चतुर्वक्त्रं महायोगं पुरुषं काञ्चनप्रभम्
A four-faced, supremely yogic Person, shining with a golden brilliance.
निमेषान्तरमात्रेण प्राप्तो ऽसौ पुरुषोत्तमः
In the span of a moment, that Supreme Person arrived.
कस्त्वं कुतो वा कि चेह तिष्ठसे वद मे विभो
Who are you? From where have you come? And why do you stand here? Tell me, O Lord.
एवमुक्तस्तदा तेन ब्रह्मणाहमुवाच तम्
Thus addressed by him, Brahmā then spoke to him.
एवं संभाषमाणौ तु परस्परजयैषिणौ
Thus, as they conversed, each desiring victory over the other,
ज्वालां ततस्तामालोक्य विस्मितौ च तदानघाः
Then, seeing that flame, they were both astonished.
वर्द्धमानां तदा ज्वालामत्यन्तपरमाद्भुताम्
That flame, ever increasing, was supremely wondrous.
दिवं भूमिं च निर्भिद्य तिष्ठन्तं जवालमण्डलम्
Piercing both heaven and earth stood a circle of fire.
प्रादेशमात्रमव्यक्तं लिङ्गं परमदीप्तिमत्
Within it was an unmanifest liṅga, radiant, the size of a span.
अनिर्देश्यमचिन्त्यं च लक्ष्यालक्ष्यं पुनः पुनः
Indescribable, inconceivable, sometimes visible, sometimes not.
महता तेजसायुक्तं वर्दभमानंभृशन्तथा
Endowed with immense brilliance, ever increasing greatly.
घोररूपिणमत्यर्थं भिन्दं तमिव रोदसी
Of a most terrible form, as if splitting apart the heavens and the earth.
अन्तमस्य विजानीवो लिङ्गस्य तु महात्मनः
Let us discern the end of this great liṅga.
तदा तु समयं कृत्वा गत उर्द्ध्वमधश्च हि
Then, having made an agreement, they went upward and downward.
न पश्यामि च तस्यान्तं भीतश्चाहं ततो ऽभवम्
Yet I do not see its end, and thus I became afraid.
समागतो मया सार्द्ध तत्रैव च महाभसि
Having returned, I arrived there again at that great ocean.
मायया मोहितौ तेन नष्टसंज्ञै व्यवस्थितौ
By his māyā they were deluded, remaining there with their awareness lost.
प्रभवं निधनं चैव लौकानां प्रभुमव्ययम्
He is the origin and dissolution, the imperishable Lord of all the worlds.
अव्यक्तायाथ महते नमस्कारं प्रकुर्वहे
Then we offer obeisance to the great, the unmanifest.
नमो ऽस्तु ते शाश्वतसिद्धयोगिने नमोस्तु ते सर्वजगत्प्रतिष्ठित
Salutations to you, eternal master of accomplished yoga; salutations to you, foundation of all the worlds.
ज्येष्ठस्त्वं वामदेवश्च रुद्रः स्कन्दः शिवः प्रभुः
You are the eldest, Vāmadeva, Rudra, Skanda, Śiva, the Lord.
स्वाहाकारो नमस्कारः संस्कारः सर्वकर्मणाम्
You are the svāhā invocation, the act of homage, and the consecration of all rites.
वेदा लोकाश्च देवाश्च भगवानेव सर्वशः
The Vedas, the worlds, and the gods—all these, O Lord, are entirely yourself.
भूमौ गन्धो रसश्चाप्सु तेजोरूपं महेश्वरः
On earth, fragrance; in water, taste; and in fire, form—all these are you, O great Lord.
वायोः स्पर्शश्च देवेश वपुश्चन्द्रमसस्तथा
In wind, touch; in the moon, form—these too, O Lord of the gods, are you.
बुद्धौ ज्ञानं च देवेश प्रकृतेर्बीजमेव च
In intellect, knowledge; and, O Lord of the gods, the very seed of nature—these are you.
त्वं धारयसि लोकांस्त्रींस्त्वमेव सृजसि प्रभो
You sustain the three worlds; you alone, O Lord, create them.
दक्षिणेन तु वक्त्रेण लोकान्संक्षिपसे पुनः
With your southern mouth, you again withdraw the worlds.
उत्तरेण तु वक्त्रेण सोमस्त्वं देवसत्तमः
With your northern mouth, you are Soma, O best of the gods.
आदित्या वसवो रुद्रा मरुतश्च सहाश्विनः
The Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, Maruts, and the twin Aśvins—