एतां स्तुतिमथाकर्ण्य भगनेत्रप्रदः शिवः । विष्णुमाह च गच्छ त्वं समानय च तान्द्विजान्
Hearing this praise, Śiva, the giver of Bhaga’s eyes, spoke to Viṣṇu: 'Go, bring those twice-born.'
आनीतास्तेन हरिणा देवाय प्रणतास्तु ते । तानाह शंकरो वाक्यं किमर्थं यूयमागताः
Brought by Hari, they bowed to the god; Śaṅkara addressed them: 'For what purpose have you come?'
मुनय ऊचुः - देव द्वादशलोकानां दृश्यंते भस्मराशयः । स्थितमेकं वनमिदं पश्य त्वं लोकसंक्षयम्
The sages said: 'O god, in the twelve worlds heaps of ashes are seen; only this forest remains. Behold the destruction of the worlds.'
सदाशिव उवाच- ऊर्द्ध्वस्थपंचलोकानां दाहे संदेह एव नः । कथमंगारवृष्टिश्च कथं नो वा महाध्वनिः
Sadāśiva said: 'We have no doubt about the burning of the five upper worlds; but how did the rain of embers occur, and why this great roar?'
मुनय ऊचुः - भीतिरस्माकमधुना वर्तते वीरभद्रतः । स एवांगारवृष्टिं च पिपासुरिव तामपात्
The sages said: 'We are now afraid of Vīrabhadra; he alone, desiring a rain of embers, has cast it down as if thirsty.'
देवोथ वीरमाहूय किं वीरेत्यब्रवीद्भवः । वीरो हनूमतो लिंगपीठाभावादिदं कृतम्
Then the god, summoning the hero, said: 'Why, O hero?' Bhava replied: 'This was done because of the absence of the liṅga seat for Hanuman.'
कपेश्चित्तं परिज्ञातुं मया कृतमिदं बृहत् । कृपानिधिरथो देवो यथापूर्वमकल्पयत्
'I did this to discern the mind of the monkey. Then the compassionate god arranged things as before.'
दग्धानप्यखिलाँल्लोकान्पूर्वतः शोभनान्विभुः । कल्पयामास विश्वात्मा वीरभद्रमथाब्रवीत्
Though all worlds had been burned, the Lord, radiant as before, the soul of the universe, arranged them anew and spoke to Vīrabhadra.
आलिंग्याघ्राय शिरसि तांबूलं दत्तवान्हरः । अथासौ हनुमानीश पूजनं कृतवानथ
Embracing and smelling her head, Hara gave her betel leaf; then Hanuman, O Lord, performed worship.
एकं वनचरं तत्र गंधर्वं सविपंचिकम् । इदमाह महावीणा मम वै दीयतामिति
There, to a forest-dwelling Gandharva with a vīṇā and a five-stringed instrument, he said: 'Give me this great vīṇā.'
गंधर्वो न मया त्याज्या वीणा प्राणसमा मम । ममापि प्राणसदृशी वीणेत्याह कपीश्वरः
The Gandharva replied, 'I cannot part with my vīṇā; it is as dear to me as my life.' The lord of monkeys said, 'To me also, this vīṇā is as dear as life.'
अथ मुष्टिनिपातेन गंधर्वे पतिते कपिः । आदाय वीणां महतीं स्वरतंतुसमन्विताम्
Then, with a blow of his fist, the monkey struck down the Gandharva, and taking the great vīṇā, complete with melodious strings,
अलाबुसंयुतां कृत्वा राजवृक्षफलाकृतिम् । तस्योरसि विनिक्षिप्य गायन्नागाच्छिवांतिकम्
He adorned it with a gourd and shaped it like the fruit of the royal tree; placing it on his chest, he sang as he went toward Śiva.
बृहतीकुसुमैः शुद्धैर्देवपादावपूजयत् । तस्मै वरमथ प्रादादाकल्पं जीवितं पुनः
He worshipped the feet of the god with pure flowers of the brhatī plant; then Śiva granted him a boon of long life again.
समुद्रलंघने शक्तिं वरं प्रादादथापरम्
He also granted him another boon: the power to cross the ocean.
समस्तभूषासुविभूषितांगः स्वदीप्तिमंदीकृतदेवदीप्तिः । प्रसन्नमूर्तिस्तरुणः शिवाङ्गकः संभावयामास समस्तदेवान्
Adorned with all ornaments, his own brilliance surpassing that of the gods, with a pleasing form, youthful, bearing marks of Śiva, he honored all the gods.
पीतमुद्गमनीयं च समादाय महेश्वरः । पीतवस्त्रमिदं देव त्वं गृहाण हरे शुभम्
Taking a yellow garment suitable for wearing, Maheśvara said: 'O Hari, take this auspicious yellow cloth.'
ब्रह्मणे रक्तवसनं सर्वेषां वसुदस्तथा । देवर्षिदानवादीनां दत्तवान्वसुयुग्मकम्
He gave a red garment to Brahmā, and likewise garments to all the givers of wealth, and a pair of garments to the gods, sages, and Dānavas.
रामोपि चैतदाकर्ण्य शंभवे युग्ममर्पयत् । सुसूक्ष्मं बहुमूल्यं च स्वर्णभूषणमेव च
Rāma also, hearing this, offered a pair to Śambhu: very fine, highly valuable, and adorned with gold.
अथ भुक्त्वा सुखासीनः सामात्यः सपुरोहितः । नानामुनिगणैर्भूपैर्वानरैर्गौतमी तटे
Then, having eaten, seated comfortably with his ministers and priests, surrounded by various groups of sages, kings, and monkeys, on the bank of the Gautamī,
शंभुं पुराणतत्त्वज्ञं राघवो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । त्वमेव सर्वं जानीषे सर्वधर्मगुहाशयम्
Rāghava spoke to Śambhu, knower of ancient truths: 'You alone know all, the secret essence of all dharma.'
कस्मिन्कस्मिन्युगे ब्रह्मन्किंविशिष्टं वदस्व मे । शंभुरुवाच- ध्यानमेव कृते श्रेष्ठं त्रेतायां यज्ञ एव च
Tell me, O Brahman, in which age, what is distinguished? Śambhu said: 'In the Kṛta age, meditation alone is supreme; in the Tretā, sacrifice is best.'
द्वापरे चार्चनं तिष्ये दानं च हरिकीर्तनम् । सर्वं च शस्तं सर्वत्र ध्यानं न च कलौ युगे
In the Dvāpara, worship; in the Kali, charity and the praise of Hari. All are good everywhere, but meditation is not in the Kali age.
नराणां मुग्धचित्तत्वात्कृच्छ्रस्थानां विशांपते । न धर्मे नियताबुद्धिर्न वेदे नैव च स्मृतौ
Because of the childishness of men's minds and their difficult circumstances, O lord of men, there is no fixed understanding of dharma, nor in the Veda, nor in tradition.
न क्रतौ न स्वधाकारे पुराणानां च न श्रुतौ । न यज्ञेन च तीर्थेषु न च शुश्रूषणे सताम्
Not in ritual, nor in offerings, nor in the hearing of the Purāṇas, nor by sacrifice, nor at holy places, nor in service to the good.
नेज्यायां देवतानां च न स्वजातीयकर्म्मणि । न देवस्मरणेनापि न च क्वापि वृषे नृप
Not in worship of the gods, nor in one's own prescribed duties, nor even in remembrance of the gods, nor, O king, in any righteous act.
अतश्च दीर्घकालानां पुण्यानामक्षमा नराः । दानं तु स्वल्पकालत्वात्कर्तुं शक्नोति मानवः
Therefore, people are unable to accumulate merit over long periods; but a person can give charity because it requires only a short time.
अतश्च कलिदुष्टानां प्रायश्चितं न विद्यते । केषांचित्पापनाशः स्यात्प्रायश्चित्तैस्तु नान्यथा
And so, for those corrupted by the Kali age, there is no atonement; for some, the destruction of sin may occur through atonement, but not otherwise.
ब्रह्मज्ञानी गयाश्राद्धी काशीगंता श्रुतौ रतः । पुराणज्ञावमाश्चैते श्रोता तस्य च राघव
One who knows Brahman, who performs ancestral rites at Gayā, who goes to Kāśī, who delights in the Vedas, who knows the Purāṇas, and who listens to them—such a person, O Rāghava—
युगानामनुसारेण तथार्थस्य विवेचनात् । स्व पर प्रत्ययोत्पादात्परब्रह्मप्रकाशनात्
—by following the sequence of ages, by discerning the true meaning, by inspiring faith in oneself and others, and by revealing the Supreme Brahman—