ततः प्रसन्ना सा देवी सर्वान्देवानुवाच ह । वरं वृणीध्वं भद्रं वो वरदाहं सुरोत्तमाः
Then, pleased, the goddess addressed all the gods: 'Choose a boon, may good befall you; I am the granter of boons, O best of gods.'
देवा ऊचुः- प्रसीद कमले देवि सर्वमातर्हरिप्रिये । त्वया विना जगच्छून्यं कुरु प्राणप्ररक्षणम्
The gods said: 'Be gracious, O lotus-eyed goddess, mother of all, beloved of Hari; without you, the world is empty—grant protection to life.'
इत्युक्ता सा महालक्ष्मीः प्राह नारायणप्रिया । इदानीं सर्वजंतूनां प्राणरक्षां करोम्यहम्
Thus addressed, Mahālakṣmī, beloved of Nārāyaṇa, replied: 'Now I shall protect the lives of all beings.'
ततो नारायणः श्रीमाञ्छंखचक्रगदाधरः । आविर्बभूव सहसा दयालुर्जगदीश्वरः
Then Nārāyaṇa, glorious, bearing conch, discus, and mace, compassionate Lord of the universe, suddenly appeared.
ततस्ते तुष्टुवुर्देवाः प्रणम्य जगतां पतिम् । कृतांजलिपुटाः प्रोचुः हर्षगद्गदभाषिणः
Thereupon, the gods, bowing with folded hands, praised the Lord of the worlds, their voices choked with joy.
गृहाण मातरं विष्णो महिषीं वल्लभां तव । संसाररक्षणार्थाय लक्ष्मीमनपगामिनीम् । यावत्प्रतिज्ञां नो चक्रे तावत्प्राहेंदिरा हरिम्
They said: 'O Viṣṇu, accept the Mother, your beloved queen Lakṣmī, unfailing, for the protection of the world.' As they made their request, Indirā addressed Hari.
लक्ष्मीरुवाच- अविवाह्य कथं ज्येष्ठामलक्ष्मीं मधुसूदन । तस्याः कनिष्ठां मां नाथ विवाहं कर्तुमिच्छसि । ज्येष्ठायां च स्थितायां वै कनिष्ठा परिणीयते
Lakṣmī said: 'Madhusūdana, how can you wish to marry me, the younger, without first marrying Jyeṣṭhā, the elder Alakṣmī? When the elder remains unmarried, the younger cannot be wed.'
सूत उवाच- इति श्रुत्वा ततो विष्णुर्ददौ चोद्दालकाय च । वेदवाक्यानुरूपेण ह्यलक्ष्मीं निर्जरैः सह
Sūta said: Hearing this, Viṣṇu then gave Alakṣmī, in accordance with the Vedic injunctions, to Uddālaka along with the immortals.
ततो नारायणः श्रीमान्लक्ष्मीमंगीचकार ह । ततः सुरगणाः सर्वे नमश्चक्रुः पुनःपुनः
Then Nārāyaṇa, glorious, accepted Lakṣmī; and all the hosts of gods bowed to them again and again.
अथ ते चासुरान्सर्वान्जघ्नुः सर्वे बलाधिकाः । सर्वे ते क्रंदमानाश्च गताश्चैव दिशो दश
Then, all the powerful gods slew all the asuras; and those asuras, crying out, fled in all ten directions.
सुधां तत्खादितुं चक्रुर्देवाः पंक्तिं यथाक्रमम् । श्रीविष्णोराज्ञया सर्वे चोचुश्चैव परस्परम्
The gods then arranged themselves in order to partake of the nectar, and by the command of Śrī Viṣṇu, they spoke to one another.
त्वं च देहि त्वं च देहि त्वं च देहीति चाब्रुवन् । न शक्तोऽस्मि न शक्तोऽस्मि न शक्तोऽस्मीति चाब्रुवन्
They said, 'You give, you give, you give,' and others replied, 'I am not able, I am not able, I am not able.'
ततो विष्णुः समुत्तस्थौ स्त्रीरूपं च दधार ह । चकार स्वर्णपात्रे तत्पीयूषपरिवेषणम्
Then Viṣṇu arose and assumed the form of a woman; he served that nectar in a golden vessel.
पीयूषभक्षणं राहुर्यावत्कुर्याद्द्विजोत्तम । चंद्रसूर्यौ चोक्तवंतौ राक्षसोऽसौ छलागतः
As long as Rāhu, O best of twice-born, was about to partake of the nectar, the Moon and the Sun spoke out; that demon had come there by deceit.
ततः क्रुद्धो जगन्नाथो जघान स्वर्णपात्रतः । शिरस्तस्य पपातोर्व्यां केतुर्नाम्ना बभूव ह
Then the Lord of the Universe, enraged, struck him from the golden vessel; his head fell to the earth and became known as Ketu.
राहुकेतू ततस्तूर्णं गतौ तौ भयविह्वलौ । इदानीं तद्दिने प्राप्ते चंद्रसूर्यौ स युध्यति
Rāhu and Ketu, terrified, quickly fled; now, on that day, he fights with the Moon and the Sun.
कुर्याद्ग्रासं सैंहिकेयस्तत्क्षणं दुर्लभं भवेत् । सर्वं गंगासमं तोयं वेदव्याससमा द्विजाः
The son of Siṃhikā would seize them in that moment, which becomes difficult; all water is like the Gaṅgā, and all twice-born are like Vyāsa.
स्नानं वायसतीर्थे यो गंगास्नानफलं लभेत् । दानमक्षयपुण्यं स्यात्कोटिजन्मार्जितं तथा
Whoever bathes at the Vāyasa Tīrtha obtains the fruit of bathing in the Gaṅgā; giving there yields inexhaustible merit, as if earned over millions of births.
पापं नश्येत्समूलं च किं पुनः क्रतुकोटिभिः । विद्यार्थी लभते विद्यां पुत्रार्थी पुत्रमाप्यते
Sin is utterly destroyed there—what need to speak of the merit of millions of sacrifices? One seeking knowledge attains knowledge, one desiring a son obtains a son.
मोक्षार्थी लभते मोक्षं मंत्रसिद्धिर्भवेद्ध्रुवम् । इति ते कथितं विप्र समुद्रमथनं तु तत्
One seeking liberation attains liberation; mantra accomplishment is certain. Thus, O brāhmaṇa, the churning of the ocean has been told to you.
शौनक उवाच- इदानीं श्रोतुमिच्छामि कथयस्व यथार्थतः । हरिस्वरूपिणा साक्षाद्वेदव्यासेन शासित
Śaunaka said: Now I wish to hear—tell me truly—what was instructed by Vedavyāsa, the very form of Hari himself.
निरहंकार हे सूत लोकानुग्रहकारक । केन स्यात्सुभगा नारी पापिनी च सुदुर्भगा
O Sūta, free from pride, benefactor of the worlds, by what means does a woman become fortunate, and by what does a sinful woman become most unfortunate?
पतिप्रियांग केन स्याद्रूपिता चक्षुषोः सुधा । केन वा जायते लक्ष्मीस्तन्मे ब्रूहि तपोधन
By what does a woman become dear to her husband, her limbs pleasing to his eyes? And by what does she become endowed with beauty? Tell me this, O treasure of austerity.
सूत उवाच- यदि पुण्यमिदं विप्र वृत्तं परमदुर्लभम् । शृणुष्व भोः समासेन कथयामि विधानतः
Sūta said: If you wish to hear, O brāhmaṇa, of this most rare and virtuous account, then listen—I will tell you briefly and properly.
आसीद्भद्रश्रवा राजा युगे द्वापरसंज्ञके । सौराष्ट्रदेशवासी च वेदवेदांगपारगः
There was a king named Bhadraśravā in the age called Dvāpara, dwelling in the land of Saurāṣṭra, accomplished in the Vedas and their branches.
भार्या तस्य च संजाता नाम्ना सुरतिचंद्रिका । तस्यां बभूवुः श्रीराज्ञः सप्तपुत्रा मनोरमाः
His wife was born, named Suraticandrikā; in her, the noble king had seven delightful sons.
ततोऽभिजाता दुहिता सुंदरी सत्यवादिनी । श्यामबाला च विप्रेंद्र नाम्ना प्रीतिकरी पितुः
Then a daughter was born, beautiful and truthful in speech, dark-complexioned, O best of brāhmaṇas, named Prītikarī, beloved of her father.
अथैकदा श्यामबाला सुवर्णसिकतासु च । गूढैर्मनोहरै रत्नैः सखिभिः क्रीडितुं मुदा
Once, Śyāmabālā, with her friends, went joyfully to play among the golden sands with hidden, enchanting gems.
जगाम नीपवृक्षस्य तलं परमदुर्लभम् । एतस्मिन्नंतरे विप्र लक्ष्मीः संसारतारिणी
She went to the foot of a kadamba tree, a most rare place; at that moment, O brāhmaṇa, Lakṣmī, the savior from worldly existence—
लोकानां नीतिदा साथ समायाता स्वयं पुरः । धृत्वा च ब्राह्मणीरूपं पलितांगी च भूसुर
—the giver of conduct to the worlds, then arrived there herself, taking the form of an old brāhmaṇa woman.