स्थानमेतद्धि नः श्रेष्ठं पृथिव्यां पुण्यवर्धनम्
Indeed, this place of ours is the most excellent on earth, increasing merit.
कालोऽप्ययं महापुण्यो ब्रह्मघ्नाऽऽदिविशुद्धिकृत्
This time, too, is supremely holy, purifying even the slayers of Brahmins and others.
तथास्तु सुलभं त्वेतद्ब्रह्मक्षेत्रमितिप्रथम्
So be it—let this Brahma-kshetra be easily accessible, as it is renowned.
सूर्यवंशोद्भवो राजा गंगामत्रानयिष्यति 2.4.13.
A king born of the Solar dynasty will bring the Ganges here.
यूयं च सर्वे ब्रह्माद्या निवसंतु मया सह
And may you all, beginning with Brahmā, dwell here together with me.
सर्वपापानि नश्यंति तीर्थराजस्य दर्शनात्
All sins are destroyed by the sight of this king of sacred fords.
कालोऽप्येष महापुण्यफलदोऽस्तु सदा नृणाम्
May this time, too, always bestow the highest merit upon people.
नारद उवाच एवं देवान्देवदेवस्तदुक्त्वा तत्रैवांतर्धानमागात्सवेधाः
Nārada said: Thus, having spoken to the gods, the Lord of gods vanished there along with the Creator.
167a कार्तिके तुलसीमूले योऽर्चयेद्धरिमीश्वरम्
Whoever worships Hari, the Lord, at the root of the Tulasī plant in the month of Kārtika—
तत्र या तुलसीमूले विष्णोः पूजा त्वयोदिता
There, the worship of Viṣṇu at the root of Tulasī, as you have described—
तेनाऽहं प्रष्टुमिच्छामि माहात्म्यं तुलसीभवम्
Therefore, I wish to ask about the greatness and origin of Tulasī.
कथमेषा समुत्पन्ना कस्मिन्स्थाने च नारद
How did she arise, and in what place, O Nārada?
सेतिहासं पुरावृत्तं तत्सर्वं कथयामि ते
I will tell you all that ancient story as it happened.
पुरा शक्रः शिवं द्रष्टुमगात्कैलासपर्वतम्
Long ago, Indra went to Mount Kailāsa to see Śiva.
यावद्गतः शिवगृहं तावत्तत्र स दृष्टवान्
When he reached Śiva’s abode, there he saw—
स पृष्टस्तेन कस्त्वं भोः क्व गतो जगदीश्वरः
He was asked by him: 'Who are you, O sir, and where has the Lord of the universe gone?'
ततः कुद्धो वज्रपाणिस्तं निर्भर्त्स्य वचोऽब्रवीत्
Then, enraged, the wielder of the thunderbolt rebuked him and spoke these words:
अतस्त्वां हन्मि वज्रेण कस्ते त्राताऽस्ति दुर्मते
Therefore, I will strike you with the thunderbolt—who is there to save you, wicked-minded one?
तेनास्य कण्ठो नीलत्वमगाद्वज्रं च भस्मताम् 2.4.14.
Because of this, his throat turned blue and the thunderbolt was reduced to ashes.
दृष्ट्वा बृहस्पतिस्तूर्णं कृतांजलिपुटोऽभवत्
Seeing this, Bṛhaspati immediately joined his palms in reverence.
त्रिपुरघ्नाय शर्वाय नमोऽधंकनिषूदिने
Salutations to Śarva, the destroyer of Tripura, the subduer of the arrogant.
विरूपायाऽतिरूपाय बहुरूपाय शंभवे
To the deformed and the supremely beautiful, to the one of many forms, to Śambhu, I bow.
कालांतकाय कालाय कालभोगिधराय च
To the ender of Time, to Time itself, to the bearer of the serpent of Time, I offer my respects.
संहरन्नयनज्वालां त्रिलोकीदहन क्षमाम्
Whose eye emits a consuming flame, who is able to burn the three worlds, I salute.
वरं वरय भो ब्रह्मन्प्रीतः स्तुत्याऽनया तव
Choose a boon, O Brahmin; pleased by your praise, I grant you a wish.
अग्निरेष शमं यातु भालनेत्रसमुद्भवः
May this fire, born from the eye in your forehead, be pacified.
ईश्वर उवाच पुनः प्रवेशमायाति भालनेत्रे कथं शिखी
The Lord said: How can the fire that emerged from the forehead-eye return again?
सोऽपतत्सिंधुगंगायाः सागरस्य च संगमे
It fell at the confluence of the Sindhu and Gaṅgā rivers and the ocean.
तावत्स बालरूपत्वमगात्तत्र रुरोद च 2.4.14.
There, it assumed the form of a child and began to cry.
स्वर्गाद्याः सत्यलोकांतास्तत्स्वनाद्बधिरीकृताः
All the worlds, from heaven up to Satyaloka, were deafened by its wailing.