Brahma Purana — Chapter 81
BrP 81.1
कार्त्तिकेयं परं तीर्थं कौमारम् इति विश्रुतम् यन्नामश्रवणाद् एव कुलवान् रूपवान् भवेत् ॥
kārttikeyaṃ paraṃ tīrthaṃ kaumāram iti viśrutam yannāmaśravaṇād eva kulavān rūpavān bhavet //
Kārttikeya is a supreme ford, renowned as Kaumāra; merely from hearing its name one becomes of good family and handsome.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.2
निहते तारके दैत्ये स्वस्थे जाते त्रिविष्टपे कार्त्तिकेयं सुतं ज्येष्ठं प्रीत्या प्रोवाच पार्वती ॥
nihate tārake daitye svasthe jāte triviṣṭape kārttikeyaṃ sutaṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ prītyā provāca pārvatī //
When the demon Tāraka had been slain and heaven had become secure, Pārvatī affectionately spoke to her eldest son Kārttikeya:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.3
यथासुखं भुङ्क्ष्व भोगांस् त्रैलोक्ये मनसः प्रियान् ममाज्ञया प्रीतमनाः पितुश् चैव प्रसादतः ॥
yathāsukhaṃ bhuṅkṣva bhogāṃs trailokye manasaḥ priyān mamājñayā prītamanāḥ pituś caiva prasādataḥ //
"Enjoy as you please the pleasures in the three worlds that are dear to your mind, with a glad heart, by my command and by your father's favour too."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.4
एवम् उक्तः स वै मात्रा विशाखो देवतास्त्रियः यथासुखं बलाद् रेमे देवपत्न्यो ऽपि रेमिरे ॥
evam uktaḥ sa vai mātrā viśākho devatāstriyaḥ yathāsukhaṃ balād reme devapatnyo 'pi remire //
Thus addressed by his mother, Viśākha took his pleasure by force, as he pleased, with the women of the gods; and the gods' wives also took pleasure (in it).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.5
ततः संभुज्यमानासु देवपत्नीषु नारद नाशक्नुवन् वारयितुं कार्त्तिकेयं दिवौकसः ॥
tataḥ saṃbhujyamānāsu devapatnīṣu nārada nāśaknuvan vārayituṃ kārttikeyaṃ divaukasaḥ //
Then, Nārada, while the wives of the gods were being enjoyed, the dwellers in heaven were unable to restrain Kārttikeya.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.6
ततो निवेदयाम् आसुः पार्वत्यै पुत्रकर्म तत् असकृद् वार्यमाणो ऽपि मात्रा देवैः स शक्तिधृक् ॥
tato nivedayām āsuḥ pārvatyai putrakarma tat asakṛd vāryamāṇo 'pi mātrā devaiḥ sa śaktidhṛk //
Then they reported that deed of her son to Pārvatī: that although he, the bearer of the spear, was repeatedly restrained by his mother and by the gods—
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.7
नैवासाव् अकरोद् वाक्यं स्त्रीष्व् आसक्तस् तु षण्मुखः अभिशापभयाद् भीता पार्वती पर्यचिन्तयत् ॥
naivāsāv akarod vākyaṃ strīṣv āsaktas tu ṣaṇmukhaḥ abhiśāpabhayād bhītā pārvatī paryacintayat //
—he, the six-faced one, did not act on (her) word, being attached to women. Frightened by fear of a curse, Pārvatī pondered.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.8
पुत्रस्नेहात् तथैवेशा देवानां कार्यसिद्धये देवपत्न्यश् चिरं रक्ष्या इति मत्वा पुनः पुनः ॥
putrasnehāt tathaiveśā devānāṃ kāryasiddhaye devapatnyaś ciraṃ rakṣyā iti matvā punaḥ punaḥ //
Out of affection for her son, and likewise for the accomplishment of the gods' purpose, the goddess thought again and again: "The wives of the gods must long be protected."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.9
यस्यां तु रमते स्कन्दः पार्वती त्व् अपि तादृशी तद्रूपम् आत्मनः कृत्वा वर्तयाम् आस पार्वती ॥
yasyāṃ tu ramate skandaḥ pārvatī tv api tādṛśī tadrūpam ātmanaḥ kṛtvā vartayām āsa pārvatī //
In whatever woman Skanda took his pleasure, Pārvatī too became just like her: making that form her own, Pārvatī went about (so).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.10
इन्द्रस्य वरुणस्यापि भार्याम् आहूय षण्मुखः यावत् पश्यति तस्यां तु मातृरूपम् अपश्यत ॥
indrasya varuṇasyāpi bhāryām āhūya ṣaṇmukhaḥ yāvat paśyati tasyāṃ tu mātṛrūpam apaśyata //
When the six-faced one, having summoned the wife of Indra and also of Varuṇa, looked (at her), he saw in her the form of his mother.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.11
ताम् अपास्य नमस्याथ पुनर् अन्याम् अथाह्वयत् तस्यां तु मातृरूपं स प्रेक्ष्य लज्जाम् उपेयिवान् ॥
tām apāsya namasyātha punar anyām athāhvayat tasyāṃ tu mātṛrūpaṃ sa prekṣya lajjām upeyivān //
Setting her aside and bowing to her, he then summoned yet another; and seeing in her too his mother's form, he was overcome with shame.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.12
एवं बह्वीषु तद् रूपं दृष्ट्वा मातृमयं जगत् इति संचिन्त्य गाङ्गेयो वैराग्यम् अगमत् तदा ॥
evaṃ bahvīṣu tad rūpaṃ dṛṣṭvā mātṛmayaṃ jagat iti saṃcintya gāṅgeyo vairāgyam agamat tadā //
Thus, having seen that form in many (women), the son of Gaṅgā reflected, "The world is made of (my) mother," and then went to dispassion.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.13
स तु मातृकृतं ज्ञात्वा प्रवृत्तस्य निवर्तनम् निवार्यश् चेद् अहं भोगात् किंतु पूर्वं प्रवर्तितः ॥
sa tu mātṛkṛtaṃ jñātvā pravṛttasya nivartanam nivāryaś ced ahaṃ bhogāt kiṃtu pūrvaṃ pravartitaḥ //
But he, knowing that this turning back of one already engaged was his mother's doing, (thought:) "If I was to be restrained from enjoyment, yet I was first urged on to it."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.14
तस्मान् मातृकृतं सर्वं मम हास्यास्पदं त्व् इति लज्जया परया युक्तो गौतमीम् अगमत् तदा ॥
tasmān mātṛkṛtaṃ sarvaṃ mama hāsyāspadaṃ tv iti lajjayā parayā yukto gautamīm agamat tadā //
"Therefore all this that my mother has done is a ground for mockery of me"—so, filled with the utmost shame, he then went to the Gautamī.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.15
इयं च मातृरूपा मे शृणोतु मम भाषितम् इतः स्त्रीनामधेयं यन् मम मातृसमं मतम् ॥
iyaṃ ca mātṛrūpā me śṛṇotu mama bhāṣitam itaḥ strīnāmadheyaṃ yan mama mātṛsamaṃ matam //
"And let her, who has the form of my mother, hear my declaration: from now on whatever bears the name of woman is held by me to be the same as my mother."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.16
एवं ज्ञात्वा लोकनाथः पार्वत्या सह शंकरः पुत्रं निवारयाम् आस वृत्तम् इत्य् अब्रवीद् गुरुः ॥
evaṃ jñātvā lokanāthaḥ pārvatyā saha śaṃkaraḥ putraṃ nivārayām āsa vṛttam ity abravīd guruḥ //
Knowing this, Śaṃkara, the lord of the worlds, together with Pārvatī, restrained his son—so said the teacher, that this was what happened.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.17
ततः सुरपतिः प्रीतः किं ददामीति चिन्तयन् कृताञ्जलिपुटः स्कन्दः पितरं पुनर् अब्रवीत् ॥
tataḥ surapatiḥ prītaḥ kiṃ dadāmīti cintayan kṛtāñjalipuṭaḥ skandaḥ pitaraṃ punar abravīt //
Then the lord of the gods, pleased, considering "What shall I give?"—Skanda, with palms joined, spoke again to his father:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.18
सेनापतिः सुरपतिस् तव पुत्रो ऽहम् इत्य् अपि अलम् एतेन देवेश किं वरैः सुरपूजित ॥
senāpatiḥ surapatis tava putro 'ham ity api alam etena deveśa kiṃ varaiḥ surapūjita //
"You are the army's commander, the lord of the gods, and I am your son—that is enough of this, O lord of gods; what need of boons, O you honoured by the gods?
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.19
अथवा दातुकामो ऽसि लोकानां हितकाम्यया याचे ऽहं नात्मना देव तद् अनुज्ञातुम् अर्हसि ॥
athavā dātukāmo 'si lokānāṃ hitakāmyayā yāce 'haṃ nātmanā deva tad anujñātum arhasi //
"Or, if you wish to give, out of desire for the welfare of the worlds I make a request—not for myself, O god; you should consent to it.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.20
महापातकिनः केचिद् गुरुदाराभिगामिनः अत्राप्लवनमात्रेण धौतपापा भवन्तु ते ॥
mahāpātakinaḥ kecid gurudārābhigāminaḥ atrāplavanamātreṇa dhautapāpā bhavantu te //
"Certain great sinners, those who go to their teacher's wife—let them, merely by bathing here, have their sins washed away.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.21
आप्नुवन्तूत्तमां जातिं तिर्यञ्चो ऽपि सुरेश्वर कुरूपो रूपसंपत्तिम् अत्र स्नानाद् अवाप्नुयात् ॥
āpnuvantūttamāṃ jātiṃ tiryañco 'pi sureśvara kurūpo rūpasaṃpattim atra snānād avāpnuyāt //
"Let even beasts attain the highest birth, O lord of gods; let the ill-formed obtain a wealth of beauty by bathing here."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 81.22
एवम् अस्त्व् इति तं शंभुः प्रत्यनन्दत् सुतेरितम् ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं कार्त्तिकेयम् इति श्रुतम् तत्र स्नानं च दानं च सर्वक्रतुफलप्रदम् ॥
evam astv iti taṃ śaṃbhuḥ pratyanandat suteritam tataḥ prabhṛti tat tīrthaṃ kārttikeyam iti śrutam tatra snānaṃ ca dānaṃ ca sarvakratuphalapradam //
"So be it"—thus Śambhu applauded him for what his son had uttered. From then on that sacred ford has been known as Kārttikeya; bathing and giving there bestow the fruit of all sacrifices.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition