Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

जय शंकर देवेश दीनानाथ महाप्रभो कृपां कुरु महेशानापराधं नो क्षमस्व वै

Victory to you, Shankara, Lord of the gods, great master, protector of the distressed! Show mercy, O Maheshana, and truly forgive our offense.

मखपाल मखाधीश मखविध्वंसकारक कृपां कुरु मशानापराधं नः क्षमस्व वै

O guardian of sacrifice, lord of sacrifices, destroyer of sacrifices, show mercy, O Lord of the cremation ground, and truly forgive our offense.

देवदेव परेशान भक्तप्राणप्रपोषक दुष्टदण्डप्रद स्वामिन्कृपां कुरु नमो ऽस्तु ते

O God of gods, supreme Lord, nourisher of the life of devotees, giver of punishment to the wicked, master—show mercy; salutations to you.

त्वं प्रभो गर्वहर्ता वै दुष्टानां त्वामजानताम् रक्षको हि विशेषेण सतां त्वत्सक्तचेतसाम्

You, O Lord, are indeed the remover of pride from the wicked and those ignorant of you; you are especially the protector of the virtuous whose minds are devoted to you.

अद्भुतं चरितं ते हि निश्चितं कृपया तव सर्वापराधः क्षंतव्यो विभवो दीनवत्सलाः

Truly, your deeds are wondrous, and by your compassion, all offenses are to be forgiven; your greatness is the love for the afflicted.

इति स्तुतो महादेवो ब्रह्माद्यैरमरैः प्रभुः स भक्तवत्सलस्स्वामी तुतोष करुणोदधिः

Thus praised by Brahma and the other immortals, the great Lord, ocean of compassion, master devoted to his devotees, was pleased.

चकारानुग्रहं तेषां ब्रह्मादीनां दिवौकसाम् ददौ नरांश्च सुप्रीत्या शंकरो दीनवत्सलः

He bestowed his favor upon Brahma and the other gods, and Shankara, friend of the afflicted, gladly granted blessings to men as well.

स च ततस्त्रिदशाञ्छरणागतान् परमकारुणिकः परमेश्वरः अनुगतस्मितलक्षणया गिरा शमितसर्वभयः समभाषत

Then, the supremely compassionate Supreme Lord, having removed all their fears with a smile, spoke to the gods who had come to him for refuge.

यदिदमाग इहाचरितं सुरैर्विधिनियोगवशादिव यन्त्रितैः शरणमेव गतानवलोक्य वस्तदखिलं किल विस्मृतमेव नः

Whatever has happened here, done by the gods as if compelled by the command of fate, seeking refuge, all that, truly, is already forgotten by us.

तदिह यूयमपि प्रकृतं मनस्यविगणय्य विमर्दमपत्रपाः हरिविरिंचिसुरेन्द्रमुखास्सुखं व्रजत देवपुरं प्रति संप्रति

Therefore, you all, considering the matter settled and without shame or conflict, now go happily to the city of the gods, led by Hari, Virinchi, and Indra.

इति सुरानभिधाय सुरेश्वरो निकृतदक्षकृतक्रतुरक्रतुः सगिरिजानुचरस्सपरिच्छदः स्थित इवाम्बरतोन्तरधाद्धरः

Having thus addressed the gods, the Lord of gods, who had destroyed Daksha's sacrifice, stood there with Girija and his attendants, and then vanished from the sky.

अथ सुरा अपि ते विगतव्यथाः कथितभद्रसुभद्रपराक्रमाः सपदि खेन सुखेन यथासुखं ययुरनेकमुखाः मघवन्मुखाः

Then those gods, their distress gone, their great and auspicious deeds recounted, immediately and joyfully departed as they wished, many-faced, led by Maghavan.

अन्तर्धानगतो देव्या सह सानुचरो हरः क्व यातः कुत्र वासः किं कृत्वा विरराम ह

Having vanished, Hara, accompanied by the goddess and his attendants, where did he go, where did he dwell, and what did he do there?

महीधरवरः श्रीमान् मंदरश्चित्रकंदरः दयितो देवदेवस्य निवासस्तपसो ऽभवत्

The illustrious Mandara, best of mountains, adorned with wondrous caves, beloved of the Lord of gods, became his abode for austerities.

तपो महत्कृतं तेन वोढुं स्वशिरसा शिवौ चिरेण लब्धं तत्पादपंकजस्पर्शजं सुखम्

There he performed great austerity, bearing Shiva upon his own summit; after a long time, he attained the happiness born from touching the dust of his lotus feet.

तस्य शैलस्य सौन्दर्यं सहस्रवदनैरपि न शक्यं विस्तराद्वक्तुं वर्षकोटिशतैरपि

Even with a thousand mouths, the beauty of that mountain cannot be fully described, not even in hundreds of millions of years.

शक्यमप्यस्य सौन्दर्यं न वर्णयितुमुत्सहे पर्वतान्तरसौन्दर्यं साधारणविधारणात्

Even if it were possible, I am not able to describe its beauty, for the beauty of other mountains is ordinary and comparable.

इदन्तु शक्यते वक्तुमस्मिन्पर्वतसुन्दरे ऋद्ध्या कयापि सौन्दर्यमीश्वरावासयोग्यता

Yet this much can be said: this beautiful mountain possesses such abundance and beauty that it is fit to be the dwelling of the Lord.

अत एव हि देवेन देव्याः प्रियचिकीर्षया अतीव रमणीयोयं गिरिरन्तःपुरीकृतः

For this very reason, the god, wishing to please the goddess, has made this exceedingly lovely mountain his inner palace.

मेखलाभूमयस्तस्य विमलोपलपादपाः शिवयोर्नित्यसान्निध्यान्न्यक्कुर्वंत्यखिलंजगत्

Its foothills, adorned with pure stones and trees, by the constant presence of Shiva and Parvati, surpass the entire world.

पितृभ्यां जगतो नित्यं स्नानपानोपयोगतः अवाप्तपुण्यसंस्कारः प्रसरद्भिरितस्ततः

By the daily use of its waters for bathing and drinking by the divine parents of the world, it has attained sanctity, spreading its merit everywhere.

लघुशीतलसंस्पर्शैरच्छाच्छैर्निर्झराम्बुभिः अधिराज्येन चाद्रीणामद्रीरेषो ऽभिषिच्यते

With the gentle, cool touch of its clear waterfall waters, and as if with clarified butter, this mountain is anointed as the king of mountains.

निशासु शिखरप्रान्तर्वर्तिना स शिलोच्चयः चंद्रेणाचल साम्राज्यच्छत्रेणेव विराजते

At night, the lofty peak crowned by the moon shines resplendent, as if beneath the royal umbrella of mountain sovereignty.

स शैलश्चंचलीभूतैर्बालैश्चामरयोषिताम् सर्वपर्वतसाम्राज्यचामरैरिव वीज्यते

That mountain is fanned by the playful hands of maidens, as if with the royal fans of sovereignty over all mountains.

प्रातरभ्युदिते भानौ भूधरो रत्नभूषितः दर्पणे देहसौभाग्यं द्रष्टुकाम इव स्थितः

At dawn, when the sun rises, the mountain, adorned with jewels, stands as if wishing to behold its own beauty in a mirror.

कूजद्विहंगवाचालैर्वातोद्धृतलताभुजैः विमुक्तपुष्पैः सततं व्यालम्बिमृदुपल्लवैः

With the chirping of birds, the waving of creepers lifted by the wind, the constant shower of loosened flowers, and the hanging tender leaves—

लताप्रतानजटिलैस्तरुभिस्तपसैरिव जयाशिषा सहाभ्यर्च्य निषेव्यत इवाद्रिराट्

The mountain king is worshipped, as if by ascetic trees with tangled creeper-hair, offering victorious blessings together.

अधोमुखैरूर्ध्वमुखैश्शृंगैस्तिर्यङ्मुखैस्तथा प्रपतन्निव पाताले भूपृष्ठादुत्पतन्निव

With peaks facing downward, upward, and sideways, it appears as if falling into the underworld or leaping up from the earth.

परीतः सर्वतो दिक्षु भ्रमन्निव विहायसि पश्यन्निव जगत्सर्वं नृत्यन्निव निरन्तरम्

Surrounded on all sides, it seems to wander through the sky, as if seeing the whole world, and dancing without ceasing.