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.
त्यक्त्वा व्रतात्मकं मौनं मौनं जग्राह ह्रीमयम् भावं तस्यास्तु मौनान्तं तस्याः सप्तर्षयो यथा
Having abandoned the vow of silence, she adopted a silence filled with modesty; the end of her silence was as the seven sages observed.
गौरवाधीनतां प्राप्ताः पप्रच्छुस्तां पुनस्तथा सापि गौरवगर्भेण मनसा चारुहासिनी
Having attained a state of respectful dependence, they questioned her again; she too, with a mind filled with respect, beautiful and smiling, responded.
मुनीञ्शान्तकथालापान् प्रेक्ष्य प्रोवाच वाग्यमम् भगवन्तो विजानन्ति प्राणिनां मानसं हितम्
Seeing the sages engaged in peaceful conversation, she spoke, restraining her speech: 'You, revered ones, know what is beneficial for living beings' minds.'
मनोगतीभिरत्यर्थं कदर्थन्ते हि देहिनः केचित् तु निपुणास्तत्र घटन्ते विबुधोद्यमैः
With mental movements, some people greatly distort things; but some, skilled, strive with divine effort.
उपायैर्दुर्लभान्भावान् प्राप्नुवन्ति ह्यतन्द्रिताः अपरे तु परिच्छिन्ना नानाकाराभ्युपक्रमाः
By means, the diligent attain rare states; others, limited, undertake various approaches of different forms.
देहान्तरार्थमारम्भम् आश्रयन्ति हितप्रदम् मम त्वाकाशसम्भूतपुष्पदामा विभूषितम्
For the sake of another body, they undertake actions that bring benefit; but I, adorned with a garland of flowers born from the sky—
वन्ध्या सुतं प्राप्तुकामा मनः प्रसरते मुहुः अहं किल भवं देवं पतिं प्राप्तुं समुद्यता
A barren woman wishes to obtain a son, her mind repeatedly yearns; I, indeed, am striving to obtain the blessed god as my husband.
प्रकृत्यैव दुराधर्षं तपस्यन्तं तु संप्रति सुरासुरैरनिर्णीतं परमार्थक्रियाश्रयम्
By nature unconquerable, he is now engaged in austerity; his ultimate actions are undecided by gods and demons alike.
सांप्रतं चापि निर्दग्धमदनं वीतरागिणम् कथमाराधयेदीशं मादृशी तादृशं शिवम्
Now that he is scorched by love and free from passion, how could someone like me win the favor of such a Shiva?
इत्युक्ता मुनयस्ते तु स्थिरतां मनसस्ततः ज्ञातुमस्या वचः प्रोचुः प्रक्रमात्प्रकृतार्थकम्
Addressed thus, those sages, steady in mind, spoke in turn to discern her intent, expressing words true to the matter at hand.