श्रीमहादेवउवाच-★ एवमस्तु महादेवि नन्दनं देवसङ्कुलम् । दर्शयिष्यामि ते पुण्यं द्विजसिद्धनिषेवितम्
Shri Mahadeva said: So be it, O great goddess! I will show you the blessed Nandana forest, crowded with gods and frequented by twice-born sages.
एवमाभाष्य तां देवीं तया सह गणैस्ततः । स गन्तुमुत्सुको देवो नन्दनं वनमेव तु
Having thus spoken to the goddess, the god, together with her and the attendants, was eager to go to the Nandana forest.
सर्वगं सुन्दरं दिव्यपृष्ठमाभरणैर्युतम्। घंटामालाभिसंयुक्तं किङ्किणीजालमालिनम्
All-pervading, beautiful, with a divine back adorned with ornaments, decked with garlands of bells and strings of tinkling ornaments,
चामरैः पट्टसूत्रैश्च मुक्तामालासुशोभितम्। हंसचंद्रप्रतीकाशं वृषभं चारुलक्षणम्
Adorned with yak-tail fans and silk cords, shining with pearl necklaces, resembling a swan and the moon, the bull had auspicious marks.
समारूढो महादेवो गणकोटिसमावृतः। नन्दिभृङ्गिमहाकालस्कन्दचण्डमनोहराः
Mounted upon it, the great god, surrounded by hosts of attendants—Nandi, Bhringi, Mahakala, Skanda, Chanda, and Manohara—
वीरभद्रो गणेशश्च पुष्पदन्तो मणीश्वरः । अतिबलःसुबलो नाम मेघनादो घटावहः
Virabhadra, Ganesha, Pushpadanta, Manishvara, Atibala, Subala by name, Meghanada, Ghatavaha,
घण्टाकर्णश्च कालिन्दः पुलिन्दो वीरबाहुकः। केशरी किंकरो नाम चण्डहासः प्रजापतिः
Ghantakarna, Kalinda, Pulinda, Virabahuka, Keshari, Kinkara by name, Chandahasa, Prajapati—
एते चान्ये च बहवः सनकाद्यास्तपोबलाः। गणैश्च कोटिसंख्यातैः सशिवः परिवारितः
These and many others, beginning with Sanaka, powerful through their austerities, together with hosts numbering in the crores, surrounded Shiva.
नन्दनं वनमेवापि सेवितं देवकिन्नरैः। प्रविवेश महादेवो गणैर्देव्यासमन्वितः
The Nandana grove, attended by gods and kinnaras, was entered by the great Lord, accompanied by his hosts and the goddess.
दर्शयामास देवेशो गिरिजायै सुशोभनम् । नानापादपसम्पन्नं बहुपुष्पसमाकुलम्
The Lord of the gods showed to Girijā the splendid grove, abundant with various trees and crowded with many flowers.
दिव्यं रम्भावनाकीर्णं पुष्पवद्भिस्तु चम्पकैः । मल्लिकाभिः सुपुष्पाभिर्मालतीजालसंकुलम्
It was a divine grove filled with celestial plantains, blossoming champaka flowers, richly blooming jasmine, and dense clusters of mālatī creepers.
नित्यं पुष्पितशाखाभिः पाटलानां वनोत्तमैः। राजमानं महावृक्षैश्चंदनैश्चारुगंधिभिः
Ever-flowering branches of the finest pāṭala trees adorned it, resplendent with great trees and sandalwoods of delightful fragrance.
देवदारुवनैर्जुष्टं तुंगवृक्षैः समाकुलम्। सरलैर्नालिकेरैश्च तद्वत्पूगीफलद्रुमैः
It was graced with groves of deodar, crowded with tall trees, and likewise with pines, coconut palms, and betel-nut trees.
खर्जूरपनसैर्दिव्यैः फलभारावनामितैः। परिमलोद्गारसंयुक्तैर्गुरुवृक्षसमाकुलम्
There were divine date and jackfruit trees, bent with the weight of their fruit, exuding fragrance, and filled with mighty trees.
अग्नितेजः समाभासैः सप्तपर्णैः सुशोभितम् । राजवृक्षैः कदंबैश्च पुष्पशोभान्वितं सदा
It was beautified by saptaparṇa trees, shining with the radiance of fire, and ever adorned with royal trees and kadamba, resplendent with blossoms.
जंबूनिंबमहावृक्षैर्मातुलिगैः समाकुलम् । नारंगैः सिंधुवारैश्च प्रियालैः शालतिंदुकैः
It was crowded with great jambu and nimba trees, citron trees, orange trees, sindhuvāra, priyāla, śāla, and tiṃduka trees.
उदुंबरैः कपित्थैश्च जंबूपादपशोभितम् । लकुचैः पुष्पसौगंधैः स्फुटनागैः समाकुलम्
With udumbara and kapittha trees, the grove was adorned with jambu trees, crowded with lakuca trees, fragrant with flowers, and blossoming nāga trees.
चूतैश्च फलराजाद्यैर्नीलैश्चैव घनोपमैः । नीलैः शालवनैर्दिव्यैर्जालानां तु वनैस्ततः
There were mango trees, foremost among fruit-bearers, and deep-blue trees like rainclouds, with divine śāla groves and thickets of intertwined vines.
तमालैस्तु विशालैश्च सेवितं तपनोपमैः । शोभितं नंदनं पुण्यं शिवेन परिदर्शितम्
It was attended by broad tamāla trees, shining like the sun, and the blessed Nandana grove, revealed by Śiva, was splendid.
शोभितं च द्रुमैश्चान्यैः सर्वैर्नीलवनोपमैः । सर्वकामफलोपेतैः कल्याणफलदायकैः
It was adorned with other trees as well, all resembling blue groves, bearing all desired fruits and bestowing auspicious rewards.
कल्पद्रुमैर्महापुण्यैः शोभितं नंदनं वनम् । नानापक्षिनिनादैश्च संकुलं मधुरस्वरैः
The Nandana grove was beautified by wish-fulfilling trees of great merit, and filled with the sweet voices of many kinds of birds.
कोकिलानां रुतैः पुण्यैरुद्घुष्टं मधुकारिभिः । मकरंदविलुब्धानां पक्षिणां रुतनादितम्
It resounded with the auspicious calls of cuckoos and the humming of bees, and was filled with the cries of birds intoxicated by nectar.
नानवृक्षैः समाकीर्णं नानामृगगणायुतम् । वृक्षेभ्यो विविधैः पुष्पैस्सौगंधैः पतितैर्भुवि
It was crowded with many kinds of trees and teeming with various groups of animals, while the ground was strewn with fragrant fallen flowers of many sorts.
सा च भू राजते पुत्र पूजिते वसुगंधिभिः । तत्र वाप्यो महापुण्याः पद्मसौगंधनिर्मलाः
That land shone, O son, honored by fragrant herbs; there were great, meritorious ponds, pure with the scent of lotuses.
तोयैस्ताः पूरिताः पुत्र हंसकारंडसेविताः। तडागैः सागरप्रख्यैस्तोयसौगंधपूजितैः
Those ponds, O son, were filled with water, frequented by swans and kāraṇḍava ducks, and with lakes vast as oceans, honored by the fragrance of their waters.
नंदनं भाति सर्वत्र गणैरप्सरसां महत्। विमानैः कलशैः शुभ्रैर्हेमदंडैः सुशोभनैः
Everywhere the Nandana grove shone, filled with the great hosts of apsarases, with splendid aerial mansions adorned with bright golden pillars.
नंदनो वनराजस्तु प्रासादैस्तु सुधान्वितैः। यत्र तत्र प्रभात्येव किन्नराणां महागणैः
The Nandana forest, adorned with splendid palaces, shines everywhere with the great hosts of Kinnaras.
गंधर्वैरप्सरोभिश्च सुरूपाभिर्द्विजोत्तम । देवतानां विनोदैश्च मुनिवृंदैः सुयोगिभिः
O best of twice-born, it is radiant with Gandharvas and Apsaras of beautiful form, with the amusements of the gods, and with groups of accomplished sages.
सर्वत्र शुशुभे पुण्यसंस्थानं नंदनस्य च
Everywhere, the sacred abode of Nandana shines with auspiciousness.
एवं समालोक्य महानुभावो भवः सुदेव्यासहितो महात्मा। श्रीनंदनं पुण्यवतां निवासं सुखाकरं शांतिगुणोपपन्नम्
Thus, beholding this, the mighty Bhava, accompanied by Sudevi, the great-souled one, saw the glorious Nandana, the dwelling of the virtuous, full of happiness and endowed with the qualities of peace.