शुक्रेण रक्षितः सोऽथ गुरुणाचिंतयत्त्विदम् । मृतोऽस्मि शतशः शुक्र जीवितोऽस्मि त्वयैव हि
Protected by Śukra, then by my teacher, I reflected thus: 'Śukra, I have died hundreds of times, and by you alone have I been restored to life.'
अमृत्यवे त्वमेतस्मादुदरस्थमृताय च । अन्यथा मरणं मह्यं भविष्यति न संशयः
You are the cause of my being deathless and of my rebirth from the womb; otherwise, without doubt, death would have come to me.
गुरो यमेन साकं मे युद्धमासीत्सुदारुणम् । मयासौ ग्रसितो युद्धे यमराजः प्रतापवान्
O teacher, I fought a fierce battle with Yama; in that fight, I swallowed the mighty Lord of Death.
ममोदरं प्रविश्यासौ बिभेद च ननाद च । अहं मृतस्तदा चासं त्वया संजीवितः पुनः
He entered my belly, tore it open, and roared; at that time I died, but you revived me again.
तस्मादुदरसंस्थानां मरणाय तपे तपः । शुक्र उवाच- एवमेतन्न संदेहो यथावत्त्वं समाचर
Therefore, I will perform austerity for the destruction of those who dwell in the belly.' Śukra said: 'So be it, there is no doubt; act accordingly.'
स्यमंतपंचकं तीर्थं तत्र त्वं तप्तुमर्हसि । राक्षस उवाच- तपे महत्तपो घोरं यन्न चीर्णं सुरासुरैः
You should undertake austerity at the holy place called Syamantapañcaka.' The Rākṣasa said: 'I will perform a great and terrible penance, such as neither gods nor demons have accomplished.'
गुल्फप्रदेशे पादान्ते त्वयःपाशैः प्रबध्य च । अयःस्तंभयुगं कृत्वा अयःपट्टिकयान्वितम्
Binding my feet at the ankles with iron chains, making a pair of iron pillars joined by an iron band,
पट्टिकायां पादबंधं कृत्वाधः शीर्षतां तथा । विवृतास्यं तथा कल्पं कृत्वाधोमुखमुच्चकैः
fastening my feet to the band, hanging with my head downward, mouth open, and remaining thus for a long time,
स्तंभोत्तरेण ज्वालायां चक्रिकायामितस्ततः । अधःशिरास्तथा तिष्ठन्नुन्मील्यैव विलोचने
standing with my head down, eyes open, between the pillars, in the midst of flames and a revolving wheel,
एवं तपश्चरिष्यामि वरदः कोपि मे भवेत् । ब्रह्मा वा वरदः सोऽस्तु शंकरो विष्णुरेव च
thus I will perform austerity; may some bestower of boons grant me a boon—be it Brahmā, Śaṅkara, or Viṣṇu.
वरदे न तु मे भाव्यं यो वा कोवा वरप्रदः । इत्थमाभाष्य मुनिना गुरुणा भार्गवेण सः
But if no one grants me a boon, let it be so, whoever the giver may be.' Having spoken thus to the sage, his teacher Bhārgava,
तथातपच्च षण्मासं पुनरन्यच्चकार ह । नखाभ्यां स्वशिरश्छित्त्वा जुहावाग्नौ समंत्रकम्
he performed such austerity for six months, and then did something further: with his nails he cut off his own heads and offered them into the fire with mantras.
नमो भद्राय मंत्रेण चत्वारि च शिरांसि सः । पंचमं तु शिरो हातुं यतमाने च राक्षसे
With the mantra 'Salutation to the Auspicious One,' he offered four heads; as he was about to offer the fifth, the Rākṣasa,
वह्निमध्यात्समुत्तस्थौ भगवानंबिकापतिः । शुद्धस्फटिकसंकाशो बालचन्द्र विभूषणः
from the midst of the fire arose the blessed Lord, husband of Ambikā, shining like pure crystal, adorned with the crescent moon.
अधःशिरस्कं तद्रक्ष इदमाह महेश्वरः । मा साहसं कृथा रक्षो वरदोऽस्मि वरं वृणु
Seeing the demon with his head downward, Maheśvara said: 'Do not act rashly, O demon; I am the giver of boons—choose your boon.'
राक्षस उवाच- बहूनां च वराणां त्वं दाता नूनं महेश्वरः । हतशीर्षसमुत्पत्तिं ग्रस्तजीवमृतिं तथा
The Rākṣasa said: 'O Maheśvara, you are indeed the giver of many boons; grant me rebirth after my head is cut off, and restoration of life if it is swallowed.'
वराहवपुषो विष्णोरस्तु शक्तिश्चतुर्गुणा । मयि तेन हि रोषः स्यात्संनिधिस्तु सदा मम
May I possess fourfold the power of Viṣṇu in his Boar form; may I always have that wrath and presence.
त्वज्जटोत्पाटनेनैकः पुरुषः संभविष्यति । तेनैव मरणं नान्यैरिदमस्तु वृतं मम
Let it be that only one person, by uprooting your matted locks, can cause my death—by no other means; let this be granted to me.
भविष्यत्येवमेवैतदित्युक्त्वांतर्हितोहरः । एवंलब्धवरः पापी राक्षसो निहतस्त्वया
Having said, 'So it shall indeed be in the future,' Hara vanished; thus, the sinful demon, having obtained his boon, was slain by you.
अथालिंग्य हरिर्वीरं शंकरश्च पितामहः । यथागतमथोजग्मुरथ देवादियोषितः
Then Hari, Shankara, and Pitamaha embraced the hero, and, as they had come, so too did the gods and divine women depart.
निपत्य दंडवद्भूमौ वीरभद्रमथाब्रुवन् । नमस्ते देवदेवेश नमस्ते करुणाकर
Falling prostrate on the ground, they addressed Virabhadra: 'Salutations to you, Lord of gods and lords, salutations to you, O compassionate one.'
नमस्ते शाश्वतानंत नमस्ते वरदो भव । वीरभद्र उवाच- भस्मना जीवयिष्यामि सुरान्समुनि वानरान्
Salutations to you, eternal and infinite one; salutations to you, bestower of boons. Virabhadra said: 'With ashes I shall revive the gods, sages, and monkeys.'
भवतीभिः प्रतोष्टव्यं शोकः कार्यो न चाधुना । इत्युक्त्वा वीरभद्रस्तु भस्मनाजीवयत्सतान्
'You must propitiate the goddess; now is not the time for sorrow.' Having said this, Virabhadra revived the virtuous with ashes.
उत्थिता मुनिदेवाश्च वानरौ चोत्थितौ ततः । इदमूचुर्वचो हृष्टाः शिरःस्थांजलयो नमन्
Then the sages and gods arose, and the two monkeys also stood up; joyfully, with hands joined at their heads, they spoke these words.
त्वयात्र जीवितास्तात पिता त्वं धर्मतो हि नः । अस्माकं शरणं नित्यं भव शंकरसंभव
'By you, O father, we have been given life here; truly, you are our father by righteousness. Always be our refuge, O one born of Shankara.'
शिशूनां दुष्टचरितं दृष्ट्वा शिक्षेस्तथा च तान् । रक्षेः परकृता बाधा व्याधिभ्यश्च यथौरसान्
'Seeing the wicked deeds of children, instruct them accordingly; protect us from harm caused by others and from diseases, as you would your own sons.'
दक्षाध्वरे कृतागस्काः शिक्षिता भवतानघ । इदानीं रक्षितास्तात वयं शिशुवदेव ते
'At Daksha's sacrifice, we who committed offenses were instructed by you, O sinless one; now, O father, we are protected by you just as children by their father.'
वीरभद्र उवाच- सत्यमेतन्न संदेहो यत्र बाधा भवेत्तु वः । तत्र मां स्मरत क्षिप्रं बाधानाशं गमिष्यति
Virabhadra said: 'This is true, there is no doubt; wherever you face trouble, remember me quickly—your troubles will be destroyed.'
वीरभद्रं पदं येपि पठंत्यष्टशतं ततः । प्रणवादि नमोंऽतं च चतुर्थीसहितं तथा
'Those who recite the eight hundred names of Virabhadra, beginning with the Pranava and ending with Namah, along with the fourth case ending—'
तेषां राक्षसपीडानां नाशनं च भविष्यति । ब्रह्मराक्षसपीडासु पिशाचादिभयेषु च
'For them, the destruction of afflictions caused by demons will occur, as well as in cases of torment by Brahmarakshasas and fears from ghosts and the like.'