अंगुलीभ्यां महेशोऽपि तमोगुणमधारयत् । सत्वमेकोंगुलीभ्यां च सत्वं विष्णुमथादधात्
Maheśa took up tamas with his fingers, and with one finger he gave sattva to Viṣṇu.
ब्रह्माणं पादपीठे च दधार च ननर्त च
He placed Brahmā on his foot as a seat and began to dance.
नृत्यंतमत्यंतविलासरूपं गोक्षीररूपं तरुणं त्रिनेत्रम् । सर्वं दधानं कृतकौतुकं शिवं समीक्ष्य पुत्रान्वरदो बभाषे
Dancing in a form of supreme grace, youthful, with the color of cow's milk, three-eyed, bearing all things, having performed a wondrous act, Shiva looked upon his sons and spoke, ready to grant them boons.
शिव उवाच- प्रीतोऽस्मि तव पुत्राहं वरं वृणु यथेप्सितम् । अथाह पितरं पुत्रो वरमेनं ददस्व मे
Shiva said: 'I am pleased with you, my sons. Choose a boon as you desire.' Then the son said to his father, 'Grant me this boon.'
मामुद्दिश्य कृता पूजा तव पूजा भवेच्छिव । तिष्ठेर्मयि सदा त्वं च त्वमेवाहं च वाव्ययः
Worship performed for me is indeed your worship, O Shiva; you and I are ever steadfast in each other, and you and I are both imperishable.
शिव उवाच- एवमेतन्महाभाग भविष्यति न संशयः । रक्तगौराविमौ पुत्रौ ब्रह्मविष्णू ममैव तु
Shiva said: So it is, O highly fortunate one, it shall be so without doubt; these two sons, one red and one fair, Brahma and Vishnu, are indeed mine.
बाहुमूलस्थरोमौ च ममाकारौ तथानघौ । अथ ब्रह्माणमाहेदं भजत्वेकं गुणं भवान्
The hairs at the root of my arm became these two forms, flawless as they are; then I said to Brahma: You should take on one quality.
ब्रह्मोवाच- त्वन्निर्दिष्टं गुणमहं धर्तुं शक्तो न हीश्वर । धारयिष्ये रजो देव सत्वं भजतु वै हरिः
Brahma said: O Lord, I am not able to bear the quality you have assigned; O God, I will bear rajas, and let Hari take on sattva.
अवशिष्टं गुणं चायमीश्वरो धारयिष्यति । शंभुरुवाच- गुणानादायते देवा नशेकुर्नित्यधारणम्
And this remaining quality, the Lord will bear; Shambhu said: The gods, having taken the qualities, were not able to bear them eternally.
कर्तुं भरणशक्त्यर्थं शिवमित्यवदत्पुनः । गुणान्वयं सर्वकालं न च धारयितुं क्षमाः
To accomplish the power to sustain, he again said 'Shiva'; they are not able to bear the qualities at all times.
दीयतां भगवञ्छक्तिर्यदि भोस्त्वं वरप्रदः । अथ तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा शिवो वाक्यमभाषत
O blessed one, if you are the bestower of boons, then grant the power; then, having heard those words, Shiva spoke.
शिव उवाच- विद्याशक्तिः समस्तानां शक्तिरित्यभिधीयते । गुणत्रयाश्रया विद्या अविद्या च तदाश्रया
Shiva said: The power of knowledge is called the power of all; knowledge is the support of the three qualities, and ignorance is also based on that.
गुणत्रयं च दग्ध्वैव तत्सारं धर्तुमर्हथ । यच्च किंचिद्भवेत्तत्र भवद्भिर्ध्रियतां हि तत्
Having burned the three qualities, you should bear their essence; whatever may exist there, let it be borne by you.
अथाहुस्तत्सुता वाक्यं न दाहो ज्वलनं विना । शिवः प्राह महेशस्य लोचने वह्निरस्ति वै
Then their sons said: There is no burning without fire; Shiva said: In the eyes of Mahesha, indeed, there is fire.
गुणत्रयमिदं धेनुर्विद्या स्याद्गोमयं शुभम् । मूत्रं चोपनिषत्प्रोक्तं कुर्याद्भस्म ततः परम्
This triad of qualities is the cow, knowledge is the auspicious cow-dung; urine is as declared in the Upanishads, and from that, one should make ash.
वत्सास्तु स्मृतयो यस्यास्तत्संभूतं तु गोमयम् । आगाव इति मंत्रेण धेनुं तत्राभिमंत्रयेत्
The calves are the Smritis, from which the cow-dung arises; with the mantra 'āgāva', one should consecrate the cow there.
गावो गावो गाव इति प्राशयेत्तु तृणं जलम् । उपोष्य च चतुर्द्दश्यां शुक्ले कृष्णेऽथवा व्रती
Saying 'gāvo gāvo gāva', one should feed her grass and water; having fasted on the fourteenth, whether in the bright or dark fortnight, the votary should do so.
परेद्युः प्रातरुत्थाय शुचिर्भूत्वा समाहितः । कृतस्नानो धौतवस्त्रो गोमयार्थं व्रजेत्तु गाम्
On the next day, rising early, pure and focused, having bathed and donned clean garments, one should go to the cow for cow-dung.
उत्थाप्य तां प्रयत्नेन गायत्र्या मूत्रमाहरेत् । सौवर्णे राजते ताम्रे धारयेन्मृन्मये घटे
Raising her carefully, one should collect her urine with the Gayatri; it should be kept in a golden, silver, copper, or earthen vessel.
पौष्करे वा पलाशे वा पात्रे गोशृंग एव वा । आदधीत हि गोमूत्रं गंधद्वारेति गोमयम्
Or in a vessel of lotus or palasha leaf, or even in a cow's horn; one should place the cow urine, and the cow-dung with the mantra 'gandhadvāra'.
अभूमिपातं गृह्णीयात्पात्रे पूर्वोदितेऽधिके । गोमयं शोधयेद्विद्वाञ्छ्रीर्मे भजतु मंत्रतः
One should take cow-dung from a place not fallen to the ground, in the vessel previously described; the wise should purify the cow-dung, invoking Shri with the mantra.
अलक्ष्मीर्मयीति मंत्रेण गोमयस्यापमार्जनम् । सं त्वा सिंचामि मंत्रेण गोमूत्रं गोमये क्षिपेत्
With the mantra 'alakṣmīr mayi', one should wipe the cow-dung; with the mantra 'saṃ tvā siṃcāmi', one should pour the cow urine onto the cow-dung.
पंचानां त्वेति मंत्रेण पिंडांश्चैव चतुर्द्दश । कुर्यात्संशोष्य किरणैस्तरणेराहरेत्तु तान्
With the mantra for the five, one should prepare fourteen balls, drying them with the rays of the sun, and then offer them.
निदध्यादथ पूर्वोक्तपात्रे गोमयपिंडकान् । स्वगृह्योक्तविधानेन प्रतिष्ठाप्याग्निमिंधयेत्
Then, placing the cow-dung balls in the previously mentioned vessel, one should establish the fire according to the prescribed ritual of one's own tradition.
पिंडान्विनिक्षिपेत्तत्तदर्णदेवाय पिंडकान् । आघारावाज्यभागौ च प्रक्षिप्य द्वौ हुनेत्सुधीः
One should deposit the balls for the respective deities, and after adding two portions—one of clarified butter and one of oblation—an intelligent person should offer them into the fire.
ततो निधनपतये त्रयोदशजयादयः । होतव्याः पंचब्रह्माणि नमो हिरण्यबाहवे
Then, for the Lord of Death, thirteen victorious offerings are to be made, along with five offerings to Brahman, reciting 'Salutations to the golden-armed.'
इति सर्वाहुतीर्हुत्वा चतुर्थ्यंतैस्तु मंत्रकैः । ततः शर्वाय रुद्राय यस्य वैकंकतीति च
After offering all oblations with the fourth-ending mantras, then to Sharva, Rudra, and to the one called Vaikanka, offerings are made.
एतैस्तु जुहुयाद्विद्वाननाज्ञातत्रयं तथा । व्याहृतीरथ हुत्वा तु ततः स्विष्टकृतं हुनेत्
With these mantras, the learned should offer for the three unknowns as well; after offering the Vyahritis, then the Svishtakrit oblation should be made.
इध्मशेषं तु निर्वर्त्य पूर्णपात्रोदकं ततः । पूर्णमासांतयजुषा जलेनान्येन बृंहयेत्
After completing the remaining fuel, one should fill a vessel with water; with the full-moon ending Yajus, one should augment it with another water.
ब्राह्मणेष्वमृतमिति तज्जलं शिरसि क्षिपेत् । प्राच्यामिति दिशां लिंगैर्दिक्षु तोयं विनिक्षिपेत्
Saying 'nectar among the Brahmins,' one should pour that water on their heads; and with the marks of the directions, one should sprinkle water in all quarters.