संत साहित्य · Guru Charitra · Chapters
Chapter 39 — 60-Year-Old Sterile Woman Begets Children
Literal. Ganga, a 60-year-old Brahmin woman of Shounak Gotra, comes daily to Shri Guru. Asked her wish, she says: a son, even in my next life. Shri Guru tells her: worship the Audumbar tree at the Bhima-Amaraja Sangam, with specific procedures (16 upchars, recitations, moun). She does. On the third day she dreams that a Brahmin tells her to take seven rounds of Audumbar at Ganagapur and accept the prasad. She does, takes seven rounds, gets two fruits which she eats. She begins menstruation on the fifth day, becomes pregnant, gives birth in the seventh month, then a daughter, then a son, total of one daughter and one son. Shri Guru offers her a choice: a well-behaved son who will live 30 years, or a fool who will live 100 years. She chooses the well-behaved 30-year son. The son becomes learned and famous as Dixit.
Symbolic. Choice between two kinds of son explicitly framed; the well-behaved-but-short is preferred. This is consistent with the book's Sanyasa-favoring valuation: meaningful brevity over long mediocrity.
Structural. 60 years old, 7 rounds, 2 fruits, 3 days to dream, 5 days to menses. Choice between 30-year son and 100-year fool.
Verse by verse
श्रीगणेशाय नमः ॥ श्रीसरस्वत्यै नमः ॥ श्रीगुरुभ्यो नमः ॥
śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ || śrīsarasvatyai namaḥ || śrīgurubhyo namaḥ ||
Salutations to Shri Ganesha. Salutations to Shri Sarasvati. Salutations to Shri Guru.
The chapter opens with the customary triple invocation — to Ganesha the remover of obstacles, to Sarasvati the goddess of speech and learning, and to the Guru himself — before any teaching begins.
Begin any important undertaking by first acknowledging the sources of your wisdom and support.
सिद्ध म्हणे नामधारका । पुढें अपूर्व वर्तलें ऐका । साठी वर्षे वांझेसी एका । पुत्र झाला परियेसा ॥१॥
siddha mhaṇe nāmadhārakā | puḍhem apūrva vartalem aikā | sāṭhī varṣe vāmjhesī ekā | putra jhālā pariyesā ||1||
Siddha says to Namadharaka: listen, an extraordinary thing happened next — a sixty-year-old barren woman had a son, understand.
The teller (Siddha) frames the coming story as apūrva (unprecedented) — a woman past childbearing age receiving a child — signaling that what follows is about grace exceeding nature's limits.
Stay open to outcomes that seem impossible by ordinary reckoning; grace does not always follow the calendar we expect.
आपस्तंब-शाखेसी । ब्राह्मण एक परियेसीं । शौनकगोत्र -प्रवरेसी । नाम तया 'सोमनाथ' ॥२॥
āpastamba-śākhesī | brāhmaṇa eka pariyesīm | śaunakagotra -pravaresī | nāma tayā 'somanātha' ||2||
There was a brahmin of the Apastamba branch, of the Shaunaka lineage, named Somanath, listen.
The narrator grounds the story with concrete lineage details — a convention of the text to root miracle stories in real, nameable families.
Take pride in knowing your own roots and lineage; identity gives a story, and a life, its ground.
'गंगा' नामें त्याची पत्नी । पतिव्रताशिरोमणि । वेदशास्त्रें आचरणी । आपण करी परियेसा ॥३॥
'gamgā' nāmem tyācī patnī | pativratāśiromaṇi | vedaśāstrem ācaraṇī | āpaṇa karī pariyesā ||3||
His wife, named Ganga, was the crown-jewel of chaste women; she conducted herself according to Vedic scripture and custom.
Ganga is introduced as a woman of exemplary virtue — her devotion is established before her suffering, so the reader understands her plight is undeserved.
Let your character be established by steady daily conduct, not by the crisis that later tests it.
वर्षें साठी झालीं तिसी । पुत्र नाहीं तिचे कुशीं । वांझ म्हणोनि ख्यातेसी । होती तया गाणगापुरीं ॥४॥
varṣem sāṭhī jhālīm tisī | putra nāhīm tice kuśīm | vāmjha mhaṇoni khyātesī | hotī tayā gāṇagāpurīm ||4||
She turned sixty years of age, with no son born to her; she was known in Ganagapur as barren.
Her social label — vāmjha (barren) — is stated bluntly, showing the weight of stigma she carried in her community.
Do not let a label others give you define your worth; keep serving and hoping regardless.
पतिसेवा निरंतर । करी भक्तिपुरस्सर । नित्य नेम असे थोर । गुरुदर्शना येत असे ॥५॥
patisevā niramtara | karī bhaktipurassara | nitya nema ase thora | gurudarśanā yeta ase ||5||
She served her husband constantly, with devotion foremost; her daily discipline was great — she would come for the Guru's darshana.
Despite childlessness, her devotion to husband and Guru never wavers — sevā (service) continues even without the desired result.
Keep your daily practice of devotion and duty steady, even while a deep longing remains unanswered.
नीरांजन प्रतिदिवसीं । आणोनि करी श्रीगुरुसी । येणेंपरी बहुत दिवसीं । वर्तत होती परियेसा ॥६॥
nīrāmjana pratidivasīm | āṇoni karī śrīgurusī | yeṇemparī bahuta divasīm | vartata hotī pariyesā ||6||
Bringing a lamp (nirañjana) every day, she would perform the arati of Shri Guru; in this way she continued for many days.
Her ritual of daily lamp-offering to the Guru becomes the thread that eventually draws his attention and blessing.
Small, repeated acts of devotion, sustained over time, are what eventually open a door.
ऐसें असतां वर्तमानीं । संतुष्ट झाले श्रीगुरुमुनि । पृच्छा करिती हांसोनि । तया द्विजस्त्रियेसी ॥७॥
aisem asatām vartamānīm | samtuṣṭa jhāle śrīgurumuni | pṛcchā karitī hāmsoni | tayā dvijastriyesī ||7||
As this continued, Shri Guru became pleased; smiling, he asked that brahmin woman [her wish].
The Guru's pleasure is the fruit of her patient service — grace responds to sustained devotion, not to a single request.
Trust that quiet, consistent devotion is noticed, even when no word has yet been exchanged.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती तियेसी । काय अभीष्ट असे मानसीं । आणित्येसी प्रतिदिवसीं । नीरांजन परोपरी ॥८॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī tiyesī | kāya abhīṣṭa ase mānasīm | āṇityesī pratidivasīm | nīrāmjana paroparī ||8||
Shri Guru said to her: what is the desire in your mind? Every day you bring the lamp in various ways.
The Guru invites her to voice her hidden wish directly — he has seen her devotion and now asks her to name her need.
When someone in authority or care offers to listen, be honest about what you truly need.
तुझ्या मनींची वासना । सांगे त्वरित विस्तारुन । सिद्धि पाववील नारायण । गौरीरमण गुरुप्रसादें ॥९॥
tujhyā manīmcī vāsanā | sāmge tvarita vistāruna | siddhi pāvavīla nārāyaṇa | gaurīramaṇa guruprasādem ||9||
Tell quickly and fully the desire in your heart; Narayana — Gauri's beloved (Shiva) — will bring it to fulfillment through the Guru's grace.
The Guru assures her that fulfillment comes through divine grace channeled by the Guru's blessing, not by her own effort alone.
Voice your deepest wish honestly to those who can help, and trust in grace working alongside your effort.
ऐकोनि श्रीगुरुचें वचन । करी साष्टांगीं नमन । विनवीतसे कर जोडून । ' अपुत्रस्य लोको नास्ति' ॥१०॥
aikoni śrīgurucem vacana | karī sāṣṭāmgīm namana | vinavītase kara joḍūna | ' aputrasya loko nāsti' ||10||
Hearing Shri Guru's words, she prostrates fully on the ground; with joined palms she entreats, quoting: 'aputrasya loko nāsti' — there is no [good] world for the one without a son.
She cites a Sanskrit maxim reflecting the era's belief that a son secured continuity and the parents' afterlife through ritual offerings.
When you ask for help, come with humility and full honesty about what troubles you.
पुत्राविणें स्त्रियांसी । पाहों नये मुखासी । पापरुपी महादोषी । म्हणती मातें स्वामिया ॥११॥
putrāviṇem striyāmsī | pāhom naye mukhāsī | pāparupī mahādoṣī | mhaṇatī mātem svāmiyā ||11||
Without a son, women should not be looked upon [with respect] — 'sinful, greatly guilty' — they call me this, O Lord.
She repeats the harsh social judgment cast on childless women, revealing how deeply the stigma had wounded her sense of self-worth.
Resist internalizing cruel labels others place on you for circumstances beyond your control.
जिचे पोटीं नाहीं बाळ । तिचा जन्म निर्फळ । वाट पाहती उभयकुळ । बेचाळीस पितृलोकीं ॥१२॥
jice poṭīm nāhīm bāḷa | ticā janma nirphaḷa | vāṭa pāhatī ubhayakuḷa | becāḷīsa pitṛlokīm ||12||
She whose womb bears no child, her birth is fruitless; both families wait for her at the forty-two ancestral worlds.
The verse reflects the belief that descendants were needed to complete ancestral rites for the departed — hence the intense pressure to bear a son.
Remember that your worth is not reducible to whether you meet one external expectation.
पितृ चिंतिती मनांत । म्हणती एखादी सती वंशांत । पुत्र व्यालिया आम्हां हित । तो उद्धरील सकळांतें ॥१३॥
pitṛ cimtitī manāmta | mhaṇatī ekhādī satī vamśāmta | putra vyāliyā āmhām hita | to uddharīla sakaḷāmtem ||13||
The ancestors think in their minds: if some virtuous woman in the lineage bears a son, it will benefit us — he will redeem us all.
The verse voices the imagined hope of the ancestors themselves, deepening the sense of collective stakes riding on this birth.
Recognize that your actions today can carry meaning and benefit far beyond your own lifetime.
पुत्राविणें जें घर । तें सदा असे अघोर । अरण्य नाहीं त्यासी दूर । 'यथारण्य तथा गृह' ॥१४॥
putrāviṇem jem ghara | tem sadā ase aghora | araṇya nāhīm tyāsī dūra | 'yathāraṇya tathā gṛha' ||14||
A house without a son is always desolate; the forest is not far from it — 'as the forest, so the home.'
A proverb equates a childless home with wilderness, showing how bereft such a household was felt to be in the era's terms.
Fill your home with warmth and purpose, whatever form your family or household takes.
नित्य गंगास्नानासी । आपण जात्यें परियेसीं । घेऊनि येती बाळकांसी । समस्त स्त्रिया कवतुकें ॥१५॥
nitya gamgāsnānāsī | āpaṇa jātyem pariyesīm | gheūni yetī bāḷakāmsī | samasta striyā kavatukem ||15||
Daily I go for a bath, understand; I see all the women bringing their children joyfully.
Her daily bathing ritual becomes a site of quiet suffering, as she watches other mothers delight in their children.
When another's joy stirs your own longing, let it soften rather than harden your heart.
कडे घेऊनियां बाळा । खेळविताति स्त्रिया सकळा । तैसें नाहीं माझे कपाळा । मंदभाग्य असें देखा ॥१६॥
kaḍe gheūniyām bāḷā | kheḷavitāti striyā sakaḷā | taisem nāhīm mājhe kapāḷā | mamdabhāgya asem dekhā ||16||
Carrying children on their hips, all the women play with them; that is not so for my fate — such is my misfortune, see.
She names her grief plainly as mandabhāgya (misfortune), a term the text uses without judgment, only compassion for her pain.
It is honest and human to grieve what you lack, even while continuing to hope and serve.
जळो माझें वक्षस्थळ । कडे घ्यावया नाहीं बाळ । जन्मोनियां संसारीं निष्फळ । नव्हें पुरुष अथवा सती ॥१७॥
jaḷo mājhem vakṣasthaḷa | kaḍe ghyāvayā nāhīm bāḷa | janmoniyām samsārīm niṣphaḷa | navhem puruṣa athavā satī ||17||
Cursed be my breast, for there is no child to hold on my hip; born into worldly life fruitlessly, I am as if neither man nor woman.
Her self-condemnation reaches its peak here — an expression of despair born from years of social stigma, not a truth about her value.
In your darkest moments of self-doubt, hold on — the story is not over, and worth is not proven by outcome alone.
पुत्रपौत्र असती जयांसी । परलोक साधे तयांसी । अधोगति निपुत्रिकासी । लुप्तपिंड होय स्वामिया ॥१८॥
putrapautra asatī jayāmsī | paraloka sādhe tayāmsī | adhogati niputrikāsī | luptapimḍa hoya svāmiyā ||18||
Those who have sons and grandsons attain the other world [with ease]; the childless meet a bad state, their ancestral offerings lapse, O Lord.
She restates the traditional belief linking descendants to the spiritual welfare of the family line, underscoring why this matters so much to her.
Consider how your life and choices leave a legacy of good, in whatever form that takes for you.
आतां पुरे जन्म मज । साठी वर्षें जाहलीं सहज । आम्हां आतां वर दीजे । पुढें उत्तम जन्म होय ॥१९॥
ātām pure janma maja | sāṭhī varṣem jāhalīm sahaja | āmhām ātām vara dīje | puḍhem uttama janma hoya ||19||
Now let this life be enough for me; sixty years have naturally passed; now grant us a boon, so our next birth may be excellent.
Having given up hope for this life, she shifts her request to the next birth — an expression of resignation tempered by continued faith.
When one door seems closed, keep faith and redirect your hope rather than abandoning it altogether.
पुत्रवंती व्हावें आपण । अंतःकरण होय पूर्ण । ऐसा वर देणें म्हणोन । विनवीतसे तये वेळीं ॥२०॥
putravamtī vhāvem āpaṇa | amtaḥkaraṇa hoya pūrṇa | aisā vara deṇem mhaṇona | vinavītase taye veḷīm ||20||
May I myself become a mother; may my heart become complete; grant such a boon — she entreats at that moment.
She names her wish precisely: not wealth or comfort, but wholeness of heart through motherhood.
Be clear and specific about what would truly make your heart feel complete.
ऐकोनि तियेचें वचन । श्रीगुरु म्हणती हांसोन । पुढील जन्म जाणेल कवण । तूतें स्मरण कैंचें सांग ॥२१॥
aikoni tiyecem vacana | śrīguru mhaṇatī hāmsona | puḍhīla janma jāṇela kavaṇa | tūtem smaraṇa kaimcem sāmga ||21||
Hearing her words, Shri Guru says, smiling: who can know the next birth? How would you even have memory of it, tell me?
The Guru gently points out the flaw in her request — one cannot carry a fulfilled promise into an unremembered next life; he redirects her toward what is possible here and now.
When your request is impractical, be willing to hear a wiser redirection toward what is actually achievable.
नित्य आरति आम्हांसी । भक्तिपूर्वक भावेंसीं । करितां जाहलों संतोषी । कन्या-पुत्र होतील तुज ॥२२॥
nitya ārati āmhāmsī | bhaktipūrvaka bhāvemsīm | karitām jāhalom samtoṣī | kanyā-putra hotīla tuja ||22||
If you perform the daily arati to us with devotion and true feeling, we become pleased — a daughter and son will be born to you.
The Guru ties the boon directly to her ongoing devotional practice — grace answers sustained sincere service, not merely a wish.
Let your sincere daily practice be the ground from which you ask for what you need.
इहजन्मीं तूतें जाण । कन्या पुत्र सुलक्षण । होतील निगुतीं म्हणोन । श्रीगुरु म्हणती तियेसी ॥२३॥
ihajanmīm tūtem jāṇa | kanyā putra sulakṣaṇa | hotīla nigutīm mhaṇona | śrīguru mhaṇatī tiyesī ||23||
In this very birth, know, an auspicious daughter and son will surely be born to you — Shri Guru tells her.
The Guru makes the promise explicit and immediate, reversing her resigned request for 'the next life' into a blessing for this one.
Allow yourself to receive good news fully, even after long years of disappointment.
श्रीगुरुवचन ऐकोनि । पालवीं गांठी बांधी ज्ञानी । विनवीतसे कर जोडूनि । ऐका स्वामी कृपासिंधु ॥२४॥
śrīguruvacana aikoni | pālavīm gāmṭhī bāmdhī jñānī | vinavītase kara joḍūni | aikā svāmī kṛpāsimdhu ||24||
Hearing Shri Guru's words, the wise woman ties a knot in the end of her sari; with joined palms she entreats: 'listen, Master, ocean of compassion.'
Tying a knot as a keepsake of the promise — a folk gesture of holding a blessing close — shows she wants to trust him even amid doubt.
Hold on physically or symbolically to promises and hopes that matter to you, as a reminder to keep faith.
साठी वर्षें जन्मासी । जाहलीं स्वामी परियेसीं । होत नाहीं विटाळसी । मातें कैंचे पुत्र होती ॥२५॥
sāṭhī varṣem janmāsī | jāhalīm svāmī pariyesīm | hota nāhīm viṭāḷasī | mātem kaimce putra hotī ||25||
Sixty years have passed in my life, Master, as you know; I no longer menstruate — how then can I have children?
She voices the natural, reasonable objection any listener would raise — her body, by ordinary biology, can no longer conceive.
It's honest to name the practical obstacles you see, even while still holding space for hope.
नाना व्रत नाना तीर्थ । हिंडिन्नल्यें पुत्रार्थ । अनेक ठायीं अश्वत्थ- । पूजा केली स्वामिया ॥२६॥
nānā vrata nānā tīrtha | himḍinnalyem putrārtha | aneka ṭhāyīm aśvattha- | pūjā kelī svāmiyā ||26||
I have wandered for many vows and pilgrimages, for the sake of a son; in many places I have worshipped the Ashvattha tree, O Master.
She recounts her long history of religious effort — vows, pilgrimages, and tree-worship — establishing that her hope has already been tested by years of striving.
Recognize and honor the effort you have already invested toward a goal, even if results haven't yet come.
मज म्हणती सकळै जन । करीं वो अश्वत्थप्रदक्षिणा । तेणें पुरतील मनकामना । होतील पुत्र म्हणोनि ॥२७॥
maja mhaṇatī sakaḷai jana | karīm vo aśvatthapradakṣiṇā | teṇem puratīla manakāmanā | hotīla putra mhaṇoni ||27||
People tell me: 'circumambulate the Ashvattha tree — through that your heart's wishes will be fulfilled, you will get sons.'
The Ashvattha (sacred fig/peepul) tree is introduced here as a widely known object of devotion believed to grant children — the folk practice that becomes central to the chapter.
Be willing to try trusted, time-honored practices that others recommend from their own experience.
अश्वत्थसेवा बहुकाळ । करितां माझा जन्म गेला । विश्वास म्यां बहु केला । होतील पुत्र म्हणोनि ॥२८॥
aśvatthasevā bahukāḷa | karitām mājhā janma gelā | viśvāsa myām bahu kelā | hotīla putra mhaṇoni ||28||
I served the Ashvattha for a long time; my life passed thus; I placed great faith [in it], hoping to have a son.
Her faith in the practice is emphasized as sustained and sincere, not a passing whim.
Give your chosen practice real time and sustained faith before judging whether it works.
साठी वर्षें येणेंपरी । कष्ट केले अपरांपरी । सेवा करित्यें अद्यापिवरी । अश्वत्थाची प्रदक्षिणा ॥२९॥
sāṭhī varṣem yeṇemparī | kaṣṭa kele aparāmparī | sevā karityem adyāpivarī | aśvatthācī pradakṣiṇā ||29||
For sixty years in this way I endured hardship without limit; even now I continue the practice, circumambulating the Ashvattha.
Her perseverance across an entire lifetime becomes the measure of her devotion — she has not given up despite decades without result.
Let persistence, not immediate results, be the measure of your commitment to a worthy practice.
पुत्र न होती इह जन्मीं । पुढें होतील ऐसे कामीं । सेवा करितसें स्वामी । अश्वत्थाची परियेसा ॥३०॥
putra na hotī iha janmīm | puḍhem hotīla aise kāmīm | sevā karitasem svāmī | aśvatthācī pariyesā ||30||
[Thinking] a son will not come in this birth, but will come in one to follow, I continue this service to the Ashvattha, O Master.
She reveals the private hope that sustained her — not expecting fruit now, but trusting it would come eventually, even in another life.
Let long-term faith sustain your effort, even when you don't expect an immediate reward.
आतां स्वामी प्रसन्न होसी । इहजन्मीं पुत्र देसी । अन्यथा नोहे बोलासी । तुमच्या स्वामी नरहरी ॥३१॥
ātām svāmī prasanna hosī | ihajanmīm putra desī | anyathā nohe bolāsī | tumacyā svāmī naraharī ||31||
Now, Master, be pleased and give me a son in this very birth; may your word not prove otherwise, O Lord Narahari.
Encouraged by the Guru's promise, she now dares to ask boldly for fulfillment in this life, addressing him by the Guru-lineage's deity name Narahari.
Once given a reason to hope, allow yourself to ask boldly for what you want.
स्वामींनीं दिधला मातें वर । माझे मनीं हा निर्धार । हास्य न करी स्वामी गुरु । शकुनगांठी बांधिली म्यां ॥३२॥
svāmīmnīm didhalā mātem vara | mājhe manīm hā nirdhāra | hāsya na karī svāmī guru | śakunagāmṭhī bāmdhilī myām ||32||
The Master has given me this boon — this is my firm conviction; do not laugh at me, Master-Guru; I have tied an auspicious knot [as a pledge].
She asks the Guru not to mock her faith, revealing her vulnerability in trusting a promise that defies what seems biologically possible.
Protect your fragile hopes from ridicule, and ask others to honor your sincerity even when your dream seems unlikely.
पुढील जन्म-काम्यासी । करित्यें सेवा अश्वत्थासी । स्वामी आतांचि वर देसी । इहजन्मीं कन्या-पुत्र ॥३३॥
puḍhīla janma-kāmyāsī | karityem sevā aśvatthāsī | svāmī ātāmci vara desī | ihajanmīm kanyā-putra ||33||
I served the Ashvattha for the sake of a wish for a future birth; if you now grant the boon at once, [let it be] a daughter and son in this very birth, Master.
She reconciles her long-standing tree-vow with the Guru's new promise, asking that the fruit of her past service ripen now rather than later.
Let new blessings build on, rather than replace, the good practices you've already been faithful to.
अश्वत्थसेवा बहु दिवस । करितां झाले मज प्रयास । काय देईल आम्हांस । अश्वत्थ सेवित्यें मूर्खपणें ॥३४॥
aśvatthasevā bahu divasa | karitām jhāle maja prayāsa | kāya deīla āmhāmsa | aśvattha sevityem mūrkhapaṇem ||34||
Serving the Ashvattha for many days has caused me much hardship; what will it give us? I have served the Ashvattha foolishly.
In a moment of doubt she questions whether her years of practice were wasted — a very human wavering of faith even after receiving a promise.
Allow yourself moments of doubt without letting them undo the faith you're rebuilding.
ऐकोनि तियेचें वचन । श्रीगुरु म्हणती हांसोन । अश्वत्थसेवा महापुण्य । वृथा नोहे परियेसा ॥३५॥
aikoni tiyecem vacana | śrīguru mhaṇatī hāmsona | aśvatthasevā mahāpuṇya | vṛthā nohe pariyesā ||35||
Hearing her words, Shri Guru said, smiling: service to the Ashvattha is great merit; it is not in vain, listen.
The Guru gently corrects her doubt, affirming that her past devotion was never wasted, whatever the outward delay in results.
Reassure yourself and others that sincere effort is never truly wasted, even when its fruit is slow to appear.
निंदा न करीं अश्वत्थासी । अनंत पुण्य परियेसीं । सेवा करीं वो आम्हांसरसी । तूतें पुत्र होतील ॥३६॥
nimdā na karīm aśvatthāsī | anamta puṇya pariyesīm | sevā karīm vo āmhāmsarasī | tūtem putra hotīla ||36||
Do not disparage the Ashvattha; its merit is boundless; serve it together with us — you will have children.
The Guru links her devotion to the tree with devotion to himself, uniting the two paths into one blessing.
Do not belittle a practice in a moment of frustration; keep faith and let different devotions reinforce each other.
आतां आमचे वाक्येंकरी । नित्य जावें संगमातीरीं । अमरजा वाहे निरंतरीं । भीमरथीसमागमांत ॥३७॥
ātām āmace vākyemkarī | nitya jāvem samgamātīrīm | amarajā vāhe niramtarīm | bhīmarathīsamāgamāmta ||37||
Now, by our word, go daily to the bank of the confluence; the Amarja river flows there constantly, joining the Bhimarathi.
The Guru directs her to a specific sacred site — the Amarja-Bhima confluence at Ganagapur — grounding the miracle in an actual, visitable place of pilgrimage.
Follow through with concrete, practical steps toward the goal a trusted guide sets for you.
तेथें अश्वत्थ असे गहन । जातों आम्ही अनुष्ठाना । सेवा करीं वो एकमनें । आम्हांसहित अश्वत्थाची ॥३८॥
tethem aśvattha ase gahana | jātom āmhī anuṣṭhānā | sevā karīm vo ekamanem | āmhāmsahita aśvatthācī ||38||
There stands a great Ashvattha tree; we go there for our spiritual practice (anushthana); serve the Ashvattha there together with us, with one-pointed mind.
The Guru reveals he himself frequents that very tree for his own practice, inviting her devotion to converge with his.
Practice your devotion alongside those you trust, letting shared focus deepen your own resolve.
अश्वत्थाचें महिमान । सांगतसें परिपूर्ण । अश्वत्थनाम-नारायण । आमुचा वास तेथें असे ॥३९॥
aśvatthācem mahimāna | sāmgatasem paripūrṇa | aśvatthanāma-nārāyaṇa | āmucā vāsa tethem ase ||39||
I will tell you the greatness of the Ashvattha in full; the Ashvattha is [known as] Narayana by name; our own abode is there.
The Guru identifies the tree itself as a form of the divine (Narayana) and as his own dwelling place, elevating it from folk custom to a direct locus of sacred presence.
Look for the sacred in ordinary, familiar things around you, not only in far-off or exotic places.
ऐकोनि श्रीगुरुचें वचन । विनवीतसे ते अंगना । अश्वत्थवृक्षाचें महिमान । स्वामी मातें निरोपावें ॥४०॥
aikoni śrīgurucem vacana | vinavītase te amganā | aśvatthavṛkṣācem mahimāna | svāmī mātem niropāvem ||40||
Hearing Shri Guru's words, that woman entreats: Master, please explain to me the greatness of the Ashvattha tree.
Her request for explanation shows a shift from weary repetition of ritual toward wanting real understanding of what she practices.
Seek to understand the meaning behind a practice, not just perform it by rote.
कैसी महिमा असे त्यासी । स्वामी सांगावें मजसी । स्थिर होईल माझें मानसी । सेवा करीन भक्तीनें ॥४१॥
kaisī mahimā ase tyāsī | svāmī sāmgāvem majasī | sthira hoīla mājhem mānasī | sevā karīna bhaktīnem ||41||
What greatness does it have? Master, please tell me, so that my mind may become steady, and I will serve with devotion.
She explains that understanding will steady her faith and deepen her devotion — knowledge in service of sincerity, not mere curiosity.
Let clear understanding strengthen your commitment rather than replace heartfelt devotion.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती तियेसी । अश्वत्थवृक्षासी निंदा करिसी । महिमा असे अपार त्यासी । समस्त देव तेथें वसती ॥४२॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī tiyesī | aśvatthavṛkṣāsī nimdā karisī | mahimā ase apāra tyāsī | samasta deva tethem vasatī ||42||
Shri Guru said to her: you disparage the Ashvattha tree; [but] its greatness is boundless — all the gods dwell there.
The Guru begins his teaching by naming her lingering doubt directly, before unfolding the tree's cosmic significance.
Be willing to have your doubts named honestly by a trusted teacher before you can move past them.
अश्वत्थाचें महिमान । असे ब्रह्मांडपुराणीं निरुपण । नारदमुनीस विस्तारोन । ब्रह्मदेवानें सांगितलें ॥४३॥
aśvatthācem mahimāna | ase brahmāmḍapurāṇīm nirupaṇa | nāradamunīsa vistārona | brahmadevānem sāmgitalem ||43||
The greatness of the Ashvattha is expounded in the Brahmanda Purana, told at length by Brahmadeva to sage Narada.
The Guru grounds his teaching in scriptural authority, citing the Brahmanda Purana's account of Brahma instructing Narada.
When teaching something important, root it in a trustworthy source rather than mere personal opinion.
ब्रह्मकुमर नारदमुनि । नित्य गमन त्रिभुवनीं । ब्रह्मयासी पुसोनि । आला ऋषि-आश्रमासी ॥४४॥
brahmakumara nāradamuni | nitya gamana tribhuvanīm | brahmayāsī pusoni | ālā ṛṣi-āśramāsī ||44||
Brahma's son, sage Narada, always wandering through the three worlds, having asked Brahma [about this], came to the sages' ashram.
Narada, the wandering sage-messenger of Hindu lore, serves as the link carrying Brahma's teaching from the celestial realm down to the community of earthly sages.
Be a willing carrier of good teaching from those wiser than you to those who need it.
नारदातें देखोनि । अर्घ्यपाद्य देवोनि । पूजा केली उपचारोनि । पुसते झाले तयेवेळीं ॥४५॥
nāradātem dekhoni | arghyapādya devoni | pūjā kelī upacāroni | pusate jhāle tayeveḷīm ||45||
Seeing Narada, [the sages] offered him water for feet and hands, honored him with due rites, and then asked their question.
The sages first honor their guest properly before making any request — hospitality precedes inquiry, a recurring value in this tradition.
Extend proper courtesy and welcome to a guest or teacher before asking anything of them.
ऋषि म्हणती नारदासी । विनंति एक परियेसीं । अश्वत्थमहिमा असे कैसी । विस्तारावें स्वामिया ॥४६॥
ṛṣi mhaṇatī nāradāsī | vinamti eka pariyesīm | aśvatthamahimā ase kaisī | vistārāvem svāmiyā ||46||
The sages said to Narada: we have one request — please expound to us, Master, the greatness of the Ashvattha.
The sages voice the very question the brahmin woman herself is asking, weaving her personal story into this larger cosmic teaching.
Don't hesitate to ask a knowledgeable person to explain something fully, even a well-known subject.
ऋषिवचन ऐकोनि । सांगता जाहला नारदमुनि । गेलों होतों आजिचे दिनीं । ब्रह्मलोकीं हिंडत ॥४७॥
ṛṣivacana aikoni | sāmgatā jāhalā nāradamuni | gelom hotom ājice dinīm | brahmalokīm himḍata ||47||
Hearing the sages' words, Narada began to tell them: 'today I had gone wandering in Brahmaloka.'
Narada begins his account by locating its origin in his own recent visit to Brahma's celestial realm, lending it firsthand authority.
When sharing wisdom, note where and how you learned it, so others can trust its source.
आपण पुसे स्वभावेंसीं । अश्वत्थमहिमा असे कैसी । समस्त मानिती तयासी । विष्णुस्वरुप म्हणोनियां ॥४८॥
āpaṇa puse svabhāvemsīm | aśvatthamahimā ase kaisī | samasta mānitī tayāsī | viṣṇusvarupa mhaṇoniyām ||48||
I myself asked, naturally: what is the greatness of the Ashvattha? All regard it as the very form of Vishnu.
Even Narada, a great sage, admits his own curiosity and asks Brahma directly — modeling that questioning is part of true learning.
Never be too advanced to ask basic, honest questions about what you don't fully understand.
ऐसा वृक्ष असे जरी । सेवा करणें कवणेपरी । कैसा महिमा सविस्तारीं । निरोपावें स्वामिया ॥४९॥
aisā vṛkṣa ase jarī | sevā karaṇem kavaṇeparī | kaisā mahimā savistārīm | niropāvem svāmiyā ||49||
If such is the tree, how should one serve it? Please explain in detail its greatness, Master.
The sages move from 'what is it' to 'how do we practice it' — the natural next step from admiration to actionable devotion.
Once you understand why something matters, ask how you can put that understanding into practice.
ब्रह्मा सांगे आम्हांसी । अश्वत्थमुळीं आपण वासी । मध्यें वास ह्रुषीकेशी । अग्रीं रुद्र वसे जाणा ॥५०॥
brahmā sāmge āmhāmsī | aśvatthamuḷīm āpaṇa vāsī | madhyem vāsa hruṣīkeśī | agrīm rudra vase jāṇā ||50||
Brahma told us: I myself dwell at the root of the Ashvattha; in the middle dwells Hrishikesha (Vishnu); at the top dwells Rudra, know this.
The tree's anatomy becomes a map of the divine trinity — Brahma the creator at the root, Vishnu the sustainer at the trunk, Shiva the dissolver at the crown — teaching that creation, sustenance, and dissolution are present in one living form.
See the whole of life's cycle — beginning, middle, and end — as part of one connected, sacred whole.
शाखापल्लवीं अधिष्ठानीं । दक्षिण शाखे शूलपाणि । पश्चिम शाखे विष्णु निर्गुणी । आपण उत्तरे वसतसें ॥५१॥
śākhāpallavīm adhiṣṭhānīm | dakṣiṇa śākhe śūlapāṇi | paścima śākhe viṣṇu nirguṇī | āpaṇa uttare vasatasem ||51||
In the branches and foliage, [various deities] abide; on the southern branch, Shulapani (Shiva); on the western branch, the formless Vishnu; I myself dwell in the north.
The four directions of the tree's branches are mapped to divine presences, extending the idea that sacredness pervades every part and direction of the tree.
Recognize that no direction or corner of your life need be outside the reach of the sacred.
इंद्रादि देव परियेसीं । वसती पूर्वशाखेसी । इत्यादि देव अहर्निशीं । समस्त शाखेसी वसती जाणा ॥५२॥
imdrādi deva pariyesīm | vasatī pūrvaśākhesī | ityādi deva aharniśīm | samasta śākhesī vasatī jāṇā ||52||
Indra and the other gods dwell on the eastern branch; thus, day and night, all the gods dwell on every branch, know this.
The teaching concludes that literally every branch hosts divinity at all times — the tree is saturated, entirely, with sacred presence.
Treat the ordinary details of your surroundings as worthy of reverence, not just the special or grand moments.
गोब्राह्मण समस्त ऋषि । वेदादि यज्ञ परियेसीं । समस्त मूळांकुरेसी । असती देखा निरंतर ॥५३॥
gobrāhmaṇa samasta ṛṣi | vedādi yajña pariyesīm | samasta mūḷāmkuresī | asatī dekhā niramtara ||53||
All cattle, brahmins, sages, the Vedas, and sacrificial rites abide, understand, at the very roots, constantly.
The roots are said to hold the foundations of dharmic life itself — sustenance, learned teachers, scripture, and ritual — suggesting the tree embodies the whole basis of a righteous society.
Keep your own foundations — learning, ethical conduct, and community — well tended, as the root of a good life.
समस्त नदीतीर्थें देखा । सप्त-सागर लवणादिका । वसती जाणा पूर्व शाखा । ऐसा अश्वत्थ वृक्ष जाणा ॥५४॥
samasta nadītīrthem dekhā | sapta-sāgara lavaṇādikā | vasatī jāṇā pūrva śākhā | aisā aśvattha vṛkṣa jāṇā ||54||
All river-crossings (tirthas), the seven seas and salt-oceans and the like, dwell, know this, on the eastern branch — such is the Ashvattha tree, know.
Even the great pilgrimage sites and oceans of the world are said to be gathered symbolically in the tree, making one visit to it equivalent to visiting all of them.
Find that devotion done fully in one place, with your whole heart, can hold the value of a much larger effort.
अ-कारशब्द मूळस्थान । स्कंध शाखा उ-कार जाण । फळ पुष्प म-कारवर्ण । अश्वत्थमुख अग्निकोणीं असे ॥५५॥
a-kāraśabda mūḷasthāna | skamdha śākhā u-kāra jāṇa | phaḷa puṣpa ma-kāravarṇa | aśvatthamukha agnikoṇīm ase ||55||
The syllable 'A' is its root-seat; the trunk and branches are 'U'; the fruit and flower are the letter 'MA'; the Ashvattha's face is in the south-east direction.
The tree's three parts are mapped onto the three sounds of the sacred syllable Om (A-U-M), identifying the whole tree as a living embodiment of the primordial mantra.
Let a familiar prayer or mantra become something you see reflected in the living world around you, not only spoken with the lips.
एकादश रुद्रादिक । अष्ट वसु आहेत जे का । जे स्थानीं त्रैमूर्तिका । समस्त देव तेथें वसती ॥५६॥
ekādaśa rudrādika | aṣṭa vasu āheta je kā | je sthānīm traimūrtikā | samasta deva tethem vasatī ||56||
The eleven Rudras, the eight Vasus, wherever they are — wherever the Trimurti dwells, all the gods dwell there.
The catalog of deities continues, reinforcing again and again that no part of the tree lacks divine presence.
Trust that goodness, once firmly rooted somewhere, tends to gather and multiply around it.
ऐसा अश्वत्थनारायण । महिमा वर्णावया शक्त कवण । कल्पवृक्ष याचि कारण । ब्रह्मा म्हणे नारदासी ॥५७॥
aisā aśvatthanārāyaṇa | mahimā varṇāvayā śakta kavaṇa | kalpavṛkṣa yāci kāraṇa | brahmā mhaṇe nāradāsī ||57||
Such is Ashvattha-Narayana; who is capable of describing his greatness? For this reason he is the wish-fulfilling tree (kalpavriksha), Brahma tells Narada.
Brahma concludes his teaching by naming the tree explicitly a kalpavṛkṣa — a mythic tree said to grant any wish to those who approach it sincerely.
Approach sincere, humble requests to what you hold sacred with the faith that genuine need can be met.
नारद सांगे ऋषेश्वरांसी । त्रयमूर्ति वास ज्या वृक्षाशीं । काय महिमा सांगों त्यासी । भजतां काय सिद्धि नोहे ? ॥५८॥
nārada sāmge ṛṣeśvarāmsī | trayamūrti vāsa jyā vṛkṣāśīm | kāya mahimā sāmgom tyāsī | bhajatām kāya siddhi nohe ? ||58||
Narada tells the assembled sages: the tree in which the Trimurti dwells — what greatness need I even describe? What accomplishment does not come from worshipping it?
Narada closes the cosmological teaching with a rhetorical flourish — since the tree holds the whole Trinity, any sincere worship of it must bear fruit.
When your foundation is sound and sincere, trust the results will follow, even without needing full proof in advance.
ऐसें ऐकोनि समस्त ऋषि । विनविताति नारदासी । आचारावया विधि कैसी । कवणें रीतीनें भजावें ॥५९॥
aisem aikoni samasta ṛṣi | vinavitāti nāradāsī | ācārāvayā vidhi kaisī | kavaṇem rītīnem bhajāvem ||59||
Hearing this, all the sages entreat Narada: what is the proper method [of worship]? In what manner should one worship it?
Having grasped the tree's greatness, the sages now ask the practical question every listener eventually needs answered: how do I actually do this?
After being inspired by an idea, seek out the concrete steps for putting it into practice.
पूर्वीं आम्हीं एके दिवसीं । पुसिलें होतें आथर्वणासी । त्याणें सांगितलें आम्हांसी । अश्वत्थसेवा एक रीतीं ॥६०॥
pūrvīm āmhīm eke divasīm | pusilem hotem ātharvaṇāsī | tyāṇem sāmgitalem āmhāmsī | aśvatthasevā eka rītīm ||60||
Previously, one day, we ourselves had asked Atharvana [the sage]; he told us the proper way of Ashvattha-worship.
Narada again cites his source — the sage Atharvana — showing that even sacred instruction is properly passed down through a chain of teachers.
Learn practices from those who themselves learned properly, rather than improvising alone.
तूं नारद ब्रह्मऋषि । समस्त धर्म ओळखसी । विस्तार करोनि आम्हांसी । विधिपूर्वक निरोपावें ॥६१॥
tūm nārada brahmaṛṣi | samasta dharma oḷakhasī | vistāra karoni āmhāmsī | vidhipūrvaka niropāvem ||61||
You, Narada, are a brahma-rishi, you know all dharma; please expound it to us in detail, according to proper procedure.
The sages defer to Narada's authority as a knower of dharma to lay out the ritual method precisely and completely.
Seek precise, complete guidance from someone qualified, rather than settling for a vague half-explanation.
नारद म्हणे मुनिवरा । त्या व्रताचिया विस्तारा । सांगेन ऐका तत्परा । विधान असे ब्रह्मवचनीं ॥६२॥
nārada mhaṇe munivarā | tyā vratāciyā vistārā | sāmgena aikā tatparā | vidhāna ase brahmavacanīm ||62||
Narada says: O best of sages, I shall tell the extent of that vow; listen attentively — the method is stated in Brahma's own words.
Narada transitions into teaching the specific vrata (vow) procedure, again anchoring his authority in Brahma's own instruction.
Give your full attention when someone is about to share carefully preserved, time-tested guidance.
आषाढ-पौष-चैत्रमासीं । अस्तंगत गुरुशुक्रेसीं । चंद्रबळ नसते दिवसीं । करुं नये प्रारंभ ॥६३॥
āṣāḍha-pauṣa-caitramāsīm | astamgata guruśukresīm | camdrabaḷa nasate divasīm | karum naye prārambha ||63||
In the months of Ashadha, Paush, and Chaitra, and on days when the moon's light is weak, one should not begin [the vow].
The tradition sets aside particular months and moon-phases as unsuitable to begin the vow, reflecting the era's practice of timing sacred undertakings to natural rhythms.
Choose a steady, unhurried moment to begin a new discipline, rather than starting haphazardly.
याव्यतिरिक्त आणिक मासीं । बरवे पाहोनियां दिवसीं । प्रारंभ करावा उपवासीं । शुचिर्भूत होऊनि ॥६४॥
yāvyatirikta āṇika māsīm | barave pāhoniyām divasīm | prārambha karāvā upavāsīm | śucirbhūta hoūni ||64||
Apart from these, in other months, choosing a good day, one should begin the vow while fasting and remaining pure.
Beyond avoiding certain periods, the emphasis shifts to preparation — fasting and inner purity — as the true prerequisites for beginning.
Prepare yourself inwardly — through simplicity and clarity of mind — before starting something meaningful.
भानुभौमवारेसीं । आतळूं नये अश्वत्थासी । भृगुवारीं संक्रांतिदिवसीं । स्पर्शूं नये परियेसा ॥६५॥
bhānubhaumavāresīm | ātaḷūm naye aśvatthāsī | bhṛguvārīm samkrāmtidivasīm | sparśūm naye pariyesā ||65||
One should not touch the Ashvattha on Sunday or Tuesday; nor on Friday, nor on the day of the solstice-transition (Sankranti).
Certain days are set apart as unsuitable for touching the sacred tree, part of the ritual discipline surrounding the vow.
Respect the boundaries and rhythms of a practice, even the ones that seem inconvenient, as part of taking it seriously.
संधिरात्रीं रिक्तातिथीं । पर्वणीसी व्यतीपातीं । दुर्दिनादि वैधृतीं । अपराण्हसमयीं स्पर्शूं नये ॥६६॥
samdhirātrīm riktātithīm | parvaṇīsī vyatīpātīm | durdinādi vaidhṛtīm | aparāṇhasamayīm sparśūm naye ||66||
At twilight, on inauspicious lunar days, during festival transitions, on days of bad weather, and in the afternoon, one should not touch it.
The list of restricted times continues, underscoring how much care and attentiveness this devotional practice demanded of its practitioner.
Give a serious commitment your full attention and the right conditions, rather than fitting it in carelessly.
अनृत-द्यूतकर्मभेषीं । निंदा-पाखांड-वर्जेसीं । प्रातर्मौनी होवोनि हर्षीं । आरंभावें परियेसा ॥६७॥
anṛta-dyūtakarmabheṣīm | nimdā-pākhāmḍa-varjesīm | prātarmaunī hovoni harṣīm | ārambhāvem pariyesā ||67||
Avoiding falsehood, gambling, slander, and heresy, one should begin at dawn in silence, with a joyful heart, as prescribed.
Ethical conduct — honesty, restraint from gambling, and avoiding harsh speech — is named as inseparable from the ritual itself; outward practice and inward virtue must go together.
Let your ethical conduct — honest speech, self-restraint — accompany any spiritual practice you take up.
सचैल स्नान करुनि । निर्मळ वस्त्र नेसोनि । वृक्षाखालीं जाऊनि । गोमयलिप्त करावें ॥६८॥
sacaila snāna karuni | nirmaḷa vastra nesoni | vṛkṣākhālīm jāūni | gomayalipta karāvem ||68||
After bathing fully clothed and wearing clean garments, one should go beneath the tree and plaster the ground with cow-dung.
The preparatory steps emphasize physical cleanliness and the traditional purification of the ground before worship begins.
Prepare your physical space with care before undertaking something sacred or important to you.
स्वस्तिकादि शंखपद्मेसीं । घालावी रंगमाळा परियेसीं । पंचवर्ण चूर्णेसीं । भरावें तेथें पद्मांत ॥६९॥
svastikādi śamkhapadmesīm | ghālāvī ramgamāḷā pariyesīm | pamcavarṇa cūrṇesīm | bharāvem tethem padmāmta ||69||
One should draw an auspicious rangoli of swastika, conch, and lotus designs, and fill a lotus with five-colored powders.
Creating beauty through colored powder designs (rangoli) is itself an act of devotion, turning artistic care into worship.
Bring beauty and careful attention to how you prepare for something meaningful, not just efficiency.
मागुती स्नान करुनि । श्वेत वस्त्र नेसोनि । गंगा यमुना कलश दोनी । आणोनि ठेवणें पद्मांवरी ॥७०॥
māgutī snāna karuni | śveta vastra nesoni | gamgā yamunā kalaśa donī | āṇoni ṭhevaṇem padmāmvarī ||70||
Bathing again and wearing white garments, one should bring two vessels [representing] the Ganga and Yamuna and place them on the lotus design.
Two sacred rivers are symbolically invoked through the vessels, bringing the presence of India's holiest waters to the local site of worship.
You can bring the presence of what is sacred to you into your own local space through simple symbolic acts.
पूजा करावी कलशांसी । पुण्याहवाचनकर्मेंसीं । संकल्पावें विधींसीं । काम्यार्थ आपुलें उच्चारावें ॥७१॥
pūjā karāvī kalaśāmsī | puṇyāhavācanakarmemsīm | samkalpāvem vidhīmsīm | kāmyārtha āpulem uccārāvem ||71||
One should worship the vessels with the rite of blessing-invocation, make the resolve (sankalpa) properly, and state one's own intended wish.
The sankalpa — a formal statement of intention and purpose — is a key moment, where the practitioner names clearly what she is asking for.
Before beginning an important effort, state your intention clearly to yourself, even just in your own mind.
मग कलश घेवोनि । सात वेळां उदक आणोनि । स्नपन करावें जाणोनि । अश्वत्थ वृक्षासी अवधारा ॥७२॥
maga kalaśa ghevoni | sāta veḷām udaka āṇoni | snapana karāvem jāṇoni | aśvattha vṛkṣāsī avadhārā ||72||
Then, taking the vessel and bringing water seven times, one should bathe (perform the snapana of) the Ashvattha tree, understand this.
The tree itself is bathed as one would bathe a deity's image, treating the living tree with the same reverence given to a temple idol.
Care for something alive in your life — a relationship, a practice — with the same devotion you'd give something formally sacred.
पुनरपि करुनियां स्नान । मग करावें वृक्षपूजन । पुरुषसूक्त म्हणोन । पूजा करावी षोडशोपचारें ॥७३॥
punarapi karuniyām snāna | maga karāvem vṛkṣapūjana | puruṣasūkta mhaṇona | pūjā karāvī ṣoḍaśopacārem ||73||
Bathing once more, one should then worship the tree, reciting the Purusha Sukta, and perform worship with the sixteen ritual offerings.
The shodashopachara (sixteen-step worship) is the classical full ritual sequence, showing that this tree-worship is treated with the same completeness as any major temple rite.
Give your devotional practice full attention and completeness, rather than a hurried shortcut.
मनीं ध्यावी विष्णुमूर्ति । अष्टभुजा आहेति ख्याती । शंख-चक्र-वरद-हस्तीं । अभय-हस्त असे जाणा ॥७४॥
manīm dhyāvī viṣṇumūrti | aṣṭabhujā āheti khyātī | śamkha-cakra-varada-hastīm | abhaya-hasta ase jāṇā ||74||
In the mind, one should meditate on the form of Vishnu, known as eight-armed, holding conch and discus, with hands showing boon-giving and fearlessness.
Inner visualization (dhyāna) of the deity's form accompanies the outer ritual — worship is both an act of the body and an act of focused imagination.
Pair outward ritual or routine with genuine inward focus, so the mind and the action move together.
खड्ग-खेटक एके करीं । धनुष्य-बाण सविस्तारीं । अष्टभुजी येणेंपरी । ध्यावा विष्णु नारायण ॥७५॥
khaḍga-kheṭaka eke karīm | dhanuṣya-bāṇa savistārīm | aṣṭabhujī yeṇemparī | dhyāvā viṣṇu nārāyaṇa ||75||
With sword and shield in one pair of hands, and bow and arrow in detail — thus, eight-armed, one should meditate on Vishnu Narayana.
The full inventory of Vishnu's eight weapons and gestures continues, each symbol representing an aspect of divine protection and power.
Recognize the many different strengths — protective, nurturing, disciplined — that a well-rounded devotion or character draws upon.
पीतांबर पांघरुण । सदा लक्ष्मी-सन्निधान । ऐसी मूर्ति ध्याऊन । पूजा करणें वृक्षासी ॥७६॥
pītāmbara pāmgharuṇa | sadā lakṣmī-sannidhāna | aisī mūrti dhyāūna | pūjā karaṇem vṛkṣāsī ||76||
Draped in yellow silk, ever accompanied by Lakshmi — meditating on such a form, one should worship the tree.
Vishnu is envisioned together with Lakshmi, goddess of fortune, reflecting the belief that true prosperity accompanies genuine devotion.
Invite well-being and abundance into your life through devotion, rather than pursuing it apart from your values.
त्रैमूर्तीचें असें स्थान । शिवशक्तीविणें नाहीं जाण । समस्तांतें आवाहनोन । षोडशोपचारें पूजावें ॥७७॥
traimūrtīcem asem sthāna | śivaśaktīviṇem nāhīm jāṇa | samastāmtem āvāhanona | ṣoḍaśopacārem pūjāvem ||77||
This is the abode of the Trimurti; it is not without Shiva-Shakti, know this; invoking all of them, one should worship with the sixteen offerings.
The teaching insists that the tree holds not just the male trinity but the divine feminine power (Shakti) as well — worship must invoke the whole, undivided sacred reality.
Honor the full range of what you hold sacred, without leaving any part of it out.
वस्त्रें अथवा सुतेसीं । वेष्टावें तया वृक्षासी । पुनरपि संकल्पेसीं । प्रदक्षिणा कराव्या ॥७८॥
vastrem athavā sutesīm | veṣṭāvem tayā vṛkṣāsī | punarapi samkalpesīm | pradakṣiṇā karāvyā ||78||
One should wrap the tree with cloth or thread, and once more, with resolve, perform circumambulations (pradakshina).
Wrapping the tree — much as one would drape a deity's image — precedes the central act of circumambulation, the walking-around that follows.
Physically mark your commitment to something you're devoted to, then follow through with sustained action.
मनसा-वाचा-कर्मणेसीं । भक्तिपूर्वक भावेंसीं । प्रदक्षिणा कराव्या हर्षीं । पुरुषसूक्त म्हणत देखा ॥७९॥
manasā-vācā-karmaṇesīm | bhaktipūrvaka bhāvemsīm | pradakṣiṇā karāvyā harṣīm | puruṣasūkta mhaṇata dekhā ||79||
With mind, speech, and action, with devotion and true feeling, one should perform the circumambulations joyfully, reciting the Purusha Sukta.
The teaching insists devotion must be threefold — thought, word, and deed aligned together — not merely a physical walk without inner sincerity.
Align your thoughts, words, and actions toward the same sincere purpose.
अथवा सहस्त्रनामेंसीं । कराव्या प्रदक्षिणा हर्षीं । अथवा कराव्या मौन्येंसीं । त्याचें फळ अमित असे ॥८०॥
athavā sahastranāmemsīm | karāvyā pradakṣiṇā harṣīm | athavā karāvyā maunyemsīm | tyācem phaḷa amita ase ||80||
Or with the thousand names [of Vishnu], one should perform the circumambulations joyfully; or one may do them in silence — its fruit is boundless.
Several valid approaches are offered — chanting names, reciting the sukta, or silent walking — showing flexibility in how sincerity may be expressed.
Choose the form of devotion or discipline that best suits you, as long as your sincerity remains constant.
चाले जैसी स्त्री गर्भिणी । उदककुंभ घेउनी । तैसे मंद गतींनीं । प्रदक्षिणा कराव्या शुद्धभावें ॥८१॥
cāle jaisī strī garbhiṇī | udakakumbha gheunī | taise mamda gatīmnīm | pradakṣiṇā karāvyā śuddhabhāvem ||81||
As a pregnant woman walks, carrying a pot of water, so, with slow steady steps, one should perform the circumambulations, with a pure heart.
The image of a pregnant woman's careful, unhurried gait becomes the model for how the circumambulation should be walked — slow, deliberate, protective of what is precious.
Move through an important task slowly and carefully, as though carrying something precious, rather than rushing it.
पदोपदीं अश्वमेध । पुण्य जोडे फळप्रद । प्रदक्षिणासमाप्तमध्य । नमस्कार करावा ॥८२॥
padopadīm aśvamedha | puṇya joḍe phaḷaprada | pradakṣiṇāsamāptamadhya | namaskāra karāvā ||82||
At every step [the merit equals] a horse-sacrifice (ashvamedha); such is the fruitful merit gained; at the completion of the circumambulation, one should offer a prostration.
Each single step is likened to the merit of the ashvamedha, one of the greatest Vedic sacrifices, emphasizing how much value the tradition placed on this humble walking practice.
Recognize the great value that can lie hidden inside a small, humble, repeated act.
ब्रह्महत्यादि पापांसी । प्रायश्चित्त नाहीं परियेसीं । प्रदक्षिणा द्विलक्षांसीं । ब्रह्महत्या पाप जाय ॥८३॥
brahmahatyādi pāpāmsī | prāyaścitta nāhīm pariyesīm | pradakṣiṇā dvilakṣāmsīm | brahmahatyā pāpa jāya ||83||
For sins such as the killing of a brahmin, there is otherwise no atonement; but through two hundred thousand circumambulations, the sin of brahma-hatya is destroyed.
The verse asserts the tree's power to purify even the gravest of traditional sins, through sustained, disciplined practice rather than a single act.
Trust that even the heaviest burdens of guilt or regret can be worked through with patient, sustained effort.
त्रिमूर्ति वसती जया स्थानीं । फल काय सांगूं प्रदक्षिणीं । समस्त पापा होय धुणी । गुरुतल्पादि पाप जाय ॥८४॥
trimūrti vasatī jayā sthānīm | phala kāya sāmgūm pradakṣiṇīm | samasta pāpā hoya dhuṇī | gurutalpādi pāpa jāya ||84||
In the place where the Trimurti dwells, what need is there to describe the fruit of circumambulation? All sins are washed away; even the sin against one's guru's marriage-bed (gurutalpa) is destroyed.
The text names even the gravest transgression against a teacher's trust as capable of being purified — a striking assertion of the tree's, and the Guru's, boundless capacity for forgiveness.
Believe that genuine remorse and sustained right effort can restore even a badly broken trust.
नाना व्याधि हरती दोष । प्रदक्षिणा करितां होय सुरस । कोटि ऋण असे ज्यास । परिहरत परियेसा ॥८५॥
nānā vyādhi haratī doṣa | pradakṣiṇā karitām hoya surasa | koṭi ṛṇa ase jyāsa | pariharata pariyesā ||85||
Various diseases and afflictions are removed; performing the circumambulation becomes deeply beneficial; even a debt as vast as a crore is relieved.
The list of benefits broadens from spiritual purification to bodily health and worldly relief from debt, showing the practice was believed to touch every dimension of a devotee's life.
Approach a sustaining practice with the expectation that it can bring healing and relief across many areas of your life, not just one.
जन्म मृत्यु जरा जाती । संसारभय नाश होती । ग्रहदोष बाधों न शकती । सहस्त्र प्रदक्षिणा केलिया ॥८६॥
janma mṛtyu jarā jātī | samsārabhaya nāśa hotī | grahadoṣa bādhom na śakatī | sahastra pradakṣiṇā keliyā ||86||
Birth, death, and old age depart; the fear of worldly existence is destroyed; planetary afflictions cannot touch one who has completed a thousand circumambulations.
Continuing Nārada's teaching on the merits of pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation) around the aśvattha (peepal) tree — a thousand rounds is said to dissolve the round of birth-death-old age itself and neutralize inherited misfortune.
Let a sustained daily practice, not a single burst of effort, be your answer to fear.
पुत्रकाम्य असे ज्यासी । त्यातें फल होय भरंवसीं । मनोवाक्कायकर्मेंसीं । एकोभावें करावें ॥८७॥
putrakāmya ase jyāsī | tyātem phala hoya bharamvasīm | manovākkāyakarmemsīm | ekobhāvem karāvem ||87||
Whoever desires a child will surely obtain the fruit, if the service is done with one-pointed unity of mind, speech, and body.
The promise made specifically to the childless is repeated — but conditioned on manovākkāya (mind-word-deed) unity; a scattered practice yields nothing.
Bring your thoughts, words, and actions into alignment before asking anything of life.
चतुर्विध पुरुषार्थ । देता होय तो अश्वत्थ । पुत्रकाम्य होय त्वरित । न करा अनुमान ऋषी हो ॥८८॥
caturvidha puruṣārtha | detā hoya to aśvattha | putrakāmya hoya tvarita | na karā anumāna ṛṣī ho ||88||
The aśvattha tree grants the four aims of human life (dharma, wealth, desire, liberation); the wish for a child is fulfilled swiftly — sages, harbor no doubt.
Nārada assures the listening sages the tree's power spans the entire fourfold purpose of life, not merely the immediate wish; doubt itself is named as the obstacle.
Doubt is the one thing that can stall a good practice — set it down and continue.
शनिवारीं वृक्ष धरोनि । जपावें मृत्युंजय-मंत्रानीं । काळमृत्यु जिंकोनि । राहती नर अवधारा ॥८९॥
śanivārīm vṛkṣa dharoni | japāvem mṛtyumjaya-mamtrānīm | kāḷamṛtyu jimkoni | rāhatī nara avadhārā ||89||
Holding the tree on a Saturday, one should recite the death-conquering (mṛtyuñjaya) mantra; by this one conquers untimely death and remains, understand it well.
A specific practice detail — embracing the tree while chanting the death-conquering mantra on Saturday ties the ritual to overcoming premature death.
Pair a steady discipline with a specific day or hour, so it does not dissolve into vague good intention.
त्यासी अपमृत्यु न बाधती । पूर्णायुषी होती निश्चितीं । शनिग्रह न पीडिती । प्रार्थावें अश्वत्थासी ॥९०॥
tyāsī apamṛtyu na bādhatī | pūrṇāyuṣī hotī niścitīm | śanigraha na pīḍitī | prārthāvem aśvatthāsī ||90||
Untimely death cannot touch him; he certainly attains a full lifespan; the harsher planetary affliction does not trouble him — pray to the aśvattha.
The reward is a full natural life and freedom from harsh fate — prayer directed at the tree becomes a form of surrender to what one cannot otherwise control.
Turn what you cannot control over to prayer, and put your effort into what you can.
शनिनाम घेवोनि । उच्चारावें आपुले जिव्हेनीं । बभ्रु-पिंगळ म्हणोनि । कोणस्थ-कृष्ण म्हणावें ॥९१॥
śanināma ghevoni | uccārāvem āpule jivhenīm | babhru-pimgaḷa mhaṇoni | koṇastha-kṛṣṇa mhaṇāvem ||91||
One should take up the deity's many names and utter them with one's own tongue — reciting each epithet in turn.
A litany of the deity's epithets to recite — naming the divine by its many forms is itself an act of devotion in this tradition, believed to draw its grace.
Name what troubles you plainly and directly rather than skirting around it.
अंतक-यम-महारौद्री । मंद-शनैश्वर-सौरि । जप करावा येणेंपरी । शनिपीडा न होय ॥९२॥
amtaka-yama-mahāraudrī | mamda-śanaiśvara-sauri | japa karāvā yeṇemparī | śanipīḍā na hoya ||92||
Ender, Lord of Death, the Terrible One, the Slow-Mover, the Gentle One — the chant should be done in this way; then the affliction does not occur.
The litany continues with further epithets of the deity — repeating its full range of names is treated as a complete act of homage that wards off its harsher aspect.
A complete, unhurried practice matters more than a hasty, partial one.
ऐसें दृढ करोनि मना । अश्वत्थ सेवितां होय कामना । पुत्रकाम्य तत्क्षणा । होय निरुतें अवधारा ॥९३॥
aisem dṛḍha karoni manā | aśvattha sevitām hoya kāmanā | putrakāmya tatkṣaṇā | hoya nirutem avadhārā ||93||
Making the mind firm in this way, serving the aśvattha fulfills one's wish; the desire for a child is granted at once — know this for certain.
Nārada closes this stretch by reiterating that firmness of resolve, not the ritual details alone, is what makes the service effective.
Resolve, held steady, is the ingredient that turns routine practice into real change.
अमावस्या-गुरुवारेंसी । अश्वत्थछाया-जळेंसीं । स्नान करितां नरासी । ब्रह्महत्या पाप जाय ॥९४॥
amāvasyā-guruvāremsī | aśvatthachāyā-jaḷemsīm | snāna karitām narāsī | brahmahatyā pāpa jāya ||94||
On a new-moon day that falls on a Thursday, bathing in water touched by the aśvattha's shade removes even the gravest sin from a man.
A specific calendrical convergence — new moon on the guru's day — intensifies the tree's purifying power to the point of absolving the gravest sin known to the tradition.
Use meaningful moments — anniversaries, sacred days — to renew a resolve to change.
अश्वत्थतळीं ब्राह्मणासी । अन्न देतां एकासी । कोटि ब्राह्मणां परियेसीं । भोजन दिल्हें फळ असे ॥९५॥
aśvatthataḷīm brāhmaṇāsī | anna detām ekāsī | koṭi brāhmaṇām pariyesīm | bhojana dilhem phaḷa ase ||95||
Feeding a single learned guest beneath the aśvattha yields the fruit of feeding ten million such guests.
The tree magnifies ordinary generosity many times over — the setting sanctifies the small act.
Give what you can where it will do the most good, rather than waiting to give more elsewhere.
अश्वत्थतळीं बैसोन । एकदां मंत्र जपतां क्षण । फळें होतील अनेकगुण । वेदपठण केलियाचें ॥९६॥
aśvatthataḷīm baisona | ekadām mamtra japatām kṣaṇa | phaḷem hotīla anekaguṇa | vedapaṭhaṇa keliyācem ||96||
Sitting beneath the aśvattha and reciting a mantra even once yields many times the fruit of long scriptural recitation done elsewhere.
Brief recitation done in the tree's presence is said to outweigh long recitation done elsewhere — place and presence matter as much as duration.
A few focused minutes in the right frame of mind beat hours of distracted effort.
नर एखादा अश्वत्थासीं । स्थापना करी भक्तींसीं । आपुले पितृ-बेचाळिसी । स्वर्गीं स्थापी परियेसा ॥९७॥
nara ekhādā aśvatthāsīm | sthāpanā karī bhaktīmsīm | āpule pitṛ-becāḷisī | svargīm sthāpī pariyesā ||97||
If a man devotedly plants an aśvattha, he establishes his forty-two generations of ancestors in a blessed state.
Planting the tree becomes an act of ancestor-honoring reaching forty-two generations back — a single deed rippling across a whole lineage.
Plant something — literally or figuratively — that will still be giving benefit after you are gone.
छेदितां अश्वत्थवृक्षासी । महापाप परियेसीं । पितृसहित नरकासी । जाय देखा तो नर ॥९८॥
cheditām aśvatthavṛkṣāsī | mahāpāpa pariyesīm | pitṛsahita narakāsī | jāya dekhā to nara ||98||
Cutting down the aśvattha tree is a great wrong; that man drags his ancestors down with him into ruin.
The mirror warning to the previous verse — destroying the tree undoes the same lineage of ancestors, teaching that reverence for nature and reverence for one's forebears are bound together.
Protect the good things you inherit; tearing them down costs more people than just you.
अश्वत्थातळीं बैसोन । होम करितां महायज्ञ । अक्षय सुकृत असे जाण । पुत्रकाम्य त्वरित होय ॥९९॥
aśvatthātaḷīm baisona | homa karitām mahāyajña | akṣaya sukṛta ase jāṇa | putrakāmya tvarita hoya ||99||
Performing a fire-offering while seated beneath the aśvattha equals a great sacrifice; the merit is imperishable, and the wish for a child is quickly granted.
This closes the segment of merits — ritual offering done at the tree carries the weight of a great sacrifice, its merit described as undecaying.
Choose settings and rituals that help your effort mean more, not just take longer.
ऐसा अश्वत्थमहिमा । नारदाप्रति सांगे ब्रह्मा । म्हणोनि ऐकती ऋषिस्तोम । तया नारदापासोनि ॥१००॥
aisā aśvatthamahimā | nāradāprati sāmge brahmā | mhaṇoni aikatī ṛṣistoma | tayā nāradāpāsoni ||100||
Such is the greatness of the aśvattha that the Creator told to Nārada; thus the assembly of sages heard it from Nārada.
The frame-story closes — this whole teaching originated with the Creator, passed to Nārada, and now to the sages; Śrī Guru is retelling it to the barren woman as received wisdom, not invention.
Pass on wisdom you've received rather than hoarding it or claiming it as uniquely your own.
नारद म्हणे ऋषेश्वरासी । प्रदक्षिणेच्या दहावे अंशीं । हवन करावें विशेषीं । आगमोक्त विधानपूर्वक ॥१॥
nārada mhaṇe ṛṣeśvarāsī | pradakṣiṇecyā dahāve amśīm | havana karāvem viśeṣīm | āgamokta vidhānapūrvaka ||1||
Nārada tells the great sages: for every tenth round of the circumambulations, a special fire-offering should be made, according to the rites prescribed in the sacred texts.
A technical closing instruction on the full procedure — every batch of ten circumambulations should be capped with a ritual offering performed by scriptural rule, showing the rite is structured, not casual.
Build periodic checkpoints into any long discipline, rather than only judging it at the very end.
हवनाचे दहावे अंशीं । ब्राह्मणभोजन करावें हर्षीं । ब्रह्मचर्य हविष्यान्नेंसीं । व्रत आपण करावें ॥२॥
havanāce dahāve amśīm | brāhmaṇabhojana karāvem harṣīm | brahmacarya haviṣyānnemsīm | vrata āpaṇa karāvem ||2||
For every tenth part of the fire-offerings, one should joyfully feed learned guests; the vow itself should be kept with restraint and consecrated food.
The rite nests further — feeding guests after each tenth offering, and observing continence with sanctified food throughout, keeping the whole undertaking disciplined.
Guard the small disciplines — diet, restraint — that support a larger commitment.
येणेंपरी आचरोन । मग करावें उद्यापन । शक्त्यनुसार सौवर्ण । अश्वत्थवृक्ष करावा ॥३॥
yeṇemparī ācarona | maga karāvem udyāpana | śaktyanusāra sauvarṇa | aśvatthavṛkṣa karāvā ||3||
Having practiced in this way, one should then perform the concluding rite; according to one's means, a golden aśvattha tree should be fashioned.
The vow's formal closing calls for a symbolic golden tree — offered in proportion to one's wealth, not a fixed amount, so no one is excluded by poverty.
Give what is within your means at the close of an effort — proportion matters more than amount.
तो द्यावा ब्राह्मणासी । विधिपूर्वक परियेसीं । श्वेतधेनु सवत्सेंसीं । ब्राह्मणातें दान द्यावी ॥४॥
to dyāvā brāhmaṇāsī | vidhipūrvaka pariyesīm | śvetadhenu savatsemsīm | brāhmaṇātem dāna dyāvī ||4||
That golden tree should be given to a learned guest according to rite; a white cow with her calf should also be given in charity.
The concluding gifts — the golden tree and a white cow with calf — round out the vow with acts of charity that provide for a teacher and, symbolically, for continued life.
Let the end of an undertaking include something given away, not just something gained.
वृक्षातळीं तिळराशी । करावी यथानुशक्तीसीं । श्वेतवस्त्र झांकोनि हर्षीं । सुक्षीण ब्राह्मणासी दान द्यावें ॥५॥
vṛkṣātaḷīm tiḷarāśī | karāvī yathānuśaktīsīm | śvetavastra jhāmkoni harṣīm | sukṣīṇa brāhmaṇāsī dāna dyāvem ||5||
A heap of sesame seeds should be made beneath the tree according to one's ability, covered joyfully with white cloth, and given as charity to a needy learned guest.
The last detail of the rite closes the loop between abundance sought and generosity shown, directing the final gift specifically toward someone in need.
Direct your giving toward those who genuinely need it, not merely those who ask.
ऐसें अश्वत्थविधान । सांगे नारद ऋषिजना । येणेंपरी आचरोन । सकळाभीष्ट लाधले ॥६॥
aisem aśvatthavidhāna | sāmge nārada ṛṣijanā | yeṇemparī ācarona | sakaḷābhīṣṭa lādhale ||6||
Such is the rite of the aśvattha that Nārada told the sages; practicing it in this way, they obtained all their desires.
The embedded teaching concludes with confirmation that the sages who followed it received everything they sought — validating the method before Śrī Guru applies it to the present case.
Trust a method that has proven itself for others before you dismiss it as too much trouble.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती वांझ सतीसी । अश्वत्थमहिमा आहे ऐसी । भावभक्ति असे ज्यासी । त्यातें होय फलश्रुति ॥७॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī vāmjha satīsī | aśvatthamahimā āhe aisī | bhāvabhakti ase jyāsī | tyātem hoya phalaśruti ||7||
Śrī Guru says to the barren wife: such is the greatness of the aśvattha; whoever holds sincere devotion attains its fruit.
The narrative returns from Nārada's teaching to the present scene — Śrī Guru applies the whole discourse directly to the woman, with the single condition that matters being sincerity of devotion.
Approach any spiritual practice with sincerity of heart, which matters more than technical perfection.
आचार करीं वो येणेंपरी । संशय अंतःकरणीं न धरीं । वृक्ष असे भीमातीरीं । जेथें अमरजासंगम ॥८॥
ācāra karīm vo yeṇemparī | samśaya amtaḥkaraṇīm na dharīm | vṛkṣa ase bhīmātīrīm | jethem amarajāsamgama ||8||
Practice it in this way; do not hold doubt in your heart; the tree stands on the riverbank, at the meeting of the two streams.
Śrī Guru gives her the concrete place — the aśvattha at the sacred river confluence itself — and repeats the instruction against doubt.
Do the practice at hand rather than searching endlessly for a better one — and let go of second-guessing.
तेंचि आमुचें असे स्थान । सेवा करीं वो एकोमनें । होईल तुझी मनकामना । कन्या पुत्र तुज होतील ॥९॥
temci āmucem ase sthāna | sevā karīm vo ekomanem | hoīla tujhī manakāmanā | kanyā putra tuja hotīla ||9||
That very place is our own abode; serve there with a single-pointed mind, and your heart's wish will be fulfilled — you will have a daughter and a son.
Śrī Guru identifies the tree's location as his own true dwelling, folding the aśvattha-worship into guru-devotion itself, and explicitly promises both a daughter and a son.
Serve where your teacher or guide actually points you, not where convenience suggests.
ऐकोनि श्रीगुरुचें वचन । नमन करी ते अंगना । विनवीतसे कर जोडूनि । भावभक्तीकरोनियां ॥११०॥
aikoni śrīgurucem vacana | namana karī te amganā | vinavītase kara joḍūni | bhāvabhaktīkaroniyām ||110||
Hearing Śrī Guru's words, the woman bows in reverence; with joined palms and sincere devotion she entreats him.
Her response models the ideal disciple's posture — immediate reverence and heartfelt petition rather than argument, even after decades of disappointment.
Receive guidance with an open, grateful posture before you evaluate it.
आपण वांझ वर्षें साठी । कैंचे पुत्र आपुले पोटीं । वाक्य असे तुमचें शेवटीं । म्हणोनि आपण अंगीकारीन ॥११॥
āpaṇa vāmjha varṣem sāṭhī | kaimce putra āpule poṭīm | vākya ase tumacem śevaṭīm | mhaṇoni āpaṇa amgīkārīna ||11||
I have been barren for sixty years — how could a child come from my womb? But your word is final, so I will accept it.
She voices her natural doubt candidly, yet places the guru's word above her own reasoning — a portrait of faith that includes honesty about difficulty, not denial of it.
You may voice your doubts honestly and still choose to act in faith despite them.
गुरुवाक्य म्हणजे कामधेनु । ऐसें बोलती वेदपुराण । आतां नाहीं अनुमान । करीन सेवा स्वामिया ॥१२॥
guruvākya mhaṇaje kāmadhenu | aisem bolatī vedapurāṇa | ātām nāhīm anumāna | karīna sevā svāmiyā ||12||
The scriptures say the guru's word is like the wish-fulfilling cow; now I have no doubt — I will do the service, Lord.
She names the classical image that will recur throughout the chapter's close, marking her transition from doubt to full resolve.
Once you've decided to trust a source, act on its counsel fully rather than half-heartedly.
चाड नाहीं अश्वत्थासी । निर्धार तुमचे बोलासी । सेवा करीन तुमची ऐसी । म्हणोनि चरणीं लागली ॥१३॥
cāḍa nāhīm aśvatthāsī | nirdhāra tumace bolāsī | sevā karīna tumacī aisī | mhaṇoni caraṇīm lāgalī ||13||
I have no real need to question the aśvattha; my certainty rests in your word — I will serve it as you say — and so she fell at his feet.
She clarifies her devotion is ultimately guru-centered, the tree-worship being an instrument of obedience rather than an end in itself; she prostrates in confirmation.
Let the concrete practice you're given be an act of trust in the wisdom behind it.
ऐसा निरोप घेवोनि । जावोनि वनिता संगमस्थानीं । षट्कूलांत न्हाऊनि । सेवा करी अश्वत्थाची ॥१४॥
aisā niropa ghevoni | jāvoni vanitā samgamasthānīm | ṣaṭkūlāmta nhāūni | sevā karī aśvatthācī ||14||
Taking his leave, the woman went to the river confluence, bathed at the sacred banks, and began the service of the aśvattha.
The narrative moves to action — she departs at once, performs the ritual bath and begins the tree-service exactly as instructed.
Once you've resolved to act, begin promptly rather than deferring the first step.
श्रीगुरुनिरोप जेणेंपरी । तैसी सेवा करी ते नारी । येणेंपरी तीन रात्रीं । आराधिलें परियेसा ॥१५॥
śrīguruniropa jeṇemparī | taisī sevā karī te nārī | yeṇemparī tīna rātrīm | ārādhilem pariyesā ||15||
Just as Śrī Guru had instructed, the woman performed the service; in this way she worshipped for three nights.
Her fidelity to the instructions, without deviation, over three nights, is emphasized — obedience carried through to completion, not just begun.
Follow instructions precisely rather than improvising when you don't yet understand why they matter.
श्रीगुरुसहित अश्वत्थासी । पूजा करितां तिसरे दिवसीं । स्वप्न जाहलें तियेसी । सांगेन ऐका एकचित्तें ॥१६॥
śrīgurusahita aśvatthāsī | pūjā karitām tisare divasīm | svapna jāhalem tiyesī | sāmgena aikā ekacittem ||16||
While worshipping the aśvattha together with Śrī Guru in her heart, on the third day she had a dream; listen with one-pointed attention as I tell it.
The narrator signals a turning point — a dream on the third day, the number three marking completion of a devotional cycle across many Indian traditions.
Stay attentive at the threshold of a practice's completion; that is often when guidance arrives.
स्वप्नामध्यें विप्र एक । येवोनि देतो तिसी भाक । काम्य झालें तुझें ऐक । सांगेन एक करीं म्हणे ॥१७॥
svapnāmadhyem vipra eka | yevoni deto tisī bhāka | kāmya jhālem tujhem aika | sāmgena eka karīm mhaṇe ||17||
In the dream a learned man came and gave her a promise: 'Your wish has been granted — listen, I will tell you one thing to do.'
The dream-figure — later understood as Śrī Guru himself — confirms the wish is already granted and gives her a final task, showing grace arriving before the visible proof.
Trust that an answer may already be settled even before you can see its outward sign.
जाऊनि गाणगापुरांत । तेथें असे श्रीगुरुनाथ । प्रदक्षिणा करीं हो सात । नमन करीं तूं भक्तींसीं ॥१८॥
jāūni gāṇagāpurāmta | tethem ase śrīgurunātha | pradakṣiṇā karīm ho sāta | namana karīm tūm bhaktīmsīm ||18||
'Go to the town where Śrī Guru resides; circle him seven times, and bow to him with devotion.'
The dream instructs her to complete the devotion at the guru's actual seat with seven circumambulations — folding the tree-worship's practice into direct guru-worship.
Complete a spiritual practice at its source, in person, rather than only at a distance.
जें काय देतील तुजसी । भक्षण करीं वो वेगेंसीं । निर्धार धरुनि मानसीं । त्वरित जावें म्हणे विप्र ॥१९॥
jem kāya detīla tujasī | bhakṣaṇa karīm vo vegemsīm | nirdhāra dharuni mānasīm | tvarita jāvem mhaṇe vipra ||19||
'Whatever they give you, eat it at once; hold firm resolve in your mind, and go without delay,' said the man in the dream.
The instruction stresses immediacy — accept and consume the offering without hesitation, again pairing faith with promptness.
When a gift or opportunity is offered, receive it fully rather than hesitating out of doubt.
ऐसें देखोनि सुषुप्तींत । सवेंचि झाली ते जागृत । कल्पवृक्ष असे अश्वत्थ । कल्पिलें फळ त्वरित होय ॥१२०॥
aisem dekhoni suṣuptīmta | savemci jhālī te jāgṛta | kalpavṛkṣa ase aśvattha | kalpilem phaḷa tvarita hoya ||120||
Seeing this in her deep sleep, she at once awoke; the aśvattha is indeed a wish-fulfilling tree — the wished-for fruit comes swiftly.
Her waking confirms the dream's weight; the narrator reiterates the tree's identity as a wish-fulfilling tree, tying the vision directly to the promised swift fulfillment.
Take a vivid, urgent prompting from within seriously enough to act on it right away.
सेवा करुनि चवथे दिवशीं । आली आपण मठासी । प्रदक्षिणा करुनि हर्षीं । नमन केलें तये वेळीं ॥२१॥
sevā karuni cavathe divaśīm | ālī āpaṇa maṭhāsī | pradakṣiṇā karuni harṣīm | namana kelem taye veḷīm ||21||
Having completed the service, on the fourth day she came to the monastery, circled it joyfully, and bowed at that time.
She promptly follows the dream's instruction, arriving at Śrī Guru's monastery and performing the circling and bowing exactly as told.
Follow through on inner guidance with concrete, physical action, not just private resolve.
हांसोनियां श्रीगुरुमुनि । फळें देती तिसी दोनी । भक्षण करीं वो संतोषोनि । काम्य झालें आतां तुझें ॥२२॥
hāmsoniyām śrīgurumuni | phaḷem detī tisī donī | bhakṣaṇa karīm vo samtoṣoni | kāmya jhālem ātām tujhem ||22||
Smiling, Śrī Guru gives her two fruits: 'Eat them joyfully — your wish is now fulfilled.'
Śrī Guru's smile signals warm, unforced grace; the gift of exactly two fruits foreshadows the two children — a daughter and a son — promised to come.
Receive what is freely given with gladness, without overanalyzing the gesture.
भोजन करीं वो तूं आतां त्वरित । काम्य होईल तुझें सत्य । कन्या-पुत्र दोघे तूतें । दिल्हे आजि परियेसा ॥२३॥
bhojana karīm vo tūm ātām tvarita | kāmya hoīla tujhem satya | kanyā-putra doghe tūtem | dilhe āji pariyesā ||23||
'Eat now without delay; your wish will truly be fulfilled — today I have given you both a daughter and a son.'
Śrī Guru makes the promise explicit and immediate — both children are, in effect, already granted at this moment.
Act promptly on a clear directive rather than letting the moment pass in hesitation.
पारणें करोनि विधीसीं । मग भक्षावें या फलांसी । दान द्यावें ब्राह्मणांसी । जें काय पूर्वीं निरोपिलें ॥२४॥
pāraṇem karoni vidhīsīm | maga bhakṣāvem yā phalāmsī | dāna dyāvem brāhmaṇāmsī | jem kāya pūrvīm niropilem ||24||
Having broken her fast according to rite, she should then eat these fruits, and give charity to learned guests as instructed earlier.
The proper closing sequence is spelled out — the fast is ended formally, the offering eaten, and charity given, completing the whole rite as originally prescribed.
Bring a discipline to a proper close instead of just letting it trail off.
व्रत संपूर्ण करोनि । केलें दान ते भामिनीं । तेचि दिवशीं अस्तमानी । झाली आपण विटाळशी ॥२५॥
vrata sampūrṇa karoni | kelem dāna te bhāminīm | teci divaśīm astamānī | jhālī āpaṇa viṭāḷaśī ||25||
Having completed the vow, the woman gave the charity; that very evening she entered her monthly cycle.
The onset of her cycle on the very completion day is presented as a natural, meaningful sign that conception has become possible again after sixty barren years.
Notice ordinary bodily and life signs as part of a larger unfolding, not as separate from your intentions.
मौन दिवस तीनवरी । भोजन करी हिरवे खापरीं । श्वेत वस्त्र नेसोनि नारी । कवणाकडे न पाहेचि ॥२६॥
mauna divasa tīnavarī | bhojana karī hirave khāparīm | śveta vastra nesoni nārī | kavaṇākaḍe na pāheci ||26||
For three days she kept silence, ate from a fresh earthen dish, wore white cloth, and looked at no one.
The customary purity observances during this time of seclusion — silence, plain vessels, white clothing, withdrawal — mark ritual purity being carefully maintained.
Honor the quiet, restorative pauses your body or circumstances ask of you.
येणेंपरी तिन्ही निशी । क्रमिल्या नारीनें परियेसीं । सुस्नात होवोनि चवथे दिवशीं । आली श्रीगुरुचे दर्शना ॥३७॥
yeṇemparī tinhī niśī | kramilyā nārīnem pariyesīm | susnāta hovoni cavathe divaśīm | ālī śrīguruce darśanā ||37||
In this way the woman passed the three nights; having bathed thoroughly on the fourth day, she came for Śrī Guru's presence.
The period of seclusion completed, she returns properly purified to seek the guru's presence, echoing the earlier three-night, fourth-day pattern of completion.
Return to your practice or community renewed after a needed period of rest.
पतीसमवेत येऊनि । पूजा करी ती एकाग्रमनीं । श्रीगुरु म्हणती संतोषोनि । पुत्रवंती व्हावें तुम्हीं ॥२८॥
patīsamaveta yeūni | pūjā karī tī ekāgramanīm | śrīguru mhaṇatī samtoṣoni | putravamtī vhāvem tumhīm ||28||
Coming together with her husband, she worships with one-pointed mind; Śrī Guru says with delight, 'May you both become blessed with children.'
The husband now joins her worship, and Śrī Guru's blessing is extended to both spouses jointly — the child is a shared fruit of shared devotion.
Bring your partner into a shared practice rather than carrying a hope alone.
ऐसें नमूनि श्रीगुरुसी । आली आपुल्या मंदिरासी । ऋतु दिधला पांचवे दिवसीं । म्हणोनि कन्या परियेसा ॥२९॥
aisem namūni śrīgurusī | ālī āpulyā mamdirāsī | ṛtu didhalā pāmcave divasīm | mhaṇoni kanyā pariyesā ||29||
Having bowed to Śrī Guru, she returned to her home; on the fifth day she conceived — and thus, understand, she bore a daughter.
The narrator marks the exact moment of conception, tying the physiological detail directly to the spiritual promise already given.
Trust that ordinary processes can carry an answered prayer forward without further striving.
येणेंपरी ते नारी । जाहली ऐका गरोदरी । ग्राम सकळ विस्मय करी । काय नवल म्हणतसे ॥१३०॥
yeṇemparī te nārī | jāhalī aikā garodarī | grāma sakaḷa vismaya karī | kāya navala mhaṇatase ||130||
In this way the woman became pregnant; the whole village was astonished, saying, 'What a wonder!'
The private miracle becomes public news — the community's astonishment marks how extraordinary a sixty-year-old woman's pregnancy appeared to everyone around her.
Let genuine transformation in your life quietly inspire wonder in others, without needing to announce it.
म्हणती पहा नवल वर्तलें । वांझेसी गर्भधारण केवीं झालें । सोमनाथ विप्र भले । करीतसे आनंद ॥३१॥
mhaṇatī pahā navala vartalem | vāmjhesī garbhadhāraṇa kevīm jhālem | somanātha vipra bhale | karītase ānamda ||31||
People said, 'Look what a wonder has occurred — how did a barren woman conceive?' The good man Somanātha rejoiced greatly.
The husband, introduced at the start of the chapter, is shown sharing fully in the joy — the couple's decades-long shared sorrow now becomes shared celebration.
Share the fruits of a hard-won hope openly with those who stood by you through it.
सातवे मासीं ओटी भरिती । अक्षय वाणें ओंवाळिती । श्रीगुरुसी विनोदावरी प्रीति । वाणें देवविती कौतुकें ॥३२॥
sātave māsīm oṭī bharitī | akṣaya vāṇem omvāḷitī | śrīgurusī vinodāvarī prīti | vāṇem devavitī kautukem ||32||
In the seventh month they performed the ceremonial blessing of the mother-to-be and waved lasting gifts in blessing; out of loving delight toward Śrī Guru, gifts were given with joy.
The traditional seventh-month rite is performed, with gifts given partly as a joyful, affectionate tribute to Śrī Guru who made it possible.
Mark milestones along the way, not only the final outcome, with gratitude and celebration.
आठवे मासीं तो ब्राह्मण । करी सीमंतविधान । गुरुनिरोपें संतोषोन । देती वाणें ग्रामांत ॥३३॥
āṭhave māsīm to brāhmaṇa | karī sīmamtavidhāna | guruniropem samtoṣona | detī vāṇem grāmāmta ||33||
In the eighth month the husband performed the customary rite for the mother-to-be; joyful at the guru's word, he gave gifts throughout the village.
The husband extends the celebration outward, distributing gifts to the whole village at the guru's implicit sanction — private grace becomes shared community joy.
Let your good fortune become an occasion for generosity toward your whole community.
अभिनव करिती सकळही जन । म्हणती वांझेसी गर्भधारण । पांढरे केश म्हातारपण वाणें देती कौतुकें ॥३४॥
abhinava karitī sakaḷahī jana | mhaṇatī vāmjhesī garbhadhāraṇa | pāmḍhare keśa mhātārapaṇa vāṇem detī kautukem ||34||
All the people marveled, saying, 'A barren woman conceiving, with white hair and old age!' — they gave gifts in wonder.
The narrator underlines the sheer physical improbability that made the whole village treat it as a marvel worth celebrating.
Let visible signs of unlikely blessing deepen your gratitude rather than your disbelief.
एक म्हणती श्रीगुरुप्रसाद । श्रीनृसिंहमूर्ति भक्तवरद । त्याची सेवा करितां आनंद । लाधे चारी पुरुषार्थ ॥३५॥
eka mhaṇatī śrīguruprasāda | śrīnṛsimhamūrti bhaktavarada | tyācī sevā karitām ānamda | lādhe cārī puruṣārtha ||35||
Some said, 'This is Śrī Guru's grace — the form of Nṛsiṁha, who grants boons to devotees; serving him joyfully, one obtains all four goals of life.'
The villagers themselves articulate the chapter's theology — recognizing Śrī Guru as Nṛsiṁha, the Man-Lion form of the Divine, whose service yields the whole of life's purpose, not merely a child.
Recognize grace when it appears in your life, and name it rather than attributing it to mere chance.
त्रैमूर्तींचा अवतार । झाला नृसिंहसरस्वती नर । भक्तजनां मनोहर प्रगटला भूमंडळीं ॥३६॥
traimūrtīmcā avatāra | jhālā nṛsimhasarasvatī nara | bhaktajanām manohara pragaṭalā bhūmamḍaḷīm ||36||
The incarnation of the three great deities became the man Nṛsiṁha Sarasvatī; beautiful to his devotees, he manifested on earth.
The people's recognition deepens into full theological affirmation — Śrī Guru as the combined divine presence walking among them for the sake of devotees.
See the sacred as accessible in ordinary human form, not only in distant or abstract ideas.
ऐसें नानापरी देखा । स्तोत्र करिती गुरुनायका । वाणें देत ते बालिका । अत्योल्हास तिच्या मनीं ॥३७॥
aisem nānāparī dekhā | stotra karitī gurunāyakā | vāṇem deta te bālikā | atyolhāsa ticyā manīm ||37||
Seeing this, the people praised the guru-lord in many ways; the young woman gave gifts, great joy in her heart.
Communal praise and the mother's personal exuberance are held together — public devotion and private gratitude reinforcing each other.
Let your private joy overflow into shared praise and generosity.
वाणें देऊनि समस्तांसी । येऊनि नमी ती श्रीगुरुसी । भक्तवत्सल परियेसीं । अशीर्वचन देतसे ॥३८॥
vāṇem deūni samastāmsī | yeūni namī tī śrīgurusī | bhaktavatsala pariyesīm | aśīrvacana detase ||38||
Having given gifts to everyone, she came and bowed to Śrī Guru; he, tender toward his devotees, gave her his blessing.
She closes the public celebration by returning to the source — bowing before Śrī Guru, who responds with the affectionate warmth that defines his character throughout the text.
After celebrating with others, return to give thanks at the source of your blessing.
संतोषोनि विप्रवनिता । करी साष्टांग दंडवता । नानापरी स्तोत्र करितां । विनवीतसे परियेसा ॥३९॥
samtoṣoni vipravanitā | karī sāṣṭāmga damḍavatā | nānāparī stotra karitām | vinavītase pariyesā ||39||
Overjoyed, the woman made full prostration; praising him in many ways, she entreated him.
Her gratitude culminates in the fullest gesture of reverence, full-body prostration, alongside spontaneous praise-poetry.
Let overwhelming gratitude find full, unembarrassed physical or verbal expression.
जय जया परमपुरुषा । तूंचि ब्रह्मा विष्णुमहेशा । तुझें वाक्य जाहलें परीस । सुवर्ण केला माझा देह ॥१४०॥
jaya jayā paramapuruṣā | tūmci brahmā viṣṇumaheśā | tujhem vākya jāhalem parīsa | suvarṇa kelā mājhā deha ||140||
'Victory, victory, Supreme Being! You are the whole trinity of the Divine; your word became the touchstone — it turned my body to gold.'
Her hymn opens with the classic touchstone metaphor: the guru's word transmutes an ordinary, suffering life into something of lasting worth, as a touchstone turns base metal to gold.
Let a trusted word or teaching change how you see your own worth, not just your circumstances.
तूं तारावया विश्वासी । म्हणोनि भूमीं अवतरलासी । त्रैमूर्ति तूंचि होसी । अन्यथा नव्हे स्वामिया ॥४१॥
tūm tārāvayā viśvāsī | mhaṇoni bhūmīm avataralāsī | traimūrti tūmci hosī | anyathā navhe svāmiyā ||41||
'You descended to earth to save the world; you alone are the trinity — it could not be otherwise, my Lord.'
Her praise affirms the incarnation's purpose is universal salvation, not merely her own personal favor — her private miracle is framed within a larger mission.
See a personal blessing as part of something larger than yourself, and let it deepen your service to others.
तुझी स्तुति करावयासी । अशक्य आपुले जिव्हेसी । अपार तुझ्या महिमेसी । नाहीं साम्य कृपासिंधु ॥४२॥
tujhī stuti karāvayāsī | aśakya āpule jivhesī | apāra tujhyā mahimesī | nāhīm sāmya kṛpāsimdhu ||42||
'To praise you is beyond my tongue's power; your greatness is boundless, and nothing equals it, O ocean of compassion.'
A classic devotional gesture — the confession that words fail before the divine — expresses humility even at the height of gratitude.
Accept that gratitude sometimes exceeds what words can hold, and let the feeling stand on its own.
येणेंपरी स्तोत्र करुनि । श्रीगुरुचरण वंदूनि । गेली निरोप घेऊनि । आपुले गृहा परियेसा ॥४३॥
yeṇemparī stotra karuni | śrīgurucaraṇa vamdūni | gelī niropa gheūni | āpule gṛhā pariyesā ||43||
Having offered this praise and bowed at Śrī Guru's feet, she took his leave and went home.
The scene closes properly, with formal leave-taking after devotion — she doesn't linger but returns to ordinary life carrying the blessing forward.
After a moment of deep gratitude, return to ordinary duties, carrying the blessing with you.
ऐसे नवमास क्रमोनि । प्रसूत जाहली शुभदिनीं । समस्त ज्योतिषी येवोनि । वर्तविती जातकातें ॥४४॥
aise navamāsa kramoni | prasūta jāhalī śubhadinīm | samasta jyotiṣī yevoni | vartavitī jātakātem ||44||
So nine months passed, and she gave birth on an auspicious day; those skilled in reading a newborn's destiny came and foretold the child's future.
Nine months after the promised conception, the birth itself arrives on a favorable day, and elders skilled in reading a child's fate gather to speak of what lies ahead — the narrative confirms the promise is now flesh and blood.
When a long-awaited hope is finally realized, take time to mark the moment and look forward with expectation.
ज्योतिषी म्हणती तये वेळीं । होईल कन्या मन निर्मळी । अष्टपुत्रा वाढेल कुळी । पुत्रपौत्रीं नांदेल ॥४५॥
jyotiṣī mhaṇatī taye veḷīm | hoīla kanyā mana nirmaḷī | aṣṭaputrā vāḍhela kuḷī | putrapautrīm nāmdela ||45||
The elders said at that time: 'The daughter will be pure of heart; she will grow up amid eight sons in the family, and will live surrounded by children and grandchildren.'
The forecast describes a life of purity, abundance, and lineage continuing for generations — echoing the very concerns of childlessness and family continuity that opened the woman's whole ordeal.
Hope for those you love to flourish not just in the moment but across the whole span of their lives.
येणेंपरी ज्योतिषीं । जातक वर्तविलें परियेसीं । सोमनाथ आनंदेंसीं । दानधर्म करिता जाहला ॥४६॥
yeṇemparī jyotiṣīm | jātaka vartavilem pariyesīm | somanātha ānamdemsīm | dānadharma karitā jāhalā ||46||
In this way the elders foretold the newborn's future; Somanātha, full of joy, began giving alms and performing acts of charity.
Somanātha responds to the good news the way the whole chapter has modeled — turning private joy outward into charity, the same gesture that marked the community celebrations earlier.
Meet good news with generosity toward others, not just private satisfaction.
दहा दिवस क्रमोनि । सुस्नात झाली ते भामिनी । कडिये बाळक घेवोनि । आली श्रीगुरुदर्शनासी ॥४७॥
dahā divasa kramoni | susnāta jhālī te bhāminī | kaḍiye bāḷaka ghevoni | ālī śrīgurudarśanāsī ||47||
Ten days having passed, the woman, purified by bathing, took the infant on her hip and came for Śrī Guru's presence.
The ten-day postpartum purification complete, her first outing with the newborn is straight to Śrī Guru — gratitude precedes even the child's own naming.
Let your first act with a new blessing be one of thanksgiving.
बाळक आणोनि भक्तींसीं । ठेविलें श्रीगुरुचरणापाशीं । नमन करी साष्टांगेंसीं । एकभावेंकरोनियां ॥४८॥
bāḷaka āṇoni bhaktīmsīm | ṭhevilem śrīgurucaraṇāpāśīm | namana karī sāṣṭāmgemsīm | ekabhāvemkaroniyām ||48||
Bringing the infant with devotion, she placed it at Śrī Guru's feet, and prostrated fully with one-pointed devotion.
She physically offers the child at the guru's feet — a gesture of dedication that says the child ultimately belongs to grace, not merely to her own effort.
Dedicate what you have been given back to its true source, rather than claiming it only as your own achievement.
आश्वासोनि श्रीगुरुमूर्ति । उठीं बाळे पुत्रवंती । बहुतपरी संतोषविती । प्रेमभावेंकरोनियां ॥४९॥
āśvāsoni śrīgurumūrti | uṭhīm bāḷe putravamtī | bahutaparī samtoṣavitī | premabhāvemkaroniyām ||49||
Comforting her, Śrī Guru said, 'Rise, blessed mother'; he consoled and delighted her in many ways, with loving affection.
Śrī Guru's response is tender rather than formal — he lifts her up and consoles her, showing the fatherly warmth that runs through his relationship with devotees.
Offer warmth and encouragement, not just correctness, when someone brings you their joy or need.
उठोनि विनवी ती श्रीगुरुसी । पुत्र नाहीं आमुचे कुशीं । सरस्वती आली घरासी । बोल आपुला सांभाळावा ॥१५०॥
uṭhoni vinavī tī śrīgurusī | putra nāhīm āmuce kuśīm | sarasvatī ālī gharāsī | bola āpulā sāmbhāḷāvā ||150||
Rising, she entreated Śrī Guru: 'We have no son in our house — a daughter has come; please keep your promised word.'
Even with a daughter safely born, she reminds him of the fuller promise of both son and daughter — a persistence that is not ingratitude but continued trust in the word already given.
It is right to hold someone to a promise they made, even after receiving part of what they offered.
ऐकोनि तियेचें वचन । श्रीगुरु म्हणती हांसोन । न करीं मनीं अनमान । तूतें पुत्र होईल ॥५१॥
aikoni tiyecem vacana | śrīguru mhaṇatī hāmsona | na karīm manīm anamāna | tūtem putra hoīla ||51||
Hearing her words, Śrī Guru said smiling, 'Do not doubt in your heart — you will indeed have a son.'
His smile again signals reassurance rather than annoyance at being pressed — doubt is gently corrected, not rebuked.
Answer a persistent worry with patient reassurance rather than irritation.
म्हणोनि तिये कुमारीसी । कडिये घेती प्रीतींसीं । सांगताति समस्तांसी । तये कन्येचें लक्षण ॥५२॥
mhaṇoni tiye kumārīsī | kaḍiye ghetī prītīmsīm | sāmgatāti samastāmsī | taye kanyecem lakṣaṇa ||52||
So saying, he took the infant girl on his lap with affection, and told everyone present the girl's future qualities.
Śrī Guru's physical affection for the child, and his public description of her destiny, extend his blessing from private promise to public declaration witnessed by the community.
Let elders and mentors bless and encourage the young ones in your care, publicly and warmly.
पुत्र होतील बहु इसी । होईल आपण शतायुषी । पुत्राचे पौत्र नयनेंसीं । पाहील आपण अहेवपणें ॥५३॥
putra hotīla bahu isī | hoīla āpaṇa śatāyuṣī | putrāce pautra nayanemsīm | pāhīla āpaṇa ahevapaṇem ||53||
'She will have many sons; she will live a full hundred years; she will see her sons' sons with her own eyes, and remain a wife blessed with her husband living.'
The blessing pronounced over the infant girl is expansive — long life, many descendants, and an unbroken marriage — the fullest form of worldly fortune imaginable in this tradition.
Wish those you bless a whole, complete life, not merely a single good outcome.
होईल इसी ज्ञानी पति । त्यातें चारी वेद येती । अष्टैश्चर्यें नांदती । प्रख्यात होवोनि भूमंडळीं ॥५४॥
hoīla isī jñānī pati | tyātem cārī veda yetī | aṣṭaiścaryem nāmdatī | prakhyāta hovoni bhūmamḍaḷīm ||54||
'She will have a wise husband learned in the four Vedas; they will live amid the eight kinds of prosperity, and become renowned throughout the world.'
The blessing extends to her future marriage — wisdom and material abundance together, not one at the expense of the other.
Hope for both wisdom and well-being together in the lives of those you love.
आपण होईल पतिव्रता । पुण्यशील धर्मरता । इची ख्याति होईल बहुता । समस्ता इसी वंदिती ॥५५॥
āpaṇa hoīla pativratā | puṇyaśīla dharmaratā | icī khyāti hoīla bahutā | samastā isī vamditī ||55||
'She herself will be a devoted wife, virtuous and devoted to righteous duty; her fame will spread widely, and all will honor her.'
The blessing names her own character, not just her circumstances — virtue and devotion are what will earn her the honor described.
Value character above circumstance when you consider what makes a life admirable.
दक्षिणदेशीं महाराजा । येईल इचे दर्शनकाजा । आणिक पुत्र होईल तुज । म्हणोनि श्रीगुरु बोलती ॥५६॥
dakṣiṇadeśīm mahārājā | yeīla ice darśanakājā | āṇika putra hoīla tuja | mhaṇoni śrīguru bolatī ||56||
'A great king from the southern land will come to see her; and you will have another son,' said Śrī Guru.
Śrī Guru adds a striking detail — even royalty will seek her out — while also reaffirming, almost in passing, the still-pending promise of a son.
Trust that a promise not yet fulfilled is still on its way, even while other blessings arrive first.
येणेंपरी श्रीगुरुमूर्ति । कन्यालक्षण सांगती । विप्रवनिता विनयवृत्तीं । म्हणे पुत्र व्हावा मज ॥५७॥
yeṇemparī śrīgurumūrti | kanyālakṣaṇa sāmgatī | vipravanitā vinayavṛttīm | mhaṇe putra vhāvā maja ||57||
In this way Śrī Guru described the daughter's future qualities; the woman, humbly, said, 'May I also have a son.'
Her humility even amid such abundance is notable — she does not demand but gently asks, echoing her earlier deference.
Ask humbly for what you still hope for, even after receiving generously already.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती तियेसी । पुत्र व्हावा तुज कैसी । योग्य पाहिजे वर्षें तीसी । अथवा शतायुषी मूर्ख पैं ॥५८॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī tiyesī | putra vhāvā tuja kaisī | yogya pāhije varṣem tīsī | athavā śatāyuṣī mūrkha paim ||58||
Śrī Guru said to her, 'How should the son you receive be? Should he be virtuous for thirty years, or foolish yet live a hundred years?'
Śrī Guru poses a pointed choice — a short virtuous life versus a long foolish one — testing what she truly values for her child, wisdom or mere longevity.
When wishing well for someone, consider what kind of life you actually want for them, not just how long it lasts.
ऐकोनि श्रीगुरुच्या वचना । विनवीतसे ते अंगना । योग्य पाहिजे पुत्र आपणा । तयासी पांच पुत्र व्हावे ॥५९॥
aikoni śrīgurucyā vacanā | vinavītase te amganā | yogya pāhije putra āpaṇā | tayāsī pāmca putra vhāve ||59||
Hearing Śrī Guru's words, the woman entreated him: 'I wish for a virtuous son — and may he in turn have five sons.'
She chooses virtue over mere lifespan, and extends her hope into the next generation as well — her request has matured from mere survival to lasting quality of life and lineage.
Choose quality of character over mere quantity of years when you weigh what really matters.
भक्तवत्सल श्रीगुरुमूर्ति । वर देती तेणें रीतीं । संतोषोनि घरा जाती । महानंद दंपतीसी ॥१६०॥
bhaktavatsala śrīgurumūrti | vara detī teṇem rītīm | samtoṣoni gharā jātī | mahānamda dampatīsī ||160||
Śrī Guru, tender toward his devotees, granted the boon accordingly; the couple returned home rejoicing, in great happiness.
Her wise choice is granted exactly as asked, and the couple's decades of longing finally resolve into a shared, complete joy.
Let a wisely chosen request be met with full-hearted gratitude when it is granted.
पुढें तिसी पुत्र झाला । वेदशास्त्रीं विख्यात भला । पांच पुत्र तो लाधला । नामकरणी श्रीगुरुचा ॥६१॥
puḍhem tisī putra jhālā | vedaśāstrīm vikhyāta bhalā | pāmca putra to lādhalā | nāmakaraṇī śrīgurucā ||61||
Later a son was born to her, who became renowned and learned in the Vedas and scriptures; he in turn had five sons, and was named after Śrī Guru.
The promise is fulfilled in full — a learned son who himself has five sons, named for the guru who granted him, so the guru's presence is carried forward literally in the family name.
Carry forward what shaped you by naming or honoring its source in your own life and family.
कन्यालक्षण श्रीगुरुमूर्ती । निरोपिलें होतें जेणें रीतीं । प्रख्यात झाली सरस्वती । महानंद प्रवर्तला ॥६२॥
kanyālakṣaṇa śrīgurumūrtī | niropilem hotem jeṇem rītīm | prakhyāta jhālī sarasvatī | mahānamda pravartalā ||62||
Just as Śrī Guru had foretold the daughter's qualities, so Sarasvatī became renowned; great joy prevailed.
The narrator confirms the earlier blessing came fully true for the daughter as well — both children's destinies matched the guru's word exactly.
Notice when things unfold exactly as a trusted guide foresaw, and let that strengthen your faith going forward.
यज्ञ करी तिचा पति । प्रख्यात नाम 'दीक्षिती' । चहूं राष्ट्रीं त्याची ख्याती । म्हणोनि सांगे सिद्धमुनि ॥६३॥
yajña karī ticā pati | prakhyāta nāma 'dīkṣitī' | cahūm rāṣṭrīm tyācī khyātī | mhaṇoni sāmge siddhamuni ||63||
Her husband performed sacrificial rites and became renowned by a title of great honor; his fame spread across the four regions — so says Siddha, the sage.
The daughter's husband earns a mark of distinction through his own ritual accomplishment, his renown spreading widely — the family's rise continues into the next generation.
Let earned distinction, built through disciplined practice, be what you're known for.
साठी वर्षें वांझेसी । पुत्र जाहला परियेसीं । सिद्ध म्हणे नामधारकासी । ऐसी कृपा श्रीगुरुची ॥६४॥
sāṭhī varṣem vāmjhesī | putra jāhalā pariyesīm | siddha mhaṇe nāmadhārakāsī | aisī kṛpā śrīgurucī ||64||
To a woman barren for sixty years, a son was born — Siddha says to Nāmadhāraka, 'Such is Śrī Guru's grace.'
The frame narrator, Siddha, closes the story by naming what it was really about — not ritual technique alone, but the guru's grace working through it.
Attribute a good outcome to grace and support received, not solely to your own effort.
निर्धार असे ज्याचे मनीं । त्यासी वर देती तत्क्षणीं । एकोभावें याकारणीं । भक्ति करावी श्रीगुरुची ॥६५॥
nirdhāra ase jyāce manīm | tyāsī vara detī tatkṣaṇīm | ekobhāvem yākāraṇīm | bhakti karāvī śrīgurucī ||65||
Whoever holds firm resolve in the heart receives the boon at once; for this reason, devotion to Śrī Guru should be practiced with single-minded unity.
Siddha draws the chapter's moral directly — firm resolve paired with undivided devotion is the real mechanism behind every blessing described.
Bring undivided resolve to whatever you sincerely seek.
म्हणोनि सरस्वती-गंगाधर । सांगे गुरुचरित्रविस्तार । भजा भजा हो श्रीगुरु । सकळाभीष्ट लाधे तुम्हां ॥६६॥
mhaṇoni sarasvatī-gamgādhara | sāmge gurucaritravistāra | bhajā bhajā ho śrīguru | sakaḷābhīṣṭa lādhe tumhām ||66||
Therefore Sarasvatī-Gaṅgādhar tells this expansive account of the Guru's life: 'Worship, worship Śrī Guru, and all your wishes will be fulfilled.'
The author steps forward by name, addressing readers directly with a repeated call to worship — the chapter's teaching is offered as a living invitation, not just a past story.
Turn a story that moved you into a practice you actually take up, not just an inspiring memory.
जो भजेल श्रीगुरुसी । एकोभावें भक्तींसीं । त्यासी दैन्य कायसी । जें जें मागेल तें देईल सत्य ॥६७॥
jo bhajela śrīgurusī | ekobhāvem bhaktīmsīm | tyāsī dainya kāyasī | jem jem māgela tem deīla satya ||67||
Whoever worships Śrī Guru with single-minded devotion — what want could remain for him? Whatever he asks, it will truly be given.
The author universalizes the promise beyond this one woman's story — undivided devotion to the guru is presented as sufficient for any devotee's need, echoing the wish-cow image already used.
Bring the same wholehearted devotion to your own needs that this story models, rather than a divided or half-committed effort.
गुरुभक्ति म्हणजे कामधेनु । अंतःकरणीं नको अनुमानु । जें जें इच्छीत भक्तजनु । समस्त देईल परियेसा ॥१६८॥
gurubhakti mhaṇaje kāmadhenu | amtaḥkaraṇīm nako anumānu | jem jem icchīta bhaktajanu | samasta deīla pariyesā ||168||
Devotion to the guru is indeed the wish-fulfilling cow; harbor no doubt in your heart — whatever the devotee desires, all of it will be given.
The chapter's closing verse restates its central image one final time — devotion itself, not any particular ritual, is the true wish-fulfilling source — and repeats the recurring counsel against doubt.
Let go of lingering doubt and trust that sincere devotion, sustained over time, provides what is truly needed.
इति श्रीगुरुचरित्रामृते परमकथाकल्पतरौ श्रीनृसिंहसरस्वत्युपाख्याने सिद्धनामधारकसंवादे वृद्धवंध्यासंतानप्राप्ति नाम एकोनचत्वारिंशत्तमोऽध्यायः ॥३९॥
iti śrīgurucaritrāmṛte paramakathākalpatarau śrīnṛsimhasarasvatyupākhyāne siddhanāmadhārakasamvāde vṛddhavamdhyāsamtānaprāpti nāma ekonacatvārimśattamo'dhyāyaḥ ||39||
Thus ends the thirty-ninth chapter, named 'The Old Barren Woman's Attainment of Offspring,' in the nectar of the Guru's Life-Story, the wish-fulfilling tree of supreme tales, told in the dialogue of Siddha and Nāmadhāraka concerning the account of Śrī Nṛsiṁha Sarasvatī.
The formal colophon names the chapter and situates it within the whole work's frame — Siddha narrating to Nāmadhāraka — marking a clean close to this self-contained story.
Bring your own undertakings to a clear, named close, so you and others can recognize what was accomplished.
श्रीगुरुदत्तात्रेयार्पणमस्तु ॥ श्रीगुरुदेवदत्त ॥
śrīgurudattātreyārpaṇamastu || śrīgurudevadatta ||
May this be offered to Śrī Guru Dattātreya. Śrī Gurudev Datta.
A traditional dedicatory formula offering the completed chapter back to the very deity whose story it tells — authorship is returned to its source.
Dedicate the completion of any effort back to the purpose or source that inspired it.
( ओंवीसंख्या १६८ )
( omvīsamkhyā 168 )
(Ovī count: 168)
A scribal note recording the traditional count of ovī-verses in this chapter — a bookkeeping marker closing the manuscript unit.
Keep track of what you've completed; a simple tally can itself be a form of honoring the effort.