कर्त्रा प्रणीता मर्यादा स्थिता संसारिणामियम् यो जायते हि यद्बीजो जनितुः स ह्यसार्थकः
A boundary has been set by the creator for beings bound to the world; for whatever is born from a seed, if the originator is absent, that birth is meaningless.
जनिता चापि जातस्य न कश्चिदिति यत्स्फुटम् स्वकर्मणैव जायन्ते विविधा भूतजातयः
And it is clear that no one is the true creator of what is born; various kinds of living beings are produced solely by their own actions.
अण्डजो ह्यण्डजाज्जातः पुनर्जायेत मानवः मानुषाच्च सरीसृप्यां मनुष्यत्वेन जायते
Indeed, an egg-born being arises from another egg-born; a human may be born again, and from a human, one may be born among reptiles, retaining human nature.
तत्रापि जातौ श्रेष्ठायां धर्मस्योत्कर्षणेन तु अपुत्रजन्मिनः शेषाः प्राणिनः समवस्थिताः
Even among these births, the highest is attained through the excellence of righteousness; the rest of the living beings remain as those who have not produced offspring.
मनुजास्तत्र जायन्ते यतो न गृहधर्मिणः क्रमेणाश्रमसंप्राप्तिर् ब्रह्मचारिव्रतादनु
Among them, humans are born who do not follow the duties of householders; in due order, they reach the stages of life, beginning with the vow of the student.
तस्य कर्तुर्नियोगेन संसारो येन वर्धितः संसारस्य कुतो वृद्धिः सर्वे स्युर्यदतिग्रहाः
By the command of the agent by whom worldly existence is increased, how can there be growth of the world if all were excessively restrained?
अतः कर्त्रा तु शास्त्रेषु सुतलाभः प्रशंसितः प्राणिनां मोहनार्थाय नरकत्राणसंश्रयात्
Therefore, in the scriptures, the begetting of sons is praised by the creator, for the delusion of beings and as a refuge from the torments of hell.
स्त्रिया विरहिता सृष्टिर् जन्तूनां नोपपद्यते स्त्रीजातिस्तु प्रकृत्यैव कृपणा दैन्यभाषिणी शास्त्रालोचनसामर्थ्यम् उज्झितं तासु वेधसा
The creation of living beings does not occur without women; by nature, the female is pitiable and speaks of her own misery, and the creator has deprived them of the ability to discern the meaning of scripture.
शास्त्रेषूक्तमसंदिग्धं बहुवारं महाफलम् दशपुत्रसमा कन्या या न स्याच्छीलवर्जिता
It is stated unmistakably and repeatedly in the scriptures, with great reward, that a daughter who is not lacking in virtue is equal to ten sons.
वाक्यमेतत्फलभ्रष्टं पुंसि ग्लानिकरं परम् कन्या हि कृपणा शोच्या पितुर्दुःखविवर्धिनी
But this statement is fruitless, brings only distress to men, for a daughter is pitiable and to be lamented, increasing her father's sorrow.
यापि स्यात्पूर्णसर्वाढ्या पतिपुत्रधनादिभिः किं पुनर्दुर्भगा हीना पतिपुत्रधनादिभिः
Even if she is endowed with all qualities—husband, sons, wealth, and so on—what then of the unfortunate one deprived of husband, sons, and wealth?
त्वं चोक्तवान्सुताया मे शरीरे दोषसंग्रहम् अहो मुह्यामि शुष्यामि ग्लामि सीदामि नारद
And you have said that my daughter is a collection of bodily faults; alas, I am bewildered, I wither, I am exhausted, I sink, O Nārada.
अयुक्तमथ वक्तव्यम् अप्राप्यमपि सांप्रतम् अनुग्रहेण मे छिन्द्धि दुःखं कन्याश्रयं मुने
It is not proper to speak what is unfit or unattainable at this time; by your compassion, sage, cut off the sorrow that has come to me through my daughter.
परिच्छिन्ने ऽप्यसंदिग्धे मनः परिभवाश्रयम् तृष्णा मुष्णाति निष्णाता फललोभाश्रयाशुभा
Even when the mind is clear and undoubting, it becomes a seat of humiliation; craving, rooted in the desire for results, seizes and corrupts it.
स्त्रीणां हि परमं जन्म कुलानामुभयात्मनाम् इहामुत्र सुखायोक्तं सत्पतिप्राप्तिसंज्ञितम्
For women, the highest birth in both noble and ordinary families is said to be for happiness here and hereafter, and is known as the attainment of a worthy husband.
दुर्लभः सत्पतिः स्त्रीणां विगुणो ऽपि पतिः किल न प्राप्यते विना पुण्यैः पतिर्नार्या कदाचन
A worthy husband is rare for women; even an unworthy husband is said to be difficult to obtain. Without merit, a husband is never attained by a woman.
यतो निःसाधनो धर्मः परिमाणोज्झिता रतिः धनं जीवितपर्याप्तं पत्यौ नार्याः प्रतिष्ठितम्
Wherever righteousness is without means, pleasure is devoid of measure, and wealth is only sufficient for life, the wife's foundation is established in her husband.
निर्धनो दुर्भगो मूर्खः सर्वलक्षणवर्जितः दैवतं परमं नार्याः पतिरुक्तः सदैव हि
A husband who is destitute, unfortunate, foolish, and lacking all marks is always declared by the gods to be the supreme for a woman.
त्वया चोक्तं हि देवर्षे न जातो ऽस्याः पतिः किल एतद्दौर्भाग्यमतुलम् असंख्यं गुरु दुःसहम्
Indeed, O divine sage, you have said that for her no husband is born; this unparalleled misfortune is countless, weighty, and hard to endure.
चराचरे भूतसर्गे यदद्यापि च नो मुने न स जात इति ब्रूषे तेन मे व्याकुलं मनः
In the creation of moving and unmoving beings, O sage, you say that even now he is not born; because of this, my mind is troubled.
मनुष्यदेवजातीनां शुभाशुभनिवेदकम् लक्षणं हस्तपादादौ विहितैर्लक्षणैः किल
Among humans and gods, the sign that reveals auspicious and inauspicious outcomes is indeed established by marks on the hands and feet.
सेयम् उत्तानहस्तेति त्वयोक्ता मुनिपुंगव उत्तानहस्तता प्रोक्ता याचतामेव नित्यदा
This one is called 'with upturned hands,' as you have said, O foremost sage; the state of upturned hands is always spoken of as belonging to those who beg.
शुभोदयानां धन्यानां न कदाचित्प्रयच्छताम् स्वछाययास्याश्चरणौ त्वयोक्तौ व्यभिचारिणौ
For those with auspicious birth and fortune, who never give, you have said that her feet, by their own shadow, are adulterous.
तत्रापि श्रेयसां ह्याशा मुने न प्रतिभाति नः शरीरलक्षणाश्चान्ये पृथक्फलनिवेदिनः
Even there, O sage, hope for the best does not appear to us; other bodily marks separately indicate different results.
सौभाग्यधनपुत्रायुः पतिलाभानुशंसनम् तैश्च सर्वैर्विहीनेयं त्वमात्थ मुनिपुंगव
The signs of good fortune, wealth, sons, lifespan, and the acquisition of a husband—all these, O foremost sage, you have said she is deprived of.
त्वं मे सर्वं विजानासि सत्यवागसि चाप्यतः मुह्यामि मुनिशार्दूल हृदयं दीर्यतीव मे
You know everything about me and you always speak the truth; O tiger among sages, I am bewildered, and my heart seems to be breaking.
इत्युक्त्वा विरतः शैलो महादुःखविचारणात् श्रुत्वैतदखिलं तस्माच् छैलराजमुखाम्बुजात् स्मितपूर्वमुवाचेदं नारदो देवचोदितः
Having spoken thus, Śaila ceased from pondering great sorrow; hearing all this from the lotus face of the mountain king, Nārada, prompted by the gods, spoke with a smile.
हर्षस्थाने ऽपि महति त्वया दुःखं निरूप्यते अपरिच्छिन्नवाक्यार्थे मोहं यासि महागिरे
Even in a place of great joy, you describe sorrow; with the meaning of your words unclear, you fall into delusion, O great mountain.
इमां शृणु गिरं मत्तो रहस्यपरिनिष्ठिताम् समाहितो महाशैल मयोक्तस्य विचारणे
Hear this speech from me, established in secret, O great mountain, with your mind attentive, concerning the matter I have spoken.
न जातो ऽस्याः पतिर्देव्या यन्मयोक्तं हिमाचल न स जातो महादेवो भूतभव्यभवोद्भवः शरण्यः शाश्वतः शास्ता शंकरः परमेश्वरः
O Himācala, what I said—that no husband is born for this goddess—is that the great god, Mahādeva, origin of past, present, and future, refuge, eternal, teacher, Śaṃkara, supreme lord, is not born.