देव उवाच-। एतत्सर्वं करिष्यामि मा विषादं करिष्यथ । अचिरेणैव कालेन कुर्यां युष्मत्सुखावहम्
The god said: 'I shall do all this; do not be disheartened. In a short time, I will bring you happiness.'
आश्वासयित्वा तान्सर्वान्नर्मदातटमास्थितः । चिंतयामास सर्वेशस्तद्वधं प्रति पांडव
Having reassured them all, he took his place on the bank of the Narmada; the Lord of all pondered, O Pandava, on the means to slay him.
कथं केन प्रकारेण हंतव्यस्त्रिपुरो मया । एवं संचिंत्य भगवान्नारदं स्मरते तदा । स्मरणादेव संप्राप्तो नारदः समुपस्थितः
How, and by what means, should I destroy Tripura? Thus reflecting, the Blessed Lord then remembers Nārada. By the very act of remembrance, Nārada immediately appears and stands before him.
नारद उवाच-। आज्ञापय महादेव किमर्थं संस्मृतो ह्यहम् । किं कार्यं तु मया देव कर्तव्यं कथयस्व मे
Nārada said: Command me, O Great God! For what purpose have I been remembered? What task must I accomplish, O Lord? Tell me.
ईश्वर उवाच-। गच्छ नारद तत्रैव यत्र तत्त्रिपुरं पुरम् । बाणस्य दानवेन्द्रस्य शीघ्रं गच्छाथ तत्कुरु
Īśvara said: Go, Nārada, to that very place where the city of Tripura is. Go swiftly to Bāṇa, the lord of the demons, and do what must be done.
भर्तारो देवताभाश्च स्त्रियश्चाप्सरसोपमाः । तासां वै तेजसा विप्र भ्रमते त्रिपुरं दिवि
Its lords are like the gods, and its women resemble celestial nymphs; by their radiance, O brāhmaṇa, Tripura shines in the heavens.
तत्र गत्वा तु विप्रेंद्र मंत्रमन्यं प्रचोदय । देवस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा मुनिस्त्वरितविक्रमः
Go there, O foremost of brāhmaṇas, and inspire another mantra. Hearing the god's words, the sage, swift and resolute, set out.
स्त्रीणां हृदयनाशाय प्रविष्टस्तं पुरं प्रति । शोभते तत्पुरं दिव्यं नानारत्नोपशोभितम्
To bring ruin to the hearts of the women, he entered that city. That divine city shone, adorned with various precious gems.
शतयोजनविस्तीर्णं ततो द्विगुणमायतम् । ततः पश्यति तत्रैव बाणं तु बलदर्पितम्
It stretched a hundred yojanas wide and twice as long. There, he saw Bāṇa, proud of his strength.
मालाकुंडलकेयूरैर्मुकुटेन विराजितम् । हाररत्नैश्च संछन्नं चंद्रकांतिविभूषितम्
He was resplendent with garlands, earrings, armlets, and a crown, covered with jeweled necklaces and adorned with the radiance of the moon.
ललनास्तस्य रत्नाढ्याः नराः कनकमंडिताः । उत्थितो नारदं दृष्ट्वा दानवेंद्रो महाबलः
His women were rich in jewels, and his men adorned with gold. Rising up, the mighty lord of the demons saw Nārada.
बाण उवाच-। स देवर्षिः स्वयं प्राप्तो मद्गृहं प्रति संप्रति । अर्घं पाद्यं यथान्यायं क्रियतां द्विजसत्तम
Bāṇa said: The divine sage himself has now come to my house. Let the proper offerings—arghya and water for the feet—be made, O best of brāhmaṇas.
चिरात्समागतो विप्र स्थीयतामिदमासनम् । एवं संभावयित्वा तु नारदं समुपस्थितम्
O brāhmaṇa, you have come after a long time—let this seat be prepared. Thus, having honored Nārada, he welcomed him.
तस्य भार्या महादेवी अनौपम्या तु नामतः
His wife was the great goddess, renowned by the name Anaupamyā.
अनौपम्योवाच-। भगवन्मानुषे लोके देवास्तुष्यंति केन वै । व्रतेन नियमेनापि दानेन तपसाथवा
Anaupamyā said: O Blessed One, by what vow, discipline, gift, or austerity are the gods pleased in the world of men?
नारद उवाच-। तिलधेनुं च यो दद्याद्ब्राह्मणे वेदपारगे । ससागरा नवद्वीपा दत्ता भवति मेदिनी
Nārada said: Whoever gives a cow made of sesame seeds to a brāhmaṇa learned in the Vedas, gives, as it were, the earth with its nine continents and oceans.
सूर्यकोटिप्रतीकाशैर्विमानैः सर्वकामिकैः । मोदते चाक्षयं कालं सुचिरं कृतशासनः
He enjoys, for an endless time, celestial palaces shining like ten million suns, filled with every desire, having fulfilled his command.
आम्रातककपित्थानि कदलीवनमेव च । कदंब चंपकाशोका अनेक विविधद्रुमाः
There are mango, āmalaka, wood-apple trees, groves of bananas, kadamba, campaka, aśoka, and many other various trees.
अष्टमी च चतुर्थी च द्वादशी च तथा उभे । संक्रांतिर्विषुवं चैव दिनच्छिद्रमुखं तथा
The eighth, the fourth, and the twelfth lunar days, both transitions of the sun, the equinox, and the juncture of day and night—
पुण्यान्येतानि सर्वाणि उपवासंति याः स्त्रियः । तासां तु धर्म्मयुक्तानां स्वर्गे वासो न संशयः
All these are auspicious occasions. Women who observe fasts on these days, endowed with righteousness, surely dwell in heaven—there is no doubt.
कलिकालात्तु निर्मुक्ताः सर्वपापविवर्जिताः । उपवासरता नार्यो नोपसर्पंति तापसाः
Freed from the age of Kali and devoid of all sins, women devoted to fasting are not approached by ascetics.
एवं श्रुत्वा तु सुश्रोणि यथेष्टं कर्तुमर्हसि । नारदस्य वचः श्रुत्वा राज्ञी वचनमब्रवीत्
Having heard this, O lovely-hipped one, you should act as you wish; after hearing Nārada's words, the queen spoke.
प्रसादं कुरु विप्रेंद्र दानं गृह्ण यथेप्सितम् । सुवर्णमणिरत्नानि वस्त्राण्याभरणानि च
Grant your favor, O best of Brahmins, accept whatever gifts you desire—gold, jewels, gems, garments, and ornaments.
तत्ते दास्याम्यहं विप्र यच्चान्यदपि दुर्ल्लभम् । प्रतिगृह्ण द्विजश्रेष्ठ प्रीयेतां हरिशंकरौ
All this I shall give you, O Brahmin, and anything else that is hard to obtain; accept it, O best of twice-born, may Hari and Śaṅkara be pleased.
नारद उवाच-। अन्यस्मै दीयतां भद्रे क्षीणवृतिश्च यो द्विजः । वयं तु शीलसंपन्ना भक्तिस्तु क्रियते मया
Nārada said: 'Let it be given to another, O gentle one, to a Brahmin whose means are exhausted; as for us, we are endowed with good conduct, and devotion is performed by me.'
एवं तासां मनो हृत्वा सर्वासामुपदिश्य वा । जगाम भरतश्रेष्ठ स्वकीयं स्थानकं पुनः
Thus, having won over their minds and instructed them all, he returned again to his own place, O best of the Bharatas.
अत्राकृष्टमनास्तास्तु अन्यत्रगतमानसाः । पुरि छिद्रं समुत्पन्नं बाणस्य तु महात्मनः
There, their minds were distracted, their thoughts gone elsewhere; a breach arose in the city of the great-souled Bāṇa.
नारद उवाच- यन्मां पृच्छसि कौंतेय तन्निबोध च तच्छृणु । एतस्मिन्नंतरे रुद्रो नर्मदातटमास्थितः
Nārada said: 'What you ask me, O son of Kuntī, listen and understand; meanwhile, Rudra was staying on the bank of the Narmadā.'
नाम्ना हरेश्वरं स्थानं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् । तस्मिन्स्थाने महादेवश्चिंतयंस्त्रैपुरं वधम्
By name, that place is called Hareśvara, renowned in the three worlds; there, Mahādeva was contemplating the destruction of Tripura.
गां(गा?)डीवं मंदरं कृत्वा गुणं कृत्वा तु वासुकिम् । स्थानं कृत्वा तु वैशाखं विष्णुं कृत्वा शरोत्तमम्
He made Mount Mandara his bow, Vasuki the string, Vaiśākha the chariot, and Viṣṇu the supreme arrow.