Gayatri's Grant of Boons

Verse 1 (skanda.6.193.1)

ऋषय ऊचुः । एवं गतायां सावित्र्यां सकोपायां च सूतज । किं कृतं तत्र गायत्र्या ब्रह्माद्यैश्चापि किं सुरैः

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ evaṁ gatāyāṁ sāvitryāṁ sakopāyāṁ ca sūtaja kiṁ kṛtaṁ tatra gāyatryā brahmādyaiścāpi kiṁ suraiḥ

The sages said: "Now that Savitri has gone away in anger, O son of Suta, what was done there by Gayatri, and what by Brahma and the other gods?"

Verse 2 (skanda.6.193.2)

एतत्सर्वं समाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं हि नः । कथं शापान्विता देवाः संस्थितास्तत्र मण्डपे

etatsarvaṁ samācakṣva paraṁ kautūhalaṁ hi naḥ kathaṁ śāpānvitā devāḥ saṁsthitāstatra maṇḍape

"Tell us all of this — for we are filled with the greatest curiosity — how did the gods, bound under that curse, remain established there in the pavilion?"

Verse 3 (skanda.6.193.3)

सूत उवाच । गतायामथ सावित्र्यां शापं दत्त्वा द्विजोत्तमाः । गायत्री सहसोत्थाय वाक्यमेतदुदैरयत्

sūta uvāca gatāyāmatha sāvitryāṁ śāpaṁ dattvā dvijottamāḥ gāyatrī sahasotthāya vākyametadudairayat

Suta said: When Savitri had departed, having pronounced her curse, O best of brahmins, Gayatri rose up at once and spoke this word:

Verse 4 (skanda.6.193.4)

सावित्र्या यद्वचः प्रोक्तं तन्न शक्यं कथंचन । अन्यथा कर्तुमेवाथ सर्वैरपि सुरासुरैः

sāvitryā yadvacaḥ proktaṁ tanna śakyaṁ kathaṁcana anyathā kartumevātha sarvairapi surāsuraiḥ

"What has been declared by Savitri cannot, in any way, be undone, even by all the gods and demons together."

Verse 5 (skanda.6.193.5)

महासती महाभागा सावित्री सा पतिव्रता । पूज्या च सर्वदेवानां ज्येष्ठा श्रेष्ठा च सद्गणैः

mahāsatī mahābhāgā sāvitrī sā pativratā pūjyā ca sarvadevānāṁ jyeṣṭhā śreṣṭhā ca sadgaṇaiḥ

"That great and fortunate wife, Savitri, devoted to her husband, is worthy of worship by all the gods, the eldest and foremost among the hosts of the virtuous."

Verse 6 (skanda.6.193.6)

परं स्त्रीणां स्वभावोऽयं सर्वासां सुरसत्तमाः। अपि सह्यो वज्रपातः सपत्न्या न पुनः कथा

paraṁ strīṇāṁ svabhāvo'yaṁ sarvāsāṁ surasattamāḥ api sahyo vajrapātaḥ sapatnyā na punaḥ kathā

"But this indeed is the nature of all women, O best of gods — the fall of a thunderbolt may be bearable, but never the mere word of a co-wife."

Verse 7 (skanda.6.193.7)

मत्कृते येऽत्र शपिता सावित्र्या ब्राह्मणाः सुराः । तेषामहं करिष्यामि शक्त्या साधारणां स्वयम्

matkṛte ye'tra śapitā sāvitryā brāhmaṇāḥ surāḥ teṣāmahaṁ kariṣyāmi śaktyā sādhāraṇāṁ svayam

"For the brahmins and gods who have been cursed here on my account by Savitri, I myself shall, according to my power, do what is fair for them all."

Verse 8 (skanda.6.193.8)

अपूज्योऽयं विधिः प्रोक्तस्तया मंत्रपुरःसरः । सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां विप्रादीनां सुरो त्तमाः

apūjyo'yaṁ vidhiḥ proktastayā maṁtrapuraḥsaraḥ sarveṣāmeva varṇānāṁ viprādīnāṁ suro ttamāḥ

"This mantra-preceded rite of worship has been declared by her unworthy of performance for all the varnas, brahmins foremost, O best of gods."

Verse 9 (skanda.6.193.9)

ब्रह्मस्थानेषु सर्वेषु समये धरणीतले । न ब्रह्मणा विना किंचित्कृत्यं सिद्धिमुपैष्यति

brahmasthāneṣu sarveṣu samaye dharaṇītale na brahmaṇā vinā kiṁcitkṛtyaṁ siddhimupaiṣyati

"Yet, in all the sacred sites of Brahma, at the proper time, upon this earth, no undertaking shall attain success without Brahma."

Verse 10 (skanda.6.193.10)

कृष्णार्चने च यत्पुण्यं यत्पुण्यं लिंग पूजने । तत्फलं कोटिगुणितं सदा वै ब्रह्मदर्शनात् । भविष्यति न सन्देहो विशेषात्सर्वपर्वसु

kṛṣṇārcane ca yatpuṇyaṁ yatpuṇyaṁ liṁga pūjane tatphalaṁ koṭiguṇitaṁ sadā vai brahmadarśanāt bhaviṣyati na sandeho viśeṣātsarvaparvasu

"Whatever merit there is in the worship of Krishna, whatever merit in the worship of the Linga — that fruit shall be multiplied a hundred-million-fold always through the mere sight of Brahma; this shall come to pass without doubt, especially on all the sacred days."

Verse 11 (skanda.6.193.11)

त्वं च विष्णो तया प्रोक्तो मर्त्यजन्म यदाऽप्स्यसि । तत्रापि परभृत्यत्वं परेषां ते भविष्यति

tvaṁ ca viṣṇo tayā prokto martyajanma yadā'psyasi tatrāpi parabhṛtyatvaṁ pareṣāṁ te bhaviṣyati

"And you, Vishnu, have been told by her that when you take a mortal birth, there too you shall come to serve others."

Verse 12 (skanda.6.193.12)

तत्कृत्वा रूपद्वितयं तत्र जन्म त्वमाप्स्यसि । यत्तया कथितो वंशो ममायं गोपसंज्ञितः । तत्र त्वं पावनार्थाय चिरं वृद्धिमवाप्स्यसि

tatkṛtvā rūpadvitayaṁ tatra janma tvamāpsyasi yattayā kathito vaṁśo mamāyaṁ gopasaṁjñitaḥ tatra tvaṁ pāvanārthāya ciraṁ vṛddhimavāpsyasi

"Having taken there a twofold form, you shall obtain that birth; in that lineage she spoke of, called mine, known as the cowherd lineage, you shall, for its purification, attain great increase there for a long time."

Verse 13 (skanda.6.193.13)

एकः कृष्णाभिधानस्तु द्वितीयोऽर्जुनसंज्ञितः । तस्यात्मनोऽर्जुनाख्यस्य सारथ्यं त्वं करिष्यसि

ekaḥ kṛṣṇābhidhānastu dvitīyo'rjunasaṁjñitaḥ tasyātmano'rjunākhyasya sārathyaṁ tvaṁ kariṣyasi

"One shall be named Krishna, the other called Arjuna; for that very self, named Arjuna, you shall become the charioteer."

Verse 14 (skanda.6.193.14)

तेनाकृत्येऽपि रक्तास्ते गोपा यास्यंति श्लाघ्यताम् । सर्वेषामेव लोकानां देवानां च विशेषतः

tenākṛtye'pi raktāste gopā yāsyaṁti ślāghyatām sarveṣāmeva lokānāṁ devānāṁ ca viśeṣataḥ

"By that deed, though born of an unworthy line, those cowherds shall attain praiseworthiness among all the worlds, and especially among the gods."

Verse 15 (skanda.6.193.15)

यत्रयत्र च वत्स्यंति मद्वं शप्रभवानराः । तत्रतत्र श्रियो वासो वनेऽपि प्रभविष्यति

yatrayatra ca vatsyaṁti madvaṁ śaprabhavānarāḥ tatratatra śriyo vāso vane'pi prabhaviṣyati

"And wherever the men born of my lineage shall dwell, there and there alone shall the dwelling of Shri come to prevail, even in the forest."

Verse 16 (skanda.6.193.16)

भोभोः शक्र भवानुक्तो यत्तया कोपयुक्तया । पराजयं रिपोः प्राप्य कारा गारे पतिष्यति

bhobhoḥ śakra bhavānukto yattayā kopayuktayā parājayaṁ ripoḥ prāpya kārā gāre patiṣyati

"'Ho, Shakra! You have been told by her, in her anger, that, having suffered defeat by an enemy, you shall fall into prison."

Verse 17 (skanda.6.193.17)

तन्मुक्तिं ते स्वयं ब्रह्मा मद्वाक्येन करिष्यति

tanmuktiṁ te svayaṁ brahmā madvākyena kariṣyati

"But your release from that shall be brought about by Brahma himself, at my word."

Verse 18 (skanda.6.193.18)

ततः प्रविष्टः संग्रामे न पराजयमाप्स्यसि । त्वं वह्ने सर्वभक्षश्च यत्प्रोक्तो रुष्टया तया

tataḥ praviṣṭaḥ saṁgrāme na parājayamāpsyasi tvaṁ vahne sarvabhakṣaśca yatprokto ruṣṭayā tayā

"Then, having entered battle, you shall not suffer defeat. You, O Fire, have been told by her, in her wrath, that you shall become an eater of everything —"

Verse 19 (skanda.6.193.19)

तदमेध्यमपि प्रायः स्पृष्टं तेऽर्च्चिर्भिरग्रतः । मेध्यतां यास्यति क्षिप्रं ततः पूजामवाप्त्यसि

tadamedhyamapi prāyaḥ spṛṣṭaṁ te'rccirbhiragrataḥ medhyatāṁ yāsyati kṣipraṁ tataḥ pūjāmavāptyasi

"but that even what is impure, once touched first by your flames, shall quickly become pure; from that, you shall obtain worship."

Verse 20 (skanda.6.193.20)

स्वाहा नाम च भार्या या देवान्सन्तर्पयिष्यति । स्वधा चाऽपि पितॄन्सर्वान्मम वाक्यादसंशयम् । यद्रुद्र प्रियया सार्धं वियोगः कथितस्तया । तस्याः श्रेष्ठ तरा चान्या तव भार्या भविष्यति । गौरीनामेति विख्याता हिमाचलसुता शुभा

svāhā nāma ca bhāryā yā devānsantarpayiṣyati svadhā cā'pi pitṝnsarvānmama vākyādasaṁśayam yadrudra priyayā sārdhaṁ viyogaḥ kathitastayā tasyāḥ śreṣṭha tarā cānyā tava bhāryā bhaviṣyati gaurīnāmeti vikhyātā himācalasutā śubhā

"And Svaha, your wife by name, shall satisfy the gods; and Svadha too shall satisfy all the ancestors, by my word, without doubt. As for the separation from his beloved declared for Rudra by her — a wife even more excellent than that one shall become his, known by the name Gauri, the auspicious daughter of the Himalaya."