श्रीवराह उवाच कथयिष्यामि मे गुह्यं शालग्राममिति स्मृतम्
Śrī Varāha said: I shall tell you my secret, known as Śālagrāma.
द्वापरे तु युगे भूमे यदूनां कुलसंकुले
O Earth, in the Dvāpara age, among the lineage of the Yadus,
तस्य पुत्रो महाभागो सर्वकर्मपरायणः
His son was most fortunate, devoted to all duties.
तस्य भार्या च वसुधे सर्वावयवसुन्दरी
And his wife, O Vasudhā, was beautiful in every limb.
तस्या गर्भे महाभागे भविष्यामि न संशयः
In her womb, O blessed one, I shall be born—of this there is no doubt.
ततोऽपि संस्थिते तत्र यादवानां कुलोद्वहे
After that, when he had departed, the foremost of the Yadava lineage,
ममैवाराधनार्थाय भ्रमते स दिशो दश
For the sake of worshipping me, he wandered in all ten directions.
ततः पिण्डारके गता मम क्षेत्रे वसुन्धरे १४४.
Then, O Vasundharā, she went to Piṇḍāraka, my sacred field.
ईश्वरेण समं पूर्वं सर्वयोगेश्वरं स्थितम्
Formerly, together with Īśvara, the Lord of all yogis was established there.
ईश्वरेण समं पूर्वमहमासं वसुन्धरे
Formerly, O Vasundharā, I too was there together with Īśvara.
तस्मिन्क्षेत्रे हरो देवो मत्स्व रूपेण संयुतः
In that sacred place, Lord Hara abides, united with me in the form of a fish.
अहं तिष्ठामि तत्रैव गिरिरूपेण नित्यशः
There, I myself remain eternally in the form of a mountain.
पूजनीयाः प्रयत्नेन किंपुनश्चक्रलाञ्छिताः
They must be worshipped with great care—how much more so those marked with the discus!
शिवनाभाः शिलास्तत्र चक्रनाभास्तथा शिलाः
There are stones resembling Shiva's navel, and likewise stones resembling the navel of the discus.
सोमेन तत्र संस्थाप्य स्वनाम्ना लिंगमुत्तमम्
There, Soma established the supreme liṅga bearing his own name.
ततः शापाद्विनिर्मुक्तः तेजसा च परिप्लुतः
Then, freed from the curse and filled with radiance,
सोमेश्वराच्च वरदमाविर्भूतं त्रियम्बकम्
From Someśvara, the boon-giving Triambaka manifested.
सोम उवाच नतोऽस्मि पंचवदनं नीलकण्ठं त्रिलोचनम् ।। १४४.
Soma said: I bow to the five-faced, blue-throated, three-eyed One.
शशांकशेखरं दिव्यं सर्वदेवनमस्कृतम्
To the divine One adorned with the crescent moon, worshipped by all the gods,
त्रिशूलिनं डमरुणा लसद्धस्तं वृषध्वजम्
To the trident-bearer, whose shining hand holds the ḍamaru, who has the bull as his banner,
त्रिपुरघ्नं महाकालमन्धकादिनिषूदनम्
To the destroyer of the three cities, the great Time, the slayer of Andhaka and others,
नागभोगोपवीतं च रुद्रमालधरं प्रभुम्
To the Lord adorned with a serpent as sacred thread and a garland of Rudras,
वह्निसोमार्क नयनं मनोवाचामगोचरम्
Whose eyes are fire, moon, and sun, beyond the reach of mind and speech,
कैलासनिलयं शम्भुं हिमाचलकृताश्रमम्
To Śambhu, dwelling on Kailāsa, who made the Himālayan peaks his hermitage,
वरं वरय भद्रं ते यत्ते मनसि वर्त्तते
Choose a boon, auspicious one, whatever abides in your mind.
सोम उवाच एतल्लिंगस्य भक्तानां पूरयस्व मनोरथम्
Soma said: Grant the cherished wish of the devotees of this liṅga.
देवदेव उवाच विशेषतस्त्वदीयेऽस्मिन्नद्यप्रभृतिगोपते
The Lord of gods said: Especially in this place of yours, from today onward, O protector of cows,
ममैवान्या परा मूर्त्तिस्तं शशाङ्क न संशयः १४४.
Another supreme form of mine, O Moon, will certainly reside there—of this there is no doubt.
वरान्दास्यामि भद्रं ते देवानामपि दुर्लभान्
I shall grant you boons, auspicious one, that are difficult even for the gods to obtain.
विष्णुना सह संमन्त्र्य स्थितावावां कलानिधे
Together with Viṣṇu, I have deliberated, O treasure of arts, and we have resolved.