यो मे मनोरथो देव सफलः स त्वया कृतः। तप्तं सुतप्तं सफलं यद्दृष्टोसि जगत्पते
O Lord, my wish has been fulfilled by you; my austerity has been well-performed and fruitful, for I have seen you, O Lord of the world.
ब्रह्मोवाच। तपसस्तत्फलं पुत्र यद्दृष्टोहं त्वयाधुना। मद्दर्शनं हि विफलं नारदेह न जायते
Brahma said: The fruit of your austerity, my son, is that you have now seen me; for, O Narada, my appearance is never without purpose.
वरं वरय तस्मात्त्वं यथाभिमतमात्मनः। सर्वं संपद्यते तात मयि दृष्टिपथं गते
Therefore, choose a boon according to your desire; everything, dear one, is accomplished when I come within your sight.
नारद उवाच। भगवन्सर्वभूतेश सर्वस्यास्ते भवान्हृदि। किमज्ञातं तव स्वामिन्मनसा यन्मयेप्सितम्
Narada said: Lord, ruler of all beings, you dwell in the heart of everyone; what is unknown to you, master, that I might wish for in my mind?
कृता त्वया यथा सृष्टिर्मया दृष्टा तथा विभो। तेन मे कौतुकं जातं दृष्ट्वा देवर्षिदानवान्
The creation you made has been seen by me as you intended, O mighty one; thus, curiosity has arisen in me upon seeing the gods, sages, and demons.
पुलस्त्य उवाच। नारदस्य पिता तुष्टो ब्रह्मा देवो दिवस्पतिः। नारदाय वरं प्रादादृषीणामुत्तमो भवान्
Pulastya said: Brahma, the god, lord of heaven, was pleased with Narada his son; he granted Narada a boon, making him the foremost among sages.
भविता मत्प्रसादेन कलिकेलिकथाप्रियः। गतिश्च तेऽप्रतिहता दिवि भूमौ रसातले
By my grace, you will become fond of tales of play in the age of Kali; your movement will be unhindered in heaven, on earth, and in the netherworld.
यज्ञोपवीतसूत्रेण योगपट्टावलंबिका। छत्रिका च तथा वीणा अलंकाराय तेनघ
With the sacred thread, the yoga sash, the umbrella, and the vina, these will be your adornments, O sinless one.
विष्णोः समीपे रुद्रस्य तथा शक्रस्य नारद। द्वीपेषु पार्थिवानां तु सदा प्रीतिं च लप्स्यसे
Near Vishnu, Rudra, and Indra, O Narada, and among the kings on the islands, you will always receive affection.
वर्णानां तु भवान्शास्तावरोदत्तोमयातव। तिष्ठ पुत्र यथाकामं सेव्यमानः सुरैर्द्दिवि
You will be the teacher of the classes, appointed by me; remain, my son, as you wish, honored by the gods in heaven.
भीष्म उवाच। कथं सती दक्षसुता देहं त्यक्तवती शुभा। दक्षयज्ञस्तु रुद्रेण विध्वस्तः केन हेतुना
Bhishma said: How did Sati, the daughter of Daksha, abandon her body, O auspicious one? And for what reason did Rudra destroy Daksha's sacrifice?
एतन्मे कौतुकं ब्रह्मन्कथं देवो महेश्वरः। जगामाथ क्रोधवशं त्रिपुरारिर्महायशाः
This is my curiosity, O Brahman: how did the great and renowned Lord Maheshvara, the enemy of Tripura, become overcome by anger?
पुलस्त्य उवाच। गंगाद्वारे पुरा भीष्म दक्षो यज्ञमथारभत्। तत्र देवासुरगणाः पितरोथ महर्षयः
Pulastya said: Once, at the gateway of the Ganga, Bhishma, Daksha began a sacrifice; there gathered the hosts of gods, demons, ancestors, and great sages.
समाजग्मुर्मुदायुक्ताः सर्वे देवाः सवासवाः। नागा यक्षाः सुपर्णाश्च वीरुदोषधयस्तथा
All the gods, along with Indra, came together joyfully; Nagas, Yakshas, Suparnas, herbs, and plants also arrived.
कश्यपो भगवानत्रिः पुलस्त्यः पुलहः क्रतुः। प्रचेतसोंगिराश्चैव वसिष्ठश्च महातपाः
Kashyapa, the venerable Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Prachetas, Angiras, and Vasishta, the great ascetic, were there.
तत्र वेदीं समां कृत्वा चातुर्होत्रं न्यवेशयत्। होता वसिष्ठस्तत्रासीदंगिराध्वर्युसत्तमः
There, having made a level altar, he established the fourfold sacrificial fires; Vasishta was the hotṛ priest, and Angiras, the best of adhvaryus.
बृहस्पतिरथोद्गाता ब्रह्मा वै नारदस्तथा। यज्ञकर्मप्रवृत्तौ तु हूयमानेषु चाग्निषु
Bṛhaspati, then the Udgātā, Brahmā, and likewise Nārada, were present at the performance of the sacrificial rites, as the fires were being kindled.
आगता वसवः सर्व आदित्या द्वादशैव तु। अश्विनौ मरुतश्चैव मनवश्च चतुर्दश
All the Vasus arrived, the twelve Ādityas as well; the two Aśvins, the Maruts, and the fourteen Manus also came.
एवं यज्ञे प्रवृत्ते तु हूयमानेषु चाग्निषु। विभूतिं तां परां तत्र भक्ष्यभोज्यकृतां शुभाम्
Thus, as the sacrifice proceeded and the fires were being offered to, that supreme and auspicious abundance of food and delicacies appeared there.
आलोक्य सर्वतो भूमिं समंताद्दशयोजनम्। महावेदी कृता तत्र सर्वैस्तत्र समन्वितैः
Observing the land all around for ten yojanas, a great altar was constructed there, with everyone assembled together.
सर्वान्देवान्शक्रमुख्यान्यज्ञे दृष्ट्वा सती शुभा। तदासानुनयं वाक्यं प्रजापतिमभाषत
Seeing all the gods, with Śakra at their head, present at the sacrifice, the virtuous Satī spoke these conciliatory words to Prajāpati.
सत्युवाच। ऐरावतं समारूढो देवराजः शतक्रतुः। पत्न्या शच्या सहायातः कृतावासः शतक्रतुः
Satī said: The king of the gods, Śatakratu, mounted upon Airāvata, has arrived here with his wife Śacī, having established his residence.
पापानां यो यमयिता धर्मेणाधर्मिणां प्रभुः। पत्न्या धूमोर्णया सार्द्धमिहायातः स दृश्यते
He who is the punisher of the wicked, the lord who rules over the unrighteous by righteousness, has come here with his wife Dhūmorṇā, and is seen.
यादसां च पतिर्द्देवो वरुणो लोकभावनः। गौर्य्या पत्न्या सहायातः प्रचेता मंडपे त्विह
The god Varuṇa, lord of the aquatic beings and creator of the worlds, has arrived here in the pavilion with his wife Gaurī.
सर्वयक्षाधिपो देवः पुत्रो विश्रवसो मुनेः। पत्न्या त्विह समायातः सह देव्या धनाधिपः
The god who is lord of all Yakṣas, son of the sage Viśravas, the lord of wealth, has arrived here with his wife, the goddess.
मुखं यः सर्वदेवानां जंतूनामुदरे स्थितः। वेदा यदर्थमुत्पन्नास्सोयं यज्ञमुपागतः
He whose mouth is that of all the gods and whose belly contains all creatures, for whose sake the Vedas were produced, has come to the sacrifice.
निऋती राक्षसेन्द्रोऽसौ दिक्पतित्वे नियोजितः। स च त्विहागतस्तात पत्न्या सार्द्धं क्रताविह
Niṛti, the king of the Rākṣasas, has been appointed as guardian of the quarters; he too has arrived here, O father, with his wife for the sacrifice.
आयुःप्रदो जगत्यस्मिन्ब्रह्मणा निर्मितः पुरा। प्राणोपानोव्यानउदानस्समानाह्वयस्तथा
The giver of life in this world, who was created by Brahmā in ancient times—prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna—has also come.
एकोनपंचाशत्केन गणेन परिवारितः। यज्ञे प्रजापतिश्चासौ वायुर्देवःसमागतः
Surrounded by a group numbering forty-nine, Prajāpati and the god Vāyu have arrived at the sacrifice.
द्वादशात्मा ग्रहाध्यक्षःचक्षुषी जगतस्त्विह। पाति वै भुवनं सर्वं देवानां यः परायणः
The twelve-formed lord, overseer of the planets, the eye of the world, who protects all the realms and is the refuge of the gods, is here.