केन चेयं जटा पुत्रि रक्तसूत्रावकल्पिता। एवंविधानि वाक्यानि श्रुत्वोवाच स्वयंहरिः
By whom, O daughter, has this matted hair been adorned with a red thread? Having heard such words, Lord Hari himself spoke.
इह चास्माभिरानीता पत्न्यर्थं विनियोजिता। ब्रह्मणालम्बिता बाला प्रलापं माकृथास्त्विह
She has been brought here by us and appointed for the sake of a wife; the girl has been entrusted by Brahma—do not utter vain words here.
पुण्या चैषा सुभाग्या च सर्वेषां कुलनन्दिनी। पुण्या चेन्न भवत्येषा कथमागच्छते सदः
She is virtuous and fortunate, a delight to the whole lineage; if she were not virtuous, how could she have come to the assembly?
एवं ज्ञात्वा महाभागन त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि। कन्यैषा ते महाभागा प्राप्ता देवं विरिंचनम्
Knowing thus, O highly fortunate one, you should not grieve; this blessed girl of yours has attained the god Brahma.
योगिनो योगयुक्ता ये ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः। न लभन्ते प्रार्थयन्तस्तां गतिं दुहिता गता
Even yogis absorbed in yoga, and Brahmins accomplished in the Vedas, do not attain that state which your daughter has reached, though they desire it.
*धर्मवन्तं सदाचारं भवन्तं धर्मवत्सलम्। मया ज्ञात्वा ततः कन्या दत्ताचैषा विरञ्चये
Knowing you to be righteous, of good conduct, and devoted to dharma, I have therefore given this girl to Virinchi.
अनया-आभीरकन्याया तारितो गच्छ! *दिव्यान्लोकान्महोदयान्। युष्माकं च कुले चापि देवकार्यार्थसिद्धये
With this Abhira maiden you shall cross over to the great and divine worlds; and in your lineage too, for the accomplishment of the gods’ purpose.
*अवतारं करिष्येहं सा क्रीडा तु भविष्यति। यदा नन्दप्रभृतयो ह्यवतारं धरातले
I will perform an incarnation here; that will be my play, when Nanda and others descend to the earth.
करिष्यन्ति तदा चाहं वसिष्ये तेषु मध्यतः। युष्माकं कन्यकाः सर्वा वसिष्यन्ति मया सह
When they descend, I will dwell among them; all your daughters will remain with me.
तत्र दोषो न भविता न द्वेषो न च मत्सरः। करिष्यन्ति तदा गोपा भयं च न मनुष्यकाः
There will be no fault, no hatred, and no jealousy there; the cowherds will act, and men will have no fear.
न चास्याभविता दोषः कर्मणानेन कर्हिचित्। श्रुत्वा वाक्यं तदा विष्णोःप्रणिपत्य ययुस्तदा
Nor will there ever be any fault in her because of this act; hearing these words of Vishnu, they then bowed down and departed.
एवमेष वरो देव यो दत्तो भविता हि मे। अवतारः कुलेस्माकं कर्तव्यो धर्मसाधनः
O god, let this boon you have granted truly come to pass for me; an incarnation must be made in our lineage for the establishment of dharma.
भवतो दर्शनादेव भवामः स्वर्गवासिनः। शुभदा कन्यका चैषा तारिणी मे कुलैः सह
By your very sight, we become dwellers in heaven; and this maiden, the giver of auspiciousness, will carry my lineage across.
एवं भवतु देवेश वरदानं विभो तव। अनुनीतास्तदा गोपाः स्वयं देवेन विष्णुना
So be it, Lord of gods; your granting of the boon, O mighty one. Then the cowherds were appeased by Lord Vishnu himself.
ब्रह्मणाप्येवमेवं तु वामहस्तेन भाषितम्। त्रपान्विता दर्शने तु बन्धूनां वरवर्णिनी
In the same way, Brahma also spoke with his left hand; the beautiful one, modest before her relatives, was present at the sight.
कैरहं तु समाख्याता येनेमं देशमागताः। दृष्ट्वा तु तांस्ततः प्राह गायत्री आभीरकन्यका
By whom have I been named, and by whom have I come to this place? Seeing her, Gayatri, the Abhira maiden, then spoke.
वामहस्तेन तान्सर्वान्प्राणिपातपुरःसरम्। अत्र चाहं स्थिता मातर्ब्रह्माणं समुपागता
With her left hand, she bowed down before them all; here I stand, mother, having approached Brahma.
भर्ता लब्धो मया देवः सर्वस्याद्योजगत्पतिः। नाहंशोच्या भवत्यातु न पित्रा न च बान्धवैः
I have obtained as husband the god, the ancient lord of all the worlds; I am not to be grieved for, neither by you nor by my father or relatives.
सखीगणश्च मे यातु भगिन्यो दारकैः सह। सर्वेषां कुशलं वाच्यं स्थितास्मि सह दैवतैः
Let my circle of friends, my sisters along with their children, depart; convey my well-being to all, for I remain here together with the gods.
गतेषु तेषु सर्वेषु गायत्री सा सुमध्यमा। ब्रह्मणा सहिता रेजे यज्ञवाटं गता सती
When they had all departed, that Gayatri of beautiful form, shining together with Brahma, entered the sacrificial enclosure.
याचितो ब्राह्मणैर्ब्रह्मा वरान्नो देहि चेप्सितान्। यथेप्सितं वरं तेषां तदाब्रह्माप्ययच्छत
Then Brahma, being requested by the brahmins, 'Grant us the boons we desire,' gave them whatever boons they wished.
तया देव्या च गायत्र्या दत्तं तच्चानुमोदितम्। सा तु यज्ञे स्थिता साध्वीदेवतानां समीपगा
And what was given by the goddess Gayatri was approved; she, the virtuous one, remained at the sacrifice, close to the deities.
दिव्यंवर्षशतं साग्रं स यज्ञो ववृधे तदा। यज्ञवाटं कपर्दीतु भिक्षार्थं समुपागतः
Then that sacrifice flourished for more than a hundred divine years; O Kapardin, you arrived at the sacrificial enclosure seeking alms.
बृहत्कपालं संगृह्य पञ्चमुण्डैरलंकृतः। ऋत्विग्भिश्च सदस्यैश्च दूरात्तिष्ठन्जुगुप्सितः
Holding a large skull, adorned with five heads, you stood at a distance from the officiating priests and participants, shunned by them.
कथं त्वमिह सम्प्राप्तो निन्दितो वेदवादिभिः। एवं प्रोत्सार्यमाणोपि निन्द्यमानः स तैर्द्विजैः
'How have you come here, you who are condemned by those versed in the Vedas?'—thus, though being driven away and reproached by those brahmins,
उवाच तान्द्विजान्सर्वान्स्मितं कृत्वा महेश्वरः। अत्र पैतामहे यज्ञे सर्वेषां तोषदायिनि
Maheshvara, smiling, spoke to all those brahmins: 'At this ancestral sacrifice, which brings satisfaction to all—'
कश्चिदुत्सार्य तेनैव ऋतेमां द्विजसत्तमाः। उक्तः स तैःकपर्दी तु भुक्त्वा चान्नंततो व्रज
Some tried to drive him away, but the best of brahmins said to Kapardin, 'After eating food, then depart.'
कपर्दिना च ते उक्ता भुक्त्वा यास्यामि भो द्विजाः। एवमुक्त्वा निषण्णः सकपालं न्यस्य चाग्रतः
Kapardin replied to them, 'O brahmins, after eating I shall depart.' Having spoken thus, he sat down, placing the skull before him.
तेषां निरीक्ष्य तत्कर्म चक्रे कौटिल्यमीश्वरः। मुक्त्वा कपालं भूमौ तु तान्द्विजानवलोकयन्
Observing his action, Ishvara acted with cunning; leaving the skull on the ground, he looked at those brahmins.
उवाच पुष्करं यामि स्नानार्थं द्विजसत्तमाः। तूर्णं गच्छेति तैरुक्तः स गतः परमेश्वरः
He said, 'I am going to Pushkara to bathe, O best of brahmins.' Urged by them to go quickly, the Supreme Lord departed.