वागीशापि न शक्नोति तीर्थानां तत्वविस्तरम् । सत्यं तीर्थं दयातीर्थं तीर्थमिंद्रियविग्रहः
Even the Lord of Speech cannot expound the full essence of the tirthas; truly, tirtha is the tirtha of compassion, the tirtha of self-restraint.
तस्यास्तीर्थे प्रयत्नेन स्नानं कुर्यान्न संशयः । प्रातःकालो मुहूर्तांस्त्रीन्संगवस्तावदेव तु
At that tirtha, one should bathe with effort, without doubt; in the morning, for three muhurtas, only the confluence is to be observed.
तदा स्नानादिकं तीर्थे देवानां प्रीतिदायकम् । मध्याह्नस्त्रिमुहूर्तः स्यादपराह्णस्ततः परम्
Then, bathing and related rites at the tirtha bring delight to the gods; midday comprises three muhurtas, and thereafter is the afternoon.
पितॄणां प्रीतिजननं स्नानपिंडादि तर्पणम् । सायाह्नस्त्रिमुहूर्तः स्याच्छ्राद्धं तत्र न कारयेत्
For the ancestors, bathing, offering of pinda, and libations generate satisfaction; the evening comprises three muhurtas, but śrāddha should not be performed then.
राक्षसी नाम सा वेला गर्हिता सर्वकर्मसु । अह्नो मुहूर्ता विख्याता दशपंच च सर्वदा
That period called Rākṣasī is condemned for all rituals; ten and five muhurtas of the day are always renowned.
तत्राष्टमो मुहूर्तो यः स कालः कुतुपः स्मृतः । मध्याह्ने सर्वदा यस्मान्मंदी भवति भास्करः
There, the eighth muhūrta is known as the time called Kutupa; because at midday the sun becomes faint.
तस्मादनंतफलदः पितॄणां पिंडदानतः । मध्याह्नः खङ्गपात्रं च तथा नेपालकंबलः
Therefore, the offering of pinda to the ancestors at midday yields endless fruit; the sword vessel and the Nepalese blanket likewise.
रूप्यं दर्भास्तथा गावो दौहित्रं कुतपास्तिलाः । पापं कुत्सितमित्याहुस्तस्य संतापकारकाः
Silver, darbha grass, cows, the daughter's son, kutupa sesame seeds—these are said to be sinful and contemptible, causing distress.
अष्टावेते यतस्तस्मात्कुतपा इति विश्रुताः । ऊर्द्ध्वं मुहूर्तात्कुतुपात्यन्मुहूर्त चतुष्टयम्
Because of these eight, they are renowned as kutupa; above the kutupa, there are four more muhurtas.
महूर्तपंचकं चैतच्छ्राद्धकाले समिष्यते । विष्णोर्देहात्समुद्भूताः कुशाः कृष्णतिलाः स्मृताः
This set of five muhurtas is approved for the time of śrāddha; kuśa grass and black sesame seeds are remembered as arising from the body of Vishnu.
श्राद्धस्य रक्षणार्थाय एवमाहुर्दिवौकसः । तिलोदकांजलिर्देयो जलस्थैस्तीर्थवासिभिः
The gods have thus declared, for the protection of the śrāddha, that a handful of sesame water should be offered by those residing at the holy waters.
सदर्भहस्तैरेकेन श्राद्धमेवं न हिंस्यते । साभ्रमत्यां नामधेयैरिति तीर्थप्रवेशनम्
With darbha grass in hand, if one performs the śrāddha in this way, it is not harmed; and with proper recitation of names, this is the entrance to the holy place.
कारयित्वा मया देवि दत्ता वै कश्यपाय च । मम भक्तः कश्यपोसौ वल्लभो मम सर्वदा
Having caused it to be established by me, O goddess, it was also given to Kaśyapa; my devotee is Kaśyapa, and he is always dear to me.
दत्ता तस्मादियं गंगा पवित्रा पापनाशिनी । साभ्रमत्यां महाभागे तीर्थे वै ब्रह्मचारिके
Therefore, this Gaṅgā was given, pure and destroyer of sins; in the holy place called Sābhramatī, O highly fortunate one, for those observing celibacy.
आत्मानं च प्रतिष्ठाप्य तन्नाम्ना शंकरो ह्यहम् । स्थितो लोकहितार्थाय ब्रह्मचारीश संज्ञकः
Having established myself there, by that name I, Śaṅkara, indeed remain, for the welfare of the world, known as Brahmacārīśa.
साभ्रमत्यामुपकंठे ब्रह्मचारीश संज्ञके । कलौ भक्तो विशेषेण पूजनं कुरुते यदा
Near Sābhramatī, at the place called Brahmacārīśa, when, especially in the Kali age, a devotee performs worship,
इहलोके सुखं भुक्त्वा याति शैवं पदं महत् । महद्भिर्व्याधिभिश्चैव पीडितो यदि गच्छति
enjoying happiness in this world, he attains the great Śaiva state; and even if afflicted by great diseases, if he departs,
यस्याशु नश्यति व्याधिर्दर्शनाच्च महेश्वरि । गत्वा वै तस्य संस्थाने उपवासी जितेंद्रियः
his disease quickly perishes, O great goddess, merely by seeing; and having gone to that place, fasting and with controlled senses,
पूजनं कुरुते भक्त्या रात्रौ तिष्ठन्सुनिश्चलः । तदाहं योगिरूपेण दर्शनं तस्य यामि हि
if he worships with devotion, standing firm through the night, then I, in the form of a yogi, indeed come to give him my vision.
ददामि वांच्छितान्कामान्सत्यं सत्यं वरानने । ममस्थाने विशेषेण समायांति च ये जनाः
I grant the desired wishes—truly, truly, O beautiful-faced one—to those people who especially come to my place.
तेषां व्याधिप्रशमनं करोमि सुचिरादहम् । चतुरशीतिसंज्ञेयो व्याधिः संकथितो मया
For them, I bring relief from disease after a long time; the disease, known as eighty-four types, has been described by me.
स स व्याधिर्विनश्येत दर्शनादेव सुंदरि । न लिंगं वर्तते तत्र मामकं नगनंदिनि
That disease is destroyed merely by the sight, O beautiful one; my liṅga does not exist there, O daughter of the mountain.
स्नानमात्रं तु तत्रैव मामकं नात्र संशयः । एकस्मिन्नेव काले तु अस्यां भूमौ महातपाः
There, only bathing is to be performed for me—of this there is no doubt; at one and the same time, on this earth, O great ascetic,
राजा वै सूर्यवंशीयो ब्रह्मदत्तस्तु वीर्यवान् । तेन राज्ञा तपस्तप्तं बहुकालं सुरेश्वरि
there was a king of the solar dynasty, Brahmadatta, powerful; by that king, O queen of the gods, austerity was performed for a long time.
पंचाग्निसाधनं तेन कृतं च बहुधा ततः । मासोपवासकादीनि तपस्तप्तान्यनेकशः
He performed the practice of the five fires in many ways; and many austerities such as monthly fasting and others were undertaken repeatedly.
एवं बहुतरं कालं राज्ञा तप्तं तपो महत् । प्रत्यक्षोऽहं तदा जातो वरार्थं वरवर्णिनि
Thus, for a very long time, the king performed great austerity; then I appeared before him in person, O beautiful one, for the sake of granting a boon.
ब्रह्मदत्त शृणुष्व त्वं महद्वाक्यं नरेश्वर । यं यं वांछयसे नित्यं तं तं दद्मि न संशयः
"Brahmadatta, listen to this great statement, O king: whatever you desire always, that I shall grant, without doubt."
तेनोक्तं मम देवेश वांच्छितं यदि दीयते । एक एव वरो देव दीयतां मम सर्वदा
He said to me, "O Lord of the gods, if my wish is to be granted, let there be only one boon always given to me, O god."
मम नाम्ना हि देवेश ईश्वरो भुवि जायताम् । तेन वाक्येन संतुष्टो वरो दत्तो मयाऽनघे
By my name indeed, O Lord of the gods, let the Lord be born on earth; pleased by that request, I have granted a boon, O sinless one.
तदाहं तेन वै सार्द्धं निवसामि सुरेश्वरि । अत्र स्थित्वा निराहारो भक्तिं कुर्यादशेषतः
Then I dwell together with him, O Queen of the gods; remaining here, if one performs devotion in every way, fasting,