देहस्थं दुर्दमं शत्रुमसंतुष्टं सदावशम् । इत्थंवादिनि प्रच्छन्ने वासवे पद्मसद्मनि 6.127.
The enemy within the body is hard to subdue, never satisfied, always overpowering; thus he spoke in secret, in the lotus-mansion of Vāsava.
आखंडलं विना भीरु देवलोको न शोभते । ततो देवाः सगंधर्वा लोकपालाः सकिन्नराः
Without Ākhaṇḍala, O timid one, the world of the gods does not shine; therefore the gods, with Gandharvas, guardians of the worlds, and Kinnaras—
शच्या सह समागम्य पप्रच्छुस्ते बृहस्पतिम् । भगवन्बलभिद्देवं नैव जानीमहे वयम्
Gathering together with Śacī, they questioned Bṛhaspati: 'O lord, we do not know where the mighty god has gone.'
क्व तिष्ठति गतः कुत्र कुत्र वा मृगयामहे । न नाकः शोभते तेन विना देवगणैः सह
'Where does he dwell, where has he gone, or where should we seek him? Without him, along with the hosts of gods, heaven does not shine.'
सुपुत्रेण विना यद्वत्कुलं श्रीमद्गुणान्वितम् । उपायश्चिंत्यतां सद्यः स्वर्लोके येन शोभते
'Just as a noble family endowed with virtues is not complete without a worthy son, so let us quickly consider a means by which heaven may shine again.'
सनाथः सुश्रियायुक्तो न विलंबोऽत्र युज्यते । इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा गुरुर्वचनमब्रवीत्
'Let it be restored, endowed with its lord and prosperity; there should be no delay here.' Thus, hearing their words, the teacher spoke.
जानेऽहं स्वापराधेन लज्जया यत्र तिष्ठति । रभसा लब्धकार्यस्य भुंक्ते स मघवा फलम्
'I know where, out of shame for his own fault, he abides; Maghavan now reaps the fruit of his hasty deed.'
नृणां नीतिपरित्यागाद्विपाकाः स्युर्भयंकराः । अहो राज्यमदैर्मत्तः कृत्याकृत्यमचिंतयन्
'From abandoning righteousness, men suffer terrible consequences; alas, intoxicated by the pride of sovereignty, he acted without discernment.'
कृतवान्निंद्यमानं हि दृष्टादृष्टक्षयंकरम् । कुर्वंति बालिशा यत्र दैवोपहतबुद्धयः
'He has done what is blameworthy, bringing ruin seen and unseen; such acts are done by the foolish, whose minds are confounded by fate.'
अपराधाद्यथाजन्म स्यादिहामुत्र निष्फलम् । अधुना तत्र गच्छामो यत्र शक्रः स तिष्ठति
'From wrongdoing, birth itself becomes fruitless here and hereafter; now let us go to where Śakra abides.'
इत्युक्त्वा निर्गताः सर्वे बृहस्पतिपुरोगमाः । दृष्ट्वा सरसि विस्तीर्णे स्वर्णपंकजकाननम्
Having said this, all of them, led by Bṛhaspati, departed; seeing in the vast lake a forest of golden lotuses.
तुष्टुवुर्देवराजानं प्रबोधो येन जायते । ततो गुरोः प्रबोधेन निर्गतः पद्मकुड्मलात्
They praised the king of the gods, by whose awakening he would arise; then, by the teacher's awakening, he emerged from the lotus bud.
दीनाननो विरूपस्तु व्रीडाकुंचितलोचनः । जग्राह चरणाविंद्रो गुरोस्तस्याग्रजन्मनः
His face dejected, his form altered, his eyes downcast with shame, Indra grasped the feet of his elder, the teacher.
त्राहि मां निष्कृतिं ब्रूहि पापस्यास्य बृहस्पते । देवराजवचः श्रुत्वा जगौ विप्रो बृहस्पतिः
'Protect me, tell me the expiation for this sin, O Bṛhaspati!' Hearing the words of the king of the gods, the sage Bṛhaspati spoke.
शृणु देवेंद्र वक्ष्येऽहमुपायं पापनाशनम् । प्रयागस्नानमात्रेण तत्क्षणादेव पातकात्
Hear, O lord of the gods, I will tell you a means to destroy sin: by merely bathing at Prayāga, you are freed from sin at that very moment.
मुच्यसे देवराजत्वं तत्र यामः सहैव ते । अथ पुरोधसा सार्धमागत्य बलमर्दनः
You will be released from your demerit, O king of the gods, simply by that; let us go there together with you. Then, accompanied by the priest, the subduer of Bala arrived.
सस्नौ सितासिते तीर्थे सद्यो मुक्तो ह्यघैस्ततः । अथ देवगुरुस्तस्मै प्रसन्नस्तु वरं ददौ
He bathed at the white and black fords, and was immediately freed from sins; then the preceptor of the gods, being pleased, granted him a boon.
प्रयागस्नानमात्रेण क्षीणं पापं त्वयानघ । क्षीणपापस्य ते शक्र मत्प्रसादेन सत्वरम्
By merely bathing at Prayāga, your sin is destroyed, O sinless one; O Śakra, with your sins gone, by my grace, swiftly—
सहस्रमेतद्योनीनां सहस्रं स्याद्दृशां तव । तदैव द्विजवाक्येन शुशुभे च शचीपतिः
A thousand yonis and a thousand eyes will be yours; then, by the word of the Brāhmaṇa, the lord of Śacī shone forth.
लोचनानां सहस्रेण पंकजैरिव मानसम् । अथ वृंदारकैः सर्वैरृषिभिश्चाभिपूजितः
With a thousand eyes, his mind was like a lake filled with lotuses; then, honored by all the attendants and sages—
गंधर्वैः स्तूयमानस्तु गतः शक्रोऽमरावतीम् । इत्थं सद्यो विपापोऽभूत्प्रयागे पाकशासनः
Praised by the Gandharvas, Śakra went to Amarāvatī; thus, at Prayāga, the subduer of Pāka was instantly freed from sin.
याहि त्वमपि कल्याणि प्रयागं देवसेवितम् । सद्यः पापविनाशाय तथा स्वर्गतये दृढम्
You too, O blessed one, go to Prayāga, revered by the gods; for the instant destruction of sin and, surely, for attaining heaven.
इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सेतिहासं समंगलम् । तदैव संभ्रमापन्ना नत्वा पादौ द्विजस्य तु
Hearing his words, together with the auspicious story, she, seized by urgency, at once bowed to the feet of the Brāhmaṇa.
त्यक्त्वा बंधुजनं सर्वं दासदासीगृहं तथा । सकलान्विषयान्रक्षो विषग्रासानिव स्फुटम्
Abandoning all her relatives and the house of servants and maids, she left behind all pleasures as one would cast off poison.
वपुश्च क्षणविध्वंसि पश्यंती निर्गता ह्यहम् । नरकार्णवसंपात दारुणांतर वह्निना
Seeing her body perishing in a moment, I departed, tormented by the dreadful inner fire of the ocean of hell.
हृदये कुणपव्याघ्र तदा तत्तप्यमानया । मया गत्वा कृतं स्नानं माघे मासि सितासिते
With a heart afflicted by the beast of a corpse, I went and bathed at the white and black fords in the month of Māgha.
तस्य स्नानस्य माहात्म्यं शृणु वृद्धनिशाचर । त्र्यहात्पापक्षयो जातः सप्तविंशतिभिर्दिनैः
Hear, O aged night-wanderer, the greatness of that bath: in three days, my sins were destroyed; in twenty-seven days—
शेषैर्मे यदभूत्पुण्यं तेन देवत्वमागता । रममाणा तु कैलासे गिरिजायाः प्रिया सखी
The merit that remained to me from that bath brought me divinity; I delighted on Kailāsa as the dear friend of Girijā.
जातिस्मरा तथा जाता प्रयागस्य प्रभावतः । स्मृत्वा प्रयागमाहात्म्यं माघे माघे व्रजाम्यहम्
By the power of Prayāga, I was born with memory of my past life; remembering the greatness of Prayāga, I go there every Māgha.
इति राक्षस यत्पृष्टं त्वया विस्मितचेतसा । तन्मया कथितं सर्वं चरितं प्रीतये तव
Thus, O Rākṣasa, all that you, amazed in mind, asked, I have told you in full, my story, for your delight.