अहं हि मानुषो भूत्वा ह्यज्ञानेन समावृतः ब्रह्मविद्यासहायोस्मि भवतां कार्यसिद्धये॥ ८.
"Indeed, I shall become human, enveloped in ignorance; I will be aided by the knowledge of Brahman for the accomplishment of your purpose."
जनकस्य गृहे साक्षाद्ब्रह्मविद्या जनिष्यति ८.
"In the house of Janaka, the knowledge of Brahman will be born in person."
तपसा महता युक्तो ब्रह्मविद्यां यदेच्छति ८.
"Endowed with great austerity, whoever desires the knowledge of Brahman—"
एवं संभाष्य भगवान्विष्णुः परममङ्गलः ८.
Thus having spoken, the Blessed Viṣṇu, supremely auspicious,
तथा ब्रह्मांशसंभूतो जाम्बवान्नृक्षकुञ्जरः ८.
Likewise, Jāmbavān, the bear-king, was born from a portion of Brahmā.
यो वै चैकादशो रुद्रो हनूमान्स महाकपिः ८.
And Hanūmān, the great monkey, is that eleventh Rudra.
मैंदादयोऽथ कपयस्ते सर्वे सुरसत्तमाः ८.
Then Mainda and the other monkeys—all these are the best of the gods.
तथैव विष्णुरुत्पन्नः कौशल्यानंदवर्द्धनः ८.
In the same way, Viṣṇu was born, increasing the joy of Kauśalyā.
शेषोपि भक्त्या विष्णोश्च तपसाऽवातरद्भुवि॥ ८.
Śeṣa also descended to earth through devotion to Viṣṇu and through austerity.
दोर्दण्डावपि विष्णोश्च अवतीर्णौ प्रतापिनौ ८.
Even the mighty arms of Viṣṇu, blazing with power, incarnated.
मिथिलाधिपतेः कन्या या उक्ता ब्रह्मवादिभिः सीता जाता लांगलस्य इयं भूमिविकर्षणात्॥ ८.
The daughter of the king of Mithilā, whom the knowers of Brahman have spoken of, Sītā, was born from the furrow of the plough, from the turning of the earth.
तस्मात्सीतेति विख्याता विद्या सान्वीक्षिकी तदा ८.
Therefore she became renowned as Sītā, and that knowledge was then called inquiry.
जनकस्य कुले जाता विश्रुता जनकात्मजा ८.
Born in the house of Janaka, she became famous as the daughter of Janaka.
सा दत्ता जनकेनैव विष्णवे परमात्मने॥ ८.
She was given by Janaka himself to Viṣṇu, the Supreme Self.
तयाथ विद्यया सार्द्धं देवदेवो जगत्पतिः ८.
Then, together with her, with that knowledge, the god of gods, the lord of the world—
रावणं जेतुकामो वै रामो राजीवलोचनः ८.
Rāma, lotus-eyed, desiring to conquer Rāvaṇa—
शेषावतारोऽपि महांस्तपः परमदुष्करम् ८.
Śeṣa’s incarnation also performed great austerity, extremely difficult.
शत्रुघ्नो भरतश्चैव तेपतुः परमं तपः॥ ८.
Indeed, both Śatrughna and Bharata practiced supreme austerity.
ततोऽसौ तपसा युक्तः सार्द्धं तैर्देवतागणैः विष्णुना घातितः शस्त्रैः शिवसारूप्यमाप्तवान्॥ ८.
Then, endowed with austerity, together with those hosts of deities, he was slain by Viṣṇu with weapons and attained resemblance to Śiva.
सगमः स पुनः सद्यो बंधुभिः सह सुव्रताः॥ ८.
He, together with his companions, immediately went again, steadfast in vows.
शिवप्रसादात्सकलं द्वैताद्वैतमवाप ह तत्सर्वं प्राप्नुवंतीह शिवार्चनरता नराः॥ ८.
By Śiva’s grace, he attained all duality and non-duality; all this is attained here by men devoted to worshipping Śiva.
येऽर्चयंति शिवं नित्यं लिंगरूपिणमेव च तं शिवं प्राप्नुवंत्येव सर्वदुःखोपनाशनम्॥ ८.
Those who worship Śiva always, even in the form of the liṅga, truly attain Śiva, the remover of all suffering.
पशवोऽपि परं याताः किं पुनर्मानुषादयः॥ ८.
Even animals have attained the highest; how much more so human beings and others?
ये द्विजा ब्रह्मचर्येण तपः परममास्थिताः ८.
Those twice-born who, with celibacy, have undertaken supreme austerity—
ज्योतिष्टोमो वाजपेयो ह्यतिरात्रादयो ह्यमी ८.
The Jyotiṣṭoma, Vājapeya, and these Atirātra and other rites—
तत्र स्वर्गसुखं भुक्त्वा पुण्यक्षयकरं महत् ८.
There, having enjoyed the happiness of heaven, which brings about the exhaustion of merit—
पतितानां च संसारे दैवाद्बुद्धिः प्रजायते ८.
For those fallen in worldly existence, discernment arises by fate.
यथा सत्त्वं संभवति सत्त्वयुक्तभवं नराः ८.
As is one's nature, so do people become endowed with that nature.
एवं संसारचक्रेऽस्मिन्भ्रमिता बहवो जनाः ८.
Thus, in this wheel of worldly existence, many people are whirled about.
शिवध्यानपराणां च नराणां यतचेतसाम् ८.
But for those men devoted to meditation on Shiva, with controlled minds,