अतिविषमतपोभिः शंकरं तोषयित्वा स्वपितुरपि च भक्त्या हन्मि मृत्योर्जयाशाम्
By severe austerities I will please Śaṃkara, and with devotion to my father, I will destroy Death's hope of victory.
प्रयामि रुद्रं शरणं महेश्वरं देवं वरं चाप्युमयाऽविहीनम्
I go for refuge to Rudra, the great Lord, the god who is never separated from Umā, to obtain a boon.
तपोभिरुग्रैः शितिकंठपादौ प्रसाद्य मृत्युं न चिराद्विनेष्ये
By fierce austerities I will propitiate the feet of the blue-throated one and soon banish Death.
पप्रच्छुरेनं मुनयः शिशुं तं जानासि रुद्रं परमं कथं त्वम्
The sages questioned him: 'Child, how do you know Rudra, the supreme one?'
तथापि विद्मो न वयं महेशं ज्ञातस्त्वयासौ कथमर्भकेण 5.2.34.
Even so, we do not know the great Lord; how have you, a mere child, come to know him?
ज्ञातस्त्वया कुत्र कथं महेशो महेश्वरो वै भुवनैकनाथः
Where and how have you known Maheśa, the great Lord, the sole master of the worlds?
इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम्
Hearing these words of the sages, whose minds were intent on the divine,
ममात्र क्रीडतः सिद्धः सिद्धिदः समुपागतः
As I was playing here, the giver of success, who grants accomplishments, appeared before me.
गच्छ पुत्र ममादेशान्महाकालवनोत्तमे
Go, my son, at my command, to the most excellent Mahākālavana.
तमाराधय शीघ्रं त्वं चिरजीवी भविष्यसि
Quickly worship him; you will become long-lived.
नान्यो देवोस्ति लोकेषु सत्यं सत्यं मुनीश्वराः
There is no other god in the worlds—truly, truly, O best of sages.
लिंगमाराधयिष्यामि विषादस्त्यज्यतामिह
I will worship the liṅga; let your sorrow be abandoned here.
पिता च विस्मितो देवि सर्व एव समागताः
And the father was astonished, O goddess, as were all those assembled.
लिंगमध्यात्ततो वाणी निःसृता पर्वतात्मजे
Then, from the center of the liṅga, a voice issued forth, O daughter of the Mountain.
पापकंथाविनिर्मुक्तास्ते संतु चिरजीविनः ।। 5.2.34.
Freed from the bondage of sin, may they live long.
बालस्य भाषितं श्रुत्वा लिंगे नोक्तं यशस्विनि ते भविष्यंति सततं जरामरणवर्जिताः
O illustrious one, those who, having heard the words of the child, do not speak in the presence of the liṅga, will always be free from old age and death.
लप्स्यंते परमान्कामान्भविष्यंति गणोत्तम
They will obtain the highest desires and become foremost among the gaṇas.
एवं लब्धवरः कंथः प्रांजलिः समुपस्थितः
Thus, having received the boon, Kaṃtha approached with joined palms.
वरो वै दुर्लभो लोके देवदानवगुह्यकैः
Such a boon is indeed rare in the world, even among gods, demons, and yakṣas.
बालेनोक्तो महादेव यदि देयो वरः पुनः
The child said to Mahādeva, 'If another boon is to be granted—'
एवमस्त्विति लिंगेन प्रोक्तं तुष्टेन पार्वति यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण चिरायुर्जायते नरः
Thus, Parvati, pleased, spoke through the liṅga, 'So be it.' By merely seeing it, a person attains long life.
यः समीक्षति तल्लिंगं कंथडेश्वरमीश्वरम्
Whoever beholds that liṅga, the Lord of Kaṃthaḍeśvara, the Lord,
पापकंथाविनिर्मुक्तो मुक्तिं यास्यति गौरि सः पुनाति पातकान्सर्वान्मम नामानुकीर्तनात्
O Gauri, he is freed from the bondage of sin and will attain liberation; by uttering my name, he purifies all sins.
तेऽधन्याः पुरुषा लोके तेषां जन्म निरर्थकम्
Those men in the world are unfortunate; their birth is in vain.
एष ते कथितो देवि प्रभावः पापनाशनः 5.2.34.
O goddess, thus I have told you the power that destroys sin.
महासिद्धिप्रदं देवि ब्रह्महत्याविनाशनम्
O goddess, it bestows great accomplishment and destroys the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa.
आसीत्प्रजापतिस्त्वष्टा तस्य पुत्रः कुशध्वजः
There was Prajāpati Tvaṣṭṛ; his son was Kuśadhvaja.
तस्य पुत्रं हतं श्रुत्वा त्वष्टा क्रुद्धः प्रजापतिः
Hearing that his son was slain, Tvaṣṭṛ, the lord of creatures, became angry.
अद्य पश्यंतु मे वीर्यं त्रयो लोकाः सदेवताः
‘Today, let the three worlds with the gods witness my power!’
स्वकर्मनिरतो येन मत्सुतो विनिपातितः
By whom, intent on his own duty, my son was struck down.