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.
नो सिद्धोऽसौ यदा देवि तदा गंगामहत्तटम्
O Goddess, when that is not accomplished, then the great bank of the Ganga—
गोदावरीं भीमरथीं कौशिकीं शारदां शिवाम्
—the Godavari, the Bhimarathi, the Kaushiki, the Sharada, the auspicious one—
तीर्थं व्यर्थं तपो व्यर्थं तीर्थयात्राफलं यतः
—the pilgrimage is fruitless, the austerity is fruitless, and the result of pilgrimage is in vain.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे देवि वागुवाचाशरीरिणी
At that moment, O Goddess, a bodiless voice spoke.
प्रयागाद्यानि तीर्थानि पृथिव्यां यानि संति वै
All the sacred places on earth, beginning with Prayaga—
तत्रास्ते सुमहापुण्यं लिंगं सर्वार्थसाधकम्
—there abides a most holy linga, accomplishing all aims.
प्रसादात्तस्य लिंगस्य पुनर्यास्यसि शांकरम्
By the grace of that linga, you will again attain Shiva.
इति श्रुत्वा ततो वाणीमाकाशस्थां गणस्तदा 5.2.3.
Hearing that voice from the sky, the group then—
ददर्श तत्र तल्लिंगं सर्वसंपत्करं शुभम्
—saw there that auspicious linga, bestower of all prosperity.
लिंगमध्यात्ततो वाणी निःसृता पर्व तात्मजे
From the midst of the linga, then, a voice issued forth, O son of Parvati.