शंभुरुवाच- एवं चिंतयतस्तस्य अकालमरणं त्वभूत् । यमलोकं गतश्चाथ यमेन परिभाषितः
Śambhu said: While he was thinking thus, untimely death befell him; he went to the realm of Yama and was addressed by Yama.
यम उवाच- अनेकपापयुक्तोसि पुण्यं नैव महत्तव । न वेदाध्यापनात्प्राप्तं पापं च विदितं तव
Yama said: You are engaged in many sins, and your merit is not great; you have not gained merit from teaching the Veda, and your sins are known.
कोटिवर्षाणि नरके तवस्थितिरिति द्विज । आयुरस्ति तवात्यल्पं गम्यतां पौर्विकीं तनुम्
O twice-born, your stay in hell will be for ten million years; your lifespan is very short—go and take up your former body.
कुरु पुण्यं हितं दानं देवतापूजनं जपम् । सांगमध्यापनं विप्र भोजनं भस्मधारणम्
Perform meritorious acts, give charity, worship the deities, recite mantras, teach with proper method, feed the Brahmins, and wear sacred ash.
भज विश्वेश्वरं देवं देवदेवमुमापतिम् । तस्य प्रयत्नमात्रेण मम लोकं न गच्छसि
Worship Viśveśvara, the god of gods, the consort of Umā; by merely making the effort, you will not come to my realm.
यत्किंचित्प्रत्यहं पापिन्पुराणं शृणु सादरम् । ततस्तच्छ्रवणादेव नेक्षसे मम यातनाः
O sinner, listen with reverence to even a little of the Purāṇa every day; from that very hearing, you will not see my torments.
यमस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा ब्राह्मणः स्वां ययौ तनुम् । अथेशपूजनकृते यत्नमास्थाय स द्विजः
Hearing Yama’s words, the Brāhmaṇa returned to his own body; then, that twice-born made effort to worship the Lord.
अगमन्मुनिवर्यं तु जाबालिशिवपूजकम् । तपः स्वाध्यायसंपन्नं श्रुतिस्मृतिविवेचकम्
He approached the eminent sage Jābāli, a worshipper of Śiva, accomplished in austerity and study, and skilled in discerning the meaning of śruti and smṛti.
पुराणतत्त्ववेत्तारं लक्षशिष्यसमावृतम् । जराशिथिलसर्वांगं वेदवेदांगपारगम्
He was a knower of Purāṇic truth, surrounded by hundreds of disciples, his body weakened by old age, but accomplished in the Vedas and their branches.
द्रष्टुकामो ययौ शैलं मंदरं चारुकंदरम् । नानाविहंगसंपूर्णं नानापुष्पलतावृतम्
Desiring to see him, he went to the charming Mandara mountain, filled with various birds and covered with diverse flowering creepers.
सर्वर्तुकुसुमोपेतं नानागंधोपशोभितम् । किन्नराणां च मिथुनैर्गीतपूर्णमहागुहम्
Adorned with flowers of all seasons, beautified by various fragrances, and with great caves filled with the songs of Kinnara couples.
अनेकरूपलावण्य वनितोषितपादपम् । लंबमानविचित्राभिस्ताभिः शोभितपादपम्
Its trees were delighted by the beauty of many forms of women, and those trees were adorned with their various hanging ornaments.
रतिश्रमप्रसुप्तानां बोधनादितषट्पदम् । कूजंति च पिकाः कामं वियुक्तानां युजे किल
The bees awaken those who have fallen asleep from the fatigue of love; and the cuckoos sing freely for those separated from their beloveds.
नानामुनिगणाकीर्णं प्रशांतमृगचारिणम् । अप्सरोगणसंकीर्णं गंधर्वगणसेवितम्
It was filled with groups of various sages, with peaceful wild animals, crowded with hosts of apsarases, and attended by companies of gandharvas.
नानासिद्धमुखोद्भूतगीतपूर्णवनांतरम् । विचित्रफलसंपूर्णं नानादेवालयान्वितम्
Within the forest, filled with songs arising from the mouths of various siddhas, abundant with wondrous fruits, and adorned with many temples of the gods,
प्रासादशतसंबाधं नानागृहसमन्वितम् । सिंहाननैर्गजमुखैरुलूकवदनैरथ
Crowded with hundreds of palaces, accompanied by diverse houses, with lion faces, elephant faces, owl faces, and others,
अमुखैर्विमुखैरुग्रैरर्द्धवक्त्रैर्मृगीमुखैः । रुरुजंतुकगोधाहि वानरर्क्षमुखैरपि
With faces that are mouthless, turned away, fierce, half-faced, deer-faced, and also with faces of antelope, jackal, iguana, snake, monkey, and bear,
व्याघ्रवृश्चिकभल्लूष्ट्रश्वानगर्दभतुंडकैः । समस्तजीववदनसदृशास्यैर्गणेश्वरैः । वल्लीमुखैर्वृक्षमुखैः शिलावक्त्रैरयोमुखैः
With faces of tiger, scorpion, bear, camel, dog, donkey, and boar; with lords of hosts whose faces resemble all living beings; with creeper faces, tree faces, stone faces, and iron faces,
शंखमुक्तादिजलजवदनैरुपशोभितम् । अधिकांगैरनंगैश्च जटिलैः शिखिमुंडितैः
Adorned with faces like conch, pearl, water creatures; with those having extra limbs or without limbs, with matted hair, crested, or shaven-headed,
पत्रिवक्त्रैर्द्विषड्वक्त्रैस्त्रिविग्रहमुखैरपि । घंटास्यैः शूर्पवदनकर्णपादमुखैरपि
With leaf faces, two-faced, six-faced, and three-formed faces; with bell mouths, winnowing basket faces, ear, foot, and mouth faces as well,
घंटामुखैर्वेणुमुखैः किंकिणीवदनैरपि । यादृग्वस्तु जगत्यस्ति तादृशास्यैरयोमुखैः
With bell faces, flute faces, and also with faces like tinkling ornaments; with iron faces resembling whatever exists in the world,
कैश्चिन्निभृतकंदर्परूपलावण्यकोमलैः । कोटिसूर्यप्रतीकाशैश्चंद्र कोटिसमप्रभैः
Some with restrained pride, beauty, charm, and softness; shining like ten million suns, with radiance equal to ten million moons,
नानावर्णैर्विश्वमुखैर्विश्वरूपैश्चतुर्मुखैः । द्विमुखैः पंचवक्त्रैश्च त्रिमुखैः षण्मुखैरपि
With various colors, universal faces, universal forms, four-faced, two-faced, five-faced, three-faced, and also six-faced,
एकानेकमुखैः शांतैः सर्वदा सुखिभिर्युतम् । नानाभोगसमृद्धैश्च रतिकामसमैरपि
With one or many faces, peaceful, always accompanied by the happy; endowed with various enjoyments, and equal to the pleasures of love and delight,
लक्ष्मीनारायणमुखैरुमेशसमविग्रहैः । नानारूपधरैश्चान्यैः सेवितं मंदराचलम्
With faces of Lakshmi and Narayana, with forms like Uma and Shiva; served by others assuming various forms, Mount Mandara is attended,
धेनवो यत्र वेदाश्च मीमांसावत्स संयुताः । धर्मादयः सवर्ष्माणः पुराणानि च कर्मणा
Where cows and the Vedas dwell, together with the calves of inquiry; dharma and others, with bodies, and the Puranas in action,
स्मृतीतिहासजातानि आगमाश्च शरीरिणः । स्थिताश्च मंदरे यत्र सशैलः पापनाशनः
Where the Smritis, Itihasas, and Jatakas, and the Agamas are embodied; there on Mandara, along with the mountain, the destroyer of sin, they abide,
तस्य मध्ये महापुण्यं पुरं परमशोभितम् । वापीतडागोपवनप्रासादशतशोभितम्
In its midst is a city of great merit, supremely splendid, adorned with ponds, tanks, gardens, and hundreds of palaces,
सप्तप्राकारपरिखं रत्नाट्टालकसंयुतम् । गोपुरैर्नवभिर्युक्तं विचित्रगृहसंयुतम्
Surrounded by seven ramparts and moats, furnished with jewel-encrusted towers, equipped with nine gateways, and filled with wondrous houses,
यस्य चाप्रतिमं तेज उष्णशीतादिवर्जितम् । तन्मध्ये नगरी पुण्या तन्मध्ये च सभा शुभा
Whose radiance is incomparable, free from heat, cold, and the like; in its midst is a holy city, and within it, a splendid assembly hall,