वृत्तान्तं तस्य विज्ञातं प्रवक्तुमुपचक्रमे । शिवं प्रति रमा तत्र प्रसन्नवदना भृशम्
Having understood that event, Ramā, with a very cheerful face, began to recount it to Śiva.
लक्ष्मीरुवाच एकदा देवदेवेश विष्णुर्ध्यानपरो रहः । दृष्टो मया तपः कुर्वन्पद्मासनगतो यदा
Lakṣmī said: Once, O Lord of the gods, Viṣṇu was absorbed in meditation in solitude; I saw him practicing austerity, seated on a lotus.
तदाहं विस्मिता देवं तमपृच्छं पतिं किल । प्रबुद्धं सुप्रसन्नं च ज्ञात्वा विनयपूर्वकम्
Then, amazed, I approached that Lord and questioned my husband, having observed that he was awakened and very pleased, with proper humility.
देवदेव जगन्नाथ यदाहं निर्गतार्णवात् । मथ्यमानात्सुरैर्दैत्यैः सर्वैर्ब्रह्मादिभिः प्रभो
O Lord of the gods, O Lord of the universe, when I emerged from the ocean, churned by all the gods and demons, including Brahmā and the others,
वीक्षिताश्च मया सर्वे पतिकामनया तदा । वृतस्त्वं सर्वदेवेभ्यः श्रेष्ठोऽसीति विनिश्चयात्
I looked upon all with the desire to choose a husband; you were selected from all the gods as the best, with firm resolve.
त्वं कं ध्यायसि सर्वेश संशयोऽयं महान्मम । प्रियोऽसि कैटभारे मे कथयस्व मनोगतम्
Whom do you meditate upon, O Lord of all? This is my great doubt. You are dear to me, O slayer of Madhu and Kaiṭabha; tell me what is in your heart.
विष्णुरुवाच शृणु कान्ते प्रवक्ष्यामि यं ध्यायामि सुरोत्तमम् । आशुतोषं महेशानं गिरिजावल्लभं हृदि
Viṣṇu said: Listen, beloved, I will tell you whom I meditate upon in my heart—the supreme among the gods, Maheśāna, the easily pleased Lord, beloved of Girijā.
कदाचिद्देवदेवो मां ध्यायत्यमितविक्रमः । ध्यायाम्यहं च देवेशं शङ्करं त्रिपुरान्तकम्
Sometimes, the Lord of gods, of immeasurable prowess, meditates on me; and I, too, meditate on the Lord of gods, Śaṅkara, the destroyer of Tripura.
शिवस्याहं प्रियः प्राणः शङ्करस्तु तथा मम । उभयोरन्तरं नास्ति मिथः संसक्तचेतसोः
I am dear to Śiva, his very life, and Śaṅkara is likewise to me; there is no difference between us, our minds are mutually joined.
नरकं यान्ति ते नूनं ये द्विषन्ति महेश्वरम् । भक्ता मम विशालाक्षि सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीम्यहम्
Surely, those who hate Maheśvara go to hell; this is the truth I speak, O wide-eyed one, my devotees.
इत्युक्तं देवदेवेन विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना । एकान्ते किल पृष्टेन मया शैलसुताप्रिय
Thus spoke the powerful Viṣṇu, Lord of the gods, when I, in private, questioned him, O beloved of the daughter of the mountain.
तस्मात्त्वां वल्लभं विष्णोर्ज्ञात्वा ध्यातवती ह्यहम् । तथा कुरु महेशान यथा मे प्रियसङ्गमः
Therefore, knowing that you are dear to Viṣṇu, I have meditated upon you; O Maheśāna, grant that I may be united with my beloved as before.
व्यास उवाच इति श्रियो वचः श्रुत्वा प्रत्युवाच महेश्वरः । तामाश्वास्य प्रियैर्वाक्यैर्यथार्थं वाक्यकोविदः
Vyāsa said: Hearing these words of Śrī, Maheśvara replied to her, comforting her with kind words, skilled in speech and truth.
स्वस्था भव पृथुश्रोणि तुष्टोऽहं तपसा तव । समागमस्ते पतिना भविष्यति न संशयः
Be at ease, O broad-hipped one, I am pleased with your austerity; your union with your husband will certainly take place, there is no doubt.
अत्रैव हयरूपेण भगवाञ्जगदीश्वरः । आगमिष्यति ते कामं पूर्णं कर्तुं मयेरितः
Here itself, the Lord of the universe will come to you in the form of a horse, to fulfill your desire as I have spoken.
तथाहं प्रेरयिष्यामि तं देवं मधुसूदनम् । यथासौ हयरूपेण त्वामेष्यति मदातुरः
I will thus direct that god, Madhusudana, so that he, overcome by my influence, will approach you in the form of a horse.
पुत्रस्ते भविता सुभ्रु नारायणसमः क्षितौ । भविष्यति स भूपालः सर्वलोकनमस्कृतः
Your son, O beautiful-browed one, will be equal to Narayana on earth; he will become a king honored by all worlds.
सुतं प्राप्य महाभागे त्वं तेन पतिना सह । गन्तासि देवि वैकुण्ठं प्रिया तस्य भविष्यसि
Having obtained a son, O highly fortunate one, you will go to Vaikuntha with your husband, and you will be his beloved.
एकवीरेति नाम्नासौ ख्यातिं यास्यति ते सुतः । तस्मात्तु हैहयो वंशो भुवि विस्तारमेष्यति
Your son will be renowned by the name Ekavira; from him, the Haihaya lineage will spread widely on earth.
परं तु विस्मृतासि त्वं हृदिस्थां परमेश्वरीम् । मदान्धा मत्तचित्ता च तेन ते फलमीदृशम्
But you have forgotten the Supreme Goddess who dwells in the heart; intoxicated and absorbed in pride, thus you have received this result.
अतस्तद्दोषशान्त्यर्थं हृदिस्थां परदेवताम् । शरणं याहि सर्वात्मभावेन जलधेः सुते
Therefore, for the removal of this fault, take refuge in the Supreme Deity who dwells in the heart, O daughter of the ocean, with your whole being.
अन्यथा तव चित्तं तु कथं गच्छेद्धयोत्तमे । व्यास उवाच इति दत्त्वा वरं देव्यै भगवाञ्छैलजापतिः
Otherwise, how could your mind reach the highest horse-form? Vyasa said: Thus, having granted the boon to the goddess, the Lord of the mountain departed.
अन्तर्धानं गतः साक्षादुमया सहितः शिवः । सापि तत्रैव चार्वङ्गी संस्थिता कमलासना
Shiva, together with Uma, vanished from sight; and she, beautiful in every limb, remained there, seated upon the lotus.
ध्यायन्ती चरणाम्भोजं देव्याः परमशोभनम् । देवासुरशिरोरत्ननिघृष्टनखमण्डलम्
Meditating upon the supremely beautiful lotus feet of the Goddess, whose nails were polished by the jewels of gods and demons.
प्रेमगद्गदया वाचा तुष्टाव च मुहुर्मुहुः । प्रतीक्षमाणा भर्तारं हयरूपधरं हरिम्
With a voice trembling with love, she repeatedly praised her, awaiting her husband, Hari, who would assume the form of a horse.
पुत्रजन्मानन्तरं स्वस्वरूपेण वैकुण्ठगमनवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच तस्यै दत्त्वा वरं शम्भुः कैलासं त्वरितो ययौ । रम्यं देवगणैर्जुष्टमप्सरोभिश्च मण्डितम्
After the birth of her son, the description of her journey to Vaikuntha in her own form. Vyasa said: Having granted her the boon, Shambhu quickly went to Kailasa, delightful and adorned by hosts of gods and apsaras.
तत्र गत्वा चित्ररूपं गणं कार्यविशारदम् । प्रेषयामास वैकुण्ठे लक्ष्मीकार्यार्थसिद्धये
There, he sent the attendant Citrarupa, skilled in tasks, to Vaikuntha for the accomplishment of Lakshmi's purpose.
शिव उवाच चित्ररूप हरिं गत्वा ब्रूहि त्वं वचनान्मम । यथासौ दुःखितां पत्नीं विशोकां च करिष्यति
Shiva said: Go to Hari, O Citrarupa, and tell him my words, so that he may make his sorrowful wife free from grief.
इत्युक्तश्चित्ररूपोऽथ निर्जगाम त्वरान्वितः । वैकुण्ठं परमं स्थानं वैष्णवैश्च गणैर्वृतम्
Thus addressed, Citrarupa departed swiftly, to the supreme abode Vaikuntha, surrounded by Vaishnava attendants.
नानाद्रुमगणाकीर्णं वापीशतविराजितम् । संजुष्टं हंसकारण्डमयूरशुककोकिलैः
Filled with various groups of trees and adorned with hundreds of ponds, it was graced by swans, cranes, peacocks, parrots, and cuckoos.