Vayu Purana

ततोऽहं पातुमारब्धो विषमन्तकसन्निभम्। पिबतो मे महाघोरं विषं सुरभयङ्करम्। कण्ठः समभवत्तूर्णं कृष्णो मे वरवर्णिनि ।। ५४.

Then I began to drink the poison, resembling death itself; as I drank that most terrible, fearsome poison, my throat at once became dark, O lovely one.

तंदृष्ट्वो त्पलपत्राभं कण्ठे सक्तमिवोरगम् । तक्षकं नागराजानं लेलिहानमिव स्थितम् ।। ५४.

Seeing that, like a blue lotus petal, the poison clung to my throat like a serpent, like the serpent king Takshaka, licking and remaining there.

अथोवाच महातेजा ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः। शोभसे त्वं महादेव कण्ठेनानेन सुव्रत ।। ५४.

Then the radiant Brahma, grandsire of the worlds, spoke: 'You shine, O great god, with this throat, O steadfast one.'

ततस्तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा मया गिरिवरात्मजे। पश्यतां देवसङ्गानां दैत्यानाञ्च वरानने ।। ५४.

Hearing those words, O daughter of the mountain, I, in the presence of the assembled gods and demons, O beautiful one,

यक्षगन्धर्वभूतानां पिशाचोरगरक्षसाम्। धृतं कण्ठे विषं घोरं नीलकण्टस्ततो ह्यहम् ।। ५४.

Held that dreadful poison in my throat before the yakshas, gandharvas, spirits, piśācas, serpents, and rākṣasas; thus I became known as Nīlakaṇṭha.

तत् कालकूटं विषमुग्रतेजः कण्ठे मया पर्वतराजपुत्रि। निवेश्यमानं सुरदैत्यसङ्घो दृष्ट्वा परं विस्मयमाजगाम ।। ५४.

When that Kālakūṭa poison of fierce energy was held in my throat, O daughter of the mountain, the hosts of gods and demons, seeing it being established, were greatly astonished.

ततः सुरगणाः सर्वे सदैत्योरगराक्षसाः। ऊचुः प्राञ्चलयो भूत्वा मत्तमातङ्गगामिनि ।। ५४.

Then all the hosts of gods, along with demons, serpents, and rākṣasas, with joined palms, spoke, O elephant-gaited one.

अहो बलं वीर्यपराक्रमस्ते अहो पुनर्योगबलं तवैव। अहो प्रभुत्वं तव देवदेव गङ्गाजलास्फालितमुक्तकेश ।। ५४.

Oh, how great is your strength, your heroism and valor! Oh, how great again is your power of yoga! Oh, how supreme is your sovereignty, O God of gods, with your hair loosened and washed by the waters of the Ganga!

त्वमेव विष्णुश्चतुराननस्त्वं त्वमेव मृत्यु र्वरदस्त्वमेव। त्वमेव सूर्यो रजनीकरश्च त्वमेव भूमिः सलिलं त्वमेव ।। ५४.

You alone are Vishnu, you are the four-faced one; you alone are Death, you are the bestower of boons; you alone are the Sun and the maker of night; you alone are the Earth, you alone are the waters.

त्वमेव यज्ञो नियमस्त्वमेव त्वमेव भूतं भविता त्वमेव। त्वमेव चादि र्निधनं त्वमेव स्थूलश्च सूक्ष्मः पुरुषस्त्वमेव ।। ५४.

You alone are the sacrifice, you are the vow; you alone are what has been and what will be; you alone are the beginning and the end; you alone are the gross and the subtle person.

त्वमेव सूक्ष्मस्य परस्य सूक्ष्मस्त्वमेव वह्निः पवनस्त्वमेव। त्वमेव सर्वस्य चराचरस्य लोकस्य कर्त्ता प्रलये च गोप्ता ।। ५४.

You alone are the subtlest of the subtle, you alone are the supreme subtle; you alone are fire, you alone are wind; you alone are the creator of all that moves and does not move, and the protector of the world at dissolution.

इतीदमुक्त्वा वचनं सुरेन्द्राः प्रगृह्य सोमं प्रणिपत्य मूर्द्ना। गता विमानैरनिगृह्य वेगैर्महात्मनो मेरुमुपेत्य सर्वे ।। ५४.

Having spoken these words, the lords of the gods, taking Soma and bowing their heads, departed swiftly in their aerial chariots, all of them, the great-souled ones, reaching Mount Meru.

इत्येतत्परमं गुह्यं पुण्यात्पुण्यमहत्तरम्। नीलकण्ठेति यत् प्रोक्तं विख्यातं लोकविश्रुतम् ।। ५४.

Thus this supreme secret, more meritorious than the most meritorious, called 'Nīlakaṇṭha', has been proclaimed, renowned and celebrated in the world.

स्वयं स्वयम्भुवा प्रोक्तां पुण्यां पापप्रणाशनीम्। यस्तु धारयते नित्यमेनां ब्रह्मोद्भवां कथाम्। तस्याहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि फलं वै विपुलं महत् ।। ५४.

This sacred tale, spoken by the self-born one himself, destroys sin; whoever always upholds this story, born from Brahma, I shall now declare to him the great and abundant fruit.

विषं तस्य वरारोहे स्थावरं जङ्गमन्तथा। गात्रं प्राप्य च सुश्रोणि क्षिप्रं तत् प्रतिहन्यते ।। ५४.

For such a person, O beautiful-hipped one, any poison, whether from immobile or mobile creatures, upon touching the body, O lovely-thighed one, is quickly neutralized.

शमयत्यशुभं घोरं दुःस्वप्नञ्चापकर्षति। स्त्रीषु वल्लभतां याति सभायां पार्थिवस्य च ।। ५४.

It pacifies inauspicious and terrible things, removes bad dreams; he becomes beloved among women and esteemed in the king's assembly.

विवादे जयमाप्नोति युद्धे शूरत्वमेव च। गच्छतः क्षेममध्वानं गृहे च नित्यसम्पदः ।। ५४.

He attains victory in disputes and valor in battle; his journey is safe when traveling, and in his home there is constant prosperity.

शरीरभेदे वक्ष्यामि गतिं तस्य वरानने। नीलकण्ठो हरिच्छमश्रुः शशाङ्काङ्कितमूर्द्धजः ।। ५४.

At the breaking of the body, O beautiful-faced one, I shall declare his destination: he becomes like Nīlakaṇṭha, with compassion for Hari, tears of joy, and hair adorned with the moon.

त्र्यक्षस्त्रिशूलपाणिश्च वृषयानः पिनाकधृक्। नन्धितुल्यबलः श्रीमान् नन्दितुल्यपराक्रमः ।। ५४.

He is three-eyed, holds the trident, rides the bull, bears the Pinaka bow, has strength equal to Nandī, is glorious, and possesses valor equal to Nandī.

विचरत्यचिरात् सर्वान् सर्वलोकान्ममाज्ञया । न हन्यते गतिस्तस्य अनिलस्य यथाम्बरे। मम तुल्यबलो भूत्वा तिष्ठत्याभूतसम्प्लवम् ।। ५४.

He moves swiftly through all worlds by my command; he is not harmed, his movement is like the wind in the sky; having strength equal to mine, he remains until the dissolution of beings.

मम भक्ता वरारोहे ये च श्रृण्वन्ति मानवाः। तेषां गतिं प्रवक्ष्यामि इह लोके परत्र च ।। ५४.

O beautiful-hipped one, I shall declare the destiny of my devotees and those men who listen, both in this world and the next.

ब्राह्मणो वेदमाप्नोति क्षत्रियो जयते महीम्। वैश्यस्तु लभते लाभं शूद्रः सुखमवाप्नुयात् ।। ५४.

A Brahmin attains the Veda, a Kshatriya conquers the earth, a Vaishya obtains wealth, and a Shudra attains happiness.

व्याधितो मुच्यते रोगाद्बद्धो मुच्येत बन्धनात्। गुर्विणी लभते पुत्रं कन्या विन्दति सत्पतिम्। नष्टञ्च लभते सर्वमिहलोके परत्र च ।। ५४.

The diseased are freed from illness, the bound are released from bondage; a pregnant woman obtains a son, a maiden finds a worthy husband; whatever is lost is regained, both in this world and the next.

गवां शतसहस्रस्य सम्यग्दत्तस्य यत् फलम्। तत् फलं भवति श्रुत्वा विभोर्दिव्यामिमां कथाम् ।। ५४.

The fruit that comes from giving a hundred thousand cows properly—that very fruit is obtained by hearing this divine tale of the Lord.

पादं वा यदि वाप्यर्द्धं श्लोकं श्लोकार्द्धमेव वा। यस्तु धारयते नित्यं रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति ।। ५४.

Whoever always upholds even a quarter or half a verse, or even half a line, goes to the world of Rudra.

कथामिमां पुण्यफलादियुक्तां निवेद्य देव्याः शशिबद्ध मूर्द्धजः। वृषस्य पृष्ठेन सहोमया प्रभुर्जगाम किष्किन्धगुहां गुहप्रियः ।। ५४.

Having recounted this tale, endowed with merit and the fruits of virtue, to the goddess, the Lord—his hair adorned with the crescent moon—departed together with Uma, riding upon the bull, to the cave of Kishkindha, beloved of Guha.

क्रान्तं मया पापहरं महापदं निवेद्य तेभ्यः प्रददौ प्रभञ्जनः। अधीत्य सर्वं त्वखिलं सुलक्षणं जगाम आदित्यपथं द्विजोत्तमः ।। ५४.

Having declared to them that I have attained the great, sin-destroying state, Prabhanjana bestowed it upon them; after studying all the auspicious and complete text, the best of twice-born went to the path of the sun.

गुणकर्मप्रभावैश्च कोऽधिको वदतां वरः। श्रोतुमिच्छामहे सम्यगाश्चर्यं गुणविस्तरम् ।। ५५.

Who surpasses him in virtue, action, and power, O best of speakers? We wish to hear in full the wondrous and extensive qualities.

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममिति हासं पुरातनम् । महादेवस्य माहात्म्यं विभुत्वञ्च महात्मनः ।। ५५.

Here too, they recite this ancient story—an account of the greatness and sovereignty of Mahadeva, the great soul.