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.
आदित्यतेजः समतेजसां गणैः प्रभाति वै रश्मिभिर्जातरूपः। पुष्पैः फलैः कामगुणोपपन्नः कल्पद्रुमो नंदनकाननेपि
The wish-fulfilling tree in the Nandana forest shines with rays like the brilliance of the sun, among groups of equally radiant beings, adorned with golden light, flowers, fruits, and endowed with desirable qualities.
एवंविधं पादपराजमेव संवीक्ष्य देवी च शिवं बभाषे। अस्याभिधानं कथयस्व नाथ सर्वस्य पुण्यस्य नगस्य पुण्यम्
Having seen such a splendid tree, the goddess spoke to Shiva: 'Tell me, O Lord, the name of this tree, and the merit of this sacred mountain.'
तेजस्विनां सूर्यवरः समंतात्स देव देवीं च शिवो बभाषे । शिव उवाच- अस्य प्रतिष्ठा महती शुभाख्या देवेषु मुख्यो मधुसूदनश्च
Surrounded by radiant beings, the foremost Sun, Shiva, spoke to the goddess: 'Shiva said: Its establishment is great and called auspicious; among the gods, Madhusudana is foremost.'
नदीषु मुख्या सुरनिम्नगापि विसृष्टिकर्त्तापि यथैव धाता । सुखावहानां च यथा सुचंद्रो भूतेषु मुख्या च यथैव पृथ्वी
Just as among rivers the divine stream is chief, and among creators Dhata is foremost, as the moon is chief among those who bring happiness, and the earth among beings,
नगेंद्रराजो हि यथा नगानां जलाशयेष्वेव यथा समुद्रः । महौषधीनामिव देवि चान्नं महीधराणां हिमवान्यथैव
As the king of mountains is foremost among mountains, and the ocean among reservoirs of water, as food is chief among great herbs, so is Himavat among mountains, O goddess.
विद्यासु मध्ये च यथात्मविद्या लोकेषु सर्वेषु यथा नरेंद्रः। तथैव मुख्यस्तरुराज एष सर्वातिथिर्देवपतेः प्रियोयम्
As self-knowledge is chief among all forms of knowledge, and as the king is chief among all people, so too is this king of trees foremost, beloved guest of the lord of gods.
श्रीपार्वत्युवाच- गुणान्नु शंभो मम कीर्त्तयस्व वृक्षाधिपस्यास्य शुभान्सुपुण्यान् । आकर्ण्य देवो वचनं बभाषे देव्यास्तु सर्वं सुतरोर्हि तस्य
Śrī Pārvatī said: 'O Śambhu, recount to me the auspicious and meritorious qualities of this lord of trees.' Hearing the goddess's words, the god spoke: 'All virtues belong to this tree.'
यं यं कल्पयंति सुपुण्यदेवा देवोपमा देववराश्च कांते । तं तं हि तेभ्यः प्रददाति वृक्षः कल्पद्रुमो नाम वरिष्ठ एषः
Whatever the most virtuous gods, those equal to the gods, and the best of gods desire, O lovely one, this wish-fulfilling tree grants to them; it is the most excellent.
अस्माच्च सर्वे प्रभवंति पुण्या दुःप्राप्यमत्रैव तपोधिकास्ते। जीवाधिकं रत्नमयं सुदिव्यं देवास्तु भुंजंति महाप्रधानाः
From it all meritorious things arise, difficult to obtain and surpassing asceticism; the chief gods enjoy the most divine, jewel-like, and vital treasures here.
शुश्राव देवी वचनं शिवस्य आश्चर्यभूतं मनसा विचिंत्य । तस्यानुमत्या परिकल्पितं च स्त्रीरत्नमेकं सुगुणं सुरूपम्
The goddess heard Shiva's words, wondrous and pondered in her mind; with her consent, a single jewel among women, virtuous and beautiful, was conceived.