पृच्छामि त्वामहं ब्रह्मन्यदायुरिदमीदृशम् १२.
I ask you, O Brahman, how did you obtain such a lifespan?
श्रृणु भूप प्रवक्ष्यामि पूर्वजन्मसमुद्भवाम् १२.
Listen, O king, I will tell you the origin from my previous birth.
अहमासं पुरा शूद्रो दरिद्रोऽतीवभूतले १२.
I was once a Shudra, extremely poor, upon the earth.
ततो मया महल्लिंगं जालिमध्यगतं तदा १२.
Then, I approached the great linga, which was within a net.
ततः प्रविश्य तद्वारि पीत्वा स्नात्वा च शांभवम् १२.
After entering, I drank and bathed in that water belonging to Shambhu.
अथ क्षुत्क्षामकंठोऽहं श्रीकंठं तं नमस्य च १२.
Then, with a throat parched from hunger, I bowed to Shri Kantha.
ततोऽहं ब्राह्मणगृहे जातो जातिस्मरः सुतः १२.
After that, I was born in a Brahmin's house, a son who remembered his past birth.
स्मरन्विलसितं मिथ्या सत्याभासमिदं जगत् १२.
Remembering, I saw the world as false, only appearing to be true.
तेन विप्रेण वार्धक्ये समाराध्य महेश्वरम् १२.
By that Brahmin, in old age, having worshipped Maheshvara,
ततः स विप्रो वात्सल्यादगदान्सुबहून्मम १२.
Then that Brahmin, out of affection, gave me many medicines.
मंत्रवादान्बहून्वैद्यानुपायानपरानपि १२.
He gave me many mantras, physicians, and various remedies.
निरीक्ष्य मूढतां हास्यमासीन्मनसि मे तदा १२.
Observing their foolishness, laughter arose in my mind at that time.
संपूज्य कमलैः शंभुं ततः शयनमभ्यगाम् १२.
Having worshipped Śaṃbhu with lotuses, he then went to his bed.
संबंधिभिः प्रतीतोऽथ फलाहारमवस्थितः १२.
Satisfied among his relatives, he remained subsisting on fruits.
अथ वर्षशतस्यांते वरदः शशिशेखरः १२.
Then, at the end of a hundred years, the boon-giver, the moon-crested one, appeared.
अजरामरता नास्ति नामरूपभृतोयतः १२.
There is no freedom from old age and death for those who possess name and form.
इति शंभोर्वचः श्रुत्वा मया वृतिमिदं तदा १२.
Having heard these words of Śaṃbhu, I then made this request.
ततस्तव गणो भूयामिति मेऽभीप्सितो वरः १२.
Therefore, 'May I become your attendant'—this was the boon I desired.
अहं तपसिनिष्ठश्च ततः प्रभृति चाभवम् १२.
From that time onward, I became steadfast in ascetic practice.
ब्रध्नाब्जैरितरैर्वपि कमलैर्नात्र संशयः १२.
There is no doubt that worship with lotuses, or with other flowers, is effective.
हरभक्तस्य लोकस्य त्रिलोक्यां नास्ति दुर्लभम् १२.
For a devotee of Hara, nothing is unattainable in the three worlds.
लयः सदाशिवे नित्यमतर्यो गोऽयमुच्यते १२.
Union with Sadāśiva is always said to be the highest goal.
पंचभिश्चार्चनं भूतैर्विशिष्टफलदं ध्रुवम् १२.
Worship with the five elements certainly yields superior results.
ईशानमाराध्य जपन्प्रणवं मुक्तिपाप्नुयात् १२.
By worshipping Īśāna and reciting the praṇava, one attains liberation.
पापोपहतबुद्धीनां शिवे वार्तापि दुर्लभा १२.
For those whose intellect is afflicted by sin, even talk of Śiva is hard to obtain.
दुर्लभं जाह्नवीस्नानं शिवे भक्तिः सुदुर्लभा १२.
Bathing in the Gaṅgā is rare, and devotion to Śiva is exceedingly rare.
अल्पपुण्यैश्च दुष्प्रापं पुरुषोत्तमपूजनम्॥ १२.
Worship of the Supreme Person is difficult to attain for those with little merit.
लक्षेण धनुषां योगस्तदर्धेन हुताशनः १२.
Union with the bow is achieved by a hundred thousand, and with fire by half that.
इति दमुक्तमखिलं मया तव महीपते १२.
Thus, O king, I have told you everything.
न दुर्लभं न दुष्प्रापं न चासाध्यं महात्मनाम् १२.
For the great-souled, nothing is unattainable, nothing is difficult to obtain, and nothing is impossible.