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.
ब्रह्मविष्ण्विन्द्रमुनयो जन्ममृत्युजरार्दिताः तस्यैते परमेशस्य सर्वे क्रीडनका गिरे
Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Indra, and the sages, afflicted by birth, death, and old age, are all mere playthings of that supreme lord, O mountain.
आस्ते ब्रह्मा तदिच्छातः सम्भूतो भुवनप्रभुः विष्णुर्युगे युगे जातो नानाजातिर्महातनुः
Brahmā exists, born from his wish, lord of the worlds; Viṣṇu is born in every age, of various kinds and great form.
मन्यसे मायया जातं विष्णुं चापि युगे युगे आत्मनो न विनाशो ऽस्ति स्थावरान्ते ऽपि भूधर
You think that Viṣṇu is born by illusion in every age; but there is no destruction of the self, even at the end of immovable things, O mountain.
संसारे जायमानस्य भ्रियमाणस्य देहिनः नश्यते देह एवात्र नात्मनो नाश उच्यते
For one being born and carried in the cycle of existence, only the body perishes here; destruction of the self is not spoken of.
ब्रह्मादिस्थावरान्तो ऽयं संसारो यः प्रकीर्तितः स जन्ममृत्युदुःखार्तो ह्य् अवशः परिवर्तते
This cycle of existence, spoken of as extending from Brahmā down to the immovable, is afflicted by birth, death, and suffering, and helplessly revolves.
महादेवो ऽचलः स्थाणुर् न जातो जनको ऽजरः भविष्यति पतिः सो ऽस्या जगन्नाथो निरामयः
Mahādeva is unchanging, steadfast, unborn, the originator, ageless; he will be the Lord, the Master of this universe, free from all affliction.
यदुक्तं च मया देवी लक्षणैर्वर्जिता तव शृणु तस्यापि वाक्यस्य सम्यक्त्वेन विचारणम्
And what I have said, O goddess, about your marks being absent—listen now to the proper consideration of that statement as well.
लक्षणं दैविको ह्यङ्कः शरीरावयवाश्रयः सर्वायुर्धनसौभाग्यपरिमाणप्रकाशकः
A divine mark is a sign based on bodily features, revealing the measure of one’s lifespan, wealth, and fortune.
अनन्तस्याप्रमेयस्य सौभाग्यस्यास्य भूधर नैवाङ्को लक्षणाकारः शरीरे संविधीयते
For this fortune, O mountain, which is endless and immeasurable, no mark or sign is established on the body.
अतो ऽस्या लक्षणं गात्रे शैल नास्ति महामते यथाहमुक्तवानस्या ह्य् उत्तानकरतां सदा
Therefore, O wise one, there is no mark on her body, as I have said; yet she always displays the open-handed gesture.