Vayu Purana

दत्तस्ते न निराकर्त्तुं शक्यो देवद्विजातिभिः। तस्मादन्यं वरं ब्रूहि यतो धर्म्मस्य संस्थितिः ।। ४५.

The curse given to you cannot be undone by gods or brahmins; therefore, ask for another boon by which dharma may be upheld.

भवेद्वै त्रिषु लोकेषु वेदोक्तस्य शुभव्रते। देवानां वचनं श्रुत्वा देवान्धर्म्मव्रताब्रवीत् ।। ४५.

In the three worlds, O virtuous one, the words spoken by the gods, as declared in the Vedas, came to pass; having heard the words of the gods, Dharmavrata spoke to them.

भर्त्तुः शापान्मोचयितुं न शक्ताश्च यदामराः। मह्यं वरं प्रयच्छध्वमेवंविधमनुत्तमम् ।। ४५.

Since the immortals were unable to free me from my husband's curse, grant me this supreme and unparalleled boon.

शिलाहं हि भविष्यामि ब्रह्माण्डे पावनी शुभा। नदीनदसरस्तीर्थदेवादिभ्योऽतिपावनी ।। ४५.

I shall become a sacred and auspicious stone in the universe, purifying beyond rivers, streams, lakes, holy places, and even the gods.

ऋष्यादिभ्यो मुनुभ्यश्च मुख्यदेवेभ्य एव च। त्रैलोक्ये यानि लिङ्गानि व्यक्ताव्यक्तात्मकान्यपि। तानि तिष्ठन्तु मद्देहे तीर्थरूपेण सर्व्वदा ।। ४५.

Let the emblems—manifest and unmanifest—of sages, ascetics, and chief deities, whatever they may be in the three worlds, always remain in my body in the form of holy places.

तीर्थान्यपि च सर्व्वाणि नक्षत्रप्रमुखास्तथा। तिष्ठन्तु देवाः सकला देव्यश्च मुनयस्तथा ।। ४५.

Let all the holy places, beginning with the stars, remain, along with all the gods, goddesses, and sages.

ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च लक्षयित्वा पदं मयि। पञ्चाग्नयः कुमाराद्या बहुरुपेण संस्थिताः ।। ४५.

Let Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra, having established their presence in me, together with the five fires, Kumara, and others, remain in manifold forms.

मूर्त्तामूर्त्तस्वरूपेण पदरूपेण देवताः। शिलायां क्रोशमात्रेण मूर्त्तिरूपाः स्थिता भुवि ।। ४५.

Let the deities, in both manifest and unmanifest forms, as well as in the form of sacred steps, be established on earth within the stone, in a space measuring a krosha.

तां दृष्ट्वा सर्व्वलोकश्च महापातकनाशिनीम्। पूतो धर्म्माधिकारी च श्राद्धकृद्ब्रह्मलोकभाक् ।। ४५.

Seeing her, the destroyer of great sins, all people become purified, gain authority in righteousness, perform ancestral rites, and attain the world of Brahma.

शिलास्थितेषु तीर्थषु स्नात्वा कृत्वाथ तर्पणम्। श्राद्धं सपिण्डकं येषां ब्रह्मलोकं प्रयान्तु ते ।। ४५.

Those who bathe and offer libations at the holy places established in the stone, and perform the ancestral rites with offerings, may they reach the world of Brahma.

गदाधरो दृश्यतीर्थं सर्व्वतीर्थोत्तमोत्तमम्। स्थास्यन्ति च मरिष्यन्ति यान्तु ब्रह्मपुरीं नराः। वाराणसी प्रयागश्च पुरुषोत्तमसंज्ञकम् ।। ४५.

Gadadhara, the supreme among all holy places, will remain visible; those who die there shall go to Brahma's city. Varanasi and Prayaga are known as Purushottama.

गङ्गासागरसंज्ञञ्च नित्यं तिष्ठतु फल्गुनि। गदाधराधिष्ठितं तत्सर्व्वतीर्थोत्तमोत्तमम्। मुक्तिर्भवेत् पितॄणां च मृतानां श्राद्धतः सदा ।। ४५.

Let the place called Gangasagara always remain at Phalguni, presided over by Gadadhara, the highest of all holy places; liberation is always attained for the ancestors of those who perform the funeral rites there.

जरायुजाण्डजा वापि स्वेदजा वापि चोद्भिदः। त्यक्त्वा देहं शिलायान्ते यान्तु विष्णुस्वरूपताम् ।। ४५.

Whether born from womb, egg, sweat, or sprout, whoever gives up the body at the end of the stone attains the form of Vishnu.

यथार्च्चिते हरौ सर्व्वे यज्ञाः पूर्णा भवन्ति हि। तथा श्राद्धं तर्पणञ्च स्नानं चाक्षयमस्त्विह ।। ४५.

Just as all sacrifices become complete when offered to Hari, so too may the ancestral rites, offerings, and bathing here be inexhaustible.

मम देहे सुरेशानां ये जपन्ति श्रुतादिकम्। अचिरेणापि ते सिद्धाः सिद्धिभाजो भवन्तु वै ।। ४५.

Whoever recites the Vedas and other scriptures in my body, O lords of the gods, let them quickly attain success and become possessors of accomplishment.

पितॄणां कुलसाहस्रमात्मना सहितं नरः। श्राद्धादिना समुद्धृत्य विष्णुलोकं नयेद्‌ध्रुवम् ।। ४५.

A man, together with thousands of his ancestors, is certainly led to the world of Vishnu by performing ancestral rites and related acts.

यावत्यो हि सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा गङ्गाद्याश्च ह्रदाः शुभाः। समुद्राद्याः सरोमुख्या मानसाद्याः सुरेश्वराः। नृणां श्राद्धं विदधतो मुक्तये निवसन्तु मे ।। ४५.

Let all the foremost rivers, such as Ganga, the auspicious lakes, the principal oceans, and the divine lakes like Manasa, reside in me for the liberation of those who perform ancestral rites.

शरीरेण समायान्तु क्वचिन्नो यान्तु देवताः। एको विष्णुस्त्रिधामूर्त्तिर्यावत्सङ्कीर्त्यते बुधैः ।। ४५.

Let the deities enter with their bodies, or not depart at all, as long as Vishnu, in his threefold form, is praised by the wise.

तावच्छिलायां सर्व्वाणि तीर्थानि सह दैवतैः। सदा तिष्ठन्तु मुनयो गन्धर्व्वाणां गणाश्च ये ।। ४५.

Let all the holy places, along with their deities, always remain in the stone as long as Vishnu is praised, together with sages and hosts of Gandharvas.

सर्व्वदेवस्वरूपा च नामेयं देवरूपिणी। यावत्तिष्ठति ब्रह्माण्डं तावत्तिष्ठतु वै शिला। मम देहेऽश्मरूपे च ये जपन्ति तपन्ति च ।। ४५.

This stone is the very form of all the gods, and she is called the one who embodies the gods; as long as the universe exists, let this stone remain. Whoever recites or performs austerities upon my stone form, or upon my body, which is of stone—

जुहोत्यग्नौ च तेषां वै तदक्षय्योपतिष्ठताम् । अक्षयन्तु भवेच्छ्राद्धं जपहोमतपांसि च। शिलापर्व्वतरूपेण मयि तिष्ठतु सर्व्वदा ।। ४५.

—and whoever offers oblations into the fire for me—may their offerings be inexhaustible. May their ancestral rites, recitations, sacrifices, and austerities be unfailing. Let me always abide in the form of a stone mountain.

पतिव्रतावचः श्रुत्वा देवाः प्रोचुः पतिव्रताम्। त्वया यत्प्रार्थितं सर्व्वं तद्भविष्यत्यसंशयम् ।। ४५.

Hearing the words of the devoted wife, the gods said to her: 'All that you have requested will surely come to pass, without doubt.'

गयासुरस्य शिरसि भविष्यसि यदा स्थिरा। तदा पादादिरूपेण स्थास्यामस्त्वयि सुस्थिराः। वरं शिलायै दत्त्वैवं तत्रैवान्तर्द्दधुः सुराः ।। ४५.

When you become firmly established upon the head of Gayāsura, then we shall also remain upon you, steadfastly, in the form of feet and other aspects. Having thus granted the boon to the stone, the gods disappeared right there.

वक्ष्ये शिलाया माहात्म्यं श्रृणु नारद मुक्तिदम्। यस्या गायन्ति देवाश्च माहात्म्यं मुनिपुङ्गवाः ।। ४६.

I will now speak of the greatness of the stone—listen, O Nārada, for it bestows liberation. The gods and the foremost sages sing of her glory.

शिला स्थिता पृथिव्यां सा देवरूपातिपावनी। विचित्राख्यं शिलातीर्थं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् ।। ४६.

That stone, established upon the earth, is divine and supremely pure. The holy place called Vicitra, renowned in the three worlds, is named after this stone.

तस्याः संस्पर्शनाल्लोकाः सर्वे हरिपुरं ययुः। शून्ये लोकत्रये जाते शून्या यमपुरी ह्यभूत् ।। ४६.

By merely touching her, all beings attained the abode of Hari; when the three worlds became empty, even the city of Yama was deserted.

यम इन्द्रादिभिर्गत्वा ऊचे ब्रह्माणमद्भुतम्। अधिकारं गृहाणाथ यमदण्डं पितामह ।। ४६.

Yama, together with Indra and the other gods, went and spoke to Brahmā: 'O Grandfather, take up the authority and the staff of Yama.'

यममूचे ततो ब्रह्मा स्वगृहे धारयस्व ताम्। ब्रह्मोक्तो धर्मराजस्तु गृहे तां समधारयत् ।। ४६.

Then Brahmā said to Yama, 'Keep her in your own house.' As Brahmā instructed, the Lord of Dharma kept her in his abode.

यमोऽधिकारं स्वं चक्रे पापिनां शासनादिकम्। एवंविधा गुरुतरा शिला जगति विश्रुता ।। ४६.

Yama then exercised his authority, administering punishment to the wicked. Thus, this most weighty stone became renowned in the world.