सनकादयो निवृत्त्याख्ये तेन धर्मे प्रयोजिताः । प्रवृत्त्याख्ये मरीच्याद्या मुक्त्वैकं नारदं मुनिम् ।। २.
Sanaka and the others were engaged by him in the path of renunciation; Marichi and the rest, except for the sage Narada, were engaged in the path of action.
योऽसौ प्रजापतिस्त्वाद्यो दक्षिणाङ्गुष्ठसंभवः । तस्यादौ तत्र वंशेन जगदेतच्चराचरम् ।। २.
That first Prajapati, who was born from the right thumb, in the beginning, through his lineage, produced this world of moving and unmoving beings.
देवाश्च दानवाश्चैव गन्धर्वोरगपक्षिणः । सर्वे दक्षस्य कन्यासु जाताः परमधार्मिकाः ।। २.
The gods, the demons, the Gandharvas, serpents, and birds—all were born from Daksha's daughters, and all are supremely righteous.
योऽसौ रुद्रेति विख्यातः पुत्रः क्रोधसमुद्भवः । भ्रुकुटीकुटिलात् तस्य ललाटात् परमेष्ठिनः ।। २.
He who is renowned as Rudra, born from wrath, emerged from the furrowed brow of the supreme lord.
अर्द्धनारीनरवपुः प्रचण्डोऽतिभयंकरः । विभजात्मानमित्युक्तो ब्रह्मणाऽन्तर्दधे पुनः ।। २.
Fierce and exceedingly terrifying, with a form half male and half female, he was told by Brahma to divide himself, and then vanished again.
तथोक्तोऽसौ द्विधा स्त्रीत्वं पुरुषत्वं चकार सः । बिभेद पुरुषत्वं च दशधा चैकधा च सः । ततस्त्वेकादश ख्याता रुद्रा ब्रह्मसमुद्भवाः ।। २.
Thus instructed, he made himself twofold—female and male; he divided the male aspect tenfold and also singly; from this, eleven Rudras, born from Brahma, became renowned.
अयमुद्देशतः प्रोक्तो रुद्रसर्गो मयाऽनघे । इदानीं युगमाहात्म्यं कथयामि समासतः ।। २.
This account of the creation of Rudra has been briefly told by me, O sinless one; now I shall narrate the greatness of the ages in summary.
कृतं त्रेता द्वापरश्च कलिश्चेति चतुर्युगम् । एतस्मिन् ये महासत्त्वा राजानो भूरिदक्षिणाः । देवासुराश्च यं चक्रुर्धर्मं कर्म च तच्छृणु ।। २.
Krita, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali are the four ages; in these, the great souls—kings who gave abundant gifts—and the gods and demons established dharma and performed deeds; listen to this.
आसीत् प्रथमकल्पे तु मनुः स्वायंभुवः पुरा । तस्य पुत्रद्वयं जज्ञे अतिमानुषचेष्टितम्। प्रियव्रतोत्तानपादनामानं धर्मवत्सलम् ।। २.
In the first cycle, Manu Svayambhuva existed; he had two sons, whose actions surpassed those of men—Priyavrata and Uttanapada, both devoted to righteousness.
तत्र प्रियव्रतो राजा महायज्वा तपोबलः । स चेष्ट्वा विविधैर्यज्ञैर्विपुलैर्भूरिदक्षिणैः ।। २.
There, King Priyavrata, a great sacrificer endowed with ascetic power, performed various grand sacrifices with abundant gifts.
सप्तद्वीपेषु संस्थाप्य भरतादीन् सुतान् निजान् । स्वयं विशालां वरदां गत्वा तेपे महत् तपः ।। २.
Establishing his own sons, including Bharata and others, in the seven continents, he himself went to the vast, blessed land and undertook great austerity.
तस्मिन् स्थितस्य तपसि राज्ञो वै चक्रवर्त्तिनः । उपेयान्नारदस्तत्र दिदृक्षुर्धर्मचारिणम् ।। २.
While the universal monarch was engaged in austerity, Narada approached him there, desiring to see the one who followed dharma.
स दृष्ट्वा नारदं व्योम्नि ज्वलद्भास्करतेजसम् । अभ्युत्थानेन राजेन्द्र उत्तस्थौ हर्षितस्तदा ।। २.
Seeing Narada in the sky, radiant with the brilliance of the sun, the king rose joyfully to greet him.
तस्यासनं च पाद्यं च सम्यक् तस्य निवेद्य वै । स्वागतादिभिरालापैः परस्परमवोचताम् । कथान्ते नारदं राजा पप्रच्छ ब्रह्मवादिनम् ।। २.
He properly offered him a seat and water for his feet, and with words of welcome and other courteous exchanges, they spoke to each other; at the end of their conversation, the king questioned Narada, the knower of Brahman.
प्रियव्रत उवाच । भगवन् किञ्चिदाश्चर्यमेतस्मिन् कृतसंज्ञिते । युगे दृष्टं श्रुतं वाऽपि तन्मे कथय नारद ।। २.
Priyavrata said: O revered one, tell me, Narada, of any wonder you have seen or heard in this age called Krita.
नारद उवाच । आश्चर्यमेकं दृष्टं मे तच्छृणुष्व प्रियव्रत । ह्यस्तनेऽहनि राजेन्द्र श्वेताख्यं गतवानहम् । द्वीपं तत्र सरो दृष्टं फुल्लपङ्कजमालिनम् ।। २.
Narada said: I have seen a wonder; listen, Priyavrata. Yesterday, O king, I went to the island called Shveta, where I saw a lake adorned with blooming lotuses.
सरसस्तस्य तीरे तु कुमारीं पृथुलोचनाम् । दृष्ट्वाऽहं विस्मयापन्नस्तां कन्यामायतेक्षणाम् ।। २.
On the shore of that lake, I saw a maiden with wide eyes; amazed, I beheld that girl with long, beautiful eyes.
पृष्टवानस्मि राजेन्द्र तदा मधुरभाषिणीम् । काऽसि भद्रे कथं वाऽसि किं वा कार्यमिह त्वया । कर्त्तव्यं चारुसर्वाङ्गि तन्ममाचक्ष्व शोभने ।। २.
I asked her then, O king, she who spoke sweetly: Who are you, O gentle one? How are you here? What is your purpose here? Tell me, O beautiful one, what you intend to do.
एवमुक्ता मया सा हि मां दृष्ट्वाऽनिमिषेक्षणा । स्मृत्वा तूष्णीं स्थिता यावत् तावन्मे ज्ञानमुत्तमम् ।। २.
Thus addressed by me, she gazed at me with unblinking eyes, and remained silent, remembering, until I attained supreme knowledge.
विस्मृतं सर्ववेदाश्च सर्वशास्त्राणि चैव ह । योगशास्त्राणि शिक्षाश्च वेदानां स्मृतयस्तथा ।। २.
All the Vedas, all the scriptures, the teachings of yoga, and the traditions of the Vedas were forgotten by me.
सर्वं दृष्ट्वैव मे राजन् कुमार्याऽपहृतं क्षणात् । ततोऽहं विस्मयार्विष्टश्चिन्ताशोकसमन्वितः ।। २.
O King, as soon as I saw, everything was instantly taken away by the maiden; then I, filled with astonishment, was overcome by anxiety and sorrow.
तामेव शरणं गत्वा यावत् पश्यामि पार्थिव । तावद् दिव्यः पुमांस्तस्याः शरीरे समदृश्यत ।। २.
Seeking refuge in her, O ruler, as I looked upon her, at that very moment a divine man appeared within her body.
तस्यापि पंसो हृदये त्वपरस्तस्य चोरसि । अन्यो रक्तेक्षणः श्रीमान् द्वादशादित्यसन्निभः ।। २.
Within her heart was another, and upon his chest yet another—splendid, red-eyed, and radiant like the twelve suns.
एवं दृष्ट्वा पुमांसोऽत्र त्रयः कन्याशरीरगाः । क्षणेन तत्र कन्यैका न तान् पश्यामि सुव्रत ।। २.
Thus I saw three men within the maiden's body; but in a moment, O virtuous one, only the maiden remained—I could no longer see them.
ततः पृष्टा मया देवी सा कुमारी कथं मम । वेदा नष्टा ममाचक्ष्व भद्रे तन्नाशकारणम् ।। २.
Then I questioned the goddess, that maiden: 'How have my Vedas been lost? O blessed one, tell me the cause of their disappearance.'
कन्योवाच । माताऽहं सर्ववेदानां सावित्री नाम नामतः । मां न जानासि येन त्वं ततो वेदा हृतास्तव ।। २.
The maiden said: 'I am the mother of all the Vedas, known by the name Sāvitrī. Because you did not recognize me, your Vedas were taken from you.'
एवमुक्ते तया राजन् विस्मयेन तपोधन । पृष्टा क एते पुरुषा एतत्कथय शोभने
When she had spoken thus, O King, I, rich in austerity and wonder, asked: 'Who are these men? Tell me, O beautiful one.'
कन्योवाच य एष मच्छरीरस्थः सर्वाङ्गैश्चारुलोचनः । एष ऋग्वेदनामा तु देवो नारायणः स्वयम् । वह्निभूतो दहत्याशु पापान्युच्चारणादनु ।। २.
The maiden said: 'He who dwells in my body, with beautiful eyes and all limbs, is the god Nārāyaṇa himself, called the Ṛgveda. Becoming fire, he quickly burns away sins through recitation.'
एतस्य हृदये योऽयं दृष्ट आसीत् त्वयात्मजः । स यजुर्वेदरूपेण स्थितो ब्रह्मा महाबलः ।। २.
'He whom you saw within his heart, O son, is Brahmā of great might, abiding in the form of the Yajurveda.'
तस्याप्युरसि संविष्टो य एष शुचिरुज्ज्वलः । स सामवेदनामा तु रुद्ररूपी व्यवस्थितः । एष आदित्यवत् पापान्याशु नाशयते स्मृतः ।। २.
'He who is seated upon his chest, pure and radiant, is Rudra in the form of the Sāmaveda. Like the sun, he is remembered as one who swiftly destroys sins.'