दिव्यं दिव्यगुणं पुण्यं पुण्यधाम समाकुलम् । सेवितं पुण्यलोकैश्च पुण्यराशिं महागिरिम्
That great mountain, filled with divine, virtuous, and holy qualities, is frequented by the righteous and is a vast storehouse of merit.
पुलिंदभिल्लकोलैश्च सेवितं पर्वतोत्तमम् । विकटैः शिखरैः कोटैरद्रिराजः प्रकाशते
The supreme mountain is visited by Pulindas, Bhillas, and Kolas, and the king of mountains shines with its rugged peaks and summits.
अन्यैर्नानाविधैः पुण्यैः कौतुकैर्मंगलैः शुभैः । गंगोदकप्रवाहैश्च महाशब्दं प्रसुस्रुवे
With other various auspicious and wondrous holy things, and with the roaring streams of the Ganga's waters, it produces a great sound.
शंकरस्य गृहं तत्र कैलासं गतवानहम् । तत्राश्चर्यं मया दृष्टं यन्न दृष्टं कदा श्रुतम्
There I reached Kailāsa, the home of Śaṅkara; there I saw a marvel, never before seen or heard.
श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि तात सर्वं मयोदितम् । शिखराद्गिरिराजस्य मेरोः पुण्यान्महोदयात्
Listen, dear one, I will tell you everything I saw, from the blessed and glorious summit of Mount Meru.
हिमक्षीरसुवर्णस्तु प्रवाहः पतते भुवि । गंगायाश्च महाभाग रंहसा घोषभूषितः
A stream of snow, milk, and gold falls to the earth, and the mighty Ganga, adorned with a great sound, flows swiftly.
कैलासस्य शिरः प्राप्य तत्र विस्तरतां गतः । दशयोजनमानेन तत्र गंगा ह्रदो महान्
Reaching the summit of Kailāsa, there it spreads wide; there is a great lake of the Ganga, ten yojanas across.
महातोयेन पुण्येन विमलेन विराजते । सर्वतोभद्रतां प्राप्तो महाहंसैः प्रशोभते
It shines with pure, holy water, and is entirely auspicious, adorned with great swans.
सामोच्चारेण पुण्येन दिव्येन मधुरेण च । हंसास्तत्र प्रकूजंति सरस्तेन विराजते
There, the swans sing with a divine, sweet, and sacred melody, and the lake is made splendid by their calls.
तस्य तीरे शिलायां वै हिमकन्या महामते । आसीना मुक्तकेशांता रूपद्रविणशालिनी
On its shore, on a rock, sat the daughter of the snow mountain, O wise one, her hair unbound, endowed with beauty and wealth.
दिव्यरूपसुसंपन्ना सगुणा दिव्यलक्षणा । दिव्यालंकारभूषा च तस्यास्तीरे विराजते
She was possessed of divine form and virtues, adorned with celestial marks and ornaments, and she shone on that shore.
न जाने गिरिराजस्य तनया वा महोदधेः । नो वास्ति ब्रह्मणः पत्नी सा वा स्वाहा भविष्यति
I do not know if she is the daughter of the king of mountains, or of the great ocean, or the wife of Brahma, or perhaps she is Svāhā herself.
इंद्राणी वा महाभागा रोहिणी वा भविष्यति । ईदृशी रूपसंपत्तिर्युवतीनां न दृश्यते
Whether she be Indrani, most fortunate, or Rohini, such beauty and grace in young women is not seen.
अन्यासां च सुदिव्यानां नारीणां तात सर्वथा । यादृशं रूपसंभावं गुणशीलं प्रदृश्यते
And among other supremely divine women, O dear one, the kind of beauty, virtue, and character that is observed is extraordinary.
अप्सरसां कदा नास्ति तादृशं रूपलक्षणम् । यादृशं तु मया दृष्टं तदंगं विश्वमोहनम्
Even among the Apsaras, there is never such a mark of beauty as I have seen—her form enchanting the whole world.
शिलापदे समासीना दुःखेनापि समाकुला । रुदते सुस्वरैर्बाला अनेकैः स्वजनैर्विना
Seated upon a stone slab, troubled even in her sorrow, the young girl weeps with sweet sounds, bereft of her many loved ones.
अश्रूणि मुंचमाना सा मुक्ताभानि बहूनि च । निर्मलानि सरस्यत्र पतंत्येव महामते
She sheds many tears, resembling pearls, pure and clear, which fall into the lake, O wise one.
बिंदवो मौक्तिकाभास्ते निपतंति महोदके । तेभ्यो भवंति पद्मानि हृद्यानि सुरभीणि तु
Those drops, shining like pearls, fall into the great water; from them arise lotuses, delightful and fragrant.
पद्मानि जज्ञिरे तेभ्यो नेत्राश्रुभ्यो महामते । गंगांभसि तरंत्येव असंख्यातानि तानि तु
Lotuses were born from those tears, O wise one; countless of them float upon the waters of the Ganga.
पतितानि सुहृद्यानि रंहसा यानि तानि तु । गंगाप्रवाहमध्ये तु हंसवृंदैः सुसेविते
Those fallen, pleasing lotuses swiftly move in the midst of the Ganga’s flow, attended by flocks of swans.
भागीरथ्याः प्रवाहस्तु तस्मात्स्थानाद्विनिर्गतः । कैलासशिखरं प्राप्य रत्नाख्यं चारुकंदरम्
The stream of the Bhagirathi, departing from that place, reaches the peak of Kailasa and the charming cave called Ratna.
वर्तते तोयपूर्णस्तु योजनद्वयविस्तृतः । हंसवृंदसमाकीर्णो जलपक्षि समाकुलः
There flows a lake, full of water, two yojanas wide, crowded with flocks of swans and teeming with water birds.
नानावर्णविशेषाणि संति पद्मानि तत्र च । प्रवाहे निर्मले तात मुनिवृंदनिषेविते
There, variously colored and remarkable lotuses are found, O dear one, in the pure stream, frequented by groups of sages.
अश्रुभ्यो यानि जातानि प्रभाते कमलानि तु । गंगोदकप्लुतान्येव सौरभाणि महांति च
The lotuses that arose from her tears in the morning are fragrant and great, having been washed by the waters of the Ganga.
प्रतरंति प्रवाहे तु निर्मले जलपूरिते । मध्ये मध्ये सुहंसैश्च जलपक्षिनिनादिते
They float in the pure, water-filled stream, and here and there are accompanied by sweet-sounding swans and water birds.
सूत उवाच- रत्नाख्ये तु गिरौ तस्मिन्रत्नेश्वरमहेश्वरः । देवदैत्यसुपूज्योपि तिष्ठते तात सर्वदा
Suta said: On that mountain called Ratna, Ratneshvara Maheshvara, worshipped by gods and demons, always resides, O dear one.
तत्र दृष्टो मया तात कश्चित्पुण्यमयो मुनिः । जटाभारसमाक्रांतो निर्वासा दंडधारकः
There I saw, O dear one, a certain sage full of merit, burdened with matted hair, wearing only a loincloth, and holding a staff.
निराधारो निराहारस्तपसातीव दुर्बलः । कृशांगोऽप्यस्थिसंघातस्त्वचामात्रेण वेष्टितः
Without support, without food, exceedingly weak from austerity, his body thin, a mere assemblage of bones wrapped only in skin.
भस्मोद्धूलितमात्राणि सर्वांगानि महात्मनः । शुष्कपत्राणि भक्षेत शीर्णानि पतितानि च
His limbs were covered only with ashes, O great-souled one; he ate dry leaves, withered and fallen.
शिवभक्तिसमासीनो दुराधारो महातपाः । अश्रुभ्यो यानि जातानि पद्मानि सुरभीणि च
Seated in devotion to Shiva, difficult to sustain, possessed of great austerity, the fragrant lotuses that arose from her tears.