अथ सुस्राव नेत्राभ्यां जलं तत्रात्रिसंभवम्। द्योतयद्विश्वमखिलं ज्योत्स्नया सचराचरम्
Then, from his eyes, water flowed forth there, born of Atri; with its radiance, like moonlight, it illumined the entire universe, all that moves and does not move.
तद्दिशो जगृहुस्तत्र स्त्रीरूपेणासहृच्छयाः। गर्भो भूत्वोदरे तासां स्थितः सोप्यत्रिसंभवः
In that place, the directions, overcome with longing, received it in the form of women; that which was born of Atri became an embryo within their wombs.
आशाश्च मुमुचुर्गर्भमशक्ता धारणे ततः। समादायाथ तं गर्भमेकीकृत्य चतुर्मुखः
The directions, unable to bear the embryo, released it; then the Four-faced One gathered that embryo together.
युवानमकरोद्ब्रह्मा सर्वायुधधरं नरम्। स्यंदनेथ सहस्तेन वेदशक्तिमये प्रभुः
Brahmā made him into a young man, a wielder of all weapons, a man; the Lord, with his own hand, set him on a chariot made of Vedic power.
आरोप्य लोकमनयदात्मीयं स पितामहः। ततो ब्रह्मर्षिभिः प्रोक्तं ह्यस्मत्स्वामीभवत्वयम्
Having placed him, the Grandfather led him to his own world; then the Brahmarṣis declared, 'Let this one become our Lord.'
ऋषिभिर्देवगंधर्वैरप्सरोभिस्तथैव च। स्तूयमानस्य तस्याभूदधिकं महदंतरम्
As he was praised by the seers, gods, Gandharvas, and likewise by the Apsarases, a great and extraordinary event occurred.
तेजोवितानादभवद्भुवि दिव्यौषधीगणः। तद्दीप्तिरधिका तस्माद्रात्रौ भवति सर्वदा
From the canopy of his brilliance arose on earth a multitude of divine herbs; because of that radiance, their glow is always greater at night.
तेनौषधीशः सोमोभूद्द्विजेष्वपि हि गण्यते। वेदधामा रसश्चायं यदिदं मंडलं शुभम्
Thus Soma became the lord of herbs, and is also counted among the twice-born; this auspicious orb is the abode of the Vedas and the essence of sap.
क्षीयते वर्द्धते चैव शुक्ले कृष्णे च सर्वदा। विंशतिं च तथा सप्त दक्षः प्राचेतसो ददौ
It always wanes and waxes in the bright and dark fortnights; and Dakṣa, son of Pracetas, gave him twenty-seven as well.
रूपलावण्यसंयुक्तास्तस्मै कन्याः सुवर्चसः। ततः शक्तिसहस्राणां सहस्राणि दशैव तु
To him, Dakṣa gave daughters endowed with beauty and charm; then, ten thousand times a thousand powers.
तपश्चकार शीतांशुर्विष्णुध्यानैकतत्परः। ततस्तुष्टश्च भगवांस्तस्मै नारायणो हरिः
The cool-rayed one performed austerities, wholly intent on meditation upon Viṣṇu; then the Blessed Lord Nārāyaṇa, Hari, was pleased with him.
वरं वृणीष्व चोवाच परमात्मा जनार्दनः। ततो वव्रे वरं सोमः शक्रलोके यजाम्यहम्
The Supreme Self, Janārdana, said, 'Choose a boon.' Then Soma chose the boon: 'May I perform sacrifices in the world of Indra.'
प्रत्यक्षमेव भोक्तारो भवंतु मम मंदिरे। राजसूये सुरगणा ब्रह्माद्या ये चतुर्विधाः
'May the gods, Brahmā and the four kinds, be my direct guests in my abode at the Rājasūya sacrifice.'
रक्षपालः सुरोस्माकमास्तां शूलधरो हरः। तथेत्युक्तः समाजह्रे राजसूयं तु विष्णुना
'Let Śiva, the wielder of the trident, be our protector, the guardian of the gods.' Thus addressed, Viṣṇu assembled the Rājasūya sacrifice.
होतात्रिर्भृगुरध्वर्युरुद्गाता च चतुर्मुखः। ब्रह्मत्वमगमत्तस्य उपद्रष्टा हरिः स्वयम्
Atri was the Hotṛ, Bhṛgu the Adhvaryu, and the Four-faced One the Udgātṛ; he attained the status of Brahman, and Hari himself was the overseer.
सदस्याः सर्वदेवास्तु राजसूयविधिः स्मृतः। वसवोध्वर्यवस्तद्वद्विश्वेदेवास्तथैव च
All the gods were members of the assembly; this is remembered as the procedure of the Rājasūya; the Vasus were Adhvaryus, and so too the Viśvedevas.
त्रैलोक्यं दक्षिणा तेन ऋत्विग्भ्यः प्रतिपादिता। सोमः प्राप्याथदुष्प्राप्यमैश्वर्यं सृष्टिसत्कृतं
He gave the three worlds as a fee to the officiating priests; thus Soma attained that sovereignty, difficult to obtain, established by creation.
सप्तलोकैकनाथत्वं प्राप्तस्स्वतपसा तदा। कदाचिदुद्यानगतामपश्यदनेकपुष्पाभरणोपशोभाम्
Then, by his own austerity, he attained lordship over the seven worlds; once, as he was walking in a garden, he saw women adorned with many flowers and ornaments.
बृहन्नितंबस्तनभारखेदां पुष्पावभंगेप्यतिदुर्बलांगीं। भार्यां च तां देवगुरोरनंगबाणाभिरामायत चारुनेत्रां
With broad hips, weighed down by the heaviness of her breasts, her limbs exceedingly weak even at the breaking of flowers, that wife of the preceptor of the gods, with beautiful, wide, charming eyes, was struck by the arrows of Love.
तारां स ताराधिपतिः स्मरार्तः केशेषु जग्राह विविक्तभूमौ। सापि स्मरार्ता सहते न रेमे तद्रूपकांत्याहृतमानसैव
Tormented by desire, the lord of stars seized Tārā by her hair in a secluded place; she too, overcome by love, could not resist nor take pleasure, her mind captivated by his beauty and radiance.
चिरं विहृत्याथ जगाम तारां विधुर्गृहीत्वा स्वगृहं ततोपि। न तृप्तिरासीत्स्वगृहेपि तस्य तारानुरक्तस्य सुखागमेषु
After spending a long time with Tārā, the moon-god took her to his own house; yet, even in his own home, he found no satisfaction in pleasures, being deeply attached to Tārā.
बृहस्पतिस्तद्विरहाग्निदग्धस्तद्ध्याननिष्ठैकमना बभूव। शशाक शापं न च दातुमस्मै न मंत्रशस्त्राग्निविषैरनेकैः
Bṛhaspati, scorched by the fire of separation, became absorbed with a mind fixed solely on meditation upon her; yet he could not cast a curse upon him, nor harm him with mantras, weapons, fire, or poisons of many kinds.
तस्यापकर्तुं विविधैरुपायैर्नैवाभिचारैरपि वागधीशः। स याचयामास ततस्तु देवं सोमं स्वभार्यार्थमनंगतप्तः
Though he tried many means to recover her, even with acts of sorcery, the lord of speech could not succeed; then, burning with the pain of love for his wife, he approached Soma and pleaded.
स याच्यमानोपि ददौ न भार्यां बृहस्पतेः कामवशेन मोहितः। महेश्वरेणाथ चतुर्मुखेन साध्यैर्मरुद्भिः सह लोकपालैः
Even when entreated, Soma did not return the wife of Bṛhaspati, deluded by desire; then, with Maheśvara, the Four-faced One, the Sādhyas, the Maruts, and the guardians of the worlds,
ददौ यदा तां न कथंचिदिंदुस्तदा शिवः क्रोधपरो बभूव। यो वामदेवप्रथितः पृथिव्यामनेकरुद्रार्चितपादपद्मः
When the moon-god still did not give her back in any way, then Śiva, famed as Vāmadeva upon the earth, whose lotus feet are worshipped by countless Rudras, became filled with wrath.
ततः सशिष्यो गिरिशः पिनाकी बृहस्पतेः स्नेहवशानुबद्धः। धनुर्गृहीत्वाजगवं पुरारिर्जगाम भूतेश्वरसिद्धजुष्टः
Then, accompanied by his disciples, the wielder of Pināka, bound by affection for Bṛhaspati, took up his bow and, as the enemy of the cities, set out, attended by the lords of spirits and perfected beings.
युद्धाय सोमेन विशेषदीप्तस्तृतीयनेत्रानलभीमवक्त्रः। सहैव जग्मुश्च गणेश्वराणां विंशाधिका षष्टिरथोग्रमूर्तिः
Blazing especially for battle with Soma, his terrifying face like the fire of his third eye, sixty-six fierce forms of the lords of the Gaṇas went forth together with him.
यक्षेश्वराणां सगणैरनेकैर्युतोन्वगात्स्यंदनसंस्थितानां। वेतालयक्षोरगकिन्नराणां पद्मेन चैकेन तथार्बुदानाम्
The lords of the Yakṣas, with their hosts and many others, followed, mounted on chariots; as did Vetālas, Yakṣas, serpents, Kinnaras, and a hundred million others, along with a single Padma host.
लक्षैस्त्रिभिर्द्वा दशभी रथानां सोमोप्यगात्तत्र विवृद्धमन्युः। शनैश्चरांगारकवृद्धतेजा नक्षत्रदैत्यासुरसैन्ययुक्तः
Soma too, his anger greatly increased, came there with twelve hundred thousand chariots, accompanied by Saturn, Mars, the powerful luminaries, and an army of stars, demons, and Asuras.
जग्मुर्भयं सप्त तथैव लोका धरावनद्वीपसमुद्रगर्भाः। ससोममेवाभ्यगमत्पिनाकी गृहीतदीप्तास्त्रविशालवह्निः
Then the seven worlds, along with the earth, forests, continents, and ocean depths, were seized with fear; Pināka-wielder, blazing with mighty weapons and vast fire, confronted Soma.