तं तु दृष्ट्वाप्र नृत्तोहं हर्षेण महतावृतः। तं प्रहस्याब्रवीद्देवो मुनिं रागेण मोहितम्
Seeing that, I danced, filled with great joy; the god, smiling, spoke to the sage, who was deluded by passion.
अहं न विस्मयं विप्र गच्छामीह प्रपश्य मां। एवमुक्तो मुनिश्रेष्ठो महादेवेन कौरव
'O brāhmaṇa, I am not amazed by this; look at me here.' Thus addressed by Mahādeva, O Kaurava—
ध्यायमानस्तदा कोयं प्रतिषिद्धोस्मि येन हि। अंगुल्यग्रेण राजेंद्र स्वांगुष्ठस्ताडितस्तथा
The sage, meditating, wondered, 'Who is this who has stopped me?' Then, O King, he struck his own thumb with his fingertip.
ततो भस्मक्षताद्राजन्निर्गतं हिमपांडुरं। तद्दृष्ट्वा व्रीडितश्चासौ प्राह तत्पादयोः पतन्
From the wound, O King, ash—white as snow—emerged; seeing that, he became ashamed and, falling at his feet, said—
नान्यद्देवादहं मन्ये रुद्रात्परतरं महत्। चराचरस्य जगतो गतिस्त्वमसि शूलधृत्
'I consider no one greater than Rudra, O god; you, O wielder of the trident, are the refuge of the moving and unmoving universe.'
त्वया सृष्टमिदं सर्वं वदंतीह मनीषिणः। त्वामेव सर्वं विशति पुनरेव युगक्षये
'The wise declare that all this was created by you; at the end of the age, everything again enters into you.'
देवैरपि न शक्यस्त्वं परिज्ञातुं मया कुतः। त्वयि सर्वे च दृश्यन्ते सुरा ब्रह्मादयोपि ये
Even the gods cannot fully comprehend you—how could I? In you are seen all the gods, even Brahmā and the others.
सर्वस्त्वमसि देवानां कर्ता कारयिता च यः। त्वत्प्रसादात्सुराः सर्वे भवंतीहाकुतोभयाः
You alone are the creator and cause of all the gods; by your grace, all the gods here become fearless.'
एवं स्तुत्वा महादेवमृषिश्च प्रणतोब्रवीत्। भगवंस्त्वत्प्रसादेन तपो न क्षीयते त्विह
Having thus praised the great god, the sage, bowing, spoke: 'O Lord, by your grace, my austerity is not diminished here.'
ततो देवः प्रीतमनास्तमृषिं पुनरब्रवीत्। तपस्ते वर्द्धतां विप्र मत्प्रसादात्सहस्रधा
Then the god, pleased in mind, again spoke to the sage: 'May your austerity increase a thousandfold, O Brahmin, by my grace.'
प्राचीमेवेह वत्स्यामि त्वया सार्द्धमहं सदा। सरस्वती महापुण्या क्षेत्रे चास्मिन्विशेषतः
I shall dwell always in the east here with you, especially in this field of the highly sacred Sarasvati.
न तस्य दुर्लर्भं किंचिदिह लोके परत्र च। सरस्वत्युत्तरे तीरे यस्त्यजेदात्मनस्तनुम्१५० 1.18.
There is nothing difficult to obtain in this world or the next for one who abandons his body on the northern bank of the Sarasvati.
प्राचीतटे जाप्यपरो न चेह म्रियते पुनः। आप्लुतो वाजिमेधस्य फलमाप्स्यति पुष्कलं
One devoted to recitation on the eastern shore does not die here again; having bathed, he attains the abundant fruit of a horse-sacrifice.
नियमैश्चोपवासैश्च कर्शयन्देहमात्मनः। जलाहारो वायुभक्षः पर्णाहारश्च तापसः
By disciplines and fasts, emaciating his own body, the ascetic subsists on water, air, or leaves.
तथा स्थंडिलशायी च ये चान्ये नियमाः पृथक्। करोति यो द्विजश्रेष्ठो नियमांस्तान्व्रतानि च
Likewise, those who sleep on the ground and practice other separate disciplines—whichever disciplines and vows the best of twice-born performs,
स याति शुद्धदेहश्च ब्रह्मणः परमं पदं। तस्मिंस्तीर्थे तु यैर्दत्तं तिलमात्रं तु कांचनं
He attains the supreme state of Brahman with a purified body; and whatever is given at that sacred place, even a morsel of sesame or gold,
मेरुदानसमं तत्स्यात्पुरा प्राह प्रजापतिः। तस्मिंस्तीर्थे तु ये श्राद्धं करिष्यंति हि मानवाः
Is equal to a gift of Mount Meru, so said the Lord of Creatures long ago; and those who perform ancestral rites at that sacred place,
एकविंशकुलोपेताः स्वर्गं यास्यंति ते नराः। पितॄणां च शुभं तीर्थं पिंडेनैकेन तर्पिताः
Those men, accompanied by twenty-one generations, will go to heaven; and the ancestors, satisfied by a single ball of rice at that sacred place,
ब्रह्मलोकं गमिष्यंति स्वपुत्रेणेह तारिताः। भूयश्चान्नं न चेच्छंति मोक्षमार्गं व्रजंति ते
Will go to the world of Brahma, having been delivered here by their own son; and if they do not desire food again, they proceed on the path of liberation.
प्राचीनत्वं सरस्वत्या यथा भूतं शृणुष्व तत्। सरस्वती पुरा प्रोक्ता देवैः सर्वैः सवासवैः
Hear now the ancient origin of the Sarasvati as it truly was; the Sarasvati was formerly spoken of by all the gods together with the Vasus.
तटं त्वया प्रयातव्यं प्रतीच्यां लवणोदधेः। वडवाग्निमिमं नीत्वा समुद्रे निक्षिपस्व ह
You must go to the shore in the west of the salt ocean, and taking this submarine fire, deposit it in the sea.
एवं कृते सुराः सर्वे भवंति भयवर्जिताः। अन्यथा वाडवाग्निस्तु दहते स्वेन तेजसा
When this is done, all the gods become free from fear; otherwise, the submarine fire burns with its own energy.
तस्माद्रक्षस्व विबुधानेतस्मादचिराद्भयात्। मातेव भव सुश्रोणि सुराणामभयप्रदा
Therefore, protect the gods from this danger soon; be like a mother, O beautiful-hipped one, granting fearlessness to the gods.
एवमुक्ता तु सा देवी विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना। आह नाहं स्वतंत्रास्मि पिता मे व्रियतां स्वराट्
Thus addressed by the mighty Vishnu, the goddess replied: 'I am not independent; let my father, the sovereign, be chosen.'
तदाज्ञाकारिणी नित्यं कुमारीह धृतव्रता। पित्रादेशाद्विना नाहं पदमेकमपि क्वचित्
Always obedient to his command, a maiden here, steadfast in vows, I do not go even a single step anywhere without my father's instruction.
गच्छामि तस्मात्कोप्यन्य उपायश्चिंत्यतामहो। तदाशयं विदित्वाहुस्ते समेत्य पितामहं
Therefore, let some other means be considered; knowing her intention, they all approached the grandfather.
नान्येन शक्यते नेतुं वडवाग्निः पितामह। अदृष्टदोषाम्मुक्त्वैकां कुमारीं तनयां तव
No one else is able to lead the submarine fire, O Forefather, except for your daughter, who is free from unseen faults and is a maiden.
सरस्वतीं समानीय कृत्वांके वरवर्णिनीं। शिरस्याघ्रायसस्नेहमुवाचाथसरस्वतीम्
Bringing Sarasvati, the radiant maiden, and placing her on his lap, he affectionately smelled her head and then spoke to Sarasvati.
मां च देवि सुराः प्राहुः स त्वं ब्रूहि यशस्विनीम्। नीत्वा विनिक्षिपेदेनं बाडवं लवणांबुनि
O goddess, the gods called me; now you, illustrious one, speak. Lead and cast this submarine fire into the salty ocean.
पितुर्वाक्यं हि तच्छ्रुत्वा वियुक्ता कुररी यथा। पित्रा तदैव सा कन्या रुरुदे दीनमानसा
Hearing her father's words, she became separated like a female crane, and at that very moment, the maiden wept, her mind distressed.