मया प्रोक्तं प्रसन्नेन तस्य विप्रस्य पार्वति
O Pārvatī, with a gracious mind I spoke to that Brahmin as follows.
तत्रास्ते सर्वदा पुण्या सप्तकल्पोद्भवा गुहा
There, in the cave, always abides the meritorious liṅga, arisen in the seven aeons.
तत्र द्रक्ष्यसि यल्लिंगं सप्तकल्पोद्भवं शुभम्
There you will see the auspicious liṅga, arisen in the seven aeons.
काम क्रोधोद्भवं पापं लोभमोहसमन्वितम्
Sin born of desire and anger, accompanied by greed and delusion—
मदीयं वचनं श्रुत्वा स विप्रो वेदपारगः
Hearing my words, that Brahmin, accomplished in the Vedas,
निःसृतो नियतो भूत्वा नमस्कृत्य पुनःपुनः
Departed with discipline, bowing again and again.
ददर्श तत्र तल्लिंगं तपसो वर्द्धनं परम्
There he saw that liṅga, supreme in increasing austerity.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे देवि देवैरुक्तं नभस्तले
Meanwhile, O goddess, the gods spoke in the sky:
सिद्धिः प्राप्ता द्विजेनैव दर्शनेन सुदुर्लभा
By the very sight, the Brahmin attained success, which is exceedingly difficult to obtain.
भक्त्या परमयोपेता ये द्रक्ष्यंति गुहेश्वरम् 5.2.2.
Those who, endowed with supreme devotion, behold the Lord of the Cave—
अष्टम्यां वा चतुर्दश्यां दर्शनं यः करिष्यति
Whoever beholds him on the eighth or the fourteenth day—
अत्रागत्य प्रयत्नेन दर्शनं यः करिष्यति
Whoever comes here with effort and beholds him—
कृत्वा पापसहस्राणि दर्शनं यः करिष्यति
Whoever, having committed thousands of sins, beholds it—
ब्रह्महत्या सुरापानं स्तेयं गुर्वंगनागमः
Killing a Brahmin, drinking liquor, theft, or approaching the wife of one's teacher—
यत्किंचिदशुभं कर्म जन्मकोटिशतार्जितम्
Whatever inauspicious deed has been accumulated over hundreds of millions of births—
महापातकयुक्ता हि देहिनो ये महीतले
Those embodied beings on earth who are afflicted by great sins—
इत्युक्त्वा स द्विजो देवि दिव्यो मंकणको मुनिः
Having spoken thus, O Goddess, that divine sage Maṅkaṇaka, the twice-born, said—
एष वै कथितो देवि प्रभावः पापनाशनः
This, O Goddess, is the power that destroys sin, as has been described.
सर्वपापहरं लिगं नृणां दुष्कृतनाशनम्
The liṅga removes all sins and destroys the misdeeds of men.
ढुंढश्चासीत्पुरा देवि कैलासे गणनायकः
There was once, O Goddess, a leader of Gaṇas named Ḍhuṇḍha on Mount Kailāsa.
गतोऽसौ शक्रलोकं तु कौतुकार्थं यदृच्छया
He went, by his own will and out of curiosity, to the realm of Indra.
भावान्बहुविधान्रम्यान्दृष्टिहस्तादिकाञ्छुभान्। सूचीविद्धादिकरणान्पताकादिकहस्तकान्
He saw many delightful gestures—beautiful movements of the eyes, hands, and so on; gestures like the needle-pierced, and hand-positions such as the flag and others.
शक्रोऽपि त्रिदशैः सार्द्धं तन्मुखासक्तलोचनः
Indra too, along with the gods, kept his gaze fixed upon her face.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे देवि ढुंढस्तल्ललितेन तु
Meanwhile, O Goddess, Ḍhuṇḍha, with his playful manner—
तेन रंगरता रंभा पुष्पगुच्छेन ताडिता
There, Rambhā, absorbed in the dance, was struck with a bouquet of flowers.
पत त्वं मानुषं लोकं रंगभंगस्त्वया कृतः
"Fall, you, to the world of humans! You have disrupted the performance."
पतितो मानुषे लोके विसंज्ञो विह्वलेन्द्रियः
Fallen into the world of humans, she was unconscious, her senses bewildered.
अहोऽन्यायफलं प्राप्तं मया मोहादनुष्ठितम् 5.2.3.
"Alas, I have received the fruit of injustice, having acted out of delusion."
न्यायमार्गं समाश्रित्य येन सिद्धिर्भवेन्मम
"By taking refuge in the path of righteousness, may I attain success."
इत्युक्त्वा स तपस्तेपे महेंद्रे पर्वतोत्तमे
Having spoken thus, she undertook austerities on the great mountain Maheṃdra.