तेः साक्षात्पराशरम्

She gave birth as Diti bore Viṣṇu, as Svāhā bore Guha, as the wife of Agni bore a son from the fire-stick, and as Śakti's wife bore Parāśara himself.

यदा तदा शक्तिसूनुर् अवतीर्णो महीतले शक्तिस्त्यक्त्वा तदा दुःखं पितॄणां समतां ययौ

At that time, when Śakti's son descended to earth, Śakti was freed from his suffering and attained equality with the ancestors.

भ्रातृभिः सह पुण्यात्मा आदित्यैर् इव भास्करः रराज पितृलोकस्थो वासिष्ठो मुनिपुङ्गवाः

Dwelling among the ancestors, the illustrious Vāsiṣṭha shone with his brothers, like the sun among the Ādityas, foremost among sages.

जगुस्तदा च पितरो ननृतुश् च पितामहाः प्रपितामहाश् च विप्रेन्द्रा ह्य् अवतीर्णे पराशरे

Then the ancestors sang, the grandfathers and great-grandfathers danced, and the best of Brāhmaṇas rejoiced at Parāśara's descent.

ये ब्रह्मवादिनो भूमौ ननृतुर् दिवि देवताः पुष्कराद्याश् च ससृजुः पुष्पवर्षं च खेचराः

Those who speak of Brahman danced on earth, the gods danced in heaven, and the celestial beings beginning with Puṣkara showered flowers from the sky.

पुरेषु राक्षसानां च प्रणादं विषमं द्विजाः आश्रमस्थाश् च मुनयः समूहुर्हर्षसंततिम्

The twice-born in the cities of the Rākṣasas raised a tumultuous sound, and the sages dwelling in their hermitages experienced a surge of joy.

अवतीर्णो यथा ह्यण्डाद् भानुः सो ऽपि पराशरः अदृश्यन्त्याश्चतुर्वक्त्रो मेघजालाद्दिवाकरः

Just as the sun emerges from the egg, so too did Parāśara appear, like the four-faced one arising from a mass of clouds, as the sun from the sky.

सुखं च दुःखमभवद् अदृश्यन्त्यास्तथा द्विजाः दृष्ट्वा पुत्रं पतिं स्मृत्वा अरुन्धत्या मुनेस्तथा

Both happiness and sorrow came to the unseen one, O twice-born, seeing her son and remembering her husband, as it was for Arundhatī, wife of the sage.

दृष्ट्वा च तनयं बाला पराशरमतिद्युतिम् ललाप विह्वला बाला सन्नकण्ठी पपात च

Seeing her radiant son Parāśara, the young woman, overwhelmed and her throat choked, wept and fell to the ground.

सा पराशरमहो महामतिं देवदानवगणैश् च पूजितम् जातमात्रम् अनघं शुचिस्मिता बुध्य साश्रुनयना ललाप च

She, pure-smiling and tear-eyed, praised Parāśara—great in wisdom, sinless, honored by hosts of gods and demons—even as a newborn.

हा वसिष्ठसुत कुत्रचिद्गतः पश्य पुत्रमनघं तवात्मजम् त्यज्य दीनवदनां वनान्तरे पुत्रदर्शनपरामिमां प्रभो

"O son of Vasiṣṭha, wherever you are, see your sinless son, your own child! Abandoning me, sorrowful-faced and longing to see our son in the forest, O lord!"

शक्ते स्वं च सुतं पश्य भ्रातृभिः सह षण्मुखम् यथा महेश्वरो ऽपश्यत् सगणो हृषिताननः

"O Śakti, see your own six-faced son together with his brothers, just as Maheśvara saw his own, surrounded by his attendants, his face beaming with joy."

अथ तस्यास्तदालापं वसिष्ठो मुनिसत्तमः श्रुत्वा स्नुषामुवाचेदं मा रोदीर् इति दुःखितः

Then Vasiṣṭha, the best of sages, hearing her lament, spoke to his daughter-in-law, sorrowful, saying, "Do not weep."