तपोभिः प्राप्यते ऽभीष्टं नासाध्यं हि तपस्यतः दुर्भगत्वं वृथा लोको वहते सति साधने
What is desired is attained by austerity; nothing is unattainable for one who practices austerity. The world bears misfortune in vain when the means exist.
जीविताद्दुर्भगाच्छ्रेयो मरणं ह्यतपस्यतः भविष्यामि न संदेहो नियमैः शोषये तनुम्
For one without austerity, death is better than life; I will surely, without doubt, consume my body through discipline.
तपसि भ्रष्टसंदेह उद्यमो ऽर्थजिगीषया साहं तपः करिष्यामि यदहं प्राप्य दुर्लभा
With my doubts dispelled by austerity, I shall undertake ascetic practice with the desire to attain wealth; I will perform this austerity so that I may obtain what is difficult to achieve.
इत्युक्तः शैलराजस्तु दुहित्रा स्नेहविक्लवः उवाच वाचा शैलेन्द्रः स्नेहगद्गदवर्णया
Having been addressed thus, the king of the mountains, overwhelmed by affection for his daughter, spoke with words faltering from emotion.
उमेति चपले पुत्रि न क्षमं तावकं वपुः सोढुं क्लेशस्वरूपस्य तपसः सौम्यदर्शने
O capricious daughter, Uma, your gentle form cannot endure the hardships of ascetic practice, O one of pleasant appearance.
भावीन्यभिविचार्याणि पदार्थानि सदैव तु भाविनो ऽर्था भवन्त्येव हठेनानिच्छतो ऽपि वा
Future outcomes must always be considered; destined things come to pass, even forcibly, whether one desires them or not.
तस्मान्न तपसा ते ऽस्ति बाले किंचित्प्रयोजनम् भवनायैव गच्छामश् चिन्तयिष्यामि तत्र वै
Therefore, child, there is no purpose for you in austerity; let us return home, and I will reflect upon this matter there.
इत्युक्ता तु यदा नैव गुहायाभ्येति शैलजा ततः स चिन्तयाविष्टो दुहितां प्रशशंस च
When she, addressed thus, did not return from the cave, the mountain-born girl, then he, absorbed in thought, praised his daughter.
ततो ऽन्तरिक्षे दिव्या वाग् अभूद्भुवनभूतले उमेति चपले पुत्रि त्वयोक्ता तनया ततः
Then, in the sky, a divine voice arose over the earth: 'Uma, O capricious daughter, you have been called thus by your father.'
उमेति नाम तेनास्या भुवनेषु भविष्यति सिद्धिं च मूर्तिमत्येषा साधयिष्यति चिन्तिताम्
By this name, Uma, she will be known in the worlds; she will accomplish the desired goal in embodied form.
इति श्रुत्वा तु वचनम् आकाशात्काशपाण्डुरः अनुज्ञाय सुतां शैलो जगामाशु स्वमन्दिरम्
Hearing this utterance from the sky, the mountain lord, pale as the sky, permitted his daughter and quickly returned to his mansion.
शैलजापि ययौ शैलम् अगम्यमपि दैवतैः सखीभ्यामनुयाता तु नियता नगराजजा
And the mountain-born girl went to the mountain, inaccessible even to the gods, accompanied by her friends, steadfast daughter of the king of the city.
शृङ्गं हिमवतः पुण्यं नानाधातुविभूषितम् दिव्यपुष्पलताकीर्णं सिद्धगन्धर्वसेवितम्
She reached the sacred peak of Himavat, adorned with various minerals, strewn with divine flowering vines, attended by perfected beings and gandharvas.
नानामृगगणाकीर्णं भ्रमरोद्घुष्टपादपम् दिव्यप्रस्रवणोपेतं दीर्घिकाभिरलंकृतम्
Filled with groups of various animals, its trees resounded with bees, endowed with divine springs, decorated with pools.
नानापक्षिगणाकीर्णं चक्रवाकोपशोभितम् जलजस्थलजैः पुष्पैः प्रोत्फुल्लैरुपशोभितम्
Filled with flocks of various birds, beautified by chakravaka ducks, adorned with blooming flowers from water and land.
चित्रकन्दरसंस्थानं गुहागृहमनोहरम् विहङ्गसंघसंजुष्टं कल्पपादपसंकटम्
With picturesque caves, delightful as dwellings, crowded with flocks of birds, dense with wish-fulfilling trees.
तत्रापश्यन्महाशाखं शाखिनं हरितच्छदम् सर्वर्तुकुसुमोपेतं मनोरथशतोज्ज्वलम्
There she saw a great tree with vast branches, covered in green leaves, adorned with flowers of all seasons, shining with hundreds of dreams.
नानापुष्पसमाकीर्णं नानाविधफलान्वितम् नतं सूर्यस्य रुचिभिर् भिन्नसंहृतपल्लवम्
Covered with various flowers, bearing many kinds of fruits, its bowed leaves mixed and gathered by the rays of the sun.
तत्राम्बराणि संत्यज्य भूषणानि च शैलजा संवीता वल्कलैर्दिव्यैर् दर्भनिर्मितमेखला
There, the mountain-born girl set aside her garments and ornaments, clothed herself in divine bark garments, and fastened a belt made of sacred grass.
त्रिःस्नाता पाटलाहारा बभूव शरदां शतम् शतमेकेन शीर्णेन पर्णेनावर्तयत्तदा
Having bathed three times, subsisting on pale food, she lived for a hundred autumns, sustaining herself with a single fallen leaf each time.
निराहारा शतं साभूत् समानां तपसां निधिः तत उद्वेजिताः सर्वे प्राणिनस्तत्तपो ऽग्निना
She remained without food for a hundred years, a repository of equal austerities; then, all living beings were disturbed by the fire of her asceticism.
ततः सस्मार भगवान् मुनीन्सप्त शतक्रतुः ते समागम्य मुनयः सर्वे समुदितास्ततः
Then the blessed Indra, lord of a hundred sacrifices, recalled the seven sages; they all gathered together, the sages, filled with joy.
पूजिताश्च महेन्द्रेण पप्रच्छुस्तं प्रयोजनम् किमर्थं तु सुरश्रेष्ठ संस्मृतास्तु वयं त्वया
Honored by Mahendra, they asked him the purpose: 'For what reason, O best of gods, have we been summoned by you?'
शक्रः प्रोवाच शृण्वन्तु भगवन्तः प्रयोजनम् हिमाचले तपो घोरं तप्यते भूधरात्मजा तस्या ह्यभिमतं कामं भवन्तः कर्तुमर्हथ
Śakra spoke: 'Listen, O revered ones, to the purpose. On the Himalaya, the daughter of the mountain is performing fierce austerity. You should fulfill her desired wish.'
ततः समापतन्देव्या जगदर्थं त्वरान्विताः तथेत्युक्त्वा तु शैलेन्द्रं सिद्धसंघातसेवितम्
Then, for the sake of the world, they approached the goddess swiftly; saying 'So be it,' they went to the lord of mountains, attended by hosts of siddhas.
ऊचुरागत्य मुनयस् तामथो मधुराक्षरम् पुत्रि किं ते व्यवसितः कामः कमललोचने
The sages arrived and spoke sweet words: 'Daughter, what is your resolved wish, O lotus-eyed one?'
तानुवाच ततो देवी सलज्जा गौरवान्मुनीन् तपस्यतो महाभागाः प्राप्य मौने भवादृशान्
Then the goddess, modest and respectful, spoke to the sages: 'O blessed ones, engaged in austerity, having attained silence and the presence of those like you—'
वन्दनाय नियुक्ता धीः पावयत्यविकल्पितम् प्रश्नोन्मुखत्वाद्भवतां युक्तमासनमादितः
My mind, engaged in reverence, purifies without wavering; because of readiness for questioning, your honored seats have been accepted first.
उपविष्टाः श्रमोन्मुक्तास् ततः प्रक्ष्यथ मामतः इत्युक्त्वा सा ततश्चक्रे कृतासनपरिग्रहान्
Seated, freed from fatigue, you will then question me; having said this, she made arrangements for their seats.
सा तु तान्विधिवत्पूज्यान् पूजयित्वा विधानतः उवाचादित्यसंकाशान् मुनीन्सप्त सती शनैः
She, duly honoring those worthy of worship, after worshipping them according to the rite, slowly spoke to the seven sages, radiant as the sun.