The Origin of the Moon, Ornament of Shiva's Head

Verse 1 (skanda.7.18.1)

सूत उवाच। इति प्रोक्ता तदा देवी शंकरेण यशस्विनी। पुनः पप्रच्छ विप्रेंद्राः क्षेत्रमाहात्म्यविस्तरम्

sūta uvāca| iti proktā tadā devī śaṁkareṇa yaśasvinī| punaḥ papraccha vipreṁdrāḥ kṣetramāhātmyavistaram

Suta said: O best of brahmins, thus addressed by Shankara, the illustrious Devi again asked about the full extent of the field's glory.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.18.2)

देव्युवाच। अद्य मे सफलं जन्म सफलं च तपः प्रभो। देवत्वमद्य मे जातं त्वत्प्रसादेन शंकर

devyuvāca| adya me saphalaṁ janma saphalaṁ ca tapaḥ prabho| devatvamadya me jātaṁ tvatprasādena śaṁkara

The Goddess said: Today my birth is fruitful, O Lord, and fruitful is my austerity too; today, by your grace, O Shankara, even my godhood has found its fulfilment.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.18.3)

अद्याहं कृतकल्याणी ज्ञानदृष्टिः कृतात्वया। अद्य मे भूषितौ कर्णौ क्षेत्र माहात्म्यभूषणौ

adyāhaṁ kṛtakalyāṇī jñānadṛṣṭiḥ kṛtātvayā| adya me bhūṣitau karṇau kṣetra māhātmyabhūṣaṇau

Today I have attained blessedness, and you have granted me the eye of knowledge; today my two ears have been adorned with the ornament of this field's glory.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.18.4)

अद्य मे तेजसः पिंडो जातो ज्ञानं हृदि स्थितम्। अद्य मे कुलशीलं च अद्य मे रूपलक्षणम्

adya me tejasaḥ piṁḍo jāto jñānaṁ hṛdi sthitam| adya me kulaśīlaṁ ca adya me rūpalakṣaṇam

Today a mass of splendour has arisen in me, and knowledge has settled in my heart; today my lineage and character, and today my beauty and auspicious marks, have all found their worth.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.18.5)

अद्य मे भ्रांतिरुच्छिन्ना तीर्थभ्रमणसंभवा। प्रभासे निश्चलं जातं मनो मे मानिनां वर

adya me bhrāṁtirucchinnā tīrthabhramaṇasaṁbhavā| prabhāse niścalaṁ jātaṁ mano me mānināṁ vara

O best among the honoured, today my confusion born of wandering among sacred fords has been cut away; my mind has become steadfast here in Prabhasa.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.18.6)

आराधितो मया पूर्वं तुष्टो मेऽद्य सुरेश्वरः। वह्निना वेष्टिता साहमेकपादेन संस्थिता

ārādhito mayā pūrvaṁ tuṣṭo me'dya sureśvaraḥ| vahninā veṣṭitā sāhamekapādena saṁsthitā

Long ago I worshipped you, and today the Lord of the gods is pleased with me — I who stood encircled by fire, balanced upon a single foot.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.18.7)

तत्तपः सफलं त्वद्य जातं मे भक्तवत्सल। प्रभासक्षेत्रमाहात्म्यमद्य मे प्रकटीकृतम्

tattapaḥ saphalaṁ tvadya jātaṁ me bhaktavatsala| prabhāsakṣetramāhātmyamadya me prakaṭīkṛtam

O lover of your devotees, today that austerity of mine has borne fruit; today the glory of the field of Prabhasa has been revealed to me.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.18.8)

पुनः पृच्छामि देवेश याथातथ्यं वद प्रभो

punaḥ pṛcchāmi deveśa yāthātathyaṁ vada prabho

O Lord of the gods, I ask again — tell me, O Lord, the matter exactly as it is.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.18.9)

अद्यापि संशयो नाथ तीर्थमाहात्म्यसंभवः। अन्यत्कौतूहलं देव कथयस्व महेश्वर

adyāpi saṁśayo nātha tīrthamāhātmyasaṁbhavaḥ| anyatkautūhalaṁ deva kathayasva maheśvara

O Lord, even now a doubt remains, born of this glory of the sacred ford; O God Maheshvara, resolve for me this other matter I am curious about.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.18.10)

अयं यो वर्त्तते देव चंद्रस्ते शिरसि स्थितः। कस्यायं कथमुत्पन्नः कस्मिन्काले वद प्रभो

ayaṁ yo varttate deva caṁdraste śirasi sthitaḥ| kasyāyaṁ kathamutpannaḥ kasminkāle vada prabho

O God, this Moon that rests upon your head — whose is it, how did it arise, and at what time? Tell me this, O Lord.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.18.11)

ईश्वर उवाच। अस्मिन्काले महादेवि वाराह इति विश्रुते। परार्द्धे तु द्वितीयेऽस्मिन्वर्तमाने तु वेधसः

īśvara uvāca| asminkāle mahādevi vārāha iti viśrute| parārddhe tu dvitīye'sminvartamāne tu vedhasaḥ

Ishvara said: O great Goddess, in this age known as Varaha, within this second half of Brahma's current lifespan...

Verse 12 (skanda.7.18.12)

द्वितीयमासस्यादौ तु प्रतिपद्या प्रकीर्तिता। वाराहेणोद्धृता तस्यां तथा चादौ धरा प्रिये। तेन वाराहकल्पेति नाम जातं धरातले

dvitīyamāsasyādau tu pratipadyā prakīrtitā| vārāheṇoddhṛtā tasyāṁ tathā cādau dharā priye| tena vārāhakalpeti nāma jātaṁ dharātale

...renowned as the Pratipada at the start of the second month — on that day, O beloved, the earth was raised up by the Boar; hence the name 'Varaha-kalpa' arose upon the earth.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.18.13)

तस्मिन्कल्पे महादेवि गते संध्यांशके प्रिये। प्रथमस्य मनोश्चादौ देवि स्वायंभुवस्य हि

tasminkalpe mahādevi gate saṁdhyāṁśake priye| prathamasya manoścādau devi svāyaṁbhuvasya hi

O great and beloved Goddess, in that kalpa, once the twilight-portion had passed, at the very start of the first Manu, Svayambhuva...

Verse 14 (skanda.7.18.14)

क्षीरोदे मथ्यमाने तु दैवतैर्दानवैरपि। रत्नानि जज्ञिरे तत्र चतुर्द्दशमितानि वै

kṣīrode mathyamāne tu daivatairdānavairapi| ratnāni jajñire tatra caturddaśamitāni vai

...when the Ocean of Milk was churned together by gods and demons, fourteen jewels arose from it.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.18.15)

तेषां मध्ये महातेजाश्चंद्रमास्तत्त्वसंभव। सोऽयं मया धृतो देवि अद्यापि शिरसि प्रिये

teṣāṁ madhye mahātejāścaṁdramāstattvasaṁbhava| so'yaṁ mayā dhṛto devi adyāpi śirasi priye

Among them the greatly radiant Moon was born of that same essence; that very Moon, O beloved Goddess, I have worn upon my head to this very day.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.18.16)

विषे पीते महादेवि प्रभासस्थस्य मे सदा। भूषणं मुक्तये देवैर्मम चंद्रः कृतः पुरा

viṣe pīte mahādevi prabhāsasthasya me sadā| bhūṣaṇaṁ muktaye devairmama caṁdraḥ kṛtaḥ purā

O great Goddess, when I, ever dwelling in Prabhasa, drank the poison, the gods thereafter made the Moon my ornament, for my relief.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.18.17)

शशिनाभूषितो यस्मात्तेनाहं शशिभूषणः। तत्र स्थाने स्थितोऽद्यापि स्वयंभूर्लिंगमूर्त्तिमान्

śaśinābhūṣito yasmāttenāhaṁ śaśibhūṣaṇaḥ| tatra sthāne sthito'dyāpi svayaṁbhūrliṁgamūrttimān

Because I was thus adorned with the Moon, I came to be called Shashibhushana, the Moon-Adorned; in that very place I remain to this day, self-manifest in the form of a Linga.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.18.18)

सर्वसिद्धिप्रदाता च कल्पस्थायी सदा प्रिये। इत्येतत्कथितं देवि किमन्यत्परिपृच्छसि

sarvasiddhipradātā ca kalpasthāyī sadā priye| ityetatkathitaṁ devi kimanyatparipṛcchasi

O beloved, I am the giver of all attainments, and I abide there always, for the whole kalpa. Thus, O Goddess, this has been told; what else do you wish to ask?