The Marriage of Pippalada and the Boon Against Shani

Verse 1 (shiva.shatarudra.25.1)

नन्दीश्वर उवाच । अथ लोके व्यवस्थाय धर्मस्य स्थापनेच्छया । महालीलां चकारेशस्तामहो सन्मुने शृणु

nandīśvara uvāca atha loke vyavasthāya dharmasya sthāpanecchayā mahālīlāṁ cakāreśastāmaho sanmune śṛṇu

Nandishvara said: Now hear, O good sage — I shall tell you of the great līlā the Lord performed out of a desire to establish dharma in the world.

Verse 2 (shiva.shatarudra.25.2)

एकदा पुष्पभद्रायां स्नातुं गच्छन्मुनीश्वरः । ददर्श पद्मां युवतीं शिवांशां सुमनोहराम्

ekadā puṣpabhadrāyāṁ snātuṁ gacchanmunīśvaraḥ dadarśa padmāṁ yuvatīṁ śivāṁśāṁ sumanoharām

Once, that foremost of sages, going to bathe in the river Pushpabhadra, beheld the maiden Padma — a portion of Shiva herself, of surpassing beauty.

Verse 3 (shiva.shatarudra.25.3)

तल्लिप्सुस्तत्पितुः स्थानमनरण्यस्य भूपतेः । जगाम भुवनाचारी लोकतत्त्वविचक्षणः

tallipsustatpituḥ sthānamanaraṇyasya bhūpateḥ jagāma bhuvanācārī lokatattvavicakṣaṇaḥ

Desiring her, that sage who moved freely through the worlds and understood the nature of all things went to the abode of her father, King Ananaranya.

Verse 4 (shiva.shatarudra.25.4)

राजा नराणां तं दृष्ट्वा प्रणम्य च भयाकुलः । मधुपर्कादिकं दत्त्वा पूजयामास भक्तितः

rājā narāṇāṁ taṁ dṛṣṭvā praṇamya ca bhayākulaḥ madhuparkādikaṁ dattvā pūjayāmāsa bhaktitaḥ

Seeing him, the king of men bowed in awe and, offering madhuparka and other gifts, worshipped him with devotion.

Verse 5 (shiva.shatarudra.25.5)

स्नेहात्सर्वं गृहीत्वा स ययाचे कन्यकां मुनिः । मौनी बभूव नृपतिः किञ्चिन्निर्वक्तुमक्षमः

snehātsarvaṁ gṛhītvā sa yayāce kanyakāṁ muniḥ maunī babhūva nṛpatiḥ kiñcinnirvaktumakṣamaḥ

Accepting all this with affection, the sage then asked for the king's daughter. The king fell silent, unable to say a word.

Verse 6 (shiva.shatarudra.25.6)

मुनिः प्रोवाच नृपतिं कन्यां मे देहि भक्तितः । अन्यथा भस्मसात्सर्वं करिष्येऽहं त्वया सह

muniḥ provāca nṛpatiṁ kanyāṁ me dehi bhaktitaḥ anyathā bhasmasātsarvaṁ kariṣye'haṁ tvayā saha

The sage said to the king: "Give me your daughter with devotion — otherwise I shall reduce everything, you included, to ashes."

Verse 7 (shiva.shatarudra.25.7)

अथो बभूवुराच्छन्नाः सर्वे राजजनास्तदा । तेजसा पिप्पलादस्य दाधीचस्य महामुने

atho babhūvurācchannāḥ sarve rājajanāstadā tejasā pippalādasya dādhīcasya mahāmune

Then, O great sage, the king's entire household seemed overwhelmed by the fiery power of Pippalada, son of Dadhichi.

Verse 8 (shiva.shatarudra.25.8)

अथ राजा महाभीतो विलप्य च मुहुर्मुहुः । कन्यामलङ्कृतां पद्मां वृद्धाय मुनये ददौ

atha rājā mahābhīto vilapya ca muhurmuhuḥ kanyāmalaṅkṛtāṁ padmāṁ vṛddhāya munaye dadau

Then the king, greatly frightened, lamenting again and again, gave his adorned daughter Padma to the aged sage.

Verse 9 (shiva.shatarudra.25.9)

पद्मां विवाह्य स मुनिः शिवांशाम्भूपतेः सुताम् । पिप्पलादो गृहीत्वा तां मुदितः स्वाश्रमं ययौ

padmāṁ vivāhya sa muniḥ śivāṁśāmbhūpateḥ sutām pippalādo gṛhītvā tāṁ muditaḥ svāśramaṁ yayau

Having married Padma, the princess who was a portion of Shiva, the sage Pippalada took her and joyfully went to his own hermitage.

Verse 10 (shiva.shatarudra.25.10)

तत्र गत्वा मुनिवरो वयसा जर्जरोऽधिकः । उवास नार्या स तया तपस्वी नातिलम्पटः

tatra gatvā munivaro vayasā jarjaro'dhikaḥ uvāsa nāryā sa tayā tapasvī nātilampaṭaḥ

Having gone there, that eminent sage, though frail with old age, dwelt with her — an ascetic, not given over to pleasure.

Verse 11 (shiva.shatarudra.25.11)

अथोऽनरण्यकन्या सा सिषेवे भक्तितो मुनिम् । कर्मणा मनसा वाचा लक्ष्मीर्नारायणं यथा

atho'naraṇyakanyā sā siṣeve bhaktito munim karmaṇā manasā vācā lakṣmīrnārāyaṇaṁ yathā

Then Ananaranya's daughter served the sage in deed, mind, and speech with devotion, just as Lakshmi serves Narayana.

Verse 12 (shiva.shatarudra.25.12)

इत्थं स पिप्पलादो हि शिवांशो मुनिसत्तमः । रेमे तया युवत्या च युवाभूय स्वलीलया

itthaṁ sa pippalādo hi śivāṁśo munisattamaḥ reme tayā yuvatyā ca yuvābhūya svalīlayā

Thus Pippalada, that portion of Shiva and foremost of sages, became young again through his own divine play and took his delight with the maiden.

Verse 13 (shiva.shatarudra.25.13)

दश पुत्रा महात्मानो बभूवुः सुतपस्विनः । मुनेः पितुः समाः सर्वे पद्मायाः सुखवर्द्धनाः

daśa putrā mahātmāno babhūvuḥ sutapasvinaḥ muneḥ pituḥ samāḥ sarve padmāyāḥ sukhavarddhanāḥ

Ten great-souled sons of mighty austerity were born to them, all equal to their sage-father, and all increased Padma's happiness.

Verse 14 (shiva.shatarudra.25.14)

एवं लीलावतारो हि शङ्करस्य महाप्रभोः । पिप्पलादो मुनिवरो नानालीलाकरः प्रभुः

evaṁ līlāvatāro hi śaṅkarasya mahāprabhoḥ pippalādo munivaro nānālīlākaraḥ prabhuḥ

Thus Pippalada, the foremost of sages, was a līlā-incarnation of the great Lord Shankara, a lord who performs manifold divine plays.

Verse 15 (shiva.shatarudra.25.15)

येन दत्तो वरः प्रीत्या लोकेभ्यो हि दयालुना । दृष्ट्वा लोके शनेः पीडां सर्वेषामनिवारिणीम्

yena datto varaḥ prītyā lokebhyo hi dayālunā dṛṣṭvā loke śaneḥ pīḍāṁ sarveṣāmanivāriṇīm

Out of compassion he lovingly granted this boon to the world, having seen that the affliction of Shani was, in this world, unavoidable for all.

Verse 16 (shiva.shatarudra.25.16)

षोडशाब्दावधि नृणां जन्मतो न भवेच्च सा । तथा च शिवभक्तानां सत्यमेतद्धि मे वचः

ṣoḍaśābdāvadhi nṛṇāṁ janmato na bhavecca sā tathā ca śivabhaktānāṁ satyametaddhi me vacaḥ

"This affliction shall not touch men up to sixteen years from their birth, and it shall never touch devotees of Shiva at all — this word of mine is true."

Verse 17 (shiva.shatarudra.25.17)

अथानादृत्य मद्वाक्यं कुर्यात्पीडां शनिः क्वचित् । तेषां नृणां तदा स स्याद्भस्मसान्न हि संशयः

athānādṛtya madvākyaṁ kuryātpīḍāṁ śaniḥ kvacit teṣāṁ nṛṇāṁ tadā sa syādbhasmasānna hi saṁśayaḥ

"And should Shani, disregarding this word of mine, ever cause such men affliction, he himself shall then be reduced to ashes — of this there is no doubt."

Verse 18 (shiva.shatarudra.25.18)

इति तद्भयतस्तात विकृतोऽपि शनैश्चरः । तेषां न कुरुते पीडां कदाचिद् ग्रहसत्तमः

iti tadbhayatastāta vikṛto'pi śanaiścaraḥ teṣāṁ na kurute pīḍāṁ kadācid grahasattamaḥ

O son, out of this very fear, Shanaishchara — malevolent by nature though he is, and foremost among the planets — never causes them affliction.

Verse 19 (shiva.shatarudra.25.19)

इति लीलामनुष्यस्य पिप्पलादस्य सन्मुने । कथितं सुचरित्रं ते सर्वकामफलप्रदम्

iti līlāmanuṣyasya pippalādasya sanmune kathitaṁ sucaritraṁ te sarvakāmaphalapradam

O good sage, thus have I told you this excellent story of Pippalada's human līlā, which bestows the fruit of every desire.

Verse 20 (shiva.shatarudra.25.20)

गाधिश्च कौशिकश्चैव पिप्पलादो महामुनिः । शनैश्चरकृतां पीडां नाशयन्ति स्मृतास्त्रयः

gādhiśca kauśikaścaiva pippalādo mahāmuniḥ śanaiścarakṛtāṁ pīḍāṁ nāśayanti smṛtāstrayaḥ

Gadhi, Kaushika, and the great sage Pippalada — remembrance of these three destroys the affliction caused by Shanaishchara.

Verse 21 (shiva.shatarudra.25.21)

पिप्पलादस्य चरितं पद्माचरितसंयुतम् । यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि सुभक्त्या भुवि मानवः

pippalādasya caritaṁ padmācaritasaṁyutam yaḥ paṭhecchṛṇuyādvāpi subhaktyā bhuvi mānavaḥ

Whatever man on this earth, with true devotion, reads or hears this story of Pippalada joined with the story of Padma —

Verse 22 (shiva.shatarudra.25.22)

शनिपीडाविनाशार्थमेतच्चरितमुत्तमम् । यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि सर्वान्कामानवाप्नुयात्

śanipīḍāvināśārthametaccaritamuttamam yaḥ paṭhecchṛṇuyādvāpi sarvānkāmānavāpnuyāt

this excellent story, which destroys the affliction of Shani — whoever reads or hears it obtains all his desires.

Verse 23 (shiva.shatarudra.25.23)

धन्यो मुनिवरो ज्ञानी महाशैवः सतां प्रियः । अस्य पुत्रो महेशानः पिप्पलादाख्य आत्मवान्

dhanyo munivaro jñānī mahāśaivaḥ satāṁ priyaḥ asya putro maheśānaḥ pippalādākhya ātmavān

Blessed is that wise and eminent sage, a great devotee of Shiva, beloved of the virtuous; his self-possessed son, a great lord, bears the name Pippalada.

Verse 24 (shiva.shatarudra.25.24)

इदमाख्यानमनघं स्वर्ग्यं कुग्रहदोषहृत् । सर्वकामप्रदं तात शिवभक्तिविवर्द्धनम्

idamākhyānamanaghaṁ svargyaṁ kugrahadoṣahṛt sarvakāmapradaṁ tāta śivabhaktivivarddhanam

O son, this pure account leads to heaven, removes the affliction of evil planets, grants every desire, and increases devotion to Shiva.