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.
उत्तानो वरदः पाणिर् एष देव्याः सदैव तु सुरासुरमुनिव्रातवरदेयं भविष्यति
This open, boon-bestowing hand of the goddess will always grant boons to the hosts of gods, asuras, and sages.
यथा प्रोक्तं तदा पादौ स्वच्छायाव्यभिचारिणौ अस्याः शृणु ममात्रापि वाग्युक्तिं शैलसत्तम
As has been said, her feet are unwavering in their pure reflection; listen, O best of mountains, to my explanation here as well.
चरणौ पद्मसंकाशाव् अस्याः स्वच्छनखोज्ज्वलौ सुरासुराणां नमतां किरीटमणिकान्तिभिः
Her feet, resembling lotuses, with shining, clear nails, are reflected by the radiant jewels in the crowns of gods and asuras who bow to her.
विचित्रवर्णैर्भासन्तौ स्वच्छायाप्रतिबिम्बितौ भार्या जगद्गुरोर्ह्येषा वृषाङ्कस्य महीधर
Glowing with wondrous colors, mirrored in their pure reflection, she is the wife of the Teacher of the World, O mountain, the one marked by the bull.
जननी लोकधर्मस्य सम्भूता भूतभावनी शिवेयं पावनायैव त्वत्क्षेत्रे पावकद्युतिः
She is the mother of the world’s order, the source of all beings; this Śivā, radiant as fire, has appeared in your domain for the world’s purification.
तद्यथा शीघ्रमेवैषां योगं यायात्पिनाकिना तथा विधेयं विधिवत् त्वया शैलेन्द्रसत्तम अत्यन्तं हि महत्कार्यं देवानां हिमभूधर
Therefore, let their union with the wielder of the bow happen swiftly; so, O best of mountains, you must perform the proper rites, for this is a supremely great task for the gods, O Himavat.
एवं श्रुत्वा तु शैलेन्द्रो नारदात्सर्वमेव हि आत्मानं स पुनर्जातं मेने मेनापतिस्तदा
Having heard all this from Nārada, the lord of mountains considered himself as if reborn at that moment.
नमस्कृत्य वृषाङ्काय तदा देवाय धीमते उवाच सो ऽपि संहृष्टो नारदं तु हिमाचलः
Then, bowing to the bull-bannered, wise god, he, Himācala, joyfully spoke to Nārada.
दुस्तरान्नरकाद्घोराद् उद्धृतो ऽस्मि त्वया मुने पातालादहमुद्धृत्य सप्तलोकाधिपः कृतः
O sage, you have rescued me from the dreadful, impassable hell; having lifted me from the netherworld, you have made me lord of the seven realms.
हिमाचलो ऽस्मि विख्यातस् त्वया मुनिवराधुना हिमाचले ऽचलगुणां प्रापितो ऽस्मि समुन्नतिम्
O best of sages, now you have made me renowned as Himācala, and have raised me to the highest excellence among the mountains.