तस्य भित्तिसमीपे तु भस्मास्ते ह्यभिमंत्रितम् । भस्मनि श्वा पपाताथ ममार च गतो यमम्
Near the wall of his temple, there was sacred ash, consecrated with mantras; the dog fell upon the ash, died, and went to Yama.
यमः संपूज्यावनतो भवान्पुण्यतमो मुनिः । मद्गेहे भवतः स्थानं न योग्यं गम्यतां बहिः
Yama, having worshipped and bowed, said: You are the most virtuous sage; your presence in my abode is not proper—please depart outside.
अथ गत्वा बहिस्तस्थौ सारमेयो यमोदितः । संतापावस्थितं तं च नारदो दृष्टवानमुम्
Then, having gone outside, the dog stood as instructed by Yama; Nārada saw him, who was in a state of distress.
पप्रच्छ च किमर्थं त्वमिह तिष्ठसि दीप्तिमान् । शिवभस्मस्थितमृतं शैवं जाने महामते
He asked: For what reason do you stand here, radiant one? I know you died upon the Shiva-ash, O wise one.
शैवानां पापिनां चापि साहसेन तनुत्यजाम् । यमलोको न चास्तीति शिवाज्ञा शिवनोदिता
For sinful Shaivas who abandon their bodies by force, there is no realm of Yama; this is Shiva's command, spoken by Shiva.
दधीच उवाच- इत्थमाभाष्य तं श्वानं कैलासमगमन्मुनिः । दंडवत्प्रणिपत्येशं व्यज्ञापयदथो हरम्
Dadhīca said: Having thus spoken to the dog, the sage went to Kailāsa, prostrated himself before the Lord, and then petitioned Hara.
देव कश्चिद्यमपुराद्बहिरास्ते स कुक्कुरः । भस्मन्येव मृतस्तद्वद्भवलोकं स चार्हति
O Lord, a certain dog stands outside Yama's city; he died upon the ash, so he deserves your world.
अथ मुख्यगणाविष्टो वीरभद्रः शिवेरितः । आनयामास तं श्वानं दिव्यरूपधरं तदा
Then, possessed by the chief Gaṇas and instructed by Shiva, Vīrabhadra brought that dog, who assumed a divine form.
महेशपादप्रणतं देवायाथ व्यजिज्ञपत् । आह माहेश्वरो देवं गणमेनं कुरुष्व मे
Having bowed at the feet of Mahesha, he petitioned the Lord; Maheshvara said: Make this one a member of my Gaṇa.
तथेति च शिवः प्राह गणः श्वानमुखोऽभवत् । दधीच उवाच-। अतुल्यं भस्ममाहात्म्यं मयोक्तं ते शुचिस्मिते
Shiva replied, 'So be it.' The dog became a Gaṇa with a dog's face. Dadhīca said: I have told you, O pure-smiling one, the incomparable greatness of the ash.
इतः परं हि किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि सुव्रते
What more would you wish to hear, O virtuous lady?
शुचिस्मितोवाच- कश्यपं जमदग्निं च देवानां च पुरा कथम् । ररक्ष भस्म तद्ब्रह्मन्समाचक्ष्व मुने मम
Śucismita said: How did the ash once protect Kaśyapa, Jamadagni, and the gods? Tell me, O sage, about this, O Brahman.
दधीच उवाच- कश्यपादियुता देवाः पूर्वमभ्यागमन्गिरिम् । शोकरं नाम विख्यातं गिरिमध्ये सुशोभनम्
Dadhīca said: The gods, accompanied by Kaśyapa and others, once approached a mountain, renowned as Shokara, beautiful in its midst.
नानाविहंगसंकीर्णं नानामुनिगणाश्रयम् । वासुदेवाश्रयं रम्यमप्सरोगणसेवितम्
It was filled with various birds, inhabited by many groups of sages, delightful as the abode of Vāsudeva, and served by hosts of apsarases.
विचित्रवृक्षसंवीतं सर्वर्तुकुसुमोज्ज्वलम् । तथाविधं प्रविश्यैते गिरिं वयमथापरे
It was surrounded by wondrous trees, radiant with flowers of all seasons; entering such a mountain, we and others proceeded.
स्तुवंतः केशवं तत्र गताः स्म गिरिशेश्वरम् । दृष्ट्वा तत्र महाज्वालां प्रविष्टाश्च वयं च ताम्
There, praising Keśava, we reached the lord of the mountain; seeing a great flame there, we entered it.
मामेकं तु तिरस्कृत्य ह्यदहद्देवता मुनीन् । मां ददाह ततः पश्चाद्भस्मीभूता वयं शुभे
Having disregarded me alone, the goddess consumed the sages and gods; then, O auspicious one, she burned me as well, and we became ashes.
अस्मानेतादृशान्दृष्ट्वा वीरभद्रः प्रतापवान् । केनापिकारणेनासौ गतवान्पर्वतं च तम्
Seeing us in such a state, the mighty Vīrabhadra, for some reason, departed for that mountain.
भस्मोद्धूलितसर्वांगो मस्तकस्थशिवः शुचिः । एकाकी निःस्पृहः शान्तो हाहाशब्दमथाशृणोत्
His whole body covered in ash, pure Shiva upon his head, alone, free from desire, peaceful, he then heard cries of lamentation.
अथ चिंतापरश्चासीन्म्रियमाण शवध्वनिः । शवानामिवगंधश्च दृश्यते तन्निरीक्षणे
Then, absorbed in thought, he heard the sound of dying bodies; and as he looked, there appeared a smell like that of corpses.
इति निश्चित्य मनसा जगामाग्निमतिप्रभम् । स वह्निर्वीरभद्रं च दग्धुमारब्धवानथ
Having thus resolved in his mind, he went toward the blazing fire; that fire then began to burn Vīrabhadra.
तृणाग्निरिव शांतोऽभूदासाद्य सलिलं यथा । ततोऽपरां महाज्वालां वीरभद्रस्तु दृष्टवान्
Like fire subdued by grass or water, he became calm; then Vīrabhadra saw another great flame.
खं गच्छंतीं महाकालो ज्वालां निपतितामपि । मनसा चिंतयच्चापि वीरभद्रः प्रतापवान्
He saw a great flame, falling even as it moved through the sky; the mighty Vīrabhadra considered this in his mind.
सर्वेषां नाशिनी ज्वाला प्राणिनां शतकोटिशः । तत्सर्वं रक्षणार्थं हि पिपासुश्चाप्यहं त्विमाम्
This flame destroys all beings by the hundreds of millions; to protect them all, I am eager to consume this flame.
प्राश्नामि महतीं ज्वालां सलिलं तृषितो यथा । एतस्मिन्नंतरे वीरं वागाह चाशरीरिणी
I will drink this great flame, as a thirsty man drinks water; at that moment, a bodiless voice addressed the hero.
भारत्युवाच- वीर मा साहसं कार्षीः क्व तृषा क्वाशुशुक्षणिः । तृषितानां जलेनार्थो विपरीतो वनाग्निना
Bhāratī said: Hero, do not act rashly! Where is thirst, and where is burning dryness? For the thirsty, water is needed, not forest fire.
निकामं योजनशिराः प्रणष्टो राक्षसेश्वरः । शतयोजनवक्त्रश्च शतबाहुस्तथापरः
Nikāma, lord of the Rākṣasas, with a head a yojana wide, is destroyed; another, with a mouth a hundred yojanas wide and a hundred arms, as well.
अगस्त्यश्च महाभागो निःशेषं पीतसागरः । एतानन्यानसंख्याताञ्ज्वालेयं तानमारयत्
The illustrious Agastya drank up the ocean completely; this flame has killed these and countless others.
वीरभद्र उवाच- भीषिकेयं महाज्वाला त्वदुक्ता न हि जायते । सरस्वति भवत्यां च ममरोषश्च जायते
Vīrabhadra said: This terrible great flame you speak of does not arise, O Sarasvatī, except from you and from my own anger.
सर्वदेवार्चितपदं वीरभद्रमवेहि माम् । भारत्युवाच- मयोक्तं हितभावेन न द्वेषान्नान्यतो मुने
Know me, Vīrabhadra, as one whose position is worshipped by all the gods. Bhāratī said: What I have spoken is for your benefit, not from hatred nor from any other motive, O sage.