सभायाममरा देव निकृष्टे ऽप्युपवेशिताः वेत्रहस्तैर् अजल्पन्तस् ततो ऽपहसितास्तु तैः
In the assembly, the gods were seated even in inferior places; holding staffs, they did not speak, and thus were mocked by them.
महार्थाः सिद्धसर्वार्था भवन्तः स्वल्पभाषिणः चाटुयुक्तमथो कर्म ह्य् अमरा बहु भाषत
Great in wealth, accomplished in all aims, you speak little; but the gods, though skilled in flattery, speak much yet act little.
समयं दैत्यसिंहस्य सशक्रस्य नु संस्थिताः वदतेति च दैत्यस्य प्रेष्यैर्विहसिता बहु
At the gathering of the Daitya king and Indra, when told to speak, the Daitya's servants laughed at them repeatedly.
ऋतवो मूर्तिमन्तस्तम् उपासन्ते ह्यहर्निशम् कृतापराधसंत्रासं न त्यजन्ति कदाचन
The seasons, embodied, serve him day and night; terrified by his offenses, they never abandon him.
तन्त्रीत्रयलयोपेतं सिद्धगन्धर्वकिंनरैः सुरागम् उपधा नित्यं गीयते तस्य वेश्मसु
In his palaces, divine music accompanied by threefold instruments is always sung by Siddhas, Gandharvas, and Kinnaras.
हन्ताकृतोपकरणैर् मित्राणि गुरुलाघवैः शरणागतसंत्यागी त्यक्तसत्यपरिश्रयः
He makes friends and enemies with mere gestures, abandons those who seek refuge, and has forsaken the shelter of truth.
इति निःशेषमथवा निःशेषं वै न शक्यते तस्याविनयमाख्यातुं स्रष्टा तत्र परायणम्
Thus, it is impossible to recount all his insolence in full; only the Creator is the ultimate witness there.
इत्युक्तः स्वात्मभूर्देवः सुरैर्दैत्यविचेष्टितम् सुरानुवाच भगवांस् ततः स्मितमुखाम्बुजः
When addressed thus, the self-born god, smiling with a lotus-like face, spoke to the gods about the Daitya's deeds.
अवध्यस्तारको दैत्यः सर्वैरपि सुरासुरैः यस्य वध्यः स नाद्यापि जातस्त्रिभुवने पुमान्
Tāraka, the Daitya, cannot be slain by any god or demon; the one who can kill him has not yet been born in the three worlds.
मया स वरदानेन छन्दयित्वा निवारितः तपसः सांप्रतं राजा त्रैलोक्यदहनात्मकात्
By granting him a boon, I restrained him from asceticism; now he is king, blazing like fire through the three worlds.
स च वव्रे वधं दैत्यः शिशुतः सप्तवासरात् स सप्तदिवसो बालः शंकराद्यो भविष्यति
That Daitya asked for his death at the hands of a child seven days old; that seven-day-old boy will be born from Śaṅkara.
तारकस्य निहन्ता स भास्कराभो भविष्यति सांप्रतं चाप्यपत्नीकः शंकरो भगवान्प्रभुः
He who will slay Tāraka will shine like the sun; but at present, Śaṅkara, the blessed lord, is without a wife.
यच्चाहमुक्तवान्यस्या ह्य् उत्तानकरता सदा उत्तानो वरदः पाणिर् एष देव्याः सदैव तु
And as I have said, his hand is always extended in blessing; this hand is ever ready to grant boons to the goddess.
हिमाचलस्य दुहिता सा तु देवी भविष्यति तस्याः सकाशाद्यः शर्वस् त्व् अरण्यां पावको यथा
The daughter of Himāchala will become the goddess; from her, Śarva will be born in the forest, as fire is from wood.
जनयिष्यति तं प्राप्य तारको ऽभिभविष्यति मयाप्युपायः स कृतो यथैवं हि भविष्यति
She will give birth to him; upon his arrival, Tāraka will be overcome. I have devised this means, and so it shall come to pass.
शेषश्चाप्यस्य विभवो विनश्येत्तदनन्तरम् स्तोककालं प्रतीक्षध्वं निर्विशङ्केन चेतसा
Afterwards, his remaining power will also be destroyed; wait a little while with untroubled minds.
इत्युक्तास्त्रिदशास्तेन साक्षात्कमलजन्मना जग्मुस्तं प्रणिपत्येशं यथायोगं दिवौकसः
Thus addressed by the lotus-born one, the gods, having bowed to the lord as appropriate, departed.
ततो गतेषु देवेषु ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः निशां सस्मार भगवान् स्वतनोः पूर्वसंभवाम्
After the gods had departed, Brahmā, the grandsire of the worlds, remembered at night the previous birth of his own daughter.
ततो भगवती रात्रिर् उपतस्थे पितामहम् तां विविक्ते समालोक्य ब्रह्मोवाच विभावरीम्
Then the divine Night approached the Grandfather; seeing her in solitude, Brahmā spoke to the radiant one.
विभावरि महत्कायं विबुधानामुपस्थितम् तत्कर्तव्यं त्वया देवि शृणु कार्यस्य निश्चयम्
O radiant one, a great task concerning the gods has arisen; this must be accomplished by you, O goddess. Listen to the determination of this matter.
तारको नाम दैत्येन्द्रः सुरकेतुरनिर्जितः तस्याभावाय भगवाञ् जनयिष्यति चेश्वरः
There is a demon king named Tāraka, the banner of the demons, undefeated; for his destruction, the blessed Lord will beget a son.
सुतं स भविता तस्य तारकस्यान्तकारकः शंकरस्याभवत्पत्नी सती दक्षसुता तु या
That son will become the destroyer of Tāraka; the wife of Śaṅkara was Satī, the daughter of Dakṣa.
सा मृता कुपिता देवी कस्मिंश्चित्कारणान्तरे भविता हिमशैलस्य दुहिता लोकभाविनी
That goddess, angered for some other reason, died; she will be born as the daughter of the snowy mountain, destined to benefit the worlds.
विरहेण हरस्तस्या मत्वा शून्यं जगत्त्रयम् तपस्यन्हिमशैलस्य कन्दरे सिद्धसेविते
Separated from her, Hara will consider the three worlds empty, and, practicing austerities in a cave of the snowy mountain, frequented by accomplished sages—
प्रतीक्षमाणस्तज्जन्म कंचित्कालं निवत्स्यति तयोः सुतप्ततपसोर् भविता यो महाबलः
He will wait for her birth, remaining there for some time; from the intense austerities of both, a mighty one will be born.
स भविष्यति दैत्यस्य तारकस्य विनाशकः जातमात्रा तु सा देवी स्वल्पसंज्ञा च भामिनी
He will become the destroyer of the demon Tāraka. As soon as she is born, that goddess, though radiant, will have little awareness.
विरहोत्कण्ठिता गाढं हरसंगमलालसा तयोः सुतप्ततपसोः संयोगः स्याच्छुभानने
Longing deeply in separation, yearning for union with Hara, the union of those two, after their severe austerities, will take place, O auspicious one.
ततस्ताभ्यां तु जनितः स्वल्पो वाक्कलहो भवेत् ततो ऽपि संशयो भूयस् तारकं प्रति दृश्यते
Then, between them, a slight quarrel of words may arise; from that, further doubt regarding Tāraka is foreseen.
तयोः संयुक्तयोस्तस्मात् सुरतासक्तिकारणे विघ्नस्त्वया विधातव्यो यथा ताभ्यां तथा शृणु
Therefore, when they are united, you must create an obstacle to their enjoyment, so that it happens as I have said—listen.
गर्भस्थाने च तन्मातुः स्वेन रूपेण रञ्जय ततो विहाय शर्वस्तां विश्रान्तो नर्मपूर्वकम्
In the womb of that mother, delight her with your own form; then, leaving her, Śarva will rest, playfully.