स्वनामकानि चिह्नानि तेषां लिंगानि संति च ४५.
Their liṅgas bear their own names and marks—
प्रतिष्ठाप्य पुरा ब्रह्मा पुष्करे नीललोहितम् ४५.
Long ago, Brahmā established the blue-red liṅga at Puṣkara—
विष्णुनापि निहत्याजौ रावणं पयसांनिधेः ४५.
And Viṣṇu, after slaying Rāvaṇa at the ocean of milk—
वृत्रं हत्वा पुरा शक्रो महेंद्रे स्थाप्य शंकरम् ४५.
Indra, having slain Vṛtra in ancient times, established Śaṃkara at Mahendra—
स्थापयित्वा शिवं सूर्यो गंगासागरसंगमे ४५.
The Sun, after installing Śiva at the confluence of the Ganges and the ocean—
काश्यां यमश्च धनदः सह्ये गरुडकश्यपौ ४५.
Yama at Kāśī, Kubera, and Garuḍa with Kaśyapa at Sahya—
अस्मिन्नेव स्तंभतीर्थे कुमारेणं गुहो विभुः ४५.
And here at this very Stambha Tīrtha, Kumāra, Guha the mighty, established—
एवमन्यैः सुरैर्यानि पार्थिवैर्मुनिभिस्तथा ४५.
In this way, by other gods, kings, and sages as well—
पृथिवीवासिनः सर्वे ये च स्वर्गनिवासिनः ४५.
All those who dwell on earth, and those who reside in heaven—
यच्च ब्रवीषि गीर्वाणा न संति सन्ति चेत्कुतः ४५.
And what you say, that the celestial beings do not exist—if they do not, then whence—
रंकवत्किं स्म ते देवा याचंतां त्वां कुलत्थवत् ४५.
Are the gods like beggars, asking you as if for horse-gram—
स्वबावान्नैव सर्वार्थाः संसिद्धा यदि ते मते ४५.
If, according to your view, all things are accomplished merely by their own nature—
बदरीमंतरेणापि दृश्यंते कण्टका न हि ४५.
Even without the jujube tree, thorns are indeed seen—
यच्च ब्रवीषि पश्वाद्याः सुखिनो धन्यकास्त्वमी ४५.
And what you say, that cattle and the like are happy and prosperous—
तामसा विकला ये च कष्टं तेषां च श्लाघ्यताम् ४५.
Those who are dull and crippled, their hardship is praised—
सत्यं तव व्रतं मन्ये नरकाय त्वयाऽऽदृतम् ४५.
I consider your vow to be true, but it is adopted by you for hell—
आदावाडंबरेणैव ध्रुवतोऽज्ञानमेव मे ४५.
In the beginning, through mere bluster, I was certainly ignorant.
मायाविनां हि ब्रुवतां वाक्यं चांडबरावृतम् ४५.
For the words spoken by deceivers are covered with empty boasting.
आदौ मध्ये तथा चांते येषां वाक्यमदोषवत् ४५.
Those whose words are faultless at the beginning, middle, and end—
त्वयान्यथा प्रतिज्ञातमुक्तं चैवान्यथा पुनः ४५.
You promised one thing, yet spoke otherwise again.
नास्तिकानां च सर्पाणां विषस्य च गुणस्त्वयम् ४५.
This is the quality of atheists, of serpents, and of poison.
आपो वस्त्रं तिलास्तैलं गंधो वा स यथा तथा ४५.
Just as water belongs to cloth, oil to sesame, and fragrance to what is fragrant—so it is.
मोहजालस्य यो योनिर्मूढैरिह समागमः ४५.
The meeting of fools here is the very source of the net of delusion.
तस्मात्प्राज्ञैश्च वृद्धैश्च शुद्धभावैस्तपस्विभिः ४५.
Therefore, by the wise, the elders, and ascetics of pure mind—
न नीचैर्नाप्यविद्वद्भिर्नानात्मज्ञैर्विशेषतः ४५.
Not by the base, nor by the ignorant, nor especially by those who know only themselves—
तांश्च सेवेद्विशेषेण शास्त्रं येषां हि विद्यते ४५.
One should especially associate with those who possess the scriptures.
धर्माचारात्प्रहीयंते न च सिध्यंति मानवाः ४५.
Through righteous conduct, faults are removed, and men do not succeed otherwise.
मध्यैश्च मध्यतां याति श्रेष्ठतां याति चोत्तमैः यन्निन्दसि द्विजानेव यैरपेयोऽर्णवः कृतः॥ ४५.
With the middling, one attains mediocrity; with the best, one attains excellence. You reproach only the twice-born, by whom the ocean was crossed.
वेदाः प्रमाणं स्मृतयः प्रमाणं धर्मार्थयुक्तं वचनं प्रमाणम् ४५.
The Vedas are authority, the Smritis are authority, and speech endowed with righteousness and meaning is authority.
इतीरयित्वा वचनं महात्मा स नंदभद्रः सहसा तदैव ४५.
Having thus spoken these words, the great-souled Nandabhadra immediately—