तस्मात्प्रसादं कुरु मे यद्यनुग्रहभागहम्। अपनेष्यामि ते तेजः कृत्वा यंत्रे दिवाकरम्
Therefore, show me your favor if I am worthy of your grace; I will remove your radiance, placing the Sun in a machine.
रूपं तव करिष्यामि लोकानंदकरं प्रभो। तथेत्युक्तः स रविणा भ्रमे कृत्वा दिवाकरं
I will make your form, O Lord, a source of joy for the worlds; thus spoken to, the Sun, bewildered, agreed.
पृथक्चकार तेजश्च चक्रं विष्णोः प्रकल्पयत्। त्रिशूलं चापि रुद्रस्य वज्रमिंद्रस्य चापरं
He separated his radiance, fashioned the discus of Vishnu, the trident of Rudra, and another, the thunderbolt of Indra.
दैत्यदानवसंहर्तृ सहस्रकिरणात्मकं। रूपं चाप्रतिमं चक्रे त्वष्टा पद्भ्यामृते महत्
Tvaṣṭṛ then made an incomparable form, destroyer of Daityas and Dānavas, composed of a thousand rays, except for the feet, which were great.
न शशाक च तद्द्रष्टुं पादरूपं रवेः पुनः। अद्यापि च ततः पादौ न कश्चित्कारयेत्क्वचित्
No one was able to behold again the foot-form of the Sun; even today, therefore, no one should ever make the feet.
यः करोति स पापिष्ठो गतिमाप्नोति निंदितां। कुष्ठरोगमवाप्नोति लोकेस्मिन्दुःखसंज्ञितं
Whoever does so is most sinful, attains a condemned state, contracts leprosy, and is known among people as afflicted with suffering.
तस्मान्न धर्मकामार्थी चित्रेष्वायतनेषु च। न क्वचित्कारयेत्पादौ देवदेवस्य धीमतः
Therefore, one seeking virtue, desire, or wealth should never, anywhere, make the feet of the wise Lord of gods in images or shrines.
ततः स भगवान्गत्वा भूर्लोकममराधिपः। कामयामास कामार्तो मुख एव दिवाकरः
Then that blessed Lord, the king of the immortals, went to the earthly world; overcome by desire, the Sun longed for her face.
अश्वरूपेण महता तेजसा च समन्वितः। संज्ञा च मनसा क्षोभमगमद्भयविह्वला
Assuming the form of a horse, endowed with great radiance, Saṃjñā, agitated in her mind and overcome by fear, was disturbed.
नासापुटाभ्यामुत्सृष्टं परोयमिति शंकया। तस्याथ रेतसो जातावश्विनाविति नः श्रुतम्
Suspecting that what was emitted from her nostrils was foreign, it is said that from her seed the Aśvins were born.
दस्रौ श्रुतित्वात्संजातौ नासत्यौ नासिकाग्रतः। ज्ञात्वा चिराच्च तं देवं संतोषमगमत्परं
Because they were born from the nostrils, they are called the twin gods, the Nāsaṭyās, at the tip of the nose; after a long time, realizing this, the goddess attained supreme satisfaction.
विमानेनागमत्स्वर्गे पत्न्या सह मुदान्वितः। सावर्ण्योपि मनुर्मेरावद्यापि तपते तपः
With joy, he ascended to heaven in a celestial chariot with his wife; even now, Sāvarṇi Manu performs austerities on Mount Meru.
शनिस्तपोबलाच्चापि ग्रहाणां समतां गतः। यमुना तपती चैव पुनर्नद्यौ बभूवतुः
By the power of his austerity, Śani became equal among the planets; Yamunā and Tapatī both became rivers again.
विष्ठिर्घोरात्मिका तद्वत्कालत्वेन व्यवस्थिता। मनोर्वैवस्वतस्यापि दश पुत्रा महाबलाः
Viṣṭhi, of terrible nature, likewise became established as Time; and Manu Vaivasvata had ten mighty sons.
इलस्तु प्रथमस्तेषां पुत्रेष्ट्या समकल्पि यः। इक्ष्वाकुः कुशनाभश्च अरिष्टो धृष्ट एव च
Of them, Ila was the first, who was established through a son-offering; Ikṣvāku, Kuśanābha, Ariṣṭa, and Dhṛṣṭa as well.
नरिष्यंतः करूषश्च शर्यातिश्च महाबलः। पृषध्रश्चाथ नाभागः सर्वे ते दिव्यमानुषाः
Nariṣyanta, Karūṣa, and mighty Śaryāti, Pṛṣadhra, and Nābhāga—these all were divine and human.
अभिषिच्य मनुः पूर्वमिलं पुत्रं स धार्मिकम्। जगाम तपसे भूयः पुष्करं स तपोवनं
Manu, having anointed his righteous son Ila, departed once more for ascetic practice at Puṣkara, that forest of austerity.
अथाजगाम सिध्यर्थं तस्य ब्रह्मा वरप्रदः। वरं वरय भद्रं ते मानवेय यथेप्सितं
Then, for the fulfillment of his purpose, Brahmā, the bestower of boons, appeared and said: 'Choose a boon, O descendant of Manu, whatever you desire; may it be auspicious for you.'
उवाच स तदा देवं पद्माक्षं पद्मजं विभुं। वंशे मे धर्मसंयुक्ताः पृथिव्यां सर्वपार्थिवाः
At that time, he spoke to the divine lotus-eyed, lotus-born Lord: 'May all kings upon the earth in my lineage be joined with righteousness.'
भवेयुरीश्वराः स्वामिन्प्रसादात्तव कंजज। तथेत्युक्त्वा तु देवेशस्तत्रैवांतरधीयत
'May they be sovereigns, O master, by your grace, O lotus-born.' Having said 'so be it,' the Lord of gods vanished from there.
ततोयोध्यां समागत्य समतिष्ठद्यथा पुरा। अथैकदा रथारूढ इलो निज सुतो मनोः
Then, returning to Ayodhyā, he governed as before. Once, Ila, Manu's own son, mounted his chariot.
निर्जगामार्थसिध्यर्थमिनप्रायां महीमिमां। भ्रमन्द्वीपानि सर्वाणि क्ष्माभृतः संप्रसाधयन्
He set out to accomplish his purpose, traversing this earth, wandering through all the islands, subduing the lords of the land.
जगामोपवनं शंभोरथाकृष्टः प्रतापवान्। कल्पद्रुमलताकीर्णं नाम्ना शरवणं महत्
He went to Śiva's sacred grove, drawn there, powerful in might, to the great Śaravaṇa, renowned for its kalpadruma creepers.
रमते यत्र देवेशः सोमः सोमार्द्धशेखरः। उमया समयस्तत्र पुरा शरवणे कृतः
There, the Lord of gods, Soma, adorned with the crescent moon, delights; in ancient times, an agreement was made there with Umā in Śaravaṇa.
पुंनामसंज्ञं यत्किंचिदागमिष्यति नो वनं। स्त्रीत्वमेष्यति तत्सर्वं दशयोजनमंडले
Whatever bearing a masculine name enters this forest shall become feminine, all within a circle of ten yojanas.
अज्ञातसमयो राजा इलः शरवणं गतः। स्त्रीत्वं जगाम सहसा बडवाश्वोऽभवत्क्षणात्
Unaware of the agreement, King Ila entered Śaravaṇa and suddenly became a woman, transformed in an instant like a mare.
पुरुषत्वे कृतं सर्वं स्त्रीकाये विस्मृतं ततः। इलेति साभवन्नारी पीनोन्नतघनस्तनी
All that was accomplished in his male form was forgotten in the female body; thus she became known as Ilā, a woman with full, high, dense breasts.
उन्नतश्रोणिजघना पद्मपत्रायतेक्षणा। पूर्णेन्दुवदना तन्वी विलासिन्यसितेक्षणा
With prominent hips and thighs, eyes wide as lotus petals, a slender form, a face like the full moon, playful, with dark eyes.
पीनोन्नतायतभुजा नीलकुंचितमूर्द्धजा। तनुलोमा सुवदना मृदुगद्गदभाषिणी
With full, long arms, hair curled and dark, fine body hair, beautiful face, speaking softly and gently.
श्यामागौरेण वर्णेन तनुताम्रनखांकुरा। कार्मुकभ्रूयुगोपेता हंसावरणगामिनी
With a complexion both dark and fair, slender copper-colored nails, adorned with arched brows like a bow, walking with the grace of a swan.