Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.

गुहामुखैः प्रतिदिनं व्यात्तास्यो विपुलोदरैः अजीर्णलावण्यतया जृंभमाण इवाचलः

With cave mouths wide open every day, and vast hollows, the mountain seems to yawn from an insatiable beauty.

ग्रसन्निव जगत्सर्वं पिबन्निव पयोनिधिम् वमन्निव तमोन्तस्थं माद्यन्निव खमम्बुदैः

As if devouring the whole world, drinking the ocean, vomiting the darkness within, and exulting with the clouds in the sky.

निवास भूमयस्तास्ता दर्पणप्रतिमोदराः तिरस्कृतातपास्स्निग्धाश्रमच्छायामहीरुहाः

Its dwelling places, with bellies like mirrors, are shaded by lush trees that block the sun, their coolness enhanced by the presence of hermitages.

सरित्सरस्तडागादिसंपर्कशिशिरानिलाः तत्र तत्र निषण्णाभ्यां शिवाभ्यां सफलीकृताः

The breezes cooled by rivers, lakes, and ponds there are made fruitful wherever Shiva and Parvati are seated.

तमिमं सर्वतः श्रेष्ठं स्मृत्वा साम्बस्त्रियम्बकः रैभ्याश्रमसमीपस्थश्चान्तर्धानं गतो ययौ

Remembering him as the greatest in every way, Sambhu, the three-eyed one, who was near Raibhya’s hermitage, vanished and departed.

तत्रोद्यानमनुप्राप्य देव्या सह महेश्वरः रराम रमणीयासु देव्यान्तःपुरभूमिषु

Then, having reached the garden, Maheshvara enjoyed himself with the goddess in the delightful grounds of her inner palace.

तथा गतेषु कालेषु प्रवृद्धासु प्रजासु च दैत्यौ शुंभनिशुंभाख्यौ भ्रातरौ संबभूवतुः

As time passed and the population increased, two demons named Shumbha and Nishumbha, brothers, were born.

ताभ्यां तपो बलाद्दत्तं ब्रह्मणा परमेष्टिना अवध्यत्वं जगत्यस्मिन्पुरुषैरखिलैरपि

By the power of their austerity, Brahma the supreme lord granted them invulnerability against all men in the world.

अयोनिजा तु या कन्या ह्यंबिकांशसमुद्भवा अजातपुंस्पर्शरतिरविलंघ्यपराक्रमा

The maiden who was not born from a womb, arising from a portion of Ambika, untouched by any man, with unconquerable valor—

तया तु नौ वधः संख्ये तस्यां कामाभिभूतयोः इति चाभ्यर्थितो ब्रह्मा ताभ्याम्प्राह तथास्त्विति

By her alone, our death in battle shall occur when we are overcome by desire for her—so they requested Brahma, and he replied, 'So be it.'