इंद्रस्य वचनात्सद्यो गतोऽसौ दानवैः सह । योद्धुं विहाय गोविंदो भृगोश्चैव मखोत्तमम्
At Indra’s request, Govinda immediately went away with the Dānavas to fight, abandoning Bhṛgu’s great sacrifice.
मखं त्यक्त्वा गते देवे पश्चात्तैर्दानवोत्तमैः । आगत्य ध्वंसितः सर्वः स यज्ञः पापचेतनैः
When the god had left the sacrifice, the foremost Dānavas came afterwards and, with evil intent, destroyed that entire sacrifice.
हरिं क्रुद्धः स योगींद्रः शशाप भृगुरेव तम् । दशजन्मानि भुंक्ष्व त्वं मच्छापकलुषीकृतः
Enraged, Bhṛgu, the lord of yogis, cursed Hari himself: 'Because you are tainted by my curse, you shall experience ten births.'
कर्मणः स्वस्य संभोगं संभोक्ष्यति जनार्दनः । तन्निमित्तं त्वया देवि दुःस्वप्नः परिवीक्षितः
Janārdana will undergo the consequences of his own actions. Because of this, O goddess, you have seen an evil dream.
इत्युक्त्वा तां गतो विप्रो ब्रह्मलोकं स नारदः । कृष्णस्यापि सुदुःखेन दुःखिता साभवत्तदा
Having spoken thus, the brāhmaṇa Nārada went to Brahmā’s world. At that time, Kṛṣṇā was overcome with great sorrow.
रुरोद करुणं बाला हाहेति वदती मुहुः । गङ्गातीरोपविष्टा सा जलांते शृणु नन्दन
She wept bitterly, the young girl, crying out 'Alas!' again and again, as she sat by the bank of the Gaṅgā, at the water’s edge. Listen, O Nandana.
सुनेत्राभ्यां तथाश्रूणि दुःखेनापि प्रमुंचति । तान्यश्रूणि प्रमुक्तानि गंगातोये पतंत्यपि
From her beautiful eyes, tears fell even in her grief; those tears, as they dropped, fell into the waters of the Gaṅgā.
जले चैव निमज्जंति तस्याश्चाप्यश्रुबिंदवः । संभवंति पुनस्तात पद्मरूपाणि तानि च
And as those drops of her tears sank into the water, O dear one, they again became lotuses.
गंगातोये प्रफुल्लानि वाहितानि प्रयांति वै । ददृशे दानवश्रेष्ठो विष्णुमायाप्रमोहितः
Carried along in the waters of the Gaṅgā, those blooming lotuses floated away. The chief of the Dānavas, deluded by Viṣṇu’s māyā, saw them.
दुःखजानि न जानाति मुनिना कथितान्यपि । हर्षेण महताविष्टः परिजग्राह सोऽसुरः
He did not know they were born of sorrow, even though a sage had told him. Overcome with great joy, that Asura took them.
पद्मैस्तु पुष्पितैः सोपि पूजयेद्गिरिजाप्रियम् । सप्तकोटिभिर्दैत्येंद्रो विष्णुमायाप्रमोहितः
With those blossoming lotuses, the lord of the Daityas, deluded by Viṣṇu’s māyā, worshipped the beloved of Girijā with seventy million flowers.
अथ क्रुद्धा जगद्धात्री शंकरं वाक्यमब्रवीत् । पश्यैतस्य विकर्म त्वं दानवस्य महामते
Then, the world-supporting goddess, angered, spoke to Śaṃkara: 'See, O wise one, the misdeed of this Dānava.'
शोकोत्पन्नानि पद्मानि गंगातोयगतानि वै । अयमेष प्रगृह्णाति कामाकुलितचेतनः
'The lotuses born of sorrow, which have entered the waters of the Gaṅgā, this one, his mind agitated by desire, is gathering.'
पूजयेच्चापि दुष्टात्मा शोकसंतापकारकैः । दुःखजैः शोकजैः पुष्पैस्तैः सुश्रेयः कथं भवेत्
'This wicked-souled one even worships with those flowers born of grief and pain. How can true welfare arise from flowers born of sorrow and suffering?'
यादृशेनापि भावेन मामेव परिपूजयेत् । तादृशेनापि भावेन अस्य सिद्धिर्भविष्यति
'Yet, in whatever manner one worships me, in just that manner will success come to him.'
सत्यध्यानविहीनोयं कामोदा न्यस्तमानसः । संजातः पापचारित्रो जहि देवि स्वतेजसा
'He is devoid of true meditation, his mind set on desire, his nature turned to evil. O goddess, destroy him by your own power.'
एवमाकर्ण्य तद्वाक्यं शंभोश्चैव महात्मनः । अस्यैव संक्षयं शंभो करिष्ये तव शासनात्
Hearing these words of the great-souled Śambhu, I will bring about the destruction of this very one, by your command, O Śambhu.
एवमुक्त्वा ततो देवी तस्यापि वधकांक्षया । वर्त्तते हि विहुंडस्य वधोपायं व्यचिंतयत्
Having spoken thus, then the goddess, desiring to kill him as well, considered a means to slay Vihuṇḍa.
कृत्वा मायामयं रूपं ब्राह्मणस्य महात्मनः । पूजयेच्छंकरं नाथं सुपुष्पैः पारिजातजैः
Assuming the illusory form of a great-souled brāhmaṇa, she worshipped Lord Śaṃkara with excellent pārijāta flowers.
समेत्य दानवः पापो दिव्यां पूजां विनाशयेत् । कामाकुलः सुदुःखार्तस्तद्गतो भावतत्परः
The sinful demon, coming there, destroyed the divine worship, overwhelmed by desire, tormented by great sorrow, his mind absorbed in her.
विष्णोश्चैव महामायां पूर्वदृष्टां स दानवः । सस्मार दानवः पापः कामबाणैः प्रपीडितः
That demon, afflicted by the arrows of desire, remembered Viṣṇu’s great māyā, seen before.
तस्याः स्मरणमात्रेण कंदर्पेण बलीयसा । विरहाकुलदुःखार्तो रोदते हि मुहुर्मुहुः
At the mere remembrance of her, by the powerful god of love, distressed by the pain of separation, he wept again and again.
कालाकृष्टः स दुष्टात्मा शोकजातानि तानि सः । परिगृह्य समायातः पूजनार्थी महेश्वरम्
Drawn by time, that wicked-souled one, embracing those sorrows born of grief, came seeking to worship Maheśvara.
देव्या कृतां हि पूजां च सुपुष्पैः पारिजातजैः । तां निर्णाश्य सुलोभेन शोकजैः परिपूजयेत्
The worship performed by the goddess with excellent pārijāta flowers, he destroyed, and out of greed, worshipped with tears born of sorrow.
नेत्राभ्यां तस्य दुष्टस्य बिंदवस्तेऽश्रुसंभवाः । अविरलास्ततो वत्स पतंति लिंगमस्तके
From the eyes of that wicked one, uninterrupted drops arising from tears fell, O child, upon the head of the liṅga.
देवी ब्राह्मणरूपेण तमुवाच महामते । को भवान्पूजयेद्देवं शोकाकुलमनाः सदा
The goddess, in the form of a brāhmaṇa, spoke to him, O wise one: ‘Who are you, who worships the god, your mind always overwhelmed by sorrow?’
पतंत्यश्रूणि देवस्य मस्तके शोकजानि ते । अपवित्राणि मे ब्रूहि एतमर्थं ममाग्रतः
Tears born of sorrow fall from your eyes onto the head of the god; tell me, in my presence, what is the meaning of this impurity.
विहुंड उवाच- पूर्वं दृष्टा मया नारी सर्वसौभाग्यसंपदा । सर्वलक्षणसंपन्ना कामस्यायतनं महत्
Vihuṇḍa said: Formerly I saw a woman endowed with all auspicious fortune, possessing every mark, a great abode of desire.
तस्या मोहेन संदग्धः कामेनाकुलतां गतः । तया प्रोक्तं हि संभोगे देहि मे दायमुत्तमम्
Burned by delusion for her, overcome by desire, she said to me in union, ‘Give me the highest share.’
कामोदसंभवैः पुष्पैः पूजयस्व महेश्वरम् । तेषां पुष्पकृतां मालां मम कंठे परिक्षिप
‘Worship Maheśvara with flowers born of the joy of desire; place a garland made of those flowers around my neck.’