तत्रैको वायसो ह्यासीत्कृतनीडो वनस्पतौ । तस्याधस्तान्महासर्पं कोटरेव सति स्म ह
There, on that tree, was a single crow who had built its nest; and beneath it, in a hollow, there dwelled a great serpent.
एकदा तस्य काकस्य भार्यांडद्वयमालये । प्रतिमुच्य गता क्वापि न नीडे स्वे समागता
One day, the crow’s mate, having laid two eggs in the nest, went somewhere and did not return to her own nest.
स्वयमेव स काकस्तु पालयन्नंडकद्वयम् । तामेव शिंशपामुच्चैरध्यतिष्ठन्महीपते
The crow himself cared for the two eggs, remaining high upon that very Śiṃśapā tree, O king.
अथैकदा निशीधे तु महावात्या समागता । अभनक्शिंशपां राजन्मूलादपि दृढादपि
Then, one night, a great storm arose, O king, and struck the Śiṃśapā tree, even uprooting it from its strong base.
वात्यया पात्यमानाया शिंशपायास्तदा तले । चूर्णितौ काकसर्पौ तौ गतप्राणौ बभूवतुः
As the Śiṃśapā was being felled by the storm, both the crow and the serpent at its base were crushed and lost their lives.
दिव्यांगास्ते त्रयो भूत्वा शिंशपा वायसादयः । विमानत्रयमारूढा जग्मुः श्रीपतिकेतनम्
Those three—the Śiṃśapā tree, the crow, and the serpent—took on divine forms, ascended three celestial chariots, and went to the abode of Śrīpati.
शिबिरुवाच- देवर्षे केन पुण्येन प्राप्ता तैर्मुक्तिदा पुरी । आसंस्ते के त्रयः पूर्वं सर्वं कथय नारद
Śibi said: O divine sage, by what merit did those three attain the city that grants liberation? Who were they formerly? Tell me everything, O Nārada.
नारद उवाच-। कुरुजांगलदेशीयो ब्राह्मणः श्रवणाभिधः । तस्य भार्या कुडा नाम भ्राताभूच्च कुरंटकः
Nārada said: In the land of Kurujāṅgala there was a Brahmin named Śravaṇa; his wife was called Kuḍā, and his brother-in-law was Kuraṇṭaka.
अस्नातभोक्ता नित्यं स कवलो मिष्टभुग्रहः । श्रवणस्तेन दोषेण बभूव ग्रामवायसः
He who always eats without bathing, who takes morsels of sweet food, became, due to that fault, a village crow named Shravan.
कुरंटकस्तु तद्भ्राता नास्तिकोऽभवदुल्बणः । श्रुतिस्मृतिपथोच्छेत्ता देवतानां च निंदकः
Kurantaka, his brother, became a fierce atheist, a destroyer of the path of scripture and tradition, and a blasphemer of the gods.
तेन दोषेण स मृतो ह्यभवत्कालकुंडली । सा कुंडा श्रवणस्य स्त्री बभूवोभयदोषभाक्
Because of that fault, when he died, he became a black snake; that snake, Kundā, was Shravan's wife, sharing both faults.
अतः सा स्थावरत्वं हि लब्ध्वासीदुभयाश्रया । एतत्ते कथितं भूप तद्वृत्तं पूर्वजन्मनि
Thus, she attained the state of immobility and was of dual nature; this, O king, is the account of their previous birth.
अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि तेषां पुण्यं यतस्त्रयः । प्रापुस्तेन पुरीं रम्यां काशीं वैश्वेश्वरीं नृप
Next, I will tell you of their merit, by which the three of them reached the delightful city of Kāśī, O king, the city of Viśveśvarī.
ग्रामांतरादेकदा तौ प्रत्यायातौ निजालयम् । कस्यचित्पथिकस्याथ कूपमग्नां पयस्विनीम्
Once, returning from another village to their own home, they saw a milk-giving cow fallen into a well, belonging to a certain traveler.
अवलोक्य तदुद्धारं चक्रतुस्तेन नोदितौ । ताभ्यांगदितमाकर्ण्य कुंडा साध्वित्यभाषत
Seeing this, they rescued her, prompted by no one; hearing their words, Kundā spoke approvingly.
ते त्रयस्तेनपुण्येन मरणं प्राप्य दुर्लभम् । इंद्रप्रस्थतटस्थायां काश्यां वैकुंठमारुहन्
By that merit, the three attained a rare death and ascended to Vaikuṇṭha in Kāśī, on the bank of Indraprastha.
इयं काशी महेशस्य पुरी यद्यपि भूपते । तथाप्यस्यां मृतं जंतुर्वैकुंठे स्यात्सुखी हरेः
This Kāśī is the city of Maheśa, O king; yet, even so, one who dies here becomes happy in Vaikuṇṭha, the abode of Hari.
एतत्ते कथितं राजन्काश्या माहात्म्यमुत्तमम् । किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छा ते विद्यते तद्वदस्व मे
Thus, O king, I have told you the supreme glory of Kāśī; what else do you wish to hear? Tell me if there is anything.
शिबिरुवाच- मुने त्वया महेशस्य क्षेत्रत्रयमुदीरितम् । काशी च शिवकांची च गोकर्णं च तथापरम्
Śibiru said: Sage, you have described three fields of Maheśa: Kāśī, Śivakāñcī, and Gokarṇa as the other.
एकस्य महिमा प्रोक्तो त्वया काश्या महामुने । गोकर्णशिवकांच्योश्च कथ्यतां यदि विद्यते
You have spoken of the greatness of one, Kāśī, O great sage; tell of Gokarṇa and Śivakāñcī, if there is anything.
नारद उवाच-। गोकर्णं केवलं शैवं क्षेत्रं परमपावनम् । तस्मिन्मृतो नरो राजन्शिवः स्यान्नात्र संशयः
Nārada said: Gokarṇa is solely a Śaiva field, supremely pure; if a man dies there, O king, he becomes Śiva—there is no doubt.
स्थले जलेंतरिक्षे च जंतुस्तत्र मृयेत चेत् । तदा कैलासशिखरो शिवः संभूय दीव्यति
Whether on land, in water, or in the sky, if a creature dies there, then Śiva, lord of Kailāsa's peak, appears and rejoices.
अत्र गोकर्णतीर्थे स्यान्मृतस्य न पुनर्भवः । शिवेन स समं राजन्मुक्तिं यास्यति कर्हिचित्
At this Gokarṇa holy place, there is no rebirth for one who dies; together with Śiva, O king, he will attain liberation at some time.
अस्यापि तव माहात्म्यं गोकर्णस्य महामते । वर्णयामि यदाकर्णि मया ब्रह्ममुखात्प्रभो
I will describe to you, O wise one, the greatness of Gokarṇa, as I heard it from the mouth of Brahmā, O lord.
प्रयागादेकगव्यूतौ गुरुतीर्थसमीपगः । मर्यादापर्वतो योऽयं दृश्यते पुण्यदर्शनः
Near Prayāga, in one cow's length, beside the great holy place, is seen the boundary mountain, auspicious to behold.
तत्रैकः कर्कटो नाम भिल्ल आसीत्सुदारुणः । तस्य भार्या जरा नाम सा जघ्ने पतिपंचकम्
There, a Bhilla named Karkaṭa lived, very cruel; his wife, named Jarā, killed five husbands.
सा जरा विषसंयुक्तं षष्ठं कर्कटकं तदा । अकरोन्मोदकं हंतुं तदा तेन स्वसुः श्रुतम्
Then that old woman, having mixed poison, made the sixth sweetmeat in order to kill, as she had heard from her sister.
निजाया मुखतो राजन्भिल्लेन च महात्मना । बालां तां हंतुमारेभे कर्कटो भृशदारुणः
O King, the great-souled Bhilla, with his own wife before him, set out to kill that girl; the crab was exceedingly fierce.
खङ्गपाणिर्यदा याति तद्वधाय स भिल्लपः । यावत्तावत्तु सा यायाज्ज्ञात्वा निजवधोद्यमम्
When the Bhilla, sword in hand, came to kill her, she, realizing his intention to kill her, quickly fled.
वनमभ्यद्रवद्भीता निजप्राणपरीप्सया । तामनुद्रवता तेन कर्कटेन महीपते
Frightened and desiring to save her own life, she ran into the forest, pursued by that crab, O King.