इत्येवमुक्ता शक्रेण पूतना रूपशालिनी
Thus addressed by Śakra, Pūtanā, endowed with beauty,
आश्रमस्याविदूरे तु नदी मन्दोदवाहिनी
Not far from the hermitage, there flowed a river with gentle current.
सापि स्नातुं सुचार्वङ्गी त्ववतीर्णा महानदीम्
She too, of lovely form, descended into the great river to bathe.
तेषां च प्राच्यवच्छुक्रं तत्पपौ जलचारिणी
And there, the aquatic one drank the semen discharged by them.
ते ऽपि विभ्रष्टतपसो जग्मू राज्यं तु षैतृकम्
Having lost their austerity, they went to the kingdom of the Six.
ततो बहुतिथे काले सा ग्राही शङ्खरूपिणी
Then, after a long time, that Grāhī assumed the form of a conch.
स तां दृष्ट्वा महाशङ्खी स्थलास्थां मत्स्यजीविकः
Seeing her, the great conch on land, a fisherman approached.
तथाभ्येत्य महात्मानो योगिनो योगधारिणः
Then, great-souled yogis, bearers of yoga, came there.
ततः प्रमाच्छङ्खिनी सी सुषुवे सप्त वै शिशून्
Then, the conch-woman gave birth to seven children.
अमातृपितृका बाला जलमध्यविहारिणः
The children, without mother or father, moved about in the water.
मा रुदध्वमितीत्याह मरुतो नाम पुत्रकाः
"Do not weep," they were told; those sons were called Maruts.
इत्येवमुक्त्वाथादाय सर्वास्तान् दैवतान् प्रति
Having thus spoken, he took all of them to the deities.
एवमासंश्च मरुतो मनोः स्वारोचिषे ऽन्तरे
Thus were the Maruts during the Svārociṣa Manvantara of Manu.
उत्तमस्यान्ववाये तु राजासीन्निषधाधिपः
In the line of Uttama, there was a king, lord of Niṣadha.
तस्य पुत्रो गुणश्रेष्ठो ज्योतिष्मान् धार्मिको ऽभवत्
His son, excelling in virtues, was Jyotishman, righteous in conduct.
तस्य भार्या च सुश्रोणी देवाचार्यासुता शुभा
His wife, fair-hipped and auspicious, was the noble daughter of the preceptor of the gods.
सा स्वयं फलपुष्पाम्बुसमित्कुशं समाहरत्
She herself gathered fruits, flowers, water, sacred sticks, and kusa grass.
पतिं शुश्रूषमाणा सा कृशा धमनिसंतता
Serving her husband, she became thin, her veins visible.
तां तथा चारुसर्वाङ्गीं दृष्ट्वाथ तपसा कृसाम्
Seeing her, beautiful in every limb yet emaciated by austerity,
साब्रवीत् तनयार्थाय आवाभ्यां वै तपःक्रिया
She said, 'For the sake of a child, we both must undertake austerities.'
व्रजध्वं तनयाः सप्त भविष्यन्ति न सशं यः
'Go forth; seven sons will be born, but not one who is auspicious.'
इत्येवमुक्त्वा जग्मुस्ते सर्व एव महर्षयः
Having thus spoken, all the great sages departed.
ततो बहुतिथे काले सा राज्ञो महिषी प्रिया
After a long time, she, the beloved queen of the king,
गुर्विण्यामथ भार्यायां ममारासौ नराधिपः
While his wife was pregnant, that lord of men died.
निवारिता तदामात्यैर्न तथापि व्यतिष्ठता
Though restrained by his ministers at that time, he did not desist.
ततो ऽग्निमध्यात् सलिले मांसपेश्यपतन्मुने
Then, O sage, from the midst of the fire, a piece of flesh fell into the water.
ते ऽजायन्ताथ मरुत उत्तमस्यान्तरे मनोः
Then, O Maruta, they were born in the interval between Uttama and Manu.
तानहं कीर्तयिष्यामि गीतनृत्यकलिप्रिय
I shall recount them, who delighted in song, dance, and play.
स पुत्रर्थो जुहावाग्नौ स्वमांसं रुधिरं तथा
Desiring a son, he offered his own flesh and blood into the fire.
शुक्रं च चित्रगौ राजा सुतार्थो इति नः श्रुतम्
And the king, for the sake of a son, offered semen and variegated cows, as we have heard.