आशिषाऽनुगृहीतोऽस्मि नियोज्योऽहं सदा हि वः
'I am blessed by your benediction; I am always to be employed by you.'
आज्ञापयध्यमाज्ञप्तस्तस्माद्विबुधसत्तमाः
'Order me, for I am commanded; therefore, O excellent gods,'
शक्र उवाच पश्यामो विप्र तं सर्वे देवानामधिपं विभुम्
Śakra said: 'Let us all, O sage, behold the mighty lord, the chief of the gods.'
स्थाणुमुग्रं शिवं देवं शर्वमेव स्वयं मुने
'The immovable, fierce, auspicious god, Śarva himself, O sage.'
तत्स्थानं नः समाख्याहि महर्षे शीघ्रमेव हि
'Tell us quickly, O great sage, that place.'
प्रत्युवाच ततः शक्रं नन्दी पशुपतिं स्मरन् श्रोतुमर्हसि देवेन्द्र यथातत्त्वं दिवस्पते
Then Nandī replied to Śakra, remembering Paśupati: 'You are worthy to hear, O lord of the gods, O lord of heaven, the truth as it is.'
अस्मिन्गिरौ मुञ्जवति स्थाणुरभ्यर्च्चतो मया ८८ प्रीतो विनिर्गत इतस्तं विज्ञातुं बिभेम्यहम्
On this Muñjavaṭa mountain, when I worshipped the steadfast one, he, pleased, departed from here; I am afraid to find out where he has gone.
मार्गयामो हि यत्नेन भगवन्तं तु वासव ।। 214.
Let us diligently search for the Blessed Lord, O Indra.
इति श्रीवराहपुराणे गोकर्णमाहात्म्ये नन्दिकेश्वरवरप्रदानं नाम चतुर्दशाधिकद्विशततमोऽ ध्यायः
Thus ends the two hundred fourteenth chapter, entitled 'The Granting of Boons by Nandikeśvara,' in the Glorious Varāha Purāṇa, in the section on the greatness of Gokarṇa.
; अथ गोकर्णेश्वरजलेश्वरमाहात्म्यवर्णनम् ततः शक्रः सुरगणैः सह सर्वैः समेत्य च
Now, the account of the greatness of Gokarṇeśvara and Jaleśvara: Then Śakra, together with all the hosts of gods, assembled there.
तत उत्थाय ते देवाः सर्व एव शिलोच्चयात्
Then all those gods rose up from the great mass of rocks.
स्वर्लोकं ब्रह्मलोकं च नागलोकं च सर्वशः
They searched all the realms: heaven, Brahmā's world, and the world of the nāgas.
खिन्नाः क्लिष्टाश्च सुभृशं न पुनस्तत्पदं विदुः
Exhausted and greatly distressed, they could not find that place again.
सशैलकाननोपेतां मार्गयद्भिर्हि तं सुरम्
Seeking that god, they searched through mountains and forests.
विततेषु निकुञ्जेषु विहारेषु च सर्वतः
In the widespread groves and in all the pleasure gardens,
न प्रवृत्तिः क्वचिदपि शम्भोरासाद्यते सुरैः
Nowhere did the gods find any trace of Śambhu.
न पश्यन्ति शिवं तत्र तदेषां भयमाविशत्
They did not see Śiva there, and fear entered their hearts.
सम्भूयान्योऽन्यममरा मामेव शरणं ययुः
The immortals, gathering together, each sought refuge in me.
उपायमात्रं दृष्टं मे ध्यायंस्तद्वेषभूषणैः 215.
I have seen only one means: to meditate, adorned with the ornaments of enmity.
सर्वं त्रैलोक्यमस्माभिर्विचितं वै निरन्तरम्। श्लेश्मातकवनोद्देशं स्थानं मुक्त्वा महीतले
We have thoroughly searched all the three worlds, except for the region of the śleṣmātaka forest on earth.
आगच्छध्वं गमिष्यामस्तमुद्देशं सुरोत्तमाः
Come, let us go to that place, O best of gods.
तत्क्षणादेव सम्प्राप्ता विमानैः शीघ्रयायिभिः
At that very moment, they arrived in swift-flying aerial chariots.
तस्मिन्सुरमणीयानि विविधानि शुचीनि च
There, they saw many delightful and pure places for the gods.
आश्रमारण्यभागेषु दरीणां विवरेषु च
In the forest regions of the hermitages and in the caves of the mountains.
प्रमुखे वासवं कृत्वा विविशुस्ते सुरास्तदा
Placing Indra at their forefront, the gods then entered.
कन्दरोदरकूटेषु तरूणां गहनेषु च
Into the hollows of the mountains and the thickets of the trees they went.
प्रविशन्तश्च ते देवा वनोद्देशं क्वचिच्छुभे
And as they entered some forest region, the gods appeared radiant.
गिरिनद्यास्तु पुलिने हंसकुन्देंदुसन्निभे 215.
On the sandy banks of the mountain river, shining like swans, jasmine, and the moon.
मुक्ताचूर्णनिकाशाभिर्वालुकाभिस्ततस्तत
With sand here and there, gleaming like powdered pearls.
तत्र ते विबुधा दृष्ट्वा सर्वे मां समचोदयन्
There, having seen me, all the wise gods urged me on.