Skandapurana 7.17

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Sanatkumāra said:
Permitted by Śakra, Nandī, the leader of the Pramathas, / of great splendor, set his mind on going to the abode of Brahmā. / In an instant, endowed with great speed like the wind of immense velocity, / the attendant [of Śiva] reached the Vairāja abode of the Four-faced One. / Nandī, radiant as a ray of the sun, entered that assembly, / which dispels fatigue, resembling the assembly on Mount Meru. / - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - -- - - -
49 prabhu - ravra. . 50 mandarāvāsamavyagra - ga., mandarāvāsinavyagraḥ - gha . 51 dhara? . 52 grahiṣyati - ka kha. . 53 bhūmipaḥ (pa) - ka. ga. (kha) . . 54 dvijāpūrvaṃ - ga. . 55 manandayan - ga. . 56 tsavam - ka. ga . 57 deveśa - ka. .
1 mahāmatiḥ - kha. . 2 muhurttaṃ sa mahāvego - ga, . 6 ivānalaḥ - ka. .
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828 / Nandī beheld that assembly, filled with many wonders, / like a narrative of wonderful contents, endowed with numerous marvelous objects. / In that assembly, Nandī saw the Lotus-born [Brahmā] seated with ascetics, / wondrous, surrounded by the five gods, / expounding the meaning of the Veda to the inquiring ascetics, / and, hearing them all, who knew the commentaries, say, "Excellent!" / Nandī properly and promptly paid homage to the Grandfather. / Then the Grandfather said to Nandī, the leader of the Gaṇas: / "Why have you come after so long?" And he replied to him: / "The daughter of the mountain is going to accept the Aśoka tree as her son. / There, O Lord, God Śaṅkara invites you, / along with these [sages] who resemble fire through their austerity, possessing the Vedas and proclaiming the Veda."

"The Lord of gods, who is invited by ten million sacrifices, invites you: / 'Go, O giver of honor, with all the ascetics to Mandara of wondrous caves; / so the Unborn One commands the gods.' / Having thus heard the speech of Nandī, that creator of speech, / the Grandfather, who delights in silent prayer, delighted in appearance, said this: / 'O Nandīśvara, go safely and auspiciously. / I too shall come together with these [sages] into the presence of Śiva. / And this Aśoka tree will be released from the darkness caused by Dakṣa's curse—

the little son whom the goddess, the daughter of Himavat, will accept.' / Thus addressed, that leader, beloved of the Lord, having honored the Lord,

swiftly departed from the abode of Brahmā for the ocean of milk. / He approached the seashore, flawless like a garland of the ocean, / difficult to endure, he who was chief in the assembly of the lords of Gaṇas. / - - - -- - - - - - - - -
4 dadṛśe - ka. . 5 aścarya bahusaṃkulām - ka kha. . 6 sa vibhāṣantaṃ - ka. kha. . 7 bhagavāṃstatra - ka. . 8 tapanābhāsān - dha. . 9 koṭinimantritaḥ - kha ga. . 10 dṛṣṭarūpaḥ - ka. . 11 ityuktastu praṇamyātha - gha. . 12.. .mīśeśa - ka. kha. .
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829 / The leader of the Gaṇas saw the brahmins residing on the shore, / the Vālakhilyas whose wealth is austerity, observant of various disciplines. / Seeing that leader of Gaṇas, the master of fair renown, offering salutations, / those whose wealth is austerity rejoiced with favorable blessings. / Standing in the midst of those joyful ascetics, Nandī shone,

just like the moon situated amidst the gentle planets. / Then, having honored the divine Nandī with water for feet, arghya offerings, / or with fruits, the Bālakhilyas addressed him: / 'From where and why is your arrival here after so long, O lord of the Pramathas? / Shall we perchance see the Lord of gods, Bhava, who is with Ambā and is Ambā's husband?'

Then Nandī, the best and lord of the Pramathas, / spoke these ornate words to the best of brahmins in the assembly of brahmins:

'God Śaṅkara is on Mandara with Ambikā; he does not come here. / And hear, O you whose wealth is austerity, the purpose of my coming here.

The daughter of the mountain will accept the Aśoka tree as her son. / There the god Śaṅkara, the lord of cows, invites you.

Tomorrow, all of you, together with your wives, disciples, sons, and sacred fires, / go to Mandara, O foremost brahmins, and show grace to me and to the Mother.'

Thus addressed by Nandī, the great seers, the Bālakhilyas, / said this to the leader of Gaṇas out of intense devotion to the God:

'O Nandī, O lord, we will certainly come tomorrow morning. / Go without hindrance to the mountain, to Mandara with its lovely caves.' / - - - -- - - - - - - - -
13 bālikhilyām̐ - ka kha. . 14 līlāniyamasaṃyuktānapaśyad.15 vandyamāna-ka. 16 staṃ-gha kha. 17 sthito - ka. kha. . 18 ivoḍupaḥ ( ?) - gha . . 19 nandirdvijaśreṣṭhān - kha. . 20 tvāgamanaṃ - gha. . 21. māmbāṃ - ka kha . 22 ca nugṛhaṇatha - ka kha., gṛhya ca - gha . 23 bālikhilyā - ka. kha. . 24 mahābalāḥ kha. . 25 devabhakti ka . 26 praharṣeṇa - ka kha. . 27 deveśa - gha. .
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830 / Bowed to and worshipped by the Bālakhilyas, having invited all the best of brahmins across the three worlds, he returned once more and went to Mandara, where [the Lord] was staying together with the Goddess. / Then, approaching the Lord of the world, the Lord of the gods, the bee to the lotus-face of the Daughter of the Mountain, the bestower of boons upon Kubera, the Lord of spirits, the Lord of the attendants' hosts spoke this: / 'The brahmins who move in heaven and on earth, endowed with tranquility, self-restraint, discipline, purity, and truthfulness— / O crusher of Tripura, O destroyer of Death, all of them have been invited by me at your command.' / Thus ends the one hundred and sixty-first chapter, named 'The Inviting of the Brahmins,' in the context of adopting the tree-son, in the Skandapurāṇa.

Sanatkumāra said: / When the brahmins had been invited throughout the three strides of Nārāyaṇa, and Nandin, the leader of the hosts of attendants, had returned, / the blessed Lord, the destroyer of the sacrifice and of Kāma, the knocker-out of Pūṣan's teeth, wearing a garland, bearing a diadem, mighty, the Embodiment of Time, spoke these words at that time: / 'O Ambikā, all the brahmins of the world are like Brahmā. / They have been invited, O fair-hipped lady; do what you desire in your mind. / Where that small aśoka tree is, which will become your son, / let Piṅgala, the giver of food, prepare the food there, O beloved.'

831 / 'So that tomorrow morning, O joyful Goddess, we may go together with Nandin to the side of the aśoka tree, arrange it thus, O Daughter of the Mountain King.'

'For there the entire world, together with the sky, waters, and Pātāla, O Mother of the universe, will be assembled for your welfare, O Daughter of the Mountain.'

'And by this Nandin, inviting the foremost of brahmins, the three strides of Nārāyaṇa, traversed by Trivikrama, were traversed.'

'Therefore, O fair-hipped lady, O choicest one, O giver of boons, I shall grant him a boon, O gracious one, if it pleases you, my beloved.' / Then the Goddess spoke to the Lord of heaven, Ḍiṇḍimuṇḍeśvara, Hara, the giver of boons, the beloved, adorned with the crescent moon:

'This Lord Nandin, O God, is our supreme benefactor. / He deserves thousands of crores of boons from you, without a doubt.'

'For you are the giver of boons to the worlds, and the Lord of the worlds as well. / If you are pleased, grant an excellent boon to the son of Śilāda.' / Then the God clad in animal hides, smelling Nandin on the crown of his head, / said to the Lord of the Pramathas: 'Choose a desired boon!'

Then, having the face of the king of monkeys, resplendent like the Lord of the gods, bowing with his head, Nandin, beloved of Śaṅkara, spoke: / 'By your power, O Lord of gods, I am already immortal and ageless, a giver of boons, full of enjoyment, worshipped by those worthy of worship—gods, Dānavas, and Kinnaras. / What need have I of a boon, when I behold your feet, O Śarva, worshipped by crores of boons, worshipped by the Pramathas, together with the Mother?'

[Critical apparatus]

832 / 'If you are pleased with me, O Lord of the earth, grant this boon: let my devotion to you along with Ambā be eternal, O Maheśvara! / You have already made me the sovereign of the hosts, of those distinguished and more distinguished than me, O best of gods! What else can you do beyond this?' / Seeing Nandin thus speaking and bowing down, the three-eyed God, whose crest is the moon, looked upon him with affection.

Then, wiping [him] with his hand that resembled a blue lotus, the blessed Lord Hara spoke with joy, delighting Nandin greatly: / 'You are devoted to me, O Nandin, together with your wife, an asylum for my hosts; and placing that devotion foremost, you have been kept at my side by me.'

'More than truth, righteousness, austerity, gift-giving, cows, and the Vedas themselves—dearer than all these are you to me, O sovereign of the hosts! / And whoever recites your name at dawn, O guardian of the world, shall obtain the full fruit of a well-performed horse sacrifice. / And whoever hates you is hateful to me, even if devoted to righteousness; while whoever is dear to you shall always be dear to me. / The person who goes to sleep saying, "Salutations to Lord Nandin!" shall have no fear of the Kuṣmāṇḍa kings.' / While he was thus reciting the praise of Lord Nandin's virtues, the twilight, the extremely fierce body of Brahmā, arrived.

Hara, knowing the right time, being Time itself, the destroyer of Death, seeing the time of twilight arrive, the God considered it the time for dancing.

Then, having touched water [in sipping], that creator of waters, the guardian of the three worlds, / the Lord engaged in the twilight prayer, observing the established order of the world. (27)

The god stretched out his hands, having rested his knees and his water-pot; / with extended rays he became like the sun shining in the sky. (28) / Having recited the supreme prayer born of the essence of the three Vedas, / Bhava, skillful [and] with his four faces, began to dance dexterously. (29) / Seeing her husband dancing with tender sprout-like hands swaying, / the goddess, his companion in sacred duty, danced along with her husband. (30) / Seeing the couple dancing with loud bursts of laughter, the leader of the gaṇas, / Nandī, then danced, bringing delight to both deities. (31) / Seeing the god and the Mother dancing, and Nandī as well, / the pramathas, resembling dark blue clouds, danced to the sounds of musical instruments. (32) / Then kettledrums and jharjharas, kikhiras, ānakas, and maṇḍukas, / āḍambaras, small drums, and conchs sounded forth. (33) / Again and again Ambikā accomplished a skillful dance; / Nandī gave vent to laughter, and the fierce pramathas roared aloud. (34) / Filled with the sounds of those excellent musical instruments, tumultuous with the noise of Śiva's thunderbolt, / the onset of twilight blazed terribly like the mouth of the submarine fire. (35) / Some danced, others laughed, and others muttered prayers; / yet others among the attendants sang very sweetly, like gandharvas. (36) / Then, as the moon, the crest of the vault of the sky, with full disk and exceedingly clear, / the deer-marked one, had risen, [he who is] adorned with the crescent moon (37)

concluded his observance, accompanied by Ambā, Nandīśa, and his attendants. / The god ceased from that festivity and addressed Pārvatī thus: (38)

"Having spent this night, O night of immeasurable prowess, / tomorrow you shall then receive that son, the little Aśoka tree." (39) / Holding to the earth covered with darbha grass, that supporter of the earth, / following the god's command, slept for one night, keeping her vow. (40) / Then, when the hundred-thousand-rayed sun arose, [Śiva,] creator of the sun, / said to Umā: "Let us go to where that Aśoka, your son, is." (41)

Then the blessed one, fortunate, bestower of wealth, worshipped by the lord of wealth, / whose ornaments tinkled, said to Bhava: "Let us go." (42) / On foot, the blessed Hara, whose abode is at the foot of trees, / accompanied by Nandī and Ambikā, approached that Aśoka tree. (43) / There he saw the tawny yakṣa, who was like a reddish-yellow fire, / preparing food along with the pramathas, the provider of food. (44)

Then the lord, the best among those who know heaps, saw there / mountain-like heaps of food to be chewed, swallowed, sucked, and licked. (45)

Then, seeing the food prepared by the yakṣa, the wielder of the Pināka, / together with Ambikā and Nandī, felt peerless joy. (46) / Then the grandfather, the god [Brahmā], together with gods, apsarases, and uragas, / came there rejoicing, where the husband of Ambikā was with Ambikā. (47)

Bowing to Mahādeva, and honored in turn by him, / the gods then surrounded that Aśoka tree and said before Hara: (48)

"From this day forth, this tree shall everywhere be endowed with happiness, / freed from the darkness of Dakṣa's curse, O sky-dwellers! (49) / Immortal, free from old age, rid of all sorrow, / rich in blossoms that are all ornaments, endowed with every fragrance and sap, (50)

granting all desires, yielding flowers and fruits at will, / it will become—there is no doubt—exceedingly dear to the goddess." (51)

Sanatkumāra said:
Then the lord of the mountain, the remover of the distress of those bowed before him, granting desires, / said to the daughter of the king of mountains: "Look upon these mountains of food!" (52) / Seeing those mountain-like elevations of food to be chewed and swallowed, / the queen of the gods, the fire-stick that produced Guha, was deeply pleased with Piṅgala. (53) / The daughter of the mountain favored Sumālin, that best of yakṣas, Piṅgala, / by granting a boon; and Maheśvara spoke to her: (54) / "O goddess, all this excellent food to be chewed and swallowed is prepared for you; / do that task which you desire. Why do you sit idle?" (55) / Then she, exceedingly delighted, clothed in celestial garments, / taking leave of Śaṅkara, the lord of the universe, swift as thought, (56) / that night-like goddess who brings grief to the Daityas, / decorated that Aśoka tree with affection, using various kinds of ornaments. (57) / And before it the daughter of the mountain raised a parasol / shining with strings of pearls, along with peacock feathers. (58) / And with fragrant sandalwood of various colors, / the goddess marked its trunk from the very root with an excellent paste. (59)

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67 sarvagaḥ - ms. gha. 68 viniścayam (?) . 69 svecchāpuppaphalastathā - ms. ga. 70 kāmahā - ms. gha. 71 bhakṣyabhojyaṃ - mss. ka, kha. 72 tadaśokaṃ - ms. ka; tapaśokaṃ - ms. kha. 73 vibhūṣitaṃ - ms. ka. 74 karapaṅkāṅkitā - ms. ka; karapaṭṭāṅkitāṃ - ms. kha.
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836
And with cloths of gold adorned with jewels,
she decorated the beloved aśoka sapling on all sides.
On its branches and twigs Pārvatī
bound strings of pearls; with them it shone like the moon with the constellations.

Then with pairs of white garments the mother of the worlds,
the mother of Guha, longing for a son, clothed that aśoka tree.

Then the granter of boons to the gods offered blended incense:
turpentine resin, nameru, bdellium, and clarified butter.
Then, with the sounding of conches and the fanfare of divine musical instruments,
the wife of the mighty one, performing her austerity, offered an oblation.

As she thus worshiped that tree, which had the luster of nectar and a necklace of moons,
milk flowed from both her breasts because of her maternal affection.
Worshiped by Umā, that aśoka tree illuminating the forest
shone exceedingly there, like Spring personified.

Then, having given what they desired to the brahmins brought by Nandin,
who were equal to Brahmā, she had them pronounce the blessing of an auspicious day.
Then, at the conclusion of the proclamation of the auspicious day and of the benediction of both,
having obtained her husband's consent, the goddess said to those seers:
“Venerable ones, I who am childless will adopt this aśoka sapling
as a son today; you ought to grant your permission.”
To the goddess Pārvatī who was speaking thus, yearning for a son,
all the twice-born said with one voice: “Let him be taken as you desire!”

Then a celestial sounding of conches, accompanied by the blare of all musical instruments,
rang out, filling all three steps of Nārāyaṇa.

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75 muktāmālā(lyā)ni - ms. kha. 76 ābabaddha - ms. kha. 77 ..rcayatyāstaṃ - ms. ka. 78 .mabhavat kṣīraṃ (?), kṣīramabhacat - ms. ka. 79 saṃgatam (?) . 80 umāyāḥ - ms. ka. 81 aśokavanadīpakam - mss. ka, kha. 82 godhanameva ca - ms. gha... tām - ms. ka; .tān - ms. kha. 83 brāhmaṇānbravīt (?), biprām̐stānabravīt - ms. ka; ṛṣīnvamabravīt - ms. gha. 84 aputrāha hi bhagavannaśokataruka - ms. ka; ...haṃ dvijāḥ svāmī - ms. gha. 85 idamadya - ms. ka; iyamadya - ms. kha. 86 māmanujñātumarhatha (?) . 87 varo - ms. gha. 88 āḍaṃbaravarānvitaḥ - ms. gha.
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837
The brahmins chanted the Vedas, troops of apsarases danced,
and all the pramathas roared along with the gandharvas and great serpents.

And the six seasons, delighted, adorned the aśoka
and that circle of deities with their respective heaps of flowers.

The overjoyed gods watched that festival of the aśoka sapling,
where the music of the gandharvas sounded and troops of apsarases danced vigorously.

Playing the Kacchapī lute, the foremost of lute-players,
Nārada danced out of joy, like a fire driven by the wind.

Worshiped there by the rich in austerity, by the gods, and by Kubera,
[the goddess] shone like the radiance of the sun.
Then, having completed her vow and taken the aśoka sapling as a son,
the daughter of the lord of mountains shone like the earth sprinkled with water.

Then, instructed by Nandīśvara, those pramathas by the thousands,
affectionate toward brahmins, quickly brought their seats for the brahmins.

As the seats made of gold, silver, and radiant crystal
were spread out by the pramathas, a great noise arose,

like the great [sound] of rains upon the peaks of Meru […],
just so the noise of the pramathas carrying seats resounded,
like the rumbling of clouds full of rain […].
With seats resting on their shoulders, in their hands, and upon their heads,
the pramathas shone like mountains endowed with suns and fires.
Some brought them swiftly, while others held them;
those pramathas, of joyful appearance and possessing great seats,
spread out each one hundred yojanas wide, separated by a yojana.
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89 sāmānyuccārayan - ms. gha. 90 śakrabrahma purogamāḥ purogamā - ms. gha. 91 vīṇā vādayitāṃ - mss. ka, kha. 92 gandhanunna ivācalaḥ - ms. gha. 93 kaṃ sa (su) ta - ms. gha. 94 vavarṣa harṣitā - ms. gha; sphāṭikānāṃ - ms. gha. 96 krīyamāṇānāṃ - ms. gha; sīrya (?) . 97 pramathānāmabhūd (?) . 98 śatairapi - ms. gha. 99 prakṛtāste - ms. gha.
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838
A continuous row of seats was fashioned by Viśvakarman;
on the auspicious ridge of Mount Mandara, rows of brahmins extended forth.

[…] all risen like suns […].
Those adornments of seats shone like […] when bathed;
those thousands of rows [spread] on the vast Mount Mandara.

Having summoned the twice-born who were anointed with a mixture of yakṣa-paste,
adorned with crest-jewels and wearing garlands of flowers, and eager […],
with mandāra, saṃtāna, and pāribhadra blossoms,
and [cooled] by breezes […], the twice-born shone like gods.

Then, strewn all around by the gods with very smooth, fragrant,
and yellowish scented powders,
marked with paste of celestial sandalwood and sprinkled with celestial powders,
the brahmins assembled together shone like fires gathered together.

Having spread divine incense everywhere on my command, / then [water] resembling crystal was gathered like lotus pollen; / in a moment, water for washing the hands was given by Śaṃkara's servants. / Then, with girded loins, like brave elephants with girded girths, / the Pramathas began to serve the foremost of brahmins. / Then the gods, acting humbly, in a moment gave / gold, silver, and crystal vessels to the twice-born.

Drawing and carrying water in vessels […], / they duly offered foods to chew and eat, along with drinks, on all sides. / Rich in substance […] / what was in their eyes, what was in their hearts, what was in their mouths, and what was signaled by their hands—

—the leaders of the Pramathas understood, and gave [it] to the brahmins. / Some [gave] water that increases health using golden ewers.

Offering [it], they walked about, saying, "Water!" / Others, delighted, with fragrant chowries shining like moonbeams, / the Pramathas fanned the brahmins with a breeze of austerity. / Divine wives of gods, inhabitants of the three worlds, / there attended upon each of the brahmins like upon Indra, / as well as groups of apsarases adorned with all ornaments.

They danced, captivating the minds of the gods in every direction. / Viśvāvasu, Nārada, Tumburu, and Parvata,

Kustumburu, Śāliśiras, Parjanya, Gaṇḍamaṇḍaka, / Citrāṅgada, Citrasena, Citra, and Citraratha— / these celestial gandharvas, who had struck their instruments and were dear to Hara, / sang in divine notes a song awakening love. / Nameru mixed with bdellium, sprinkled with streams of ghee— / that supreme incense was spread there by the doorkeepers,

for whose sake this verse, marked with the three incenses, wanders / in the three steps of Nārāyaṇa, worshipped by the gods along with Indra. / Of bdellium, of nameru, and indeed of ghee-incense, / the gods could not get enough, as from the sight of their beloveds.

The winds did not abandon their movement / amidst the three incenses: / of bdellium, of nameru, and of ghee-incense.

Seeing that festival of the tree, the moon-crested Lord, / who brings joy to Pārvatī, cherished supreme joy again and again.

[Apparatus readings]

When Paśupati rejoiced, Hara, the lord of vows, again and again, / the three worlds, both moving and unmoving, rejoiced in Paśupati. / Filled with dancing troupes of apsarases, perfumed with divine incense, / strewn with the flowers of the seasons, that assembly resembled the sky. / Then quickly [they served] boiled rice of white grain […]. / With that [food] like ambrosia, all the best of the twice-born, / honoured by the world, were satisfied with food to chew and eat, and with drink.

Then the holy, pleasant-sounding proclamation of "An Auspicious Day!", / which frightens rākṣasas and asuras, was uttered by the brahmins, filling the three worlds.

Then, having greeted with blessings accompanied by flowers and unbroken grains / him, together with Ambā, free from sorrow, with Hara, and with Nandin, / all the great brahmins, pleasant-voiced, wearing the sacred thread and matted locks, / bowed to Virūpākṣa and departed as they had come. / And the gods, honoured by the Trident-holder with gifts and words of welcome, / departed as they had come, surrounding Indra.

The gaṇas, honoured by the guardian of the gaṇas together with the gaṇa leaders, / all went to their respective abodes, shaking their garments in delight: / "Ah, the good fortune of the goddess! Ah, Hara is her beloved! / Ah, we have observed the zeal of the god for the sake of the goddess!

If a woman is not dear to her husband as the daughter of the mountain is to the Lord, / how can she be called fortunate, and why does she even bear womanhood?

[Apparatus readings]

I think an extremely brilliant austerity was performed by the daughter of the mountain, / through whose austerity the boon-giver whose banner is the bull was won over. / Ah, the subtle power of women, very hard to conquer even by gods, / by which lords equal to Rudra have come under the control of women!" / Other great-souled leaders of the gaṇas said to them: / "It is the God himself who stands in the form of his wife. / Do not disrespect the goddess! Through yoga, do you not understand this?"

Talking thus among themselves, the best of the Gaṇas
went to their own abodes, blazing like fires. // 121
The Lord too, along with Nandin and beautiful Ambā,
sat under the Aśoka tree, worshipped by Ambikā. // 122
Then, having bowed to the giver of boons, the moon-adorned lord, Umā,
the source of speech, said to her husband, the master of the host of beings: // 123
“I have become deeply content, O slayer of Tripura and Andhaka,
since I have adopted an Aśoka tree as a son. // 124

The entire three worlds, collectively and individually, O creator of the world,
assembled by your power at the celebration for my tree-son. // 125
Surely it is my good deed, O Lord, my supreme and radiant austerity,
that you, O God, the lord of all beings, have been obtained by me as husband. // 126
And whatever fruit of a wished-for son was previously stolen by the gods,
all of that [loss] has departed from me, having obtained the Aśoka tree as a son. // 127
There is no woman in heaven more blessed than me, O God,
I whose husband is the lord of vows, a hero, [namely] you, O Maheśvara.” // 128

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127 nirjito - gha. . 128 vaśago - gha. . 129 bhūtāvatiṣṭhate - ka ga, bhāryābhūto.. (?) . 130 anyonyaṃ tu - gha. . 131 divaukasaḥ - gha. . 132 sāmbayā - ka., somayā - gha. . 133.. mbikāśritaḥ - gha. . 134 tato- bhipūjya - gha. . 135 varadāṃ - gha. . 136 somaṃ - ka. gha. . 137 tripurāntaka - gha. . 138 putra - ka. . 139 taruputramahotsave (?) . 140 devairyaccātra - gha. . 141... miṣṭaṃ putraphalaṃ - gha. . 142 savyaṃ (tyaṃ) - ka. . 143 mayā - gha. . 144 devi - ka. . 145 tridivo - kha., tridivā - gha. . 146 tridivāṅganā - kha. .' 147 patitā pativīrasya - gha. . 148 maheśvaraḥ - ka. kha. .
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842
Having spoken thus with love to Bhava, Bhavānī, wearing a string of pearls,
fell at the Lord’s feet, her eyes filled with tears. // 129
Raising her up and embracing her closely,
placing [...] upon his thighs, the Lord of the Mountain spoke this with affection: // 8.162.130

“O Goddess, faithful, virtuous, and companion in my sacred duties,
pious towards brahmins and offering refuge, you are ever dear to me, O beloved! // 131
Even what should not be done must certainly be done by me for your sake, O Goddess;
how much more that which is combined with glory and endowed with righteousness? // 132
The brahmins have been gratified by you, O Goddess, and so too the gods along with the Gaṇas;
and this little son, the Aśoka tree, has been adopted by you, O beloved. // 133

Come, Goddess, let us go home; your desire is fulfilled.
We shall see that son again, adorned with clusters of flowers.” // 134
Addressed thus by her husband, the virtuous lady, her face and eyes filled with joy,
she of fawn-like eyes spoke these words there to Harita: // 135
“O fawn-eyed one, protect with care this little son standing here,
this good son, O Hari, from elephants, horses, and birds! // 136
And when this little Aśoka son
becomes adorned with clusters of flowers, then you must come see me.” // 137
Having thus instructed Harita, she of startled fawn-like eyes,
casting a sidelong glance, entered her abode
with her husband, as radiance enters the solar disc. // 138
Thus, together with the Lord of Beings, having adopted the sapling Aśoka tree as her son,
the Goddess, standing amid the delighted Gaṇas, then entered her own home with a joyful heart. // 139