यक्षस्य निकटे गत्वा प्रष्टव्यं कस्त्वमित्यपि । बलाबलं ततो ज्ञात्वा कर्तव्या तु प्रतिक्रिया
'Let us approach the Yaksha and ask, "Who are you?" After knowing his strength or weakness, we should then decide our response.'
ततो वह्निं समाहूय प्रोवाचेन्द्रः सुराधिपः । गच्छ वह्ने त्वमस्माकं यतोऽसि मुखमुत्तमम्
Then Indra, lord of the gods, summoned Agni and said, 'Go, O Agni, since you are our foremost mouth.'
ततो गत्वा तु जानीहि किमिदं यक्षमित्यपि । सहस्राक्षवचः श्रुत्वा स्वपराक्रमगर्भितम्
'Go and find out what this Yaksha is,' he said, having heard the words of the thousand-eyed one, filled with pride in their own power.
वेगात्स निर्गतो वह्निर्ययौ यक्षस्य सन्निधौ । तदा प्रोवाच यक्षस्तं त्वं कोऽसीति हुताशनम्
With speed, Agni departed and approached the Yaksha; then the Yaksha asked him, 'Who are you, O Fire-god?'
वीर्यं च त्वयि किं यत्तद्वद सर्वं ममाग्रतः । अग्निरस्मि तथा जातवेदा अस्मीति सोऽब्रवीत्
'Tell me, what is your power? Declare it all before me.' He replied, 'I am Agni, known as Jatavedas.'
सर्वस्य दहने शक्तिर्मयि विश्वस्य तिष्ठति । तदा यक्षं परं तेजस्तदग्रे निदधौ तृणम्
'The power to burn all things in the universe resides in me.' Then the Yaksha placed a blade of grass before him, shining with supreme radiance.
दहैनं यदि ते शक्तिर्विश्वस्य दहनेऽस्ति हि । तदा सर्वबलेनैवाकरोद्यत्नं हुताशनः
'If you have the power to burn the universe, then burn this.' Thereupon, Agni exerted all his strength and made the attempt.
न शशाक तृणं दग्धुं लज्जितोऽगात्सुरान्प्रति । पृष्टे देवैस्तु वृत्तान्ते सर्वं प्रोवाच हव्यभुक्
But he was unable to burn the grass; ashamed, he returned to the gods. When questioned by the gods about what had happened, Agni told them everything.
वृथाभिमानो ह्यस्माकं सर्वेशत्वादिके सुराः । ततस्तु वृत्रहा वायुं समाहूयेदमब्रवीत्
'Our pride in being lords of all was in vain, O gods.' Then the slayer of Vritra summoned Vayu and spoke these words.
त्वयि प्रोतं जगत्सर्वं त्वच्चेष्टाभिस्तु चेष्टितम् । त्वं प्राणरूपः सर्वेषां सर्वशक्तिविधारकः
'The whole world is woven in you, and all actions are performed by your movements. You are the very breath of all beings, the bearer of all power.'
त्वमेव गत्वा जानीहि किमिदं यक्षमित्यपि । नान्यः कोऽपि समर्थोऽस्ति ज्ञातुं यक्षं परं महः
You alone must go and find out what this Yaksha is; no one else is capable of knowing the supreme greatness of the Yaksha.
सहस्राक्षवचः श्रुत्वा गुणगौरवगुम्फितम् । साभिमानो जगामाशु यत्र यक्षं विराजते
Hearing the words of the thousand-eyed one, woven with praise and respect, he, full of pride, quickly went to where the Yaksha was shining forth.
यक्षं दृष्ट्वा ततो वायुं प्रोवाच मृदुभाषया । कोऽसि त्वं त्वयि का शक्तिर्वद सर्वं ममाग्रतः
Seeing the Yaksha, Vayu spoke gently: Who are you? What power is in you? Tell me everything before me.
ततो यक्षवचः श्रुत्वा गर्वेण मरुदब्रवीत् । मातरिश्वाहमस्मीति वायुरस्मीति चाब्रवीत्
Hearing the Yaksha’s words, Marut replied with pride: I am Matarishva, I am Vayu.
वीर्यं तु मयि सर्वस्य चालने ग्रहणेऽस्ति हि । मच्चेष्टया जगत्सर्वं सर्वव्यापारवद्भवेत्
All strength to move and grasp things is in me; by my action, the entire world becomes full of activity.
इति श्रुत्वा वायुवाणीं निजगाद परं महः । तृणमेतत्तवाग्रे यत्तच्चालय यथेप्सितम्
Hearing Vayu’s speech, the supreme greatness said: Move this blade of grass before you, as you wish.
नोचेद्गर्वं विहायैनं लज्जितो गच्छ वासवम् । श्रुत्वा यक्षवचो वायुः सर्वशक्तिसमन्वितः
If you cannot, abandon your pride and, ashamed, return to Indra; hearing the Yaksha’s words, Vayu, endowed with all power,
उद्योगमकरोत्तच्च स्वस्थानान्न चचाल ह । लज्जितोऽगाद्देवपार्श्वे हित्वा गर्वं स चानिलः
made an effort, but the blade did not move from its place; ashamed, Anila went to the gods, abandoning his pride.
वृत्तान्तमवदत्सर्वं गर्वनिर्वापकारणम् । नैतञ्ज्ञातुं समर्थाः स्म मिथ्यागर्वाभिमानिनः
He told everything that had happened, the cause of his pride’s destruction; we were not capable of knowing this, being falsely proud and arrogant.
अलौकिकं भाति यक्षं तेजः परमदारुणम् । ततः सर्वे सुरगणाः सहस्राक्षं समूचिरे
The Yaksha’s radiance shines as supernatural, supremely fierce; then all the host of gods spoke to the thousand-eyed one.
देवराडसि यस्मात्त्वं यक्षं जानीहि तत्त्वतः । तत इन्द्रो महागर्वात्तद्यक्षं समुपाद्रवत्
O king of the gods, since you are here, know the Yaksha truly; then Indra, full of great pride, approached that Yaksha.
प्राद्रवच्च परं तेजो यक्षरूपं परात्परम् । अन्तर्धानं ततः प्राप तद्यक्षं वासवाग्रतः
He approached the supreme radiance, the Yaksha’s form, beyond all; then the Yaksha vanished before Indra.
अतीव लज्जितो जातो वासवो देवराडपि । यक्षसम्भाषणाभावाल्लघुत्वं प्राप चेतसि
Indra, the king of the gods, became extremely ashamed; from the absence of conversation with the Yaksha, he felt diminished in his mind.
अतः परं न गन्तव्यं मया तु सुरसंसदि । किं मया तत्र वक्तव्यं स्वलघुत्वं सुरान्प्रति
From now on, I should not go to the assembly of the gods; what can I say there, having become insignificant before the gods?
देहत्यागो वरस्तस्मान्मानो हि महतां धनम् । माने नष्टे जीवितं तु मृतितुल्यं न संशयः
Therefore, renouncing the body is the best boon; honor is the wealth of the great; when honor is lost, life is as good as dead, without doubt.
इति निश्चित्य तत्रैव गर्वं हित्वा सुरेश्वरः । चरित्रमीदृशं यस्य तमेव शरणं गतः
Having resolved thus, right there, the lord of the gods abandoned his pride and sought refuge in the one whose conduct was like this.
तस्मिन्नेव क्षणे जाता व्योमवाणी नभस्तले । मायाबीजं सहस्राक्ष जप तेन सुखी भव
At that very moment, a voice arose in the sky: O thousand-eyed one, recite the seed-mantra of Maya and by that become happy.
ततो जजाप परमं मायाबीजं परात्परम् । लक्षवर्षं निराहारो ध्यानमीलितलोचनः
Then he recited the supreme seed-mantra of Maya, the highest of all, for a hundred thousand years, fasting, his eyes closed in meditation.
अकस्माच्चैत्रमासीयनवम्यां मध्यगे रवौ । तदेवाविरभूत्तेजस्तस्मिन्नेव स्थले पुनः
Suddenly, on the ninth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra, when the sun was at its zenith, that very radiance appeared again in that same place.
तेजोमण्डलमध्ये तु कुमारीं नवयौवनाम् । भास्वज्जपाप्रसूनाभां बालकोटिरविप्रभाम्
In the midst of that circle of light, there was a maiden in the bloom of youth, shining like a fresh hibiscus flower, radiant as the rising sun.